Top Rank president Todd DuBouef has recently spread the word that he would love to match Cuban phenomenon Yuriorkis Gamboa (21-0, 16 kos) with hard-hitting WBA lightweight champion Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios (29-0-1, 21 kos) sooner or later.

“I have seen some tapes of Rios and all I can say is that Gamboa is ready for him anytime, anyplace”, says promoter Ahmet Oner. “Rios is an aggressive guy but I see nothing in his game to really shock Gamboa. It should be a good fight though so I say: Let’s get it on!”

In September Gamboa beat former world champion Daniel Ponce de Leon in a one-sided affair at 127 lbs. There were rumours about the Cuban 2004 Olympic gold medalist taking an interim bout at 130 lbs. before moving up to 135 lbs. for a possible showdown with Rios who is scheduled to defend his WBA title against John Murray on December 3rd in New York.

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Maddalone (left) and Tomasz Adamek (right)

Two weight World champion Tomasz Adamek 42-1 (27) is edging nearer to a World title shot at heavyweight. He takes part in his fifth fight at the weight on Thursday when he takes on the ever willing Vinny Maddalone 33-6 (24) in New Jersey.

At a recent press conference , this is what the combatants had to say.

Tomasz Adamek:

I’m excited to be returning to the Prudential Center.  I have been training really hard with Roger (Bloodworth) and I feel like I’m getting better and better and learning more everyday. 

I know that Vinny and I are going to make a really great fight and I invite everyone to come out and enjoy it with us this Thursday night.

Vinny Maddalone:

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Selcuk Aydin

Welterweight KO-artist Selcuk Aydin is currently training in Miami to prepare for his great goal of dethroning WBC champion Andre Berto. The World Boxing Council (WBC) had confirmed on its 48th world convention in Cancun that Berto has to face silver titlist Aydin next after making his easy defense against Freddy Hernandez on November 27th in Las Vegas.

“I have waited for this chance for a long time”, Aydin told Anson Wainwright (15rounds.com) in an interview last week. “I blame Berto for making me wait for this fight for one and a half years. He did all he could to avoid me and I will make him pay for that once we meet in the ring. I heard that the WBC will call for purse bid shortly and my promoter Ahmet Öner told me that the fight will take place before March 31st. I will fight him anywhere anytime. And I will strip the belt from him.”

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Odlanier Solis in training camp for his eliminator with Ray Austin

2004 Olympic champion at heavyweight Odlanier Solis has been telling anybody who will listen, that he is ready to win a World title for quite some time now, but he should become mandatory contender after he takes on Ray Austin 28-4-4 (18) in a WBC heavyweight eliminator on December 17th.

If he wins the fight (which he should ) he will be mandatory contender to Vitali Klitschko. There is no doubt that Solis is talented but many people have voiced concerns about Solis’ weight.

Solis was training today at his Miami base where he has reunited with his former amateur coach Pedro Luis Diaz who also trains WBC light heavyweight  champion Jean Pascal.

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On Thursday December 2nd, at the Halle Carpentier Arena in Paris France, former two-time cruiserweight champion, and now IBF #10 and WBA #12 heavyweight rated contender, Jean Marc Mormeck (35-4, 22KO’s) will look to take one step closer towards challenging for a heavyweight world title, when he takes on fellow contender Timur Ibragimov (30-2-1, 16KO’s). The bout is scheduled for twelve rounds and is promoted by Mormeck’s J3M Management and Star Boxing.

The fight on the 2nd will mark Mormeck’s third since he started his campaign at heavyweight in December of 2009. In his last bout he won a ten round unanimous decision over two-time heavyweight world title challenger Fres Oquendo. A win over Ibragimov, a 1996 Olympian, could set Mormeck up for a world title shot against current WBA champion, David Haye, or with one of the Klitschko brothers sometime in 2011. Ibragimov, currently riding a nine bout win streak, is ranked number seven in the world by the WBA.

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Oloukun (left) hit too hard for Airich (right)

Last-minute replacement Gbenga  “Bang Bang” Oloukun stopped German heavyweight contender Konstantin Airich in three rounds in front of 1000 fans at the Vogelsanghalle in Stralsund, Germany on Friday night.

The Nigerian who stepped in on only two days notice for unbeaten Turk Yakup Saglam connected with the harder punches from the opening bell on. In the third “Bang Bang“ landed a powerful uppercut which sent Airich to the canvas immediately after 47 seconds in the third.

The German beat the count but was on shaky legs forcing his corner to throw in the towel. “I am so disappointed”, stated Airich after the fight. “I just didn’t see that shot coming. I know that I can beat Bang Bang. I hope he gives me a re-match so I can prove that.”  ”I wouldn’t have accepted the fight on short notice if I didn’t believe in my chance”, said  Oloukun. “I know Konstantin, I knew his weaknesses and I knew about my own strengths. So I just hammered him down. Bang Bang!”

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Ahmet Öner (ARENA), Don King (DKP) and Tom Loeffler (K2) reach agreement regarding heavyweight division

Winner of Solis vs. Austin (Dec 17) to face WBC champion Vitali Klitschko within 100 days

Jose Sulaiman says even his friends don't understand him

The 48th WBC Convention in Cancun (Mexico) saw a very emotional meeting on Wednesday when mandatory title defenses and final elimination bouts were on the agenda. The controversy started when Tom Loeffler (K2 Promotions) brought in a request on behalf of heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko. Klitschko asked for a voluntary title defense in March 2011 (against Tomasz Adamek at New York’s Madison Square Garden celebrating the 40th anniversary of Ali vs. Frazier I) before facing his next mandatory challenger which will be determined in a final elimination bout between Odlanier Solis and Ray Austin on December 17th in Miami.

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Johnson (right) with Star Boxing's Joey DeGuardia

Former Heavyweight Title Challenger, Kevin “Kingpin” Johnson (23-1-1, 10KO’s) returned with a vegenance earlier tonight, knocking out veteran, Charles Davis in the 4th round, in the main event bout of the evening at the Blake Hotel in Charlotte, NC.

Johnson, who was returning from his first career loss, a twelve round decision against WBC Heavyweight Champion, Vitali Klitscho, brutalized Davis, dropping him in the third before finishing him in devastating fashion in the fourth.

Johnson who has been off since the Klitschko fight ten months ago, where he suffered a torn bicep early in the fight, came right at Davis, hurting him with shots throughout before turning it on in the third. Johnson stated prior to the fight that everyone would see a different Kingpin, and he certainly didn’t disappoint.

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Following recent speculation in the press regarding a possible clash between Irish Middleweight rivals Andy Lee and John Duddy promoter Brian Peters says he would like to set the record straight on his recent efforts to make the much talked about all-Irish fight.

There has been increasing rumblings in the media about the possibility of both men getting it on but Peters has revealed that a recent written offer to both camps was rejected. “I have the greatest of respect for both Andy and John and have always worked very well with them in the past but I believe it’s important that a recent offer made to them is put on the record,” said Peters.

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The Hunky Dorys Fight Night: Big Bang Theory at the University Arena, Limerick on Saturday, November 6th was already shaping up to be explosive with Kiko “La Sensación” Martinez defending his European Super Bantamweight title against Limerick’s own Willie “Big Bang” Casey but extra TNT has been added to the night with the news that Belfast’s Martin Rogan will make his return from injury on the card.

The inaugural Prizefighter winner and former Commonwealth Heavyweight Champ will feature on the card as he bids to bounce back from a career threatening injury. Reigning European Union and Irish Super Bantamweight Champ Paul Hyland will also feature in Limerick with the talented Dubliner eyeing a shot at the winner of Martinez – Casey.

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Odlanier Solis (left) with promoter Ahmet Öner

Heavyweight sensation Odlanier Solis returns to Germany in December. The three-time world amateur champion and 2004 Olympic gold medallist (currently rated #2 by the WBC) is on his way to become the mandatory challenger for WBC champion Vitali Klitschko.

After defecting from the Cuban national team (along with unified featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa) in December 2006, Solis gave his pro-debut in Hamburg, Germany, in April 2007 under the banner of Ahmet Oener’s ARENA Box-Promotion. ”La Sombra’ had his first 12 pro-fights in Germany winning the WBC Latino and WBC International Championship. In October 2008 he moved to Miami and had his last four fights in the United States stopping Kevin Burnett, Dominique Alexander, Monte Barrett and Carl Davis Drummond.

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Brian Magee (right) and Roman Aramian (left) pose for the cameras after weighing in - PHOTO: Aidan Walsh

The weigh in’s are complete for the European title double header at the National Stadium in Dublin on Saturday’s Hunky Dorys Fight Night. European Super Middleweight Champion Brian Magee and challenger Roman Aramian  both had to strip to the bare essentials to make the 168 pound weight limit while the challengers for the vacant European Super Bantamweight title, Kiko “La Sensacion” Martinez and Arsen Martyrosian both tipped the scales right on the 122 pound weight limit.

Kiko Martinez (right) and Arsen Martyrosian (left) pose for the cameras after weighing in- PHOTO: Aidan Walsh

Robbie Long and Anthony fitzgerald pose for the cameras after weighing in- PHOTO: Aidan Walsh

The Cuban Revolution continues at The National Stadium in Dublin this Saturday when unbeaten Cuban duo Alexei Acosta and Luis Garcia feature on the undercard of the Hunky Dorys Fight Night.

Acosta and Garcia are two of a trio of undefeated Cuban sensations now based in Cork having all won World Junior Championships in the amateur ranks. The third is heavyweight Mike Perez who was forced off Saturday’s card earlier this week due to illness. All three are unbeaten and tipped for big things in the pro ranks.

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Yuriorkis Gamboa (right) with promoter Ahmet Oner and Orlando Salido (left) Photo: Rick Peneda

When WBA featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa steps into the ring against IBF champ Orlando Salido for his first title unification this Saturday (Sept. 11th, featured on HBO Boxing After Dark) at The Palms in Las Vegas, ‘El Ciclon’ knows exactly who to thank for the way his career has taken so far.

“I have a fantastic team behind me”, said Gamboa in Vegas. “With my father Carlos who brought me to boxing and has always been a role model, my trainer Ismael Salas who I have known for many, many years, my promoter Ahmet Öner and my manager Tony Gonzalez who led me from my pro-debut to Las Vegas on the fast lane and the team of Top Rank who is doing a great job in putting together these wonderful shows I have the best team in my corner that a fighter can possibly have. But I also know that I wouldn’t be where I am right now if I wouldn’t work as hard as possible for my success.”

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Irish Super Middleweight Champion Anthony “The Pride of Dublin” Fitzgerald will put his title and his ring moniker on the line when he faces Robbie Long in their eagerly awaited rubber match on this Saturday’s Hunky Dorys Fight Night at the National Stadium in Dublin.

The completion of this all Dublin trilogy is part of the undercard to a European title doubleheader with Brian Magee making the first defence of his European Super Middleweight title against Roman Aramian while Kiko “La Sensacion” Martinez and Arsen Martyrosian will battle it out for the vacant European Super Bantamweight crown.

For Dublin fight fans though the Fitzgerald – Long clash will hold a special interest pitting the Champion, a Northsider from the inner city against the challenger from Tallaght on the Southside of the Liffey. Both men already hold a victory over the other and Saturday’s decider will have extra spice with Fitzgerald’s Irish title on the line.

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