Sturm (right) and Lorenzo at today's press conference

WBA Super Champion Felix Sturm and Giovanni Lorenzo were face to face for the first time at today’s press conference for their middleweight title fight this Saturday (Sept. 4) in Cologne, Germany.

“There’s no doubt about me winning the fight and becoming champion of the world”, said Lorenzo who showed up in a jersey of local soccer team Borussia Mönchengladbach; Gladbach had won a clash with local rivals Bayer Leverkusen with 6-3 on Sunday afternoon. “The team of Gladbach inspired me. They were the underdogs, they played in front of Leverkusen’s home crowd and they scored a very convincing and impressing win. That’s exactly what I will do next Saturday. Gladbach scored 6 goals – I will score 6 knockdowns. When I heard that Sturm is from Leverkusen like yesterday’s losers things were very clear to me: I will be the new champion.”

 Read more...

WBA featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa

- WBA featherweight champion getting ready for Sept. 11 title unification with IBF champ Salido at The Palms -

On September 11th Cuban featherweight phenomenon Yuriorkis Gamboa will enter the ring for his first championship unification bout when the WBA titlist faces IBF champ Orlando Salido at The Palms Resort Casino in Las Vegas. The show will be promoted by Top Rank in association with ARENA Sports-Promotion and broadcasted live on HBO Boxing After Dark.

“This will be Gamboa’s toughest test so far”, says promoter Ahmet Öner. “We have matched him against strong opposition from his very first pro-fight on but a title unification is always special. Salido isn’t wearing the championship belt for nothing. Also the pressure on Gamboa is increasing now that he is the main event fighter in Vegas and on HBO. But I am convinced that he will prove once more that he is one of the best fighters and most exciting rising stars in the sport today.”

 Read more...

The WBC has officially ordered Lou DiBella and ARENA-CEO Ahmet Öner to start free negotiations for the welterweight world championship between Andre Berto and Selcuk Aydin. Berto won the title in June 2008 by knocking out Miguel Angel Rodriguez; Selcuk Aydin has captured the WBC Silver Championship by outscoring Ionut “Jo-Jo Dan” Ion in Istanbul. Both fighters are unbeaten. Berto has won all of his 26 pro-fights (20 kos), Selcuk Aydin scored 20 wins in as many fights (including 15 kos).

“Andre Berto is one of the biggest names in US boxing today”, said Ahmet Öner. “He is one of the faces of HBO. This is the chance Selcuk has been waiting and fighting for. I’m sure it will be a hell of a fight.”

 Read more...

Gomez (Left) with Arena C.E.O Ahmet Oner in friendlier times

When Ahmet Öner heard that Juan Carlos Gomez decided to leave ARENA to go back to his “old” promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl (Universum) he couldn’t surpress a smile: “My first thoughts were: Well, that’s a match made in heaven – a formerly great promoter who lost all his TV deals and fired his whole staff to avoid bankrupcy teams up with a formerly great fighter whose biggest success was getting beat up by Vitali Klitschko and who blew about 2 mio. Euros in the last three years alone. The best thing about it is that Gomez and Universum have been suing each other for the last five years. But all of a sudden they’re best friends again just because they both decided that they hate the Turkish kid. Well done, guys. I was considering sending both of them my congratulations to this wonderful deal and wishing them all the best for their joint venture of insignificance – but then I heard some of the stuff Gomez is saying about me and I felt I have to respond to that at least.”

 Read more...

On Saturday night, before a packed house at the Tropicana showroom in the Tropicana Casino and Resort, Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing presented an action packed eight bout card. The event, shown live on PPV, featured knockouts, upsets, and just all around great fights.

The show was headlined by David Tua defending his WBO Asian Pacific and WBO Oriental titles against long-time top rated contender Monte “Two Gunz” Barrett. Prior to the fight, Joe DeGuardia, CEO and President of Star Boxing, stated what an exciting fight it would be, and he was right on point.

Barrett, who announced prior to the fight that win lose or draw this would be his last bout, was a huge underdog coming in against the heavy-handed Tua and in the beginning it looked as though Tua’s power would simply be too much for him to handle.

 Read more...

On Saturday night, the WBO’s #2 rated heavyweight in the world, David Tua (51-3-1, 43KO’s) squares off against former heavyweight title challenger, Monte Barrett (34-9, 20KO’s) at the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City. The show, T-N-T at the Tropicana, is being promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and will air live on Pay-Per-View. Tua vs. Barrett is scheduled for twelve rounds, and will be for Tua’s WBO Asian Pacific and WBO Oriental titles.

Both Tua (13-0, 12KO’s) and Barrett (7-0, 5KO’s) have had great success when fighting in Atlantic City. Three of Tua’s twelve knockouts in Atlantic City have come against former heavyweight world champions, including a thirty second first round knockout over former heavyweight world champion Michael Moorer, an 11th round TKO over former champ Oleg Maskaev, and an explosive nineteen second destruction over former champ John Ruiz.

 Read more...

On Saturday July 17th at the Tropicana Casino and Resort, Philadelphia’s up and coming welterweight prospect, Raymond “Tito” Serrano (12-0, 6KO’s) will look to continue on his path up the contender ranks when he takes on Ghana’s Ayi Bruce (6-2, 4KO’s).

Serrano-Bruce is scheduled for eight rounds, and will be one of the co-featured bouts of the evening on the Pay-Per-View telecast. The card, being presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, and billed as T-N-T at the Tropicana, will feature WBO #2 rated heavyweight David Tua (51-3-1, 43KO’s) taking on Monte Barrett (34-9, 20KO’s) in the main event.?

Raymond 'Tito' Serrano

Serrano is coming off a dominate eight round unanimous decision over Ronald Warrior Jr. in his last fight, which was televised live on ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” earlier this year.

 Read more...