Former IBF Lightweight King PAUL SPADAFORA declared himself undaunted, undeterred and ready, willing and able to fight, at an afternoon press conference today at the Pittsburgh Hilton. Spadafora (41-0-1) will headline a six-bout card, Tuesday, March 31 at the Pittsburgh Hilton. The show will begin at 7:30 p.m.
“Knee surgery, a post surgical infection and a cut lip caused me to cancel two fights last year [September 26 and
December 20]. I thought for sure I was snake bitten,” said Spadafora. “Since December I’ve boxed over a hundred rounds and look forward to fighting in front of my hometown fans again.”
Promoter Mike Acri stated, “The knee surgery was vital because Paul was unable to perform at his best and he was not pleased with his last two fights despite them being easy wins.” Acri added that Spadafora’s opponent would be named shortly and the undercard would feature Baltimore middleweight Jesse Nicklow (19-1-1), Pittsburgh junior welterweight Rod Salka (6-0), and additional bouts.
Tickets, priced at $100.00 (Ringside), $50.00 (Reserved) and $20.00 (General Admission), go on sale
Monday March 2, and can be purchased at Mitchell’s Restaurant & Bar (304 Ross St. / 412-471-3663), Blue Eagle Sports (726 Broadway Ave.) McKees Rocks (412-331-4884). For additional ticket Information, call 412-355-0770 or 814-455-8309.
TROY ROSS IS THE CONTENDER CHAMPION
Yes, and as Grady Brewer, and Sakio Bika have proven, this will not mean much. Why is this? Simple. Less exposure. It is no coincidence that Sergio Mora, the one winner from the network days, has had the most success. Even while looking ordinary in subsequent bouts, he was a name people remembered and wanted to see… Therefore every effort was made to place him in the right fight, against the right opponent, which was finally done last year.
Bika and Jaidon Codrington put on a fight of the year candidate in last year’s final, and yet Bika has failed to land a signifigant fight. Alfonso Gomez has gotten more big names and exposure than anyone post-Contender, and he didn’t come close to winning the show. Being on a show is nice, but it does not substitute for having the right promoters, style, and skills to keep people wanting to watch you.
So congrats, Troy on your win, and I hope you can cash in on the happenings in an already exciting division. It will get your next few fights televised, and put some coin in your pocket. The impressive way in which you won 3 out of 4 fights by stoppage is also a bonus. However, since the fights were buried on Versus, and hardly advertised, you are one loss away from anonymity. So, don’t go calling out Tomasz Adamek or Steve Cunningham just yet. And shame on Versus for not pushing the show. Even if you were just targeting old Tony Danza fans, they would have been treated to a pretty exciting final card.
Chris Strait
www.stickandmoveshow.com
Gunn destroys Gregory in Four to Win NABA Cruiserweight Title; Has Sights Set on The Elite!
Lyndhurst, NJ – After last night’s beatdown of Brad Gregory, Bobby “The Celtic Warrior” Gunn showed that he is as determined as ever for a crack at an elite fighter.
“I am so hungry for another shot”, said Gunn, who has been impatiently waiting to challenge for a title since he was stopped prematurely against then WBO champion Enzo Maccarinelli in 2007. “I’ve been in this boxing game a long time and have paid my dues. I am a seasoned veteran who will be highly ranked in the WBA and WBC shortly, so the champions will have no excuses to avoid me.
Gunn 21-3-1 (18 KO’s) handled Gregory start to finish, dropping him twice in the fourth round which forced referee Brian O’Melia to call the one sided affair to a halt. With the victory, Gunn became the new WBA-NABA Cruiserweight champion while retaining his WBC-USNBC title in the process. Gunn was pleased with his victory, especially considering the circumstances which he feared were going to throw him off his game.
“I became severely sick in the middle of last week”, said Gunn who is still battling a fever, which made his most crucial days of training excessively difficult. “If I didn’t fight with heart, I would have lost no question about it”. “I definitely have to think God because without him, I wouldn’t have made it”.
Atop Gunn’s most wanted list is WBC champion Giacobbe Fragomeni and WBA titleholder Guillermo Jones. Gunn is prepared to stamp his passport anywhere around the world to get another shot.
“In all honesty, I want to fight Fragomeni so badly I can’t even explain it”, said Gunn, who fought in the main event last night at Medieval Times. “Our styles compliment each other so whether we fought in New Jersey or Italy, the fans will get a great fight”. “Guillermo Jones on the other hand is a fighter I have a ton of respect for because he has fought all over the world much like I have”. It doesn’t matter who I face, when or where the fight is, all I know is that I am ready”, said the former IBA champion.