Undefeated two-time world light heavyweight champion CHAD DAWSON took time out of training for his world title defense rematch against Antonio Tarver to comment on the retirement of undefeated two-division world champion Joe Calzaghe (46-0, 32 KOs), of Wales.
“I applaud Joe’s decision. It’s obvious he and his family gave it a lot of thought,” said Dawson. “Timing is everything and to leave center stage at his peak is rare and certainly comparable to the retirements of Rocky Marciano and Jim Brown. Joe left on his own terms. What could be better? He held the super middleweight championship longer than anyone, successfully defended it a record-21 times, unified the titles, and then moved up to light heavyweight beating two future Hall of Famers. He has been a man for all seasons and will be an inspiration to me as I look to meet and beat his records. On behalf of all your boxing fans I say, ‘Thank you, Joe.’ And now I am ready to succeed Joe as the new king. I have dethroned two world champions in Tomasz Adamek and Antonio Tarver and defended the title against Glen Johnson. I’m only 26 years old and I’m ready to fight the best at 175 pounds for a very long time. Welcome to the Dawson era.”
Dawson (27-0, 17 KOs), from New Haven, Conn., serving his second term as light heavyweight champion, will make the first defense of the IBF/IBO titles in a rematch against former world champion Tarver on Saturday, March 14, in The Pearl Theater at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nev. Promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, HBO will televise the world title fight live at 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT. Dawson dethroned Tarver as the IBF/IBO champion on October 11, 2008, winning a unanimous decision at the Palms. Dawson won his first world title in 2007, dethroning undefeated defending WBC champion Tomasz Adamek. He successfully defended the WBC title three times before vacating to challenge Tarver.
MACCARINELLI FACES AFOLABI
Enzo Maccarinelli will now take on rising star Ola Afolabi for the Interim WBO World Cruiserweight title on Saturday 14 March.
The bout will feature on the same card as Amir Khan’s showdown against Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera at the M.E.N Arena in Manchester.
Maccarinelli, the former WBO World champion, was due to face Argentine Victor Emilio Ramirez, but he will not be ready in time to face the big punching Welshman.
Instead Big Mac faces the dangerous Afolabi who is Nigerian born and moved to London with his parents where he was raised and now resides in Los Angeles.
Afolabi, 28, is under the famous Duva boxing banner with promoter Dino raving about of his prospect: “The most amazing thing about him is that for a man of his obvious tremendous skills, he never had an amateur fight! I’ve never seen a fighter with incredible skills despite having no amateur background.”
Known as ‘Kryptonite’, Afolabi is ranked at number five by the WBO – a higher position than Ramirez – and at number 12 by the WBC, and holds the NABO title.
The best win in his career was inflicting the first defeat to the then unbeaten prospect Eric Fields – who was making big waves on the US scene – with a tenth round stoppage.
What made the win more impressive was that he took it at only a month notice and it was his first bout in two years.
Maccarinelli, 28, is desperate to become world champion again and he was supposed to fight Johnathon Banks for the WBO title last December, but the bout fell through when Banks injured his ankle. Francisco Alvarez stepped in to replace Banks but he then failed a medical at the weigh-in leaving Maccarinelli with no option but to step up to heavyweight and take on Mathew Ellis – who he destroyed in two rounds.
Big Mac says he will take his anger out on Afolabi on the night.
“After the nightmare at Christmas I’m just looking forward to taking my anger out on someone and it will be Afolabi that will get the full brunt of it,” Said Maccarinelli.
“Mathew Ellis got away with it lightly, I’ve been saving this for the world title fight!”
“To be honest I’m not bothered who is put in front of me, I just want to fight, win and get my hands back on my old title again,”
“It’s been a frustrating few months but it will all be sorted out on March 14,”
“They are making a big thing of Afolabi because he beat Eric Fields, it was a good win but I am a much better fighter than Fields and can punch twice as hard,”
Maccarinelli v Afolabi features on a blockbuster show promoted by Frank Warren that also includes Nicky Cook’s WBO World Super-Featherweight title defence against Roman Martinez; Commonwealth Light-Middleweight Champion Bradley Pryce defending his title against Matthew Hall; and Paul Smith challenging for the Vacant WBA International Super-Middleweight title.
Tickets, priced at £40, £50, £75, £100, £150, £200 and £300, are available from the following outlets:
See Tickets
0871 220 0260
www.seetickets.com
Ticketline
0844 888 9991
www.ticketline.co.uk
M.E.N Arena
0870 190 8000
www.men-arena.com
Amir Khan Boxing
01204 535 332
07817 559 450
www.amirkhan-boxing.com
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