At 7:30 A.M. today, Punxsutawney Phil — the Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators — emerged from his burrow at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Penn., and proclaimed, in his native Groundhogese, that JORGE “Travieso” ARCE’S reign as the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) interim super flyweight champion would last less than six days, until Saturday, February 7, when he rumbles with World Super Flyweight Champion VIC “Raging Bull” DARCHINYAN, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. SHOWTIME will televise their battle live, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast.)
“It’s going to be a long and cold winter for Señor Arce,” stated Phil as he shadowboxed during his annual news conference. “It may be fight week for Darchinyan, but it’s the ‘Adios Tour’ for Arce. On fight night Darchinyan will be a Raging Bull in a china shop and he’s going to kick Arce’s assets all over the ring. There will be no bailout for him. It’s Chapter 7 for Arce — out of business!”
The world’s most famous predictor, wearing a Darchinyan headband and a T-shirt emblazoned with “VICtory” on the front, went on to forecast that Darchinyan, already a two-division world champion, would be winning additional world titles as a bantamweight, a super bantamweight and beyond.
“I’m very bullish on Vic Darchinyan. He’s the economic stimulus that will continue to spur boxing’s growth and popularity!” exclaimed Phil.
When pressed for a definitive answer on whether Arce had a chance to defeat Darchinyan, Phil astounded the media by answering in English.
Quoth the groundhog, “Nevermore.”
Promoted by Gary Shaw Productions and Top Rank, the February 7 world championship doubleheader at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif, will also feature the North American Boxing Organization lightweight championship battle between top contenders ANTONIO DeMARCO and ALMAZBEK “Kid Diamond” RAIYMKULOV.
Remaining tickets, priced at $250, $125, $90, $60, $45 and $35, can be purchased through Ticketmaster (all Ticketmaster outlets), by phone, 714-740-2000, online at www.ticketmaster.com and at the Honda Center box office.
Darchinyan (31-1-1, 25 KOs), of Sydney, Australia by way of Armenia, and Arce (51-4-1, 39 KOs), from Los Mochis, Mexico, will settle their bitter hostilities toward each other, once and for all, in a fight to the finish. Their battle will be televised live nationally on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast.) The broadcast will open with DeMarco (19-1-1, 13 KOs), of Tijuana, Mexico, risking his three-year, 13-bout unbeaten streak and Top-10 rating in a career-defining fight against the battle-tested Raiymkulov (27-1-1, 15 KOs), from Las Vegas, Nev., by way of Kyrgyzstan, who is enjoying his own two-year winning streak. These four gladiators boast a combined record of 128-7-4 (92 KOs) – a winning percentage of 92% and a victory by knockout ratio of 72%.
BROADHURST GETS AFRICAN TEST
Commonwealth Super-Flyweight champion Don Broadhurst faces another African test on February 28 in his native Birmingham.
The unbeaten 25-year-old defeated Isaac Quaye to lift his first championship title last October.
And now the pint sized scrapper will meet a second Ghanaian at the National Indoor Arena, Isaac Owusu.
The Ghanaian super-flyweight champion has, like Broadhurst beaten Quaye on points over 12 rounds and is a hard-hitting pro of five years.
Owusu, who has a record of 11 wins with only one loss and five knockouts, steps in after Broadhurst’s original opponent, Andy Bell, withdrew after failing a BBBofC drug test last month.
“These Africans are always tough opponents, so I’m going to have to be at my best,” said Broadhurst.
“I don’t think I’ve hit any opponent harder than I did Quaye, and he was still standing there at the end, so I’m going to earn my money against Owusu.
“In many respects he’s a tougher oppponent than Andy Bell, but that suits me down to the ground because I want to be tested when I fight.
“My aim is to add the British title later this year and then go after European and World honours.
“It’s great to be earning good money but my legacy and putting Birmingham boxing back on the map are what’s important to me.
“I want my great-grandchildren to be reading about me in fifty or sixty years time and saying I was a great champion.”
Joint-headlining the bill will be Matt Skelton’s Commonwealth Heavyweight Title showdown with Martin Rogan, plus the glittering professional debuts of the 2008 Olympians, Frankie Gavin, Billy Joe Saunders and James DeGale.
Tickets, priced at £30, £50, £100 and £150, are available from:
Ticket Factory
0844 338 8000
See Tickets
0871 220 0260
Ticket Master
0844 847 2500
Ticketline
0871 888 9991
Spanish Bombs Over Barnsley February 27
Kiko Martinez just may be the most dangerous fighter in Europe and the Spanish Bomber is coming back to England this month to take back what he says is rightfully his.
The 22 year old detonation artist from Alicante, Spain has a rematch with British southpaw Rendall Munroe on February 27 and Martinez has vowed that the Metrodome in Barnsley will see his return to the European title.
Martinez won the super bantamweight crown in August, 2007 in devastating fashion when he walked into Bernard Dunne’s hometown of Dublin and crushed the Irish hero in one single brutal round.
But the reign of “La Sensacion” was short-circuited in March, 2008 by cagey Leicester speed merchant Munroe, who expertly picked the Spaniard’s pocket via a razor-thin majority decision that still infuriates Martinez.
While Munroe has gone on to three high profile European title defenses, Martinez has grafted away from the spotlight against little known opponents and has been plotting his revenge on the Englishman ever since.
Martinez will get the opportunity to redress the situation on Friday, February 27 and has no intention of leaving the outcome of his rematch with Munroe to the judges in what promises to be an incendiary display.
Frank Maloney Promotions presents Rendall Munroe vs. Kiko Martinez for the Super Bantamweight Championship of Europe with full supporting undercard at the Metrodome in Barnsley, England on Friday, February 27, 2009.
Tickets are priced at £75 and £35 and are available by logging onto www.frankmaloney.com or by calling the Box Office at 0871 226 1508.
Sky Sports will televise the action live on SS1 starting at 10PM.
For further information or press credential requests contact ftm.press@gmail.com.
MEET AND GREET ISARAELI SENSATIONS RAN NAKASH & ELAD SHMOUEL THIS WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY IN JENKINTOWN, PA
Fans Can meet sensational Israeli boxers, Ran Nakash & Elad Shmouel this Wednesday & Thurs in Jenkintown, Pa
The pair will be at Applebees in Jenkintown this Wednesday at 6:30 pm and again will be able to meet their fans this Thursday night at The Crowne Plaza in Philadelphia
Nakash & Shmouel will be part of a huge night of boxing This Friday night at The Legendary Blue Horizon
Nakash of Haifa, Israel has a record of 16-0 with twelve knockouts, will be meeting Ryan Carrol (7-1, 4 KO’s) of Delaware, Ohio in the main event scheduled for eight rounds in the Cruiserweight division
Shmouel of Tel Aviva, Israel will bring in a record of 18-2 with nine knockouts as the native of Tel Aviv, Israel will take on Khristian Garaci (4-5-1, 3 KO’s) of Pittsburgh in a six round Jr. Welterweight fight