Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan received WBC interim-welterweight champion Selcuk Aydin at a special press conference in Ankara. On June 5th Aydin had won the first ever professional boxing world title fight on Turkish soil by outpointing Canada based Romanian "Jo-Jo Dan" Ion in front of 10,000 fans in Istanbul.
"The Prime Minister congratulated Selcuk and also said that he hopes for a unification bout between Selcuk and WBC champion Andre Berto in Turkey before the end of this year", says promoter Ahmet Öner. "We will do all we can to make this fight happen but I don't know if Berto has the guts to travel to Turkey to defend his title abroad. If we can realize this fight we will most probably do it at a huge stadium because so many Turkish fans will come to support their new national hero Selcuk."
"I want to prove that I am the best welterweight boxer in the world", adds Aydin. "I know that there are a lot of big names in the division at the moment but I am ready to take on each and every one of them. Berto, Mosley, Mayweather, Pacquiao - I don’t care. Of course, I would prefer to fight in Turkey - it would be a dream to defend my title in my hometown Trabzon - but I am not afraid of traveling either as long as I get the chance to fight the best possible opponents."
Molitor-Booth is Off
Due to injury sustained by IBF super bantamweight champion Steve Molitor the scheduled world title defence against Jason Booth has been postponed and re-scheduled for September 10th.
The show on July 23rd at Rainton Meadow Sunderland will still go ahead with the same undercard which include a super bantamweight commonwealth title plus an English title.
The new top of the bill will be the first defence of North East's British bantamweight champion Stuey Hall against former champion Martin Power. Hall is in a confident mood ahead of his forst defence:
“It's great to be given the opportunity once again to fight in front of my home fans and I promise them fireworks before they go off on their summer holidays.
Marin Power was beaten in the first meeting but is chomping at the bit for the rematch:
“I'm sorry to hear the news that Jason Booth's fight has fallen through but it is a great opportunity for myself to win a Lonsdale belt outright and it will be a different Martin Powers than the one who me to Stuey Hall in an overweight contest last September. And I have no problem travelling to his backyard.
Tickets will be on sale from Monday at revised prices of £30 and £70 ringsides.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Ohio heavyweight Nicolai “Stone Man” Firtha has made multiple visits to New England visiting relatives, but this Saturday night he’ll make his first business trip there, challenging Hartford heavyweight favorite Tony “TNT” Grano in the 10-round main event on the “Pride & Power” boxing show, presented by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports, Inc. (CES), at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
“I’m looking forward to fighting in New England for the first time,” Firtha said. “I have a lot of family there and hope that they’ll be supporting me at the fight. I’m humbled by this opportunity because I’m not with a big promoter and it is tough getting good fights like this. I’m hoping to be discovered. I only had a 2 ½-week notice – I was carrying my golf clubs – but I stay in good shape and ready for a call like we received.
“Styles make fights; I’m a classic boxer-puncher, he’s a classic slugger. The key for me is keeping him on the outside, boxing, and keeping my back off of the ropes. I want the action in the center of the ring. If I’m on the ropes, I lose. At some point in the fight, though, it’s going to be go-time, and I won’t go back.”
Firtha (17-7-1, 7 KOs) and Grano (17-1-1, 13 KOs), whose four-round knockout of previously undefeated Travis Kaufman last September on Showtime was named The Ring magazine’s 2009 Heavyweight Fight of the Year, will battle for the vacant NABA-US title.
“Nick is 6’ 6” and 245 pounds,” Firtha’s manager Pat Nelson added. “You’d never know he’s a fighter by the way he speaks and he looks like Kurt Warner. He’s a Klitschko prototype. It’s going to be a super competitive fight. I feel Nick possess more size and power, as well as more skill in the ring, than Grano. We’re anxious for the fight and hope that a big win will propel Firtha into the WBA world ratings.”
Hartford super bantamweight Mike “Machine Gun” Oliver (23-2, 8 KOs), the reigning New England and EBA champion, will be in a crossroads fight to continue his journey back to the top of the 122-pound division, taking on 4-time world title-holder Mauricio “Indio Boy” Pastrana (35-13-2, 23 KOs) in the 8-round co-feature.
Long Island light heavyweight Joe “The Irish Bomber” Smith Jr. (4-0, 4 KOs), the 2008 New York Golden Gloves Champion, goes for his fifth consecutive first-round knockout in his fifth pro fight against Walter Foster (4-2-1, 4 KOs) of Panama City, Panama
CES Ring of Honor Induction – Jamie Silva
One of New England’s best football players, Jamie Silva, will be inducted into the CES Ring of Honor as an honorary member. Silva was the 2002 Rhode Island Player of the Year and he earned first team, All-America honors in 2007 as a safety at Boston College. He is a member of the defending American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts.
Also on the undercard in 4-round bouts are New Haven middleweight “Slick” Rick Dawson (1-0, 1 KO), brother of light heavyweight star “Bad” Chad Dawson, vs. Jeremiah Jones (1-3-1), of Toledo, Ohio; Bridgeport (CT) super lightweight Carlos Hernandez (0-1) vs. Fall River’s (MA) pro-debuting Jonathan Vasquez; New Haven junior welterweight Edwin Soto (4-0, 2 KOs) vs. Bryan Abraham (2-3-1, 2 KOs); New Haven prospect Luis Rosa, Jr. (2-0) vs. pro-debuting John Passantino of Seldon, NY, and unbeaten Philadelphia welterweight Frankie Trader (6-0, 2 KOs) vs. Springfield’s (MA) Noel Garcia (2-3-1, 1 KO). All fights and fighters are subject to change.
Tickets for “Pride & Power,” priced at $40.00, $65.00 and $105.00, are available to purchase by calling CES (401.724.2253/2254), going online at www.cesboxing.com or at the Mohegan Sun Box Office. Ticketmaster customers may log on to www.ticketmaster.com , call Ticketmaster’s national toll-free charge by phone (1.800.745.3000) or visit any Ticketmaster outlet.
