221 stories on BoxingScene are published under the Mitch Abramson byline.
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The undefeated featherweight, Garry Russell Jr. received some free publicity on Monday when promoter Bob Arum called the former U.S. Olympian just “another Al Haymon invention” during a conference call on Monday.
Promoter Bob Arum grew testy while discussing the WBA’s recent decision to strip Yuriorkis Gamboa of his “super world” featherweight title, criticizing the organization’s logic as a “business” decision and branding the sanctioning body system in boxing as “crazy.”
While Andre Berto was as candid as could be during a conference call on Thursday, taking aim at the media for questioning his staying power, his opponent on Sept. 3 in Biloxi, IBF welterweight champion Jan Zaveck took the high road, over and over and over again, skillfully dodging questions and refusing to say anything incendiary during the call, which, of course, is what us scribes live for.
The inaugural fundraiser for Ring 10, a new boxing charity formed by Matt Farrago, who left his presidency of Ring 8 in Sept. of 2010 over philosophical differences, will take place on Saturday at Russo’s on the Bay from 1-6 p.m. in Howard Beach, NY.
Golden Boy’s undefeated prospect, Eddie Gomez of the Bronx has been chosen to serve as a sparring partner for Victor Ortiz, in preparation for his Sept. 17 bout with Floyd Mayweather, Gomez told BoxingScene.com on Wednesday. The 6-0 Gomez, fresh off a first-round annihilation of Marcus Hall on Friday, departs for Southern California on Sunday and will either fight on the undercard at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas or the day before on a separate show, he said. Oddly enough, Gomez’s favorite fighter is none other than Mayweather. This will be his first training camp of his pro career.
Promoter Dan Goossen is mulling over whether to add the heavyweight Chris Arreola to the undercard of the Super Six championship at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Oct. 29 as part of his resurgence as a contender, he told Boxingscene.com at a press stop in Manhattan on Tuesday. He would like to see Arreola see action “definitely once more” and perhaps even twice before the year is up.
Andre Ward claims he was “bumped” by Carl Froch when the two met for a planned photo-op at a press stop in Manhattan to promote the Super Six World Boxing Classic final on Oct. 29. The two super middleweights were called to the center of the stage by the moderator, Jimmy Lennon and in what appeared to be a planned sequence, stood nose-to-nose in the center of the stage. What was not planned, according to Ward, was the slight nudge that Froch, the WBC champ, gave him when they got together.
The question hung in the air like a firecracker. How will Kelly Pavlik be remembered? Cameron Dunkin, his former, present and future manager, took a second to mull that one over.
Dan Goossen has a clear idea of what to do next with Paul Williams, and it doesn’t involve Erislandy Lara, Sergio Martinez, or any other southpaws. Goossen would like to see Williams, who is coming off a disputed majority decision win against Lara on July 9, win convincingly against a fighter with a conventional stance by the end of the year, though no date or venue has been determined.
Ken Hershman, executive vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports, is still open to running another boxing tournament that approaches the size, scope and length of the Super Six World Boxing Classic, which has been criticized for taking nearly two years to complete. Speaking at a news conference to promote the finals on Tuesday between Andre Ward and Carl Froch on Oct. 29, Hershman dismissed chatter that it took too long to get to the championship round, saying that with so many competitive matchups in the preliminary rounds- it was worth the wait.