Nationals Day 4 Results: Quarterfinal Matchups Set

By Ryan Maquiñana

Norcalboxing.net

Stockton's Antwon Abron pulled off a huge upset against top-seeded heavyweight Joseph Williams. (Port City Boxing)

It was a momentous day at the USA Boxing National Championships from Fort Carson, Colo., as the identity of the final eight in each weight class was finally determined.

While defending Olympic Trials champ and top-seeded Eros Correa of San Jose exited via walkover, the other two NorCal top seeds, super heavyweight LaRon Mitchell of San Francisco and Avenal's Jose Ramirez advanced to the quarterfinals.

Stockton heavyweight Antwon Abron impressed once again, pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament with a decision over No. 1 201-pounder Joseph Williams of New York.

Ava Knight to Make First Title Defense Against Tor Buamas on March 31

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

After knocking out Arely Mucino, new IBF champ Ava Knight will defend her belt for the first time in March. (HG Boxing)

Ava Knight will make the first defense of her IBF flyweight title against number one contender Hongfah Tor Buamas on March 31 in Los Cabos, Mex.

The fight will be promoted by Hector Garcia Boxing and take place on the undercard of WBC junior bantamweight champion Ana Maria Torres' bout against Mary Ortega.

While Knight (7-1-3, 4 KOs), from Chico, Calif., earned her belt with a vicious Knockout of the Year candidate against Arely Mucino in Mexico last October, Tor Buamas (15-4, 2 KOs) will be fighting for the first time as a pro outside her native Thailand.

"Even though she has a good record, it doesn't really look like the girls she's fought are too experienced," said Knight.  "Either way, I'll be thinking about this fight the same way I did as a challenger, as if I'm going to take the title.  I'm going to work hard, train hard, and be ready for her." 

Knight, currently No. 9 in the CSNBayArea.com Northern California pound-for-pound media poll, has begun camp in the high-altitude environment of Colorado Springs with trainer Ben Bautista.

"We're going down to Mexico to knock her out," the San Francisco-based Bautista said. 

Boxing correspondent Ryan Maquiñana is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Advisory Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

S.F.’s Mitchell Advances to National Quarterfinals with Decision Win Over Faavae

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

Mitchell earned a spot in the quarters with a points win over Faavae. (Andy Autumn)

San Francisco's LaRon Mitchell took control of a close contest in the final frame to defeat Carson's George Favaae by a 25-21 decision at the USA Boxing National Championships round of 16 in Fort Carson, Colo., Wednesday afternoon.

Despite jumping out the gate with a 9-2 lead after one stanza, Mitchell allowed Faavae to claw his way back into the bout.  After the second round, the two combatants were separated by only one point.

"I made the fight closer than it should have been," Mitchell said.  "Hand it to George.  He got me out of my gameplan for a moment."

Nationals Day 4: Olympic Trials Winner Correa Pulls Out; Women's Tourney Starts

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

San Jose's Eros Correa has surprisingly ended his Olympic dream early. (AP)

After waiting in the wings for the first three days, the light flyweights entered the fray at the USA Boxing National Championships on Wednesday.

However, one name noticeably absent from the participants was San Jose's Eros Correa.  The defending Olympic Trials winner has pulled out of the tournament after a bout of sickness left him unable to make the 108-pound limit.

U.S. Nationals Day 3 Results: NorCal/Central Cal Fighters Go 12-2!

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

Oakland's Cecilio "C.J." Mills (left) edged Joseph Merrill on Tuesday to advance. (Norcalboxing.net)

The third day of competition at the USA Boxing National Championships from Fort Carson, Colo., was much kinder to our local fighters on the scoreboard as NorCal and Central Cal fighters went a combined 12-2 with two stoppages on Tuesday.

The three seeded fighters in the group went 2-1, with the top-ranked pair of LaRon Mitchell of San Francisco (201+ lbs.) and Avenal's Jose Ramirez (132 lbs.) moving on in the tournament. No. 2 middleweight Edgar Alvarado of San Bernardino (165 lbs.) was upset on the cards.

Here are Tuesday's results involving local fighters. Check out Norcalboxing.net later on for Wednesday's matchups:

S.F.'s Mitchell Passes First Test, Defeats Kelly 10-6 to Advance to Nationals Round of 16

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

S.F.'s LaRon Mitchell moved on to the round of 16 with a decision over Danny Kelly. (Team Mitchell)

San Francisco's LaRon Mitchell passed his first test as the top seed in the super heavyweight tournament Tuesday afternoon with a 10-6 victory over Washington, D.C.'s Danny Kelly at the USA Boxing National Championships in Fort Carson, Colo.

"It feels great to be back at Nationals where it all began, and I wanted to show I deserve that ranking," Mitchell said via telephone.

Nationals Day 2: Ramirez, Fiel Advance; Tuesday's Brackets

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

Avenal's Jose Ramirez, the top-seeded lightweight, scored a stoppage in his opening bout. (Armando Mancinas)

Local fighters went 2-3 in Monday's bouts at the USA Boxing National Championships in Fort Carson, Colo.

While top-seeded lightweight Jose Ramirez of Avenal overcame an early 5-4 deficit to stop Virginia's Karin Zaiden in the second round, and fellow 132-pounder Adam Fiel of Vacaville outpointed Georgia's Bobby Hornsby, the other NorCal and Central Cal fighters didn't fare as well.

In a rematch of last year's National PAL lightweight semifinals, San Jose's Andy Vences ended up even on the scorecards with Toka Kahn Clary, but would lose via tiebreaker on total punch count. Fresno's Moises Maciel and Alameda's Abraham Morones would also fall by points.

Below are Monday's results in addition to Tuesday's slated fights. As stated before, if you don't see your fighter here, it's because he's not fighting tomorrow. The women's tournament has not started yet.

Sacramento's Griffin: I Turned Down Alvarez Fight After Conditions Changed

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

Sacramento's Otis Griffin thinks his opponent's promoter attempted to make him fight on an uneven playing field last Saturday in Montreal. (Team Griffin)

Sacramento light heavyweight Otis Griffin (23-9-2, 9 KOs) was supposed to meet Canadian-based Colombian Eleider Alvarez (7-0, 5 KOs) two Saturdays ago in Montreal's Bell Center on the undercard of Adonis Stevenson vs. Jesus Gonzales, but the bout was scrapped when the Sacramento, Calif.-based fighter felt like his opponent's promoter, Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM), was not dealing in good faith.

"GYM Promotion tried to change the contract on me at the scale," Griffin alleged. "They flew us out, talked to us for the whole month prior. Then boom, Friday night comes and there's no WBC Continental Americas Title as agreed upon, 10 not 12 rounds, less money. Oh, and no title means no neutral officials. The Montreal commission told me they knew this for weeks."

West Coast Colleges Represented at U.S.F. Tournament This Saturday

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

The Dons' Haffner (left) fights in Saturday's main event. (USF Boxing)

A total of seven colleges and several other local clubs will be represented at the University of San Francisco's Koret Center Swig Gymnasium this Saturday, March 3rd, for the 2012 Koret Boxing Invitational.

Aside from host school USF who will field 12 combatants, Cal, UC Davis, USC, UCLA, the College of San Mateo, and even the University of Washington are scheduled to send amateur contingents to fight.

"We're expecting a great turnout from a bunch of schools as well as some youth fighters," said USF head coach Angelo Merino. "We have about 20 bouts, and I think the fans will get their money's worth."


In the main event, USF's Max Haffner squares off against Cal's Robert Watts in a 175-pound light heavyweight clash. Both figure to make some noise at National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA) Regionals in Reno, Nev., next month.

Also on the card is former Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver John Broussard, who meets USC's David Ball in a middleweight 165-pound co-feature.

The S.F. Ring of Fire duo of Andre Conway (85 pounds) and Charlie Sheehy (116 pounds), the reigning Ringside Tournament national champions in their respective weight classes, will make appearances, along with UC Davis middleweight Colin Schmitt, who hopes to make a statement for the fledgling Aggie program in a bout with fellow 165-pounder Sebastian Doerner of USF.

Here's the full bout sheet, courtesy USF Boxing:


The action begins at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at USFCA.EDU/KORET. Prices are as follows: $5 for students, $10 for USF faculty or staff, $20 for general admission, and $50 for ringside seats. Those rates will increase by $5 apiece at the door. Kids 8 and under are free.

Boxing correspondent Ryan Maquiñana is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Advisory Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

USA Boxing National Championships Sunday Results/Monday Matchups

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

San Jose's Andy Vences advanced with a victory on Sunday. (Team Vences)

Day one action is complete at the USA Boxing National Championships at Fort Carson, Colo. Here's how our local fighers fared Sunday, along with tomorrow's action:

SUNDAY'S RESULTS (MEN)

LIGHTWEIGHT (132 LBS.)
Click HERE for full bracket

NORCAL
Andy Vences, San Jose dec. Missouri's Deontae Jordan, 16-12

CENTRAL CAL
Colorado's Ricky Rodriguez dec. Luis Ambrosio, Fresno, 23-17
#1 Jose Ramirez, Avenal - Bye (faces winner of Virginia's Karin Zaiden vs. Arizona's Keenan Carbajal; Zaiden won, 22-18)

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT (141 LBS.)
Click HERE for full bracket

NORCAL
Ali Ahmed, San Jose dec. Florida's Carlos Otero, 15-9

MIDDLEWEIGHT (165 LBS.)
Click HERE for full bracket

NORCAL
North Carolina's Felix Magallanes def. Billye Burke, San Francisco by walkover
Alabama's Ken McNeil dec. Aaron Coley, Hayward, 19-13
Bakersfield's Daniel Valdivia dec Michael Fernandez, San Francisco, 20-13
Nevada's Xavier Hayden dec. Terry Fernandez, Oakland, 18-11

CENTRAL CAL
#2 Edgar Alvarado, San Bernardino dec. Georgia's Randy Foster, 16-7
Daniel Valdivia, Bakersfield dec. San Francisco's Michael Fernandez, 20-13

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (178 LBS.)
Click HERE for full bracket

NORCAL
C.J. Mills, Oakland - Bye (faces winner of Florida's Joseph Merrill and Texas' Tony Young; Merrill won, 28-8)

HEAVYWEIGHT (201 LBS.)
Click HERE for full bracket

NORCAL
Hollywood's Khachatrian Vardan dec. Michael Marshall, San Mateo, 17-16

SUPER HEAVYWEIGHT (201+ LBS.)
Click HERE for full bracket

NORCAL
#1 LaRon Mitchell, San Francisco - Bye (faces winner of Wisconsin's Ryan Jones vs. Washington, D.C.'s Danny Kelly; Kelly won, 19-9)

* * *

MONDAY'S MATCHUPS (MEN)
Come back Monday morning to see the blanks filled out for the men's AND women's brackets.

LIGHTWEIGHT (132 LBS.)
Click HERE for full bracket

NORCAL
Adam Fiel, Vacaville vs. Georgia's Bobby Hornsby
Abraham Morones, Alameda vs. Louisiana's Brandon Broussard
Andy Vences, San Jose vs. #2 Toka Kahn Clary, Rhode Island

CENTRAL CAL
Moises Maciel, Fresno vs. Paramount, Calif.'s Pedro Duran Jr.
#1 Jose Ramirez, Avenal vs. Virginia's Karin Zaiden

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT (141 LBS.)
Click HERE for full bracket

NORCAL
Ali Ahmed, San Jose vs. Minnesota's DeLorien Carraway

The other men's weight classes as well as the women's brackets have yet to compete. I will report on those when they do.

Boxing correspondent Ryan Maquiñana is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Advisory Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

NorCal, Central Cal Fighters Enter Six Brackets at USA Boxing National Championships

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

#1-ranked super heavyweight LaRon Mitchell of S.F. has finished second in his last two national tournaments.
Will the third time be the charm and earn him a spot on the Olympic Team? (Andy Autumn)

A record number of entrants have descended upon Fort Carson, Colo., for the 2012 USA Boxing National Championships.

The brackets for six weight classes in the men's category were drawn Saturday, with several Northern and Central California fighters in the mix.

The top four fighters in each weight class were seeded, with Avenal lightweight Jose Ramirez and San Francisco super heavyweight LaRon Mitchell receiving top slots. San Bernardino's Edgar Alvarado was seeded second in the middleweight bracket.

LIGHTWEIGHT (132 LBS.)
Click HERE for full bracket

NORCAL
Adam Fiel, Vacaville vs. Georgia's Bobby Hornsby
Abraham Morones, Alameda vs. Louisiana's Brandon Broussard
Andy Vences, San Jose vs. Missouri's Deontae Jordan

CENTRAL CAL
Luis Ambrosio, Fresno vs. Colorado's Ricky Rodriguez
Moises Maciel, Fresno vs. Paramount, Calif.'s Pedro Duran Jr.
#1 Jose Ramirez, Avenal - Bye (faces winner of Ohio's Tyler McCreary and Ohio's Albert Bell on Monday)

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT (141 LBS.)
Click HERE for full bracket

NORCAL
Ali Ahmed, San Jose vs. Florida's Carlos Otero

MIDDLEWEIGHT (165 LBS.)
Click HERE for full bracket

NORCAL
Billye Burke, San Francisco vs. North Carolina's Felix Magallanes
Aaron Coley, Hayward vs. Alabama's Ken McNeil
Michael Fernandez, San Francisco vs. Bakersfield's Daniel Valdivia
Terry Fernandez, Oakland vs. Nevada's Xavier Hayden

CENTRAL CAL
#2 Edgar Alvarado, San Bernardino vs. Georgia's Randy Foster
Daniel Valdivia, Bakersfield vs. San Francisco's Michael Fernandez

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (178 LBS.)
Click HERE for full bracket

NORCAL
C.J. Mills, Oakland - Bye (faces winner of Florida's Joseph Merrill and Texas' Tony Young)
Nnamdi Iwuagwu, San Jose vs. Minnesota's Manuel Contreras

HEAVYWEIGHT (201 LBS.)
Click HERE for full bracket

NORCAL
Michael Marshall, San Mateo vs. #1 Joseph Williams, New York
Clinton Nelson, San Mateo vs. North Carolina's Paul Dituro

CENTRAL CAL
Antwon Abron, Stockton vs. Ohio's Donald Anderson

SUPER HEAVYWEIGHT (201+ LBS.)
Click HERE for full bracket

NORCAL
#1 LaRon Mitchell, San Francisco - Bye (faces winner of Wisconsin's Ryan Jones vs. Washington, D.C.'s Danny Kelly)

Boxing correspondent Ryan Maquiñana is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Advisory Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

NorCal Roundup: Broner Stops Perez in Four, McMorrow Drops Split Nod to Mucino

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

Salinas' Eloy Perez (left) could not get on track against Adrien Broner (right).

Two Northern California fighters were unlucky in their bids for world titles Saturday night, as Salinas' Eloy "The Prince" Perez was stopped in four rounds by WBO junior lightweight holder Adrien "The Problem" Broner, and San Jose's "Mighty" Melissa McMorrow dropped a split decision to Arely "Machine Gunner" Mucino for the WBA women's interim flyweight championship.

BRONER TOO "PROBLEMATIC" FOR PEREZ

In a much-anticipated battle between two rising 130-pounders, Broner made the second defense of his WBO junior lightweight title a successful one, utilizing his advantage in the speed and power departments to take over the fight early.

"It's great. We've been going at it back and forth (in the media). I was prepared for anything," said Broner (23-0, 19 KOs), a native of Cincinnati, Ohio.

With the pre-fight buildup marked by trash talk from both sides including a choke attempt by Broner on “The Prince” at the weigh-in, the fans expected a competitive grudge match. However, Perez (23-1-2, 7 KOs) could not gain much traction throughout the fight, as Broner would beat the Salinas, Calif., resident to the punch with lead right hands and left hooks.

"I'm the best there is at 130. I can go up to 135 and take on anyone there too,” said Broner, later adding, "They can just call me the 'Can-Man' because anyone can come get it—Africans, Americans, Dominicans, Mexicans."

The opening round was a tactical affair, with both men coming out with their left hands down. The taller Broner would land the first meaningful shot of the fight, a left hook that backed Perez into the ropes. Perez threw a three-punch combination, but it found Broner’s gloves in what would be a clear first round for the champion.

Round two began with Perez trying to establish himself with a double jab, and would land a left hook off the jab. But Broner would soon back him into the ropes once more and score with a short chopping right hand over the top. Befitting Broner’s nickname, Perez would soon find his foe’s reach and height advantages to be a substantial “problem,” as the round concluded with four or five clean shots from Broner going unanswered.

Trailing by two points in the third round, Perez would need to find a way inside to have a chance to get back in the fight. As a result, the California fighter worked behind the left jab once more, but would eat an uppercut on the inside, as Broner’s shoulder roll defense continued to be impenetrable. Broner now turned to the lead right hand and found success with it as well as the third came to a close.

The fourth would begin with some theatrics, as the two shared a brief dance step after being separated in a clinch. After a right cross scored through Perez’ guard, Broner would then close the show, strafing his opponent with a lead right hand followed by a second shot that caught a crouching Perez, sending him to the canvas. When Perez tried to get up, his legs would betray him and he would fall to the floor once more, prompting referee Genaro Rodriguez to halt the bout.

Official time was 2:24.

READ MORE: http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=49999#ixzz1nSocOX4K

MCMORROW LOSES CLOSE WAR TO MUCINO

San Jose's Melissa McMorrow (right) fell one judge's scorecard shy of winning her
first world title against Mexico's Arely Mucino (left). (HG Boxing)

(Translated from HG Boxing press release excerpts in Spanish)

In an epic war that kept the fans at the edge of their seats Saturday night at the Olympic Coliseum in Guadalajara, Mex., Arely “Machine Gun” Muciño (15-1-1, 8 KOs) of Monterrey, Mex., regained her status as world champion with a split decision victory over Melissa McMorrow (6-3-3).

The Brazilian-American McMorrow constantly stayed in front of her foe while Mucino counterpunched at every moment. McMorrow's attacks to the liver were her trademark shots until the end of the eighth round.


Visibly spent heading into the last two stanzas, both fighters never stopped battling at a furious, spectacular pace, trading punches until the final bell.

One judge had McMorrow ahead 97-93, but was overruled by 97-93 and 98-92 verdicts in favor of Mucino.

"I thought we won. So did the fans, other trainers, and I think Arely thought so, too. It would have been a great story," said Eddie Croft, McMorrow's trainer. "We might get another crack at a title soon."

Boxing correspondent Ryan Maquiñana is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Advisory Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

Local TV Guide for Eloy Perez vs. Adrien Broner

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

Attention, West Coast fans! If you have HBO West, then the Adrien Broner-Eloy Perez fight will NOT be on at 7 p.m.

Instead, it will air at 10 p.m. on tape delay.

To watch it LIVE for sure, either tune in to HBO Latino or HBO East at 7 p.m.

As reader Gopal Rao noted, the Abbey Tavern in San Francisco on 4100 Geary Blvd. (corner of 5th Ave. in Inner Richmond) is showing the fight live at 7 p.m. They will be charging a cover of $15.

Nike Gives Jeremy Lin His First Shoe

Because you can't get enough Linsanity (and because Li-Ning dropped the ball on this one)...

Jeremy Lin's first shoe: the Nike Player Exclusive Hyperdunk 2011 Low (Nike Taiwan)

Gilroy's Loeza Halted by Flores in Ontario

By Ryan Maquiñana

Norcalboxing.net

Gilroy's Loeza (right) dropped his second in a row Friday night. (Big Joe Miranda)

Gilroy welterweight Alonso Loeza (1-4-1, 1 KO) was stopped at 1:30 in the first round by Rigoberto Flores (3-1, 1 KO) of San Fernando, Calif., Friday night at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

San Leandro's Glenn Donaire vs. Omar Soto Set for Mar. 16 in Mexico City

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

In a battle of former world title challengers, Glenn Donaire will take the next step in his comeback March 16 against Omar Soto in a flyweight bout at the Auditorio El Plaza Condesa in Mexico City.

The clash will be televised by Telemundo.

READ MORE: http://www.boxingscene.com/glenn-donaire-vs-omar-soto-set-3-16-telemundo--49961

My Latest for CSN (with Video): Eloy Perez Has Major 'Problem' to Solve

By Ryan Maquiñana
CSNBayArea.com


A pro boxer’s occupation requires taking a leap of faith more often than not.

For Eloy Perez Jr., his pivotal jump was four years ago, when elevating his unpolished skills to another level meant having to leave his hometown of Rochester, Wash., to learn the finer points of the sweet science from the Garcia family in Salinas.

“It was one of the toughest choices of my life,” the 25-year-old Perez said. “When I was coming up as an amateur, the local pros in Washington would tell me that everyone’s a snake. Plus, I’d have to be away from my girlfriend at the time, who’s now my wife. But I put my trust in the Garcias, and I never thought I’d make it here, but thanks to them, here I am. It’s all been a blessing.”

Now it’s the Garcias’ turn to stand by their man this Saturday at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, where Perez (23-0-2, 7 KOs) enters his first 12-round world title bout against WBO junior lightweight champ Adrien “The Problem” Broner (22-0, 18 KOs) as a substantial underdog (HBO, 7 p.m.).

READ MORE: http://tinyurl.com/perezbroner

U.S. Nationals Pay-Per-View Live Stream Available Next Week!

USA Boxing will have a pay-per-view live stream next week so you can watch local amateur
stars like Sacramento junior flyweight Marina Ramirez at Nationals. (Team Ramirez)

USA Boxing Press Release

(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO) – Friends and family members across the United States will enjoy the opportunity to watch their favorite 2012 USA Boxing National Championships competitors through a new partnership with watchmedad.com and a sponsorship from Everlast.

Watch Me Dad will live stream throughout the duration of the event, with the first three days of the event being shown for free and the remaining days available for purchase at $5.99 per day or $24.99 for the full tournament.

The new partnership with watchmedad.com will allow USA Boxing to stream national events in house and their unique event based streaming software creates an opportunity to stream events live and instantly archive them for later use. USA Boxing understands this importance of this functionality as not all family members, friends and fans are able to travel to events and watch their favorite athletes compete.

USA Boxing equipment and apparel sponsor Everlast has provided a generous sponsorship to offset the majority of the costs to USA Boxing and allow the service to be provided at an affordable cost to viewers. The stream will begin 5 minutes prior to each session at the 2012 USA Boxing National Championships with boxing beginning at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. MT, Sunday through Thursday, at 2 p.m. MT on Friday and 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. MT on Saturday.

Viewers will have the opportunity to purchase the live stream individually by day at a cost of $5.99 or purchase the whole event for $24.99. Each purchase comes with two licenses, which allow the viewer to download and save the video stream after the live stream has ended. Additional licenses can be purchased if necessary.

Due to the massive number of registrants for the 2012 USA Boxing National Championships, a fourth ring had to be added to accommodate all the participants for action Sunday-Tuesday. The live stream has been set up to show only three rings so the first three days of competition will be shown free of charge to the viewer.

To watch the live stream, go to www.usaboxing.org/watch-live.

Gilroy's Robert Guerrero Tentatively Scheduled to Fight Selcuk Aydin on July 28 at HP Pavilion

Gilroy's Guerrero (right) will cut his teeth at 147 pounds against unbeaten Aydin of Turkey (left).

In his first fight since getting arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder, Gilroy's Robert Guerrero (29-1-1, 18 KOs) will make his 147-pound debut against Selcuk Aydin, with the tentative date being scheduled for July 28 at San Jose's HP Pavilion.

Aydin (23-0, 17 KOs), an unbeaten fighter from Turkey with an aggressive pressure style, is a top 10-ranked welterweight and will provide the former interim lightweight champ a solid test.

Guerrero's manager Bob Santos had initially informed this writer about Aydin's name being in the mix weeks ago, but he was holding out in hopes that a more established fighter would step up to the plate.

When former 140-pound titlist Paulie Malignaggi was rebuffed after throwing his hat in the race, it prompted the New Yorker to send "The Ghost" a scathing letter. In response, Guerrero explained that he shot Malignaggi down because he did not think "The Magic Man" would be approved by HBO or Showtime.

"The Ghost" now returns to the site where he was slated to fight 140-pounder Marcos Maidana last August before injuring the rotator cuff in his left shoulder--except this time it will be at the full-fledged welterweight limit of 147 pounds.

Ring Magazine's Lem Satterfield confirmed the news Thursday night, adding that Showtime would televise the bout and that the WBC welterweight interim title would likely be on the line.

The regular holder of the aforementioned belt, Floyd Mayweather, has not defended it since taking it from Victor Ortiz last September. Mayweather has instead chosen to challenge Miguel Cotto on May 5 for the Puerto Rican's WBA 154-pound title, and is scheduled for a 90-day jail sentence to begin in June.

Guerrero chased Mayweather for over a month before the former pound-for-pound king selected Cotto. Now he will get a chance to prove he belongs in the realm of the top 147-pounders in the world.

Boxing correspondent Ryan Maquiñana is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Advisory Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

Terrazas Emerging as Main Candidate to Fight San Leandro's Donaire on July 14 at Cowboys Stadium

Mexico's Terrazas (left) will likely be Donaire's next foe.

Per sources close to Top Rank, BoxingScene.com was recently advised that Mexico's Victor Terrazas has become the lead candidate to land the biggest fight of his career against San Leandro's Nonito Donaire on July 14 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Tex.

Terrazas (32-2-1, 18 KOs) is three months removed from an exciting unanimous decision victory over Fernando Montiel, whom Donaire knocked out last February for his twin bantamweight world title belts.

Meanwhile, Donaire (28-1, 18 KOs) took a split decision over Puerto Rico's Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. three weeks ago for the WBO junior featherweight championship.

Another Mexican, Jorge Arce (the previous owner of the belt "The Filipino Flash" currently wears around his waist), was initially tabbed the next foe for Donaire. However, with Top Rank looking to use Arce for another show, likely the Manny Pacquiao-Tim Bradley June 9 undercard, those plans seem to have been dashed.

Boxing correspondent Ryan Maquiñana is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Advisory Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

PHOTOS/VIDEO: Broner-Perez, McMorrow-Mucino Face Off

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

Here are some photos and video of Salinas' Eloy Perez (right, in gray) and Cincinnati's Adrien Broner (left, in red) facing off Thursday afternoon before their WBO junior lightweight title fight on Saturday in St. Louis. (PHOTOS: Mark Buckner/HoganPhotos; VIDEO: MaxBoxing.com)






Also, some pictures of San Jose's Melissa McMorrow (left) and Monterrey, Mexico's Arely Mucino (right), who will also meet on Saturday for the women's interim WBA flyweight title in Guadalajara, Mexico. (PHOTOS: HG Boxing)

Happy 28th Birthday, Andre Ward!

Oakland's super middleweight king Andre "S.O.G." Ward celebrated his 28th birthday today. Send him a message on Twitter at @AndreWard!


Andre speaks to me following his Super Six tournament final win over Carl Froch.

S.J.'s McMorrow Fights Mucino for WBA Interim Flyweight Title on Saturday

Melissa McMorrow (left) has earned an interim world title shot Saturday against Arely Mucino (in poster). (HG Boxing)

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

San Jose's Melissa McMorrow (6-2-3) will fight Mexico's Arely Mucino (14-1-1, 8 KOs) this Saturday at the Coliseo Olimpico in Guadalajara, Mex., for the vacant WBA interim flyweight world title.

McMorrow, who has received votes in the Comcast SportsNet Northern California Pound-for-Pound Top 10 in the past, is coming off back-to-back decision victories over Eileen Olszewski and Keisher McLeod-Wells that netted her the New York State 112-pound title. Now she and trainer Eddie Croft of San Mateo's B Street Boxing have their sights set on a bigger prize.

"I've been hoping those wins will get me a title shot down the road," McMorrow told Norcalboxing.net back in December. "Working with Eddie, who I think is one of the best out there, and the whole B Street family has been great."

In her last outing, Mucino was knocked out by Ava Knight of SFC Boxing for the IBF version of the flyweight world title, and will be hungry to make sure a Northern California fighter doesn't get the best of her the second time around.

“I have the confidence going in there that I can beat her,” McMorrow told the San Francisco Examiner Wednesday. “To be honest, I never think, ‘Oh, I don’t know about this one.’ Before the fight, I’m always pretty confident that I’m going to beat the person.”

LINK TO EXAMINER ARTICLE: http://www.sfexaminer.com/sports/2012/02/sfs-mighty-mcmorrow-seeks-boxing-title-mexico

PHOTOS: Eloy Perez, Adrien Broner in Final Public Workouts Before Saturday Title Bout

By Ryan Maquiñana

Norcalboxing.net

Eloy "The Prince" Perez of Salinas does some shadowboxing in St. Louis ahead of his first world title shot
this Saturday on HBO against Adrien Broner. (Marc Buckner/Hoganphotos)

Cincinnati's Adrien "The Problem" Broner works out in St. Louis ahead of his second title defense
this Saturday on HBO against Eloy Perez. (Marc Buckner/Hoganphotos)

Look out for my exclusive video interview with Salinas' Eloy Perez along with a detailed piece on his Saturday title shot against WBO junior lightweight champ Adrien Broner on CSNBayArea.com later this week!

VIDEO: NorCal's Two Lightweight Co-Champs in Sparring

By Ryan Maquinana
Norcalboxing.net

Here's sparring footage from Milpitas Boxing & Fitness last Saturday of Northern California's two amateur lightweight co-champions, Andy Vences (San Jose PAL) and Adam Fiel (Kennel Boxing/San Leandro). The video is courtesy Milpitas Boxing & Fitness.

Ticket Information for Manny Pacquiao vs. Tim Bradley

Pacquiao and Bradley met on Tuesday in Beverly Hills for their first of two
press conferences to promote their June 9 fight. (Chris Farina/Top Rank)

Tickets for the June 9 fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas between WBO welterweight champ Manny Pacquiao and Tim Bradley will go on sale on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT, and will be priced at $1,200, $900, $600, $400, and $200. Ticket sales at $1,200, $900, $600 and $400 are limited to 10 per person and ticket sales at $200 are limited to two (2) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster (800) 745-3000. Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Ticket Information for Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto

An unofficial fight poster for Mayweather-Cotto, which takes place on May 5. (Team Mayweather)

Tickets for the May 5 fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas between WBA junior middleweight titlist Miguel Cotto and Floyd Mayweather will go on sale on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT, and will be priced at $1,500, $1,250, $600, $300 and $200, not including applicable service charges, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. Ticket sales will be limited to 10 per person at the $1,500, $1,250, $600 and $300 price levels with a ticket limit of two (2) per person at the $200 price level. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

READ MORE: http://www.boxingscene.com/floyd-mayweather-jr-vs-miguel-cotto-ticket-information--49837

CSN Bay Area Spotlight of the Week: Local amateurs "reload" for one last shot at London

By Ryan Maquinana
CSNBayArea.com

My CSNBayArea.com Spotlight of the Week is on our local amateur stars making one last push for London, including a video interview with the first Bay Area native to win the Olympic Trials since Andre Ward in San Jose's Eros Correa.

READ MORE: http://www.csnbayarea.com/fight-sports/news/Local-amateurs-reload-for-last-Olympic-s?blockID=653952&feedID=8306&awid=6519366366620428927-766

Hemingway Outpoints Miller in Olympic Trials Semifinals; S.F. Native Wins Unlikely Bronze Medal

Hemingway (left) pulls out the decision while Miller looks on. (Norcalboxing.net)

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

Raquel Miller gave a valiant effort but dropped a 21-6 decision to Pittsburgh, Pa.'s Tika Hemingway on Friday night, ending the San Francisco middleweight's dreams for the 2012 London Games at the U.S. Olympic Trials semifinals in Airway Heights, Wash.

In a rematch of their tournament opener on Monday that was also won by Hemingway, Miller was able to utilize more movement and establish distance to get into range to find a home for her one-two and powerful left hook, but the judges felt the Bayview native's opponent was more accurate as the fight progressed with right crosses and the occasional left uppercut her weapons of choice.

However, while Miller acknowledges her foe deserved the decision, the final margin left much to be desired from her point of view, as she was effective in stretches throughout the four-round bout.

"I'll be honest. I think she got me with the cleaner shots, and that I was a little wild with my shots, but I don't think the final score reflected the real result," Miller said. "For them to say I only landed one or two punches per round was ridiculous, but that's O.K.

"They counted me out before I even got here, and here I was one of the last girls standing after beating the number one seed in Franchon Crews and the girl who knocked me out of the National PAL last year (Andrecia Wasson)."

Hemingway moves on to tomorrow's 165-pound finals against Flint, Mich.'s Claressa Shields. If Shields emerges triumphant, she will be crowned champion, while Hemingway will need to beat her on both Saturday and Sunday by virtue of her earlier loss to Shields on Thursday.

On Miller's end, while the loss stings, she accomplished what many thought improbable, as not too many fighters have earned a bronze medal in the Olympic Trials with less than 15 fights in the Open Division and only two years total experience of competition.

"I hope my fighting has helped those people who want to do something big even though there are others telling you that you can't do something," she added. "All you have to do is trust God who strengthens you, and believe in yourself. You can do anything you set your mind to, just never lose faith and focus."

Miller's run can be truly classified as wildly successful as she and trainer Ben Bautista of downtown San Francisco's SFC Boxing represented the burgeoning Northern California fight scene with pride.

"I'm proud of her. She left it all in the ring," Bautista said. "I saw that after the first round Raquel getting only one point and the other girl getting five points in a closer round that the judges were not going to be in our favor. She went all out in her last round. She showed what true heart, dedication, and determination can do. She showed the world she belongs here. She only has 15 Open division fights. She'll be back."

Miller had one last message for her supporters.

"Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of my cousin Da'dream Thomas' passing. My fight was dedicated to her. She was my heart. It's been a real emotional journey. I love you all, and I'm not done. I'm fighting in (U.S.) Nationals in two weeks, so there's no stopping me now. I'm a warrior, and this isn't the last you've heard of me!"

Boxing correspondent Ryan Maquiñana is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Advisory Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

San Ardo's Roman Morales Stops Ernie Marquez in Four

Morales (right) kept his record pristine with a fourth-round TKO tonight.

In the opening bout Friday evening at the Chumash Casino and Resort in Santa Ynez, Calif., San Ardo junior featherweight Roman Morales (9-0, 6 KOs) was all over Fort Morgan, Colorado's Ernie Marquez (9-10-2, 3 KOs), decking him five times en route to the fourth-round stoppage.

According to Fightnews' Francisco Salazar, the right hand over the top was the culprit for four of the five floorings. The official time was 2:23 as Morales, a former U.S. National Team member, keeps rolling along in the 122-pound division.

Bakersfield's Dallas Shuts Out Gonzalez in Arlington

Dallas (left) won every round en route to the victory over Gonzalez (right).

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

Bakersfield's Mike “The Silent Assassin” Dallas Jr. (18-2-1, 7 KOs) got back in the win column with a ten-round unanimous decision over Miguel “Silky Smooth” Gonzalez (20-3, 15 KOs) Friday night in Arlington, Tex., at the UTA College Park Center. Dallas led throughout the night, displaying a variety of skills including a vastly improved inside game. The official scorecard read 100-90, 100-90, and 100-89.

Bakersfield's Dallas on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights Tonight!

Bakersfield's Mike Dallas Jr. hopes to get back in the junior welterweight mix with a win over Miguel Gonzalez on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights tonight (6 p.m.). Here's a quick interview he did with Norcalboxing.net during his training camp at King's Gym in Oakland.

S.F.’s Miller Romps in 26-15 Win Over Crews, Advances to Olympic Trials Semifinals!

By Ryan Maquiñana

Norcalboxing.net

Raquel Miller (second from left) and her team celebrate her

third straight win at the Olympic Trials. (Norcalboxing.net)

San Francisco’s Raquel Miller enjoyed her first double-digit victory of the week as she beat Baltimore’s Franchon Crews 26-15 to advance to the middleweight semifinals of the U.S. Women’s Olympic Trials in Airway Heights, Wash.

The 165-pounder from the Bayview was a scientist on the inside, dissecting her foe with crisp shots down the middle, namely a quick left jab followed by a straight right and a thunderous left hook. Miller consistently beat Crews to the punch, perhaps the by-product of the Maryland fighter’s wide punches.

By the fourth and final round, Miller’s lengthy lead put the fight out of reach, but Crews almost captured an equalizer when she seemed to rock the City pug with what appeared to be a looping left on the inside. However, Miller evaded any further trouble before the final bell.

"I was not hurt," Miller said. "She caught me, but I was off-balance."

Miller now gets a rematch on Friday with Pittsburgh’s Tika Hemingway, who dealt “Ms. Pretty Beast” a decision loss in Monday’s tournament opener. The winner will meet Flint, Mich.’s Claressa Shields in Saturday’s final.

To watch tonight's fight, click this link: http://www.tinyurl.com/millerfriday

Boxing correspondent Ryan Maquiñana is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Advisory Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

Pacquiao-Bradley Pressers to Be Held in L.A., N.Y. Next Week

Press Release

MANNY PACQUIAO and TIMOTHY BRADLEY, JR.

COAST-TO-COAST NATIONAL MEDIA TOUR

ANNOUNCING THEIR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT

Tickets Go On Sale

Next Friday! Feb. 24 at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT

LAS VEGAS, NEV (February 16, 2012) – Congressman MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO and TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY, JR. will embark on a two-city, coast-to-coast media tour, beginning in Beverly Hills, Calif., Next Tuesday! February 21, to announce and celebrate the Pacquiao vs. Bradley World Welterweight Championship. Pacquiao and Bradley, who have won 11 world titles between them, will go toe-to-toe for Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight championship on Saturday, June 9, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The fight will be broadcast Live on Pay-Per-View. Joining Pacquiao and Bradley on the tour will be their respective trainers, Freddie Roach and Joel Diaz, and Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Tecate, AT&T and MGM Grand, tickets to Pacquiao vs. Bradley will go on sale Next Friday! February 24 at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT, and will be priced at $1,200, $900, $600, $400, and $200. Ticket sales at $1,200, $900, $600 and $400 are limited to 10 per person and ticket sales at $200 are limited to two (2) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster (800) 745-3000. Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

The top pound for pound fighters and world champions will begin the media tour with a news conference luncheon at The Beverly Hills Hotel, on Tuesday, February 21, followed by a news conference luncheon in New York, which will be open to the public, at Chelsea Piers in The Lighthouse at Pier 60 on Thursday, February 23.

At the conclusion of the New York public news conference, Pacquiao will jet back to Manila while Bradley heads up to Bristol, Conn where he will be the in-studio guest on ESPN Friday Night Fights the following night as well as doing a host of interviews throughout the day on various ESPN platforms.

PACQUIAO vs. BRADLEY NATIONAL MEDIA TOUR

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21

The Beverly Hills Hotel – Crystal Ballroom

9641 Sunset Boulevard

Beverly Hills, Calif. 90210

Noon PT - News Conference

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23 – Open to the Public!

Chelsea Piers at Pier 60 – THE LIGHTHOUSE

23^rd Street and the Hudson River

New York, NY 10011

Noon ET – News Conference

# # #

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Media):

Lee Samuels, Top Rank/Bradley: 702-378-1083 / Lee@toprank.com

Ricardo Jimenez, Top Rank: 909-615-3436 / Ricardoej@aol.com

Fred Sternburg, Sternburg Comm/Pacquiao: 303-548-0707 / TooFred@aol.com

Ed Keenan, EMC Events: 609-399-1330 / Keenan@emcevents.com

Scott Ghertner, MGM Resorts Int'l: 702-650-7565 / sghertner@mgmresorts.com

Media Credentials: www.magnamedia.com