DANNY "SWIFT" GARCIA REMAINS UNDEFEATED

April 12, 2009
Photo by Tom Hogan - Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions
Philadelphia's Jr. Welterweight sensation, Danny "Swift" Garcia, remains undefeated as he improves to (12-0, 7 KO's) with a dominating performance over Humberto Tapia that took place at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the undercard of Williams vs Wright. In the early rounds, Garcia took charge showcasing great boxing skills as he worked his way to an early lead using a stiff jab. As the fight progressed, Garcia picked up the pace landing multiple power punches with both hands. Tapia went into survival mode and made it to the final bell. After eight lopsided rounds, Garcia's hands were raised in victory. Scorecards read 79-73 twice, 80-72. For more information on Danny Gracia please visit . Shelly Finkel Management (408) 607-5756

Boxer Cotto, uncle say brawl is family matter

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)—WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto said Monday that a recent brawl with his uncle at a Puerto Rico gym is a family matter, and neither one wishes to pursue a criminal case.
Cotto, who was greeted by a crush of reporters and photographers at a courthouse in his hometown of Caguas, called the dispute an “unfortunate situation” and asked the press to respect his privacy.
Puerto Rican authorities are investigating the bruising fisticuffs between the elite boxer and his uncle and longtime trainer, Evangelista Cotto, who have had a sometimes combative relationship.
Police say the two exchanged blows last Wednesday after a heated argument about training at the Bairoa Gymnasium in Caguas. Witnesses said they were quickly separated, but Evangelista Cotto later drove to his nephew’s home and threw a cement block through a window of the boxer’s 2009 Jaguar.
Prosecutor Elba Melendez Rivera said authorities may file assault charges after interviewing witnesses and reviewing evidence, but she did not disclose further specifics.
After the scrap, Miguel Cotto issued a terse statement saying his uncle would no longer be in his corner and he planned to find a new trainer.
Cotto (33-1, 27 KOs) is preparing to fight Joshua Clottey for the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization welterweight titles on June 13 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Weekend Fights

By The Associated Press

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LAS VEGAS (AP)—Chris Arreola, Riverside, Calif., stopped Jameel McCline, West Palm Beach, Fla., 4, to retain the NABF and WBC Continental Americas heavyweight titles; Paul Williams, Augusta, Ga., outpointed Ronald Wright, St. Petersburg, Fla., 12, middleweights.
OSAKA, Japan (AP)—Nobuo Nashiro, Japan, stopped Konosuke Tomiyama, Japan, 8, to retain the WBA super flyweight title.
LA PAZ, Mexico (AP)—Raul Garcia, Mexico, stopped Ronald Barrera, Colombia, 6, to retain the IBF minimumweight title.
TEPIC, Mexico (AP)—Saul Alvarez, Mexico, stopped Michel Rosales, Mexico, 10, to retain the NABF welterweight title.
WEISSENFELS, Germany (AP)—Rashad Karimov, Azerbaijan, stopped Thomas Hengstberger, Austria, 4, to win the vacant Global Boxing Council light heavyweight title; Roman Golovashchenko, Ukraine, stopped Frank Kary Roth, Germany, 3, to win the vacant Global Boxing Council cruiserweight title; Bernard Donfack, Cameroon, stopped Victor Dick, Russia, 12, to win the vacant Global Boxing Council super middleweight title.

PACKED EARLY LINEUP IN CANASTOTA!

An early lineup of the in-person boxing superstars and personalities attending the IBHOF Induction Weekend has been released. Including the 2009 Inductees, which include LENNOX LEWIS, LARRY MERCHANT, BRIAN MITCHELL, and ORLANDO CANIZALES, other names expected to attend include "Irish" Micky Ward, Ken Norton, Bert Randolph Sugar, Leon Spinks, "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler, Angelo Dundee, Carmen Basilio, Greg Haugen, Michael "Manitos de Piedra" Carbajal, Junior "Poison" Jones, Emile Griffith, "Merciless" Ray Mercer, and Livingstone Bramble.

Anyone who has ever attended an International Boxing Hall of Fame Induction Weekend knows that this is merely a PARTIAL list of the dignitaries that will be attending. Each year, the IBHOF draws between thirty to forty current and former boxing champions, contenders, and dignitaries to the tiny village of Canastota, NY for a four-day boxing extravaganza of meet-and-greet opportunities, booksignings, photo and autograph opportunities, ringside lectures, golf outings, barbecues, fist casting ceremonies, the biggest only-boxing memorabilia show, the Night of Rising Stars at the Rusty Rail Party Room, the ever-popular VIP Gala at the Greystone, the Banquet of Champions at the Syracuse OnCenter, and of course, the 2009 Induction Ceremony on Sunday, June 14th.

Tickets for all the great IBHOF events are available at http://www.ibhof.com/. This will be the 20th Anniversary Celebration for the International Boxing Hall of Fame, so you KNOW it will be a packed house. Get your tickets early!

***Bolo Punch has been present for every IBHOF Induction Weekend since 2005, and Chris Guzman, the host of The Bolo Punch Boxing Hour, has been present every year since 1998. This is NOT a weekend to miss.

LENROY “TNT” THOMAS SCORES BIG WIN FRIDAY NIGHT

TAMPA, FL (April 13, 2009) Friday night in Tampa, Florida, Jamaican born heavyweight prospect Lenroy Thomas thrilled the huge “HOMECOMING” crowd with a vicious second round knockout of Wes Taylor at the Sun Dome arena. The Thomas/Taylor bout was the co-main event to the Jeff Lacy/Otis Griffin headliner.

The action packed first round saw Thomas drop Taylor with a marksmen like left hook body shot towards the end of the first stanza. Thomas then finished him off with a barrage of punches at the 1:17 mark of the second round.

Said Thomas, now 12-1-0 (8KO’s), “He came out very aggressively from the opening bell, but once I was able to time him I was able to land at will. Dan Birmingham and I worked on that in the gym and we were able to use it in the bout.

It’s always great to fight in Tampa and the crowd on Friday night was terrific for this event.”

The 24 year old Thomas had spent the last two months in Las Vegas training and sparring with boxing superstar Winky Wright in preparation for his HBO televised bout Saturday night showdown Paul Williams.

About his future, Thomas said “I’ll let Chet and TKO decide where and when I’ll be fighting next, but I want to face other top prospects in the heavyweight division. The camp in Las Vegas with Winky put me in great shape and that’s where I’m going to stay.”

Said promoter Chet Koerner of TKO BOXING Promotions, “We’re very happy with Lenroy’s performance. He worked hard in training camp with Winky and was easily able to handle Taylor ’s aggressiveness. The body shot that he dropped him with in the second would have worked against any heavyweight in the world.

Our plan is to keep him very busy this year, this was his second fight in 2009, and we want to get him on TV where he can truly showcase his skills to the boxing fans everywhere.”

Formed in early 2008, Chet Koerner’s Las Vegas based TKO BOXING Promotions, originator of the “HOMETOWN HEROES TO WORLD CHAMPIONS” national boxing series, stable includes; heavyweight Lenroy Thomas, super middleweight Joey Gilbert, middleweights Elvin Ayala, Albert Onolunose and James Countryman, junior middleweights Bastie Samir and Anthony Thompson, welterweights Juan Buendia and Raul Tovar, junior welterweights Jonathan Gover, Francisco Contreras and Hastings Bwayla, lightweights Cortez Bey, Rolando Reyes and Terrance Crawford, junior lightweight Mickey Bey Jr., featherweights Matt Remillard, Carney Bowman, Delvin Plascencia, Rafael Lora and Maxwell Awaku, super bantamweights Rafael Valenzuela and Carlos Reyes.

Further information on TKO Boxing Promotions can be viewed at their newly remodeled website, http://www.tkoboxingpromotions.com/

CHICAGO, IL (April 12, 2009) Bolo Punch would like to help in congratulating Former WBC Lightweight World Champion DAVID DIAZ and his wife Tanya. Their third son, Silas Francisco Diaz, was born on Saturday, April 11th in Chicago. The newest member of the Diaz family weighed in at a "ready" 7 pounds, 13 ounces, joining brothers David Oscar and Elias Armando. Both mother and baby are happy and healthy.

**Special thanks to Bernie Bahrmasel of 8Count Promotions for this wonderful news.