FRES OQUENDO RETURNS IN CHICAGO ON FRIDAY, JULY 24TH

CHICAGO, IL (June 30, 2009) Fresh off a devastating third round knockout win this past Friday night, two time world title challenger “FAST” Fres Oquendo will return to action against WBO Latino Heavyweight Champion, Argentinean Gonzalo Omar Basile in the ten round main event at “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 4” on Friday, July 24th at Chicago’s UIC Pavilion.

“WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 4” is presented by Dominic Pesoli’s 8 Count Productions, now in its twelfth year as the HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING.

Advance tickets for “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 4”, starting at $31, can be purchased through the 8 Count Productions office at 312-226-5800 and through Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or http://www.ticketmaster.com/.

Oquendo, now 30-5-0 with nineteen knockouts, was dominant Friday night from the opening bell against the rugged New Jersey native Mark Brown. Dropping Brown twice hard in the third round, the bout was waived off by referee Geno Rodriguez at the 2:58 mark with a badly hurt Brown unable to defend himself.

Said Oquendo, “He tried to make it a street fight but I kept my cool, hurt him from the start and took him out when the time came. It was terrific fighting in my hometown of Chicago, the fans were very supportive.”

The knockout win over Brown was Oquendo’s first bout in the Chicagoland area in nine years.

Said Pesoli, “Fres looked like a world class heavyweight on Friday night. Our fans were thrilled to see him and wanted to know when he’s fighting again in Chicago . We’re proud to bring him back so quickly against Basile who he was originally supposed to fight.”

The knockout win over Brown for the WBC Latino Heavyweight Title was Oquendo's first as part of the Simmons Entertainment Marketing LLC management group, headed by NBA Star Bobby Simmons.

The Puerto Rican born Oquendo was coming off a highly controversial split decision loss to former world champion James Toney on December 13th.

Basile, 41-4-0 (19KO’s), has won nine in a row, capturing the WBO Latino Heavyweight Title with a third round stoppage of Daniel Frank on February 14th of this year.

The undercard at “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 4” is headlined by a terrific lightweight bout between Chicagoans Gadiel Andaluz and Oscar De La Cruz.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, the 26 year old Andaluz won his first three professional bouts in Chicago last year before suffering a setback against Dannie Williams in Tacoma, Washington late last year which moved his record to 3-1-0 (2KO’s).

A native of Mexico City, De La Cruz brings a competitive record of 5-6-0 (2KO’s) into the bout with Andaluz. His eleven pro bouts include battles against outstanding young prospects Matt Remillard, Mike Oliver and Argenis Mendez.

Other newcomers at “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 4” include super featherweight Noe Perez, 2-0-0 (2KO’s), super middleweight Mike Kurzeja, 1-0-0 (1KO) and the pro debuts of heavyweight David Latoria and junior middleweight Nate Mohr in separate bouts.
Additional information on “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 4” will be announced shortly.

Doors on the evening of the event will open at 7pm with the first bell at 8pm. The UIC Pavilion is located at 525 S. Racine, just one block south of the Eisenhower Expressway. For further information, please visit their website at http://www.uicpavilion.com/

8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING, was started by Dominic Pesoli in 1998 and has consistently presented the highest quality professional boxing events in Chicagoland. In 2003, Pesoli along with former featherweight contender Mike Garcia, opened JABB Boxing Gym, a 6,000 square foot venue dedicated to the finest Chicagoland boxers of all talent levels.

For more information on 8 Count Productions and JABB Boxing Gym, please visit http://www.8countproductions.com/ and http://www.jabbboxing.com/

Former boxing champ, Managua mayor Arguello dead

By FILADELFO ALEMAN, Associated Press Writer

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP)—Alexis Arguello, who fought in one of boxing’s most classic brawls and reigned supreme at 130 pounds, was found dead at his home early Wednesday.

Coroners were conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Sandanista Party’s Radio Ya and other local media were reporting it appeared to be a suicide.

The La Prensa newspaper reported that Arguello—elected mayor of Nicaragua’s capital last year—was found with a gunshot wound to the chest.

The 57-year-old Arguello retired in 1995 with a record of 82-8 with 65 knockouts and was a champion in three weight divisions. He was perhaps best known for two thrilling battles with Aaron Pryor and fights with Ray Mancini, Bobby Chacon and Ruben Olivares.

“I’m kind of in a daze right now. I can’t believe what I’m hearing,” Pryor told The Associated Press. “Those were great fights we had. This was a great champion.”

Nicknamed “The Explosive Thin Man,” Arguello was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992, where flags were flying at half-staff in his honor Wednesday.

In 1999, a panel of experts assembled by The AP voted Arguello the best junior lightweight and sixth-best lightweight of the 20th century. He never lost at 130 pounds, and his popularity in his own country was so great that he carried the flag for Nicaragua at the Beijing Olympics.

“Not only was he one of the greatest fighters I’ve ever seen, he was the most intelligent fighter,” Bob Arum, who promoted some of his biggest fights, told The Associated Press. “He was a ring tactician. Every move was thought out. And he was a wonderful, wonderful person.”

Arguello turned pro in 1968 and promptly lost his first bout. He didn’t lose much more, and six years later knocked out Olivares in the 13th round to win the featherweight title.

Arguello went on to win the super featherweight and lightweight titles, his 5-foot-10 frame allowing him to move up in weight without losing his tremendous punching power. At the time, he was only the sixth boxer to win championships in three weight classes, and was considered for a while the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

“I felt sad receiving the news and still find it hard to believe,” retired boxer Oscar De La Hoya said from Los Angeles. “Alexis was my idol. When I was young, I heard so much about him and his fights and loved his style in the ring. In my opinion he was of the biggest and most influential fighters boxing has ever produced.”

De La Hoya said Arguello attended his fight against Steve Forbes in May 2008, which was De La Hoya’s last victory.

“We shared some great moments together before and after the fight,” he said. “Arguello was definitely a legend in the boxing world because of all the joy he brought to his fans with his unforgettable career and amazing personality.”

Arguello moved up in weight again in November 1982 to challenge Pryor for the 140-pound belt, a match billed as “Battle of the Champions.” More than 23,000 fans packed the Orange Bowl in Miami, and the two waged an epic battle before Pryor knocked out Arguello in the 14th round.

“It was a brutal, brutal fight,” Arum said. “That was something I will never, ever forget as long as I live. That was one of the most memorable fights I ever did.”

The bout was named “Fight of the Year” and “Fight of the Decade” by Ring Magazine, but was shrouded by controversy. Pryor’s trainer, Panama Lewis, gave him a water bottle after the 13th round that many believe contained an illegal substance—an accusation Pryor denied.

A rematch was ordered and they met again a year later at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. This time, Pryor knocked out Arguello in the 10th round.

“We always talk to each other about that first fight,” Pryor said. “I never went into the fight knowing I could beat Alexis, I just went into the fight to beat Alexis.”

Arguello announced after the fight that he would retire from boxing, but as so often happens in the sport, Arguello couldn’t stay away from the ring.

He returned to win two fights in 1985 and 1986, then didn’t step in the ring until 1994, when he made a brief comeback. He retired for good the following year.

“Alexis Arguello was a first-class fighter and a first-class gentleman,” said Hall of Fame executive director Edward Brophy. “The Hall of Fame joins the boxing community in mourning the loss of a great champion and friend.”

Arguello fought against the Sandinista government in the 1980s after it seized his property and bank account, but later joined the party and ran for mayor of the capital last November. He defeated Eduardo Montealegre, though opponents alleged the vote was fraudulent.

Arguello had returned Sunday from Puerto Rico, where he honored the late baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente. His death prompted Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega to announced he was canceling a trip to Panama for the inauguration of President-elect Ricardo Martinelli.

“We are upset,” presidential spokeswoman Rosario Murillo said. “This is a heartbreaking announcement. He was the champion of the poor, an example of forgiveness and reconciliation.”

Pryor recalls epic brawl with Arguello

By DAVE SKRETTA, AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP)—Nearly three decades ago, a ferocious puncher and a brilliant ring tactician waged one of boxing’s epic brawls under the twinkling lights of the Orange Bowl in Miami, a fight so big that few remember Roberto Duran was on the undercard.

After 14 back-and-forth rounds, Aaron Pryor brutally knocked out Alexis Arguello to retain his junior welterweight title. The fight on Nov. 12, 1982, left an indelible impression on the 23,000-plus who crowded near the ring in the aging football stadium in Little Havana.

“That was something I will never, ever forget as long as I live,” said 77-year-old Bob Arum, who promoted the bout. “That was one of the most memorable fights I ever did.”

It became synonymous with the two fighters, continually brought up as Pryor’s life spiraled into and out of drug abuse, and as Arguello rose to become mayor of Managua, Nicaragua.

The 57-year-old Arguello was found dead in his home Wednesday with a gunshot wound to his chest. His Sandinista Party’s Radio Ya called it an apparent suicide, a tragic ending to one of the most brilliant careers in boxing history.

“It was a great fight we had,” Pryor told The Associated Press, not long after learning of Arguello’s death. “This was a great champion.”

Arguello had established himself well before stepping into the ring against Pryor, beating Ruben Olivares in 1974 and capture the featherweight title. Four years later, he knocked out Alfredo Escalera in the first of their two bouts to win the super featherweight title, and he added the lightweight title by beating Jim Watt in 1981.

After four defenses, including a knockout of Ray Mancini, Arguello moved up in weight again, trying to become the first man to win titles in four weight classes.

He was 77-5, a ring-savvy veteran, while Pryor had never lost in 31 fights.

“It was Alexis pushing the envelope,” said Bruce Trampler, who helped make the match. “As he had difficulty making weight, he would move up. He picked out one of the most dominant junior welters, but that was Alexis. He never wanted a cream puff.”

The setting was electric, the anticipation building throughout the undercard.

At the first bell, Arguello hit Pryor with a straight right, and the two traded blows through a frenetic first three minutes. By the time the bell sounded again, they’d combined to throw 238 punches—many of them landing flush.

“It was like a miniature of the Thrilla of Manilla, it went one way, then the other way,” Arum recalled. “Pryor was on top, then Arguello demolished him.”

Arguello landed a punch in the 13th round that seemed to stun Pryor, and despite trailing on two of three scorecards, the charismatic Nicaraguan had things tilting in his direction.

Pryor had never before been this deep in a fight, and trainer Panama Lewis seemed to realize things were slipping away. HBO was televising the bout and its microphones caught Lewis telling cutman Artie Curley, “Give me the bottle, the one I mixed.” While it’s unclear what was in the special bottle—speculation has ranged from chocolate to cocaine—it seemed to revive Pryor.

He landed at least 15 unanswered blows in the 14th before referee Stanley Christodoulou stopped it. Arguello collapsed to the canvas near the ropes, where he lay for several minutes.

“God knows what he gave Pryor to revive him,” Arum said.

Lewis and Pryor steadfastly denied the substance was anything illegal.

“I had, like, 30 knockouts before I fought Alexis, I don’t think I needed anything that particular night,” Pryor said. “I feel like my ability was doing my talking for me.”

The controversy resulted in a rematch, but the savage beating Arguello withstood stayed with him when they met the following year. Pryor dominated Arguello at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, stopping him in the 10th round.

“Arguello is lucky he didn’t get hurt,” said retired boxing writer Ed Schuyler Jr., who covered both fights for the AP. “The first fight, he was down right above me, and they started cutting his shoe laces to relieve pressure. Pryor was just too fast.

“The second fight was not even close. Arguello probably took it for the money, so when he went down he just sat there and took the count. But no one begrudged him not getting up. He was beaten and he knew it. It was not a shadow of the first fight.”

Windy City Fight Night 3 Photo Galleries

By Emil Kegebein

Click photo for list of fight galleries

Heavyweight Fres Oquendo W Mark Brown TKO 3 of 10
Light Welterweight Ivan Popoca W Hector Alatorre Pts 8 of 8
Super Middleweight Andrzej Fonfara W Skyler Thompson KO 2 of 8
Light Welterweight Rita Figueroa L Tammie Johnson MD 8 of 8x2
Featherweight Juan Bailon L Tommy Atencio UD 6 of 6
Welterweight Ryan Smedick W Gabriel Morris MD 4 of 4
Welterweight Achour Esho W Dontre King TKO 4 of 4

Lopez stops Lontchi in 9th round

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP)—Juan Manuel Lopez stopped Olivier Lontchi in the ninth round to retain the WBO junior featherweight title Saturday night.

For Lopez (26-0, 24 KOs), the TKO was his 14th consecutive knockout.

“I knew going to be difficult,” Lopez said. “He was very awkward and very difficult to fight. I think the he was way fighting he wasn’t really boxing. He was running a lot. I didn’t feel like I was fighting as much as chasing. But I knew my strength would eventually get to him. I thought my power would wear him down.”

The 26-year-old earned the win when Lontchi went to his corner after the ninth round and told trainer Howard Grant he was unable to continue.

“He had a rib injury coming into the fight and he got hit with a bad shot there the round before (the eighth),” Grant said. “He actually wanted me to stop it after the eighth, but I told him to try it for one more round.”

Lopez, cheered on by a sparse-but-enthusiastic crowd of Puerto Rican supporters at Boardwalk Hall’s Adrian Phillips Ballroom, scored two knockdowns in the scheduled 12-round bout.

He dropped Lontchi for the first time in the second round with a right hook to the side of the head. Early in the ninth, Lontchi walked into a straight left and went down in a heap before rising on unsteady legs.

Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto may be the most popular fighter in Puerto Rico, but Lopez is not far behind.

“He’s a superstar, no question about it,” said Lopez’s promoter, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum. “I can’t see anybody who can stand up to him in the junior-featherweight or featherweight division.”

Lontchi, a native of Cameroon now living in Montreal, also earned some kudos with a respectable effort. The 26-year-old did not have enough firepower to slow Lopez’s advances, but did his best to frustrate Lopez with an unorthodox style that included steady movement interspersed with occasional flurries.

Lopez, who was defending his title for the fourth time, appeared headed for an easy win when he dropped Lontchi in the second round. Two rounds later, however, Lontchi began to find the mark with his own punches. He caught Lopez off-guard with a series of crisp, straight rights that sent sweat flying from Lopez’s brow and caused his fans to gasp in surprise.

With each passing round, Lontchi gained confidence. Lopez was still in command most of the time, but Lontchi didn’t wilt.

That was especially apparent in the seventh round. Lopez punished Lontchi with a body attack that drove him into the ropes. But instead of buckling, Lontchi gamely fought back and even landed a straight right that caused Lopez to briefly back away.

Lopez was relentless.

According to CompuBox statistics, Lopez landed 244 of 592 punches (41 percent) to 84 of 271 for Lontchi (31 percent). He also owned a 211-65 advantage in power punches.

Argentina’s Maidana stuns Victor Ortiz

By GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Victor Ortiz’s left eye was nearly swollen shut, and his right eye was ringed by a deep cut. Bruises and abrasions covered much of the rest of his face.

Nope, the Golden Boy’s telegenic protege isn’t quite ready for prime time.

Argentina’s Marcos Maidana stopped Ortiz early in the sixth round of an action-packed fight Saturday night, leaving one of the sport’s top prospects pulverized and chastened.

The 140-pound bout featured five knockdowns and several wild momentum swings that both thrilled and stunned a Staples Center crowd of 8,600 expecting to witness another step in the evolution of the 22-year-old Ortiz, a charismatic slugger ticketed for stardom by promoter Oscar De La Hoya.

Instead, the fans marveled at a remarkably resilient U.S. debut by Maidana (26-1, 25 KOs) a heavy-handed 140-pounder largely unknown outside his native land and Germany, where he has fought six times in the last two years.

Maidana was knocked down three times in the opening two rounds, yet rallied with a devastating right hand that turned Ortiz’s face into a mess. After Ortiz stumbled to the canvas early in the sixth, the ringside doctor stopped the fight.

“I knew I was fighting against the local guy, and I had to knock him out,” said Maidana, whose only previous loss was a contentious split decision to Andreas Kotelnik earlier this year. “I went down, but I got up because I have a big heart. I saw that Victor felt my punches, and I said, ‘I know I can win this.”’

Ortiz (24-2-1), who held a comically large bag of ice to his swollen face afterward, acknowledged he entered the ring thinking about the bright lights, the chanting fans and the pressure—everything but Maidana, who also knocked him flat in the first round and then eagerly accepted Ortiz’s invitation to brawl.

“It didn’t hit me until I was on my way to the ring,” Ortiz said. “I was like, ‘Whoa.’ It just really messed with me, and I didn’t perform. … I just fought a dumb fight. I didn’t listen to my corner.”

Although De La Hoya insisted Ortiz still is a budding champion, the Kansas native took too many big shots while fighting with no discernible strategy. Ortiz connected on 42 percent of his 177 punches, but Maidana was much busier with 293 punches, connecting with 23 percent.

“Yeah, he went down,” De La Hoya said. “But he’ll get right back up and fulfill his dream.”

Both fighters moved forward furiously from the opening bell, and Ortiz knocked down Maidana for the first time on a big right hand with about 1:15 left. With the crowd standing and cheering for Ortiz, Maidana landed a right hand that put Ortiz flat on his back.

The crowd was as stunned as Ortiz. The second round was even more electric, with the boxers trading shots until Ortiz knocked down Maidana with a right hook with about 30 seconds left—and then did it again with a shorter version of the same punch right before the bell.

But Maidana landed several big shots in the next three rounds, rocking Ortiz with two powerful right hands in the final seconds of the fifth. Ortiz also developed that big cut, which gaped open when the fight ended 46 seconds into the sixth.

“I came to look to finish him, and that’s what happened,” Maidana said. “He hits very hard, but he doesn’t have a good chin. Definitely he didn’t adjust to my rhythm.”

Chris John, the Indonesian featherweight champion who backed out of his co-main event rematch with Rocky Juarez this week because of an illness, appeared in the ring before the final bout. He waved to several hundred flag-waving Indonesian fans who bought tickets thinking they would see John’s second fight in this country.

The undercard fighters entered the ring to the strains of remixed Michael Jackson songs, and Ortiz made his ring walk to a “Beat It” and “Thriller” mash-up. A ceremonial 10-count was rung in honor of the pop star who died Thursday in Holmby Hills, about 12 miles from Staples Center. Jackson spent many nights rehearsing at the arena during the past two months for his 50 scheduled summer appearances in London.

Abraham retains IBF middleweight title over Oral

BERLIN (AP)—Undefeated Arthur Abraham successfully defended his IBF middleweight title with a technical knockout of fellow German Mahir Oral in the 10th round on Saturday.

Abraham improved his record to 30-0 with his 10th consecutive defense, though none have been against top-level challengers since he won the title in December 2005.

Armenian-born Abraham knocked down Oral in the fourth, sixth and 10th rounds, the last forcing the referee to call the fight.

The defeat was Oral’s first in 19 bouts since his only previous loss, to Malik Dziarra in 2004.

Molitor beats Ruiz in super bantamweight bout

RAMA, Ont. (AP)—Steve Molitor outpointed Mexico’s Heriberto Ruiz on Friday night to win the IBF super bantamweight title eliminator.

Molitor, former world champion, beat Ruiz (41-8-2, 8 KO) at Casino Rama to move into the vacant number two spot for the IBF crown.

Harry Davis scored the fight 116-112 in favor of Ruiz, Kelly Zolnierczyk had it 116-112 for Molitor, and Benoit Roussel scored it 116-112 for Molitor.

Ranked fourth in the world by the IBF coming into the fight, the boxer known as “The Canadian Kid” rebounded from a loss to Panamanian Celestino Caballero in a unified title fight last November.

Molitor, of Sarnia, Ontario, lost the IBF super bantamweight title and Caballero’s WBA belt, but with his victory against Ruiz he’ll have a chance to win his title back in September.

Molitor and Ruiz got off to a slow start with few punches thrown in the first and second rounds. The fighters were sparked by loud booing from the crowd, and the fight finally picked up at the end of the second.

Ruiz cut Molitor’s forehead in the seventh to little effect. Ruiz began swinging wild punches, missing the target as Molitor advanced.

Blood dripping off Molitor’s left brow seemed to temporarily slow the pace of the fight to open up the ninth round. Ruiz did not take advantage.

In the 10th round, both men rested for the first two minutes but ended the round slugging away.

Molitor opened the 11th by landing four straight punches that forced Ruiz back to the ropes. Ruiz responded in the 12th round with several body shots on Molitor, who survived to earn the split decision.

Mayweather-Marquez rescheduled for Sept. 19

By DAVE SKRETTA, AP Sports Writer

Floyd Mayweather’s return to boxing is back on, although the new date won’t make things any easier for him against hard-hitting Juan Manuel Marquez.

The former pound-for-pound king, who was slated to fight Marquez next month at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, issued a statement Friday that said he’s been cleared by doctors following a rib injury and the fight will go off Sept. 19— the weekend after Mexican Independence Day.

“I am relieved to be cleared to fight,” Mayweather said. “Trust me, September 19 is a great weekend for boxing, and all of my fans—of which there are many Mexicans too—can certainly hold on to their hats and sombreros when I get back in to the ring.”

Mayweather, who is coming out of a brief retirement, damaged cartilage in his ribs during training two weeks ago. He was committed to rescheduling the fight, even though more lucrative opponents like Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao became available.

Ticket sales reportedly had been slow for the pay-per-view event, but they should get a significant boost because of the new date. Mexican Independence Day is Sept. 16, and the bout will follow that Saturday—a weekend that had long belonged to Oscar De La Hoya.

The “Golden Boy,” whose promotional company handles Marquez, retired earlier this year.

“This particular fight did extremely well on ticket sales. Several price categories sold out,” Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told The Associated Press. “When the fight was announced to be postponed, we were over $5.6 million in ticket sales and it was shaping up to be one of the largest non-heavyweight fights in the history of Las Vegas, not involving Oscar.

“We were ahead of what Pacquiao and (Ricky) Hatton did with the same amount of time to promote.”

Schaefer, who was busy with this weekend’s 140-pound title fight between Victor Ortiz and Marcos Maidana, said he was initially concerned Mayweather might be out longer.

“We were hoping it would be OK to be medically cleared for September, because it’s the biggest day every year for pay-per-view in the United States,” Schaefer said. “Almost like the Super Bowl weekend—you just knew that in September there’s a big fight.”

Mayweather, the former five-division champ, hasn’t fought since knocking out Hatton in December 2007, when he was still reveling in his breakthrough victory over De La Hoya. His unexpected retirement last year came in a statement issued by his publicist, just as he was gaining mainstream attention with appearances on “Dancing with the Stars” and at WrestleMania.

His aura seemed to have dimmed over the past year, though, and there have been reports that Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs) has been having financial hardships. On top of that, Pacquiao has risen to become boxing’s best all-around fighter and most compelling attraction.

That alone may have been enough to lure “Money” Mayweather back into the ring.

His handlers began fielding offers for fights several months ago—few believed that Mayweather would stay retired—and he eventually settled on Marquez, who’s ranked highly on most pound-for-pound lists but is a relative unknown among mainstream sports fans.

Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KOs), who has fought to a draw and close split-decision loss against Pacquiao, is coming off riveting knockouts of Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz, which earned him the vacant WBO lightweight title in February.

He’ll be moving up to fight Mayweather at a catch weight of 143 pounds, eight more than Marquez has ever fought and the lightest Mayweather has been since 2005.

“I am happy that Mayweather has been cleared to fight and we can get down to business,” Marquez said. “This weekend is not just an important weekend for boxing, but even more so for all of the Mexican and Mexican-American people I will be fighting for.

“(They) will have a great reason to celebrate my win over Mayweather, which will be for all of the people and for the entire country of Mexico that night.”

Holyfield’s real deal: Home back on auction block

By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP Sports Writer

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP)—Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield is facing foreclosure again on his sprawling estate in suburban Atlanta.

But Holyfield told The Associated Press on Thursday that a settlement would be reached before the 54,000-square-foot home was auctioned.

“It will be worked out,” boxing’s first four-time heavyweight champion said when reached on his cell phone. He declined further comment.

A year after the 235-acre estate was first put on the auction block, a legal notice placed last week in the Fayette Daily News said Holyfield was back in default on his $10 million loan. An auction was scheduled for July 7 on the courthouse steps.

The home—located south of Atlanta on Evander Holyfield Highway—has 109 rooms, including 17 bathrooms, three kitchens and a bowling alley.

Holyfield faced foreclosure on the home in June 2008, but a financial settlement was reached with Washington Mutual Bank before a scheduled auction.

This time, he also faces foreclosure on a second Fayette County property, having defaulted on a $216,000 loan to Commonwealth United Mortgage Company.

Holyfield has earned more than $200 million in the ring—including a reported $34 million for his second bout with Mike Tyson in 1997, the infamous “Bite Fight” that ended with Tyson being disqualified for gnawing off a chunk of Holyfield’s ear.

But the 46-year-old Holyfield hasn’t had a huge payday in more than five years and has run into serious financial problems, facing lawsuits over missed child support payments (he reportedly has 11 children) and claims that he failed to repay a more than half-million-dollar loan that went for landscaping his home.

He last fought in December, receiving a reported $600,000 for his challenge against WBA champion Nikolai Valuev in Switzerland. Holyfield lost a disputed majority decision to the 7-foot Russian, missing a chance to become the oldest heavyweight champion.

Former IBF champion Spadafora wins on TKO

PITTSBURGH (AP)—Paul Spadafora, a former IBF lightweight champion fighting for the first time in 14 months, knocked out Ivan Bustos on Wednesday night.

Bustos’ corner threw in the towel 2 minutes, 26 seconds into the sixth round of the scheduled eight-round welterweight fight.

Spadafora, who hadn’t fought in his Pittsburgh hometown since 2004 because of legal problems, improved his career record to 42-0-1.

The bout was the 33-year-old Spadafora’s first with Hall of Fame boxer Pernell Whitaker as his trainer.

Bustos, a counterpuncher from Argentina who had trouble landing blows against Spadafora, is 25-13-3.

RUMBLE AT THE HILTON RYE TOWN

On July 16th Star Boxing's former light heavyweight title challenger, David Telesco (29-6-1, 24KO) will once again step inside the squared circle under the Star Boxing banner, when he takes on New Jersey's own William Gil in an eight round light heavyweight affair. Telesco v. Gil will be the main event bout of the evening. The card is being held at the beautiful Hilton Rye Town hotel, located in the New York City suburb of Rye, NY, and is ten minutes east of White Plains, NY in Westchester County. Situated on 45 beautifully landscaped acres of lush woodlands, the Hilton Rye Town hotel is Westchester County, New York's premier hotel, combining the relaxed setting of a resort with the flexibility of a full-service business hotel.

For the fan favorite Telesco, who lives in nearby Portchester, NY, it will be somewhat of a homecoming, as it will be the first time Telesco has fought in the Westchester County area since 2001. Telesco, who has been in- active since 2005, is excited to be returning to the ring especially in front of his hometown fans.

"David's had some great moments in his boxing career. He has always been a dangerous puncher and was a top light heavyweight some years ago," stated Joe DeGuardia CEO of Star Boxing. "David has been itching for a comeback and has always wanted to be back in front of his fans, so the Hilton Rye Town makes perfect sense. The Hilton Rye Town is a beautiful hotel where fans can experience a great night of Boxing in the Ballroom. We are looking to put some of the top prospects in the New York City area, as well as some of our top prospects on the Star Boxing roster on the card. We expect a great night of fights come July 16th."

The official undercard will be announced shortly. Tickets can be purchased through the Star Boxing office by calling (718) 823-2000 or by visiting the Star Boxing website (http://www.starboxing.com/) Tickets are priced at Gold Ringside - $100, Silver Ringside - $60 and reserved seating for $40. The Hilton Rye Town hotel is located at 699 Westchester Avenue, Rye Brook, New York, 10573.

Lopez headlining Top Rank card on Boardwalk

By DAVE SKRETTA, AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP)—Juan Manuel Lopez watched countryman Miguel Cotto fill Madison Square Garden on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day parade and marveled at how thousands of people gravitated toward the welterweight champion.

The young super bantamweight champ imagines himself in the same role one day.

“I know I’m getting to the level I can headline,” said Lopez, who will defend his title against little-known Olivier Lontchi on Saturday night in Atlantic City. “But I do look forward to a year, two years down the line, being the headline on that night.

“That’s the dream. That’s every Puerto Rican’s dream.”

Lopez won his title on the boardwalk last year by knocking out Daniel Ponce De Leon in the first round, ending his three-year title reign.

He’s been busy ever since.

The hard-hitting Lopez (25-0, 23 KOs) has already defended his title three times, all by knockout, and aced arguably the most difficult test of his burgeoning career in April, when he dismantled Gerry Penalosa on the way to a 10th-round stoppage. It was the 13th straight fight Lopez has ended early.

“At 122 (pounds),” promoter Bob Arum said, “he’s beginning to run out of opponents.”

That’s why Arum intends to build a worthy challenger over course of the next 18 months, or at the very least a worthwhile test. Few believe that Lontchi (18-0-2, 8 KOs) stands much of a chance, so Arum has already requested the theater at Madison Square Garden for Sept. 26, when he hopes Lopez and exciting Cuban knockout artist Yuriorkis Gamboa will be on the same card in separate fights.

Then, down the road, the two would ultimately face each other.

“They don’t know who Gamboa is and they don’t know who this kid is, but that’s my job in the next year, to make that a must-see fight they put on pay-per-view,” Arum said. “I don’t know if I can do it, but that’s what I’m going to try to do.”

Arum knows better than anyone that things can change quickly in boxing.

Just look at how the card Saturday night came together.

It was originally headlined by middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik defending against Sergio Mora, but that fight was scrapped months ago. A bout involving Paul Malignaggi and unbeaten Mike Alvarado was scratched when Alvarado was hurt sparring, and a bantamweight title bout between Fernando Montiel and Eric Morel was postponed when Montiel hurt his hand.

Top Rank wound up turning the event into one of its “Latin Fury” cards, which are designed to showcase some of its top fighters from Mexico and Puerto Rico.

The co-main event is a super flyweight fight between Jorge Arce (51-5-1, 39 KOs), who was convincingly stopped by Vic Darchinyan in a February title fight, against Filipino challenger Fernando Lumacad (19-1-2, 7 KOs).

“I will fight again for the title,” said Arce, who once held an interim super flyweight title. “Maybe next year, I will fight (Darchinyan) again.”

Also on the card, Vanes Martirosyan (24-0, 15 KOs) takes on Andrey Tsurkan (26-4, 17 KOs) in a junior middleweight fight, and Yuri Foreman (27-0, 8 KOs) takes on Cornelius Bundrage (29-4, 17 KOs) in an IBF junior middleweight eliminator.

Foreman may be the most unique story on the card, in that while he’s training to be a world champion he’s also training to be a rabbi. The 28-year-old Belarussian is about 18 months from earning a degree in rabbinical studies.

“Foreman is a real great story, and it will capture everyone’s imagination,” Arum said. “If you tell the story and people are following the story, then people will look for the plus side of what he’s doing in the ring, the skilled boxer he is.

“He can’t punch hard,” Arum added. “But he tells me, ‘I don’t punch hard, I don’t hurt anybody, because it’d be wrong for a rabbi to do that.”

NEW OPPONENT FOR FRES OQUENDO IN CHICAGO, WEDNESDAY PUBLIC PRESS CONFERENCE AT 7PM

CHICAGO, IL (June 23, 2009) Two time heavyweight world title challenger Fres Oquendo of Chicago, will now face New Jersey native Mark Brown for the WBC Latino Heavyweight Title this Friday night, June 26th, in the ten round main event at the seven bout “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 3” at Chicago’s UIC Pavilion, it was announced today by Dominic Pesoli, President of 8 Count Productions.

Said Pesoli, “There was an issue with his original opponent, Gonzalo Omar Basile getting into the United States from Argentina . Brown is a very tough, heavy handed, heavyweight from New Jersey . He’s won eight in a row and had three knockouts in 2008. He’s coming to fight and I know Fres wants to put on a great performance for the fans so it should be a very good battle.”

Advance tickets for “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 3”, starting at $31, can be purchased through the 8 Count Productions office at 312-226-5800 and through Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or http://www.ticketmaster.com/. Tickets will also be available at the door starting at 7pm on the night of the event.

A public press conference for “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 3” will be held at the UIC Pavilion on Wednesday night, June 24th at 7pm. The open to the public weigh-in will be held on Thursday night at 7pm at the Union Park Lounge, 228 S. Racine Ave. in Chicago, just three blocks north of the UIC Pavilion. Fans are encouraged to join their favorite fighters at both events.

Recently signed to Simmons Entertainment Marketing LLC, headed by NBA Star Bobby Simmons, Oquendo is looking towards another run at a world championship bout in the near future. The bout against Brown, for the WBC Latino Heavyweight Title, is Oquendo’s first hometown bout in nine years.

Oquendo, 29-5-0 (18KO’s) is coming off a highly controversial split decision loss to former world champion James Toney on December 13th. The bout, broadcast from Cabazon, California on VERSUS, was thought to be amongst the worst decisions of 2008.

Brown, 15-1-0 (7KO’s) is coming off a unanimous decision win over Willie Perryman on April 24th. Prior to that bout, Brown knocked out previously unbeaten Tony Grano on September 27th in Bridgeport , CT for the WBF All-Americas Heavyweight Title.

Co-headlining “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 3” is an outstanding eight round junior welterweight showdown between undefeated Chicago fan favorite, Ivan Popoca, 10-0-1 (7KO’s) and Tulare, California’s Hector Alatorre, 15-7-0 (5KO’s)

An additional eight round bout at “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 3” is a super middleweight title fight between Chicago’s Andrzej “THE POLISH PRINCE” Fonfara, 12-2-0 (3KO’s) and Rockford, Illinois’ Skyler Thompson, 11-3-0 (9KO’s) for the WBF All-Americas Super Middleweight Title.

In a special feature attraction, Chicago fan favorite Rita “LA GUERA” Figueroa, 10-0-1 (3KO’s) and Lynnwood , Washington native Tammie “THE TASMANIAN DEVIL” Johnson, 3-2-2, will square off once again in an eight round rematch of their draw on March 27th at the inaugural “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT”.

The undercard features three Chicago natives; featherweight Juan Bailon, 4-1-0 (1KO) taking on Denver, Colorado’s Tommy Atencio, 3-1-0 (2KO’s) in a six round bout.

Ryan Smedick, 2-0-1 (1KO) will face Gabriel Morris, 1-1-1 of Toledo, Ohio and Chicago’s Achour Esho, 2-0-0 91KO) will face Maryland’s Dontre King, 1-4-1, both welterweight bouts scheduled for four rounds.

Doors on the evening of the event will open at 7pm with the first bell at 8pm. The UIC Pavilion is located at 525 S. Racine , just one block south of the Eisenhower Expressway. For further information, please visit their website at www.uicpavilion.com

8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING, was started by Dominic Pesoli in 1998 and has consistently presented the highest quality professional boxing events in Chicagoland. In 2003, Pesoli along with former featherweight contender Mike Garcia, opened JABB Boxing Gym, a 6,000 square foot venue dedicated to the finest Chicagoland boxers of all talent levels.

For more information on 8 Count Productions and JABB Boxing Gym, please visit http://www.8countproductions.com/ and http://www.jabbboxing.com/

Chris John falls ill, fight with Juarez scrapped

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Featherweight champion Chris John’s rematch with Rocky Juarez has been canceled after John fell ill during training.

John (42-0-2, 22 KOs), an Indonesian fighter who beat Juan Manuel Marquez three years ago, was due to fight Juarez at Staples Center on Saturday night as the co-main event with Victor Ortiz’s bout against Marcos Maidana.

Richard Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, said John collapsed during a sparring session Saturday. John’s handlers believe the fighter has a blood illness, Schaefer said.

John, who has been training in Los Angeles, was hoping to fight in this country for just the second time in his career. John and Juarez fought to a draw Feb. 28 in Houston.