Tough, tough lucked Collazo ready for another opportunity

Tough, tough lucked Collazo ready for another opportunity

Mark E. Ortega

Leave-it-in-the-ring.com

March 21, 2011

Despite being only thirty years of age, former welterweight champion Luis Collazo of Brooklyn, New York has seen his share of big fight opportunities slip through his hands, more often than not the cause being something out of his control. Despite many questions left unanswered over the course of the 30-year old fighter's nearly eleven year professional career, he has found a way to move on and let the past be the past, focusing all of his efforts on a better tomorrow where he hopes another opportunity to showcase his talents at the upper tier will appear soon.

Arum, King reconciliation, hope for current qualms?

Arum, King reconciliation, hope for current qualms?

Mark E. Ortega

UndisputedFightMag.com

March 11, 2011

One of boxing's biggest rivalries is not one that took place between the ropes. It's not one where few, if any blows were exchanged. But it is one that helped fuel the sport for much of the last five decades.

Promoters Bob Arum and Don King, long the sport's most influential promoters worldwide, are winding down their personal careers and therefore have made amends over their tiff that crossed more than five decades.

Griffin and Mack play it to the bone

Griffin and Mack play it to the bone

Mark E. Ortega

UndisputedFightMag.com

January 10, 2011

In boxing, they say friends don't make for good fights.

On February 4^th, light heavyweights Otis “Triple OG” Griffin [23-6-2, 9 KOs] and Yusaf Mack [28-3-2, 17 KOs], friends for a number of years, will be looking across the ring at each other with a IBF world title shot being the spoils to the winner. What makes this fight different from many other clashes amongst friends is that neither man is already at the top of the sport.

Consider this fight a real life version of the 1999 boxing comedy “Play It to the Bone”, which starred Antonio Banderas and Woody Harrelson as fringe contenders who trained out of the same gym and were given the opportunity to fight each other for a shot at the world title.

In that film, Woddy Harrelson as Vince Boudreau said “The worst thing in the ring you wanna feel is compassion.”

Nov. 6th: Super Six Crossroads

Nov. 6th: Super Six Crossroads
Mark E. Ortega
UndisputedFightMag.com
November 4, 2010


This Saturday, on a weekend chock full of fun and important bouts, there is one fight that may get overlooked but could prove to be the most intriguing.

On Showtime, on the undercard of the potential Fight of the Year candidate between Juan Manuel Lopez and Rafael Marquez, the Super Six super middleweight tournament resumes when Allan Green [29-2, 20 KOs] and Glen Johnson [50-14-2, 34 KOs] lock horns.

For those who have been following the tournament, you know it has been a wild and rocky ride and that neither of these men was of the original six that Showtime put together almost a year and a half ago. Still, it provides the division with a meaningful bout between two fighters that are at a crossroads in their career.

TKOed?

TKOed?
by Mark Ortega
FightFanNation.com
July 11, 2010

July 2nd's broadcast of ESPN Friday Night Fights from Ontario, California was supposed to be the coming out party for a promotional company that had been around all of two years. The card was promoted by TKO Boxing Promotions, based out of Las Vegas, Nevada, and featured TKO fighter Demetrius Hopkins against Mike Arnaoutis in what figured to be a competitive fight that would elevate Hopkins back into the mix at the top of the 140 pound weight class. As far as the fight, everything went to plan.

It's what has happened since then [and in the leadup, as well] that has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many of the people involved, as well as swirling rumors that TKO Boxing's fifteen minutes of fame are up.

Adamek outlast Arreola, Angulo batters Julio

Adamek outlast Arreola, Angulo batters Julio
Mark E. Ortega
FightFanNation.com
April 24, 2010

Saturday night from the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, California, Tomasz Adamek [41-1, 27 KOs] won an impressive twelve-round majority decision over local hero Chris Arreola [28-2, 25 KOs] in front of a large crowd in the televised headliner of HBO's Boxing After Dark. Arreola started off quickly and for the first four or five rounds it was a firefight that favored the more than thirty pounds heavier fighter. Somewhere in the fifth round, Arreola hurt his left hand and the fight changed as Adamek began to outbox Arreola and move around the ring extremely well. Arreola would land a few big shots in nearly every round but Adamek was landing much more accurately. Adamek's body work in the middle rounds helped slow Arreola down and he enjoyed a surge in the eighth and ninth round. Arreola seized momentum in the tenth and eleventh but Adamek took the twelfth to earn the tight majority decision. One judge had it 114-114 even but was overruled by the 115-113 and a much too wide 117-111 in favor of Adamek.

Herrera back in the win column

Herrera back in the win column!

Mark E. Ortega

FightFanNation.com

April 23, 2010

On the eve of Chris Arreola against Tomasz Adamek, just a few blocks away at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, California, Mauricio Herrera [14-1, 7 KOs] of Riverside, California rebounded from his recent controversial defeat to Mike Anchondo by stopping Efren Hinojosa [30-8-1, 17 KOs] of Lakeside, California on a corner stoppage in the fifth round of a pretty close fight.

Herrera was hit far too often but he applied pressure for a majority of the bout and wore his opponent down. At the end of the fifth round, Hinojosa's corner called a halt to the bout. Herrera wasn't particularly impressive, but was the much more accurate fighter. Herrera languished against the ropes a bit too much and that could be trouble against a puncher at 140, which Hinojosa is not. Herrera is looking for a rematch with Anchondo later in the year.

Gonzales remains Flawless, outpoints Boone

Gonzales remains Flawless, outpoints Boone

Mark E. Ortega

FightFanNation.com

March 19, 2010

Friday night at the Grand Sierra Resort & Casino in front of a packed house, Brandon “Flawless” Gonzales [11-0] of Sacramento, California took a big step towards establishing himself as a top prospect at 160 pounds by easily outpointing rugged gatekeeper Darnell Boone [16-15] over eight rounds in the main event of Reno Xtreme Fights III.

Miranda gets shot while Brinkley has to wait

Miranda gets shot while Brinkley has to wait

Mark E. Ortega

FightFanNation.com

February 18, 2010

When Jesse Brinkley gutted out a twelve round unanimous decision victory over Curtis Stevens a few weeks ago in an exciting headlining bout televised by ESPN's Friday Night Fights in Reno, Nevada, it was supposed to be enough to earn him a title shot against IBF 168-pound champion Lucian Bute in April.

And it should have been.

Instead, it will be world title retread Edison Miranda who will meet Bute in Montreal on April 17^th in a bout that will be televised by HBO, likely as the co-featured bout to a Kelly Pavlik-Sergio Martinez middleweight title fight that will take place in Youngstown as part of a split-site telecast.

Brinkley, promoter roll the dice in Reno

Brinkley, promoter roll the dice in Reno

Mark E. Ortega

FightFanNation.com

January 23, 2010

One week from today, Yerington, Nevada's Jesse Brinkley steps in the ring against arguably the toughest and most dangerous opponent of his career when he faces Curtis Stevens. The bout will headline ESPN's Friday Night Fights and is an eliminator for the #2 spot in the IBF and could lead to a world title shot later in the year.

The fight will take place in nearby Reno, the adopted home of Brinkley, who has become quite a draw as their main event under the banner of Let's Get It On Promotions since signing with them just over two years ago.

“The Big O” suffers a devastating L

“The Big O” suffers a devastating L

Mark E. Ortega

FightFanNation.com

December 11, 2009

For the second time in two weeks, a veteran fighter on the verge of a nice payday was destroyed in a supposed tune-up bout at the hands of a much less regarded fighter as #2 WBC heavyweight Oleg Maskaev [36-7, 27 KOs] was dispatched 1:54 into the opening round at the hands of Newburgh, New York native Nagy Aguilera [15-2, 10 KOs] in front of a near capacity crowd at the Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento, California, the adopted hometown of Maskaev. The loss will cause Maskaev, nicknamed “The Big O”, to miss out on a title eliminator in 2010 for the right to fight WBC champion Vitali Klitschko.

Maskaev, Aguilera weigh-in

Maskaev, Aguilera weigh-in

Mark E. Ortega

FightFanNation.com

December 10, 2009

Thursday afternoon at the Red Lion Hotel in Sacramento, California, Oleg Maskaev [36-6, 27 KOs], the adopted son of Sacramento weighed in at 243 pounds for his ten-round heavyweight bout against Nagy Aguilera [14-2, 9 KOs], 229, of Newburgh, New York. The bout headlines a six-fight card that will take place at Sacramento's Memorial Auditorium tomorrow. If Maskaev is victorious, he will likely move forward with a final WBC eliminator against Ray Austin, a fight that could take place in Sacramento if the crowd turnout for this fight is respectable.

Maskaev trying to relive the American dream

Maskaev trying to relive the American dream

Mark E. Ortega

FightFanNation.com

December 9, 2009

When Oleg Maskaev gets into the ring this coming Saturday night at the Memorial Auditorium in his adopted home of Sacramento, California, he will be doing so as the heavy favorite. For Maskaev [36-6, 27 KOs], this is something new to him, as throughout his personal life and professional career he has walked into things as the overwhelming underdog, which is something he will have to do again against Vitali Klitschko in a heavyweight title fight should he be victorious against the much younger Nagy Aguilera [14-2, 9 KOs] this weekend.

Julaton cruises to second world title

Julaton cruises to second world title

Mark E. Ortega

FightFanNation.com

December 4, 2009

Friday night, in front of 3,943 people at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, Daly City, California's Ana Julaton [6-1-1, KO] added the WBO female super bantamweight title to her IBA belt by thoroughly dominating Donna Biggers [19-9-1, 16 KOs] of Boiling Springs, Colorado over ten lopsided rounds. Julaton enjoyed her victory in front of an even bigger crowd than her previous fight at the Tank against Kelsey Jeffries on September 12^th.

Green bashed Jones in one: a 1950's experience

Green bashes Roy in one! A 1950's experience

Mark E. Ortega

FightFanNation.com

December 2, 2009

It was like turning back the clock to the 1950's. To think that I stayed up until three in the morning Pacific time to listen to a live stream of Danny Green's IBO cruiserweight title defense against a 40-year old Roy Jones, Jr. proves either I need to enter a boxing rehabilitation clinic; or that even at the end of his illustrious career, Jones was able to remain relevant to the sport even though his place among today's top fighters prove otherwise. Danny Green virtually ended Jones' last moments as a relevant fighter by stopping Jones in the very first round of their much-anticipated clash, much of the damage being done on the first power shot he landed about a minute and a half into the round.