Lightweight ‘Boxcino’ tournament begins Friday on ESPN2

Lightweight ‘Boxcino’ tournament begins Friday on ESPN2
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
February 18, 2014

This Friday, Banner Promotions and ESPN2 kick off the first of two eight-man single elimination tournaments, which will take place over the course of the Friday Night Fights season.

RingTV.com spoke with Banner Promotions founder Artie Pelullo about the tournament and how it came together. Boxing tournaments often have a hard time running smoothly, so Pelullo also shared what sort of measures are in place should a hiccup occur here and there.

“I came up with this idea 17 years ago when the first Boxcino tournament took place,” Pelullo told RingTV.com. “Born out of that was Brazilian star Acelino Freitas who won the tournament, but also a number of the competitors who participated became quality names, like JC Candelo.”

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Quick thoughts on ESPN2 FNF season opener last night

Quick thoughts on ESPN2 FNF season opener last night
Mark E. Ortega
January 5, 2014

Fights like Ward-Sanchez prove you can't write a fighter off before a fight is over.

 Last night was the much anticipated 2014 season opener of ESPN2's Friday Night Fights. Just as there was controversy in the 2013 opening telecast, history repeated itself. Ironically, junior lightweight Rances Barthelemy was once again the beneficiary.

In the main event, Argenis Mendez (21-3-1, 11 knockouts) was defending his IBF 130-pound title against Barthelemy. Last year, Barthelemy won an unpopular decision over Arash Usmanee in ESPN2's opening broadcast (Usmanee fights in next week's main event against Juan Antonio Rodriguez).

Barthelemy got off to a great start as he fought from the proper range with Mendez unable to answer. In the second round, Mendez was floored in the final 30 seconds. Mendez was in big trouble but with very little time left, seemed a good bet to make it to his corner.

Usmanee catches good karma with title shot on FNF

Usmanee catches good karma with title shot on FNF
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
August 23, 2013


Tonight, Arash Usmanee challenges for a title for the first time in his career when he meets Argenis Mendez on Friday Night Fights for the IBF 130-pound title.

Usmanee (20-1, 10 KOs) and Mendez will close this season of ESPN2's flagship boxing program. It is only fitting that Usmanee be part of the final show, given that he opened the program in January against Rances Barthelemy. Usmanee lost a highly controversial decision in that fight and hopes he closes the year with a better taste in his mouth.

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Fonfara hits three-run homer to outlast Campillo

Fonfara hits three-run homer to outlast Campillo
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV
August 16, 2013


Don’t call it a comeback, but if this week’s ESPN2 Friday Night Fights is any indication as to the health of boxing in the city of Chicago, it should play host to big fights more often.

With a card taking place at U.S. Cellular Field, home of Major League Baseball’s Chicago White Sox, prognosticators were unsure at what the turnout would be. An estimated number of around 10,000 people showed up, and nobody went home disappointed.

Hometown favorite Andrzej Fonfara headlined in an intriguing light heavyweight crossroads fight against former titlist Gabriel Campillo. After being outclassed for much of the fight, Fonfara earned a satisfying victory when he delivered the proverbial three-run home run while down to his final few outs, stopping Campillo with a right hand body shot in the ninth round.

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Burgos battles Amidu to draw on FNF

Burgos battles Amidu to draw on FNF
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
July 26, 2013


Juan Carlos Burgos felt unfairly treated in his last fight by ringside officials, who scored his title-seeking effort against Roman Martinez a draw in January.

When meeting late substitute Yakubu Amidu in Friday's main event of ESPN2 Friday Night Fights in Lincoln, Calif., a split-draw verdict was once again rendered.

This time, Burgos didn't wear the look of a guy unhappy to be getting a draw, and with good reason.

Burgos didn't fight much like a guy with a long term memory of the recent betrayal by judges. He dominated early portions of rounds but allowed his hard-nosed opponent to come on late in rounds, obviously affecting the scores.

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Atlas gives Povetkin 'a good shot' to beat Klitschko

Atlas gives Povetkin 'a good shot' to beat Klitschko
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
July 15, 2013


From 2009 to 2011, ESPN2 Friday Night Fights analyst and former trainer Teddy Atlas took on heavyweight Alexander Povetkin as somewhat of a personal project.

The two enjoyed a bit of success together before splitting in 2011, leaving both sides a bit embittered. Two years later, Povetkin faces an uphill battle in challenging Wladimir Klitschko in Moscow on Oct. 5 as a long-odds underdog.

Atlas was in Las Vegas on Friday to call that night's action for FNF, the job which kept him from working with Povetkin for his bout last February against cruiserweight titlist Marco Huck.

Though Atlas has previously been critical of Povetkin's performances since the two moved on from each other, he likes his former charge's chances against the younger half of the two-headed Klitschko monster.

"I gave him a good fight plan for Klitschko [when we worked together]," Atlas told RingTV prior to ESPN2 going on the air on Friday.

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Rodriguez eager to earn another title shot

Rodriguez eager to earn another title shot
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
May 23, 2013


Former junior middleweight title challenger Delvin Rodriguez meets Freddy Hernandez in the main event of this week’s Friday Night Fights ESPN2 broadcast from the Mohegun Sun Casino in Uncastville, Conn.

At this point in the 33-year-old veteran’s career, every bout is high stakes, so what better place to fight than at a casino just an hour and a half from his home in Danbury, Conn.?

Over the course of his career, Rodriguez is 4-1 at the popular fight venue, with his only loss being a controversial split-decision verdict against Isaac Hlatshwayo in their 2009 rematch. That bout was Rodriguez’s first title opportunity, having rode a five bout unbeaten streak at 147 pounds into that fight. That stretch included a draw with Hlatshwayo in his native South Africa in 2008, shifting things to Rodriguez’s home field for the rematch.

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Nugaev upsets Maicelo, stops Peruvian star on FNF

Nugaev upsets Maicelo, stops Peruvian star on FNF
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
April 6, 2013


SANTA YNEZ, Calif. – In his native Peru, Jonathan Maicelo's celebrity is on par with Justin Bieber's in the United States. Out there, he has a national Coca-Cola commercial, as well as one with Frito-Lay. According to his manager Nelson Fernandez, his fights are viewed by 49 percent of the country and men allow their wives to kiss him.

On Friday night, in front of a small crowd at Santa Ynez, Calif.'s Chumash Casino, Maicelo fought in his first televised bout in the United States, meeting tough Russian Rustam Nugaev in the ten-round main event of ESPN2's Friday Night Fights.

Maicelo fought a toe-to-toe battle with Nugaev, eventually getting caught by a massive right hand in the eighth round, and will now be famous stateside due to the highlight reel knockout he was on the losing end of.

When the initial main event between Marvin Quintero and Ammeth Diaz fell out just a few weeks ago, Maicelo jumped at the opportunity to make American television for the first time.

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April 12 FNF card gets an overhaul

April 12 FNF card gets an overhaul
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
March 21, 2013


News broke early Thursday that Andre Dirrell would no longer be in action in the April 12 edition of ESPN2's Friday Night Fights, which takes place in Shelton, Wash. Dirrell was slated to face tough gatekeeper Ossie Duran but was pulled from the card according to ESPN.com.

That isn't the only change that has been made. The middleweight bout between Brandon Gonzales and Will Rosinsky is now off the card as well. Goossen-Tutor Promotions matchmaker Tom Brown indicated to RingTV that Gonzales pulled a hamstring and had to be removed from the card.

Taking the main event slot is a featherweight ten-round bout between former 122-pound titleholder Rico Ramos, of East Los Angeles, and Oscar Gonzalez, of Mexico.

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Bits and pieces: Fortuna-Zamudio lands in Atlantic City

Bits and pieces: Fortuna-Zamudio lands in Atlantic City

Mark E. Ortega

RingTV.com

March 19, 2013

The following “bits and pieces” of boxing news and items were compiled by RingTV.com contributor Mark E. Ortega during the Tim Bradley-Ruslan Provodnikov card last Saturday. 

Fortuna-Zamudio lands in AC 

 The April 19 ESPN2 Friday Night Fights card promoted by Sampson Lewkowicz has found a home. Undefeated featherweight contender Javier Fortuna will face unheralded Miguel Zamudio in Atlantic City at the Tropicana Casino & Resort, according to Nathan Lewkowicz, an executive at the promotional company as well as Sampson's son.

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Vargas hopes patience pays off with tonight's HBO debut

Vargas hopes patience pays off with tonight's HBO debut
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
March 16, 2013


In the short term, it looked as though Jessie Vargas had made a mistake leaving the stable of fellow Las Vegas resident Floyd Mayweather Jr. to join up with Las Vegas-based Top Rank Promotions nearly a year ago.

 Prior to the switch, Vargas had been positioned well in showcase bouts on Mayweather pay-per-view undercards, perhaps the most visibility a young fighter could ask for.

 After being brought on with Top Rank, Vargas took a bit of a step back. He was no longer fighting Josesito Lopez or Steve Forbes type guys at the MGM Grand on pay-per-view. He had been relegated to fighting lesser heralded names like Aaron Martinez and Vito Gasparyan on ESPN2 at places away from the Las Vegas Strip.

 But when Top Rank and their matchmakers Bruce Trampler and Brad Goodman make decisions on what speed they are going to move you at, you would be smart to listen.

 “They did tell me to be patient, that they were gonna get me there,” said Vargas in a phone interview with RingTV on Thursday.

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Mauricio Herrera injured, out of Karim Mayfield Aug. 17 fight

Mauricio Herrera injured, out of Karim Mayfield Aug. 17 fight
Mark E. Ortega
Queensberry-Rules.com
July 21, 2012


Junior welterweight Mauricio Herrera confirmed to TQBR Saturday that he has pulled out of the proposed Aug. 17 main event of ESPN2 Friday Night Fights against San Francisco's Karim Mayfield, citing a back injury. Herrera's move was originally reported by Boxingscene.com's Ernest Gabion earlier Saturday.

TQBR spoke with Herrera about the pull out and he had a few interesting things to say about it.

“Well the back injury was part of it,” Herrera told TQBR on the phone Saturday afternoon. “We hadn't really signed a contract yet, we weren't sure we were gonna take it yet. At the time they called me for Mayfield, it was kind of sketchy. The fight is in San Francisco, where he is from, and then I threw my back out too.”

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