Abril outclasses Bogere in ugly fight, keeps WBA lightweight belt

Abril outclasses Bogere in ugly fight, keeps WBA lightweight belt
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
March 3, 2013


LAS VEGAS – Richard Abril wanted to pick up a win without the judges factoring into the verdict in order to avoid being on the wrong end of a controversial verdict once again.

Abril didn't quiet his wish, but the gangly stylist tried to make sure he did enough to leave no doubt that he was a better boxer than Sharif Bogere in a very sloppy and dirty fight on Saturday at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Halfway through the Showtime Championship Boxing headlining bout, the official scorecards still had the fight in reach for the undefeated challenger, Bogere. As the bout moved into the deeper rounds, however, Abril closed the show dominantly.

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Bogere looks to become the latest African titleholder on Saturday

Bogere looks to become the latest African titleholder on Saturday
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
March 1, 2013

LAS VEGAS – On Saturday night, Sharif Bogere looks to follow in the footsteps of Ike Quartey, Joshua Clottey and Kassim Ouma – fighters who journeyed from impoverished African countries to more lucrative earnings and world titles in the United States – as he vies for his first major title in the headlining bout of Showtime Championship Boxing against Richard Abril for a vacant WBA 135-pound belt. 

Where the 24-year-old Ugandan hopes to take a different path from his predecessors comes after he wins Saturday. While all of those names won major titles and found themselves in marquee matchups, their dedication curtailed after their earnings reached a high point.

Quartey took a five-year hiatus after fighting big names like Oscar De La Hoya and Fernando Vargas and Clottey has hardly been seen since appearing in big matchups with box-office darlings Miguel Cotto and, more recently, Manny Pacquiao in 2010.

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Richard Abril Looks to Avoid Becoming a Punchline

Richard Abril Looks to Avoid Becoming a Punchline
Mark E. Ortega
Queensberry-Rules.com
April 12, 2012

There was a collective sigh heard across the boxing community when it became evident that Yuriorkis Gamboa would not be fighting Brandon Rios in a legitimate dream fight on April 14 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

 Some even held out a little hope that, somehow, Gamboa would show up at the scheduled presser in Los Angeles after ducking the first one in the Cuban's adopted home of Miami.

 That didn't happen. Top Rank president Todd Duboef didn't offer up replacement names, as though Gamboa was just running late in L.A. traffic and was en route.

 Though the air was let out of the promotion's sails and HBO backed off broadcasting the Gamboa-less main event on their regular airwaves, a new possible opponent emerged due to a melee that occurred at the Miami presser.

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