Porter Stops Ellis in Tunica!

For Immediate Release
 
Tunica, MS - Supported by a large crowd at Fitzgeralds Casino in Tunica, MS, junior middleweight sensation Shawn “Showtime” Porter kept his perfect intact after scoring a fourth round TKO over upset specialist Jerome Ellis.
 
Headlining “Boxing’s Future Champions III”, Porter badly rocked Ellis with a solid left hook in the second, forcing the rugged Floridian to hold on. The 2008 US Olympic Alternate continued to have success in the third, attacking Ellis with quick, crisp combinations while using outstanding defensive movement to avoid return shots.
 
With the fight in his control, The Akron, OH native tagged Ellis....

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Shawn Porter to Walk Pacquiao into Ring Saturday Night!

For Immediate Release

Los Angeles, CA – 2008 US Olympic alternate Shawn “Showtime” Porter will lead superstar Manny Pacquiao into the ring Saturday night for his showdown with WBO Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto.

Porter, 10-0 (8 KO’s), served as Pacquiao’s primary sparring partner and played the role of Cotto during his six weeks in camp. While swapping punches with the best fighter in the world was often a grueling task, Porter was grateful for the opportunity.

"It’s truly an honor that Team Pacquiao ... (click here to read the full release)

Guerrero Wins NABO Middleweight Title!

Salisbury, MD – Backed by more than 5,000 fans at Arthur W. Purdue Stadium, Salisbury sensation Fernando Guerrero earned the NABO Interim Middleweight title Saturday night with an impressive 10 round majority decision over renowned tough guy Ossie Duran.

After a tentative start during the first few rounds, Guerrero turned up the heat. A straight left hand stunned Duran in the sixth, but the New Jersey based Ghanaian hung in tough. The hard hitting Guerrero kept Duran on his toes in the seventh, tagging the respected veteran with crisp combinations. Guerrero was cut over the left eye in the 8th following an accidental headbutt, but the blood didn’t deter the hometown hero.

Guerrero maintained a high workrate, but was controversially ruled down in the final round. While his loyal fans, who packed the stadium despite poor weather conditions throughout the day, were livid with the knockdown call, Guerrero kept his composure and finished strong.
Scores of 97-93 and 96-94 overruled a questionable tally of 95-95. With the victory, Guerrero improved to 16-0 (13 KO’s), while the grizzled Duran falls to 23-8 (9 KO’s).

“ It was a great learning experience”, said Guerrero, who needed five stitches to close the gash from the headbutt. “Duran was a great opponent and he’s gone the distance with some good fighters.”

Like those in attendance, Guerrero was astonished that referee Gary Camponeschi credited Duran with a knockdown in the final round.

“ Everyone knew it was a slip.” “It rained earlier in the day, which made the canvas slippery, but I got right back up and fought to the finish.”

The Guerrero-Duran bout topped Prize Fight Boxing’s “Title Time”.

Prize Fight returns Tuesday November 2 with the popular “Miller Light Fight Night” at New Daisy Theater in Memphis, TN followed by “Fights at the Fitz”, Saturday November 21 from Fitzgerald’s Casino in Tunica, MS.

A primer promotional company during the last ten years, Prize Fight Boxing promoted Mike Tyson vs Lennox Lewis, the highest grossing pay per view in Heavyweight history, Roy Jones-Antonio Tarver, Antonio Tarver-Glen Johnson and Jermain Taylor-Winky Wright among others. Prize Fight also sold out more than 60 consecutive shows at the Tunica Casino during their successful “Fights at the Fitz” series and was named 2007 NABO Promoter of the Year.

Prize Fight Boxing’s current stable of pugilists includes Fernando Guerrero, Olympic alternates Chazz Witherspoon and Shawn Porter, Dominic Wade, WBO Interim Junior Welterweight champion Lamont Peterson, Anthony Peterson, Farah Ennis, Mark Davis, Adam “Swamp Donkey” Richards, Tyrese Hendrix, Ty Barnett and Daniel Sackey.

For more information, go to www.prizefightpromoters.com.

Contact info: Matt Yanofsky (publicist) 551-206-0578

Sackey Decisions Thompson at the Fitz!

Daniel Sackey (right) (13-1-1, 6 KOs) pounded out a six Round Unanimous Decision over Ross "The Boss" Thompson (27-13-2, 17 KOs) Saturday night at the Fitz. Photo: JD Meredith
Photo Gallery Online!
By: Michael Sheffield @ Ringside

Fall was brought in with a literal bang Saturday night at Fitzgerald’s Casino, with PrizeFight Boxing’s "Fights at the Fitz" series. With five fights on the card, and an opening bout that set a high standard, the night promised a bright display of entertainment. As the evening wore on however, a few of the bouts didn't feature that expected burst of color.

The 6-round main event, 187-pound Cruiserweight Daniel Sackey (12-1-1, 6 KOs) and the 195-pound Ross Thompson (27-13, 17 KOs), in which Sackey won by unanimous decision, would underwhelm the crowd.

Each round in their fight looked very similar to the next as Sackey diligently pressed the action while Thompson was compelled to counter and hold.

There were no knock downs in the fight.

The main event was originally scheduled to feature fan favorite Tyrese “Head Honcho” Hendrix (17-0, 7 KO’s) of Atlanta, GA, against Matthew Strode (20-2, 9 KO’s).

Heavyweights Larry Slayton (1-0), 243 pounds and Mike Wilson (1-0, 1 KO), 216 pounds, initially displayed a willingness to mix it up, that could only been made more exciting by a bit more polish. However, the fight would end up being marred by Slayton's constant holding or leaning on the taller Wilson. Wilson would win a unanimous decision 40-36.

The second bout of the evening, between 141 pound Jr. Welterweights John Temple 6-10-2 (1 KO) and Winston Mathis 4-0 (2 KOs) would be a display of young fighters who were willing to dish out and take punishment, but would also be an illustration of how important matching skill and power with a willingness to fight is for a boxer.

Mathis, who clearly was the quicker fighter would spend the fight’s four rounds outrunning Temple, who had no problem with moving forward head-first, no matter what it meant to the fight’s outcome. Temple would suffer a cut over his right eye in the fourth round, and Mathis would take the unanimous decision 40-36.

168-pound Super Middleweight Jake Thomas (0-1-1) would win a unanimous decision over the 170-pound Billy Cunningham 3-3 (3 KOs) in a 4- rounder that seemed like it was more action packed than it really was. Nashville-native Thomas played to the Nashville contingent in the Fitz crowd during his entrance and after the fight. The energetic and eager Thomas, however could not parlay his 6-inch height advantage into a dominating performance over Cunningham.

Cunningham, to his credit, was willing to attempt to negate the reach advantage by charging inside during the entire fight, but on the occasions he was able to get inside, couldn’t land any effective punches. Thomas landed his best punch of the night with five seconds left in the fight with a right cross to Cunningham’s jaw that excited both the crowd and the fighter that threw it. However, the fight was already decided at that point, and Cunningham shook off the punch by the time the bell rung.

The opening bout, a 4-round Jr. Middleweight matchup of undefeated young fighters Dante Moore 5-0 (4 KOs) and Nathan Kempa 1-0 (1 KO), who both weighed in at 155 pounds, was as entertaining a fight as has ever been held at The Fitz, with both fighters receiving standing ovations from the crowd when it was over.

What started out seeming like a rout by Moore, ended up going the distance as Kempa managed to get stronger as the fight wore on. This was even more impressive, considering the fact that Moore opened up a cut over Kempa’s left eye that caused referee Bill Clancy to call time in the second round so Kempa could be examined by the ring doctor. Before the referee stepped in, Moore dropped Kempa with a right hook, but not only did Kempa bounce back up almost immediately, but he also managed to convince the referee and doctor he was able to continue.

Moore handily won the first two rounds, but it was clear that by the end of the second, he was either tired from his activity or frustrated by his inability to finish the cut and woozy Kempa.
More surprising was the third round, when Kempa began scoring with shots while Moore began to take his foot off the gas, choosing to score occasionally. By the fourth round, Moore was exhausted and spent the fight’s final 3 minutes dancing and dodging the rejuvenated Kempa in an effort to avoid being knocked down, rather than trying to finish it. Despite definitely winning the third round, and possibly stealing the fourth round, the decision would be in Moore’s favor, with the judges scoring the bout 39-36, 38-37, 39-36. After the fight, Moore would admit Kempa was a lot tougher than he originally had anticipated. He would also reveal an injury to his right hand had flared up during the fight. Moore said he originally injured the hand in a fight on June 20th.

“He had a harder chin than I thought,” Moore said. “I got tired in the fourth round, but he was a tough fighter.”

PrizeFight Boxing also promoted its inaugural Miller Light Tuesday Night Fights on Beale Street at the New Daisy this Tuesday night.

Boxing returned to the Fitz Casino and Hotel Saturday night and a standing room only crowd was entertained by a short but action packed night of fights.


Fernando Guererro TKO'd Chirs Archer Saturday 8/29, at the Fitz. Photo by: JD Meredith

Saturday August 29, 2009

The referee for the night was Randy Phillips. Ringside judges were Reccia Mullins, Gerald Deming and Louis Henry. Time keeper for the event was Mike Taylor. The honorable JD Lyons provided a voice for the event as well as a little comedy. Lyons, while introducing Fernando Guerrero in the main event, received a bloody lip when his mic was struck by a Guerrero right hand. Guerrero was merely raising his hand during the announcement but nonetheless struck Lyons' mic. After getting off the canvas, Lyons joked, "The man comes ready to fight anybody in the ring!" The crowd loved it.

In the scheduled eight round main event, undefeated southpaw Fernando Guerrero (15-0, 12 KO's - 168lbs) faced off with fellow super middleweight Chris Archer (11-9, 7 KO's - 161lbs).

Guerrero started round one with a chopping left hand to Archer's midsection. Moments later Archer was down, grimacing from another left to the body. Archer appeared to be fighting out of the southpaw stance briefly but switched to conventional midway through the round. Chris was able to land, largely by countering against Guerrero who was getting the machine rolling.

In round two Guerrero delivered an onslaught of body punches for most of the round. Archer survived the round by being slick enough to roll to his right and off the ropes were Guerrero pressed the attack.

In what would be the final round of the fight, Guerrero cranked up the heat. Where Archer could not protect with his guard, is were Guerrero hit him. Well executed shots flew and ricocheted off Archers body, forcing him to take a knee. He would make the count only to be overpowered once again and referee Randy Phillips stepped in to give a standing eight. During the count Archer's corner waived the fight off. The game Archer would not quit - thankfully his corner did it for him. Time was 2:15.

Jr. middle Shawn Porter (10-0, 8 KO's - 154lbs), now undefeated in 10 fights, made good use of his time in the ring with Lamar Harris (6-3, 4 KO's - 155lbs).

To begin the first, Porter scored with a counter right hand and short left hook that snapped Harris' head. Harris moved forward and remained busy albeit with a little accuracy.

Midway through the round, Porter hurt Harris with a flurry that sent Harris tumbling to the canvas. Harris made the count only to be dropped again. To punctuate the round Porter sent Harris to the tarp and made the count but the fight was waved off at 2:18 of the first. Both Harris and Porter were cut during the fight after a clash of heads.

In a four round middle bout Dominic Wade (4-0, 4 KO's - 164lbs) commanded the ring against Tyrone Dowdy (4-20, 3 KO's - 159lbs).

Dowdy could have protected himself better while Wade seized an opportunity, open firing to start the fight. Wade was sharp, crisp beast that came from all angles.

Dowdy’s corner threw in the towel, but not before he was sent to the canvas three times and had a nasty gash on his right eye from a slashing Wade punch. Time was 2:25.

Heavyweight Chazz Witherspoon (26-1, 18 KOs - 234 1/2lbs) took a round to get the feel of his jab while late sub Willie Perryman (10-20, 7 KO's - 224 1/2lbs) landed a few of his own along with a right to the body of the "Gentleman".

In round two, Perryman flurried to open but Witherspoon delivered a right hand that dropped Perryman. On continuation, Witherspoon chopped to Perryman's body and combo'd with a hook-right-left uppercut that prompted Randy Phillips to step in and prescribe a standing eight. After the count, Perryman landed a single jab and Witherspoon retorted with another knock down and the TKO. Time was 2:09.

Mike Wilson (1-0, 1 KO - 211.7lbs) crushed an outgunned Marvin Hunt (193lbs) in round one of a heavyweight bout.

Fights will return to the Fitz on October 3.