Wolak v Rodriguez classic earns repeat performances

ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Classic will reair the main event of July 15’s edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights on July 20 and 22. The special will be the first non-regularly scheduled reair for ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.

The main event featured former welterweight world title challenger Delvin Rodriguez (25-5-3, 14 KOs) and Ring Magazine’sNo.7-ranked junior middleweight Pawel “Raging Bull” Wolak (29-1-1, 19 KOs) in a 10-round majority draw. The much anticipated fight originated from New York City's Roseland Ballroom, where Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas described the action.

“These two fighters exemplified what professional boxing athletes should be: conditioned, determined and passionate about their sport,” said Doug Loughrey, ESPN director of programming and acquisitions. “These boxers gave 100% of themselves by consistently over-coming adversity not only for those in attendance, but a worldwide audience onESPN’s Friday Night Fights. Their combined performance is exactly what makes this sport so great. We are already looking at schedules for this fall for a potential rematch on ESPN.”

Bout promoter Star Boxing described the fight: “Wolak came out pressuring Rodriguez from the opening bell, looking to swarm the former welterweight world title challenger, but the more he seemed to pressure, the more combinations Rodriguez landed. Wolak excited the crowd by bull-rushing Rodriguez to the ropes, but then Rodriguez would answer with hard combinations that snapped Wolak's head back.

“Wolak's face began to show severe swelling in the sixth, with his right eye becoming swollen and the 10th ended with Rodriguez and Wolak exchanging punches in the middle of the ring, ending a potential fight of the year.”

WBN Remembers: "Gypsy Boy" Ernie Smith

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor (picure by boxrec.com) After almost a year and a half without one of boxing’s great journeymen, World Boxing News is looking back at the 161-fight career of Worcestershire warrior Ernie Smith, concentrating on his contribution in the ring, rather than the tragic way his life ended out of it. Smith turned professional at super-featherweight in 1998 at the Park Hall Hotel in Wolverhampton, losing a six rounder against Welshman Woody Greenaway. One month later, Ernie was thrown in with an unknown prospect by the name of Gavin Rees (former world champion and current British Lightweight Champion) who he also took the distance over four rounds. The “Gypsy Boy” then managed to string together a four fight unbeaten run together in early 1999 and ended the year winning five out of his twelve contests, but by this time had already delved into the journeyman pool of boxers with a record of 5-8-1. After settling at the welterweight limit, Ernie gained a su

BBC make Luke Campbell mum and sister death gaffe

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor Picture from the BBC Gabby Logan announces wrong family tragedy The BBC made a major mistake on the final showing of their Olympics Tonight show as host Gabby Logan sparked an anxious quizzing by boxer Luke Campbell’s fans as they announced the ‘loss’ of his mother and sister at a young age. Campbell, 24, took the gold medal in the men’s bantamweight final earlier in the day and was then congratulated by Logan, who announced his victory as a triumph over adversity after the Hull fighter suffered the tragedy six years ago. Unbeknown to presenter Logan, it was Welshman Freddie Evans, who also boxes in an Olympic final tomorrow, who suffered the tragedy as he lost his mother Tracy and sister Scarlett in a car accident in 2006. Fans of Olympic champion Campbell and boxing in general, immediately began handing out sympathy to the boxer after believing what was announced to be true. Logan, after an outcry on social networking website Twitte

Soccer star Tim Cahill’s cousin Jai Opetaia, 16, spars Danny Green

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor (Picture from The Brisbane Times) Youngster shares ring with IBO champ Jai Opetaia, cousin of Everton Football Club’s star soccer player Tim Cahill, is a sixteen year-old amateur fighter who is deep in preparations for the forthcoming world youth championships. Recently the youngster was given the opportunity to spar with Australia’s IBO world light-heavyweight champion Danny Green as he prepares to take on Antonio Tarver and gain valuable experience before his trip to Europe. Opetaia, who hails from Watanobbi, has already taken former world champion Anthony Mundine a few rounds in sparring and has added another world renowned boxer to the list in 38 year-old Green. The Australian amateur team departs for the championships in Kazakhstan this Tuesday and Opetaia thinks the gym time with the Aussie boxing starts will stand him in good stead as he looks to claim gold at the under 80kg category. “It feels pretty special,” Opetaia told the Central Coas

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