World Boxing News 2010-2013

Golden Boy Promotions super-welterweight contender,Erislandy Lara (17-1-1, 11 KOs) ranked No. 1 in the WBC, and his team are preparing for war as they get ready for their upcoming title elimination bout against WBC No. 2 rated, Vanes Martirosyan (30-0, 20 KOs). Team Lara is training in Houston, Texas, where his trainer  Ronnie Shields  is putting together a superb game plan to face the undefeated Top Rank fighter.  "Lara is looking sharp right now and he's going to make a statement when he steps in the ring with Vanes," said  Shields , who has trained Martirosyan in the past and knows him very well. "Although I think Vanes is a good fighter, Lara is on another level.  We are working hard and it will show on fight night" After defeating  Freddy Hernandez  (30-3, 20 KOs) and  Ronald Hearns  (26-3, 20 KOs) in his last two fights, Lara feels his relationship with Shields is growing stronger every day.  "...

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor ‘Nightmare’ responds to reports of ducking Cuban Undefeated light-middleweight Vanes Martirosyan wants to put to bed the rumours that he recently turned down a WBC title eliminator against Erislandy Lara and has explained to WBN that he has even asked for the fight to take place. There had been claims that a purse bid ordered by the WBC for today would not be attended by Top Rank officials as Martirosyan is not interested in the fight, although the Californian has now spoken to set the record straight. “As I said before, I want the WBC to guarantee me a fight with Canelo, but they don’t want to promise that I get a 100 per cent shot,” Martirosyan told World Boxing News. “They are saying that I fight Lara and Canelo can get another voluntary defence which should not happen. “They are doing everything they can to have Canelo keep his belt so if the IBF, WBA, or WBO promise me that after Lara I'll get a shot at the real title,...

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor ‘Sugar Shay’ eyes spring bout after blank 2011 Former Contender Star Ishe Smith is hoping to be back in ring this coming March following a fruitless 2011 in which one of the most avoided fighters in the world was indeed, avoided by many. At 33, the American is still hoping to resurrect his stalling career after 2009 and 2010 decision defeats to Daniel Jacobs and Fernando Guerrero threatened to derail his entire career. ‘Sugar Shay’ is now ready to pick himself up, dust himself down and get back in the ring in early 2012 and hopes that he will finally get the recognition he deserves after watching Ronald Hearns agree to a big fight at the MGM Grand against Erislandy Lara on February 11 th . “At this stage, I think if you’re in my shoes I would take a fight with anyone,” Smith, who has been out of the ring for fourteen months since retiring Alexander Quiroz in two rounds, told World Boxing News. “I love seeing guys like (Carlos) Molina gettin...

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor ‘Punisher’ can’t be judged on his last three fights It wasn’t long ago that boxing fans and pundits alike were raving about how good Paul Williams was after his two-year purple patch in which he beat Antonio Margarito, Carlos Quintana (in a rematch), Ronald ‘Winky’ Wright and Sergio Martinez between 2007 and 2009. Since then, the former WBO welterweight champion has out-boxed Kermit Cintron in a farcial four-rounder, lost spectacularly to a sweet overhand left by Sergio Martinez and look laboured and disinterested in losing to Erislandy Lara last Saturday night. It now seems that the 29 year-old Georgian is ready for the scrap heap after the lost at least a four-round decision to Erislandy Lara at the Boardwalk Hall and people are even talking about retirement for a man that has two (should be three) losses in 42 bouts. Granted it was a poor performance by Williams, who had been out of the ring a full eight months since his shocking second round loss...

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor “The Punisher” eager to impress in Lara return Two-time WBO welterweight title holder Paul Williams is looking forward to returning to the ring on July 9th as he takes on the undefeated Miami-based Cuban Erislandy Lara in Atlantic City. The 29 year-old was originally pencilled in to meet Nobuhiro Ishida, but the Japanese fighter was rejected by TV company HBO. “The Punisher” now revisits the Boardwalk Hall, the scene of his most devastating night in boxing seven months ago when knocked out cold by former WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez and is hoping to eradicate the memory of last November and get his career back on track at 154lbs. “What I’m looking for is me to go out there and put on a good show,” Williams told 15rounds.com in a recent interview. “That last fight I had with Sergio Martinez, they wanna know how I’m going to perform after that. I’m going to go in there and do my thing. “I got caught, the best get caught. It’s not like I go...