Denis Grachev defeats Zsolt Erdei, former Cruiserweight/Light Heavyweight Champ

By James Wyatt Monaco, March 30, 2013  Earlier tonight at the beautiful Salle d' Etoile in Monaco, San Diego’s Denis Grachev (13-1-1, 9 KOs) of the City Boxing Gym in San Diego, defeated the former two-division World Champion Zsolt Erdei (33-1-0, 18 KOs) to give him his first career loss.  In what was described as “the fight of the night”, Grachev took the 10-round split decision victory to advance on and meet the undefeated Edwin "La Bomba" Rodriguez in the finals of this $1 million dollar Monte Carlo Super 4 tournament scheduled to take place on July 13.  For Grachev it was yet another tough outing where he had to grind out the victory. The classic boxer, Erdei, was in control early on, worked behind his stiff jab, while Grachev kept pressing forward, swinging hard but missing.  As the fight progressed, the stronger and younger Grachev began to wear his opponent down and when he did, the bout turned in his favor. Being the busier of the two, he soon became the punch stat leader, while Erdei continued to land the cleaner but less frequent blows.  By the end of the ninth round, you could say the bout was up for grabs. And as such, both fighters came out in that tenth and final round throwing big bombs. It was a close round, with both fighters having their moments. In the end, two of the judges favored Grachev's aggression over Erdei's boxing ability, so he could win by a split decision with scores of 96-94, 96-94, 94-96.  Both fighters will be returning to the same location on July 13th to conclude this Million Dollar Tournament. Grachev will be in the finals facing Edwin Rodriguez with an opportunity to collect $600,000 in prize money. The loser of the match gets $400,000.  Erdei now heads to the semifinals to face the previously unbeaten Argentine Olympian Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna who lost to Rodriguez on Saturday.  In Saturday’s co-feature, Rodriguez was clearly the aggressor throughout, pressing the action and landing the heavier blows. At times Maderna countered well, but not enough to win over even one of the three judges who scored the bout, 95-92, 96-92, and 96-92 in Rodriguez’s favor.  Rodriguez was deducted a point for a low blow in the round eight and another in the ninth for what the referee deemed a blow behind the head that dropped Maderna. In that same round, Rodriguez was able to get the point back after he dropped Maderna with a straight right hand just as the round was ending.  Rodriguez looked to end the bout in the 10th, but settled for the unanimous decision. With the win, Rodriguez improves his record to 23-0, 15 KOs, while Maderna drops to 19-1, 13 KOs.  Also featured on this fight card was the WBA and IBO middleweight champ Gennady "GGG" Golovkin who easily defended his title against challenger Nobuhiro Ishida by knocking the former world champion out with one punch in the third round of their scheduled 12-rounder.  From the outset, Golovkin stalked his much-taller foe and by the second round, Ishida's face began to show the wear and tear of the blows that landed almost at will. Then, nearing the end of Round #3 with Ishida backed up against the ropes, Golovkin landed the big overhand right. The blow landed flush on Ishida's jaw, sending the Japanese fighter through the ropes and out cold, flat on his back.  Official time of the stoppage was 2:20 of round three. With the win, Golovkin improves to 26-0, 23 KOs, while Ishida drops to 24-9-2, 9 KOs.

RESULTS FROM MONACO: GOLOVKIN ANNIHILATES ISHIDA RODRIGUEZ AND GRACHEV ADVANCE TO SUPER 4 FINALE IN JULY

Monaco (3/30/13) - Earlier tonight at the stunning Salle d' Etoile in beautiful Monaco, WBA and IBO middleweight champion Gennady "GGG" easily defended his title against challenger Nobuhiro Ishida, knocking out the former world champion with one devastating right hand in the third round of their scheduled 12-round championship contest.  Having never been stopped before, Ishida was looking to present a tough challenge for the young champion, but Golovkin would have no part in it.  Golovkin stalked the much-taller opponent Ishida from the outset.  By the second round, he was landing heavy shots with both hands and Ishida's face began to show the wear and tear of the blows landed by Golovkin. Near the end of the third round, with Ishida backing up to the ropes, Golovkin landed a picture perfect overhand right.  The blow landed flush on Ishida's jaw, sending the Japanese fighter through the ropes and out cold, flat on his back.  Official time of the stoppage was 2:20 of round number three. It was an impressive showing for Golovkin, who improved to 26-0, 23KO's, with the stoppage victory. RODRIGUEZ DECISIONS MADERNA In the co-feature bout of the evening, undefeated super middleweight Edwin "La Bomba" Rodriguez moved on to the finale of the Monte-Carlo Million Dollar Super 4 tournament pounding out a 10-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Argentine Olympian Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna. Rodriguez was the aggressor throughout, pressing the action and landing the much bigger shots.  Maderna was able to counter well though, keeping the fight relatively close.  Rodriguez was deducted a point for a low blow in the eighth round and another in the ninth for what the referee deemed a blow behind the head that dropped Maderna. It was a questionable call, as the blow seemed to land more toward the top of Maderna's head.  Rodriguez was able to get the point back later in the round though, as he dropped Maderna with a straight right hand just as the round was ending.  Rodriguez looked to end the show in the 10th, but settled for the unanimous decision, winning by scores of 96-92 twice, and 95-92.  With the win, Rodriguez improves his record to 23-0, 15KO's, while Maderna drops to 19-1, 13KO's GRACHEV HANDS ERDEI FIRST CAREER LOSS In what was easily the fight of the night, Denis Grachev handed former two-division world champion Zsolt Erdei his first career loss as a professional, taking a 10-round split decision and advancing on to the Super 4 Finale in July where he will face off against the undefeated Rodriguez. It was a classic boxer (Erdei) vs. puncher (Grachev) matchup, as Erdei controlled the early action with beautiful boxing, working behind a piston-like jab, and leaving Grachev swinging and missing widely. However, as the rounds progressed, Grachev was able to turn the fight into more of a slugfest, as he looked to rough up Erdei in the process.  Grachev was the busier of the two, with Erdei landing the much cleaner blows. With the fight up for grabs, both fighters came out in the 10th and final round throwing bombs.  It was a close round, with both fighters having their moments.  In the end, two of the judges favored Grachev's aggression over Erdei's boxing ability, winning the split decision by scores of 96-94, 96-94, 94-96.  It was a close and controversial decision, with many at ringside having Erdei as the victor.  Erdei's performance was not wasted though, as he was invited back to fight on the card featuring the Super 4 Finale on July 13, back in Monaco. The event was promoted by Rodney Berman's Golden Gloves.  The Golovkin-Ishida bout was promoted in association with K2 Promotions, while the Rodriguez-Maderna and Erdei-Grachev bouts were promoted in association with DiBella Entertainment. The Monte-Carlo Million Dollar Super 4 Tournament Finale will take place on July 13.

GOLOVKIN-ISHIDA & MONTE-CARLO MILLION DOLLAR SUPER 4 FINAL PRESSER QUOTES

Monte-Carlo, Monaco (3/26/13) - Early this evening at the elegant Casino de Monte Carlo in beautiful Monaco, Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves, hosted the final press conference and V.I.P meet-and-greet, for Saturday's much anticipated event in Monaco..  The event, promoted in association with Monte Carlo SBM Hotel and Casino, is headlined by red-hot WBA middleweight champion Gennady "GGG" Golovkin (25-0, 22KO's) defending his title against former world champion Nobuhiro Ishida (24-8-2, 9KO's).  The opening round of the Super 4 tournament matches Edwin Rodriguez (22-0, 15KO's) against Argentinean Olympian Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna (19-0, 13KO's) and former two-division world champion Zsolt Erdei (33-0, 18KO's) squaring off against Denis Grachev (12-1-1, 8KO's).   The "Monte-Carlo Million Dollar Super 4" and Golovkin's middleweight title defense will be distributed in the United States and Canada by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite Pay-Per-View via iN Demand, DIRECTV, DISH and Avail-TVN in the United States and in Canada via Bell TV for a suggested retail price of only $24.95.  In addition, the event will be available via online Pay-Per-View at:   http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Boxin/Gennady_Golovkin_vs_Nobuhiro_Ishida/1896   To order the "Super Four" PPV, headlined by WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin defending against former world champion Nobuhiro Ishida, go to your cable company's PPV listings for Saturday afternoon (starting at 3 p.m. ET; event telecast starting at 3:30 pm ET ) and look under boxing for Golovkin vs.Ishida.  In addition, the event will be available via online Pay-Per-View at: http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing/Gennady_Golovkin_vs_Nobuhiro_Ishida/1896   Berman, the premiere promoter in South Africa, kicked off the presser thanking everyone for coming out, and for everyone who was involved in putting this historic event together.  "A lot of people have put a lot of hard work into this," said Berman.  "This is going to be a fantastic event on Saturday night, with a card that features an array of talent and fantastic fighters from the top to bottom.  There has been a huge worldwide response for this tournament which features "GGG" (Gennady Golovkin).  We are just really excited to finally get things underway on Saturday night." The middleweight champion Golovkin took to the podium first: "I am very happy to be here in this beautiful country and a in such great city and I want to thank everyone involved in this event. This is great for the fans and for the sport of boxing.  I know Ishida well and I know this is going to be a difficult fight. I am ready to put on a great performance for everyone on Saturday night. "I want to thank the champion for giving us the opportunity for this fight," said the challenger, and former champion Ishida.  "We know that he (Golovkin) is a great and powerful champion.  He is very strong and one of the best fighters pound-for-pound in boxing, but we are here for the upset.  We are prepared to do whatever we have to do to take this championship home with us." The first fighter of the Super 4 tournament to the podium was undefeated super middleweight contender Edwin Rodriguez (22-0, 15KO's).  The defending USBA champion, and IBF #3, WBC #3, WBA #3, WBO #12 rated super middleweight Rodriguez first thanked his promoter Lou DiBella and manager Larry Army, as well as the organizers of the event, including a special thanks to Rodney Berman, before giving his take on the tournament. Below are quotes from all four contestants in the Monte-Carlo Million Dollar Super 4: "I think that this is a great tournament, for not only all of the fighters involved, but for the sport of boxing," said Rodriguez.  "Everyone in this tournament is coming in thinking that they are the favorite, and I know that I have a big task in front of me on Saturday with Maderna.  I plan on taking care of business though, not only on Saturday but in the finale in July as well.  I know everyone has worked very hard to get to this point, but I have no intentions on letting this opportunity pass me by. This is a monumental event for my career as well as for my family." "I respect Edwin as a fighter just like I respect everyone of my opponents that I am up against," said Maderna.  There is no doubt in my mind though I will be taking the victory with me back to Argentina." "I came back because I love boxing.  This is my life," said the two division long-time former world champion Erdei.  "I want to prove that I am still one of the top fighters in the world and winning this tournament does just that." "I know everything there is to know about Zsolt," said Grachev. "I know he is a tough opponent and it wasn't a mistake that he was champion for as long as he was.  I am here to win though.  I am always confident going into my fights.  It doesn't matter who is in front of me, I will always fight hard and always find a way to win." The event is promoted by Rodney Berman's Golden Gloves.  The Golovkin-Ishida bout is promoted in association with K2 Promotions, while the Rodriguez-Maderna and Erdei-Grachev bouts are promoted in association with DiBella Entertainment. Tickets can be purchased by contacting the SBM Reservations Department by phone at: +377 98 06 36 36 (10 am to 7 pm) or email: ticketoffice@sbm.mc.

MONTE-CARLO MILLION DOLLAR SUPER 4 PARTICIPANTS WRAPPING UP TRAINING CAMP PREPARATIONS HEAD TO MONACO TOMORROW

NEW YORK (March 22, 2013) - Tomorrow, all four participants for the much-anticipated Monte-Carlo Million Dollar Super 4 Tournament depart their respective training camps and head to beautiful Monaco, in anticipation of the opening round of the tournament taking place on Saturday, March 30, at the Chapiteau de Fontvieille. The event in Monaco is headlined by red-hot WBA middleweight champion Gennady "GGG" Golovkin (25-0, 22KO's) defending his title against former world champion Nobuhiro Ishida (24-8-2, 9KO's).  The opening round of the Super 4 tournament matches Edwin Rodriguez (22-0, 15KO's) against Argentinean Olympian Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna (19-0, 13KO's) and former two-division world champion Zsolt Erdei (33-0, 18KO's) squaring off against Denis Grachev (12-1-1, 8KO's).  The card will be distributed in the United States and Canada on PPV by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite Pay-Per-View. Below are quotes from each fighter from their last day of training:    EDWIN RODRIGUEZ (L) W/ STABLEMATE BRYAN VERA "This has been an amazing training camp," said Rodriguez.  "Ronnie Shields and the guys at Peak Performance in Houston have me in amazing shape.  I am ready to get into the ring and show the world who I am and what I am made of.  I want to thank Golden Gloves, my promoter DiBella Entertainment and my manager Larry Army Jr. for this opportunity. I encourage everyone to tune in on March 30 to see me at the top of my game in the biggest fight of my career."     EZEQUIEL OSVALDO MADERNA "I have had a great training camp and I am excited to finally be departing for Monaco for what is going to be the most important challenge of my life," said Maderna.  "We have wrapped up the final stages of training camp, and, come March 30, I will be ready for a war against Edwin Rodriguez."         ZSOLT ERDEI TRAINING W/ FUTURE HALL-OF-FAME   TRAINER FRITZ SDUNEK "I am very happy that the Hungarian fans will have a chance to once again see me fight live and in person.  It just multiplies my strength and will to win," said the former two-division champion Zsolt Erdei, regarding the large number of Hungarian fans making the trip to Monaco.  Erdei continued, "I want to prove that the old man is not an old man. So far everything is going well.  I have had no problem with my weight, the shape I am in is almost disturbingly good. The bumps are there, of course, over the many years of fighting, but I know that above anything else, my power is still there, and Grachev will find that out on March 30. I'm going to prove that I am still one of the top fighters in the world."    DENIS GRACHEV "This has been the hardest training camp that I have ever had.  I have already made my plans to be back in Monaco in July," stated a determined Grachev. Excitement is building ahead of the international boxing spectacular, the Monte-Carlo Million Dollar Super 4, which takes place in the famous Mediterranean city next weekend. The boxers begin arriving from all over the world early next week and will come face to face for the first time at a media conference at the Casino de Monte-Carlo on Tuesday evening.  The press conference will include Gennady Golovkin, the WBA and IBO middleweight champion, challenger Nobuhiro Ishida, plus Super 4 contestants Edwin Rodriguez, Ezequiel Maderna, Denis Grachev and Zsolt Erdei.  Sergei Rabchenko and Adriano Nicchi, contestants for the European junior middleweight title bout, will also appear, plus undercard fighters Junior Makabu and Jean Marc Monrose.  All together, nine separate countries will be represented at the gigantic international final presser. On Wednesday afternoon, March 27, the boxers will engage in public workouts, also at the casino, with fans encouraged to lend their support. The weigh-in will take place at 6pm on the eve of the tournament, with the Casino de Monte-Carlo again offering a suitably classic backdrop to this historic event. "I'm very excited, the phone hasn't stopped ringing," said promoter Rodney Berman, of Golden Gloves. "We have broadcasters from all over the world taking the fight and we're expecting many fans from the boxers' countries to attend. This event has really struck a chord." The "Monte-Carlo Million Dollar Super 4" and Golovkin's middleweight title defense will be distributed in the United States and Canada by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite Pay-Per-View via iN Demand, DIRECTV, DISH and Avail-TVN in the United States and in Canada via Bell TV for a suggested retail price of only $24.95.  In addition, the event will be available via online Pay-Per-View at:   http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Boxin/Gennady_Golovkin_vs_Nobuhiro_Ishida/1896   To order the "Super Four" PPV, headlined by WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin defending against former world champion Nobuhiro Ishida, go to your cable company's PPV listings for Saturday afternoon (starting at 3 p.m. ET; event telecast starting at 3:30 pm ET ) and look under boxing for Golovkin vs. Ishida. The event is promoted by Rodney Berman's Golden Gloves.  The Golovkin-Ishida bout is promoted in association with K2 Promotions, while the Rodriguez-Maderna and Erdei-Grachev bouts are promoted in association with DiBella Entertainment. Tickets can be purchased by contacting the SBM Reservations Department by phone at: +377 98 06 36 36 (10 am to 7 pm) or email: ticketoffice@sbm.mc.

Ronnie Shields believes Edwin 'La Bomba' Rodriguez now a Complete fighter heading to Monte Carlo

"Edwin "La Bomba" Rodriguez (photo by Howard Schatz) HOUSTON. (March 17, 2013) - After working together for four fights and nearly two years, head trainer Ronnie Shields is confident that undefeated, United States Boxing Association (USBA) super middleweight champion Edwin "La Bomba" Rodriguez (22-0, 15 KOs) is now a complete fighter as he heads to Monaco for the "Monte Carlo Million Dollar Super 4" at Casino de Monte-Carlo. Rodriguez takes on unbeaten 2008 Argentina Olympian Ezequiel "El Olimpico" Maderna (19-0, 13 KOs) in the opening round of four-fighter tournament. Rodriguez vs. Maderna is half of a historic four-man tournament, also matching two-time, two division world champion Zsolt Erdei (33-0, 18 KOs) and Denis Grachev (12-1-1, 8 KOs) in a light heavyweight bout.  The championship final of the "Super Four" will showcase the two winners at a catch-weight of 171 ½ lbs., worth $1,000,000 (60-40 split), on July 13 in Monaco.   The "Monte Carlo Million Dollar Super 4" is being distributed in the United States and Canada by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 3:00 p.m. ET - 12:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DIRECTV, DISH and Avail-TVN in the United States and in Canada via Bell TV for a suggest retail price of only $24.95.  In addition, the event will be available via on-line Pay Per   View at: http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing /Gennady_Golovkin_vs_Nobuhiro_Ishida/1896. Rodriguez was an unbalanced, almost defenseless brawler when Shields first started training the Dominican Republic native.  An all-out attack mode but Shields taught Rodriguez how to work off his jab, stay balanced, and develop his defensive skills.  Those particular traits blossomed in Rodriguez' convincing win against Donovan George by 10-round decision, but his punches weren't as powerful as they had been when he brawled.  In his last fight, however, Rodriguez' power returned as he battered Jason Escalera en route to an eighth-round knockout. Now, Shields contends, his prize student is the complete package. "As Edwin matures," Shields explained from training camp in Houston, "the better he gets in the ring.  He's seen all styles of sparring and everything has come together for him.  There is no style he hasn't mastered.  Without a doubt, Edwin is there as a complete fighter." Rodriguez is knocking on the door of a world title shot.  He is the No. 3-rated super middleweight in the world in the World Boxing Council (WBC), World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF), as well as ranked No. 12 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and No. 10 by The Ring Magazine.  Capturing the "Super Four" tournament most certainly will earn him an opportunity to challenge one of the 168-pound world champions.   View promo video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0pqvjNVciE Maderna, a 2008 Argentina Olympian, is ranked No. 5 by the WBO and No. 13 by the IBF. He will be fighting outside of his native Argentina for the first time as a professional.  "He is a tall, slender kid with a great amateur background, highlighted by him competing in the 2008 Olympics," Shields spoke about Maderna.  "When I've looked at him fight, I see him throwing punches as he comes forward, but he's not nearly as effective going backwards.  He's never fought outside of Argentina and has never fought anybody like with Edwin.  Maderna is a good fighter but Edwin has a little too much for this kid.  He is a European-type fighter who drops his hands a little when he's confident.  He doesn't seem like a big puncher.  If Edwin establishes his jab, it'll be a long night for Maderna, who is a different fighter than anybody Edwin's fought since I've been with him." Shields isn't concerned that Rodriguez will be looking past Maderna to the Erdei-Grachev winner in the "Super Four" championship final and its $600,000 champion's purse. "Edwin can't get to the final unless he beats Maderna," Shields concluded, "which is why this fight is so important for Edwin.  He knows and understands this. Edwin has never been a problem looking past anybody." Follow Edwin Rodriguez on Twitter @labombaboxing

Edwin 'La Bomba' Rodriguez follows Marvin Hagler's path to Monte Carlo

Edwin "La Bomba" Rodriguez  (Photo by Howard Schatz)  WORCESTER, Mass. (February 15, 2013) - Undefeated, United States Boxing Association (USBA) super middleweight champion Edwin "La Bomba" Rodriguez (22-0, 15 KOs) is following the path to Monte Carlo, set more than 40 years ago by another Massachusetts boxer, "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler. Rodriguez faces the stiffest test of his professional boxing career on March 30, against unbeaten 2008 Argentina Olympian Ezequiel "El Olimpico" Maderna(19-0, 13 KOs), in the opening round of "Monte Carlo Million Dollar Super 4" at Casino de Monte-Carlo in Monaco. Rodriguez vs. Maderna is half of a historic four-man tournament, also matching two-time, two division world champion Zsolt Erdei (33-0, 18 KOs) vs. Denis Grachev (12-1-1, 8 KOs) in a light heavyweight bout. The championship final of the "Super Four" will feature the winners of the two aforementioned fights at a catch-weight of 171 ½ lbs., worth $1,000,000 (60-40 split) to the champion, on July 13 in Monaco. The Dominican Republic-born Rodriguez has a lot in common with Hagler than their respective journeys to Monaco. Both relocated to Massachusetts; Rodriguez in Worcester, New Jersey-born Hagler in Brockton. In 2005, Rodriguez captured the middleweight title at the 2005 USA Boxing National Championships, the first Bay State amateur boxer to accomplish that feat since Hagler in 1973. Six long years into his professional boxing career, future Hall of Famer Hagler (45-2-1 at that time) was the most avoided middleweight in the world, forced to travel to Monte Carlo in 1979 to fight Norberto Rufino Cabrera, who failed to answer the bell for the eighth round, before finally earning his first world title fight. He fought Vito Antuofermo to a controversial draw but, four fights later, Hagler knocked out Alan Minter capture the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) titles.   Five years into his pro career, Rodriguez has been unable to get any of the contemporary world super middleweight champions in the ring, despite his lofty ratings at No. 3 in the WBC, WBA and International Boxing Federation (IBF), as well as No. 12 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and No. 10 by The Ring Magazine. "Marvin Hagler has been in the back of my mind since I won The Nationals in 2005 and became the first Massachusetts fighter since him to do that," Rodriguez said from his Houston training camp. "It was an honor for me to meet him a few years later in Brockton at an amateur tournament. He was such a great fighter and fought in such a great era, including one against another of my all-time favorite fighters, Roberto Duran. To be mentioned, never mind compared to a fighter like him, who accomplished so much in boxing, makes me feel good about myself. "I certainly understand that boxing is much different today and boxers don't fight nearly as often, but my promoter (Lou DiBella) and manager (Larry Army) have done a good job positioning me. I'm going to Monaco to fight a great opponent and I am proud to have been selected as one of the four fighters in this tournament. I think it's a good move for my career. I plan on going there to win the tournament, come back home with a bigger name, and fight one of the champions for the world title."   Edwin Rodriguez (R) hammers Donovan George (Photo by Ed Diller)  Maderna, a 2008 Argentina Olympian, is continuing the rich tradition of Argentinean boxing, starting with Luis Angel Firpo, continued by Carlos Monzon, and carried on today by world champions Sergio Martinez, Lucas Matthysse, Omar Narvaez and Juan Reveco. Ranked No. 5 by the WBO and No. 13 by the IBF, Maderna will be fighting outside of his native Argentina for the first time as a professional. He has reunited with his first amateur coach, Alberto Zacarias, the son of legendary Argentinean trainer Santos Zacarias, who trained world champions Jua Cogi and Sergio Palma. Army believes the potential reward associated with "La Bomba" participating in the "Super Four" far outweighs the risk of losing or waiting around for a world title shot. "The decision to have Edwin fight in this tournament was a no-brainer," Army explained. "He's fighting an undefeated Olympian and then, if Edwin wins he either fights a two-time world champion of an extremely tough Russian fighter who gave Lucian Bute all he could handle. We believe this tournament will give Edwin's career the boost he needs for him to get a world championship fight. Right now, unfortunately, we don't have a lot of options for a world title shot. This tournament is the next best thing for Edwin. We're all looking forward to Edwin putting on a great performance in Monte Carlo." Follow Edwin Rodriguez on Twitter @labombaboxing.

GOLDEN GLOVES ANNOUNCES THE ‘MONTE-CARLO MILLION DOLLAR SUPER FOUR’ On MARCH 30, 2013 in Monaco

Monte-Carlo - Initial Fight Announcement

EDWIN RODRIGUEZ, ZSOLT ERDEI, DENIS GRACHEV & EZEQUIEL MADERNA
TO COMPETE IN AN HISTORIC FOUR-MAN ELIMINATOR


UNDEFEATED WBA MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION GENNADY GOLOVKIN 
TO DEFEND TITLE AGAINST NOBUHIRO ISHIDA


EUROPEAN JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION SERGEI RABCHENKO 
TO DEFEND AGAINST ADRIANO NICCHI 

New York, NY / Monaco / Johannesburg (February 1, 2013) – Africa’s promotional giant Golden Gloves has partnered with the Monte-Carlo SBM Group to announce the “Monte-Carlo Million Dollar Super Four”, a four-man boxing spectacular. 

The elimination event features Edwin Rodriguez (22-0, 15 KOs), Zsolt Erdei (33-0, 18 KOs), Denis Grachev (12-1-1, 8 KOs) and Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna (19-0, 13 KOs). 

Co-headlining this mammoth triple-header on March 30, which will pit Rodriguez against Maderna and Zsolt versus Grachev in the opener, is one of the biggest stars in world boxing today. 

Undefeated WBA middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (25-0, 22 KOs) fresh off his sensational seventh-round destruction of Gabriel Rosado at Madison Square Garden, will defend his title against dangerous Japanese contender Nobuhiro Ishida (24-8, 9 KOs). The Golovkin-Ishida bout will be promoted in association with K2 Promotions, while the Rodriguez-Maderna and Erdei-Grachev matchups will be promoted in association with DiBella Entertainment. 

“I am excited about fighting in Monaco in my next fight,” said Golovkin. “It is a great location and I always want to keep contact with my European fans. Ishida has proven he is a very dangerous opponent with his KO win over James Kirkland and I am up for the challenge.” 

Tom Loeffler managing director of K2 added, “Gennady wants to stay active this year and this fight will give him the opportunity to defend his world titles in one if the premiere cities in the world. GGG had two great KO performances in the US on HBO and now it is time for him to showcase his skills again in Europe. Gennady's recognition as the most feared middleweight has grown and he is truly the type of fighter that will fight anywhere in the world without hesitation.” 

The two Super Four winners will fight for a 60/40 share of one million dollars on July 13th in Monaco. 

The European junior-middleweight title bout featuring champion Sergei Rabchenko (Russia) and Adriano Nicchi (Italy) also features on this March 30 historic card. 

The Final of the Super Four on July 13 in Monaco will be the boxing arm of the Nelson Mandela 95th Birthday Celebrations which will also serve to raise public awareness and interaction with Mandela’s initiative to encourage public funding for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, a project to build a state-of-the-art research and care facility for children throughout Africa. 

The tournament will be held at the Chapiteau de Fontvieille and several parallel events will also take place at the elegant and historic Casino de Monte-Carlo during the week of the event. 

“The opportunity of staging this mammoth event in Monaco is a great honour, and my deepest thanks and appreciation go to the Monte-Carlo SBM and its management team for their support and encouragement,” said Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves. 

He continued: “We look forward to two outstanding events and hosting many international celebrities and dignitaries.” 

Commenting on the event, Ndaba Mandela, one of Nelson Mandela’s grandsons, said: “On behalf of my foundation, Africa Rising, it is a great honor to be a part this event. My grandfather was an avid boxing enthusiast and we felt it would only be fit to honor him with a world-class boxing event as part of the Celebration of his 95th birthday. We are very excited to be a part of the Monte-Carlo Million Dollar Super Four final to take place in Monaco in July and honored to have his Serene Highness Prince Albert II and the people of Monaco be a part of what will be an extraordinary celebration.” 

The Africa Rising Foundation is a non-profit organization that was established by the Mandela grandsons, Ndaba and Kweku, in 2009 as a platform to empower the youth of not only South Africa, but also young Africans across the continent. The Foundation is endorsed by Nelson Mandela and is committed to shaping the image of Africa by means of educational programmes, entrepreneurship development projects and by celebrating African culture. 

While the upcoming tournament will be the first professional boxing event held in the country in seven years, Monaco does in fact have a long history with the sport. The first world championship bout staged in Monaco took place 101 years ago, back in 1912. 

“Monte-Carlo SBM is delighted to join forces with Golden Gloves in organizing one of the major boxing events in the world this year,” said Jean-Louis Masurel, Board Member of the company. He adds that “It will be a great honor to host such an event associated with the Nelson Mandela 95th birthday celebration". 

The Casino de Monte-Carlo, which has always been involved in sports and entertainment, will play a key role in this project and will make sure that these exciting Super Four tournament is optimized in order to meet the expectations of the fans among their casino clients. 

With the winner of the Monte-Carlo Million Dollar Super Four confirming himself as a top contender in his respective division, and a world title opportunity on the horizon, combined with the massive prize money, each fighter is confident that they will be the last man standing. 

“It is a dream come true for me to participate in this tournament,” said Edwin Rodriguez. “I have worked my entire life for this opportunity and don’t plan on wasting it. While I am happy and honored to be in the tournament, I won’t be satisfied until I win it. Having not had the opportunity to participate in the 2008 Olympics, it’s an added bonus to be placed against an undefeated former Olympian in Maderna for my first fight. I want to thank to my manager Larry Army and my promoter Lou DiBella for putting me in this position and also a special thanks to Rodney Berman and Golden Gloves for giving me this opportunity.” 

Rodriguez, the USBA champion, is ranked the WBC #2, IBF #3, and WBA #7 super-middleweight in the world. Having grown up fighting on such networks as ESPN and Showtime, Rodriguez’ last two fights were featured on the HBO network. In March last year, Rodriguez won a dominant 10-round unanimous decision over fellow super- middleweight contender Don George, and followed up that performance with a devastating eighth-round TKO stoppage over previously undefeated Jason Escalera in September. 

While Rodriguez has been in the national spotlight for some time, the 2008 Argentinean Olympian Maderna, ranked as the WBO #6 and IBF #13-rated super-middleweight in the world, sees the tournament as his coming-out party. 

“I'm thrilled to have the opportunity of proving myself at the international level against the best,” said Maderna. “This is my chance to show that I belong amongst the elite fighters in the world, and I promise that I will deliver.” 

A former two-division world champion, both at light heavyweight and cruiserweight, Erdei won the WBO light heavyweight title in 2004 and defended it 11 times before moving up in weight and winning a 12-round decision over Giacobbe Fragomeni for the WBC cruiserweight title on November 21, 2009. After defeating Fragomeni, Erdei took some time away from the ring and even contemplated retirement after a remarkably successful run as a professional and amateur. Erdei boasts an incredible amateur record, having won 212 amateur bouts and a bronze medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. 

Erdei returned to the ring in late 2010, this time under the new promotional banner of DiBella Entertainment, with hopes of becoming a star in the United States. He quickly won two fights, including a sixth-round TKO over former super-middleweight champion Byron Mitchell, positioning himself for a shot at reclaiming his light-heavyweight crown. 

Erdei was scheduled to take on current undefeated IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud in December 2011, but the card was cancelled and the bout against Cloud was called off. 

Erdei is extremely motivated to get back into the ring and show everyone that he is still one of the top fighters in the world. 

“I feel healthy, energized and focused,” said Erdei. “I have the opportunity with this tournament to prove that I am still the one of the best in the world. Winning the tournament puts me right in line for a shot at reclaiming my world championship, and there is no way I will let that opportunity pass me by.” 

Rated as the number six light-heavyweight in the WBC world ratings, Russian native Grachev was a two-time world kick-boxing champion before becoming a professional boxer in 2007. Grachev had his coming-out party on April 27, 2012, when he took on the undefeated and highly regarded 17-0, top 10 light-heavyweight contender Ismayl Sillakh on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights. Grachev was able to dominate the southpaw Sillakh, who entered the contest as an 11-1 betting favorite, stopping him in the eight round of their scheduled 10-round contest. With the victory, Grachev won the NABF title. 

On November 3, 2012, Grachev faced former IBF super-middleweight champion Lucian Bute, in Bute’s hometown of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, at the Bell Centre. Despite Grachev being the aggressor and the busier of the two, Bute was awarded a close unanimous decision. With the bad taste of the Bute decision still resonating, Grachev believes that this tournament is the perfect way to get himself back into the world title picture. 

“I believe that I am fighting the best out of the four of us, but once I beat Erdei, I will then be the top guy left in the tournament,” proclaimed Grachev. “I can’t rely on the judges in these bouts. That is why I am going to take matters into my own hands and I am going into this tournament with the full intention of knocking both of my opponents out. This is a huge opportunity for me and a way for me to reach my ultimate goal as being recognized as one of the best fighters in the entire world.” 

“This is a huge opportunity for these four fighters,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment and promoter of Rodriguez and Erdei. “The winner of this tournament clearly cements themselves as one of the top fighters in the entire world and I am thrilled to be a part of what promises to be a historic event.” 

Situated on the Mediterranean Sea, Monaco is one of the most exclusive vacation destinations in the world and attracts millions of visitors each year. The Casino de Monte-Carlo, owned and operated by the Monte-Carlo SBM Group, is the premiere casino destination in Europe. It continues to attract gamblers among the wealthiest and most well-known celebrities.

A country rich in sports history, Monaco is home of the world famous Formula 1 Grand Prix motor race and many major international events such as the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. 

The “Monte-Carlo Million Dollar Super Four” will be broadcast internationally, including countries across Western Europe, the US, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and 50 nations throughout sub-Saharan Africa, including adjacent islands.