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Showing posts with label Jeremy Bryan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jeremy Bryan. Show all posts
Monday, April 7, 2014
SADAM ALI, MARCUS BROWNE AND ZACHARY OCHOA IN ACTION BEFORE "HOPKINS VS. SHUMENOV" TRIPLEHEADER AT DC ARMORY ON SHOWTIME EXTREME®
Saturday, April 13, 2013
SHOCKER: MAMADJONOV KNOCKS OUT SANTANA IN 9TH TO WIN WBA INTERNATIONAL LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE; IMAM BLASTS OUT BRYAN IN 2ND ROUND ON SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION
Friday, April 12, Live on SHOWTIME®
From Treasure Island Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev;
LAS VEGAS (April 12, 2013) – Late substitute and huge underdog Bahodir “Baha” Mamadjonov (12-1, 8 KOs), of Houston, Texas by way of Uzbekistan, overcame an early knockdown to register three of his own en route to stopping previously unbeaten Angelo “La Cobra” Santana (14-1, 11 KOs), of Miami, Fla., at 0:51 of the ninth round Friday to capture the WBA International Lightweight Championship in the main event of an exciting doubleheader on ShoBox: The New Generation on SHOWTIME®.
In the co-feature of a Don King Productions-promoted event at Treasure Island Resort & Casino, promising super lightweight Amir “Young Master” Imam (9-0, 8 KOs), of Albany, N.Y., remained unbeaten with a devastating second-round knockout over Jeremy Bryan (16-2, 7 KOs) of Paterson, N.J. A left hand followed by a colossal right to the chin finished Bryan at 2:13. Bryan was out cold before he hit the canvas. It was Imam’s eighth knockout victory in a row, all inside four rounds.
Mamadjonov (pronounced Mama-John-ov), who took the fight on about a week’s notice, went down from a jab in the second round but stormed back to deck the favored WBA No. 3-ranked Santana once nearing the end of the eighth round from a flurry of blows and a body shot and two more times in the ninth from a combination of punches before the referee stepped in and stopped it. Entering what would be the final round of a great action fight, Baha led by the scores of 76-74 on all three scorecards. It was 66 apiece after six rounds.
“Both fights served as a reminder that when you’re dealing with prospects nothing can be taken for granted,’’ ShoBox expert analyst Steve Farhood, who called the fights alongside blow-by-blow announcer Barry Tompkins and former World Champion Raul Marquez, said afterward.
“On paper the opening bout looked like a distance fight and if you had told me the main event would end in a knockout I would have been pretty certain that the winner would have been Santana. But the ShoBoxmission statement is not just to advance prospects, but to occasionally expose them as well.’’
Baha executed his game-plan to near perfection. Going into the battle of southpaws he said the keys were to be aggressive, jab a lot, work the body and not allow the hard-hitting Santana to set down on his punches. Baha, who became more offensive-minded as the match progressed, also did an effective job of tying up Santana, who seemed to get increasingly frustrated as the bout wore on.
“Santana kept looking for that one big shot,’’ said Marquez, a ShoBox expert anaylst. “Why? Because he was used to landing it and having guys go down. He only had a Plan A, no B, C or D. Baja really frustrated Santana with the holding but it was the body shots that really did him in at the end.’’
Baha, who also counter-punched well throughout, outlanded Santana 12-0 in the last round. “One week notice and I win by that kind of knockout!’’ a jubilant Baha said. “The first couple of rounds Santana was difficult to figure out but once I did I just got more aggressive. The hard work paid off. I came to the United States to be a champion. I want to win a world title and this was the first step. I’m just starting. It’s going to be one belt at a time.
“Santana hits really hard and I respect him but I could see he was getting tired in the sixth round after I hit him with a body shot.”
Santana disputed Kenny Bayless’ decision to halt the proceedings. “The referee stopped the fight. I tell you I was still in it. I landed two big left hands earlier in the round. We were in a good fight and it should have continued. Nothing against Baha, he’s a good fighter, but I want a rematch.
“The last knockdown came on a slip. I slipped after throwing a punch.”
Imam easily won what was expected to be his most difficult fight. “I had to figure him out in the first round,’’ he said. “I doubled up my jab in the second round and hit him with the big right that starched him. Some would say I took too big of a bite but I was composed, relaxed and knew what I had to do.
“Line ‘em up and I’ll knock them down.”
Said Bryan, who was taken to a nearby hospital for precautionary reasons: “I don’t really feel like talking because I still feel a little woozy. I expected so much more. I trained so hard. This is very disappointing.
“I had a lot going on. This was my first big fight on TV since 2004. I had a good fan base that came in for the fight. I think I got a little over-anxious and it cost me but I am a warrior. I’ve come back before and I’ll come back again.’’
In an action-packed clash of unbeaten light heavyweights in the top non-televised undercard bout, Marcus Oliveira (25-0-1, 19 KOs), of Lawrence, Kan., scored an impressive 11th-round TKO over Ryan “The Irish Outlaw” Coyne (21-1, 9 KOs), of St. Louis. By winning the WBA 175-pound elimination bout, Oliveira becomes the WBA mandatory challenger to champion Beibut Shumenov.
The ShoBox doubleheader will re-air for first time this week as follows:
DAY
Tuesday, April 16, at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT SHOWTIME EXTREME
Friday’s fights will be available ON DEMAND beginning tomorrow, Saturday, April 13.
For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please visit the website at http://sports.SHO.com.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
SHOBOX FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES: ANGELO SANTANA & BAHA MAMADJONOV, AMIR IMAM, JEREMY BRYAN & PROMOTER DON KING
ShoBox: The New Generation Doubleheader
This Friday, April 12, Live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT
From Treasure Island Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.
LAS VEGAS (April 10, 2013) – Promoter Don King, the four fighters who’ll compete this Friday, April 12, on ShoBox: The New Generation live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast), and the other boxers who will fight on a stacked undercard participated in the final press conference Wednesday at Treasure Island Resort & Casino.
In a clash of southpaw lightweight boxers in the ShoBox 12-round main event, unbeaten WBA No. 3-ranked contender Angelo “The Cobra” Santana (14-0, 11 KOs), of Miami, Fla., meets Bahodir “Baha” Mamadjonov (11-1, 7 KOs), of Houston, Texas by way ofUzbekistan.
A solid co-feature will pit super lightweights Amir “Young Master” Imam (8-0, 7 KOs), ofAlbany, N.Y., against Jeremy “Hollywood” Bryan (16-2, 7 KOs) of Paterson, N.J., in an eight-round match.
Tickets, all priced at $100 each plus tax and fees, are on sale at Treasure Island box office or by calling (866) 712-9308 or (702) 894-7723. Doors open at 3 p.m. PT. The first live undercard fight is at 4:30 p.m.
In the top non-televised bout, Ryan “The Irish Outlaw” Coyne (21-0, 9 KOs), of St. Louis, and Marcus Oliveira (24-0-1, 19 KOs), of Lawrence, Kan., collide in a battle of unbeatens in a WBA light heavyweight elimination bout. The winner of the 12-rounder will become the No. 1-ranked 175-pounder by the WBA and mandatory challenger to champion Beibut Shumenov.
Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with boxing historian Steve Farhood and former World Champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillipsdirecting.
What the fighters and King said Wednesday:
ANGELO SANTANA
“First I want to thank God and second I want to thank my promoter, Don King, for the opportunity to fight on Friday. I also want to thank my opponent for taking the fight.
“I’m not much of a talker, but I can tell you my camp was great and everything about my preparation has been perfect. This is going to be a great fight.’’
BAHA MAMADJONOV
“I’m happy to be here and I want to thank everybody, including Team Santana, for giving me this opportunity. This is going to be an amazing fight.
“I think we’re both taking a chance, but this is the kind of fight that fans love – two young, evenly matched fighters fighting each other. I think experience-wise we are just about the same.
“The timing for me for this fight is perfect, and I am absolutely ready. I’m treating it like a world title fight; that’s how important this fight is.
“Obviously, Santana is a power puncher who believes in his punching power, which he has the right to do. The key for me is to not let him get set.’’
AMIR IMAM
“I want to thank Don King, SHOWTIME and Treasure Island for giving me the opportunity to showcase my talents. I hope this is the beginning of a long marriage with SHOWTIME.
“On Friday, I’m going to put on a show. It’s show time, but it’s the Young Master time, too.’’
JEREMY BRYAN
“First and foremost, I want to thank God. I’m as prepared as I can be. I trained for a month and a half in North Carolina so I am fit.
“I don’t watch tapes of my opponents, but I know this guy is a lot like me. We were both good amateurs who are trying to step it up as professionals. I’m just going to go in and do what I do.
“There’s no pressure. It’s all on him. This is his first tough fight, but it’s not mine. I hope everyone tunes in to watch, or comes to the fight. I’m really looking forward to this. I’ve been fighting at 140 pounds since 2004, since my amateur days. A win puts me where I need to be in the 140-pound division.’’
RYAN COYNE
“Don (King) talked about frustrations. I've had a lot in the last eight months. It was a battle to get this fight. I know my opponent is a very good athlete and puncher. There is no need to demonize my opponent, but I will win on Friday night.
“I've said a lot of harsh things over the last eight months but I want to thank everybody, including Don King.”’
“I've said a lot of harsh things over the last eight months but I want to thank everybody, including Don King.”’
MARCUS OLIVEIRA
“I let my hands do the talking in the ring. My opponent will have to back up everything he said about coming to win the fight. If he does bring it, I will answer back with my fists.’’
PROMOTER DON KING
“When Martin Luther King was assassinated, I was in the penitentiary, so when I named this event 'Fight for Freedom ...The Dream Lives On' I was thinking of Reverend King's assassination 45 years ago this month. I embody the belief that anything is possible in this great nation known as America. And the dream of victory lives in the hearts of these fighters.
"Angelo Santana is the living embodiment of the American Dream. He came here on a raft with 27 people from Cuba. This is the only nation on earth where people try to break in rather than break out.’’
For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please visit the website athttp://sports.SHO.com.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
UNBEATENS ANGELO SANTANA, AMIR IMAM IN TOUGH AGAINST BAHA MAMADJONOV, JEREMY BRYAN, RESPECTIVELY, THIS FRIDAY, APRIL 12, ON SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION
Live on SHOWTIME® From Treasure Island Resort & Casino in Las Vegas;
Tickets Available
Tickets Available
NEW YORK (April 9, 2013) – Two of Hall of Fame promoter Don King’s most promising, undefeated young prospects, lightweight Angelo “The Cobra” Santana and super lightweight Amir “Young Master” Imam will compete in featured fights this Friday, April 12, on ShoBox: The New Generation live onSHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).
Both boxers, highly regarded and packed with potential, are in tough.
A former amateur standout and the current WBA No. 3-ranked 135-pound contender, southpaw Santana (14-0, 11 KOs), of Miami, Fla., faces fellow lefthander Bahodir “Baha” Mamadjonov (11-1, 7 KOs), of Houston, Texas by way of Uzbekistan, in the 10-round the main event at Treasure Island Resort &Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. Mamadjonov is a substitute for the injured Carlos Cardenas, who withdrew with a shoulder injury last week.
In his toughest fight to date, Imam (8-0, 7 KOs), of Albany, N.Y., will be opposed by Jeremy “Hollywood” Bryan (16-2, 7 KOs) of Paterson, N.J., in the eight-round co-feature. Imam has won his last seven fights by knockout, all inside four rounds.
Tickets, all priced at $100 each plus tax and fees, are on sale at Treasure Islandbox office or by calling (866) 712-9308 or (702) 894-7723. Doors open at 3 p.m. PT. The first live undercard fight is at 4 p.m.
The 5-foot-8 Santana, who turns 25 on April 19, will be making his second consecutive start on ShoBox. In a career-best performance last Nov. 16, he registered one of the most devastating knockouts in 2012 – a brutal fifth-round stoppage over previously unbeaten Johnny Garcia (13-0) in Hallandale, Fla.
Taking his first significant step up in class, the aggressive-minded, heavy-handed Santana scored three knockdowns, one from a left hand in the second and two more from massive left hands in the fifth. The last left rendered Garcia unconscious, and the referee halted the proceedings without a count at 1:41.
“He was very tough but I was able to knock him out and that was my intention,’’ Santana said. “That performance said it all. It proved I’m ready. I was nervous at the beginning; this was my first national TV appearance and I needed a round to gain my composure. (But) I was waiting for him to gain confidence and attack. Once he did that I was able to unload my left hand.’’
Said ShoBox expert analyst and boxing historian Steve Farhood regarding the vicious KO win: “Santana gave us the impression that he’s special by the power he showed in his ShoBox debut. The knockout he scored over Garcia was undeniably one of the most spectacular knockouts of the year, and at first glance Santana gives the impression of being able to steamroll anybody he hits with that left hand.’’
This will be the third scheduled 10-round bout for the Cuban-born Santana, a two-time national amateur champion and pro since 2008. He’s only been six full rounds one time, however, and that was over three years ago. The majority of his fights have been wipeouts – four of his knockouts came in the first round, three in the second and two in the third. He’s flattened his last seven opponents in five rounds or less.
Mamadjonov, a skilled and determined boxer, doesn’t figure to go as swiftly.
“Baha presents a difficult challenge for Santana for a couple of reasons,’’ Farhood said. “First, he’s a late substitute and Santana had been preparing for other fighters. Secondly, he’s a southpaw and Santana’s prior opponents for this show were all right-handed. Baha was in a very close fight with Darley Perez and Perez is one of the best lightweight prospects in the world. So this should be a real test for Santana.’’
Armando Alvarez, a longtime sports producer at Telemundo, has seen several of Santana’s scraps in and around Miami and has high praise for the crowd-pleasing slugger.
“In my opinion Santana is as good as any active Cuban fighter and that's includingYuriorkis Gamboa, Guillermo Rigondeaux and Erislandy Lara,’’ Alvarez said. “He's extremely disciplined, has fast hands, and superb power. He's a treat to watch, and I believe this bout will catapult him to a world title shot.’’
Santana, who’s appearing before a Las Vegas crowd for a third time, is looking forward to another eye-opening performance. “I've been preparing for this for over three months in Hialeah, Fla., and I've been sparring three times a week although it’s difficult to find guys who want to spar with me,’’ he said.
“I don't know anything about my opponent. I just make sure that I prepare myself the best I can.’’
In the summer of 2007, Santana defected from Cuba on a makeshift boat to re-unite with his childhood sweetheart, Anay, in the United States. Ten days after his arrival on Sept. 1, 2007, he signed with Don King Productions.
Mamadjonov (pronounced Mama-John-ov) is a 5-foot-6, 25-year-old who’d won all 11 of his fights until losing his 10-round debut on a split decision to Perez in a competitive contest on Aug. 10, 2012.
Manadjonov wobbled Perez and had him in big trouble in the fourth but was the victim of an unintentional headbutt in the middle rounds that left him “seeing stars.’’ Still, going into the eighth round it was either guy’s fight to win. But Baha went down from a short right uppercut and Perez, a 2008 Colombian Olympian, went on to triumph in a give-and-take scrap by the scores of 95-94, 96-94 and 94-95.
Baha disagreed with the judges. “I felt I won the fight,’’ he said. “The knockdown was a slip. I’m very disappointed with the decision.’’
After nearly 200 amateur fights, the two-time World Military champion and Asian champion in 2005 turned pro in May 2011. He fought seven times that year and five times in 2012. A gym rat, he’s been in training for almost two months inHouston.
“My whole life is boxing,’’ said Baha, who possesses good speed and movement. “I moved to the United States in September 2010 to catch my dreams. I want to be a world champion. Everybody says when they watch my fights, 'Oh, you’re a classic fighter.' I just try to make a good, clean fight in the ring.’’
Imam (pronounced E-Mom) is a 5-foot-11, 22-year-old up-and-comer who is making his ShoBox debut and third start in 2013. Like the main event, this fight also doesn’t figure to be a blowout.
“Amir Imam was a top amateur and he’s making a gigantic jump in class by taking on a proven warrior in Jeremy Bryan,” Farhood said. “This will be Imam’s national television debut and I think viewers will be surprised at the poise and skill fight this very young fighter will show.
“In the tradition of ShoBox, both fighters are facing their toughest opponents to date.’’
Imam was an accomplished amateur before turning pro on Nov. 5, 2011 with a four-round decision over Christian Steele in Hollywood, Fla. Imam’s initial five fights took place in Florida; his last two, both this year, were in the Dominican Republic. He’s won by third-round TKO in his last three outings. He defeatedAlejandro Lebron in his most recent effort last March 9.
“I was right back in the gym in Deerfield Beach, Fla., after my last fight,’’ Imam said. “We don't take any days off here. I've been sparring with a lot of fighters so I get a lot of work. I've worked with people like Richar Abril, Yuriorkis Gamboa, people like that.
Imam was born in Albany, N.Y. He started to box at the age of 12. He went pro shortly after losing in the finals at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2011. The confident youngster views himself as an entertainer, a puncher-boxer fans should keep a close eye on now and in the future.
“I come to fight and I put on a show,’’ he said. “I take care of business. You don't get paid for overtime. I can do it all. I can be a pressure fighter, a boxer, I can push it up. You've got to adapt to what's in front of you. I don't really know anything about Bryan except he's got a good record under his name.
"The Young Master's on stage now. I'll be shining in boxing for a long time, performing to my best. The new kid's on the block.”
Bryan, a 5-foot-9, 27-year-old, turned pro in November 2007 after a stellar amateur career. A two-time National Golden Gloves Champion (2004-2005), he had impressive amateur victories against current Unified Super Lightweight ChampionDanny Garcia and contender Hank Lundy.
A resident of Sumter, S.C., Bryan has won two in a row since returning to the ring in October 2012 after two years off. The layoff came shortly after he’d suffered two knockout losses over a six-month span in 2010. Bryan is coming off the biggest victory of his career, an eight-round majority decision over Yuri Ramanau (aka Romanov) last Jan. 4 in Miami.
An excellent boxer with good speed and movement, Bryan isn’t exactly in awe of Imam.
"There's one thing about me,’’ Bryan said. “I don't call out any fighters. I don't pick fights. I just go in the ring and do what I’ve got to do. I just listen to my coaches. I don't know a thing about this kid I'm fighting except he was a good amateur. I don't care about his (pro) record. The record doesn’t mean a thing. You can have three wins and 30 losses and still win a big fight.
"I do what I do in the ring. I adapt to anything. I transform easy in the ring. On Friday, he'll bring his ‘A’ game, I'll bring my ‘A’ game, and the best man will win that night.’’
In the top non-televised undercard bout, Ryan “The Irish Outlaw” Coyne (21-0, 9 KOs), of St. Louis, and Marcus Oliveira (24-0-1, 19 KOs), of Lawrence, Kan., collide in a battle of unbeatens in a WBA light heavyweight elimination bout. The winner of the 12-rounder will become the No. 1-ranked 175-pounder by the WBA and mandatory challenger to champion Beibut Shumenov.
Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with Farhood and former World Champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillipsdirecting.
For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please visit the website at http://sports.SHO.com.
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