Stevenson ready to conquer world in Super Middleweight division

Starting Friday night with Gonzalez; Unification title fight headlines ESPN2 FNF live from Montreal

MONTREAL (April 18, 2012) - International Boxing Federation("IBF") No. 2-ranked, dangerous Adonis "Superman" Stevenson (17-1, 14 KOs), is ready to take on the top super middleweights in the world. First, though, the sensational southpaw must get past World Boxing Council ("WBC") No. 2-ranked Noe "El Carbonero" Gonzalez (28-1, 20 KOs) in their much-anticipated unification showdown headlining this week's ESPN Friday Night Fights, live at the famed Bell Centre in Montreal.

Stevenson-Gonzalez is the marquee match-up on a stacked card, which is another installment in the popular Fast and Furious Series, presented in Montreal by Mise-O-Jeu and Videotron.

In addition to future world title fight implications for the winner, the 12-round main evident will be contested for Stevenson's IBF Inter-Continental, North American Boxing Organization ("NABO") and North American Boxing Association ("NABA") super middleweight title belts, as well as Gonzalez' WBC Silver Championship.

"This is a big fight because my goal is to become world champion," Stevenson y said prior to leaving his Kronk Gym training camp in Detroit. "And everybody is going to be watching this fight on ESPN. I don't care who I fight for the world title - (Lucian) Bute, (Andre) Ward or any world champion - but first I need to beat Gonzalez. He's a tough guy, a power puncher like me, and I've been sparring with some top guys to get ready for him. I will use my speed and movement.

"Manny Steward is the best trainer in the world to teach me how to be a world champion. He knows what it takes and is preparing me. He's helped to improve my technique and I've improved in a lot of ways. He is the best trainer in boxing."

Haiti-native Stevenson, fighting out of Quebec, is also ranked No. 7 by the World Boxing Association ("WBA") and World Boxing Organization ("WBO"), and No. 9 by the World Boxing Council ("WBC"). Last February against Jesus Gonzales (27-1), Adonis registered a frightening "Superman"-like Knockout of the Year candidate in the opening round.

"I was happy with that win," Adonis noted, "but I was scared watching his body shaking on the canvas. I didn't want to hurt him. I'm glad that he's okay."

Gonzalez, a native of Uruguay now living in Argentina, is a feared puncher who has won 14 fights in a row, all but one by knockout. He captured the WBC Silver Belt in January, 2011, with a ninth-round technical knockout of Gustavo Magallanes (29-1) in Uruguay. Gonzalez is promoted by Sampson Lewkowicz (president of Sampson Boxing), who also handles Noe's manager, World Super middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (48-2-2, 27 KOs).

"I'm going to win," Stevenson predicted. "I'll box to win and, if the knockout comes, that will be good. Gonzalez is fast and I know he'll be prepared for this fight. I'm going to be ready and prove that I'm ready to fight for the world title."

Unbeaten North American Boxing Organization ("NABO") light heavyweight champion Eleider "Storm" Alvarez (7-0, 5 KOs) takes on upset-minded Rayco "War" Saunders (22-15-2, 9 KOs) in the eight-round ESPN FNF co-feature. Alvarez, rated No. 15 by the WBO, was a 2008 Colombian Olympian now living in Montreal.

Local favorites and rising stars fighting on the undercard include heavyweight Oscar "Kaboom" Rivas (9-0, 6 KOs), another Colombian Olympian living in Montreal, who steps-up in class to face veteran Kendrick "The Apostle" Releford (22-16-2, 10 KOs) in an eight-round bout; super featherweight Baha Laham (8-0, 3 KOs) vs. Leonis Francois (8-6, 2 KOs) in an eight-rounder, a pair of Canadian heavyweights, Eric Barrack (6-0, 5 KOs) vs. Sandy Pembroke (2-4, 1 KO), in a six-round fight; Montreal light heavyweight Schiller Hyppolite (2-0, 1 KO) vs. Martin Desjardins. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

The Officials for the Stevenson/Gonzalez Unification are:

Supervisor: Mike George, Rhode Island, USA

Referee: Michel Albert Griffin, Canada
Judges: Jack Woodburn, Canada
Claude Paquette, Canada
Richard Flaherty, Massachusetts, USA

GYM's Fast and Furious is an innovative and unique series, featuring seats close to the action, staged at the Bell Centre. These exciting events are also available for PPV via Canal Indigo, Bell TV and Shaw TV.

Tickets, starting at $60.00, are on sale and available to purchase at the Bell Centre box office, or at GYM evenko.ca (383.0666).

CAN MALIK SCOTT MAKE US BELIEVERS?

Los Angeles (Feb. 9, 2011) The very talented, big and gifted undefeated heavyweight, Malik Scott (32-0, 11 KOs) is back in business after over three years out of the ring, but still a young 31-year-old.  Scott will be fighting  Kendrick Releford (22-15-2, 10 KOs) on February 18, from the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas underneath the "Triple Threat" event featuring Paul Williams, Tavoris Cloud and Chris Arreola.  Although Scott owns a unanimous decision over the tough veteran in Releford, this bout is more about what Malik will bring into the ring next Saturday than who he's fighting. 

The experts and media all agree, Scott has all the tools to win every time he steps into the ring.  But thats where the rub is, when winning is just not good enough.  It's the way he wins that has not endeared him to the fans and media looking for that next great American to hold the heavyweight championship.  Fans want aggressive actions from their fighters today, along with everyone else, and Scott believes he got the message loud and clear and is prepared to add the last remaining ingredient to his natural born skills; "just fight!"

"I've come back strong from a lot of adversity and climbed a lot of obstacles to get to this point, physically and mentally," said Scott.  "I'm totally reincarnated, and a completely different fighter than I was before, and I'm ready to show the people that a powerful American in the heavyweight division is right here, and I'm prepared to reintroduce them to that person next Saturday."

  

The pictures above illustrate the mindset of Scott in shedding many excess pounds toward his return to the ring with an estimated weight loss close to 30 pounds from when he last entered the ring.

  

"I'm excited to be fighting on SHOWTIME EXTREME, and I plan on taking full advantage of the opportunity. Kendrick Releford is a tough fighter, which is what I wanted in order to make a statement in my comeback fight.  May God be with him when he gets in the ring with me.  It is imperative for me to be aggressive and make people notice and I believe its all going to pay off come February 18 in Corpus Christi."

Promoter Dan Goossen said about Scott, "It's ironic, an undefeated big heavyweight, good-looking, great personality, well-spoken and still winning hasn't been good enough, which I understand as boxing fan.  We (fans) want our fighters to be badasses in the ring, especially in the heavyweight division.  I'm hoping the Malik we all see next week is the one that can add a dynamic to his already gifted abilities and add an aggression that will catch everyone's attention."

  

The SHOWTIME EXTREME card will also feature #1 WBC Heavyweight contender Chris Arreola (33-2, 29 KOs) who takes on Texas' own Eric Molina (18-1, 14 KOs) and will lead into a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event featuring Tavoris Cloud (23-0, 19 KOs) who is risking his IBF light heavyweight world championship against Gabriel Campillo (21-3-1, 7 KOs) and headlined by the return of two-time world champion Paul "The Punisher" Williams (40-2, 27 KOs) who will be taking on the challenge of former world champion and James Kirkland conqueror, Nobuhiro Ishida (24-6, 9 KOs).