Nice Guy Abell Coming into Hammond Confident

Hard to believe you're talking to a hard-punching heavyweight fighter when Joey "Minnesota Ice" Abell talks about how much he hates hurting people's feelings, but he is indeed. Coon Rapids, Minnesota's Abell (28-5, 27 KOs) will be looking to pull off an upset when he takes on the more experienced two-time heavyweight title challenger "Fast" Fres Oquendo (33-7, 21 KOs) for the WBA Fedelatin Heavyweight Championship in the 10-round main event of Hitz Boxing's "Fight Night at the Horseshoe" event at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana, this Friday, May 25. Abell became part of boxing infamy while suffering a disappointing TKO loss to top contender Chris Arreola in January of last year. As he moved in for the stoppage, Arreola kissed Abell in a show of poor sportsmanship. "He's a prick like that. That's part of his thing; he's the bad guy," explained Abell of Arreola's public persona. "Afterwards, he apologized, but I don't understand people like him. I'll never really completely get over that. He's the kind of person that doesn't care what he does. He's could say something and completely wreck somebody's self-esteem and not care. If I accidentally say something that might hurt someone's feelings, I can't live with myself." Abell says he's glad to be moving forward from that experience and into this fight, another opportunity to move up the heavyweight ladder against a known commodity in Oquendo. "I'm 100% ready for this fight." Abell and Oquendo are well-acquainted, as they two have helped each other in preparation for fights with sparring. "Fres is very sneaky as a fighter and very fast. He taught me a lot. I'm not necessarily worried about his power, as far as hitting me and getting me in trouble, but anybody as quick as he is can knock you out with a punch you don't see coming. But I think I'm just a smarter fighter. I've been dreaming about this fight and I hope I knock him out, but I'm not basing my fight plan on that. I'm going there, planning on winning a unanimous decision. He has a good chin and good defense, so it's no use going out there and wasting all my energy in the first few rounds. I have to go out there and use my athletic ability, my power and my youth to win." Abell says he's enjoying his new career as a personal trainer at Experience Fitness in Blaine, Minnesota, because it makes him feel good to see his clients transforming their bodies into who they want to be. "Maybe that's my problem in boxing," he laughs. "I'm not enough of a prick." The high-class atmosphere and luxurious surroundings the Horseshoe has to offer make their boxing shows a Las Vegas-style night of boxing that Chicago-area fans don't have to get on a plane to enjoy.   The Horseshoe Casino has an intimate, comfortable venue with luxurious seats, a spectacular gaming area, free parking, exquisite food and all the amenities -- and is just 20 minutes from Downtown Chicago.  Tickets for "Fight Night at the Horseshoe" are on sale now, starting at a fan appreciation price of $10, and are available at the "Venue" box office, ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster outlets.

Hard Luck Oquendo Looking to End on a High Note

"I'd love to fight Seth Mitchell, Chris Arreola or Bryant Jennings, but they don't want any part of me. Those guys will never step up to the plate." Fres Oquendo Chicago-based heavyweight veteran Fast Fres Oquendo (33-7, 21 KOs) will take on Coon Rapids, Minnesota, southpaw Joey "Minnesota Ice" Abell (28-5, 27 KOs) for the WBA Fedelatin Heavyweight Championship in the 10-round main event of Hitz Boxing's "Fight Night at the Horseshoe" event at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana, this Friday, May 25. The 39-year-old two-time heavyweight title challenger and former NABF, NABA and USBA champion says his comeback is all about leaving boxing on a high note after suffering so many disappointing and highly controversial setbacks. In two of his last three fights, Oquendo lost decisions of the very debatable sort to former champion Oliver McCall and Frenchman Jean-Marc Mormeck, who went on to face Wladimir Klitschko in a big-money match-up Oquendo says he dreams of. "That's the politics of boxing," said Oquendo during a break in training. "If I don't get the knockout, I can't win. Every time they rob me, it's a black eye to boxing and it takes away my earnings." Of all his questionable losses, the two that bother Oquendo most are his December 2008 split decision to James Toney and the horrific unanimous decision then-IBF champion Chris Byrd was given over him in 2003. "James Toney, that fight bothers me a lot. I out-hustled him out-punched him and they robbed me. That fight and the Chris Byrd fiasco. Those two are neck and neck. What Don King did to me was an injustice for boxing period. Not just me, all of boxing. That's why I love fighting in my backyard. That's where all my people come out for me. I thank Bobby Hitz for putting me on this show against a decent opponent." Oquendo says he's quite familiar with Abell. "I know him pretty well. He's a pretty strong puncher. I sparred with him before and he presents a challenge, but I'm very experienced and have the will to win. Being a hard puncher is not going to be enough to beat the great Fres. I live a good life and I still feel like I'm in my early 20s. I'm very strong and fast and I'm coming there to put on a spectacular performance. He'll be trying to come in with nothing to lose, but I love chopping down the bigger guys. I'm smarter and faster. That's the difference." Oquendo says his post-boxing life will be all about helping area youth stay off the streets. "This is my last hurrah. I'm taking one more try to get that elusive championship I deserve and then I'll call it a day after that and transition to my new passion: giving back to the youth. I'm starting the not-for-profit Fres Oquendo Boxing Academy in the Humble Park Field House on Chicago's West Side. 26th Ward Alderman, Roberto Maldonado, is partnering with me and supporting this great cause of mine. I'm going to use boxing to teach young people to say no to gangs and drugs." The high-class atmosphere and luxurious surroundings the Horseshoe has to offer make their boxing shows a Las Vegas-style night of boxing that Chicago-area fans don't have to get on a plane to enjoy.   The Horseshoe Casino has an intimate, comfortable venue with luxurious seats, a spectacular gaming area, free parking, exquisite food and all the amenities -- and is just 20 minutes from Downtown Chicago.  Tickets for "Fight Night at the Horseshoe" are on sale now, starting at a fan appreciation price of $10, and are available at the "Venue" box office, ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster outlets.

Hitz Adds Three More Fights to Mammoth Horseshoe Event on May 25

Promoter Bobby Hitz and Hitz Boxing have added three more fights to the lineup for their Friday, May 25 "Fight Night at the Horseshoe" event at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana. In addition to the 10-round WBA Fedelatin Heavyweight Championship main event between "Fast" Fres Oquendo (33-7, 21 KOs) and Joey "Minnesota Ice" Abell (28-5, 27 KOs), no less than 9 big fights are now scheduled, including an intriguing eight-round all-Chicago middleweight match-up between Donatas Bondorovas (14-3-1, 3 KOs) and Ramon Valenzuela (7-0, 1 KO). Also added to the schedule are undefeated middleweight Meegal Harper (5-0, 5 KOs) of Chicago Heights taking on Traverse City, Michigan's more experienced Chris Grays in a four-rounder and pro-debuting welterweight Nick Ramirez of Rockford, Illinois, facing off against Lorenzo Wilson (1-1-1) of Indianapolis in a four-round fight. The opponent for light welterweight Genaro Mendez's (4-1-1, 3 KOS) six-round fight will be David Laque of Bloomington, Minnesota. The full lineup: Genaro Mendez (Chicago) vs. David Laque (Bloomington, MN) David "Diesel" Latoria (Chicago) vs. Stanley Allen (Gary, IN) Mike "Hollywood" Jimenez (Chicago) vs. Adrian Hermann (Everett, WA)  David Martin III (Hobart, IN) vs. Tim Washington (Toledo, OH) Phillip Triantafillo (Chesterton, IN) vs. Emerson Chasing Bear (Rapid City, SD) Terry Martin (Chicago) vs. Donta Woods (Atlanta, GA) Donatas Bondorovas (Chicago) vs.Ramon Valenzuela (Chicago) Meegal Harper (Chicago Heights, IL) vs. Chris Grays (Traverse City, MI) and pro-debut Nick Ramirez (Rockford) vs. Lorenzo Wilson (Indianapolis, IN) "Fast" Fres Oquendo (Chicago) vs. Joey Abell (Coon Rapids, MN) Fedelatin Heavyweight Title The high-class atmosphere and luxurious surroundings the Horseshoe has to offer make their boxing shows a Las Vegas-style night of boxing that Chicago-area fans don't have to get on a plane to enjoy.   The Horseshoe Casino has an intimate, comfortable venue with luxurious seats, a spectacular gaming area, free parking, exquisite food and all the amenities -- and is just 20 minutes from Downtown Chicago.  Tickets for "Fight Night at the Horseshoe" are on sale now, starting at a fan appreciation price of $10, and are available atthe "Venue" box office, ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster outlets.