Champion Molina Staying Active in Chicago Community While Waiting for Next Big Fight

IBF Junior Middleweight Champion "King" Carlos Molina is making good on his promise to be a "people's champion", as he continues to interact with the public in his beloved Chicago while waiting for his next big fight. Last Friday at Curie High School on Chicago's Southwest side, Molina and WBA # 6 heavyweight "Fast" Fres Oquendo were guests of honor at Curie's annual Community Fall Festival. The pair signed autographs, posed for photos and spoke to young people about the importance of hard work. "This is an amazing event, and it feels really good to give back to my neighborhood. I am grateful for the invite," said Molina, who was raised and still lives minutes from Curie. Meanwhile, Molina (22-5-2, 6 KOs) has been staying active in the gym while fielding offers and challenges from a variety of big names including former champs "Sugar" Shane Mosley and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, as well as recent title winner Demetrius Andrade. "I don't care who it is," said Molina. "I know everybody says that, but I mean it. I would like to bring boxing back to how it was in the old days with guys fighting all the time. Fighters fight and that's what I want to do. I'm ready to go." Molina, a true Cinderella story in boxing, says he'd rather be a champion who defends his belt with regularity than a PPV star fighting once yearly. "I want to be an old-school champion. I'll fight anybody. I want to be recognized as the best in my division and I feel like I am ready to go out and get victories over the top guys and unify the belts. If Mosley or Alvarez or Andrade want to be next, I'll be ready." Molina's advisor, Luis DeCubas, says it really doesn't matter who the opponent is for his guy. "Carlos is old-fashioned that way. He'll be ready to go, no matter the date and they can put any junior middleweight in the world in front of him."

ABOUT WARRIORS BOXING   Launched in 2003, Warriors Boxing operates under a simple philosophy-bring the best boxers in the world to fight fans, match them in competitive bouts, and in doing so help re-establish the sport of boxing for a new generation. With a series of successful Pay-Per-View shows and packed houses to it's credit, the Warriors business model is working wonders in a sport that was sorely in need of the innovation and energy that the company brings to the table. When it comes down to it though, a promotional company is only as good as the fighters and fights it promotes. Warriors Boxing has delivered on all fronts, with outstanding bouts such as Lara-Molina, Cayo-Peterson, Abraham-Miranda I and II, Miranda-Pavlik, Miranda-Green, Ibragimov-Briggs, Ibragimov-Klitschko, Urango-Hatton, Urango-Bailey, Cayo-Maidana and Ibragimov-Holyfield.   For more information on Warriors Boxing, visit their website at www.WarriorsBoxing.com.

Oquendo: I Deserve This Fight More Than Anybody

"No one deserves the Klitschko fight more than me," says long-time heavyweight contender Fres Oquendo. WBA #5 and WBA #12-rated Oquendo (35-7, 23 KOs) can make a strong case for being the next to face WBA/IBF/WBO/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko on April 6 in Hanover, Germany. "I'm seeing these newcomer kids talking about how they deserve to fight Klitschko. I haven't lost a fight legitimately since 2006. In 2003, I had a world-title fight and lost an outrageous robbery against Chris Byrd. Byrd went on to lose the title that I should have won that night to Wladimir. So, if they hadn't stolen my title from me that night, I would have already had a fight against Wladimir! Me getting the fight against Wladimir is boxing karma making things right." 39-year-old Oquendo, who began his career in 1997, has won countless regional titles and is still stopping the opponents he's supposed to stop. He took out capable veterans Robert Hawkins and Joey Abell in his two latest appearances. "I'm still as sharp as I've ever been and I know how to get to Wladimir. I've been trying to get him in the ring for years because I see what you need to do to beat him. Plus, if you put my resume next to anybody else's that they're talking about it's like a joke.  Nobody else deserves this fight as much as I do. So let's get it done, call my promoter, Bobby Hitz, so I can start training to go over there and kick his ass."

Strongman Ortuz Looking for a Challenge on Saturday

Undefeated Chicago cruiserweight fighter Dimar "Strongman" Ortuz had all but forgotten his boxing career. Since winning the Chicago Golden Gloves in 2002, Ortuz been away from the game for eight years, ballooned to 260 lbs, successfully battled a drinking problem and become a hard-working father of three. "Pops, why don't you fight again?" Ortuz recalls one of his children asking in November 2010, while looking at old pictures. "I said ok, let me try one fight.'" Two years later, Ortuz has lost 60 pounds and gone on to turn professional, scoring four victories, three by knockout. "It's addictive," he explains. Ortuz will take a voluntary major step up in competition when he faces former highly decorated amateur and fellow undefeated fighter Donta Woods (8-0, 7 KOs) from Atlanta, Georgia, in a six-round cruiserweight battle. The pair will meet in one of the featured bouts of Hitz Boxing's latest "Fight Night at the Horseshoe" instalment, this Saturday, August 18 at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana. "It's time for me to step up. I'm 31 and if I keep on fighting too easy competition, it'll take me longer than I want to get where I want. If I hand-pick my opponents. I'll be 20-0 in no time, but I want better competition to challenge myself." Ortuz says he's aware that Woods won several national championships and competed internationally for the United States. "He had a pretty good amateur career and I heard he's pretty good and fast, but nothing intimidating for me. I've sparred over 300 rounds with the best guys in the city. I helped Andrzej Fonfara get ready for Glen Johnson. I helped Carlos Molina get ready for James Kirkland. I just finished helping Donovan George get ready for his fight Friday. I figure it's time to step up my competition a little bit and see where I'm at." "We offered Dimar opponents who were less of a challenge and he wouldn't hear of it," said promoter Bobby Hitz. "He was determined to take on Woods and for that, you have to take your hat off to the guy. More fighters should take a page from his book. I'm impressed and I would definitely buy a ticket for this fight." Ortuz is due some credit. In an age of paper champions and manufactured reputations, he is not looking for any easy roads. Perhaps he can attribute that to his tough upbringing on the streets of Chicago in the gang-infested neighborhood of Humboldt Park. "I had a lot of close calls living there. It's a real big Latin King neighborhood. A lot of people get stuck there in the gangs and with their friends and never leave. Boxing took me out of that. Sam Colonna (Ortuz's trainer to this day) took me out of that when I was young. I was hanging out and doing bad stuff.  I started travelling with Sam and fighting around and he showed me that there's a bigger world out there than just the neighborhood." Ortuz says if all goes well, he' planning to relocate to New York, where boxing happens more often and even more high-quality sparring can be found. "It's never too late. The ultimate goal is to drop down to light heavyweight and try to get myself in there with a few bigger names and give it all I can. I want what everybody wants: that belt around my waist. I just want to put my mind at rest that I did everything I could. That's the reason I took this tough fight." ### In the main event, Chicago's WBA Fedelatin Heavyweight Champion and WBA #14 rated "Fast" Fres Oquendo (34-7, 22 KOs) will face Philadelphia veteran Robert "Big Philly" Hawkins (23-19, 7 KOs). The main supporting bout will feature an all-Chicago six-round super middleweight matchup between Mike "Kujo" Kurzeja (5-0-1, 4 KOs) and capable puncher Gerald Taylor (5-3-2, 2 KOs). The winner of this fight will be awarded with the inaugural WSBC "Over 40" trophy. Welterweight KO artist Abdullai Amidu (19-0, 17 KOs) of Accra, Ghana, will finally make his Horseshoe Casino debut against Chicago's Jermaine "Too Sweet" White (17-5, 9 KOs) in a six-rounder. Undefeated heavyweight power puncher David Martin III (6-0, 5 KOs) of Hobart, Indiana, will face Kentucky's Joshua Clark (1-1, 1 KO) in a six-rounder. Former world-title challenger Johnny "Bad Boy" Lewus (26-4-1, 21 KOs) of Chicago is scheduled for a six-round welterweight scrap vs. Veracruz, Mexico's Hugo "Guapo" Guarneros (3-10-1, 2 KOs). After a 12-year layoff, wildly popular Bridgeport native Frankie "Time Bomb" Scalise (3-1, 3 KOs) returns to the ring in a four-round lightweight bout against rugged veteran Randy Ronchi of Wisconsin. And in a surprisingly tough six-round super middleweight bout, popular crowd-pleaser Paul Littleton (4-0, 4 KOs) of Chicago will take on Lafayette, Indiana's Darnell Wilson (9-1-2, 7 KOs). Littleton will have his work cut out for him. Wilson's only career loss came against current light heavyweight world champion Chad Dawson. Other scheduled action includes former world kickboxing and Golden Gloves boxing champion Simon "The Punisher" Buettner (1-0, 1 KO) of Carpentersville, Illinois, in a light heavyweight four-rounder against Mukwonago, Wisconsin's Mike Reiter (0-2). 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 are priced at $90 Ringside & $40 Orchestra and available at all Ticketmaster outlets and ticketmaster.com. All bouts are subject to change. On fight night, doors open 6:30 pm and the action starts at 7:30.

Full Card Announced for Hitz Boxing at the Horseshoe This Saturday

Chicago's WBA Fedelatin Heavyweight Champion and WBA #14 rated "Fast" Fres Oquendo (34-7, 22 KOs) will face Philadelphia veteran Robert "Big Philly" Hawkins (23-19, 7 KOs) in a stay-busy 10-round main event of Hitz Boxing's latest "Fight Night at the Horseshoe" installment scheduled for this Saturday, August 18 at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana. Oquendo was impressive taking out opponent Joey Abell last May. In addition to his current Fedelatin belt, the 39-year-old two-time heavyweight title challenger is a former NABF, NABA and USBA champion. "We're looking to keep Fres active while we wait for another world-rated heavyweight to get in the ring with him," said his promoter, Bobby Hitz. "We offered this fight to several top guys with good money on the table and none of them would step up." Hawkins has scored many big wins in his career, but in recent years has become known for going the distance with a long list of notable heavyweights and should provide Oquendo with some much-needed rounds. The main supporting bout will feature an all-Chicago six-round super middleweight matchup between Mike "Kujo" Kurzeja (5-0-1, 4 KOs) and capable puncher Gerald Taylor (5-3-2, 2 KOs). The winner of this fight will be awarded with the inaugural WSBC "Over 40" trophy. Welterweight KO artist Abdullai Amidu (19-0, 17 KOs) of Accra, Ghana, will finally make his Horseshoe Casino debut against Chicago's Jermaine "Too Sweet" White (17-5, 9 KOs) in a six-rounder. In a rare, early-career battle of undefeated, promising fighters, Chicago's Dimar "Strongman" Ortuz (4-0, 3 KOs) will face Donta Woods (8-0, 7 KOs) from Atlanta, Georgia, in a six-round cruiserweight battle. Undefeated heavyweight power puncher David Martin III (6-0, 5 KOs) of Hobart, Indiana, will face Kentucky's Joshua Clark (1-1, 1 KO) in a six-rounder. Former world-title challenger Johnny "Bad Boy" Lewus (26-4-1, 21 KOs) of Chicago is scheduled for a six-round welterweight scrap vs. Veracruz, Mexico's Hugo "Guapo" Guarneros (3-10-1, 2 KOs). After a 12-year layoff, wildly popular Bridgeport native Frankie "Time Bomb" Scalise (3-1, 3 KOs) returns to the ring in a four-round lightweight bout against rugged veteran Randy Ronchi of Wisconsin. And in a surprisingly tough six-round super middleweight bout, popular crowd-pleaser Paul Littleton (4-0, 4 KOs) of Chicago will take on Lafayette, Indiana's Darnell Wilson (9-1-2, 7 KOs). Littleton will have his work cut out for him. Wilson's only career loss came against current light heavyweight world champion Chad Dawson. Other scheduled action includes former world kickboxing and Golden Gloves boxing champion Simon "The Punisher" Buettner (1-0, 1 KO) of Carpentersville, Illinois, in a light heavyweight four-rounder against Mukwonago, Wisconsin's Mike Reiter (0-2). 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 are priced at $90 Ringside & $40 Orchestra and available at all Ticketmaster outlets and ticketmaster.com. All bouts are subject to change. On fight night, doors open 6:30 pm and the action starts at 7:30.

Oquendo Headlines 'Fight Night at the Horseshoe' on August 18

Hitz Boxing's popular "Fight Night at the Horseshoe" series will return on Saturday, August 18, 2012, at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana, featuring Chicago's WBA Fedelatin Heavyweight Champion and WBA #14 rated "Fast" Fres Oquendo (34-7, 22 KOs) in the 10-round main event. Oquendo looked sharp stopping opponent Joey Abell last May. In addition to his current Fedelatin belt, the 39-year-old two-time heavyweight title challenger is a former NABF, NABA and USBA champion. "We offered this fight to several fighters none of them would take it," said event promoter Bobby Hitz of Hitz Boxing. "Chris Arreola not interested. Before he got the Adamek fight, Travis Walker wasn't interested. Neither was Adamek himself. Franklin Lawrence turned it down. You got all these guys saying nobody will fight them, you offer them a fight and they turn it down for good money." The main supporting bout will feature an all-Chicago six-round super middleweight matchup between Mike "Kujo" Kurzeja (5-0-1, 4 KOs) and capable puncher Gerald Taylor (5-3-2, 2 KOs). Welterweight KO artist Abdullai Amidu (19-0, 17 KOs) of Accra, Ghana, will finally make his Horseshoe Casino debut against Chicago's Jermaine "Too Sweet" White (17-5, 9 KOs) in a six-rounder. Undefeated heavyweight power puncher David Martin III (6-0, 5 KOs) of Hobart, Indiana, will also appear in a six-rounder. Chicago's Dimar "Strongman" Ortuz (4-0, 3 KOs) will face Donta Woods (8-0, 7 KOs) from Atlanta, Georgia, in a six-round cruiserweight battle of undefeated fighters. Former world-title challenger Johnny "Bad Boy" Lewus (26-4-1, 21 KOs) of Chicago is scheduled for a six-round welterweight scrap. Other scheduled action includes former world kickboxing and Golden Gloves boxing champion Simon "The Punisher" Buettner (1-0, 1 KO) of Carpentersville, Illinois, in a light heavyweight four-rounder; former National Jr. Olympic Champion Johnny "WiteBoi" Determan (5-0, 4 KOs) of Omaha, Nebraska, making his Horseshoe debut in a four-round super bantamweight bout; Frankie "Time Bomb" Scalise (3-1, 3 KOs) of Chicago in a four-round lightweight bout; and popular crowd-pleaser Paul Littleton (4-0, 4 KOs) of Chicago in a six-round super middleweight bout. 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 are priced at $90 Ringside & $40 Orchestra and available at all Ticketmaster outlets and ticketmaster.com. All bouts are subject to change. On fight night, doors open 6:30 pm and the action starts at 7:30.

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.

May 25 Fight Night at the Horseshoe Heating Up! Martin to Face Woods in Cruiserweight Slugfest

Hitz Boxing's blockbuster Fight Night at the Hammond event, scheduled for May 25 at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana, just got even more exciting with the announcement of the co-featured bout. 31-year-old Chicago native and UFC, Strikeforce, Affliction and King of the Cage MMA star Terry Martin (5-0, 5 KOs) will roll the boxing dice and put his perfect undefeated record on the line against Atlanta, Georgia's also undefeated Donta Woods (8-0, 7 KOs) in an explosive cruiserweight six-rounder. The two power punchers will meet as the main supporting bout 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). Martin holds Bachelor of Science degree, a Master's Degree, and is working toward a PhD., and also frequently visits schools, churches and community centers to speak to young people about the value of staying in school. An impressive 22-9 in MMA, hammer-fisted Martin stands 5' 8" and packs power in both hands. Woods enjoyed a long and successful amateur career, competing internationally and winning the 2005 Ringside National Championships, among many other distinctions. He stands 6' 2" and has an especially impressive body attack. "Someone's 0 will go and probably by a knockout in this fight," said event promoter, Bobby Hitz of Hitz Boxing. "When power punchers like these two meet up, it's always a treat for the fans and we're happy they have both agreed to fight." Also on the undercard: Mike "Hollywood" Jimenez (6-0, 3 KOs) will go six rounds against Everett, Washington's Adrian Hermann (3-3-1, 1 KO); undefeated power puncher David Martin III (5-0, 4 KOS) of Hobart, Indiana, will face Tim Washington (0-1) of Toledo, Ohio, in a heavyweight four-rounder; undefeated heavyweight David "Diesel" Latoria (10-0, 5 KOS) will go six against Gary, Indiana's Stanley Allen (5-3, 3 KOs); nearby Chesterton, Indiana, heavyweight Philip Triantafillo (2-0, 1 KO) will fight a four-rounder against the more experienced Emerson Chasing Bear (4-3-2, 3 KOs) of Rapid City, South Dakota. The opponent for light welterweight Genaro Mendez's (4-1-1, 3 KOS) six-round fight is still TBA. 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.

Hitz Boxing's 'Fight Night at the Horseshoe' Returns May 25

Hitz Boxing's 'Fight Night at the Horseshoe' 
Returns May 25

Hitz Boxing's popular "Fight Night at the Horseshoe" series will return on Friday, May 25, 2012, at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana, featuring Chicago's own former heavyweight title challenger and long-time top contender "Fast" Fres Oquendo (33-7, 21 KOs) in the 10-round main event.

As has become the trademark of these successful shows, promoter Bobby Hitz has packed the undercard with local and international talent, including NABA-US Lightweight Champion Yakubu "Black Mamba" Amidu (20-3-1, 18 KOs) of Los Angeles via Ghana, in a six-round bout; undefeated heavyweight crowd pleaser David "Diesel" Latoria (10-0, 5 KOs), also in a six-rounder; popular Chicago super-middleweight dynamo Mike "Hollywood" Jimenez (6-0, 3 KOs) will go six rounds; undefeated heavyweight powerhouse David Martin III (5-0, 4 KOS) of Hobart, Indiana, will fight four or less; fighting light welterweight gym owner Genaro Mendez (4-1-1, 3 KOs) will go six rounds;nearby Chesterton, Indiana, heavyweight Philip Triantafillo (2-0, 1 KO) will fight a four-rounder and professional super flyweight and former National Jr. Olympic Champion Johnny "WiteBoi" Determan (4-0, 3 KOs) from Nebraska will go four rounds.

"Due to the tremendous success of these shows and the record-breaking crowd we welcomed at the last show, we are bringing back several of the most popular fighters and introducing some new talent as well," said Hitz Boxing Founder, Bobby Hitz. "Boxing shows at the Horseshoe are like bringing Las Vegas to the Midwest. It's a fantastic venue with terrific people to work with and we're all very excited about this great event."

All opponents will be announced shortly.

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.

Fres Oquendo Wants Seth Mitchell, Chris Arreola and Any Other American Heavyweights Willing to Fight

photo by Joey Hill -
Chicago Boxing News

Watching Jean-Marc Mormeck get blown out by Wladimir Klitschko last weekend, the frustration was overwhelming for long-time heavyweight contender "Fast" Fres Oquendo (33-7, 22 KOs).



The Chicago-based fighter had soundly beaten Mormeck (everywhere but the scorecards) in Mormeck's adopted home of France in 2010. And that "victory" by Mormeck, coupled with another questionable win over former champ Timur Ibragimov, seemed to be the two fights that propelled Mormeck into the embarrassing Klitschko fight.



"I get robbed and he gets a title fight," said the angry Oquendo of Mormeck. "I beat him easily, but because we fought in his backyard I would have had to knock him out to win by split decision. I could have told you that would happen to him against Klitschko. He's not a real heavyweight. I played with him. And if you saw his fight with Ibragimov, he lost that one too (also held in France)."



It was hardly the first time controversy has hampered Oquendo's career. A legitimate case could be made that he hasn't lost a fight since 2006. In addition to the Mormeck fiasco, in recent years, Oquendo has dropped other stinky decisions to James Toney (2008) and Oliver McCall (2010), while winning his other seven contests. Add in that in 2003, Oquendo lost a hideously unfair decision to then-champion Chris Byrd in a challenge for Byrd's IBF title.



"I keep trying to do the right things, taking any fight they've got for me that is halfway fair and reasonable and I keep getting the short end of the stick," he continued. "So from now on, I'm going to be calling guys out and making things happen on my own, rather than waiting for boxing to do the right thing. I want any of these new guys. I'll take Seth Mitchell. Chris Arreola. Any of them. Bring them on. I'm the best American heavyweight in boxing and I am going to prove it."



"At 38, Fres is still a very good fighter with plenty left," says his promoter, Bobby Hitz of Hitz Boxing. "He's only really lost two fights in the last decade and he's fought a who's who of heavyweights in the world. He's an established guy and he deserves one last shot at the title. Who else are they going to give the next shot to? Tony Thompson or Eddie Chambers again?"



Hitz also says Vitali Klitschko and Oquendo sparred together while Klitschko was preparing for Tomas Adamek and Oquendo very much got the better of the oldest brother.



"Fres has always been a nice guy who believed his time would come, but now he's seeing he's got to make things happen, so what he's going to do is KO one guy after another until they can no longer ignore him. Tell all the American heavyweights they've got a fight waiting for them. Pick up the phone and we're ready. We're calling out every last one of you."