Chilemba looks to impress with Buddy McGirt in his corner

  Light heavyweight contender, Isaac "Golden Boy" Chilemba (19-1-1, 9 KOs) has hired famed trainer, Buddy McGrirt, to work his corner for his upcoming fight against Rayco Saunders set to take place this Saturday, September 29, 2012 at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut. 

In his last fight, televised on ESPN2, Isaac Chilemba defeated power puncher, Edison Miranda (35-7, 30 KOs), by way of unanimous decision.  He's looking to gain more knowledge in the ring working with McGirt.

"Buddy McGirt is an accomplished trainer and I'm excited to be working with him," said Chilemba. "He brings a lot of world championship experience to the ring and I know I can learn some new tricks from him.  We started training in Las Vegas a few weeks ago and everything is going smooth."

McGirt is an experience trainer who's guided the corner of many world title fights.  With Chilemba his goal is to keep it simple and make some minor adjustments to his style.

"Chilemba is a fantastic fighter and you can see that the talent is here," stated McGirt. "I don't really need to change much with Isaac's style, just need to brush up on a couple of things.  He's working hard and everything is coming together nicely. "

Chilemba vs. Sunders an 8-round bout, is scheduled off TV on the underdard of this Saturdays HBO BOXING AFTER DARK® beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.

ALEX PEREZ-ANTONIN DECARIE REPLACES CHILEMBA-ERDEI ON SEPTEMBER 29TH HBO BOXING AFTER DARK

New York, NY (9/7/12) - On Wednesday, it was announced that the Isaac Chilemba-Zsolt Erdei fight, scheduled to open up the HBO Boxing After Dark telecast live from the MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods® Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT, on September 29, had been called off after Erdei suffered two broken ribs in sparring. The 10-round light heavyweight bout was one of the most highly anticipated bouts on the card, which made the cancellation that much more disappointing. Fortunately though, Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment, was able to find a replacement that has many boxing insiders and fans alike quite intrigued as welterweight contenders Alex Perez (16-0, 9KO's) and Antonin Decarie (26-1, 7KO's) are set to square off in a 10-round match. The bout will be for Decarie's WBC International welterweight title. Clips of Chilemba's bout will be shown on HBO.The card, entitled "Road to Glory", is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, in association with Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing and Gary Shaw Productions. HBO will begin live coverage at 9:30PM. "Anytime you lose a fight it's an unfortunate situation, but when you lose one of this caliber it becomes even worse. Fortunately, we were able to find a replacement on very short notice, and not just any replacement, it is a fight that people are legitimately excited about," said DiBella. "Alex Perez is one of my best prospects and I think it's going to be a great fight with Antonin Decarie." The 30-year-old southpaw Perez had an impressive amateur career racking up 56 wins against just three losses and winning a New Jersey Golden Gloves Championship before turning pro in December 2004, scoring a first-round KO over Farrakhan Cuttino. Perez has had problems with his hands throughout his career resulting in stints of inactivity, including in 2007 when he was forced to sit on the sidelines for 15 months. Facing adversity is nothing new to Perez though. As an amateur, Perez was stabbed, and just three weeks after making his pro debut, he was shot in the chest. Perez, who has served as a lead sparring partner for world champions Sergio Martinez, Miguel Cotto and Felix Sturm, is coming off his two most impressive victories to date; a second-round TKO over Josh Sosa (10-1) in January and a 10-round unanimous decision over longtime contender Francisco "El Gato" Figueroa in March. Now Perez is set to see the bright lights of HBO for the first time when he squares off against the WBC #8-rated Decarie. The Canadian-born Decarie has become a major attraction in Canada, having fought all but two of his professional fights there. The 29-year-old Decarie turned pro in 2005 and won his first title in 2008, decisioning previously unbeaten Brian Camechis to pick up the WBO NABO welterweight belt. Decarie grabbed the vacant WBC International title in his last bout, winning a dominant 12-round unanimous decision over Victor Lupo Puiu (19-1-2). Decarie's lone defeat as a pro came againstSouleymane M'baye in a bout that was for the interim WBA world welterweight championship. "Road to Glory" is the highly anticipated HBO Boxing After Dark tripleheader, featuring some of the brightest young fighters in all of boxing looking to continue on their respective paths toward world championships. The card will take place on Saturday, September 29, at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods. The event is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, in association with Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing and Gary Shaw Productions. All three bouts will be aired on HBO's Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased through the Foxwoods box office by calling 1 (800) 200-2882. Tickets are priced at $45, $75, $100 and $200.

ZSOLT ERDEI SUFFERS BROKEN RIBS IN TRAINING, FORCED TO WITHDRAW FROM SEPT 29TH HBO BOXING AFTER DARK TRIPLE-HEADER

New York, NY (9/5/2012) -  Former two-division world champion Zsolt Erdei has been forced to withdraw from his much-anticipated September 29th light heavyweight match-up against Isaac Chilemba at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods after suffering two broken ribs in training.  The bout was scheduled to open up the HBO "Boxing After Dark" telecast, which is being headlined by top-rated super middleweight contender Edwin Rodriguez (21-0, 14KO's) defending his USBA championship against undefeated prospect Jason Escalera (13-0-1, 12KO's).  "I can't express enough how disappointed I am," said Erdei.  "I wanted this fight so badly.  To be honest I was so upset when this happened that I thought I would retire, but after speaking with my family and friends I have decided that I will be back.  Fighting is my life and I am going to be coming back soon as possible." Erdei was in great shape preparing for Chilemba and was getting ready to travel to the U.S. to finish up his training camp when he suffered the injury during sparring.  Erdei was hit with a body shot in an awkward spot causing the ribs to break.  X-rays of the break can be seen below: An announcement on the third televised fight will be made soon. # # # For more information visit us at www.dbe1.com, follow us at twitter/loudibella   or visit our fan page at facebook/dibellaentertainment

DIBELLA LOOKING FOR BREAKOUT PERFORMANCES ON SEPT 29TH HBO BOXING AFTER DARK TRIPLE-HEADER

New York, NY (8/30/12) - On Saturday, September 29, DiBella Entertainment presents the HBO Boxing After Dark triple-header, live from the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, in Mashantucket, CT. Headlining the card will be Worcester, Massachusetts' Edwin "La Bomba" Rodriguez (21-0, 14KO's) defending his USBA super middleweight championship against New Jersey knockout artist Jason "El Monstruo" Escalera (13-0-1, 12KO's). In the televised co-feature, Luis "Orlandito" Del Valle (16-0, 11KO's) faces his toughest opponent to date when he squares off against former world champion Vic Darchinyan (37-5-1, 27KO's) for the vacant NABF super bantamweight title. Opening up the televised portion of the card will be former two-division undefeated world champion Zsolt Erdei (33-0, 18KO's) taking on Isaac Chilemba (19-1-1, 9KO's) in a key light heavyweight matchup. The card is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, in association with Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing and Gary Shaw Productions. HBO begins live coverage at 9:30PM ET/PT. The triple-header is being called "Road to Glory" and the name is quite fitting as each fight carries heavy implications. It is just the second time that the top-rated Rodriguez will see airtime on the network (first in the main event), and it is a first for Escalera, Del Valle, Chilemba, and Erdei. Together the five fighters have a combined record of 102-1-2, with the lone fighter on the card sporting more than one loss being the veteran and former three-time world champion Darchinyan. Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment (DBE), has a knack for signing good young talent. DiBella guided the career of Andre Berto from his pro-debut to his first championship. He was also was the only promoter who was willing to take a shot at a then unknown Argentinean, Sergio Martinez. So when this past year's ESPN Boxing's Prospects to Watch List, compiled by esteemed writer Dan Rafael, came out, it was little surprise that several DBE-promoted fighters topped the list. DiBella sees championship material and expects big things in the careers from each of the DBE fighters on the card, and for that reason he feels there could be not one, not two, but three separate breakout performances on September 29.       Below is a closer look at each match-up. EDWIN RODRIGUEZ VS. JASON ESCALERA The 27-year-old Dominican-native Rodriguez, lives in Worcester, MA, but has been training in Houston with renowned trainer Ronnie Shields for his past three fights. The 2005 United States Amateur Champion and 2006 National Golden Glove Champion has gradually climbed the super middleweight world rankings since turning pro in early 2008. Rodriguez is currently rated as the IBF #4, WBC #4 and WBA #8 super middleweight in the world. Rodriguez is coming off an impressive 10-round unanimous decision over fellow contender Donovan George that was shown live on HBO. Rodriguez hopes an impressive showing against Escalera will propel him into his first world title opportunity. The Puerto Rican Escalera, also 27 years old, calls Union City, NJ, his home. With devastating power in both hands, Escalera has the ability to end a fight in the blink of an eye. Like Rodriguez, Escalera also turned pro in early 2008, after winning the New Jersey Golden Gloves Light Heavyweight Championship in 2007. The only blemish thus far on Escalera's record is an eight-round split decision draw against fellow prospect Nick Brinson back on May 18 of this year. LUIS DEL VALLE VS. VIC DARCHINYAN From 2004-2007, while Del Valle was tearing through the amateur ranks, picking up a number of regional and national championships (http://boxrec.com/media/index.php?title=Human:450099), Darchinyan, already a pro for four years, was the king of the flyweights. Darchinyan won the first of his three world titles by stopping longtime IBF champion Irene Pacheco on December 16, 2004. Darchinyan defended that title six times, before being knocked out by Nonito Donaire in 2007. By 2008, Darchinyan had moved up in weight to claim the IBF super featherweight title. On November 1, 2008, Darchinyan became the undisputed champion, knocking out Cristian Mijares, to add the WBC and WBA belts to his collection. Seven months before Darchinyan fought Mijares, the Puerto Rican Del Valle made his pro debut scoring a third-round KO over Ray Rivera in Atlantic City. After starting his career campaigning in the featherweight and super featherweight divisions, Del Valle has since begun the gradual drop down to super bantamweight. Del Valle is currently rated #4 in the WBA featherweight ratings, #10 in the WBO and #13 in the WBC super bantamweight ratings. A win over Darchinyan, for the vacant NABF title, will allow Del Valle to crack the top 10 of the super bantamweight rankings. On the other hand, Darchinyan knows that this could be his last chance at reclaiming another world championship and will undoubtedly be leaving it all on the line come fight night. ZSOLT ERDEI VS. ISAAC CHILEMBA From 2004-2009, Erdei ruled the light heavyweight division, defending his WBO title 11 times. In 2009, Erdei moved up in weight to challenge WBC Cruiserweight Champion Giacobbe Fragomeni. Despite giving up 17 pounds, Erdei won a majority decision. Soon after that, Erdei retired. The retirement didn't last long though, as Erdei returned a year later making his U.S. debut under new promoter DiBella Entertainment. Erdei was scheduled to challenge IBF Light Heavyweight Champion Tavoris Cloud last year, but was forced to withdraw after suffering an injury in training camp. Now Erdei is back, healthy and rested, and ready to make another run at light heavyweight supremacy. In his way stands the IBF #5, WBC #6, WBA #13, and WBO # 14 rated Chilemba. The 25-year-old South African Chilemba's lone loss came way back in 2007. The only other blemish on Chilemba's record is a 12-round split decision draw to highly regarded, undefeated super middleweight contender Thomas Oosthuizen (also promoted by DBE). Chilemba is coming off his most impressive victory to date, a dominant 10-round decision victory over former world title challenger Edison Miranda. Chilemba currently holds six victories over previously undefeated fighters and is confident that September 29 will make lucky number seven. "Road to Glory" is the highly anticipated HBO Boxing After Dark tripleheader, featuring some of the brightest young fighters in all of boxing looking to continue on their respective paths toward world championships. The card will take place on Saturday, September 29, at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods. The event is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, in association with Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing and Gary Shaw Productions. All three bouts will be aired on HBO's Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased through the Foxwoods MGM Grand box office by calling (800) 200-2882. Tickets are priced at $45, $75, $100 and $200.

ROAD TO GLORY CONFERENCE CALL QUOTES

HBO BOXING AFTER DARK TRIPLE-HEADER SEPTEMBER 29 AT THE MGM GRAND AT FOXWOODS New York, NY (7/19/12) - Earlier this afternoon, DiBella Entertainment (DBE) held a teleconference to officially announce their much anticipated HBO Boxing After Dark Triple-Header, which will take place on September 29, at MGM Grand at Foxwoods.  The card, billed as "Road to Glory", is headlined by DBE's undefeated top-rated super middleweight contender Edwin "La Bomba" Rodriguez (21-0, 14 KO's) squaring off against the hard-hitting, up-and-coming super middleweight prospect Jason "Monstruo" Escalera (13-0-1, 12 KO's).  In the televised undercard bouts, undefeated former two-division world champion Zsolt Erdei (33-0, 18 KO's) takes on South Africa's top-rated light heavyweight Isaac Chilemba (19-1-1, 9 KO's), and Luis "Orlandito" Del Valle (16-0, 11 KO's) squares off against former three-time world champion Vic Darchinyan (37-5-1, 27 KO's).    The card is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, in association with Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxingand Gary Shaw Productions.  All three bouts will be aired live on HBO's Boxing After Dark,beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT. Tickets go on sale tomorrow morning at 10 AM ET and can be purchased through the Foxwoods MGM Grand box office by calling 1 (800) 200-2882. Tickets are priced at $45, $75, $100 and $200.  Below are some of the highlights from the call: LOU DIBELLA:  I'm very excited to announce this tremendous fight card which takes place on September 29 at the MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods, televised by HBO. This is a card that showcases a number of young talent fighting in true crossroads battles which have significance across multiple weight classes. I'm very happy to say that this card was done in cooperation with Gary Shaw Productions and Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing, so for a change you have promoters working together as opposed to going after each other and I think that's good for the sport. This card is entitled Road to Glory and while we have big plans and championship aspirations for all of our guys on the card, all three of these bouts are dangerous fights and we can't look past the task at hand on September 29th. EDWIN RODRIGUEZ: This is an important fight in my career. I'm fighting a young, up-and-coming prospect who has power in both hands and a strong will to win. I'm ready. I've been in camp for about three weeks. Prior to that, I was working with Andy Lee to help him get ready for the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. fight. I'm excited to get back on HBO on September 29, which is actually the day that my twins were born. It was a good day and a bad day for me at the same time because my kids were born premature at 23 weeks and five days. I'm working extremely hard with Ronnie Shields to keep getting better and improving my game. I'm looking forward to fighting in Connecticut, which is about an hour and a half from my hometown, so I'll have a lot of people supporting me. Jason's going to have a lot of fans there as well, and it's going to be a war. JOE DEGUARDIA (PROMOTER OF JASON ESCALERA): This fight between Jason Escalera and Edwin Rodriguez figures to be a Gatti-Ward kind of fight because they're both bangers, both exciting fighters. I'm proud of Jason Escalera, he's a real gentleman and a real warrior in the ring. LUIS ORLANDO DEL VALLE: I want to be the best and to be the best, you have to beat the best. We're going to prove to the world that we belong with the big boys on September 29. We've already started training camp and we have no doubt that we're going to come out with the win. We'll keep moving forward to our goal to capture on of the title belts. I can't wait. September 29 is a big day for me and is a big day for boxing because everyone will know who 'Orlandito' Del Valle is." ELIAS NASSAR (REPRESENTATIVE OF VIC DARCHINYAN): I want to thank HBO, Lou DiBella and Gary Shaw for putting this together for Vic. Vic's looking forward to fighting Del Valle on September 29. He's preparing very well over in Armenia and it should be a very exciting bout." ZSOLT ERDEI: Last time I fought was a year ago. I missed a fight in December because of my injury and I am very hungry to be in the ring again and I am very excited. I feel very strong and I feel 100 percent. I thank DiBella Entertainment and HBO for this fight. I am hoping to win and it is a big chance for the next fight to fight for a world championship again ISAAC CHILEMBA: I'm really looking forward to this fight. This is a fight that I have been waiting for all my life. I'm looking forward to showcasing my ability against someone like Zsolt Erdei, who is undefeated in 33 fights and is a former two-time world champion "Road to Glory" is the highly anticipated HBO Boxing After Dark Triple-Header, featuring some of the brightest young fighters in all of boxing looking to continue on their path towards their respective world championships.  The card will take place on Saturday, September 29, at MGM Grand at Foxwoods.  The event is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, in association with Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing and Gary Shaw Productions.  All three bouts will be aired on HBO's Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT Tickets go on sale tomorrow morning at 10 AM. ET and can be purchased through the Foxwoods MGM Grand box office by calling 1 (800) 200-2882. Tickets are priced at $45, $75, $100 and $200.