2012 Olympic Bronze Medal winner Taras Shelestyuk back Friday night in Ontario, California

Taras Shelestyuk (l) weighed in at 146.7 lbs while Patrick Boozer weighed in at 146.4 lbs.  Future Hall of Famer, James Toney looks on in the background Photo by Carlos Baeza / Thompson Boxing      For Immediate Release Ontario, CA (September 25, 2014)--2012 Olympic bronze medal winner Taras Shelestyuk (8-0, 6 KO's) of Sumy, Ukraine weighed in at 146.7 while opponent Patrick Boozer (6-2, 2 KO's) of Ann Arbor, Michigan, weighed in at 146.4 for Fridaynight's 8-round Welterweight bout at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, California. Shelestyuk, who represented Ukraine in the 2012 Olympics, has won his last three bouts by stoppage.  In his last two bouts, he has finished off his opponent in the 1st round. Shelestyuk is promoted by Banner Promotions.  The show is promoted by Thompson Boxing.

1st World Championship fight coming to Mississauga Interim WBA cruiserweight champ Youri Kalenga Defends title against undefeated Denton Daley Nov. 15 at Hershey Centre in Ontario, Canada

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release    MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Canada (September 3, 2014)) - Interim World Boxing Association (WBA) cruiserweight champion Youri "El Toro" Kalenga (20-1, 13 KOs) will defend his title November 15 against undefeated, No. 4-rated "Dangerous" Denton Daley (12-0, 6 KOs) at Hersey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Kalenga-Daley will headline "World Championship Boxing," promoted by United Boxing Promotions (UBP). It will mark the first world title fight ever held in Mississauga, as well the first in the province of Ontario in 4 1/2 years, since Mississauga-native Steve "The Canadian Kid" Molitor defeated Takalani Ndlovu in Rama by 12-round decision for the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) super bantamweight championship. Kalenga-Daley will also be the first major world championship fight held in the Toronto market since March 29, 1966, when hometown hero George Chuvalo lost a 15-round unanimous decision at Maple Leaf Gardens to world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali. The Kalenga-Daley winner will become the mandatory challenger for the winner of a September 27th WBA World "regular" cruiserweight championship match in Moscow between defending champion Denis Lebedev (25-2, 19 KOs) and unbeaten challenger Pawel Kododziej (33-0, 18 KOs). "United Boxing Promotions is proud to present this fight at the Mississauga Hershey Centre," UBP promoter Don MacDonald commented. The 6,000 fight fans that will ram the facility will witness what will be a war between two great fighters.   "Youri is a true warrior! Instead of hiding and fighting bums in the cruiserweight division, he is willing to come to Canada and put his title on the line in his first defense. This in itself defines his character as a true champion."        Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the 26-year-old Kalenga fights out of  France, where 16 of his 20 professional fights have been held. His initial title defense against Daley will mark the African's first pro fight outside of Europe. Kalenga captured the Interim WBA crown in his last fight this past June 21 in Monte Carlo, winning a 12-round split decision (116-112, 115-113, 113-115) over Mateusz Masternak (32-1). "I am very excited to be defending my WBA interim world title for the first time in Canada against Denton Daley," Kalenga said. "Daley is a good technical fighter with some decent skills. He has never faced any opponent like me and once he feels my big punch power he will lose touch of all his skills." The 32-year-old Daley has lost only one round in his 12 professional fights to date. Under the guidance of his head trainer, two-time world title challenger Syd Vanderpool, Daley is a former college basketball player in Canada, as well as a college graduate with a degree in business, whose professional boxing career didn't start until 2010. After pitching a complete shutout against former world champion Richard Hall (30-11) in 2013, winning all 10 rounds on each of the three judges' scorecards, Daley faced Faisal Ibnel Arrami (15-4) on June 1, 2013 for the vacant North American Boxing Association (NABA) cruiserweight title. Daley won the title when Arrami was unable to continue after four rounds due to a shoulder injury. In a pair of NABA title defenses, Daley has won 10 and 12-round unanimous decisions, respectively, versus Jean Marc Monrose (26-6) and Andres Taylor (21-5-2). "I'm very excited that Kalenga accepted to take the fight in my hometown as it means a lot to me and, more importantly, my fans," Daley remarked. "Ontario has been waiting for something like this to happen for a while now and I'm the perfect person to deliver because I don't shy away from hard work. Getting this victory will be huge for me and the people of Ontario."   Tickets for the Nov. 15 event, starting at only $20.00, are on sale and available to purchase at the Hershey Centre box office (Gate A entrance), online atwww.ticketmaster.ca, or by calling TicketMaster at 1.85.985.5000. Go online at www.unitedpromotions.cafor additional information, friend Daley atwww.Facebook.com/UnitedBoxingPromotions. Follow UBP on twitter at @UnitedPromotions, Kalenga @YouriKalengaELT, and Daley @DentonDaley.

STEVE SMOGER'S POPULAR REFEREE CLINIC HEATING UP PANAMA MAY 26

Panama's former World WBA Champion Chanttall "La Fiera" Martinez is shown here at Rockers Gym with Steve Smoger TORONTO (April 24, 2014) -- Steve Smoger's popular and informational Referee Clinic, recently conducted in St. Maarten, Delaware and Toronto, Ontario, Canada, will next be held May 26 at the historic Colonial Hotel and Casino in the heart of Panama City, Panama. With respect to the Toronto clinic, Executive Director of Boxing Ontario, Matthew Kennedy, commented as follows: "What a pleasure it was for me and our team. Besides the boxers, no one is more scrutinized than the official and, more specifically, that third man in the ring. That position requires its own brand of poise, courage, confidence, integrity, and elegance. With two combatants in the ring, opinionated observers feel the referee is wrong at least half the time; but, with Steve Smoger, even the most hardened critic sees Steve being right all the time. With such pedigree and distinctive accomplishments at the highest level, it was our great pleasure and benefit to have him share that knowledge and experience." "It was truly my honor and pleasure," Smoger spoke about the Toronto clinic. "The enthusiasm shown by the group of Canadian officials was refreshing and stimulating. There was excellent participation by attendees and questions were on point and made for a stimulating and educational clinic for all of us. It also made my role as the presenter easier. I was very impressed with the great city of Toronto. I enjoyed everyone I met and look forward to having the opportunity to return in the near future. A special thanks goes to the host facility, the Marquis of Granby Pub & Restaurant/Banquet facility as the location host of the event, Boxing Ontario and Matthew Kennedy, of course, and the event coordinator, Jensen Strauss Agency Limitée, who helped put together a seamless and enjoyable visit. It was also a thrill to attend a post-event get together viewing party of Pacquiao vs. Bradley, hosted by Cornerstone Courier, in the presence of legendary George Chuvalo. "I look forward to returning to the beautiful country of Panama, where people have exhibited such warmth and hospitality to me in the past, and a country that is truly, in a boxing historical context, the Cradle of Champions." Recognized as one of boxing's most prolific referees, Smoger's 30-year career includes refereeing more than 850 bouts, averaging 27+ boxing matches refereed per year, and highlighted by more than 165 world title fights. A New Jersey and Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame inductee, Smoger is also this year's Ring 10 Arthur Mercante Award winner as the referee who exemplifies honesty and integrity in the sport of boxing and who attempts to do the best of their ability to keep the sport safe and at the same time entertaining.

Luis named Cornwall’s Ambassador of the Year!

Cornwall, Ontario (February 24, 2014) – Lightweight contender Tony “Lightning” Luis is Cornwall’s Ambassador of the Year.

 

Luis, who is 17-2 with 7 knockouts, received the award from the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce and gained fans worldwide following his gutsy performance versus Ivan Redkach January 17 on the Showtime Network. Against Redkach, one of boxing’s best young fighters, Luis pressed the action and exposed flaws in his foe’s style. Unfortunately, the likable 26-year-old had to deal with a poor job by Referee Randy Phillips and questionable judging, dropping a competitive decision.

 

Outside of the ring, the well-spoken Ontario native is equally as accomplished. In 2010, he graduated from St. Lawrence College with a police foundation degree and currently works full-time with handicapped children and adults. He also volunteers regularly in his community, most recently participating in an anti-bullying campaign with the local Boys & Girls Club.

 

“My community has been tremendous,” Luis said of Cornwall. “I’m extremely grateful and to be named am ambassador is very humbling. I really enjoy helping others and I’m living my dream. My plan is to give back as much as I can whenever possible throughout the community. Hopefully my next fight can be close to my hometown because I’ve got great support here and Cornwall means everything to me!”

 

Luis next fight will be announced shortly.

North America's top cruiserweight NABA champion 'Dangerous' Denton Daley

For Immediate Release Denton Daley (L) assaults Andres Taylor     (pictures by Blair Diamond Photography) MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Canada (February 19, 2014) - The No. 1 cruiserweight in North America, undefeated NABA champion "Dangerous" Denton Daley (12-0, 6 KOs), pitched a complete shutout last Saturday night against veteran Andres Taylor (21-6-2, 8 KOs), winning all 12 rounds on each of the three judges' scorecards, at Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The 31-year-old Denton, who is rated No. 6 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), controlled the action from the opening bell despite aggravating a hand injury. Denton vs. Taylor headlined "Doomsday," promoted by United Boxing Promotions (UBP) in association with Title Fight Promotions.  Denton, a former basketball standout at Canadian hoop powerhouse Sheridan College, made a firm statement to the world's leading cruiserweights, the majority of whom reside in Europe or Russia. "I'm ready to fight in a title eliminator, if not a for a world title," Denton said.  "This fight I made a statement about my progression to fight on the big stage, at the very least, against one of the top contenders." A college graduate with a degree in business administration, Daley fought 12 rounds for the first time in his relatively young professional boxing career.  "We never train to go less than 12 rounds," he explained, "but it is different going 12 in a fight.  I was confident of being able to go 12 but hadn't done it yet.  I asked my trainer, Syd (Vanderpool), what the secret was to go 12 rounds.  He just said, 'It's just two more rounds to fight.' Then, I went out and did it against a tough, experienced opponent."    Vanderpool (35-4, 23 KOs) is a two-time world title challenger who is known as a very technical coach. "This win was very important but I also look at each fight to see progression and development in all areas: skill, conditioning, and mental toughness.    Denton took a huge step this fight in developing mentally and that will prove to be a major asset that we can now call on with confidence because he had to overcome some adversity in this fight to get the win.  I am very pleased with his performance." Daley's promoter, Don MacDonald (Universal Boxing Promotions), was equally pleased with Denton's overall performance.  "Denton was in control of the fight the entire night," he added.  "He hit Taylor at will.  His jab was crisp and accurate." Although Daley may not be quite ready to take on Yoan Pablo Hernandez, Marco Huck, Krzysztof Wlodarczyk or Denis Lebedev right now, the Canadian cruiserweight is making noise north of the border, as well as positioning himself for a possible world title shot within the next year.   Team Daley  Go online at www.unitedpromotions.ca and www.Facebook.com/UnitedBoxingPromotions for additional information about UBP and Daley .  Follow UBP on twitter at @UnitedPromotions and Daley @DentonDaley.

Bellator Returns To Canada As Casino Rama Hosts Bellator 119 Friday, May 9 Live On Spike

Heavyweight Tournament Finals Featured, Canada’s Own John Alessio Returns

Newport Beach, Calif. (February 11, 2014) – Bellator will make its highly anticipated return to Canada on Friday, May 9^th as the promotion will return to Ontario’s Casino Rama for Bellator 119, live on Spike TV. The night will feature the finals of Bellator’s Season 10 Heavyweight Tournament, as well as the return of Canadian lightweight John Alessio.

The event will broadcast live at 9 p.m. EST/ 8 p.m. CST on Spike TV. The preliminary card will be streamed live and free on Spike.com beginning at7 p.m. EST/ 6 p.m. CST. Tickets for the event will be on sale Monday, February 17th and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.ca, Bellator.com, or by visiting the Casino Rama Box Office.

The Bellator Season 10 Heavyweight Tournament will feature Alexander Volkov, Mark Holata, Peter Graham, Mighty Mo, Ryan Martinez, Lavar Johnson, Rich Hale and Blagoi Ivanov. With reigning Bellator Heavyweight Champion Vitaly Minakov set to defend his title against Cheick Kongo on Friday, April 4^th, the heavyweight division will be on the full display throughout Bellator’s long awaited Season 10.

John Alessio will also return to the Bellator cage in a lightweight feature fight that will be featured on the Spike.com portion of the night.

More information on the Bellator 119 fight card will be made available in the coming weeks.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney @BjornRebney and check out Bellator on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/BellatorMMA    

Undefeated World Featherweight Contender Logan Cotton McGuinness is a Promotional Free Agent

ORANGEVILLE, Ontario, Canada (February 4, 2014) -- Undefeated North American Boxing Association (NABA) featherweight champion and world title contender, Logan Cotton McGuinness (20-0-1, 9 KOs), is a promotional free agent. The 26-year-old, fan-friendly McGuinness fought only once in 2013, capturing the vacant NABA featherweight title by way of a unanimous 12-round decision over South American champion Sergio Carlos Santillan (30-12-3). The rugged Irish-Canadian boxer has been mourning the recent death of his manager, Stephen den Elzen. McGuinness is currently  rated No. 4 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), as well as No. 14 by the World Boxing Council (WBC). A huge draw in Ontario, McGuinness has also been the NABA super featherweight and lightweight champion during his 5 ½ year professional career. "I'm confident of winning a world title, hopefully as soon as this year, with the right promoter in my corner," McGuinness said. "I'm thrilled to announce that I have an experienced boxing manager, Attorney Larry Army, Jr., as a new member of my team. I was deeply saddened by the loss of my good friend and manager, Stephen den Elezen, who I'm sure would be happy with my selection of Larry as my advisor. I'm sure that Larry will connect me with the right promoter to help me realize my dream of becoming world champion." Army is president of Massachusetts-based Elite Management, which is a full-service boxing management firm focused on branding professional boxers. Best known for guiding the successful careers of world-title contenders Edwin Rodriguez and Peter Manfredo, Jr., Army presently manages one of the hottest prospects in the world, new USBA lightweight champion Ivan "The Terrible" Redkach. "I'm excited to be working with a world-class boxer like Logan McGuinness," Army remarked. "Not only is he a highly-rated fighter, Logan is a tremendous ticket seller in Canada. He is an exciting, good looking Irish-Canadian fighter who has tremendous marketability potential across North America and Europe. It's not going to be difficult finding a top promoter to sign Logan to a promotional contract position him to fight for the world title." McGuinness' most notable victories have been against 2004 Canadian Olympian Benot Gaudet (24-2), Dominican Republic champions Carlos Manuel Reyes (23-1-1) and Hector Julio Avila (47-5), Polish title-holder and European title challenger Krzysztof Szot (16-3-1), Bahamian champion Meacher Major (20-4-1), Daniel Ruiz (23-3-1) and Carribbean champion Pedro Navarette (24-6-3). Follow McGuinness on Twitter at @LocoPuglist Action picture by Clair Diamond / Posed picture by Gregory James

NABA cruiserweight champion Denton Daley To make 2nd title defense Feb. 15 in Canada

(L) "Dangerous" Denton Daley sticks his jab MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Canada (January 22, 2014) - Undefeated North American Boxing Association (NABA) cruiserweight champion "Dangerous" Denton Daley (11-0, 6 KOs) is set to make his second title defense Saturday night, February 15 against veteran Andres Taylor (21-5-2, 8 KOs) at Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Denton is a 31-year-old Brampton native, who trains in Kitchener, Ontario, and is rated No. 7 by the World Boxing Association (WBA) and No. 14 by the World Boxing Council (WBC). Taylor is a former World Boxing Foundation (WBF) All-Americas cruiserweight champion from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Denton vs. Taylor is the 12-round main event on "Doomsday," promoted by United Boxing Promotions (UBP) in association with Title Fight Promotions. Denton's promoter, Don MacDonald, believes this is a crossroads fight for both boxers. "Denton has to beat a tough veteran like Taylor to prove that he's a legitimate world class cruiserweight and future world title challenger," UBP president Don MacDonald said. "Taylor needs to pull off an upset to get back into the cruiserweight picture and beating Denton will likely position him in the world ratings." Daley's most significant victory to date is a win by 10-round decision over former world champion Richard Hall last March for the vacant North American Boxing Federation (NABF) cruiserweight championship. In his last fight, Daley won a unanimous 10-round decision this past September versus Jean Marc Monrose (26-6). A gatekeeper of the cruiserweight division, Taylor has been stopped only once in 28 professional fights. He was supposed to challenge WBA World Cruiserweight Champion Guillermo Jones in the fall of 2012, but Jones' hand injury postponed the fight and Taylor never got his world title shot. Jones has since fought only once and has been designated as the WBA Cruiserweight Champion in Recess. Denton was a standout basketball player for Canadian hoop powerhouse Sheridan College, from where he graduated in 2004 with a degree in business administration. Three years later, he took a friend up on his offer to go to a boxing gym and he hasn't looked back. Denton Daley vs Andres Taylor February 15th at the Hershey Centre His athleticism helped him make a smooth transition from basketball to boxing in a relative short time. "I was told by my amateur coach, Dwight Frazier, I was lucky to have played basketball because, in the ring, I had natural foot movement and good hand-and-eye coordination," Denton said. "The transition from one sport to another was easy. I've never really thought about getting hurt in boxing. I understand you can get hurt but I have concentrated on minimizing the possibility by training hard and being in top condition. I've always been fearless." Denton is fortunate to have two-time world title challenger Syd "The Jewel" Vanderpool (35-4, 23 KOs) as his head trainer. "Syd has been a blessing in disguise," Denton explained. "He is a very technical coach, explaining why every move is made. He immediately got my attention and I've fully trusted him since we met." "Denton came to me with lots of athletic ability and uncanny ring awareness," Vanderpool noted. "He studies a lot and is a real student of the game. He's working on basic fundamentals and balance that he'll need once we get to the highest level of competition. He's learning how to systemically break down opponents instead of just launching punches. I told him he has 12 rounds to breakdown an opponent; take away their jab and movement, and then go for the kill." "Doomsday" tickets, starting at $35.00, are on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets and the Hershey Centre Box Office. Doors open at 7 p.m. ET with the first fight scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET. Go online for additional information at www.unitedpromotions.ca and www.Facebook.com/UnitedBoxingPromotions. Follow UBP on twitter at @UnitedPromotions and Daley @DentonDaley. -30- CONTACT: Bob Trieger, Full Court PRESS, 978.664.4482, bobtfcp@hotmail.com, @FightPublicist

Luis geared up for return bout with former amateur foe Luna!

 

Ontario, Canada (November 8, 2013) – Promising lightweight Tony “Lighting” Luis believes he could very well become the first fighter to stop rugged New Yorker Raphael Luna when the two battle tomorrow evening at the Whitehall Athletic Club in Whitehall, NY.

 

About eight years ago as an amateur, the 17 year old Luis trekked from his native Canada to face Luna, who is six years his senior. At the time, Luis was aware of Luna’s reputation and knew he’d have to work hard for a victory.

 

“It was a dangerous fight to take at the time,” Luis said of their initial meeting. “He was known as a big puncher in the amateurs. He was a little bit of a trash talker before the fight but I outboxed him and won a decision.”

 

As professionals however, the two have gone on separate paths.

 

Although Luna’s record is an uneven 4-5-2 with 1 win by knockout, he’s had no help from the judges. The Albany native’s two draws came in the hometown of his opponent and he’s also dropped split and majority decisions. Two of the three men to defeat him unanimously, Ryan Kielczweski and Mel Crossty, are now a combined 22-0.

 

Known as one of Canada’s brightest young stars, Luis won his first 15 bouts and claimed a minor WBC title following a first round knockout in 2011. On January 25, the fast and exciting 25-year-old stepped up and battled 6’0 late replacement Jose Hernandez. The two warriors engaged in one of ESPN’s most exciting fights of the year however, Luis was stopped in the eighth round. After spending time in the gym to correct some of his mistakes, Luis returned in May to shut out iron chinned veteran Maurycy Gojko.

 

Against Luna, Luis, who has never seen his foe fight in the paid ranks, admittedly is entering the ring with plenty of confidence.

 

“I haven’t seen him since we fought as amateurs. The way I’m looking it at is he’s 31 now and I am a man not a teen. I believe I’ve made more improvements than him. The game plan is to box smart, stay away from his punches and kill him with hand speed. I’m not worried about him he should be worried about me. I don’t want this to go to the judges and I want to punish him but I won’t force a knockout.”

 

Luis is also aware that another significant fight will likely proceed if he’s victorious.

 

“I am penciled in for an ESPN fight in January at Turning Stone. With that said, I’m focused on Luna now. I have to take care of business. Come Saturday, everybody will see a smarter Tony Luis who is just as fast and aggressive. I fought stupid against Hernandez I got caught up in the moment. I did soul searching and got back to my boxing and the style that made me effective.”

 

For tickets or more information, go to Whitehallathleticclub.com or call 518-832-3662.