WBA Won’t Approve Diaz vs. Freitas

WBA Press Release
April 3, 2007

PANAMA – The World Boxing Association (WBA) wants to clarify the situation of its Lightweight champion Juan Diaz as in the last few weeks it has been widely publicized that he would be taking part in a fight that has not been approved by the WBA.

During the last WBA Annual Convention, held back September 2006 in Tokyo, Japan, representatives for Juan Diaz solicited a special permit for him to fight an optional fight against Fernando Angulo even though his mandatory period was overdue. The permission was granted on the grounds that the winner of Diaz vs. Angulo would face Prawet Singwancha, who had been appointed as official challenger, before February 4, 2007.

However, in the last few weeks a unification bout between Diaz and Freitas emerged as a possibility.

The WBA has always been in favor of encouraging unification fights and in this case has been open for an agreement between the parties involved for that bout to come off.

Consequently, the WBA showed its good willingness towards this matter but ultimately it goes far beyond its power. As no agreement had been reached, the WBA had no other option but to call a purse bid for the Diaz vs. Singwancha fight to proceed as mandated.

The mentioned purse bid was won by Golden Boy Promotions on Monday and that fight has to take place within the next 90 days.

The World Boxing Association (WBA) informs that on Monday April 2 Golden Boy Promotions won the purse bid for the WBA Lightweight mandatory fight between champion Juan Diaz and official challenger Prawet Singwancha.

The purse bid was supervised by WBA Executive Vice-President Gilberto Jesus Mendoza and Audit Director Michael Welsh and was won with a 160,000 US dollars offer, presented by Sampson Lewkowicz on behalf of Golden Boy Promotions.

The cities appointed as possible venues for the fight are Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Atlantic City, while the tentative date is June 30.

According to WBA Rules, the winning promoter of the purse bid must submit the signed contracts of the fight to the WBA and confirm the date and venue within the next 15 days.

TWO PURSE BID CANCELLED

Meanwhile, two other purse bids originally scheduled for Monday were cancelled due to the fact that the respective managers and promoters have come to an agreement and have sent the corresponding signed contracts for the fights.

In the case of the vacant WBA Light Flyweight title fight between No. 2 contender Juan Carlos Reveco and No. 3 contender Nehtra Sasiprapa, the bout will be organized by promoter Osvaldo Rivero, who appointed the province of Mendoza, Argentina as the venue next May 25.

As far as the bout between WBA Super Welterweight champ Travis Simms and official challenger Joachim Alcine, it will be promoted by Don King Productions, who appointed the state of Connecticut, US, as the venue, no later than next June 30.

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Felix Cora vs. Matt Godfrey

Cora Could Fight For World Title
By Joey Richards
March 29, 2007

GALVESTON — When referee James Warring stepped in to stop Felix Cora’s last fight, 2:52 into the fourth round of a scheduled 12-round bout on May 18, giving Vadim Tokarev the victory, it appeared Cora’s road to a possible world title had taken a detour.

Not only did Tokarev take away Cora’s North American Boxing Federation title in a battle of unbeaten cruiserweights, but he also handed the Galveston resident his first professional loss and sidetracked his world title hopes.

The loss hit Cora hard. The Ball High grad — then ranked No. 10 in both the World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation — tumbled in the rankings.

He resigned himself to a long, tough road back to contention.

Well, it turns out that road may not be too long after all.

The 26-year-old Cora will fight Matt Godfrey on April 6 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn.

The 12-round bout is the main event on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights. It will be televised live, starting at 8 p.m. April 6.

Godfrey’s NABA, WBC Continental Americas and WBC United States titles are all on the line, along with the vacant NABF title.

But there is an even bigger prize awaiting the winner. According to Cora’s dad and manager, Felix Cora Sr., the WBC has promised that the winner will become the No. 1 contender in the world and be in line for a shot at the WBC world title.

The younger Cora feels blessed to get a fight of this magnitude so quickly.

“God opened the door for me that I thought would take a while to have open for me ever again,” he said. “I thought I was out of the picture for a while. But, apparently, He looked into it and opened some doors for me.”

Ironically, it could take Tokarev longer to get that title fight than Cora, even though he’s still unbeaten.

Tokarev, ranked No. 11 in the World Boxing Association, No. 12 in the World Boxing Organization and No. 13 in the WBC when he fought Cora, has moved up to No. 5 in the WBC and IBF. He’s scheduled to fight Marco Huck later this year in an IBF eliminator fight. The winner is supposed to get a shot at IBF champ Krzysztof Wlodarczyk.

So Cora could beat Tokarev to the punch, so to speak.

“I’m in the same position I was in before, maybe better, and I give all the credit to God,” Cora said.

Godfrey (14-0, 8 knockouts) will be the highest-ranked professional boxer Cora has fought to date. The Providence, R.I., native is ranked No. 6 in the WBC, No. 9 in the IBF and No. 10 in the WBA.

Cora (18-1-2, 9 KOs) had moved up to No. 12 in the WBC, but dropped to No. 16 in the latest rankings, released Sunday.

Jean Marc Mormeck (33-3, 22 KOs) is the current WBC and WBA champ, after winning a decision over O’Neil Bell on March 17 to claim Bell’s titles.

The elder Cora said that fight opened the door for Godfrey and Cora, who are ranked Nos. 1-2 in the WBC’s NABF rankings.

The 26-year-old Cora is eager to make amends for his loss to Tokarev. He said the defeat was heart wrenching — like losing a girlfriend.

“I know what it feels like to be dumped,” he said. “I was dumped. I know what it feels like to be rejected. Nobody wants to talk to you. Nobody wants to deal with you. You’ve got to wait your chance. You wait for that opportunity again so you can say the right things or do the right things to win her back. I’m taking this fight that way.”

Notes: Cora has cut ties with Florida-based Warriors Boxing, and he’s currently fighting as a free agent, so to speak.

Cora hadn’t fought since May 18, and the elder Cora felt that Warriors wasn’t in a hurry to get his son a bout.

“They just kind of put Felix on the shelf,” he said. “Since our contract would have expired this month, we decided to part ways.”

Source

Analysis: Boxing And The Expanding Division

by Tom Donelson
Mar 27, 2007

IOWA CITY, Ia. — For those who have followed my writings for the past few years know that I love the cruiserweights.

With Jean-Marc Mormeck’s defeat of O’Neill Bell last week proved a point that I have made for years. The cruiserweights is one of boxing best and deepest division.

Any fight in this division is an evenly match affair between excellent fighters. This is not a case of mediocrity chasing mediocrity but excellent fighters competing with one another.

Every fighter ranked in the top ten is a championship caliber fighter and unlike other divisions, there isn’t enough championship belts to pass around.

If nothing else, the cruiserweights proves another point that I have been making over the years; that explosion of different and more division is actually good for boxing.

This is one area where most boxing pundits and historians disagree with me. If nothing else, the biggest complaints against boxing is that there are too many divisions. My point is that problem with boxing is not too many division but too many sanctioning bodies.

Take the cruiserweights for example. What boxing has figured out and the pundits or historians have not; athletes are bigger and stronger today than before.

With modern training methods, big money and occasional use of steroids, athletes have grown in stature. What was a heavyweight just a generation ago is now a cruiserweight.

Many of the cruiserweights today are just not strong enough or big enough to compete with the behemoths that populate the heavyweights.

Chris Byrd is considered a small heavyweight at 210 pounds but if he fought in the 60’s, 210 pounds would have been considered a big heavyweight!

So it is only logical that boxing recognize the changes that have occurred and the cruiserweights have shown that a new division can produced excellent fighters and competitive matches as good as any era.

There are two factors to consider. First, boxing draws from entire globe and there are more athletes to draw from. In the division from middleweights and beyond, European fighters are making impact and below the middleweights, Asian and Latin American fighters compete with the best of American fighters.

With the end of the cold war, there are entire classes of fighters that just two decades ago would be fighting amateurs for their communist masters. Now they box for pay. This has added to the depth of boxing worldwide and this can be seen just in the rankings alone.

The second factor is that multiple divisions have allowed for more sensible rise in weights. Boxers are not force to go from lightweight to welterweight in one move but can proceed gradually through the ranks.

A Diego Corrales or Jose Castillo can move from junior lightweight to lightweight to junior welterweight in steps and produce some excellent fights along the way.

And with boxing having the world at their disposals, they can populate any division with excellent fighters and each division has depth to produce great fights.

The cruiserweights are not the only division with depth throughout the top ten. Mormeck and O’Neill Bell would most likely face off in a third match to determine the best but below them are great fighters waiting their turn to face the winner.

Cruiserweights problem is not a lack of depth but a lack of recognition. And this division is proof that boxing does occasionally get things right, like adding division.

Source

Spinks vs. Taylor, 19 May 2007

Spinks takes over for Mora, will fight for Taylor’s title
By Dan Rafael
March 23, 2007

Unlike Sergio Mora, junior middleweight titlist Cory Spinks has no problem fighting in Memphis, Tenn.

Spinks (36-3, 11 KOs) will challenge middleweight champion Jermain Taylor (26-0-1, 17 KOs) on May 19 on HBO at the FedEx Forum, eagerly accepting the challenge a few days after Mora reneged on a deal for the fight because he was unhappy with the selection of Memphis as the host city.

“Cory is ready to make the most of the opportunity,” Spinks manager and trainer Kevin Cunningham told ESPN.com Thursday night. “We appreciate [promoter] Lou DiBella and Jermain for giving us the opportunity to challenge for Jermain’s title. We’re not going to blow it.”

DiBella wasted little time lining up Spinks after Mora, the winner of the first season of “The Contender” reality show, bailed on the fight.

He quickly reached a verbal agreement with Spinks promoter Don King and is awaiting the contracts.

“We made a deal and I am waiting for it to be signed,” DiBella said. “I’m waiting for the contracts and assuming that I get back something close to what I sent King, then we have a deal.”

Said Cunningham: “It’s on. We haven’t signed the contracts yet, but we have the contracts. We’ve agreed. At least one of the marquee fighters [Taylor] in boxing has the [guts] to fight Cory.”

While the main event figures to produce a tactical battle, the HBO undercard is more geared to producing fireworks.

Middleweight sluggers Kelly Pavlik (30-0, 27 KOs) and Edison Miranda (28-1, 24 KOs) will meet in a much-anticipated title elimination bout in the co-feature. The winner will become the mandatory challenger for the winner of the main event.

Pavlik promoter Bob Arum, Miranda promoters Seminole Warriors Boxing and Main Events all worked with HBO and DiBella to move the fight to the undercard. The bout was originally going to headline its own “Boxing After Dark” card on July 28.

“HBO raised the money they were willing to pay for the fight to compensate us for the gate we would have had and for the international [TV sales],” Arum said. “We’re glad we could work it out.”

Cunningham said Spinks — the son of former heavyweight champ Leon Spinks and nephew of Hall of Fame former heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Michael Spinks — opened training camp on Tuesday in Deerfield Beach, Fla., to get ready for the fight.

“Cory is extremely excited to have this fight,” Cunningham said. “The Spinks family has a history of making history.”

The fight matches the world’s No. 1 middleweight with the former undisputed welterweight champion, who is now recognized by many as the No. 1 junior middleweight. Spinks, coming off a lopsided decision win against mandatory challenger Rodney Jones on Feb. 3, will move from 154 pounds to 160 for the fight.

“Cory looks at this as a fight he has to win,” Cunningham said. “He has to win a fight like this to get respect from the networks and the experts. He feels it’s a fight he has to win. He’s looking at making history and becoming a three-division world champion. This is the opportunity for Cory to get respect and to be looked at as one of the best fighters of his time. If he has to go up in weight to fight a bigger, stronger, heavier guy, he has no problem doing it.”

Said DiBella: “In some ways, I would have preferred the Mora fight. I actually think Spinks is tougher for Jermain. Spinks is a more difficult fight with less reward. Cory is a difficult fighter. He’s an elusive guy. Jermain will have to track him down and impose himself on Cory.”

The match shapes up as a big regional rivalry, which is why DiBella wants to call the fight “The Border Battle.” Taylor, from Little Rock, Ark., and Spinks, from St. Louis, are both proven draws in their hometowns. Both cities are only a few hours by car from Memphis and fans of both fighters figure to flock to Memphis for the fight.

“People from both cities will come to Memphis for the fight. It’s a great regional fight,” DiBella said.

“It will be a huge fight in Memphis, a lot bigger than Taylor fighting Sergio Mora,” Cunningham said.

DiBella said that former welterweight champion Vernon Forrest (38-2, 28 KOs) will also be on the undercard, possibly in a junior middleweight elimination bout against European junior middleweight champ Michele Piccirillo (47-3, 30 KOs) of Italy.

Whether the fight will be part of HBO’s broadcast has not been determined, but even if it’s not, HBO likely would air highlights.

Piccirillo claimed a vacant welterweight world title on a highly controversial decision against Spinks in April 2002 in Italy and then lost the belt in his first defense against Spinks when they met in a rematch 11 months later, also in Italy.

Source

Paulus ‘The Hitman’ Moses Retains Title

The Hitman Retains WBA Title
by The Namibian
Thursday, March 22, 2007

WINDHOEK – Namibian boxer Paulus ‘The Hitman’ Moses retained his World Boxing Association (WBA) Intercontinental Lightweight title against Georgian-born challenger Beka Sadjaia at the Windhoek Country Club Resort.

Moses wasted no time in the 12-round bout as he took on the visiting challenger head-on with his unstoppable punches that landed heavily on Sadjaia’s head.

Moses, who stretched his professional record to 20 fights without a loss, was all over his opponent as he was looking for an early knockout.

Retaining his title is what drove Moses as he came on stronger and stronger with his powerful punches on Sadjaia.

Sadjaia had a running nose for most of the rounds as the determined Moses combined well with his left and right hooks on Sadgaia.

Moses, who won the fight by a unanimous decision in the eighth round beat the rather sloppy opponent in two minutes and 34 seconds.

The bombardment of punches went right up to the eighth round and finally caught the better of Sadgaia.

The brilliant performance of the undefeated WBA Intercontinental Lightweight boxer was witnessed by former President Sam Nujoma, who visibly enjoyed every minute of the fight.

In an earlier title fight, WBA Pan-African Junior Welterweight contender Jason ‘Taks’ Naule was crowned the new champion after beating South African contender Lawrance Ngobeni.

Ngobeni’s experience did not pay off as the lanky Naule came on strongly in the ninth round giving little time to his opponent to breath.

Naule won his first title fight by a unanimous decision and has stretched his record to 11 fights without a single defeat.

Recording the first technical knockout of the evening was super middleweight boxer Willbeforce Shihepo, who wasted no time as he crushed his South African opponent, Emmanuel Gwala.

Shihepo’s well-calculated knockout came in one minute and 34 seconds and he now boasts a record of 14 fights, 10 wins and four losses.

Featherweight Siegfried Kaperu also did his Namibian supporters proud as he went on to claim a victory after a unanimous decision in the six-round bout.

Kaperu now has a record of 14 fights, 11 wins and three losses.

He beat Siyabulela Ziqula from South Africa.

Super middleweight boxer Vikapita Meroro was another marvel to watch as he went on to record his seventh victory against South African opponent Kenneth Masekwane in a four-round bout.

Junior lightweight boxer Junius Amunyela won his fight by a unanimous decision against Victor Khota from South Africa.

Amunyela now boasts a record of seven fights and no loss.

Junior lightweight Jatoorora Tjingaveta beat Peter Malakia in a four-round bout by a unanimous decision and has extended his record to three fights, two wins and one loss.

Flyweight Simon Negodhi drew against Abmerk Shindjuu in their four-round bout while featherweight Mathew Niitembu went down to Albino Felesianu on points in their four-round bout.

The event sanctioned by the Namibia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Control Board was sponsored by Nampower, Total and the Windhoek Country Club Resort.

It was promoted by Nestor Tobias, the brain behind Namibia’s international boxing bonanzas.

Source

King To Unify Heavyweights

King Vows To Unify Heavyweights
by Barnaby Chesterman
15 March 2007

PARIS – Don King rolled into Paris this week ahead of the cruiserweight world title rematch between undisputed champion O’Neil Bell and France’s Jean-Marc Mormeck.

The flamboyant King’s primary role is that of fight promoter but the man with electric hair had a surprise for everyone up his sleeve.

Aside from seemingly turning his hand to French politics during his stay in the French capital – King spent half the pre-fight press conference in Parisian suburb Levallois campaigning for Levallois mayor Patrick Balkony, who does not even have any elections coming up.

The loud man of boxing was also keen to tell anyone within earshot about his next engagement.

After Saturday’s eagerly-anticipated title fight, King will head off to the Vatican for a meeting with the Pope.

“Pope Benedict XVI is going to receive me and I’m going to ask him to say a prayer for this great man Patrick Balkony,” gushed King, clearly pleased that Balkony had helped him bring the title fight to France.

Mormeck is King’s main man for the fight and the promoter is convinced his charge will win back the titles he lost to Bell in their original meeting a year ago.

“I will be with Pope Benedict XVI to tell him about the great comeback (of Mormeck) that took place here and I’m going to present him with the WBC belt,” added King, who was draped in sparkling silver jewellery.

After meeting with the Pope, an arrangement facilitated by the priest brother of a fighter King promotes, King will turn his attentions back to the jumbled heavyweight division.

After briefly claiming that Mormeck will storm the division once he has dealt with Bell and swept up all before him at cruiserweight, King turned his focus to the actual reigning champion big men.

With four recognised world championship belts in each of the 17 professional boxing divisions, the sport can become somewhat confusing for the ordinary fan.

A few years ago, King tried to clear up matters in the middleweight division by staging a mini-competition between the four belt holders.

American Bernard Hopkins emerged as the undisputed middleweight king and a star was born. He has since lost his titles but his name still commands the utmost respect in the boxing fraternity.

Now King wants to put on a similar winner-takes-all competition in the heavyweight division.

“Absolutely! That’s the only way to give the public something they can relate to and identify with,” said King.

“They must be able to know who is the champion. Right now they’re very confused and so am I.”

The four current world champion heavyweights are Ukraine’s Vladimir Klitschko, giant seven-feet tall Russian Nikolay Valuev, Kazakh-born Russian Oleg Maskaev and American Shannon Briggs.

It is generally accepted that the two outstanding fighters in the division are Klitschko and Valuev – whose recent performances have suggested he is more than a giant freak show.

King, who co-promotes Valuev, is desperate to get Klitschko into the ring with his man.

“He’s on the list. I want Klitschko like a rare steak or roast beef. Nikolay Valuev told me yesterday: I want him Mr King, I want him. He has a great appetite and it’s insatiable.

“Nikolay is a giant man with a giant heart. He’s a great man and I love him. He protects women in the parking lot.

“He’s the man who gets out there and knocks down men that are pushing women around or grabbing their pocket books.”

That is one fight the world is waiting to see, but one that poses a minefield of contractual obstacles to overcome.

However, after meeting the Pope, hopefully King will come away from the Vatican with the kind of divine intervention needed to make Klitschko-Valuev become a reality.

Source

Three Cuban Boxers Defect To The USA

From Sports Jamaica
12 March 2007

Three top Cuban boxers, including reigning Olympic heavyweight champion Odlanier Solis, have defected and are about to start professional careers.

Solis, who won the heavyweight gold medal in Athens, Yuriorkis Gamboa and Yan Barthelemy, who also won Olympic gold in 2004, defected to the USA earlier this month.

They announced at a press conference at Miami’s David’s Cafe in South Beach, that they would pursue their professional boxing careers under the tutelage of Florida-based attorney and manager Tony Gonzalez and German promotional companies, Arena Box Promotion and First Artist.

Solis is also a two-time Pan American Games champion and three-time world amateur champion.

Super bantamweight Gamboa was World Cup gold medallist last year, and flyweight Barthelemy is a former world amateur champion.

The fighters agreed in unison that a defection was necessary to pursue their professional dreams.

It is the first time a Cuban Olympic gold medal heavyweight, considered a vital sportsman in his country, had made the decision to leave the national team and fight professionally.

“After winning every major amateur title, I knew that I only had one last challenge, and that was becoming (professional) heavyweight champion of the world,” said Solis.

“I feel a loss leaving my country but I am ready to turn professional and work towards obtaining that goal,” Solis declared.

Solis and Barthelemy are both natives from Havana, while Gamboa is originally from Guantanamo, Cuba.

The trio should be making their pro debuts on April 13 in Miami against opponents to be decided.

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Austin Promises Transformed Fighter

By ROY KAMMERER
03.09.07, 4:34 PM ET

Not many believe American challenger Ray Austin will take the IBF heavyweight title away from Wladimir Klitschko on Saturday.

But Austin’s camp is promising to send a different fighter into the ring against the hard-hitting Ukrainian than the one that compiled a mediocre 24-3-4 record with no big wins.

Stacy McKinley has trained Austin for the past two months, after drawing praise for improving Samuel Peter of Nigeria, who is in line for a title shot against WBC champion Oleg Maskaev.

“You’re going to see a much improved fighter,” said McKinley, who was the assistant trainer for Mike Tyson for a decade. “I don’t see any reason he can’t win. Once you get past the punching power of Klitschko, there is nothing there.”

Three straight wins against top fighters have ranked Klitschko – 47-3 with 42 knockouts – at the top of the current heavyweights.

He beat Peter – before McKinley trained him – then stopped Chris Byrd and Calvin Brock. Now, the 30-year-old Ukrainian is looking beyond Saturday’s mandatory defense to loftier goals.

Klitschko’s hopes of a unification fight, however, have been thwarted by the competing interests of the four boxing organizations and their champions’ promoters.

“I have been working on that since I won the title again, but I’m not one step further,” said Klitschko, who was once the WBO champion. “But fights can happen that everybody wants to see.”

Wladimir and older brother Vitali Klitschko – who promote themselves – see Saturday’s bout as about more than just two boxers. Austin fights for Don King, whom the Klitschkos have generally refused to work with.

“This isn’t just about two fighters, it’s about two promoters,” said Vitali Klitschko, the former WBC champion who is planning a comeback.

Like Austin, Wladimir Klitschko has also received a boost from his own corner.

Emanuel Steward, who trained Lennox Lewis, is credited for vastly improving Klitschko since two knockouts threatened to end his career. Klitschko was stopped in two rounds by Corrie Sanders in 2003 and in five by Lamon Brewster in 2004.

“Most trainers ignore the basics. Steward and I are the few that don’t,” McKinley said. “It’s like a house. You have to start with the structure, then build from there. That’s what I did with Peter and that’s what I’m doing with Austin.”

McKinley said Austin, for the first time in his career, has the benefit of a professional training camp, multiple sparring partners and conditioning coaches.

Before a July draw against Sultan Ibragimov, which earned him the Klitschko fight, Austin had just eight sparring rounds.

Now Austin has been fine-tuned by the pros to beat Klitschko, according to McKinley. They are close to the same height and weight at around 6-foot-6 and 246 pounds.

“Steward has been saving Klitschko from the corner in his last fights,” McKinley said. “The downside of Klitschko is he can’t take a punch and he hasn’t got the heart.”

Klitschko, avoiding any trash talking, said he hoped for a quick end to the fight.

But Steward was quick to defend his fighter.

“After one minute of the first round, everything will change for Ray Austin when he realizes who he is in the ring with,” Steward said. “Wladimir is on a different level.”

Source

SPECIAL DELIVERY: In This Garage Corner . . .

Boxer Smith helps wife give birth at home
By KEVIN IOLE
March 07, 2007

As a professional boxer, Ishe Smith is used to planning for all eventualities. So, when he learned his wife, LaToya, was pregnant with the couple’s third child, the Las Vegas resident began to prepare to make the delivery the easiest of the three.

The Smiths’ first daughter, 7-pound, 3-ounce Noelani, was born Friday, but neither Ishe nor LaToya is prepared to say the delivery was the simplest of the three.

The most memorable? Without question.

Noelani Smith, you see, was delivered by her father on the floor of the couple’s garage at their Summerlin home.

As Ishe Smith was dressing his sons, Ishe Jr., 5, and Ajani, 1, and preparing them for the ride to University Medical Center, he was blissfully unaware that LaToya was on the verge of giving birth.

“Ishe messed with the camcorder the night before to make sure the battery was charged and he was getting that to bring with us,” LaToya Smith said Tuesday. “I told him, ‘Let’s hurry.’ And then he was getting our younger son a glass of juice. I said, ‘I’m not sure you understand. We have to hurry.’ The craziest things seem to happen to us, but I never thought this would happen.”

After Ishe had strapped his sons into their seats in the back seat of the family’s 2006 Dodge Magnum a little before 6 a.m. Friday, he saw his wife standing next to the car. He urged her to get in.

She stared at him, saying nothing. He urged her a second time.

“I had everything taken care of and all was perfect in my eyes,” Ishe Smith said. “All she had to do was get into the car. But she was just looking at me.”

LaToya Smith thought she had answered, but by that point, things were not perfect. She wasn’t pushing but looked down and saw her daughter’s head appear.

She desperately pleaded with Ishe to help.

Despite all the preparation, despite all the tough-guy mentality he developed as a fighter, Ishe Smith knew he was in trouble. He called 911 and a dispatcher walked him through the birth.

The Smiths had had their carpets cleaned a day earlier and Ishe had brought an area rug into the garage to dry. It was a blessing, both said, because LaToya wasn’t forced to give birth on a dirty garage floor.

“I got over to her and the baby literally just came shooting out,” Ishe Smith said. “I called 911 and the (dispatcher) was a little surprised, but she was so good. She was calm and she kept me calm. She just told me step by step what I needed to do. She made me step up my game.”

Smith had his oldest son grab some towels to help. Following orders from the dispatcher, Smith neatly tied a shoestring around the umbilical cord.

“I wasn’t sure how tight to tie it and where to tie it, and the last thing I wanted to do was to hurt her,” Ishe Smith said.

But it turned out he tied it into a perfect little bow — “It was like he was tying a piece of ribbon on the top of a present,” LaToya Smith said — and remained unusually calm throughout.

Until, that is, the dispatcher told him to grab the placenta. Then, all of a sudden he was very squeamish.

“Ishe’s got a really weak stomach,” LaToya Smith said, chuckling.

“She told me to grab it and I was like, ‘Well, do I have to? It’s slimy!’ ” Smith said to the dispatcher.

By the time the paramedics arrived, Noelani was in her mother’s arms.

“Ishe Jr. keeps telling everyone that his baby sister was hatched in the garage,” Ishe Smith said. “I have to keep reminding him that she wasn’t hatched, she was born. But it was something none of us will ever forget. … Someone definitely was looking out for us.”

Source

In This Corner Hosted by Jeff ‘Defo’ Deforest

247MGI, Inc. Begins Pre-Production of ‘In This Corner’ Hosted by Jeff ‘Defo’ Deforest, the Voice of Boxing
PRIME NEWSWIRE
March 6, 2007

247MGI announced today that it will begin pre-production of “In This Corner” hosted by the voice of boxing, Jeff “DeFo” Deforest. The show will feature guests from the world of professional championship boxing past and present. “In This Corner” will be a half hour in duration and will broadcast from Las Vegas on The Las Vegas Network featuring fighters in the spotlight.

Matt Dwyer, 247MGI’s CEO said, “We are very fortunate to have this opportunity to produce this exciting show. ‘DeFo’ has at least a quarter century under his belt covering hundreds of top-notch boxing events. Jeff has worked with top flight promoters such as Don King Productions, Showtime and Warriors Boxing, (www.warriorsboxing.com) and he has decades of sports radio experience nationally as well as being the voice of the Miami Dolphins in south Florida. Jeff’s show can be heard on WSBR 790 AM and is simulcast via the Internet at www.790theticket.com.” Matt added, “We are delighted to have Jeff on the 247MGI’s team.”

“My generation loved watching the Friday night fights huddled around the black and white Philco television in the living room. I can remember the excitement of friends, family, the smell of cigars and cheering for our favorite prize fighter, taking small jabs, bobbing and weaving while seated at the edge of the couch,” said DeForest.

DeFo added, “Today’s generation still emulates that feeling of excitement. Fight fans from around the world gather for top flight boxing in Las Vegas, the Mecca of professional prize fighting. My desire is to bring the same energizing feeling to our show. I hope to get to the truth of boxing while bringing out that little kid in all of us with our fun filled show. The Philco TV and the cigar smoke in the living room is just a memory but one thing is for sure, what happens inside and outside the ring is still the same.”

About Jeff Deforest

Jeff DeForest keeps his audiences entertained weekdays from 5-7am with his razor-sharp wit and intellect, keen sense of humor, and deep reservoir of local sports knowledge. Affectionately known as DeFo, Jeff has gained a wide legion of fans through his three decades of experience on the South Florida radio dial. Brooklyn-born, and Syracuse Newhouse School of Communications-educated, DeFo has risen from his humble career beginnings as a teenage vendor at Shea Stadium. His journalism career began in Los Angeles covering the Southern Cal sports scene. DeFo arrived in South Florida in the early 80’s and was heard on the air on both WINZ and 94.9 FM. He then helped bring SportsTalk 610 the highest ratings of any sportstalk show in South Florida radio history. Three years were spent involved in both the Miami Dolphins and University of Miami Hurricanes network broadcasts before a move down the dial. Jeff teamed with Joe Rose to help form a popular morning tandem for six years, while he remained involved with the Dolphins’ broadcasts. After another move up the dial, DeFo has found a new home and set anchor here on SportsTalk 790. His broadcasting career is not limited to radio. His television credits include involvement with the Racing Report, a daily horse racing replay show on Sunshine Network; South Florida Sports Report; Sports Rap; play-by-play for Prime Network and Sunshine Network, as well as boxing commentary for HBO International and Pay Per View events

247MGI Inc is a full service multi media company, a one-stop media and advertising company that assists its clients by creating marketing materials utilizing technology driven media formats for the distribution of information worldwide. The company utilizes the Internet to deliver its content more efficiently and at a higher standard than its competition. 247MGI has developed and continues to create unique programs to include “LIVE” as well as streaming video content which will be delivered through the web and via satellite.

This media release may contain forward-looking statements regarding but not limited to management, market potential, distributor success, market size, international sales, including statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of 247MGI Inc and uncertainties that could materially affect actual results. Investors should refer to documents that the Company intends to file with the SEC for a description of certain factors that could change actual results. Investors should refer to factors that could cause actual results to vary from current expectations and the forward looking statements contained in this media release.

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