Warriors Boxing, Bluewave Boxing and Newhouse Promotions are proud to announce the signing of 2005 and 2006 United States Amateur Champion and undefeated super featherweight Mark “Too Sharp” Davis (16-0, 5 KOs) to an exclusive promotional agreement.
25-year-old Davis is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and now lives in Cleveland, Ohio. During his 200 amateur bouts, he competed at the 2005 World championships and won the Eastern Olympic trials for the 2008 Olympics. Davis also won gold medals at the 2002 US Junior Olympics, the 2002 US National Silver Gloves, and the 2002 Police Athletic League (PAL) tournament as a junior. He won a silver medal at the 2003 PAL and won a gold medal for the USA at the 2003 Under-19 Sweden Cup.
Lightning quick and masterful on defense, as a professional, Davis has already beaten some well-thought-of opposition, including Guillermo Sanchez (13-3) in his latest fight and Ramesis Gil (then 6-1) before that.
“We’re all very excited to be working with Mark,” said Leon Margules, President of Warriors Boxing. “He was a terrific amateur and he’s proven to be a blue-chip prospect as a professional. I predict big things for him.”
“He’s a future world champion,” said Bluewave’s Luis DeCubas. “Mark is at a level of skill already that puts him in an elite class. It’s going to be a pleasure to work with him and help get him where he wants to go in professional boxing.”
Newhouse Promotions, a Cleveland-based company, is also very pleased with the signing: “I feel Mark is on track to become the best fighter in the world,” said lifelong friend and Newhouse’s Tim VanNewhouse. “Working with strategic men like Luis DeCubas and Leon Margules, I know he will get the opportunity to compete on some of the highest levels the sport can offer.”
Alvarez-Hawk June 8 in Montreal
‘Storm’ brewing June 8 in Montreal
Alvarez defends NABO light heavyweight title against Hawk
Lemieux returns to action
MONTREAL (May 18, 2012) – Undefeated North American Boxing Organization (“NABO”) Light Heavyweight Champion Eleider “Storm” Alvarez (8-0, 5 KOs) makes his first title defense on Friday, June 8 against Native American challenger Shawn “The Sioux Warrior” Hawk (23-1, 19 KOs), headlining the fifth and final edition of this year’s popular GYM Fast & Furious Boxing Series, at the famed Bell Centre in Montreal.
Alvarez, a 28-year-old Colombian native who lives in Montreal, is on the fast track to stardom in the 175-pound division. The 2008 Colombian Olympian captured the NABO title belt last December, stopping Emiliano Cayetano (21-3) in the opening round. Alvarez, who is rated No. 15 by the World Boxing Organization (“WBO”), won all eight rounds in his most recent fight against Rayco Saunders (22-15-2) this past April.
“On June 8,” Alvarez said about his 10-round main event, “it will be my first fight as the main event of the GYM series and I’m very proud. In the ring, I intend to justify the confidence they have placed in me, and put on a good show for the Quebec public. Shawn Hawk is a fiery young boxer who has determined to win, but I am sure that I have what it takes to keep my belt in my adopted country.”
The 27-year-old Hawk, fighting out of Atlantic City (NJ), is riding a five-fight win streak, his last four coming since he dropped down in weight to compete in the light heavyweight division. Hawk’s victims at 175 pounds have included Henry Buchanan (20-2), Otis Griffin (23-8-2) and Rubin Williams (29-10-1) for the Sovereign Nations title.
Exciting Montreal middleweight David Lemieux (25-2, 24 KOs) is a caged lion after being sidelined with a right hand injury he sufferedlast December in his fight against Joachim Alcine (33-2-1, 19 KOs). The 23-year-old Lemieux, ranked No. 23 by the World Boxing Council (“WBC”), takes on tough Mexican-American Jaudiel “Negro” Zepeda (12-5-1, 9 KOs), who gave Renan St-Juste (23-3-1, 15 KOs) all he could handle in his last fight.
“With this fight,” Lemieux predicted, “I restart my career. I know I have disappointed many of my supporters but I recently learned a lot and have matured. I cannot wait to reconnect with the action. Without looking too far ahead, of course, I dream of fighting rematches against (Marco Antonio) Rubio and Alcine in the near future.”
Fighting on a stacked undercard are a trio of talented, unbeaten heavyweights — Oscar “Kaboom” Rivas (10-0, 6 KOs), Eric Barrack (7-0, 6 KOs) and Didier Bence (4-0, 2 KOs). Rivas’s opponent will be announced shortly.
Barrack was spectacular on April 20 in his victory by second-round knockout of rugged Sandy Pembroke, fighting out of British Columbia. This time around Barrack faces another former Canadian Olympic boxing champion, Sheldon Hinton (11-8-1, 4 KO), of Alberta, in a six-round bout. Barrack intends to make a powerful statement as one of the best, young heavyweight Canadian boxers with another spectacular knockout.
Bence, who has been out of the ring since last December due to a facial injury, is rapidly developing. His battle-tested opponent, Stéphane “Brutus” Tessier (3-28-1, 1KO), of Longueuil, promises to push young Bence in their six-round match.
Also scheduled to fight on the undercard is exciting middleweight Ahmad Cheikho (6-4-2, 5K), also fighting out of Montreal, who is a protégé of Camille Estephan (Eye of the Tiger Management). One additional fight will soon be announced.
The GYM Fast and Furious Boxing Series is an innovative and unique event at the Bell Centre, featuring seats and close to the action. These events are also available to watch on PPV in Canada via Canal Indigo, Bell TV and Shaw TV.
TICKETS ON SALE: Please note that tickets will be available at the Bell Centre box office, evenko.ca or at GYM (383.0666), starting at $60.00.
Team USA Advances Five Boxers to the Medal Round at the 2012 Women’s World Championships
(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Five American boxers will vie for a spot in the finals on Friday at the 2012 Women’s World Championships in Qinhuangdao, China following quarterfinal victories on Wednesday. Flyweight Olympian Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) dropped her quarterfinal contest to reigning World Champion Cancan Ren of China, but that will not impact her Olympic berth.
Bantamweight Christina Cruz (New York, N.Y.), featherweight Tiara Brown (Lehigh Acres, Fla.), light welterweight Mikaela Mayer (Los Angeles, Calif.), welterweight Raquel Miller (San Francisco, Calif.), and light heavyweight Franchon Crews (Baltimore, Md.) will all compete in the semifinals on Friday.
One day after becoming the first U.S. female boxer in history to qualify for the Olympic Games, Esparza faced off with Ren in quarterfinal action. Esparza fell behind early in the bout and was never able to make up her deficit. She trailed by an 8-3 margin after two rounds of action and faced an 11-6 deficit with one round remaining. Can went on to win a 16-8 final decision to eliminate Esparza from the 2012 Women’s World Championships. She will now focus on preparation for the historic debut of women’s boxing in London.
Mayer had to wait until Tuesday to compete in her first bout but she opened the tournament in dominating fashion, winning a 34-13 decision over New Zealand’s Laura Matthews in preliminary round action. She quickly returned to the ring on Wednesday, facing India’s Meena Rani in her second bout of the tournament. Mayer once again poured on the points, taking an 11-4 lead after the first two rounds. She nearly doubled her point total in the third round, claiming a 20-8 advantage with one round remaining. Mayer held Rani to only two points over the last two minutes to win a 27-10 final decision and advance to a semifinal match-up with North Korea’s Kyong Pak.
Bantamweight Christina Cruz (New York, N.Y.) continued her run through the tournament with a late comeback win over Thailand’s Spikda Satumrum in her quarterfinal bout. The two boxers battled in a close match-up through all four rounds with Satumrum taking a slim one-point lead following a tied first round. Cruz fell behind by two after the third round, but refused to get discouraged, outscoring Satumrum by three in the fourth stanza to win a 20-19 decision. Cruz moves on to a semifinal contest with Italy’s Terry Gordini.
Brown mounted a comeback in her quarterfinal bout as well, defeating China’s Jian Qin on Wednesday. Qin held a 13-9 lead at the halfway mark of the bout, but Brown began chipping away at her lead in the third round. She trailed by only one point as the fourth round began and outscored Qin over the final two minutes to win a 23-22 final decision. Brown will take on Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva on Friday.
Crews faced Kazakhstan’s Dariga Shakimova in her light heavyweight quarterfinal contest. Crews took a small 6-4 lead after the first round, but she took control of the bout in the second. She enjoyed a 10-point advantage over Shakimova after three rounds and pushed it a 30-12 final victory over the last two minutes of action. Crews will challenge Hungary’s Timea Nagy in Friday’s semifinals.
International newcomer Miller has enjoyed a strong showing at her first World Championships tournament and it continued in Wednesday’s action as she battled Turkey’s Bilgehan Karabulut. Miller grabbed a strong early lead and extended it throughout the bout. She enjoyed a strong 8-3 advantage as the final round began and won an 11-5 final decision to clinch a spot in the medal rounds. She will face Russia’s Irina Poteyeva in Friday’s semifinal action.
Light flyweight Alex Love (Monroe, Wash.) dropped her event opener by a slim margin in a preliminary contest with Kazakhstan’s Nazym Kyzaybay on Tuesday. The bout entered the final round tied at 14 but Kyzaybay won a 20-19 final decision to eliminate Love from the tournament.
Although middleweight Olympic hopeful Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) lost on Monday, her opponent in the bout, Savannah Marshall, remains in action, keeping her potential Olympic hopes alive.
U.S. Results
112 lbs: Cancan Ren, CHN, dec. Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas/USA, 16-8
125 lbs: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla./USA, dec. Jian Qin, CHN, 23-22
141 lbs: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif./USA dec. Meena Rani, IND, 27-10
152 lbs: Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif./USA dec. Bilgehan Karabulut, TUR, 11-5
178 lbs: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md./USA dec. Dariga Shakimova, KAZ, 30-12
USA Boxing, as the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing, is the United States’ member organization of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).
