DiBella Entertainment

Gary Stark and Edgar Santana Back on Winning Track!

MARCH 5, Hammerstein Ballroom, New York: Gary "Kid" Stark Jr. is back on a solid winning track with his third straight win a unanimous decision over Andres Ledesma who surprised the “Kid” stopping him in the fifth round back in May 07. Stark controlled the fight early but got tagged at the end of round three. In round four at the urging of the Stark parisant crowd the “Kid” went back to work counter punching as his right eye began to close. Stark took advantage of a lethargic Ledesma who was sticking with a soft jab taking the middle rounds. Ledesma turned it up in round eight as Stark was battling his vision as well as Ledesma. Between rounds eight and nine the ring doctor examined a disinterested Stark and let the fight continue. Stark opened it up in the final round to cement his revenge landing with several solid rights and out worked Ledesma to secure the victory by the scores of of 97-93, 96-94 and 96-94.

Edgar “El Chamaco” Santana taking on veteran Grover Wiley was also on the road to redemption attempting to reverse the tide after his surprise Tko loss to Harrison Cuello in June. Santana left no doubt as he came charging out rocking Wiley and driving him to the ropes where he landed to Grover’s mid section planting him for the first time. In round two, Santana picked it up where he left off scoring in combination planting Wiley for a second time only to be saved by the bell. In the third round Santana looked intense and exploded on Wiley landing a barrage of unanswered shots closed with a hook to the body prompting the referee to call the bout at 1:27 of round three. The Pride of Spanish Harlem redeemed himself moving to 22-2, 14Ko’s.

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Gary Stark Jr. and Edgar Santana
Return to the Hammerstein March 5th!

DiBella Entertainment announce their March 5th Broadway Boxing Show headlining Gary “Kid” Stark Jr. and Edgar “El Chamaco” Santana on the “Road to Redemption”. 27 year old Gary Stark Jr. 20-2, 8 Ko’s, will headline making his long awaited rematch with Andres Ledesma 13-5-1, 9 ko’s who he recorded Stark’s surprising Ko loss in May 2007. “The Kid” looking to redeem himself has put together two impressive decisions over Robert DaLuz and Elvis Luciano Martinez and is looking to impress. The semi main event will feature Edgar Santana also on the comeback trail having recorded a 3rd round Tko of Mike Gonzalez 10-2-1, 9 Ko’s since recording his own surprise knockout loss to Harrison Cuello 14-5-2, 11 Ko’s at the Hammerstein in June 2007. Santana will take on the rugged Grover Wiley who’s claim to fame is beating an all but retired Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., only to fall to the second coming of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

The undercard is presently scheduled to showcase action packed fighters:       Israel Carlos Garcia vs Tba, Efrain Joel Torres vs Tba, Guillermo Sanchez vs Tba, Tracey Hutt vs Lindsay Garbatt, Ruth O'Sullivan vs Tba, Undefeated four time New York Golden Glove Champion Daniel Jacobs vs Tba and Joselito Collado vs Vineash Rungea.

WANT TICKETS TO THE NEXT BROADWAY BOXING SHOW? Call 212-947-2577

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Santana and Starks Headline Broadway Boxing Return!

DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing returns to the the Grand Ballroom at Manhattan Center, New York City on March 5. Co-headliners will be Spanish Harlem’s Edgar “El Chamaco” Santana 22-3, 14 K0’s and Gary “Kid” Stark        20-2, 8 Ko’s. Santana who was on a roll until he was stopped by Harrison Cuello back on June 20th, 2007 has started his comeback when he stopped Mike Gonzalez 10-3-1, 9 Ko’s in December. Staten Islands Gary Starks Jr. is coming in off two one sided victories over Robert DaLuz and Elvis Luciano Martinez. Tickets for Broadway Boxing will go on sale in early February can be purchased at the box office and at Ticketmaster. 

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Malignaggi Jump Starts 2008

NEW YORK (January 30, 2008) – International Boxing Federation junior welterweight champion Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi has started off the new year in grand fashion, appropriate for one befitting a young world champion with his flamboyant personality and crossover appeal. First, The Ring magazine selected Malignaggi (24-1, 5 KOs) as its 2007 Comeback of the Year fighter, and then the movie premiere of his life story, “Magic Man: The Paulie Malignaggi Story,” that drew rave reviews on SHOWTIME. Paulie followed that with his first title defense, winning a 12-round unanimous decision January 5 against mandatory challenger Herman “The Black Panther” Ngoudjo on Showtime Championship Boxing at Bally’s Casino in Atlantic City. The outspoken Brooklyn boxer, rated No. 2 by The Ring, was then the subject of a full page spread (Jan. 10 issue) in the trendy Time Out New York magazine (http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/shopping/25510/rummaging-with). Columnist Kristina Dechter’s “Rummaging with:” column included sidebar pieces on Paulie’s gloves (Everlast), his flex terry headband and Smooth ‘n Shine hair gel, Gleason’s Gym where he trains, his L-R-G Manimal hoodie and favorite pizza (Portobello’s). The column’s sub-title read: We go to the ropes with a Brooklyn-bred boxer on how to dress, eat and train like a champ. “Known for his smack-spouting mouth and his dramatic entrances, Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi brings panache along with jaw-crunching punches in the ring……The photogenic brawler (Malignaggi modeled streetwear for a Playboy fashion shoot last summer) has earned a reputation for his flashy ensembles.” Then, “The Magic Man” joined New Jersey Governor John S. Corzine for the official ribbon-cutting festivities reopening the Union City Boxing Club. Malignaggi, an avid soccer fan whose father Nello played pro soccer in Sicily, was honorary captain for the New Jersey Ironmen professional indoor soccer team, participating in the opening kick-off ceremony on Jan. 25. “It’s been exciting so far,” Malignaggi said. “I’ve started the year off with a bang. We’re on our way to a big year in 2008. We’re going to continue this momentum and have a very successful year. Paulie Malignaggi is on the right path to becoming a household name – always the intent right from the start – in and out of boxing in 2008.” -PM- CONTACT: Bob Trieger Full Court Press 978.664.4482 978.590.0470 (mobile) bobtfcp@hotmail.com

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“Magic Man” becomes “Ironman” IBF boxing champ Paulie Malignaggi honorary captain Friday night for N. J. Ironmen soccer team!

NEW YORK (January 22, 2008) – Reigning IBF junior welterweight champion Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi (24-1, 5 KOs) will serve as honorary captain of the New Jersey Ironmen, a member of the first-year professional Major Indoor Soccer League, Friday night (Jan. 25) at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The Ironmen (10-5) host Monterrey LaRaza (8 PM/ET start) and Malignaggi will participate in the opening kick-off ceremony. Paulie is an avid soccer fan who celebrated when Italy won the 2006 World Cup. His father, Nelo, played professional soccer in Sicily and last year Paulie was a special guest of the famed AC Milan team. “I grew-up loving soccer in an Italian household,” Malignaggi said. “Soccer is part of our culture. I support local teams, especially a soccer team like the New Jersey Ironmen, which has a lot of successful Italian-American players. I want to be a part of helping to build-up soccer in this country.”

CONTACT: Bob Trieger Full Court Press 978.664.4482
978.590.0470 (mobile) bobtfcp@hotmail.com

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A Little Rusty Paulie Jabs Past Ngoudjo!

By: Anthomy Garafola

Atlantic City NJ Jan 5th: Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi made his first defense of his IBF junior-welterweight title he won June 16th 2007 from Lovemore N’dou. Taking on Herman Ngoudjo 16-1, 9 Ko’s at Bally's Casino before a sold-out partisan crowd, Malignaggi showed signs of rust from a his six-month respite. As most great fighters do, Paulie did just enough to get what he needed, a victory. Usually the moving defensive fighter “The Magic Man” who was cut over his left eye in the fourth round changed his usual tactics and came forward against the counter punching Ngoudjo. Malignaggi began behind his left jab and appeared to have Ngoudjo confused. The challenger would catch and corner the champion and then there would be a suspicious absence of punching. “The Black Panther” hurt Malignaggi in the fourth and seventh rounds with counter right hands but could not follow up. Through out the fight Malignaggi threw only a hand full of right hands until the eight round, at the urging of his cornerman “Buddy’ McGirt, he found a home for the uppercut. Malignaggi won the next couple of closely fought rounds until Ngoudjo finished hard closing the last round. The bout was scored unanimously for the “Magic Man” with Al Bennett scoring it 117-111, Kenny Chevalier scoring it 116-113 and Steve Weisfeld saw it 115-113. After the match Paulie admitted he wasn’t at his best but he felt he clearly won the bout.

Undercard

Lovemore N'dou 46-9-1, 31 Ko's looking forward to his rematch clause with Malignaggi, scored a seventh-round knockout of Rafael Ortiz 14-13-2, 13 Ko's with a overhand right stopping the bout 2:14 of the seventh round of their scheduled 10-round bout.
Light heavyweight Glen “Road Warrior” Johnson 47-11-2, Tko’s scored an eighth-round TKO over southpaw Hugo Pineda 39-4-1, 28 Ko's.
Heavyweight Chazz Witherspoon 21-0, 14 Ko's, a cousin of former heavyweight champion Tim Witherspoon, won a unanimous decision over Kendrick Releford 15-10-2, 6 Ko's. The bout was scored 78-75, 78-74, 78-74. Junior-welterweight Alberto Amaro 2-1 won a unanimous decision over Nicky DeMarco 2-2, 2 Ko's in a four-round fight with the judges scoring it 38-37, 39-36, 38-36.
Post Fight Developments: Paulie Malignaggi said he felt he holds the cards for a match-up with Englands Ricky Hatton but Lovemore N’dou who has a rematch clause with the champion is looking to use his option. A return fight with N’dou would be a good preperation fight for the “Magic Man “ before taking on the “Hitman”. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 “Magic Man” Starring Boxing Champion PaulieMalignaggi to Air Exclusively on SHOWTIME Dec. 30 – Jan. 4

Pavlik vs Taylor II

By: Bill George
Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik and Jermain “Bad Intention” Taylor will face of on February 16th at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas in a rematch of the top two middleweights reminiscing Graziano / Zale or Robinson / LaMotta or Robinson / Basillio. Each decade has had great middleweight match-ups the 30s had Steele Vs Battaglia, the 40s Zale Vs Graziano the 50s Robinson Vs Basillo, the 60s Giardello vs Tiger, the 70s Monzon vs Griffith, the 80s Hagler vs Hearns, the 90s Toney vs Nunn, 00s Trinidad vs Hopkins now add Pavlik vs Taylor. Many true boxing fans evaluate the status of boxing by looking to the heavyweight division but many know it weighs in the middle. Today’s best two middleweights both who have had extensive amateur careers and have faced the best. They will face each other again with Taylor enforcing his rematch clause after losing the title to “The Ghost” on Sept. 29th last year when Pavlik 32-0, 29 Ko’s, from Youngstown, Ohio, joined hometown world champions Harry Arroyo and Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini. Taylor worked his way to a mandatory bout beating Jose Luis Zertuche 19-3-2, 14 Ko’s and powerful Edison Miranda 28-1, 24 Ko’s in eliminator bouts. Pavlik picked himself up off the deck and went on to stop Taylor and his undefeated streak.
Taylor, 27-1-1, 17 Ko’s, a 2000 U.S. Olympic Bronze Medalist from Little Rock, Arkansas, won the title in 2005 beating Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins, ending his consecutive title defense streak at 20. Taylor came into the first bout with Pavlik with his last five victories over the cream of the crop, beating Spinks, Ouma, Wright and Hopkins twice cementing him at the top. Since losing Taylor has rejoined trainer Ozell Nelson dropping legendary trainer Emanuel Stewart in an attempt to return to the top. The first match was a barn burner and this one proves to match. Only time will tell if Taylor can grab a victory giving Pavlik his first and bring this match-up into that classic trilogy status.
Tickets, priced at $600, $400, $300, $200, and $100, are on sale at the MGM Grand box office. Tickets will also be sold at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000 or MGM Grand at (800) 929-1111. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com The bout will be televised on HBO PPV at 9pm ET and 6pm PT for $49.95.

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Malignaggi \ Ngoudjo

Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi, 23-1, 5 Ko’s will make a mandatory defense of his IBF light welterweight title against No. 1 contender Herman Ngoudjo, 16-1, 9Ko’s on Jan 5th, at Bally’s Atlantic City. This would be a great fight for the “Magic Man” who earlier was looking for Hatton. The undercard of Paulie Malignaggi vs Herman Ngoudjo’s bout January 5 at Bally's in Atlantic City has taken shape. Former light heavyweight world champion Glen Johnson 46-11-2, 31 Ko’s will face Mike Culbert 30-4-1, 6 Ko’s, Malignaggi’s last opponent Lovemore Ndou 45-9-1, 30 Ko’s will face Rafael Ortiz 10-13-1, 6 Ko’s looking for a rematch and cut Ricky Hatton off at the pass. Freddie Norwood 42-2-1, 23 Ko’s, will take on undefeated Cuban Olympic gold medalist Yuriorkis Gamboa 7-0, 6 Ko’s,and undefeated heavyweight Chazz Witherspoon 20-0, 14 Ko’s will meet Kendrick Releford 14-9-2, 5 Ko’s. 

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DiBella Knocks Them Out at the Hammerstein Again!

June 20, Hammerstein Ballroom N.Y.- The night began with a four round prelim bout between Luis Ruiz 2-0, 0 Ko’s and Bruce Burkhardt 0-2. Ruiz edged Burkhardt with his jab winning a tough fought crowd pleasing majority decision brawl 36-40, 36-40, 38-38.

Next with the ballroom filling with the chanting of the Irish faithful Omar Bell, 4-0, 3 Ko’s from Montego Bay, Jamaica, charged Mayo, Ireland’s Henry Coyle, 2-1, 2 Ko’s, hammering him with a straight punch driving his head between the ropes where Coyle took two heavy shots to the back of the head stopping the young Irish national champion at :29 of the opening round.

The crowd shocked and still in disbelief hometown favorite “Chin Checker” Jaidon Codrington, 16-1, 12 Ko’s, met Las Vegas, Nevada’s Carl Cockerham, 12-14-3, 4 ko’s. Codrington took control from the start using a stiff jab and scoring hard to the body. Cockerham answered back scoring sporadically with late counters. In the second round the crowd and Codrington were surprised with a heavy two punch combination that appeared to hurt the hometown favorite. Codrington tightened up then fired back with a sharp two punch combination of his own stopping Cockerham at 1:37 of the second round of their scheduled eight rounder.

After that Brentwood, NY’s, James McGirt, 16-0, 9 Ko’s, trained by his father and former world champion Buddy had a pink easy target in Oklahoma City’s, Delray Raines, 9-3, 5 Ko’s. After hammering Raines around the ring for about a minute McGirt caught him with a influential left ending it at 1:06 of round one of their scheduled eight rounder.

Paulie Malignaggi fresh off his winning IBF light welterweight title from Lovemore Ndou Saturday night addressed an approving crowd thanking Lou Dibella his promoter, Buddy McGirt his trainer, his grandfather for getting him started in boxing and all his fans before calling out Ricky Hatton.

When the action continued it picked up right where it left off. Jose Del Carman Varela, 21-2,14 Ko’s, from Nicaragua under the direction of Evangelista Cotto (Miguel Cotto’s uncle and trainer) pounded Knoxville, Tennesse’s Thomas Davis, 11-5-2, 7 Ko’s, persuading Davis corner to stop the bout at the end of the second round of their scheduled eight rounder.

The trend was set now and the crowd was awaiting anxiously for their hometown star Edgar Santana to continue the movement. Santana the heavy favorite, 21-3, 13 ko’s, from Spanish Harlem, NY, was meeting southpaw, Harrison Cuello, 13-5-2, 10 Ko’s, from the Bronx, NY. The first round started with Cuello ready to fight using his jab and Santana ploding his way looking to land lead right hands and hooks. In the second round the tempo changed with Cuello moving now but a patient Santana in character slowly stalking his prey. The third round took on a different face with Cuello moving quickly snapping his jab almost running, Santana also picked up the pace. Then Santana trapped Cuello in a neutral corner scoring hard to the body when Cuello responed with two hard rabbit punches to the back of Santana’s head. Cuello warned by the referee got what he wanted and the two were broken up. Cuello began to move again, only this time Santana was chasing. Hot on Cuello, Santana began to run after his Bronx rival when at 2:09 of the third round to the shock of the already stunned audience, Santana ran into a straight left hand buckling his knees, dropping him to the canvas. The gallant Santana made it to his feet only to wobble to the safety of the referee’s arms stopping the bout and ending Santana’s winning streak at 16. DiBella Entertainment did exactly that. They entertained another crowd of hungry boxing fans with an action packed night of boxing at New York’s “Boxing Haven” the Hammerstein Ballroom. Six bouts, five stoppages a brawl and a lot of happy New York boxing fans not bad Lou.

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