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July 10, 2008
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Chris Henry: "I guarantee that
I am gonna bust him up"
By Karl Hegman
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| Chris "Hard Hittin'" Henry |
NABF Light Heavyweight Champion and the WBC's fourth ranked contender Chris "Hard Hittin'" Henry made his nationally televised debut on ESPN2 a successful one as he TKO'd Rubin Williams at the 2:15 mark of the sixth round in Houston. It was all Henry from the opening bell as the aggressive gladiator from Orange, Texas sprang from his corner at the opening bell and went to work on Williams' head and body. From the onset, it was obvious that Henry was the much stronger, fresher and hungrier of the two fighters as he forced Williams back to the ropes time and time again, lacing his body with big left hooks and crashing hard right hands to the head. Williams ducked and turned his head in an effort to avoid the punches, but in doing so, left the back of his head an open and inviting target for the incoming barrage.
Williams had a couple of moments where he would score with some hooks and crosses, but otherwise, it was all Henry as the powerful light heavyweight went after his prey with the lust and zeal of a hungry Jaguar chasing down a wounded Impala at feeding time. Blood spouted from Williams' facial wounds and welts appeared on both sides of his torso as a result of the fierce battering he was taking from "Hard Hittin'", who pounded him from pillar to post in the fast-paced ring action. The veteran Williams simply could not keep Henry off of him he looked to take his head off with every punch. Henry, recently reunited with his original trainer Bobby Benton, really let Williams have it in the fifth. Hard jabs rammed Williams' head back and left hands to the flanks set him up for the familiar booming overhand rights of Henry.
Henry would muscle him against the ropes and then step off both sides on 45 degree angles and crash his big punches wherever they could land, on the body, head, and arms of Williams, who was just about done in at this junction of the fight.
Henry jumped on his foe in the sixth as a brutal right uppercut and left hook to the head hurt Williams and sent blood spraying down on the press at ringside from a badly damaged and bleeding nose and deep cut on his lip that you could insert a silver dollar into. The corner had seen enough and finally waved the carnage off at the 2:15 mark of the round as the crowd erupted in celebration for their hometown hero.
"It's good to be back home again at the Main Gym with Bobby and all of the rest of the guys as we have a great spirit of teamwork and direction again," Henry remarked after the fight. "I felt very strong in there tonight and want to defend my NABF title or even better yet, get another World Championship opportunity in my next fight. Tarver, Dawson, Johnson, even Diaconu again, I want 'em all!" When asked about some recent remarks Shaun George had made about him, Henry replied, "Shaun George has been running his mouth that he wants to fight me for the last year. Well, now he's the number one ranked contender for my title after beating an old and dried up Chris Byrd, so let's do it Shaun! I guarantee that I am gonna bust him up and take him out of there!"
The powerful young slugger concluded by giving a shout out to his many fans. "I want to thankeveryone for coming out and supporting me tonight, as all of the boxing fans here know that Houston is where I hold the line!"
With the knockout, Henry improves his ring ledger to 22-1-0 with 18 stoppages while Williams falls to 29-5-1.
On the under card:
Heavyweight Eugene Hill climbed to 12-0 as he won a unanimous decision over Aaron Lyons in a six rounder.
Austin Trout (14-0, 10 KO's) won a unanimous decision over Byron Tyson (9-1-2) in an eight round jr. middleweight affair.
Beautiful and crowd-pleasing young Crystal "Choo Choo" Delgado (6-0, 1 KO) hammered out a unanimous decision over Tammy Franks (2-5-1) in a four round lightweight fight after the main Event.
Heavyweight Steve Collins (18-1, 14 KO's) put veteran David Robinson (25-54-4, 13 KO's) on ice at the 1:14 second mark of round two with a right hand and left uppercut.
Willie Edwards rounded out the evening by going to 4-0 as he won a unanimous verdict over Ras Thompson who falls to 0-4-1 in a cruiserweight fight.
The sellout night was promoted by Cameron Parks' Rock Solid Promotions and as always, he delivered the goods to the local boxing community with a terrific night of action. The raucous, up-close and personal atmosphere with the fighters and hot ring action, the lovely Hooters girls, and great food and drink made this night a memorable one for the ESPN2 debut.
Until next time, see you at the fights! |
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April 22, 2008
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Shocker in Houston
By Vikram Birring
A "White Tiger" roared his way to a decision, but a stunning knockout upset stole the show as Cameron Park's Rock Solid Promotions returned after a three-month hiatus at the Grand Plaza Hotel in Houston in front of a sold out crowd.
In the main event, local junior middleweight prospect Chase "White Tiger" Shields (26-1-1, 13 KO) defeated Louisiana's Steve Verdin (8-38-2, 1 KO) in an eight-round boxing clinic. Shields showed the best stamina and boxing IQ of all the boxers on the card, as he wisely picked his punches and continuously circled around the ring. Verdin, to his credit, stayed persistent, and followed Shields around the entire fight, but had trouble landing clean punches. In the end, Shields won via unanimous decision: 80-72, 80-72, and 79-73.
Heavyweight Eugene Hill (11-0, 10 KO) punches with such snap each punch gives the sound effect of a gunshot, but on this night, he simply needed a water gun to get past Joshua Stonebraker (3-8, 3 KO), who was intimidated before the bout even began. Hill looked in much better condition than in his previous bout in January, but he didn't need to be on this night, as his first grazing punch sent Stonebraker reeling around the ring. The next one, a punch that barely connected, sent Stonebraker down, to the boos of a furious crowd. Stonebraker rose only to go back down, again and again. The final knockdown was from a simple jab, and the referee saved Stonebraker from further humiliation by stopping the bout after two minutes, forty-five seconds. The crowd booed, Hill shrugged his shoulders and accepted the victory, with the knowledge that all nights in the ring will not be so easy. It is unknown if Stonebraker made it out of the arena alive.
On paper, light heavyweight prospect Alfonso Lopez (7-0, 6 KO) looked to be in for a long night against veteran Anthony Greely, and indeed in the first round, though Lopez landed some solid punches, Greely countered effectively with some thudding shots. The difference in the two boxers was that Greely was not prepared for six rounds, and a body shot late in the first round exposed this deficiency, sending Greely to the canvas writhing in pain. He got up and survived the round but every fan knew that it was only a matter of time. In the second, Greely was visibly tired, breathing with his mouth wide open. Lopez knew this, and continuously aimed his gloves to Greely's body. Eventually, one sent Greely down on a delayed reaction. Again, the crowd told Greely he had better get up, and he did. But in between rounds, he changed his mind and quit on his stool, a wise decision.
In an unthinkable, impossible upset, Miguel Delgado (3-8, 3 KO) knocked out undefeated Cruz Valdivia (4-1, 2 KO) in the first round. The thoughts of a possible upset arose when Delgado removed his robe. Usually, an 'opponent' is simply the equivalent of human sacrifice: an overweight, out of shape fighter who simply needs the money. Delgado's body was one of a bricklayer's, hardened and solid. Valdivia usually scares his opponents away before the bell rings, an equally chiseled body covered by an array of tattoos, but Delgado stared him down at center ring before as they touched gloves, not showing any fear. Half the battle was won before the bell rang.
Valdivia is a pure brawler; his style is to simply throw as many punches as possible in an attempt to knock his opponent out. Unfortunately, Delgado had the same idea, but with slightly better technique and power. It was as if two mountain goats were battling head on, the question was which one would be able to survive the fight. The question was answered late in the round, as Delgado wobbled Valdivia. The crowd yelled, as Valdivia, suddenly all loyalties flew out the window and the innate sense to cheer for the underdog kicked in. Delgado bent his legs, and put every ounce of power into a left hook. Valdivia's face twitched, and he fell directly backwards onto the canvas, and the crowd gave a deafening roar. Valdivia, as Mike Tyson did against Buster Douglas, knew he had to get up. His fans would never forgive him if he didn't, and somehow, with unthinkable courage, rose to his feet before the count of ten. Unfortunately, this was a bad, and almost fatal decision.
In boxing, one becomes used to the idea of seeing knockouts, but every once in a while, there are those concussive, sickening knockouts that stay ingrained in one's memory, the kind that puts the question in one's mind: why do I even watch this sport? When Miguel Delgado landed a sadistic right cross, the result was cruel. Valdivia fell straight back, not unlike a tree that was just chopped down. First his calves hit the ground, followed by his back, and then finally, his head, which bounced back up and hit the ground yet again. The crowd gave a deafening roar, and the referee did not even bother to count. However, in a few seconds, the atmosphere went from euphoria to concern. Valdivia was not moving, he lay on the canvas an innocent body, and the crowd took a collective gulp, almost in guilt, hoping that they would not be witness to a murder. Doctors gathered around Valdivia, and thankfully, perhaps a gift from above on an otherwise unforgiving night, Valdivia showed some movement in his legs, and after ten minutes, was able to walk out of the ring. Perhaps after some time, Valdivia may reconsider his career choice, but on this night, he and those around him were simply thankful he made it home safely.
Featherweight Crystal "Choo Choo" Delgado (5-0, 2 KO) fights the same style as Valdivia, but fortunately for her, Candace Lett (2-4) was overmatched. Seconds after the opening bell, Delgado stormed Lett and trapped her in the opposite corner, landing bombs from every angle. However, there was a method to her madness. Delgado showed immense improvement from her previous fight. Instead of throwing a typhoon of punches, she would land a hard combination, back off, reload and throw another one. Lett had no answer for this, because as Delgado backed off, she gave Lett no chance to counter. In the corner, Lett went down as a result of a body shot, her face showing the visible pain she was in. She rose, only to be battered around in the other corner. The referee had no choice but to halt the contest after two minutes, fourteen seconds.
In the opening contest, Hasan Henderson (1-0, 1 KO) made his professional debut one to remember as he surgically picked apart Ras Thompson (0-3) in exactly one round. Henderson walked to the ring with a large, vocal entourage, and had the face of a mean man. His punches were even meaner. With ten seconds left in the round, Henderson cut off the ring and had Thompson backed up in a corner. Wise beyond his professional experience, Henderson went to the body, not the head, and dropped Thompson with a perfectly placed body shot with exactly ten seconds left in the round. Thompson fell on two knees, and tried to rise, but simply couldn't. Henderson's posse celebrated, but the expression on the boxer's face did not change, a frightening thought for his future opponents. |
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March 12, 2008
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Chris "Hard Hittin" Henry vs.
Adrian Diaconu for WBC title!
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| Chris "Hard Hittin'" Henry |
The world's two hardest punching light heavyweights collide on April 19th in Bucharest, Romania as Chris "Hard Hittin'" Henry (21-0, 17 KO's) meets Adrian Diaconu (24-0, 15 KO's) for the WBC interim Light Heavyweight title. Number one rated Diaconu was originally slated to meet WBC Champion Chad Dawson for the title last year, but a hand injury forced him to withdraw and Dawson opted to meet shopworn former champion Glen Johnson on April 12th. "I can't wait to get in that ring April 19th and give it to Diaconu!" says the number three rated Henry. "This opportunity is what I have sacrificed for all of these years, all of the training and self-denial will pay off as there is no doubt in my mind I will beat Diaconu." Many boxing insiders feel that this fight will indeed be for the WBC Light Heavyweight Championship as Dawson may look to greener pastures against another over the hill fighter in IBO titleholder Antonio Tarver providing he gets by Clinton Woods on April 12th.
"Chris is in immaculate condition as he has been in training for four months for Adrian" says Houston based promoter Cameron Park, "Chris has too many guns for this guy as he has three to four distinct lines of fighting, while Diaconu just moves straight in and straight back throwing wide hooks that Chris will put his punches inside of those looping arcs." When asked if fighting on Diaconu's home turf will be a concern Henry replied, "Not at all as we could fight anywhere in the world and it wouldn't make any difference. My trainer Ronnie Shields has not only given me more physical weapons to work with, but a newer and more positive mental outlook towards boxing as well. It's only going to be myself and Adrian in that ring on April 19th, and his hometown people won't be able to help him once that opening bell sounds."
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| Adrian Diaconu |
"Adrian has never fought anyone of Chris' caliber" says promoter Park, "He is going to be getting jolted and stopped dead in his tracks by very hard, damaging and hurtful punches off of angles the likes he has never seen before. Chris is going to bust him up and knock him out, mark my words!" The fight promises to be a brutal and hard fought spectacle for those fans lucky enough to be in attendance in Romania, and America wishes one of its sons good luck and God speed in his quest for the World Championship.
Go get him Chris! |
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November 29, 2007
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Shields Wins Close
at The Grand Plaza Ballroom
By Michael Campbell at ringside
Rock Solid Promotions returned to the Houston Grand Plaza Ballroom for another installment of Thursday night fights. Promoter Cameron Park hosted an evening of testing match-ups for the hometown fighters. Some newcomers to the area were showcased along with a few returnees stepping up their level of competition to see what kind of progress they are making in their training.
Chase “White Tiger” Shields brought his huge fan base back to the venue which has been the location of the majority of his contests to face the very able-bodied competitor Taronze Washington. Shields looked redefined and invigorated to open the match displaying superior boxing abilities, quickly moving in, engaging, and then moving out unscathed. Washington was continually a half step behind the pace for the first few stanzas as Shields showed cat-like quickness.
The third round ended with them facing off and having the best exchange thus far of the fight with both landing flurries and tempers flaring. The 2nd half of the fight saw Washington kick it into gear and take over the momentum landing the more effective power shots as both fighters went for broke without regard for defense. The crowd was pleased and the judges scored the bout near even with a slight edge to the hometown hero.
Alfonso “El Tigre” Lopez continued his unblemished march with a step-up bout versus the locally respected Larry “Hitman” Pryor. After a decorated amateur campaign, Lopez has been impressive in his activity level and performance in his first year as a professional. A workaholic, Lopez has his resting pulse down to an impressive 35 bpm, logging 50+ miles of roadwork each week during training. This possibly makes for his slow starts in fights, and Pryor was able to time and land hooks on Lopez’s entries for the first two rounds.
The bigger man, Pryor had some trouble making the 175 pound weight limit and became drained as the bout progressed. With consistency El Tigre took the bout over landing straights and hooks in combinations wearing out Pryor, who retired on his stool before the 5th round. Pryor, also an amateur standout from the Washington D.C. area, has talent and could be a good prospect if he’d come to fights in shape and translate that to a busier work rate. Lopez looked to be just finding his groove as the bout ended and will be a force at the weight class as he progresses to eight and ten round fights.
Eugene Hill avenged a loss from the amateurs by taking a majority decision over Kirby Gillespie. Gillespie had defeated Hill in February 2001 at the Texas state Golden Gloves. Gillespie used his jab to hold Hill at bay for the first two rounds before Hill was able to penetrate and land the much more powerful punches of the bout in the third and fourth rounds to score a narrow victory.
Crystal “Choo Choo” Delgado in her hometown debut picked up her second win with an impressive performance versus previously unbeaten Maria Rodriguez. These two young ladies matched up well in size and skill which made for an entertaining contest, but Delgado proved to be the quicker of the two and showed more desire to win by finishing the match strong. They stood face to face for the majority of the fight trading power punches, until Rodriguez wore down and Delgado was able to land at a higher percentage in the later rounds and cause swelling over Rodriguez’s eyes.
Tony Valdiva picked up his 3rd victory in as many fights by making quick work of Gerardo Carillo. From the opening bell they faced off toe to toe until a big right hook from Valdiva rocked Carillo dropping him to the canvas. Carillo stood but was on shaky legs and a flurry from Valdiva finished the match in a hurry.
Lanardo Tyner improved to 18-0 twice knocking down and shutting out Wayne Fletcher. Fletcher professed after the bout that Tyner was ready for the likes of Anthony Peterson. Tyner recently relocated his training base from the Motor City to Houston and is under the tutelage of 1984 Olympic Gold medalist and former IBF Middleweight champion Frank Tate.
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October 29, 2007
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Heavyweight Bomber "Big" Steve Collins returns to Auburn Nov 17th!
Indiana's own Prodigal Son, heavyweight prospect "Big" Steve Collins
returns to fight in front of his hometown fans for the first time in four
years as he headlines Cameron Parks' Rock Solid Promotions big evening of
boxing on Saturday night, November 17th in the Cord Building at Kruse
Auction Park.
Collins (15-1, 12 KO's) is considered by many experts in professional
boxing as one of the brightest young heavyweight stars in the country, and
the storied athlete from Garrett is determined to keep his hot streak going
when he once again enters the squared circle at Kruse Auction Park in the
Main Event of the evening.
"The great novelist Thomas Wolfe once said, you can't go home again," says
Collins, "but the truth of the matter is that I never really left Indiana,
as home is where the heart is."
Collins possesses a big right hand and jolting left hook and has dispatched
twelve opponents in brutal fashion, and the Indiana native is supremely
confident that he will make it "Unlucky 13" for his foe on the six bout card
that is sure to bring fistic fireworks and ring excitement for those fans in
attendance.
The aggressive puncher has been working very hard in the gym and putting in
his homework on the road every morning, and is primed and looking forward to
another ten count knockout.
"I want to give my best effort for the fans on November 17th," says Collins,
"Indiana folks are hard working, good God fearing people who deserve to get
their money's worth, and I'm going to make sure they get it when I'm in the
Main Event as Saturday night's all right for fighting!"
Tickets are available at Pancho Kelly's, Martin's Tavern, and Garrett State
Bank. To order tickets by phone call (260) 444-8733.
Ticket prices are reasonably priced at $25 General Admission, and $40 & $50
for ringside seats.
See you at the fights! |
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August 4, 2007
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"Hard Hittin" Henry wipes out James
By Karl Hegman
The world's most active light heavyweight, WBC fourth ranked Chris "Hard Hittin" Henry's reign of terror on his opposition surfaced once again last night at the Grand Plaza Hotel in Houston at Rock Solids' latest installment of Thursday Night Fights.
The recipient of this latest annihilation was one Derrick James (20-7-1-1), a former cruiserweight contender from the first Clinton administration era that fights out of Dallas.
Henry scored six official knockdowns en route to administering a fearful beating on the import, finally ending matters with a wicked left hook to the temple at the 1:06 mark of the sixth stanza.
Henry jumped into action at the opening bell, firing hard salvos to the head and body that had James in full survival mode, and punched him to the floor with a right hand, left hook combination with 10 seconds left in the opening frame.
James turned to dirty tactics in the second round, grabbing and holding and hitting, and at one point tackling Henry in an attempt to avoid further punishment, but more hard shots dropped him yet again.
The next few rounds saw James down several more times, and he kept turning the back of his head into Henry in an attempt to foul out, complaining to the referee constantly.
James did manage to score on a few desperate swings, one of which raised a lump below the USNBC Champion's right eye, but it was all Henry as he waylaid James, sending waves of agony through his torso with paralyzing, debilitating body punches that drove the life out of him, bruising and scrambling his insides.
Referee Ruben Carrion seemed unable to appropriately control the action and incorrectly deducted a point from Henry, but Chris made the matter academic, pulverizing Derrick and sending him violently crashing with the back of his head whip lashing hard down into the canvas, knocked flat out at the 1:06 mark.
With the win, Henry improves to 21-0 with 17 KO's and wants the winner of the upcoming Antonio Tarver – Chad Dawson bout.
An idealist when it comes to hard training and self-denial, Henry's nomadic lifestyle of austerity during preparation will most likely be the deciding factor in his victory over either opponent.
Training under the tutelage of Bobby Benton at the Main Gym in downtown Houston, Henry fights through daily walls of pain and suffrage in preparation for the catharsis that he and his team are positive will garner him the world's light heavyweight championship in the near future.
Tarver is a badly faded former ex-champion, while WBC titleholder Dawson is still relatively inexperienced and an easy target to hit as he carries his hands down low at his waist, thus leaving his chin vulnerable and exposed for power punches.
The card was presented by Cameron Parks' Rock Solid Promotions, and the ballroom was packed full of fight fans, and a good time was had by all as the main ballroom and corridors were packed to capacity.
The ladies in attendance (including the Hooters girls) were all gorgeous, and the ring card girls drew loud shouts and cheers every time they displayed their cards.
The under card began with one Cedrick Blake (0-7) going down for the count at the one minute mark of the first round from a left jab by Cornelius White who was making his pro debut in the super middleweight division.
Blake needs to seriously consider another line of work as he is not cut out for the brutal world of professional prizefighting.
Welterweight Jerome Adams improved to 2-1 as he won a wild swinging four rounder over veteran loser Starr Johnson who drops to (3-16-1).
Heavyweight Steve Collins improved to 15-1 as he won a unanimous duke over flabby Travis Fulton who slides down to 15-19.
Collins dropped Fulton in the third but was unable to finish him off as Fulton clutched on throughout the final round and a half.
Power punching heavyweight Eugene Hill upped his undefeated ring ledger to 5-0, 5 KO's as he blasted obese Othello Jackson (0-2) out at the one minute mark of the first round with vicious left hooks underneath.
Talented light heavyweight prospect Alfonso Lopez (3-0, 2 KO's) KO'd inept Jason "Sideburns" Lane at the 1:23 mark of the second round in the evening's semi-final bout.
Lane, who resembled the "Mister Hyde" character portrayed by Fredric March in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" was in way over his head against the well rounded, smooth-boxing Corpus Christi native.
Lane plummets to 0-6 and needs to make another career choice as boxing is not his forte, while Lopezs' fistic future looks quite bright in comparison. |
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July 24, 2007
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| Chris Henry headlines hot night of boxing in Houston!
Sizzling pro prospects Eugene Hill and Alfonso Lopez also featured on exciting card
By Karl Hegman
The NABF, NABA, and USNBC Light Heavyweight Champion Chris “Hard Hittin’” Henry, the World Boxing Council’s number four ranked light heavyweight contender makes his return to ring action Thursday, August 2nd at the Grand Plaza Hotel in Houston, Texas.
His opponent in the Main Event will be tough veteran Derrick James (20-6-1-1) of Dallas, in a fight that promises to provide boxing brutality for those in attendance in the Grand Plaza ballroom’s violence drenched atmosphere.
Fighting under Cameron Parks’ Rock Solid promotional banner and managed by Bob Spagnola, the Orange, Texas native Henry is an aggressive, undefeated bruiser with a perfect 20-0 ring ledger that includes 16 victories via the Sominex route.
With WBC Champion Chad Dawson fixed squarely in his sights, Henry has no intention of letting James pull off a fluke upset, and has trained long and hard in preparation to dish out a painful drubbing to his older foe come August 2nd.
In his last bout, Henry hammered out a unanimous decision win over the 60 lbs heavier Rafael Pedro leaving the big Cuban in a sordid state of physical disrepair, and capturing Pedro’s IBA Intercontinental Heavyweight Title belt in the process.
The wily and ring wise veteran Derrick James has been fighting desperately as of late in an attempt to regain the form that once saw him as one of the cruiserweight division’s main spoilers.
“We plan our work and work our plan,” says Henry “I have a great team behind me, and James is an experienced guy, but no way is he stopping me from getting to Chad Dawson. I know it may sound somewhat clichéd, but I prefer to do my talking with my fists in the ring.”
"We see Chris' career definitely taking a more substantive turn towards challenging Chad Dawson and taking his WBC title," says Rock Solids' promoter, Cameron Park. "Every fight we make for Chris is a building block geared towards putting together the finished product that will put Dawson's lights out. We picked Rayco Saunders for his toughness and to give Chris some hard rounds, we picked Rafael Pedro to see how Chris would handle size and strength, and we picked Derrick James to see how Chris will handle someone with proven world class boxing experience."
The fan friendly card also includes promising young Dickinson heavyweight Eugene Hill (4-0, 4 KO's) who is an exciting young slugger in the Joe Frazier mold, and an athlete that has developed a large fan base in and around Galveston County.
After an outstanding amateur career, young Hill has shed some 20 pounds since turning to the punch for pay ranks, and his weight loss is indicative of this young man's dedication and commitment to the sport of professional boxing.
Eugene has vowed not to disappoint his many fans making the trek from Galveston County to Houston, and has prepared long and hard and is determined to electrify the crowd in the Grand Plaza's elegant, world class ballroom.
The aggressive banger has vowed to "Come out Smokin'!" and render his opponent horizontal and unconscious.
Corpus Christi's favorite son, smooth-boxing former amateur light heavyweight standout Alfonso Lopez (2-0, 1 KO) also fights on the undercard, and looks to be a real up and comer.
Lopez found his calling card in boxing after winning fraternity championships while as a student at Sam Houston State University, and ran up an impressive amateur record under the tutelage of Henry Harris and Felix Ramirez.
Lopez is a boxer/puncher with unlimited potential that reminds many in the fistic fraternity of past Latin light heavyweight legends such as Vicente Paul Rondon, Juarez DeLima, and Mauro Mina.
Also appearing before the Houston boxing fans will be exciting heavyweight Steve Collins (14-1, 12 KO's) who always brings his best and fights his hardest for the fans.
The gorgeous girls from Hooters will return to serve as waitresses once again for the fight fans in attendance, and while the weather may be hot and muggy in the Bayou City outside, the boxing action inside the Grand Plaza ballroom on August 2nd promises to be even hotter.
Doors open at 6:30 pm with the first fight slated to start at 7:30 pm.
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May 21, 2007
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| “Big” Lou readies for “The Real Deal”
Rock Solid's popular heavyweight bomber “Big” Lou Savarese is training and hitting hard in preparation for his upcoming clash June 30th with 4-time heavyweight champion Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield.
The bout will be held at the Don Haskins Center on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso and promises plenty of fistic fireworks between two come backing, no-nonsense heavyweights who both realize that this could be their final opportunity for one last shot at boxing’s holy grail, the heavyweight championship of the world.
Savarese (46-6, 38 KO’s) is looking to put an end to Holyfield’s (41-8-2, 27 KO’s) quest for a fifth championship and make the former ring great the third heavyweight champion he has defeated along with Buster Douglas and Tim Witherspoon.
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April 19, 2007
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| Rock Solid fighters run the table in Houston!
The prizefighting stable of Cameron Parks’ Rock Solid Promotions went 6 for 6 on April 5th at the Grand Plaza Hotel in Houston. Heavyweight Jimmy Jones kicked off the evening’s festivities by making his professional debut a successful one by stopping Rozell Traylor in the second round.
Southpaw featherweight Marcelino Osuna outclassed one Jerron Lockette to up his ring ledger to 3-0, and streaking USNBC Light Heavyweight Champion Chris Henry kept the ball rolling by destroying Jim Franklin in inside of a round. Heavyweight Eugene Hill went to a perfect 4-0 with 4 knockouts by disposing of Donzell Atkins in 35 seconds.
Unbeaten junior middleweight Chase “White Tiger” Shields improved to 23-0-1 by out boxing and shutting out Joshua Smith in a six rounder. The main event saw local hero “Big” Lou Savarese run his ring record to 46-6 with 38 KO’s by flattening Matt Hicks 10-2, 10 KO’s at 2:21 of the first round. Hicks rushed Savarese at the start and looked to end the fight in the first round, but Lou bided his time and picked his shots well and floored Hicks for the first time with a heavy right hand to the stomach. Hicks rose to his feet but he didn’t stay there long as a big right to the head sent him crashing down violently to the canvas and referee Sam Garza waved off the proceedings. We at Rock Solid congratulate all of our gladiators for their fine performances, which came as a result of very hard preparation in the gym and on the road, and the personal sacrifices they were willing to make while chasing their dreams.
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