Posts Tagged ‘Dannie Williams’

When Kelly Pavlik decided to back out of a fight with Darryl Cunningham, he left many people scratching their heads.  Pavlik was supposedly upset with being offered a 60-40 split to fight Lucian Bute that didn’t equal 60-40. Bute was set to make $6 million to Pavlik’s $1.3 million.  Do the math and you will find that if Bute were to make his end, Pavlik would have to make $4 million to call it a 60-40 split.  Pavlik said he would not “fight for peanuts” against a southpaw like Bute feeling he was being shortchanged by Top Rank.

Top Rank put up a statement saying they were upset with his decision.  One voice that had not been heard yet was that of Jack Loew, Pavlik’s longtime trainer.  Loew is no one trick pony, he has Dannie Williams fighting on ESPN Friday Night Fights on Friday, August 12.  I was able to talk with Loew about the table of events and wasn’t surprised with his answers.

When asked how he found out, Loew said, “Kelly called me and said he was not fighting Cunningham.  I tried to talk him out of it, but he  has his mind set on fighting in high-dollar fights, feeling he has paid his dues. “

Asked if this was it and Pavlik was done fighting, Loew commented, “I don’t think he is done.  I think he will have a bigger problem trying to get a big money fight because he backed out of this one. The longer he sits and waits for a big fight, the worse his chances will be of landing one.  He has never expressed a desire to quit or take time off, I’m not sure where we go from here.“

“I’m sure there is no remorse”, commented Loew about Pavlik’s frame of mind.

I am sure a part of Pavlik should feel slighted.  Top Rank offered the Bute fight to Mikkel Kessler for much more money.  Was it reason to back out of a Cunningham fight that was supposed to be proof that the timing was back and the pop was in his punches?  Absolutely not.  This move could spell career suicide for one of Youngstown’s most famous athletes.

With a Main Event in place for the August 6 boxing card at the Covelli Centre, the undercard remains sketchy.  The fight will be televised on ShoBox, Showtime’s boxing affiliate.  ShoBox isn’t HBO Championship Boxing, but is a major media outlet with a loyal viewership.  To ensure a good crowd, Bob Arum and the fine folks at Top Rank would be wise to load the card with Youngstown area talent.

Jack Loew and Kelly Pavlik had their Ghost Promotions inaugural offering card in a parking lot at the Covelli Centre.  There were some competitive and entertaining fights on the card that drew about 1,500 with no fighter on the card in the Top-10 of any rankings list.  The reason why so many people showed up was because they knew the fighters, they were relatives or they were friends, and they respect the local boxing beat.  The attendance would not have been any different if the fights would have not been as good as they were.

With proven A-level talent like Pavlik, a more than fair amount of seats can expect to be sold.  However, when mixing in all of those friends and relatives of potential undercard locals, you have a better shot at packing the house.  I have always thought a good crowd made a televised event more exciting to watch.

The reality of the situation is that the television revenue will not be as high with ShoBox coverage than it would be with HBO.  There will be less money to split making it harder to bring in names of national recognition.  By employing the very capable local fighters such as Chris Hazimihailis, Marco Hall, Anthony Pietrantonio, Dannie Williams (above), and Juan Salinas, the crowd automatically doubles.  It’s not rocket science.

Tickets for the event go on sale Friday, July 15.

Kelly Pavlik will get into the ring in his hometown on August 6.  Pavlik (37-2, 32 KO) will square off against Darryl Cunningham (23-2) in the feature match on the Covelli Centre card.  The Ghost, in shape and of sharp mind these days, is really buckling down getting ready for the fight.

Tickets for the event will be on sale Friday, July 15 at 10 a.m.  You can purchase tickets from the Covelli Centre Box Office or through Ticketmaster .  Tickets will start at $152 for Ringside, $102 for VIP Seating, $52 for Gold Seating, and $27 for Silver Seating.

According to Jack Loew, Dannie Williams will also be on the card and Anthony Pietrantonio may get the call as well.  Details of the complete card will be posted once I get them.

Pavlik will use the fight to sharpen up before signing a major deal with Top Rank to face Lucian Bute, probably in Montreal, probably in November.

** Above photo, courtesy of Team Pavlik.

Things are falling into place for the first-ever “Ghost Productions” card to be held this Friday, July 1, at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio.  Thursday afternoon, Jack Loew and Kelly Pavlik addressed the media and the fighters were officially weighed-in by the governing body of Ohio boxing.  Loew (pictured above ,with Rumble Time’s Steve Smith, Dannie Williams, and Kelly Pavlik), commented that the tickets are still on sale at the Covelli Centre box office and there are still seats remaining.  He also announced that there will be an intermission after the fourth fight, but because of the unique setting (the Covelli Centre Parking Lot), there will be a grand display of fireworks.  Can’t have those in Atlantic City.

When Pavlik took the podium, he said he was excited because this card has some really good fights on it and that the Youngstown fans will get to see some great boxing.  Ghost Productions’ initial endeavor will be good for the ring action.  Many local up-and-coming boxers are on the card and the fan support should be good for the home team.

The Darnell Boone vs Romaro Johnson fight has been cancelled, but the rest of the card is intact and there will be many great things to look forward to.  Youngstown’s Juan Salinas will finally get the spotlight in a professional ring when he has his first pro bout.  Loew has ranted about Salinas for the past three years.

Billy Lyell, from Niles, Ohio is pumped about being on the card.  “I feel great, I am in the best shape of my life.  The fights I was in against world champions has helped me.  I’m not going to see too many new looks that I already haven’t.  I’m real excited about fighting at home, it’s going to be a great event.”

Lyell has had some fierce competition in his path the past couple of fights, most notably a 10-round decision loss to undefeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. that he took on short notice.  He has sprung back since the January 29 setback earlier this year and defeated Brian Paul in Oklahoma on May 5.  Lyell is a very active fighter who gives his all each time out, not known as a knockout threat, he is very crowd-pleasing because he moves forwards and throws a lot of punches.

Speaking of local fan favorites, Jake Guiriceo (11-0-1) will be fighting Winston Mathis.  Giuriceo, from Campbell, Ohio has a strong and passionate local following and is another busy fighter who keeps active for three minutes at a time.

“I’m definitely ready, I have trained very hard.  I’m not looking for a knockout, I’m not a perfect athlete, I just want to win a good, safe fight”, claimed The Bull.  “I’m fighting for some kind of a title at Cene Park in Struthers on August 13, so I want to use this opportunity to sharpen things up.  It’s an absolute blessing to have a majority of my fights in Ohio.  I love the fans here, they are supportive and give me a boost when they are behind me.”

The Main Event will feature new WBC Continental Americas Champion, Dannie Williams.  Williams is 17-1 with 14 KO’s and is coming off of a title-winning effort in St. Louis, where he knocked out Manuel Leyva in the first round to secure his first major belt.  Williams is ranked in the Top-15, 135 pound fighters in the world and has no pushover in facing Oscar Cuero in the feature contest.  Cuero is 13-6 but his losses have been for the most part have come to some big time opponents (Monty Meza Clay, Jonathan Maicelo, and Emmanuel Lucero).  The three fighters mentioned have a combined record of 75-9-1, he is no pushover.

Williams has been training hard.  In fact it’s about all he is focused on these days.  “I get up and train, I eat, then I run.  After that I train some more.  Being in Youngstown has been great, I’m really looking forward to fighting on a big card like this one here in front of the hometown fans.”

The first bout is at 7 p.m. and it will be worth checking out.  The tickets are affordable, the setting is unique, and the action will speak for itself.  Hence, this card is “The Real Deal“.

Ghost Productions has announced the entire final card for the Friday Night Fights to take place at the Covelli Centre on July 1.  Jack Loew, Kelly Pavlik, and Mike Pavlik, Sr., make up the new promotional team.  They have the local map pretty well-covered with young professional talent for the debut card.

The tickets are very affordable, the matches were made to be competitive, and the card is set as follows:

Main Event

Dannie Williams (17-1, 14 ko’s) Yo, OH vs Oscar Cuelo (13-6, 1 ko) Brooklyn, NY

Undercard

Darnell Boone (18-17, 7 ko’s) Yo, OH vs Romaro Johnson (11-3, 6 ko’s) Cleveland

Billy Lyell (23-9, 5 ko’s) Niles, OH vs Michael Walker (19-8, 12 ko’s) Chicago, IL

Jake Giuriceo (11-0-1, 3 ko’s) Yo, OH vs Winston Mathis (7-3) Stockebridge, GA

Anthony Pietrantonio (6-7, 5 ko’s) Yo, OH vs William Prieto (5-5-1, 2 ko’s) Lorain

Juan Salinas (above) (0-0) Youngstown, OH vs David Burns (0-2) Cleveland, OH

Marco Hall (0-0) vs Emil Brooks (0-3) Buffalo, NY

Vincent O’Neil (1-1-1, 1 ko) Las Vegas vs Kenneth Addison (0-0)

Kevin Dotson (0-0) vs Daniel Crabtree (0-2)

With a great card in place and the area buzzing, this should be a great night of boxing that the Youngstown Area fans need to come out and enjoy!

In October of 2010, I interviewed Jack Loew at his Southside Boxing Club.  One of the first things Loew wanted to talk about was a young, scrappy prospect from St. Louis named Dannie Williams.  Loew said that the 135-pound fighter was going to be someone to reckon with.  On April 17, 2011, Williams made Loew look like a genius as he knocked out veteran Manuel Leyva in the first round to capture the WBC Continental American Lightweight Title in St. Louis.  First round knockouts are impressive, but when you do it throwing counterpunches, they become really impressive.

That win made “The Chopper”, as he is known in some circles, a Top-15 contender as he improved to 17-1 with 14 KO’s.  On July 1, Williams will headline the first-ever Ghost Productions card to be held at the Covelli Centre.  His opponent for that fight is Oscar Cairo , fighting out of New York.  I recently sat down with Williams to discuss the future fight and the big picture.

Paneech: Do you realize that you are starting to be  mentioned nationally and the opportunities will grow?

Williams: Yes sir, I do.  Two years ago I won my first belt and suddenly the sky is the limit.  I’m now in the Top-15 in the world and have a big fight coming up with Oscar Cairo.  We are both getting paid to train hard, show up, and beat the opponent up.  He is 13-6-1.  He is from Colombia but fights out of New York and has only been knocked out one time  and out of his 13 wins, ten have come from knockouts.  He can punch and it will be a good test for me.  I’m training to go ten rounds, but one punch can change the whole fight.  I am excited about fighting here in Youngstown for the hometown crowd.

Paneech: Who are the guys in your weight class of 135 that you want to face?

Williams: Right now, I am taking baby steps to get some exposure.  I would like to get a fight on ESPN or Showtime boxing.  As far as the fighters go, Hank Lundy out of Philadelphia is solid.  I would also like to fight Brandon Rios, who I beat at the amateur level.  The key in the whole process is to get some exposure and then face someone like a Robert Guerrerro, a Lundy, or a Rios on a bigger card.  Having 14 knockouts in 17 wins and not many people seeing them does not help my career much.  Once the world sees me, then I can think about bigger fights.  Obviously, fighting Manny Pacquiao would be huge.  Whether you win or lose, you can retire from boxing rich if you fight him.  Once I become champ at 135, I can think about moving up.

Paneech: I don’t think Jack Loew is going to whisk you into a fight with Manny Pacquiao in December unless he knows your ready.  Do you notice with each fight, a better opponent?

Williams: Definitely.  In February, I fought a guy [Cuello] who had never been knocked out.  My last fight against Leyva was a step up in class and for a belt.  They are getting tougher as they go, but that is what boxing is about, you have to beat the best to be the best.

Paneech:  Who influenced you when you were young to get into this sport?

Williams: Floyd Mayweather and Roy Jones.  I am a slick fighter, like a Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker or a Corey Spinks type boxer, where they are just slick and hard to hit solid.  I am 25 years-old and am driven by all of the guys who I came up with that have made it.

Paneech: What would be the “ultimate exposure” as far as a network covering you?

Williams: It has got to be HBO Pay-Per-View.  They are gonna pay, and I can co-promote with my real promoter by then.  However, right now, any network will do, it has to start somewhere.

Paneech: How is the transition from St. Louis to Youngstown going?

Williams: It’s been going great!  A lot of bad habits I had when I was in St. Louis stayed there when I came here.  In Youngstown, I am much more focused, training extremely hard, and staying out of trouble.  All I do here is eat, sleep, and box.  No time for foolishness once training camp starts.  I am focused on my opponent and trying to build a fan base here.

Paneech: Is Kelly Pavlik supportive?

Williams: Kelly has been great, like a big brother.  He is always giving me pointers, always taking time to make sure I am doing something the right way and pushes me to get better.  Even when I just fought in February, he was there hitting the ring and encouraging me.  He has been awesome.

Paneech: What is your relationship with Jack Loew like?  He has been tooting his horn about you for two years.

Williams: Jack is my trainer, but is also like a dad to me.  I call him “Pops”.  He has always spoken highly of me and doesn’t paint a fake picture.  He will come out and tell you what you are doing wrong.  I love him like a real dad for showing me the ropes and teaching me what I have learned.  He is always behind me 100 % and has my back regardless of who is against me.

Paneech: What is the message to the boxing world?

Williams: My message to the boxing world is to look out.  I am in Youngstown, one of boxing’s best kept secrets, and you will all know about me in a minute.

One Word Answers

Favorite Food When Not Training: Pizza with chicken and peppers on it.

Favorite Movie: Scarface.

Biggest Phobia: Me getting knocked out.

Worst Habit: I smile too much.

Favorite Drink: Hawaiian Punch.

Favorite TV Show: Sportscenter and boxing.

Favorite Store: Dillards.

Favorite Color: Red.

Favorite Musician: Yo Gotti.

On July 1, 2011, a brand new Youngstown business will be open for business.  “Ghost Productions” is the promotional combination of Jack Loew, Mike Pavlik Sr., and Kelly Pavlik.  The trio who run the promotion will hold their first event, simply called Friday Night Fights.  The event will be held outdoors, weather permitting, at the Covelli Centre.  If there is a threat of rain, the event will be moved inside the Centre.

“There is an awful lot of local talent and this is a way to let them showcase their skills”, commented Loew.  “Don’t get me wrong, it is a professional boxing card featuring Dannie Williams in the main event, but we would rather fill the card with as many local fighters as we can.”

Loew said that some of the other local fighters who will compete on July 1 will be Marco Hall, Anthony Pientono, Darnell Boone, Billy Lyell, and possibly Jake Giuriceo and Durrell Richardson.  One young man who Loew has been high on for a couple of years, Juan Salinas, will make his professional debut on the card.

Tickets for the inaugural Friday Night Fights go on sale Friday, June 3.  Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster and are very reasonable at $10 and up (plus Ticketmaster fees and tax).  Tickets go onsale to the public at 10 a.m.

The absence of the Golden Gloves, formerly held at the Struthers Fieldhouse in the 80’s and 90’s, could make the ticket even more appealing for local boxing fans.

“It is a fairly priced ticket for a very good lineup of young local fighters,” said Loew.  “We would like to get television coverage as we continue to grow using some of the connections that Kelly [Pavlik] and I have made along the way.  Stations like ESPN, VS, and Showtime who air boxing regularly are targets.”