Johnson, Casamayor Looking for Fame, Fortune, and Gold…Again
By: Laz Izada

Hollywood, FL (InsideBoxing.com, February 24, 2006) - Warriors Boxing Promotions along with the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino presented their first card of the year this Friday night at the Hard Rock Live Arena. Approximately 3,000 fight fans were on hand to witness the seven entertaining bouts that took place.

The main event featured native Jamaicans Glen Johnson (44-10-2, 29 KO’s) ranked #1 with the IBF, and Richard Hall (27-6, 25 KO’s) facing each other for the vacant IBA Light Heavyweight World title. Johnson, “The Road Warrior”, is a former IBF Champion and long time Miami resident. He was making his first boxing appearance in South Florida in 10 years. Hall, a former contender, was coming off of 2 years of inactivity due to medical reasons. Johnson, who was looking for a knockout, knocked Hall down into the ropes in the 2nd round with several rights and a left hook. A standing 8 count was given, and Hall survived to put on a tough fight, toe to toe with Johnson for the rest of the match. During several of the remaining rounds, Hall was noticeably throwing more punches than Johnson. He put on a good show, but it wasn’t enough. Johnson wisely out boxed Hall by blocking his onslaught and picking his punches that scored with precision. He left Hall with a badly swollen face. In the end of the 12th round IBA World title bout, Johnson had easily won a unanimous decision with scores of 118-109, 119-108, and 119-107. Johnson, 37, who was fighter of the year in 2004 when he beat Clinton Woods for the IBF title, then KO’d Roy Jones Jr., and won a split decision over Antonio Tarver in 2004, is now looking to avenge his June 2005 rematch loss to Tarver. If Tarver doesn’t give him a 3rd match up, he is looking to take on Clinton Woods again, who is the IBF Light Heavyweight Champion. Woods has said that he is interested in clearing his one loss and draw to Johnson in 2003 and 2004 by beating him this time around. Woods would like one tune-up fight before him and Johnson meet later this year. Johnson is looking to beat Woods again and unifying the Light Heavyweight belts.

In the main co-event, hometown favorite and Cuban sensation, former WBA Super Featherweight Champion Joel “Casita” Casamayor (32-3-1, 20 KO’s) took on Dominican Antonio Ramirez (24-11-6, 17 KO’s) in a scheduled 10 round lightweight bout. Casamayor’s last bout in June was a draw to Almazbek Raiymkulov “Kid Diamond”. In 2004 he had close split decision losses to Diego Corrales, and Jose Luis Castillo. Casamayor, 34 years old, this time around is out to “show the world that he is a true champion, not just a one time champ.” Against Ramirez he was his old self again, out classing and superiorly out boxing Ramirez around the ring. When he decided to put him away, he did so by landing a straight left to Ramirez’ forehead, scoring the knockout at 26 seconds of the 5th round. After the fight Casamayor said that he “felt very strong, confident, and relaxed.” He also said he felt “more power in his hands at lightweight.” Casamayor, ranked 6th by the WBA, and his camp are now in the works setting a match up with WBA lightweight champion Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz (28-0, 14 KO’s).

On the undercard, Ricky “Showtime” Quiles (39-6-3, 8 KO’s) from Davie, FL scored a unanimous 8 round decision 78-74, 79-73, and 77-75, over Jeremy Yelton (17-5, 8 KO’s) from Forest Hill, NC. This was supposed to be a tune-up fight for Quiles before facing the winner of the IBF lightweight championship bout between Jesus Chavez and Marco Antonio Barrera which has been postponed because Chavez suffered a torn left bicep. Quiles, 35, was really looking forward to the title shot. We’ll have to wait and see who he fights next.

In attendance at ringside were Zab Judah, Angelo Dundee, Roberto Duran, Hector Camacho, Shannon Briggs, and Sultan Ibragimov. Calling the fight for In-Demand PPV were Al Bernstein and Sean O’Grady.

Warriors Boxing and matchmaker M. Chico Rivas who worked wonders for tonight’s card considering all of the changes that unexpectedly took place, will present their next card at the Hard Rock Live Arena on March 24th. Columbian Edison “Pantera” Miranda (25-0-0) will face Britain’s Howard Eastman (40-3) in an IBF Middleweight Title Eliminator. 43 year old Hector “Macho” Camacho (79-5) will also return to the ring to face Keith Simms (25-12-1). The bouts will be televised by ESPN2.