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Post by Dee Williams on Nov 5, 2006 1:28:49 GMT -5
Melissa "Hurracan" Hernandez from NY won a 10-rd decision over Canada's Lisa Brown for the WIBA Super Bantamweight title, Jeannine Garside of Canada by 10-rd decision over veteran Laura Serrano of Mexico for the WIBA Featherweight title and Ann-Marie Saccurato of NY by 10-rd split decision over Jelena Mrdjenovich of Edmonton for the WBC Lightweight title.
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Post by Dee Williams on Nov 5, 2006 19:06:53 GMT -5
Scores:
Garside over Serrano by 100-87, 99-89 and 98-90.
Hernandez over Brown by 96-94, 96-94 and 98-92.
Saccurato over Mrdjenovich 96-94, 96-94 and 94-96
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Post by Bernie McCoy on Nov 5, 2006 19:16:47 GMT -5
Scores: Garside over Serrano by 100-87, 99-89 and 98-90. Hernandez over Brown by 96-94, 96-94 and 98-92. Dee: Is 90-98 a typo or did one judge give it to Serrano? The Hernandez numbers seem a bit strange, you wonder what bout the 98-92 judge was watching. Bernie Typo, fixed now - Dee |
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Post by jr on Nov 5, 2006 20:40:02 GMT -5
Melissa "Hurracan" Hernandez from NY won a 10-rd decision over Canada's Lisa Brown for the WIBA Super Bantamweight title, Jeannine Garside of Canada by 10-rd decision over veteran Laura Serrano of Mexico for the WIBA Featherweight title and Ann-Marie Saccurato of NY by 10-rd split decision over Jelena Mrdjenovich of Edmonton for the WBC Lightweight title. The Edmonton press is slow in getting out the stories this time. The scores for the Saccurato-Mrdjenovich bout were 96-94 (2) and 94-96. The 94-96 score for Mrdjenovich was from Usman Ali who regularly scores her high in bouts (e.g. 99-92 in the St. John contest when the two other scores were 97-93). This was no split decision. This was a unanimous decision for Ann Marie Saccurato. What happened to Team Mrdjenovich? More later. |
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Post by Dee Williams on Nov 5, 2006 22:14:30 GMT -5
The Edmonton press is slow in getting out the stories this time. The scores for the Saccurato-Mrdjenovich bout were 96-94 (2) and 94-96. The 94-96 score for Mrdjenovich was from Usman Ali who regularly scores her high in bouts (e.g. 99-92 in the St. John contest when the two other scores were 97-93). I think J.R. must be short for Jaundiced Reviewer. Why so negative on this? Let's just have a cheer for Ann-Marie Saccurato for everything she has done to recover from an accident that was supposed to prevent her from her even walking around again according to the doctors but now she is a world champion boxer. All the negativity makes me think you are running for Congress on Tuesday. Is a slow sports press day on a Sunday and a one-round scoring discrepancy by one judge in another fight SO much more important than saluting Ann-Marie Saccurato for taking the title fight in Jelena's home town on short notice, and then winning it? |
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Post by len on Nov 5, 2006 22:33:51 GMT -5
The bias for Mrdjenovich in Edmonton is either illusionary or Saccurato really plastered her. Can't wait for the AROTO broadcast. Wait, Brown (who is also a Canadian) lost to an American.
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Post by jr on Nov 5, 2006 22:46:26 GMT -5
The Edmonton press is slow in getting out the stories this time. The scores for the Saccurato-Mrdjenovich bout were 96-94 (2) and 94-96. The 94-96 score for Mrdjenovich was from Usman Ali who regularly scores her high in bouts (e.g. 99-92 in the St. John contest when the two other scores were 97-93). I think J.R. must be short for Jaundiced Reviewer. Why so negative on this? Let's just have a cheer for Ann-Marie Saccurato for everything she has done to recover from an accident that was supposed to prevent her from her even walking around again according to the doctors but now she is a world champion boxer. All the negativity makes me think you are running for Congress on Tuesday. Is a slow sports press day on a Sunday and a one-round scoring discrepancy by one judge in another fight SO much more important than saluting Ann-Marie Saccurato for taking the title fight in Jelena's home town on short notice, and then winning it? Dee, I believe you just cherry-picked my post (as you have accused me in the past). I did say the bout was a unanimous decision for Ann Marie Saccurato. This is an acknowledgement of her performance. She deserves full recognition for her victory in this contest. Winning a decision in Edmonton is no small feat (no, this is not negative, but realistic). Concerning the speed of the Edmonton press, they wrote about the Mrdjenovich-St. John bout the following morning. |
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Post by Dee Hamaguchi on Nov 5, 2006 23:10:31 GMT -5
How bout props to all six of these women? All are quality fighters - none of these were gimmees. And an esp big congrats to AnnMarie for doing what she had to do to get a dec vs. JM in Edmonton. And,yes, Bobby, a large headline screaming this result is rather conspicuous in its absence.
Dee H
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Post by Dee Williams on Nov 5, 2006 23:20:43 GMT -5
I believe you just cherry-picked my post (as you have accused me in the past). I did say the bout was a unanimous decision for Ann Marie Saccurato. This is an acknowledgement of her performance. So it's MY fault that JR's posts are so full of negative nit-picking about Edmonton papers and Mia St. John's loss there that you can only IMPLY a big cheer for a big win by Ann-Marie Saccurato ... like out of the corner of your mouth. Hey if you really want to congratulate someone, why not come right out and SAY it? It is SO HARD for you to be positive about something? Also a cheer for Melissa Hernandez, Lisa Brown is a d**n good fighter and Hurracan got a big win. First the draw with Kel-C, then a win over Lisa ... who cares about slow press reports when there are rising stars to cheer for? Can't the grumpy old men in this Forum get a life and give a cheer once in a while, even when their favorite hobby horses (like you can't win in Edmonton) throw a shoe? |
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Post by Dee Williams on Nov 6, 2006 0:24:41 GMT -5
Laura Serrano announced her retirement following the loss to Jeannine Garside. Laura's pro career stretched from 1994 (when she fought Christy Martin) to last night's fight with Jeannine Garside, and she did a great deal to break down barriers to recognition of women's boxing in Mexico as well as fighting a long list of tough opponents that read like a who's who of her weight divisions ... see her bio at www.wban.org/biog/lserrano.htm"Women's boxing has given me the chance to meet great people, view the world, learn new cultures and it has given me the power to dream, I thank God for my family and friends and blessing me with the talent to become a World Champion Woman Boxer", she says."I just don't understand why, but I simply love boxing with all my heart. It's passion. I love it so much that it's in my blood. Boxing is my whole life." Laura Serrano was one of those who helped to put women's pro boxing on the map, both in the USA and in her native Mexico, in the 1990's ... and I hope she will stay connected to the sport in many ways in the years to come. |
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Post by Rick Scharmberg on Nov 6, 2006 11:10:25 GMT -5
Three cheers for all the ladies, and a special nod to Laura Serrano. She was one of the best out there for a long time..
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Post by Dee Williams on Nov 6, 2006 17:56:05 GMT -5
Saccurato savors title win By JOSH THOMSON THE JOURNAL NEWS www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061106/SPORTS01/611060367/1271/SPORTS(Original publication: November 6, 2006) From the moment she took the fight four weeks ago, Ann Marie Saccurato saw signs pointing in her direction. The event was one she always wanted to be a part of; the belt, one she always wanted to hold. And in the early hours yesterday morning, Saccurato had another vision: She saw just how right she was. Saccurato, a Tuckahoe native who fights out of White Plains, flew home from Edmonton, Canada, as a split-decision winner over Jelena Mrdjenovich. The victory, 96-94, 96-94, 94-96, earned Saccurato the interim WBC female lightweight championship, making her the first female boxer from Westchester to ever win a world championship. "For me, it was a battle of will," Saccurato said yesterday. "She's such a tough fighter. Everybody back home that's been believing in me and supporting me, they were really with me in that 10th round." Judging by the final margins on all three scorecards, the 10th and final round was decisive. Saccurato admitted she didn't know who led the fight at the time. "I knew it was close," she said. "I knew I had to win the 10th round to win the fight. That's when I had to dig deep." "She started strong," said Luigi Olcese, Saccurato's trainer from the New York Boxing Gym in White Plains. "She finished the fight strong." Saccurato hadn't fought in eight months, but took this fight less than a month ago when WBC lightweight champion Eliza Olson (Mrdjenovich's original opponent) dropped out due to an injury. Saccurato, who fought a four-round draw earlier in her career against Olson, now must face Olson to earn the undisputed belt. However, according to Olcese, Olson must first prove to the WBC that she was injured in order to earn the fight with Saccurat o. Until that situation is worked out, Saccurato will savor an achievement years in the making. "This one," she said shortly after winning, "is one I've been waiting for and working toward for quite some time." ==== Note the comment by Ann-Marie Saccurato that SHE thought the fight was close --- Dee |
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Post by Dee Williams on Nov 6, 2006 22:00:36 GMT -5
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Post by Dee Williams on Nov 6, 2006 22:33:25 GMT -5
Border War goes South for Mrdjenovich by Shawn Roth, FightNews Canada 2006-11-05 www.fightnews.ca/2006/results/borderwar20061105.htmAnn-Marie Saccurato walked into Edmonton a virtual unknown and left with a championship belt around her waist. Saccurato, 29, (12-1-2), who hails from White Plains, New York, scored a split-decision victory over hometown hero Jelena Mrdjenovich, 24, (18-2) Saturday night in the main event of the Larry Fleming Memorial “Border War”. With the victory, Saccurato became the WBC lightweight champion. Saccurato opened the fight with confidence and showed she wasn’t intimidated in the least to be in the ring with Mrdjenovich, going right at the Edmonton fighter from the hop. The New York fighter rapped three shots off the back of Mrdjenovich’s head near the end of the first, which is about all the action the opening round saw. Mrdjenovich seemed to calm down and looked more composed in the second round where she landed two big left hands that caught Saccurato flush in the chin. Saccurato stood tough and replied with a quick, sharp jab that kept Mrdjenovich alert and on the run. A right hook from Mrdjenovich opened the action in the third, a round that saw Saccurato begin to tie up Mrdjenovich, but the eventual winner threw a solid right hook of her own that landed well on Mrdjenovich. The brawling style of Saccurato proved problematic for Mrdjenovich, chasing the hometown girl into the corner. Saccurato landed many nice right hooks and stiff jabs in the fourth and fifth round as well as combinations going to the body and finishing with left jabs when Mrdjenovich backpedaled out of trouble. Mrdjenovich landed a hard right uppercut and left hook near the end of the fifth, a nice combo of her own that landed square on Saccurato. Mrdjenovich had Saccurato reeling through the seventh with nice work from a right jab left hook combo and closed the round with two quality right hands. “A lot of those punches should have put her to sleep, so what can you do?” Mrdjenovich said. “I tagged her I don’t know how many times.” Fatigue began to show in both fighters as round-eight got underway. Saccurato seemed comfortable holding on and tying up Mrdjenovich in close, where she wouldn’t be able to get hurt. The tactic paid off and Saccurato managed to land a nice left, right combo without much in return from Mrdjenovich. Mrdjenovich came out throwing hard in the ninth, landing her left hand in combination with a solid right hook, but is again met with some holding from Saccurato. Once out of the hold, Saccurato drops two massive right hands that stunned Mrdjenovich as the bell ended the round. In the final round there was little gas left in the tank for either fighter but each still managed to mount some offensive attacks in the hopes of taking the final points in what proved a close contest. When the scorecards were tallied, Saccurato was the new WBC lightweight champion by split-decision, 96-94, 94-96, 96-94. “I’m surprised by the judging, I felt we had it our way, we felt we had it our way” Mrdjenovich said. When asked of a rematch both fighters said it would be something to think about. “It would be great for boxing,” Saccurato said. “It was a great show tonight.” “I’ll go up (lightweight) to rematch her and then stay down at 130 pounds,” Mrdjenovich said. “We’ll see what happens next time.” Windsor’s Jeanine Garside, 28, (6-0-1) is the new WIBA Featherweight champion after her convincing unanimous decision over Mexico City’s Laura Serrano, 39, (16-3-2). Garside thoroughly dominated the fight from the opening bell, punishing Serrano with a relentless left hook that the Mexican fighter could not deal with. Serrano was put to the canvas in the third and tenth round but returned to her feet, a true testament of her toughness. Serrano refused to stay down, shook the cobwebs off and continued to brawl with Garside, which garnered the appreciation of the crowd for her unbelievable ability to take punishment and keep fighting. The judges cards read 98-90, 99-89 and 100-87 for Garside in a landslide majority. “I feel awesome, I felt great going into this fight, going up to 126 pounds, which is my comfortable fight.” Garside said following her victory. “There’s more to come.” New York’s Melissa Hernandez, 26, (6-0-1) defeated Toronto’s Lisa Brown, 35, (12-3-3) for the WIBA super-bantamweight belt in a unanimous decision. Both fighters looked fresh and willing to brawl as the fight opened but the youth of Hernandez quickly took over. Brown seemed unable to catch the much more agile Hernandez with any real significant punches in the early going. Hernandez used her elusiveness to duck out of Brown’s punches and counter with a nice right hand that she used effectively through the match. Brown caught Hernandez with a good left jab and right hook combo in the third, but Hernandez seemed able to absorb the shots well and keep on moving. Hernandez continued to frustrate Brown in the middle rounds, pinning the older fighter on the ropes and teeing off on her. When Brown was able to muster an attack, Hernandez was able to quickly move from trouble, but Brown did manage to catch the American with a left jab before she could maneuver away from Brown late in the seventh. The final rounds saw Brown come out looking sharper than the previous rounds as the two exchanged some hard blows while on the ropes. Brown connected a quality left jab on Hernandez in the ninth, but once again, the younger Hernandez responded with a hard right jab. In the end, Hernandez proved too quick and conditioned for Brown to handle. The scorecards read 96-94, 98-92 and 96-94 for Hernandez. “I didn’t know I was winning, I was just surviving with Lisa Brown,” Hernandez said following her title win.” I just feel crazy right now.” |
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Post by jr on Nov 9, 2006 17:36:41 GMT -5
www.whiteplainscnr.com/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=5250Ann Marie Saccurato interview on the White Plains CitzeNetReporter website: WPCNR RINGSIDE. Interview with Ann Marie Saccurato with WPCNR From TeamSaccurato, from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. November 6, 2006: " It was a fight from bell to bell. I hurt her badly in the first round and had her at the end of the first round. But she came back and landed a hard hook on me in second round on my chin. I felt it. I was aware of that the rest of the fight.....She landed just one good one on me in the second round...It became more of a street fight than a boxing match," New WBC Lightweight Champion Ann Marie Saccurato told the CitizeNetReporter Monday morning in a telephone interview.
In front of an estimated crowd of 4,000, Ann Marie Saccurato (12-1-2) of White Plains, New York, and the new WBC lightweight world champion, defeated two-time world champion Jelena Mrdjenovich in Mrdjenovich’s hometown of Edmonton, Canada. The 10 round fight was Saccurato’s first shot at a world title. The final Judges' scores were 96-94, 96-94, 94-96.
Saccurato stunned Mrdjenovich in the first round but Mrdjenovich rallied and turned it on in the second. What followed was exciting back and forth action for 10 rounds with Saccurato landing the cleaner, harder blows. Saccurato said, “Jelena is a world champion boxer and I was very thankful for the opportunity to box on an all-female card that is donating money towards breast cancer research. Even though it was her hometown, I knew it was my time. I have trained hard for this fight, and I knew in my heart I would take home the WBC
green belt.”
Saccurato told WPCNR, she used her jab to get inside on the taller Jelena. After Mrdjenovich landed the left hook on Ann Marie in Round 2, Saccurato was aware of it and adjusted She said it mostly turned into "a street fight, a lot of headlocks, mostly by her." Ann-Marie said she was doing a lot of damage with her right on Mrdjenovich throughout the fight.
She said her superior conditioning was a major factor and credited Juan Carlos Santana of the Institute for Human performance in Boca Raton for laying out the conditioning program she followed to get ready for this fight. She said she definitely hurt Mrdjenovich in the first round and Mrdjenovich was not used to Ann-Marie's power. She said her jab set her up inside throughout the fight and that she worked Mrdjenovich's body relentlessly.
Ann-Marie said she would be fighting Liza Olson next within 90 days, if Olson recovers from a toe injury suffered in getting ready for the Mrdjenovich fight. Ann-Marie was signed to replace Olson on the card when Olson suffered the toe injury sparring. Ann-Marie said it remains to be seen whether Olson would be ready for the fight. As a result of her win over Mrdjenovich, A Ring of Their Own has offered her a one year contract to fight on their all-women Boxing Programs. Ann-Marie also said she would like to fight for the Lightweight titles of other commissions. She is currently managed by Luigi Olsece.
Hector Roca, her trainer, and trainer of 15 World Champions, one of them Hector Camacho, told her she was ready for this fight and did not give her any special advice. She credited Sherif Ouna for working with her on mitt targets during her training at Gleason's Gym, the fight palace in Brooklyn.
Ann-Marie who can often be seen running on the streets of White Plains, said that in the 10th Round, she thought of how many times people have come up to her on the streets of White Plains and mentioned to her how her efforts have meant a great deal to them and the city. Ann-Marie said those comments motivated her to reach back and finish strong. "That means a lot," she said.
This fight was the main event of an all female card titled "A Ring of Their Own" "Border War" which also featured two other world title bouts and will be telecast on iNDemand Pay per view beginning November 17th. The fight promoted breast cancer awareness as all the fighter’s donned pink gloves to enter the ring. The event was promoted by a Ring of Their Own and KO Boxing Promotions and took place at the Shaw Conference Center .
Ann-Marie was born in Eastchester, NY and trains out of New York Boxing gym and Souler in White Plains and Gleason’s in Brooklyn. Her senior trainer is the legendary Hector Roca who has trained 15 World Champions. Her other trainers include New Rochelle police sergeant Luigi Olsece and sport performance guru Juan Carlos Santana of the Institute for Human Performance in Boca Raton.
This victory symbolizes the ultimate comeback for Saccurato. Ann-Marie has overcome tremendous odds just to be walking today. In 1995 she was a passenger in a devastating car wreck returning from a volleyball competition at the Empire State Games. The driver of the vehicle was killed and Ann-Marie suffered a punctured lung, broken pelvis, hip, 2 broken legs, a shattered arm, broken ribs, and severe nerve damage. She was not expected to live the night, let alone ever walk again. Being ever the determined athlete, she proved everyone wrong and immediately took up an aggressive rehabilitation program knowing in her heart she would play sports again. In 1999 she entered her first boxing gym stronger than ever.
Ann-Marie is known for her boxing skill, athleticism, footwork and knockout power, and now she's a champion. But, she always was in her own heart. Winning a boxing championship in a fighter's home town is the hardest task in sports, unless you do it by a knockout. But she did it in a split decision.
After the fight she was invited by the promoters to The Gaspipe in downtown Edmonton, and was very impressed with how well they treated her, considering she was an out-of-town fighter who had just taken a title away from their hometown favorite. They were just great to me she said.
As she told the CitizeNetReporter, "sometimes you have to go through the fire."
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Post by jr on Nov 10, 2006 17:33:06 GMT -5
www.edmontonsun.com/Sports/OtherSports/2006/11/10/2301458-sun.htmlIn this copyrighted article in the Edmonton Sun, writer Murray Greig said he scored the fight 97-93 for Jelena Mrdjenovich and reported that manager Milan Lubovac and Mrdjenovich objected wildly when the decision was announced. These three judges had scored Mrdjenovich contests before and Team Mrdjenovich and the Edmonton press didn’t object to their scores then. Other articles claim that Mrdjenovich barely survived the first round with Ann Marie Saccurato. The PPV broadcast should be interesting.
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Post by jr on Nov 13, 2006 17:51:17 GMT -5
The bias for Mrdjenovich in Edmonton is either illusionary or Saccurato really plastered her. Can't wait for the AROTO broadcast. Wait, Brown (who is also a Canadian) lost to an American. Excerpt from op-ed article in the Edmonton Sun by John Short: SOUNDS LIKE WHINING ...
Too bad Jelena Mrdjenovich lost her boxing match last week, but even worse is that she dumped all over the judges. Her reaction was similar after a disputed loss to Layla McCarter more than a year ago.
Whenever a local fighter loses at home, it's discouraging to hear the complaint that local judges aren't biased enough in favour of the Edmonton athletes. These are the same boxers who object to fighting in an opponent's back yard because judges - allegedly - slant decisions. No judges face more criticism than those in Las Vegas. The brilliant Floyd Mayweather can overcome unreliable ringside officials. He wins by so much that the worst of judges can't be wrong. |
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Post by jr on Nov 22, 2006 18:46:52 GMT -5
In My Opinion …
I scored the contest 97-93 for Ann Marie Saccurato.
Saccurato won this contest in the first round. Jelena Mrdjenovich was overwhelmed by Saccurato’s power and boxing ability and was defeated mentally. Saccurato controlled the bout from the beginning.
Mrdjenovich landed a solid left hook in the second, a punch that Saccurato said “she felt” and adjusted her strategy (characteristic of a champion), keeping Mrdjenovich off-balance through the contest and preventing her from generating any power in her punches. Saccurato freely landed powerful right hands off left jabs and when Mrdjenovich attempted left hooks.
Mrdjenovich held and punched starting with the third round. The referee did little to stop this tactic.
Mrdjenovich’s stamina was improved since her bouts with Mia St. John (slowing after 4 rounds) and Olga Heron (fading after 3) but Saccurato’s body punching throughout the contest slowed Mrdjenovich beginning with the sixth round.
Mrdjenovich and Milan Lubovac were upset with the split decision (96-94 twice for Saccurato, 96-94 for Mrdjenovich). Lubovac called the judging a conspiracy and Mrdjenovich criticized the judges. Two Edmonton writers took Team Mrdjenovich to task for these remarks.
Maybe the Edmonton judges (two of them, at least) realize they are under scrutiny by the followers of women’s professional boxing. Just maybe.
The scoring of this bout is the best I’ve seen involving Mrdjenovich since the first Mrdjenovich-McCarter fight. Mrdjenovich’s next contest will reveal if the scoring of the Saccurato bout was an isolated case.
What’s next for these fighters? Saccurato, now a world champion is not receiving the accolades she deserves for both her win and overcoming serious injury several years ago. She would like to fight Eliza Olson next and challenge the lightweight belt holders of other sanctioning organizations.
And Mrdjenovich? She wants a rematch. Saccurato won’t have to travel to Edmonton for a title defense so Team Mrdjenovich will have to leave their home base.
She also wants a tune-up fight before her next super featherweight title defense. More than a tune-up is needed; more like an overhaul. Mrdjenovich was outsmarted by St. John (ending her string of stoppages), won only half of the rounds against 4-6 Heron, and lost to Saccurato. Team Mrdjenovich needs to rethink its strategy by training for specific opponents. The days of easy bouts for Mrdjenovich are over and the Edmonton support system may not be what it once was.
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