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By Claudine Ewing
WGRZ

BUFFALO, NY – A big name in the boxing world is planning to come to Buffalo.

Mike Tyson is scheduled to come to Buffalo and Lockport in November as a special guest for a big kickboxing event.

The November 15 event is sponsored by Lace Up Promotions. Tyson will be a special guest at the Legends Rise kickboxing event at the Kenan Arena in Lockport.

Earlier in the day, the Mike Tyson Experience is planned at Statler City in downtown Buffalo. Fans can pay to attend a meet and greet and receive an autographed boxing glove.

Amer Abdallah, a top world kickboxer, met Tyson in Las Vegas while training at the Mayweather boxing club. He says Tyson showed interest in him and he helped arrange the Tyson visit. “It’s going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity to see a boxing legend. He has just as many admirers as he does people that kind of want to see his demise, but either way he is the biggest attraction that is going to be coming here,” said Abdallah.

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Lockport Man is ‘Mandatory Challenger’ for Next WKA Title Fight

By John D’Onofrio
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

Lockport professional kickboxer Amer Abdallah has been ranked the No. 2 Cruiserweight in the world by the World Kickboxing Association.

The highly-anticipated news the kickboxing world has been expecting finally came last week from WKA President Brian Crenshaw, who notified Abdallah of the news via e-mail while Abdallah was vacationing last week with his family in Jordan.

“As soon as I saw the subject was ‘WKA RANKING,’ my heart dropped,” Abdallah said. “My wife noticed the look on my face and asked if I was okay. It wasn’t until after I read the first few sentences that I was able to look at her and smile ear to ear.”

The WKA head office in Europe has officially announced Abdallah as the No. 2-ranked Cruiserweight in the world and has given him the opportunity to fight for the world title.

Abdallah’s 10-round unanimous decision victory over European champion James Wallis on June 7 allowed him not only to capture the WKA Inter-Continental Championship, but also makes him the “mandatory challenger” for the next world championship fight.

“I’m thrilled, humbled, and anxious all together,” Abdallah said. “It’s a life-long goal that I don’t have to dream about anymore, I can actually grasp.”

With Lace Up Promotions set on a Nov. 15th date at the Kenan Arena, Abdallah says it’s possible, though unlikely that the fight will happen that quickly.

“I’m very pleased at Amer’s number two ranking, but our ultimate goal has always been winning a world title,” said Team Abdallah Manager Ahmed Imamovic.

“We’ll go through the offers and look at each closely. Team Abdallah is very excited to continue this journey and to be able to share it with all of the fans who have supported us throughout.”

Abdallah is expected to return in mid-August from his overseas goodwill visit where he is visiting local charities, orphanages and refugee camps.

“My immediate focus right now is helping the thousands of homeless and parentless kids here in their current situation. I’ll decide our next step after getting home and discussing it with my team.”

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Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

Lockport heavyweight Joe Taylor improved to 6-0 as a professional by winning an IKF tournament last week in Florida.

The popular knockout specialist Taylor, know locally as “The Son of Legend,” wasn’t satisfied last month after a brutal, first-round technical knockout victory at International Warfare at the Kenan Arena, or claiming the New York State Golden Gloves title the month before that.

Just two weeks after his last win, the undefeated Lockport heavyweight kickboxer called promoter Amer Abdallah to get him into the upcoming IKF World Classic Kickboxing Tournament.

“I was initially surprised he wanted to get back into action so fast after just winning back to back big fights” Abdallah said. “He was persistent and when I told him to think about it, discuss it with his family and call me in a couple of days. He did and was even more determined.”

Taylor returned to Western New York MMA and began training immediately with assistant coach Dan Dorfman daily.

“I was hungry to win the tournament” Taylor said. “The moment I found out they had the competition, I wanted in. I was confident I could win it.”

The IKF’s (International Kickboxing Federation) annual World Classic tournament attracted kickboxers from all over the world to compete in the prestigious amateur tournament and is amongst the largest tournaments of the year.

This year they had 173 bouts scheduled for the tourney. Taylor entered in the open division, meaning he would compete with kickboxers with three or more fights experience.

Taylor’s first fight was against 6-feet, 2-inch Anthony Thomas of Sorrento, Fla., who came into the tournament with six fights under his belt.

From the opening bell, Taylor jumped on Thomas and didn’t allow him time to adjust to the Lockport native’s attack.

“Everything I threw was with bad intentions.” Taylor said. “He threw a straight right and didn’t bring it back quick enough and I caught him with a left hook that dropped him.”

Taylor and trainer Dorfman believed the fight should have been called off at that point, but the referee allowed Thomas to beat the count and continue.

“I showed him no mercy and hit him with right kick to the head and a pretty left hook…and it was over,”  Taylor said. The official time of the stoppage was 1:30 seconds of the first round.

Less than 24 hours later, Taylor fought in the finals against tough Canadian Daniel Yoner of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Yoner, who was aware of Taylor’s destruction of his first opponent, came right at the Lockport heavyweight.

“He was tough and made me work,” Taylor said. Both fighters went back and forth with Taylor landing the more effective and aggressive blows. After three rounds all judges had it in favor of Taylor, who captured the IKF World Classic Tournament title.

“We’re so proud of Joe, who took the initiative to not only get into a world caliber tournament, but represent our fighting community of Lockport in amazing fashion. He’s my hero,” Abdallah said.

“I want to thank Lace Up Promotions for sponsoring my trip to Florida along with the McClain family who made it possible. I took my team consisting of my girlfriend, Cassi, trainer Dan Dorfman and daughter Julissa to Florida to represent Lockport in style. I’m happy I was able to bring a title back home.”

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Lace Up’s newest addition to their stable of athletes, “Son of a Legend” Joe Taylor heads down to the 2014 World Classic IKF Amateur Kickboxing Championships in Orlando Florida to take on the kickboxers from around the globe.

The tournament runs from July 11-13th, and will be the first tournament the Lockport heavyweight competes in. Having been training for just over a year, the popular knockout artist has complied a 4-0 Kickboxing record and also captured the New York State Golden Gloves title.

We caught up with Taylor, who has been training hard at WNY MMA in Buffalo for a quick interview.

Lace Up Promotions:  What motivated you to sign up for the IKF tournament?
Joe Taylor: What motivated me to sign up for the IKF tournament in Orlando was because I want to compete against everyone around the world.  I feel like I’m ready to fight some of the best amateur kickboxers.

LUP:  How is your training going?
JT:  My training has been the best ever. Training 2hr days are never easy days but when the workout is completed your the happiest ever because hard work pays off!!!

LUP: Who are you going with?
JT: I’m going to Orlando with my team, Cassi Gentz (girlfriend) Julissa, my daughter, and head coach Dan Dorfman (WNY MMA).

LUP:  What are your predictions for the tournament?
JT:  I believe the fights aren’t going to be easy that’s why we train hard.  I’m going to give it my all and make my community proud.

LUP: After the tournament, what are your plans?
JT:  After the tournament, I planning on coming back home and celebrating our victory with my family and friends.

JT: I want to thank everyone for their support and a special thanks to my sponsors Lace up Promotions, the McClains, The Dugout and Pacific Pools.

Abdallah Picks Apart Tough Englishman at Sold Out Kenan Arena; Awaits Word from WKA President Crenshaw on World Title Fight

By John D’Onofrio
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

LOCKPORT — The morning after trading punches at Saturday’s historic fight at the Kenan Center Arena, Lockport’s Amer Abdallah and James Wallis of the United Kingdom said goodbye by trading text messages.

Abdallah’s hard-fought, 10-round unanimous decision victory over the Swansea, UK brawler was fresh on both fighters’ minds — and bodies.

“I woke up to a text message from James. He said, ‘Hey champ, how sore are you today?’ I sent one back and said ‘About as sore as you are,’” quipped Abdallah, the WKA United States Light Heavyweight champion, who’s 97-92, 97-94, 97-94 victory sets the stage for a coveted world title shot.

“I feel strong, but obviously I’m a little sore today,” said the undefeated Abdallah (15-0), who was cut — not seriously — over the left eye by an accidental head butt late in the fight. Great corner work helped Team Abdallah overcome that temporary obstacle.

“Right at the opening bell, he hit me with a roundhouse kick that I blocked, but I could tell that he was very strong. His physique alone, was deceiving. He was very solid. He came in over-weight (196 pounds, compared to Abdallah’s 184), but he was durable. And we knew he was a mover, so our plan was to make him fight a way he wasn’t used to.”

Abdallah dominated the pace and tempo throughout, but Wallis showed tremendous stamina and came up with a few magic tricks of his own.

“When I dropped him in the 10th round, I hit him and he buckled, so I started to turn around when I saw him on the way down, but I guess he caught the rope and got right back up because when I turned around he was standing there,” Abdallah said.

“I’d give myself a B-minus as a grade. He put up a good fight and used his head very well. He was definitely one of the toughest fighters I’ve ever faced. And he was a class act.”

Next up, Abdalah awaits word from World Kickboxing Association president Brian Crenshaw on his promise of getting a world title shot by virtue of Saturday’s win.

“We’ll find out next week where we are. We did our work. Now we’ll take a step back and look at the offers that come in,” Abdallah said.

“They promised it and we’re going to hold them to it. They’re a respectable organization and they do what they say. I have all the faith in the world in Brian Crenshaw and the WKA. I’m very optimistic.”

Abdallah-Wallis was the main event of a 12-bout fight card that also featured several other outstanding local fighters, including Lockport’s Erick Plumeri, Andre Carroll, Joe Taylor, Kendrick Huston and Tyler Rodier.

Rodier may have dropped his debut welterweight bout against Paton Cambell of Whitby, Ontario, Canada by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), but he earned the respect of his opponent, fight fans and most especially, Abdallah.

“I’ve never left the locker room on the night of the fight before my fight, but I came out after Tyler’s fight because I wanted him to know how proud I was of him,” Abdallah said. “He’s been training very hard the past two years and has overcome so many obstacles. There were times where a lot of people might have thrown in the towel, but he just kept going. He never quit. He’s become such a tremendous young man.”

Rodier’s raucous cheering section included his mom, Wendy Baszko.

“The hometown atmosphere was exciting and the fans and my family were very supportive,” Rodier said. “I loved the atmosphere. It was great having your debut in your hometown. I’ve had a lot of support from my trainers who put in a lot of time for me. At the end of the day I gave it my all and I hung in there. We didn’t get the win, but we’ll get’em next time.”

Plumeri is expected to turn pro soon, after yet another solid performance. Plumeri thoroughly defeated Aleks Trajeski of Toronto by unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27, in their three-round amateur fight in the super middleweight division.

It might as well have been 30-0, 30-0, 30-0, as Plumeri used his superior strength and ring mobility to corner his opponent mercilessly in a three-round relentless beating.

“I’ve been so pumped to get back in the ring. I was ready months ago,” Plumeri said. “I want to thank everyone who made tonight possible.”

Added Abdallah, “Erick looked fantastic, and as you know, he’s been around for a long time. He’s a great advocate and ambassador of the sport and he’s got a bright future. I’m looking forward to him moving up to the pro ranks.”

Huston earned a unanimous three-round heavyweight win over Kory Howell of Auburn, 30-27, 29-28, 30-27. Lockport’s other heavyweight, Joe Taylor, improved to 4-0 with four knockouts, after disposing of Buffalo’s Fred Baldwin in 61 seconds of their scheduled three-round bout.

Carroll dropped a three-round heavyweight bout to Buffalo’s Ed Rodgers by unanimous decision, 29-28, 30-27, 30-27.

In other fight night bouts:

• Middleweight (3 rounds): Quamaine Austin (Buffalo) def. Kenrick Kamil (Toronto) by split decision, 29-28, 29-28, 28-29.
• Welterweight (3 rounds): Scott Skinner (Buffalo) def. Craig Diego (Auburn) by unanimous decision, 29-26, 29-27, 29-26.
• Welterweight (3 rounds): Timothy Allen (Auburn) def. Ian Niblett (Whitby, Ontario) by unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27.
• Lightweight (3 rounds): Michael Nicholson (Kitchener, Ontario) def. Mueyaid Ashkar (Liverpool) by split decision, 30-27, 28-29, 29-28.
• Flyweight (3 rounds): Amenzee Omozuwa (Toronto ) def. Damiana Andrello (Liverpool) by unanimous decision, 29-28, 30-27, 29-28.
• Lightweight (5 rounds): Luay Ashkar (Liverpool) def. Jordan Graham (Belleville, Ontario) by unanimous decision, 50-42, 50-44, 50-42.

“It was a win-win for everybody Saturday night,” Abdallah said. “We had a record number of people at the gates and the community which has always supported us did so again. It was a great night,” Abdallah said.

FIGHT NIGHT NOTES — Saturday’s paid attendance topped 2,500, making it the largest boxing card — indoor or outdoor — in Lockport history … Among those working security were Tony Ventura, Denny Sobieraski, Lenny Thomas and Jason Heschke … Among the special guests were former heavyweight contender “Baby” Joe Mesi and his father, Jack Mesi … The ring physician was Robert Richman.

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