Tag: Carl Moretti

Seriously? Jarrell Miller fails another drug test, comeback bout off

Heavyweight Jarrell Miller, set to make his comeback after a PED-related hiatus from boxing, reportedly has tested positive for, yes, PEDs.

This falls into the category of, “you gotta be kidding.”

Heavyweight Jarrell Miller, set to make his comeback after a PED-related hiatus from boxing, reportedly has tested positive for … yes … PEDs, The Athletic reported. His fight against Jerry Forrest on July 9 in Las Vegas is off.

“Big Baby” was scheduled to challenge for Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight titles in June of last year at Madison Square Garden in New York but was pulled from the fight after testing positive for three banned substances over three days. He was replaced by Andy Ruiz Jr., who took Joshua’s belts.

Miller (23-0-1, 20 KOs) hasn’t fought since November 2018.

The 31-year-old from Brooklyn received a second chance when he was granted a license by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and signed with Top Rank, which provided a nice platform on which to make his return. The July 9 card will be televised on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.

And then comes news of his positive test. He reportedly tested positive for GW1516, one of the drugs in his system when he was busted last year. The substance enhances aerobic power and endurance.

“We are aware of the situation,” Top Rank Vice President Carl Moretti told The Athletic. “He will be placed on temporary suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Monday morning. We are currently filling the main event [for] July 9.”

Miller also tested positive for a banned substance when he was a kickboxer in 2014.

Have we seen the last of him in a boxing ring?

Jamel Herring set to defend junior lightweight title in July

Jamel Herring reportedly will be one of the first big-name opponents to return to the ring amid the coronavirus threat.

Jamel Herring reportedly will be one of the first big-name opponents to return to the ring amid the coronavirus threat.

The junior lightweight titleholder will defend his title on July 2 in Las Vegas, he told ESPN. No opponent has been selected. Herring had been tentatively set to face former two-division beltholder Carl Frampton in Northern Ireland but that fight fell out because of the pandemic.

The site also hasn’t been finalized, although it will be a MGM Resorts property.

“It’s fluid,” said Carl Moretti, director of boxing operations for Top Rank. “We’re on calls every day with stuff. So what we thought was happening on Tuesday is not, and what we thought was happening on Wednesday is now happening. So it just changes and changes.”

Herring (21-2, 10 KOs) won his title by outpointing Masayuki Ito in May of last year. He successfully defended with a decision over Lamont Roach in November.

The 2012 U.S. Olympian is working with trainer Brian McIntyre in Omaha, Nebraska, according to ESPN. He said he doesn’t expect to be rusty when he steps back into the ring.

“It’s funny, I actually felt good for my first sparring session,” Herring said. “So that tells you that even though I haven’t been in a gym setting, the workouts I had been doing at home during my free time, they’ve been paying off.

“So when I got back into the swing of things, it wasn’t a hard adjustment. It’s only one week, and this gives me almost a full eight weeks until the fight arrives.”

Herring won’t face Frampton in July but still wants that fight.

“That’s still the No. 1 priority, for sure,” he said. “I’m still actually shocked from the latest story that I’ve seen, where he’s not willing to fight unless he’s fighting me. If it comes around the December time frame, he will have been out for like an entire year.

“But for me, I just want to stay as busy as much as possible. I’m not getting younger as it is. So why risk coming into big fights with the ring rust on you still.”

Sampson Boxing loses Josh Taylor defense after missing payment

Sampson Boxing loses Josh Taylor defense after missing payment. Top Rank will promote the fight.

Sampson Lewkowicz won the auction. But it looks as if he only bought some headlines. First, good. Then, bad

Lewkowicz failed to make good on his bid for the promotional rights to junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor’s mandatory defense against Apinun Khongsong of Thailand.

Lewkowicz, of Sampson Boxing, missed Friday’s midnight deadline for a second payment on the $1.32 million he had bid on the bout, according to a report by ESPN, which will televise the bout. He made the first payment, 10 percent, or $132,000.

The default means the promotional rights go to Top Rank, which had the second highest bid at $1.26 million. It also means Top Rank will promote Taylor in his first fight since they signed him on Jan. 9.

“We are not at all surprised that he defaulted,’’ Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti told ESPN. “We are more surprised that he bid a ridiculous amount of money, considering the worth of the opponent.’’

Lewkowicz signed Khongsong to a co-promotional contract within hours of news that Taylor had jumped to Top Rank. According to Moretti, Lewkowicz had neither a network nor a site in place when he made the bid.

“You win some, lose some,’’ Lewkowicz said.  “I had a deal made, and it fell out, and I will never cry.’’

Lewkowicz loses his initial $132,000 deposit. That’s a lot of money for a few headlines.

Felix Verdejo hires Ismael Salas in effort to recharge career

In a move Felix Verdejo hopes will help him regain momentum in his career, he has hired respected Cuban trainer Ismael Salas.

Felix Verdejo was once considered the next great fighter coming out of Puerto Rico. Emphasis on the word “was.”

The 2012 Olympian was expected to be a multi-time titleholder by now but injuries and a legal battle with his trainer-manager Ricky Marquez – as well as a stunning knockout loss to Antonio Lozada in March of last year, his first setback – has hampered his career.

Now, in a move Verdejo hopes will help him regain momentum, he has parted ways with Marquez and hired respected Cuban trainer Ismael Salas, with whom he’ll work in Las Vegas.

Salas, once an amateur coach in Cuba, trains Erislandy Lara and has worked with a number of other top fighters.

“I am proud to announce that Ismael Salas will be my new coach,” Verdejo said in a statement. “I am confident that in Salas I have found the coach that will take my boxing career to the next level.”

Verdejo (25-1, 16 knockouts) last fought in April, when he defeated Bryan Vasquez by a unanimous decision. His first fight with Salas is expected to take place in January, according to ESPN.com

“Salas is a terrific trainer and I think he fits Felix’s personality. Salas is a great choice,” Top Rank Vice President Carl Moretti told the website.