NEW YORK (May 11, 2007)  -- "Boxing Noir" is the only way one can describe the danger, the intrigue and the revenge elements of the pay-per-view undercard of “X-Plosive!” -- headlined by undefeated MIGUEL COTTO's welterweight title defense against former two-division world champion ZAB JUDAH.  Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Prize Fight Boxing, “X-Plosive!” will be broadcast live, Saturday, June 9, on HBO Pay-Per-View, from Madison Square Garden.
 
            (Note: the Boxing Writers Association of America's 82nd Annual Awards Dinner takes place the night before, Friday, June 8, at The Copacabana in New York)

            "We are loaded with compelling matches leading up to the main event when Cotto and Judah step into the ring at Madison Square Garden," said Bob Arum, CEO, Top Rank.   
 
            The pay-per-view portion of the “X-Plosive!” undercard is headlined by a battle of Top 10-rated super featherweights.  With 37 KO victories between them and a world title shot at stake, HUMBERTO SOTO and BOBBY PACQUIAO, world-rated No. 3 and 6 by the World Boxing Council, respectively, will go at it with fists blazing.  Pacquiao (27-12-3, 12 KOs), from General Santos City, The Philippines, and the older brother of pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao knocked out former world champion and New York fan favorite Kevin Kelley at The Garden last year on the Cotto-Paulie Malignaggi junior welterweight title fight undercard.
 
            "If it's one thing my brother Manny and I enjoy, it's fighting the best from Mexico," said Pacquiao.  "Soto has something I want -- his world rating.  He is the only thing that is standing between me and a world title shot and I am putting my all into my training to make sure I remove Soto as an obstacle to fighting for a world championship belt." 

            Soto (41-5-2, 25 KOs), from Los Mochis, Mexico, is riding a five-year, 19-bout unbeaten streak, which includes a 12-round unanimous decision against previously undefeated Rocky Juarez for the WBC interim featherweight title.  He is clearly a powerful force in the heavier super featherweight division.

            "I think Soto will win three world titles and become the most popular champion in all of Mexico," said manager Nacho Huizar, who handles Soto. "That's how strong Soto is."
 
            Revenge is the theme for the immensely-popular undefeated welterweight contender JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ Jr. when he tangles with family nemesis GROVER WILEY in a 10-round welterweight bout.  Chavez (31-0, 24 KOs), from Culiacan, Mexico, world-rated No. 11 by the WBC, is the son of Mexican icon and four-time world champion Julio Cesar Chavez.  Two years ago Wiley (30-9-1, 14 KOs), from Omaha, Neb., tagged a loss on the elder Chavez in the final bout of his Hall of Fame caliber career.  Chavez will be in his son's corner for this fight.
 
            "Like father, like son.  I'll retire the kid too," boasted the wily Wiley
 
            "Revenge is a dish that is best served cold," the younger Chavez cooly responded.  "And knocked out cold is how he is going to be served on June 9.  Wiley has some unfinished business with the the family Chavez." 

            Opening the pay-per-view broadcast will be an intriguing battle of Top-10 junior middleweight contenders with a combined professional record of 45-1, 25 KOs.  ANTHONY 'THE MESSENGER' THOMPSON goes mano-a-mano against YURI FOREMAN in a 10-round rumble.  Thompson (23-1, 17 KOs), from Philadelphia, is world-rated No. 7 by the World Boxing Association and  No. 11 by the International Boxing Federation.  He has won eight fights in a row and the last two were spectacular victories over Robert Frazier and Mohammad Said.  Foreman (22-0, 8 KOs),  born in Gomel, Belarus and a former resident in Israel, is now fighting out of Brooklyn.  World-rated No. 6 by the World Boxing Organization and No. 9 by the WBC, Foreman is a 2001 New York Golden Gloves champion. He is trained by Tommy Brooks at the Hall of Fame Gym in New Jersey.

            Remaining tickets, priced at $500, $300, $200, $100 and $50 including a $4.50 facility charge, may be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster Express (866-448-7849) and www.ticketmaster.com / www.thegarden.com
 
   
John “The Iceman” Scully’s been an amateur champion, professional contender, and world-class trainer. Soon, you can add author to his resume.  The former world title challenger is putting the final touches on his autobiography “The Iceman Diaries”, a book he promises will differ from other boxing books.

“My book is gonna be the realest boxing book anybody’s ever read,” Scully said, speaking by phone from his native Connecticut. “I’m going to go into it as deep as I can as far as telling people what happens in the boxing ring. What it’s like-what we think. Giving people a genuine look into the mind of a boxer.”

“I’ve read a lot of books by fighters and there’s some good books out there,” he said. “I just don’t think guys have gotten deep and told people what it’s really like. I’ve always been fascinated by that.”

Besides the experience of being in the ring, Scully also discusses other topics such as
making weight and why so many boxers compete past their prime. Readers can also expect chapters on his longtime friend Roy Jones Jr. and a behind the scenes account of Scully’s challenge for the IBF world title.

Scully, 39, has been involved in boxing for 25 years. Inspired by the heroics of Muhammad Ali, he started training at 14 at a local gym.

The Irish-American teen showed an aptitude for the sweet science and began capturing amateur titles. Scully won three New England Golden Gloves championships and a National PAL title before earning a bronze in the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials. A win in international competition earlier that year convinced him he was good enough to turn pro.

“Early in 88, I won a decision in Montreal over Otis Grant,” he recalled. “At the time, Otis was ranked number two in the world as an amateur. When I beat Otis was when I really think I thought to myself I could turn professional cause I felt Otis was gonna
be a good pro.”

Scully turned pro on September 16, 1988, with a first round knockout over Paulino Falcone at the Hartford Civic Center. After twelve more wins, he suffered his first loss to future world title challenger Brett Lally, losing a ten round unanimous decision in Atlantic City.

He regrouped with 5 straight victories before dropping a decision to middleweight contender Kevin “Killer” Watts in March 1990. His record a respectable 18-2 with 13 KOs, Scully moved up in weight to super middleweight.

After winning nine in a row, Scully lost decisions to contenders Tim Littles (for Little’s USBA 168 pound title) and “The Punching Postman” Tony Thornton. Ironically, it was a defeat in December 1995 to two-time world champion Michael Nunn that proved the highlight of John’s pro career.

Before a large crowd at Foxwoods Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, and national ESPN audience, local hero Scully pressed the slick boxing Nunn for much of their spirited twelve round super middleweight bout. Scully came up short on the scorecards, but walked away a winner in the eyes of many fans and more importantly himself.

“Even though I didn’t get the decision, it’s probably my proudest moment as a pro,” he said. “I thought I fought a good fight and proved I belonged at that level. It was an honor to fight the guy. I really looked up to him and thought he was a great fighter.”

“To this day, I still get emails where people think I won the fight, at least a draw. To say I fought a great fight with him is good enough for me right now.”

The impressive performance against Nunn opened doors for Scully, as he soon ventured to Germany to challenge for the IBF light heavyweight title held by Henry Maske. Unable to deal with the German’s awkward style, Scully lost a unanimous decision.

The Maske defeat marked the beginning of the end of Scully’s career. Inactivity and weight problems were factors during a run where John dropped 5 of 6 fights. For his bout with contender Drake Thadzi, Scully claims he had to lose 9 ½ pounds to make weight. Thadzi won by seventh round technical knockout, the only time Scully was ever stopped.

A decision win over Cleveland Nelson in June 2001 was Scully’s last bout though he never officially retired. A string of bad luck befell the fighter, as nine straight bouts fell through for various reasons. In the interim, Scully began training former Olympian Lawrence Clay Bey.

“After the fight, I remember thinking I finally put on a good performance without having trouble losing weight,” he recalled of the bout with Nelson. “I was really looking forward to the future. I really thought things were gonna take off for me. Once the ninth fight fell out on me, I just continued focusing on training fighters.”

“I’ve been training amateur kids since 1992; well before I fought for the world title,” he said. “I’ve always been pretty good at training fighters and giving them insight. I’m able to relate to fighters on the level of someone who’s been in their shoes.”

Scully’s roster currently includes some of the best talent in the New England area, including two-time world champion Jose Rivera and USBA Super Bantamweight champion Mike Oliver. Rivera’s defeat of Alejandro Garcia for a junior middleweight title in May 2006 has been the high point of Scully’s new career as a trainer.

“It was kind of a surreal situation,” he said. “To be honest, I was always more happy for him than myself as a trainer because I’ve known Jose so long. He’s always been dedicated and disciplined. For him to win a world title so many years after turning pro, all those tough fights. It was almost like a Rocky story.”

Scully’s tale is equally wonderful.  A kid with a love for boxing who chased his dreams before continuing on as a trainer. The book’s almost finished, and Scully hints at a knockout.

“I’m pretty sure it’s gonna be worth the wait.”

Note: Fans interested in reading a free excerpt from the Iceman Diaries can contact John by email at ICEJOHNSCULLY@aol.com.