Heavyweight Shannon Briggs is Too Much to Handle; Team Maddalone Calls Off Fight

Heavyweight Shannon Briggs is Too Much to Handle; Team Maddalone Calls Off Fight

St. Pete Times Forum and HBO's PayPerView Oct. 1, 2005 Card Loses Star Power

PLANTATION, Fla., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- With less than 15 days remaining until the October 1 Briggs vs. Maddalone card bout in Tampa, Florida, Shannon Briggs', 33, opponent, Vinny Maddalone pulled out of the fight with no specified reason.

"I feel like I was jerked around. They just used my name to sell tickets. I want to fight Vinny, " exclaimed Briggs. Briggs (43-4-36 KO), having just released his Hollywood Labor Day film Transporter 2, anticipated a thrilling fight, his 4th in less than six months.

"This is inexcusable! I have Shannon in great shape. We were back in the gym three days after the Mercer fight. As a fighter and a trainer, I consider their maneuver little more than cowardly," explained Milton Lacroix Briggs' trainer.

Cedric Kushner, Briggs' promoter, was repeatedly assured by Joe Deguardia, Maddalone's promoter, that their contract would be finalized within the next day. Cedric Kushner Promotions is pushing to match Briggs with another contender as early as November.

"We will not take another fight on the card," explained Scott Hirsch, Briggs' Manager. He continued, "This is unprofessional and has cost us valuable time and money."

Briggs' training camp is headquartered in Plantation, Fl. Briggs stands at 6'4" and last weighed in at 257 lbs.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jamie Schwartz TransMedia Group 561-750-9800 X 232 jschwartz@transmediagroup.com

Source: TransMedia Group

CONTACT: Jamie Schwartz, TransMedia Group, +1-561-750-9800, ext. 232, or jschwartz@transmediagroup.com

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