Picture of Michael Oliveira from his win lat Saturday against Jessie Davis. (Photo By: Jefferson Simizu)
MIAMI (May 4, 2009) – Brazilian middleweight prospect “Chairman of the Board” Michael Oliveira kept his unbeaten record intact, stopping rugged 29-fight veteran Jessie Davis in the fourth round, last Saturday night at Miccosukee Resort in Miami.
Oliveira (12-0, 10 KOs), who only turned 20 last week, is the heir apparent to retired Brazilian boxing star Acelino “Popo” Freitas. Michael hadn’t fought since December but had been specifically working at the Normandy Gym with his trainer, Danny Hawk, on setting-up his big right had with stiff jabs.
All of Oliveira’s hard work in the gym paid dividends this past Saturday as he hammered Davis, opening a cut over his left eye that progressively got worse, until referee Tommy Kimmons halted the action at 1:10 of the fourth frame with a game Davis still standing.
“I felt great,” Oliveira said. “I’d been away five months but, once I got in the ring, other than being a little nervous at first, I forgot about everything but fighting my opponent and taking care of business. My punches were straighter and I didn’t go out there looking for the kill. I’ve learned to be patient, something I haven’t always been in the past, and strategized during the fight. They say don’t worry, it’ll come, and it did.”
Davis, to say the least, is extremely tough. He’s also somewhat of a gatekeeper for prospects having fought Keith Thurman, Joey Hernandez and many other young, up-and-coming contenders like Oliveira.
“I don’t know what his head is made of but even my knuckles started to hurt,” Michael noted. “I consider myself a strong puncher and hit him with everything, but he never hit the canvas. He has a very strong chin. After the fight he told me he’d never been hit so hard.”
Oliveira’s next fight is tentatively scheduled for early June at Miccosukee. He may have another fight leading up to his homecoming, August 7th, with the Miami resident fighting for the first time where he was born, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Go to www.MichaelOliveira.com for more information about Michael. Oliveira’s valued sponsors include The Confianca Moving, The Beira – Mar and Pro 1 from Sao Paulo, Dumonde Travel (Michael’s official travel agency) and the multi-national fuel company, Shell.
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