Lem's latest: Wolak honored, Khan- Peterson ticket dates, new boxing film

Junior middleweight Pawel Wolak has been named by the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame as the state's Fighter of The Year, the fighter confirmed to RingTV.com.

"[New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame President] Henry Hascup just called me and told me. It's unbelievable, you know," said the the 30-year-old Wolak, who is 29-1-1, with 19 knockouts. "I never thought that I would be recogonized this way."

The 30-year-old Wolak is a crowd favorite with a record of 8-0-1, including five knockouts, in his past nine fights.

His next fight is slated for the Dec. 3 undercard of Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito against Dominican-born Delvin Rodriguez (25-5-3, 14 KOs) in a rematch of their exciting Fight of the Year candidate that ended in a majority draw last July.

Wolak fought the entire second half of the fight while peering through severely cut and swollen eyes, the right side of his face marred by a softball-sized hematoma.

"I've been motivated for this fight for a while now. It's going to be a good fight and a hard-fought battle and just as intense if not more as it was the first time," said Wolak.

"I know what this fight coming up means to me. This fight means the difference between me being a nobody in boxing to actually becoming somebody."
 

AMIR KHAN-LAMONT PETERSON TICKETS

Tickets will go on sale next week for the Dec. 10 clash between WBA and IBF junior welterweight titleholder Amir Khan (26-1, 18 KOs) and Lamont Peterson (29-1-1, 15 KOs) to be held at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., according to Golden Boy Promotions COO David Itskowitch.

Prices will range be $25, $50, $75, $150 and $300. The on-sale target date for tickets is Oct. 26, but may not be available until Oct. 28.

FILM ABOUT DEAF BOXER ON TAP

In the works is an inspiring film called "The Championship Rounds" about a deaf boxer who, having grown up fatherless and struggled with homelessness, is attempting to use boxing to resurrect his life and give his six-month-old son a better chance than he had.

The lead role of James Deacon Jr. will be played by deaf actor Michael Spady, and Harold Perrineau Jr. has agreed to star as his head trainer, Darryl.

Perrineau Jr. is perhaps best known for his roles as Michael on the hit show "LOST," and Link from The Matrix Trilogy, as well as for stints in "The Best Man" and as Mercutio in Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo and Juliet."

The film will be directed by Daniel Stine, and was written, created and produced by M. D. Walton, who was inspired by a deaf high school friend after having "observed a lot of the stereotypes that surrounded him."

Walton said that he was also motivated by having worked at a Los Angeles-based homeless shelter "where I saw all different walks of life," and tried to "learn more and more" what their struggles were about.

"I'm a fan boxing all the way back to Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson and Jack Johnson," read an e-mail from Walton, who is in need of donations to support the endeavor.

"As a fan of the sport, I wanted to take it to another level and continue to explore the mentality of a boxer. The who, what, why, when questions. Why box? Who are you fighting for? What are you fighting for?"

The scheduled release of the film is either next year or the following. Learn more about the project by clicking here.

DAULIS PRESCOTT, JHONATHAN ROMERO SIGN WITH SHAW
 

Gary Shaw Productions and Thompson Boxing Promotions have teamed up again, forming Team Colombia, which includes the recently signed world-rated featherweight Daulis Prescott and junior featherweight Jhonatan "Momo" Romero, a 2008 Colombian Olympian.

The 25-year-old Prescott (23-0, 17 KOs) comes from a long line of boxers, starting with his grandfather, continuing with his father, and including his brother, Breidis Prescott (24-3, 19 KOs), who is best known for stopping Amir Khan in the first round of their Sept. 2008 fight.

A  24-year-old southpaw, Romero (18-0, 11 KOs) was a silver medalist at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Lem Satterfield can be reached at lem.satterfield@gmail.com