DOVER, Del. — Dover Downs Hotel & Casino will host ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights” on Friday, February 8, 2008, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Rollins Center. The card will feature a battle for United States Boxing Association’s Cruiserweight title and the International Boxing Federation’s Cruiserweight Eliminator match. Dino Duva of Duva Boxing is co-promoting the event with Dave Tiberi of TNT Boxing. Nick Tiberi is the matchmaker..
“We are excited to bring boxing back in 2008 with ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights,” said Ed Sutor, president and CEO Dover Downs Hotel & Casino. “Darnell Wilson has a huge following in the Maryland – D.C. metropolitan area so we are expecting a packed house.”
The main event is scheduled for 12 rounds between 33-year-old Darnell “Ding-A-Ling Man” Wilson (22-5-3, 19KO) of Takoma Park, Md., defending his USBA Cruiserweight Title against undefeated, 28-year-old B.J. “Dangerous” Flores (20-0-1, 13KO). Wilson’s last bout ended in a sensational eleventh-round knock out victory over Emmanuel Nwodo on June 29. The winner of this bout would rank No. 2 worldwide and become the USBA Cruiserweight Champion.
“The winner of this exciting bout will be a most deserving and marketable top contender in the world of cruiserweights,” said Dino Duva. “Dover Downs is a beautiful casino and hotel and the perfect site for this slugfest because of the great boxing fans in Delaware.” Co-promoter Dino Duva is president of Duva Boxing and son of famed boxing trainer/manager Lou Duva.
The undercard includes middleweight newcomer “Mighty” Mike Tiberi (3-0-0) of Smyrna, Del., and cruiserweight Simon “One Punch” Carr (4-1-1) of Philadelphia, Pa. Other popular local fighters are currently in negotiations.
Fight co-promoter Dave Tiberi of TNT Boxing promises an action-packed night. “I am excited to be a part of bringing ESPN back to Delaware in partnership with Dover Downs Hotel & Casino,” said Tiberi. “It is a thrill to have some of the top fighters in the world for this card while at the same time showcasing our local talent.” Tiberi, a former middleweight (1985-1992), became Delaware’s first pro boxing champion in 1991. His 1992 controversial split decision loss against James Toney prompted an investigation into unjust decisions, which ultimately led to the Boxing Safety Act of 1997. Ironically, February 8 will mark 16 years to the day that the U.S. Senate began its investigation.
Tickets are on sale now and range from $35 general admission seating to $100 premium seats. Call VIP Services at 800-711-5882 or purchase and print tickets at doverdowns.com – powered by Etix.
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About Dover Downs Hotel & Casino
Owned by Dover Downs Gaming and Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: DDE), Dover Downs Hotel & Casino is a premier gaming and entertainment destination in the Mid-Atlantic region featuring a 97,000-square-foot casino open 24 hours (except Sundays 6 a.m. – noon), more than 2,700 slot machines and multiplayer table games, five full-menu restaurants, two eateries, five bar/lounges, and a luxurious 500-room, AAA-rated Four Diamond hotel with 35,000 sq. ft. of meeting and convention space. The Company’s Colonnade casino expansion plan is expected to be completed in August 2008 and includes 70,000 sq. ft. of additional space for 500 new slots, Public House and Doc Magrogan’s Oyster House restaurants, an Italian restaurant (to be named in January 2008), a gourmet coffee café, retail stores and a lounge/nightclub. For more information, please visit www.doverdowns.com.