New York (October 2, 2008) – DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing series returns to New York City on Wednesday, October 22 at BB King Blues Club in Times Square. In the ten-round main event, local favorite Edgar Santana, from Spanish Harlem, takes on Monterrey, Mexico’s Luis Rodriguez, and former WBO world champion Randall Bailey battles Kpakop Allotey..
Originally from Manati, Puerto Rico, the ever-popular Santana (25-3, 15 KOs), a winner of 18 out of 19 bouts over the last five years, is poised to become a world-rated contender, but must first overcome the formidable Rodriguez (22-2, 13 KOs), who has won seven out of eight and made a strong showing during a points defeat to Francisco Figueroa in a bid for the NABF belt on May 14 in NYC.
Former WBO junior welterweight world champion Bailey (37-6, 34 KOs) from Miami, Florida, continues to be one of the most feared punchers in the 140 pound division – having iced Anthony Mora to pick up the vacant WBC Latino jr. welterweight title in January and scoring a first-round knockout over Dario Esalas on the last Broadway Boxing card at BB King Blues Club on August 6th. The 34-year-old Bailey will take on Silver Spring, Maryland’s Allotey (14-5, 12 KOs) in a ten rounder. Of Ghanaian descent, Allotey arrives with extensive big fight experience, having just won the vacant WBA Pan African lightweight belt via TKO 5 over Gabriel Phakula on August 4 in Accra, Ghana.
Also on the October 22 show, Staten Island’s Gary Stark Jr. returns to action for the first time since avenging a May 2007 loss to Andres Ledesma by unanimously outpointing Ledesma at Manhattan’s Hammerstein Ballroom on March 5. Stark Jr. (21-2, 8 KOs) will be in ten-round junior featherweight action.
In addition, two-time NY Golden Gloves champion and 2008 National Golden Gloves champion Tor Hamer, a recent Penn State graduate, will make his pro debut at heavyweight versus Joe Rabotte (2-3, 1 KO). Hamer is one of the newest members of the DBE team.
Rounding out the seven bout card will be light heavyweight Will Rosinsky (1-0, 1 KO) from Queens; Brooklyn’s Philip Jackson Benson in a middleweight pro debut versus Robert Harris from Youngstown, Ohio; and super middleweight Hajra Sujak (1-0) from the Bronx.
DiBella Entertainmnet is partnering with Everlast for Breast Cancer Awareness month. “DBE is happy to support the effort to find a cure for breast cancer. I’ve been personally touched by this disease. My sister is a breast cancer survivor,” said DBE president Lou DiBella.
DiBella Entertainment and Everlast are both proud to support the Breast Cancer Research Foundation who is committed through research to finding a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime. To support this initiative and promote awareness, Everlast will display a pink canvas and corner cushions at the event and every fighter on the card will be outfitted in Pink Everlast Pro Fight Gloves.
Tickets for Broadway Boxing priced at $200 (VIP Table), $150 (ringside table, ringside seats), $100 (floor tables, floor seats, stage seats), $70 (general admission) are currently on sale. They are available by calling DiBella Entertainment at (212) 947-2577. For more information on Broadway Boxing, please visit DiBella entertainment on the web at www.dbe1.com.
BB King Blues Club & Grill is located at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 West 42 Street in New York City.
Jaffa Ballogou Calls for the Worlds Best Fighters on “The Biggest Radio Show in the World”
Coming off his dramatic 11th round knockout victory over Manu Ntoh on September 23rd, Jaffa “The African Assassin” Ballogou 46-6 (40 KO’s) appeared on “The Biggest Radio Show in the World” to discuss his victory and his future. The dynamite fisted Ballogou who was iced by bad promotion for two plus years hopes to get his shot as soon as possible. The newly crowned IBF African Cruiserweight Champion called for fights against any of the top light heavyweights or cruiserweights, expressing his willingness to take them on any time, any place, and anywhere.
“I will fight any light heavyweight or cruiserweight in front of me, it doesn’t matter who they are”, declared the exuberant Ballogou. “I just won the (IBF African) Cruiserweight championship and came into the ring at 175.5 lbs, stopping a much bigger man so I am not worried about size. I have been in this game for 20 plus years and fought all over the world. I am a real fighter willing to challenge anybody out there but will these so called top fighters step up to me?” said the New York based knockout artist.
The show can be heard by going to http://www.demarcomedia.com/Shows/demarco093008.mp3
Cruiserweight World Champion, Steve ‘USS’ Cunningham, to make guest appearance this Saturday
IBF cruiserweight champion, Steve ‘USS’ Cunningham will be making a guest appearance at the Pete Suski/Tom Moran promoted event at the National Guard Armory in Philadelphia this Saturday.
Steve, who will be there supporting his good friend and fellow gym mate from The James Shuler Memorial Gym, Jamaal ‘Da Truth’ Davis 7-4 (6KOs), when he takes on Chris Hall 3-4-1(2KOs).
Taking a few moments out from preparing for his upcoming title defense against Tomasz ‘Goral’ Adamek, Cunningham said “I’m really please for Jamaal, he has been going through a rough time since his wife, Patrilla, passed away late last year, yet he stuck firmly at achieving his goals.”
“He stays in the gym. He lives in the gym. That’s what all fighters need to do. He’s in there as much as I am. So we should see a real fierce, determined and sharp Jamaal who’s eager to show his skills off come Saturday.”
“Career wise, he has been going through the same type of things as I have for the past three or four years. Fighting just once, or twice a year at most. He’s real hungry and this a good time to get him back on the right path by putting someone like Chris in front of him that’s a decent opponent.”
Headlining the Philadelphia Worldwide promoted event will be former world junior middleweight champion Kassim ‘The Dream’ Ouma, 25-5-1 (15 KOs) against Martinus ‘Magnificent’ Clay 13-18-4 (5KOs) from Wilson, North Carolina.
The co-feature fight will star middleweight Simon ‘Slick Fighting Irish’ O’Donnell, 6-1 (3 KOS), a native of County Galway who fights out of Philadelphia against an opponent yet to be officially announced.
Another Philadelphia resident, Dennis Hassan 4-2 (2KOs) takes on Brooklyn, New Yorker, William Jeter 3-1 (2KOs), in a super middleweight contest. All the way from Dublin, Ireland, Patrick Hyland 14-0 (7KOs), has come to take on Santiago, Dominican Republic native, Elvis Luciano Martinez 11-26-2 (5KOs), in a featherweight battle. Patrick’s twin brother, Paul 12-0
(4KO’s), is also in action, competing in the Super Bantamweight class, against the Colombian born Miami resident, Felix Flores 14-9-1 (11KOs). Taking part in an all Philadelphia Lightweight match are, former World Heavyweight Champion ‘Terrible’ Tim Witherspoon’s son, Tim Jnr. 0-1 and Kywame Hill 1-3 (1KO).
Date: Saturday 4th October 2008
Location: National Guard Armory
2700 Southampton Road
Philadelphia
Tickets: Tel: 866 777 5077