This Friday, undefeated, welterweight, Henry Crawford (22-0-1, 9 KO’s) intends to make a positive impression on the boxing world as he fights on ShoBox: The New Generation, in Red Rock, Oklahoma. He will be featured in what has been termed a meaningful 10-round fight against Miami’s highly touted, Antwone Smith (16-1. 8 KO’s). Not one to typically blow his own horn, the modest Crawford considers this fight an important stepping stone, “It is time to show everyone what Henry Crawford is all about. I’m being given the opportunity to box in a significant fight on ShoBox. This is important to me. I am not going to waste this chance to gain exposure. It’s my dream to win a title; this will help me get there. I’m ready..”
Crawford’s trainer, Mike Skworonski, said, “Antwone Smith is going to have his hands full. Henry has amazing technical skills and fast hands. He is in the best shape of his life. You’ll see, he’s ready to go 15 rounds, never mind 10!”
Crawford commented about his training, “I am constantly in the gym preparing. I train locally. I am comfortable here and live a disciplined life so I don’t need a training camp. I worked with Kendall Holt, Pawel Wolak, Ossie Duran and Jeremy Bryan. They gave me great workouts and helped me prepare. Kendall has the speed, Wolak gives me pressure, Duran and Bryan helped sharpen my boxing skills. This is going to be a good fight.”
Crawford, a two-time NJ Golden Gloves champion, is no stranger to hard work and dedication. He and his wife have four children and in addition to training each day he also has a full time job, and manages his own boxing career. “I hope Smith comes in hungry because I’m going to take of business. Not only do I want to show the world what Henry Crawford is all about, I have a family to feed!”
Crawford is promoted by Main Events, Kathy Duva CEO.
The fight will be shown on Showtime’s ShoBox: The New Generation at 11:00pm ET/PT as part of a triple header which also includes: Allan Green vs. Tarvis Simms; and Marcus Johnson vs. Victor Villereal.
SPINA-DEL VALLE HEADLINES HALLOWEEN NIGHT SHOW
World-rated light heavyweight Joey “KO Kid” Spina plans to live up to his nickname by knocking out goblins, ghosts, former world champion Lou “Honey Boy” Del Valle and anybody (anything) else that steps into the ring Halloween night at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
“Fright Night At The Sun” is promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports, Inc. (CES), in association with Mohegan Sun Casino.
Spina (25-1-1, 17 KOs), fighting out of Providence, takes on Del Valle in the 10-round main event. Joey is rated among the top 15 contenders by all four major boxing organizations – WBC #12, WBA #13, WBO and IBF #14. The rugged Italian-American has defeated former world champion Carl Daniels, The Contender star Jesse Brinkley, Anwar Oshana and Manu Ntoh, among the notables.
Del Valle (36-6-1, 22 KOs), a New York southpaw, has never been stopped in 43 pro bouts. He captured the vacant WBA light heavyweight title in 1997 against European champion “Fast” Eddy Smulders by an eighth-round technical knockout. Lou, who fought Bruno Girard to a draw in their 2001 WBA title fight, went the distance with Roy Jones, Jr. (1998 WBC/WBA unification bout), Virgil Hill (1996 WBA title fight) and Girard (2002 WBA title rematch) in three other world championship matches.
“Joey Spina, pound-for-pound, remains one of the hardest-hitting fighters in the world,” promoter Jimmy Burchfield claimed. “He’s very exciting to watch and fans never know when he’s going to put his opponent to sleep with one big shot. Del Valle has a great chin, though, and he’s held his own against future Hall of Famers like Jones and Hill. A solid performance by Joey against a former world champion like Del Valle should put Spina in line for a major fight. It’s going to be a haunting experience, for sure.”
Also scheduled to fight on “Fright Night At The Sun” is New England and Eastern Boxing Association super bantamweight champion “Machine Gun” Mike Oliver (22-2, 7 KOs), of Hartford, against upset specialist Andre Wilson (11-3-1, 9 KOs) in the 8-round co-feature. A pair of popular, undefeated lightweight prospects are scheduled to be in action, but in 4-round separate bouts, Quincy’s (MA) Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczewski (5-0, 2 KOs) and Philadelphia’s Frank Trader (6-0, 2 KOs). All fights and fighters are subject to change.
“We will be announcing the rest of the card very soon,” Burchfield noted. “CES is excited to be returning to beautiful Mohegan Sun. We’re encouraging fans to dress up for Halloween and enjoy an evening of boxing, entertainment and some spooky moments. Mohegan Sun is like a second home for Mike Oliver and Ryan K. has a strong fan-base within driving distance.”
Tickets for “Fright Night At The Sun,” priced at $25.00, $45.00 and $75.00, are available to purchase by calling CES (401.724.2253/2254), going online at www.cesboxing.com or at the Mohegan Sun Box Office. Ticketmaster customers may log on to www.ticketmaster.com, call Ticketmaster’s national toll-free charge by phone (1.800.745.3000) or visit any Ticketmaster outlet.
For more information contact CES (401.724.2253/2254/www.cesboxing.com) or Mohegan Sun (www.mohegansun.com). Doors open at 6:30 PM/ET, first bout at 7:30 PM/ET.
Hagler Jr., and Senior Fighter About to Make Boxing History
(Broomall, PA) – Boxing generations of old and new will join forces in a fight event that defies history.
Marvin Hagler, Jr., son of the multiple world boxing champion, and 65-year-old boxer Augie Pantellas will be the featured attractions in Broomall as both set out to triumph in Celebrity Boxing 12: The Next Generation on October 10.
Hagler Jr. will duke it out with “Philly’s own” Billy Link in the headlining bout, while Pantellas will also appear in one of the undercard matches.
The event takes place at the Marple Sports Arena in Broomall.
“I’m going after Ray, but first I need to take care of business,” Hagler said of how his upcoming bout with Link prepares him for his February match with Sugar Ray Leonard, Jr.
As for Pantellas, a featherweight boxer known as “The Broomall Bomber” for his exploits in the 1970s and ‘80s, he wants to set the record straight.
“Whenever I’ve stepped into the ring, it was to win,” he said of his match October 10. “I’m still ‘The Bomber,’ and you’ll see why.”
With both Hagler Jr. and Pantellas fighting on the same card, it promises to be a memorable evening.
“I think it’s great,” Hagler said, “that Augie feels like he can still go out there and compete. It gives me a lot of inspiration.”
Concordville Nissan and Subaru in nearby Glen Mills are sponsoring the event.
For ticket information, contact Center Stage Tickets at 800-677-8499, or Marple Sports Arena at 610-338-0111.
To have a celebrity boxing match in your area, contact celebrityboxing@gmail.com.
For more information about Celebrity Boxing, visit www.celebrityboxing.tv.