Cleveland, OH – “ESPN Friday Night Fights” invades Cleveland, OH on February 19th live from the Wolstein Center on the campus of Cleveland State University. The star studded night of boxing will feature the homecoming of 2008 United States Olympic Team member and undefeated professional Shawn “Showtime” Porter in a twelve round main event against Russell Jordan of Rochester, NY for the NABO Jr. Middleweight Title. Cleveland’s Porter 12-0 (10 KO’s), recently named as one of ESPN’s top 20 prospects in the world today, will bring his exciting all action style to the bout against Jordan 15-6 (10 KO’s) in the Jr. Middleweight clash. The bout will feature an interesting clash of styles as Porter, who stands 5’7″ and is orthodox, will try to impose his will on the taller southpaw Jordan, who stands 6’2″..
Also featured on the ESPN broadcast will be rising Welterweight prospect Lanard Lane 10-0 (7 KO’s) from Houston, TX as he squares off with Martin Tucker 7-4 (3 KO’s) from nearby Toledo, OH in an 8 round Jr. Welterweight clash.
The ESPN broadcast will open up with one of the hardest punching prospects in boxing today as Dominic Wade 5-0 (5 KO’s) goes toe to toe with Omar Bell 6-1 (4 KO’s) of Atlanta, GA in a 6 round Middleweight contest. The heavy fisted Wade, from Largo, MD, will look to keep his knockout streak alive in a bout that promises to be action packed from the opening bell.
This value packed 9 bout card will also feature some of Cleveland and Ohio’s greatest boxing prospects. Cleveland’s Dante Moore 6-0 (4 KO’s) will battle Allentown, PA’s Marvin Rivera 4-4-2 (1 KO) in a 6 round Jr. Middleweight bout. Cleveland’s amateur standout Wilkins Santiago will also be highlighted as he makes his professional debut Columbus, OH’s Troy Nelson in 4 round Middleweight match. Another Cleveland prospect will do battle as Julius Leegrand 2-0 will square off with Toledo’s Eric Ricker in a 4 round battle of Lightweights. Youngstown’s finest will also be on display as Jake Giuriceo 5-0-1 (2 KO’s) will face Elkhart, IN’s Sam Gibson in a 6 round clash of Jr. Welterweights. Also, Youngstown’s Chris Hazimihalis 1-0 (1 KO) will be pitted against Independence, MO’s Steven Cox 1-0 (1 KO) in a rare battle of young undefeated Lightweights. Last but not least on this card will be Shawn Porter’s undefeated United States Olympic teammate Gary Russell Jr. 6-0 (3 KO’s) from Capitol Heights, MD in a 6 round Featherweight bout.
Tickets for ESPN’s Friday Night Fights will go on sale Monday, January 11 at 10 AM and start at just $25. Tickets can be purchased at the Wolstein Center’s box office, through any Ticketmaster outlet, or the Ticketmaster charge-by-phone. For more information, call 216.687.9292.
JUAN CARLOS BURGOS VS JUAN CARLOS MARTINEZ HEADLINES CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT CARD ON JANUARY 15 IN LAREDO, TEXAS, TELEVISED LIVE ON ESPN
Arthur Pelullo’s Banner Promotions will present a sensational championship fight card on Friday, January 15, 2010, at the Laredo Entertainment Center, located at 6700 Arena Boulevard in Laredo, Texas. The main event, co-featured bout, and other selected fights will be televised live on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, their Spanish-Language Network, and ESPN 360.com.
In the main event scheduled for 12 rounds, Juan Carlos Burgos, 23-0 with 16 knockouts, of Tijuana, Mexico, will defend the WBC Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) featherweight title against Juan Carlos Martinez, 15-10-1 with 5 knockouts, of San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
The 22 year-old Burgos is a five-year pro – he made his debut at 16 in Mexico. The young contender was born into boxing – his father was an amateur boxer and his uncle is the former IBF junior flyweight world champion Victor Burgos. Juan Carlos has given consistently impressive performances and climbed in the world rankings – he is currently ranked No. 2 in the world by the WBC and No. 14 by the WBO at 126 pounds.
Martinez, now 28 years old, is a six-year professional veteran. He is coming off one of his career-best wins in his last fight on September 26, 2009, an upset 10 round unanimous decision against hometown favorite Jose Hernandez (22-4) in Chicago. Martinez is experienced against very good opposition and has gone the distance against WBC interim lightweight world champion Antonio De Marco and former WBC featherweight world champion Guty Espadas.
The co-featured bout will be a six-round junior middleweight fight between 2008 U.S. Olympian Demetrius Andrade, 8-0 with 6 knockouts, of Providence, Rhode Island, against Bernardo Guereca, 15-9-1 with 3 knockouts, of Albuquerque, New Mexico. A rising young star – ESPN.com ranks him as one of the top young prospects in 2010 – Demetrius is co-promoted by Star Boxing Promotions.
Several experienced veterans and young prospects will also be included on the card.
Garret Simon will make his professional debut in a four-round heavyweight bout. Simon is from Puyallup, Washington, and was the 2008 National Junior Olympic gold medalist at 201 pounds. He will be facing Zakhariah King of Ft. Worth, Texas, who is also making his professional debut.
Local favorite Rodolfo Gomez Jr., 5-0, 4 KOs, Laredo, Texas will fight an opponent to be announced be in a four-round welterweight fight. Gomez is the son of Manuel “Shotgun” Gomez.
Three more fights are planned to complete the card. All bouts subject to change without notice.
Doors open at: 6:00 P.M. (Central Time)
First fight at: 8:00 P.M. (Central Time)
Tickets prices: $5, $10, $20, $50, $70; service charge and facility fee are added to each ticket price.
Tickets available at: Laredo Entertainment Center Box Office; all TicketMaster outlets, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, and TicketMaster.com.
Caramelito Promotions and Jab Promotion open the year with WBO Europe title fight
Vaasa-based only a one year old Finnish professional boxing stable Caramelito Promotions, which is led by manager and promoter Petro Koskimies, on Saturday evening the 6th of February they will arrange the biggest and highest level professional boxing show which has ever seen at the city of Vaasa. The show will be co-promoted by Caramelito Promotions and Saint Petersburg (Russia) –based Jab Promotion which is led by Vitaly Supichenko and former EBU Bantamweight Champion Alexander Yagupov. The show will also start the professional boxing year in Finland in 2010.
The show is called as Amarillo Boxing Night 2 – Taistelu mestaruudesta (Battle for the title) and it will contain five international fights including two championship bouts.
The main event scheduled for 12 rounds for the vacant WBO Europe Welterweight –title between Jab Promotion´s undefeated Tajikistan-born, Saint Petersburg-based Sherali “The Lion” Mamadaliev, 28, and Marseille-based Frenchman Frederic Serre, 29. Both Mamadaliev (9-0, 5 KO) and Serre (10-4, 2 KO) will be fighting for the first title of their pro careers and surely they will provide some rarely offered entertainment for Finnish audience. While facing Serre, who has taken his best victory over German (BDB) light middleweight champion Maurice Weber back in December 2008 in Germany, Mamadaliev will be in a real step-up-class fight while French boxer is even higher ranked by BoxRec.
In the another already published match-up Caramelito Promotions´ own undefeated heavyweight prospect Janne ”Finnish Butterbean” Katajisto, 31, who is managed by Petro Koskimies and who is former two-time Finnish national Super Heavyweight champion as an amateur will face the most difficult challenge of his career so far while squaring off with Ladislav Kovarik (CZE), 34, who has fought 9 times victoriously of his 14 outcomes as pro.
-For my fighter Janne Katajisto (3-0, 2 KO) this is a real big test which he absolutely has to pass to prove that he is ready for longer fights in his upcoming bouts. Kovarik, who has fought for example with Yakup Saglam (then 21 – 0, 18 KO) and former kick boxing world champion and K1-star Jerome Le Banner (then 5 – 0 as pro boxer), will be an experienced and dangerous opponent for Katajisto at this point of career, says manager-promoter Koskimies.
-The show will also be the concrete start for the co-operation between Caramelito Promotions and Jab Promotion. This time two boxers from Jab Promotion will step into the ring in high level fights but in future also my Finnish fighters will visit at their shows in Russia. I do believe that this kind of co-operation will help both stables to improve their shows and will be beneficial for both stables and their boxer. I´m very happy with all the business we have done with Jab Promotion so far, continues Petro Koskimies.
Three more fights including one international title fight will be announced later this January.
PRIMM VALLEY CASINO RESORTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH ROY ENGLEBRECHT EVENTS DECLARE WORLDS COLLIDE CO-CHAMPIONS
Primm, Nev. – Primm Valley Casino Resorts and Roy Englebrecht Events declare Worlds Collide co-champions to the six remaining contenders on the Jan. 9 fight card.
Two of the 10 fighters in Saturday’s Worlds Collide Championship Tournament Finals are not able to compete due to illness and injury, and a proper replacement was not found in time. With only three championship bouts remaining and 12 rounds scheduled, the number of rounds do not meet the minimum number of rounds required by the Nevada Athletic Commission to allow the show to proceed.
Promoter Roy Englebrecht has announced the six remaining fighters in the finals as Worlds Collide co-champions. Contenders in the finals are splitting the total purse and will each receive $3,750
The co-champions include:
MMA – three, five-minute rounds – 180 pounds:
Jorge Lopez, Las Vegas (8-3) and Danny Davis, Las Vegas (1-1-1)
Boxing – six, three-minute rounds – 142 pounds:
Deth Marcus Hall, Las Vegas (2-0) and Yakub Shdaev, Northridge, Calif. (3-1, 1 KO)
MMA – three, five-minute rounds – 135 pounds:
Sidemar Honorio, Huntington Beach, Calif. (5-0) and John Merkle, Los Angeles (3-3)
Fight fans who purchased tickets online through Ticketmaster for the Jan. 9 Worlds Collide Championship will automatically have their credit cards refunded. Those who purchased tickets directly through the Buffalo Bill’s Box office need to call 1.800.FUN.STOP to get their refunds.
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