The Cuban Revolution continues at The National Stadium in Dublin this Saturday when unbeaten Cuban duo Alexei Acosta and Luis Garcia feature on the undercard of the Hunky Dorys Fight Night.
Acosta and Garcia are two of a trio of undefeated Cuban sensations now based in Cork having all won World Junior Championships in the amateur ranks. The third is heavyweight Mike Perez who was forced off Saturday’s card earlier this week due to illness. All three are unbeaten and tipped for big things in the pro ranks..
Garcia, a 22-year-old Super Middleweight is currently undefeated in 8 pro fights and already rated number 26 in the World by the independent boxing records site, Boxrec.com. Garcia faces American veteran Christian Cruz on Saturday with the Californian having perviously extended current WBC Light Heavyweight Champion, Jean Pascal in to the 10th round and having lasted into the 12th with reigning IBF Super Middleweight Champ Lucien Bute. Cruz also holds a stoppage win over perennial contender Enrique Ornelas and with 10 of his 12 wins coming by KO he can clearly punch.
Garcia has prepared for the contest by sparring former World Champion and Joe Calzaghe foe Byron Mitchell in Cork and he’s hoping to put on a show for Dublin fights fans on his first appearance at the National Stadium. “I have trained hard for this fight and I am looking to putting on a real show for the fans in Dublin,” said Garcia. “I want to give them a performance to remember. Cruz is an experienced opponent but I never worry about who is in the opposite corner. It’s up to them to worry about me!”
Super Bantamweight Acosta has so far won all 11 of his professional outings since making the switch from the amateur ranks just under 2 years ago. Amazingly the 22-year-old has yet to rely on the scorecards having stopped all 11 opponents inside the distance and he will be hoping to continue that run on Saturday.
Acosta had been set to take on former World title challenger and Bernard Dunne foe Cristian Faccio but the Uruguayan was forced to pull out of the fight earlier this week due to personal circumstances. Acosta will now square off with Venezuelan Oscar Chacin on Saturday but Faccio remains on his hit list.
Acosta (along with Garcia and Perez) is due back in the ring in Letterkenny on October 2nd on the next Hunky Dorys Fight Night and he’s hopeful that Faccio will be in the opposite corner on that occasion.
“It’s unfortunate that Faccio was forced to pull out because he was certainly talking a good fight but now I have to focus on Chacin and taking care of business on Saturday,” said Acosta. “Hopefully the Faccio fight can be rescheduled for October 2nd but for now the fight with Chacin is all that matters.”
The card is headlined by a European title double header that will see Brian Magee make the first defence of his European Super Middleweight title against Roman Aramian while Kiko “La Sensacion” Martinez returns to Dublin as he bids to reclaim his old European Super Bantamweight crown when he clashes with Arsen Martyrosian.
A third title bout on the Hunky Dorys Fight Night will see Dubliner’s Anthony Fitzgerald and Robbie Long square off as they look to complete a trilogy that has already thrilled Irish fight fans with both men having a win a piece. This time around, Fitzgerald’s Irish Super Middleweight title will be on the line.
Reigning EU and Irish Super Bantamweight Champion Paul Hyland will also be in action as looks to press his claims for a shot at the winner of the Martinez – Martirosyan fight while Hyland’s fellow Dubliner’s Gavin Prunty and Brendan Fitzpatrick will also be in action alongside reigning Irish Heavyweight champ, Coleman Barrett from Galway.
Dublin Pride on the line in North-South clash
Irish Super Middleweight Champion Anthony “The Pride of Dublin” Fitzgerald will put his title and his ring moniker on the line when he faces Robbie Long in their eagerly awaited rubber match on this Saturday’s Hunky Dorys Fight Night at the National Stadium in Dublin.
The completion of this all Dublin trilogy is part of the undercard to a European title doubleheader with Brian Magee making the first defence of his European Super Middleweight title against Roman Aramian while Kiko “La Sensacion” Martinez and Arsen Martyrosian will battle it out for the vacant European Super Bantamweight crown.
For Dublin fight fans though the Fitzgerald – Long clash will hold a special interest pitting the Champion, a Northsider from the inner city against the challenger from Tallaght on the Southside of the Liffey. Both men already hold a victory over the other and Saturday’s decider will have extra spice with Fitzgerald’s Irish title on the line.
The two men clashed for the first time at the start of 2009 with Long taking a points win but Fitzgerald gained revenge 9 months later with a points win of his own to level the score at one win a piece after two exciting back and forth battles. Since then Fitzgerald has gone on to win the Irish title while Long has been inactive and the Champion believes that will prove crucial on Saturday night.
“I’m always confident going into every fight but I suppose I will carry a lot more confidence in to this fight because I’m a far better boxer now that our first two fights,” said Fitzgerald. “The first time we met because I was very inexperienced in the pro’s but in the second fight I showed how much I had improved. I’ve had another 4 fights since then and I think I’ve shown improvement in each and every one of those fights while he hasn’t even fought since our last fight.
“He’ a tough lad but I know that if I stick to the game plan I can make it a comfortable nights work. Of course there always a chance that we get drawn into another war but that’s no problem either, I can mix it with the best of them when I have to and here’s no way that title is leaving Sean McDermott Street.”
However Long believes that Fitzgerald is reading to much into his recent inactivity and believes that overconfidence could prove to be his downfall. “I definitely think he’s underestimating me and that’s going to be a big mistake,” said Long. “The pressure is all on him, he’s the Champion so he has everything to lose so there’s no pressure on me and I think he’s in for a big shock on Saturday night. I’ve been working very hard for this fight and working on a lot of things in the gym that are going going to surprise him so if everything goes to plan it will be a good fight but a short night!”
However the ambitious Champion believes he has bigger fish to fry than Long and has already set his sights on another all Irish clash with U.S. based Derryman John Duddy. “I’d love to fight John and I think I’m ready for it. I need a challenge to bring out the best in me because you have to box the best if you want to be the best and I’d take that fight in a heartbeat if it comes along.”
Other Dubliner’s in action on Saturday night include current European Union and Irish Super Bantamweight Champ Paul Hyland, with the Tallaght native taking on American Robert DaLuz while Castleknock’s Gavin Prunty and new Finglas pro Brendan Fitzpatrick also feature.
The 9 fight card also features undefeated Cork based Cuban’s Alexei Acosta and Luis Garcia with their compatriot, heavyweight Mike Perez having been forced off the card through illness. However there will be heavyweight action on the card with Galway’s Irish Heavyweight Champ Coleman Barrett featuring in a non title bout.
Tickets for the Hunky Dorys Fight Night priced €40, €75 and €100 are available from Ticketmaster.ie / 0818 719300 or the National Stadium on 087 2511772, the Ticket Office on 086 8120135 or the boxers on the bill.
European Title Double Header Weigh In
The weigh in for this Saturday’s Hunky Dorys Fight Night featuring a European title double header takes place in Dublin 4 from 3pm on Friday.
All the fighters on the 9 bout card will step on the scales including the weigh in for the European and Irish title fights.
The full line up is as follows:
– Brian Magee V Roman Aramian (European Super Middleweight Title – 12 Rounds)
– Kiko Martinez V Arsen Martirosyan (Vacant European Super Bantamweight Title – 12 Rounds)
– Anthony Fitzgerald V Robbie Long (Irish Super Middleweight Title – 10 rounds)
– Paul Hyland V Robert DaLuz (Super Bantamweight – 8 Rounds)
– Luis Garcia V Christian Cruz (Super Middleweight – 8 Rounds)
– Alexei Acosta V Oscar Chacin (Super Bantamweight – 8 Rounds)
– Coleman Barrett V Remigijus Ziausys (Heavyweight – 4 Rounds)
– Gavin Prunty V Arek Malek (Welterweight – 4 Rounds)
– Brendan Fitzpatrick V Mariusz Radziszewski (Super Middleweight – 4 Rounds)
Doors open at The National Stadium at 5pm on Saturday with the first bout just after 5:30pm.
RTÉ TWO’s live coverage of the Hunky Dorys Fight Night begins from 10:05pm with coverage also available online on RTE.ie