LAS VEGAS, NV (September 9, 2010) Notre Dame Boxing Champion Mike Lee attended a press conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday afternoon ahead of his return to action this Saturday night, September 11th at The Palms Resort and Casino. Lee was joined at the press conference by Notre Dame football legend Rudy Ruettiger, along with his father, John Lee. The 23 year old Lee will face off against Alex Rivera in a scheduled four round light heavyweight battle as the feature bout on the undercard of the HBO broadcast of “The Battle of Champions” headlined by a World Featherweight Championship bout between Cuba ’s Yuriorkis Gamboa and Mexican veteran Orlando Salido..
Todd DuBoef/President, Top Rank Inc.
”Rudy” is one of my favorite movies of all time, truly a feel good movie. I feel like it’s my movie.
“So many people love Notre Dame and we’re thrilled to have one of their finest, Mike Lee, fighting on this card.”
Mike Lee
“I’m extremely excited to be fighting on this card. I’ve trained in Las Vegas in the past and visited here a couple of times, but it’s very humbling to be fighting here. I’m very grateful to my team; Ronnie Shields, Brian Caldwell, Creed Fountain and my father, all of whom have been extremely instrumental in my preparation.”
“I’m also very grateful to have Rudy Ruettiger here for his support.”
Rudy Ruettiger/Notre Dame Football Legend
“Truthfully Michael should be on Wall Street, having a finance degree from Notre Dame. But he’s here to chase his dream. I saw Michael fight at Notre Dame during the Bengal Bouts competition and he’s a very impressive young man. He wants to give back and is truly a philanthropist while competing as a professional.”
“To the other fighters here on the dais, some people may remember whether you win or lose, but they’ll all remember the spirit that you fought with and that’s the most important thing.”
John Lee/Manager of Mike Lee
First of all, my condolences to Bob Arum and his family on the death of his son.”
“We’ve put together a great team for Mike’s success, the best promoter in the business in Top Rank, a great training staff and were very excited to be part of this terrific event.”
Lee graduated in 2009 from Notre Dame, the number one business school in the country, at the top of his class with a degree in finance.
A three-time Bengal Bouts champion while at Notre Dame, Lee is continuing to give back as he helps fund the university’s Holy Cross Missions of Bangladesh which raises money for children in Bangladesh .
Lee made his pro debut on May 29th at Chicago ’s UIC Pavilion with a terrific four round shutout unanimous decision over Emmit Woods which was broadcast internationally on Fox Sports Net’s “Top Rank Live”. The win took place in front of a record setting hometown crowd of over 2,000, who had distinctly purchased tickets for Lee’s fight, the largest “Top Rank Live” attendance for the year 2010.
The Palms Resort and Casino is located at 4321 W. Flamingo Road in Las Vegas . Tickets for “The Battle of Champions” may be purchased by calling 877-530-4269 during business hours or after 5pm at 630-400-6380. The first bell is scheduled for 4:00pm on the night of the event with the televised bouts to begin at 7pm.
“The Battle of Champions” is promoted by Top Rank Incorporated in association with ArenaBox Promotions and Zanfer Promotions.
For more information on Mike Lee, please visit his website at www.mikeleeboxing.com and follow him on Facebook at Mike Lee (Boxer). Further information can also be obtained on the Top Rank website at www.toprank.com
ANDY LEE HEADLINES IN CHICAGO ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH
CHICAGO, IL (September 9, 2010) Irish middleweight contender Andy Lee is headed to Chicago on Friday, September 17th, headlining the massive nine-bout WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 12 event in a ten round battle against local hard hitting veteran Michael Walker at the UIC Pavilion.
WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 12 is presented by Dominic Pesoli’s 8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING.
Advance tickets, starting at $31 are available through Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com), the UIC Pavilion Box Office (312-413-5740) and the 8 Count Productions’ Office (312-226-5800).
The 26 year old Lee, regarded by many as a future world champion, is in Detroit wrapping up preparations for the showdown against Walker with legendary trainer Emanuel Steward.
“We’ve gotten some great sparring here with Anthony Dirrell and James Countryman. Chicago is a terrific city with a huge Irish population and I’m looking forward to fighting there on September 17th” said Lee.
Sporting a record of 22-1-0 with sixteen knockouts, Lee has won seven in a row, most recently stopping James Cook in the fifth round on July 30th in Miami, Oklahoma. He is currently world ranked #9 by the World Boxing Association.
Continued Lee, “I’d like to fight for a world title next year. But I’m not looking past Michael Walker. I’ve seen a few of his fights and I know how tough he is, plus I know that fighting at home will be important for him as it is for me when I fight in Ireland.”
Born and raised in Chicago, the 32 year old Walker has been a constant presence in local ring wars throughout his six year career. Sporting a record of 19-4-2 (12KO’s), the heavy handed Walker has been in numerous action packed battles against Derrick Findley, former world champion Antwun Echols, Alberto Mercedes and a legendary bout for the ages against Jimmy Gonzalez in 2005 at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom.
The co-main event at WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 12 will feature the return to the ring of Chicago’s Mexican Warrior, Luciano “EL Michoacano” Perez, 17-10-1 (15KO’s) taking on undefeated Russian junior middleweight Anton “The Pick Hammer” Novikov, 16-0-0 (6KO’s) in a scheduled eight round tilt.
Featured on the undercard at WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 12 will be local fan favorites and newcomers; junior welterweight Adrian “EL Tigre” Granados, 3-0-0 (2KO’s), super middleweight Mike “Hollywood” Jimenez, 1-0-0 (1KO), junior welterweight Antonio Canas, 1-0-0 (1KO) and middleweight Ramon Valenzuela, Jr. 1-0-0 (1KO), all of whom will be featured in separate bouts.
Also on the card will be junior middleweight prospect Donatas Bondarevas, 8-1-1 (2KO’s), of Kaunas, Lithuania and super feather Evgeny Gradovich, 4-0-0 (3KO’s) of Igrim, Russia, both of whom will be in six rounders.
Doors on the evening of the event will open at 7pm with the first bell at 8pm. The UIC Pavilion is located at 525 S. Racine, just one block south of the Eisenhower Expressway. For further information, please visit their website at www.uicpavilion.com. The UIC Pavilion is now serving alcohol at all boxing events.
8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING, was started by Dominic Pesoli in 1998 and has consistently presented the highest quality professional boxing events in Chicagoland.
Fighters currently under the 8 Count Productions banner include; super middleweight contender Donovan “DA BOMB” George, junior welterweight prospect Ivan Popoca, light heavyweight Andrzej Fonfara, featherweight Jose Hernandez, welterweight Jaime Herrera and junior middleweight Luciano Perez.
In 2003, Pesoli along with former featherweight contender Mike Garcia, opened JABB Boxing Gym, a 6,000 square foot venue dedicated to the finest Chicagoland boxers of all talent levels.
For more information on 8 Count Productions and JABB Boxing Gym, please visit www.8countproductions.com and www.jabbboxing.com