On Friday, April 22nd, at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT, Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing will present that weeks ESPN “Friday Night Fights”. Headlining the card is “The Mongolian Mongoose” Bayan Jargal (15-1-3, 10KO’s) squaring off against the “Khanqueror” Breidis Prescott (23-2, 19KO’s) in a ten round jr. welterweight showdown. Also featured on the card will be 2008 US Olympian, and highly regarded undefeated jr. middleweight prospect, Demetrius Andrade (12-0, 8KO’s) taking on once beaten Omar Bell (8-1, 5KO’s). If the two featured ESPN bouts aren’t intriguing enough for you, Star Boxing’s Publicist, Kevin Rooney Jr. will be making his pro-debut on the undercard.
The 26-year-old Rooney Jr., who graduated from Fordham University in the Bronx in 2007 and has been working for Star full-time since the summer of 2008, is trained and managed by his father, Mike Tyson’s former trainer, Kevin Rooney Sr. After beginning boxing at just five years old, Rooney Jr. stepped away from the sport before coming back to it and returning to training after he came on board with Star.
“I always had the itch to get back into it, but when I started working for Joe (DeGuardia) and Star is when I really started to seriously think about it,” says Rooney Jr. “I started training and took it one step at a time and now I am ready to take the next step.”
“I always had the itch to get back into it, but when I started working for Joe (DeGuardia) and Star is when I really started to seriously think about it,” says Rooney Jr. “I started training and took it one step at a time and now I am ready to take the next step.”
While the typical fight night is a bit hectic for Rooney Jr. who handles all of the Public Relations, as well as many of the event coordination duties for Star, the April 22nd show will have him undoubtedly a bit more busy.
“Luckily for me my father’s accent is Staten Island, Joe’s is the Bronx, so I shouldn’t get the two confused when I’m getting orders from both throughout the night,” says Rooney with a laugh.
STAR BOXING
DEGUARDIA AND ROONEY JR.
“He better end his fight quickly and be in and out of that dressing room before the next fight starts or we will have a real problem,” jokes DeGuardia, CEO and President of Star Boxing, a former boxer himself. “All jokes aside, we couldn’t be happier than to have Kevin make his debut on one of our cards. Working for Star, and the relationship we have built together the last three years it’s only fitting.”
“For those who haven’t seen Kevin fight before, he has ability,” adds DeGuardia. “I think a lot of people are going to be surprised when they see him in the ring. We are excited to see how far he can go with it. Besides the fact that he has his father’s name and his father behind him, he is good looking Irish kid, with an exciting style, fighting out of New York. We are looking forward to start bringing in the Irish fan base, which is known to come out in armies to support their Irish fighters.”
“I’m very excited for the opportunity to have my debut on one of Joe’s cards,” says Rooney. “Not a lot of people get to ever fight on such a high profile card, let alone make their pro-debut on it, so I couldn’t be more thankful. I havSTAR BOXINGe been thinking about this day for a very long-time, and finally it’s almost here. I have a lot of people coming out to show their support and I don’t plan on letting them down.”
Regarding his future in the sport, Rooney is optimistic.
“I’m working really hard every day in the gym. I feel myself maturing and improving each and every day. There are things that I obviously need to work on, but that’s the great thing about this sport, you are always learning something new. While I might not have the biggest amateur background (Rooney Jr. had approximately 12 fights total from when he started as a young kid till now) I feel that I have one of the best trainers in the entire world in my father, and as long as I keep listening to him and keep working hard, the sky’s the limit.”
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 1 (800) 745-3000 or visiting www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets can also be purchased by calling the Star Boxing office at (718) 823-2000 or visiting www.starboxing.com. Tickets are also available for purchase at the Mohegan Sun Box Office. Tickets are priced at $80, $50 and $35. ESPN will begin live coverage of the event starting at 8PM ET.
Eloy Perez vs. Alejandro Rodriguez, Gary Russell Jr. vs. Adolfo Landeros on April 15th
LOS ANGELES, April 13 – On Friday, April 15, as millions pay the government on tax day, TeleFutura’s “Sólo Boxeo Tecate” gives back to boxing fans as the popular series’ broadcasts will be extended from 90 minutes to two hours, packing the show with even more fistic action.
In this two-hour format premiere, which will air live from Longshoreman’s Hall in San Francisco, unbeaten contender Eloy “The Prince” Perez continues his assault on the 130-pound weight class when he defends his NABO junior lightweight title against Mexico’s highly-regarded Alejandro Rodriguez in a 10-round bout.
In the co-featured bout Capitol Heights, Maryland’s 2008 U.S. Olympian and top prospect Gary Russell Jr. squares off against veteran Adolfo Landeros is an eight round junior lightweight matchup.
These bouts, along with an exciting undercard, are presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Don Chargin Productions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and AT&T. Doors open at 6:00pm PT, the first bell rings at 7:00pm PT and the two-hour TeleFutura broadcast begins at 11:30pm ET / PT (10:30pm CT).
For tickets, priced at $50, $75, $100 and $125 visit: http://theboxingtruth.vbotickets.com/event.asp?eid=713
Salinas, California’s Eloy “Prince” Perez (20-0-2, 5 KO’s) has been on a sizzling hot streak over the last year, defeating top level opponents such as David Rodela, Gilberto Sanchez Leon and Dominic Salcido. In his most recent bout, Perez thrilled fans at Longshoreman’s Hall with a shutout win over Roger “Speedy” Gonzalez. He returns to the site of that win and looks to have history repeat itself with a win over Rodriguez.
A professional since 2009, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico’s Alejandro “Soma” Rodriguez (12-1, 6 KO’s) is one of Mexico’s top young prospects. The 23-year-old is currently riding an eight-fight winning streak that includes a stirring 12th round technical knockout win over previously unbeaten Jhean Romero in August of 2010 that earned him the vacant Jalisco Lightweight title. Being in the rhythm that he is, he’s ready for whatever Perez brings to the ring.
Southpaw sensation Gary Russell Jr. (14-0, 10 KO’s) has given himself a tough act to follow when you consider the stack of amateur accolades he compiled, but so far as a professional, he has made it clear that he isn’t stopping without winning a few world titles. In 2010, the Washington D.C. native delivered the goods in rapid-fire fashion with seven wins, including a first round knockout of former World Champion Mauricio”Pintoso” Pastrana in July. With a 2011 win under his belt in January against Feider Viloria, he promises to give fans more memorable performances in 2011, starting with this weekend’s fight against Landeros.
Mexico City’s Adolfo “El Terror” Landeros (20-18-1, 10 KO’s) has been competing against top-notch competition for over a decade and he’s not about to stop now. A fighter who has been in the ring with opponents such as Jhonny Gonzalez, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Wilfredo Vasquez Jr., Christopher Martin and Ronny Rios, Landeros has never shied away from a challenge and that warrior’s spirit has made him a consistent fan favorite. In his last fight on April 1, he scored a fourth round technical knockout against the always-tough Juan Jose Beltran and he now looks to pin a loss on a top-flight prospect in Russell Jr. on Friday night.
Tecate, cerveza con carácter, is the largest beer brand to sponsor boxing matches in the U.S. Part of its commitment to make boxing accessible to consumers is the title sponsorship of “Sólo Boxeo Tecate,” which creates an opportunity for local fans to witness some of the most exhilarating fights by today’s up-and-coming prospects. Additionally, Tecate has been a primary supporter of Golden Boy Promotions’ marquee events since 2007, and has launched a variety of initiatives to ensure consumers are part of the boxing experience, including boxer autograph signing sessions, commemorative cans, PPV mail-in rebate offers, and most recently the launch of a mobile museum “Tecate Museo de Boxeo,” which showcases decades of the most memorable moments in the sport.
Jennings vs. Williams on April 23rd
Atlantic City, NJ—Unbeaten heavyweight Bryant “Bye Bye” Jennings faces another stiff test when he boxes fellow-Philadelphian David Williams in a scheduled six-round heavyweight contest evening, April 23, in the Palladium Ballroom at Caesars Atlantic City.
Topping the seven-bout card is a scheduled 12-round contest between Omar Sheika, of Paterson, NJ, and Garrett Wilson, of Philadelphia, PA, for the vacant united States Boxing Association (USBA) cruiserweight title. The first of seven fights begins at 7.30 p.m. in the 1,450-seat ballroom, the first time it has been used for boxing.
Jennings, 26, earned a six-round decision over Theron Johnson, of Chicago, IL, in his last fight Feb. 26 at Bally’s Atlantic City. He is 6-0, 3 K0s.
As an amateur, Jennings made it to the finals of the National Golden Gloves and the National PAL, losing each time by decision to veteran lefty Lenroy Thompson.
Williams, 33. is making his first start in two years after compiling a 6-3-1 record with two knockouts. He was scheduled to fight March 8 at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, FL, but his fight, scheduled as a walkout bout, was canceled due to time constraints.
A pro since 2003, Williams has not had many problems with unbeaten opposition. He was the only man to defeat Michael Carr, of Pittsburgh, PA, who was 10-0 when Williams outpointed him in 2003. Williams also was the first boxer to defeat Adam Harris, of Worcester, MA, when he met in 2009.
In his most ambitious start, Williams was stopped in seven rounds by Aaron Williams, of Las Vegas, when they fought in 2009. Williams was 18-1-1 at the time.
Five additional fights complete the card.
Tickets priced at $50 and $75 are on sale at the offices of Peltz Boxing Promotions (215-765-0922) and all Ticketmaster outlets (800-736-1420). They also can be purchased online at www.peltzboxing.com and www.Ticketmaster.com.