BRONX, NY (February 7, 2012) – Star Boxing president Joe DeGuardia has announced that former world title challenger Angel “Toro” Hernandez (30-10, 17 KOs) has replaced an ill Derek Ennis for Friday’s night’s main event against 2008 US Olympian Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade (15-0, 10 KOs) on ESPN Friday Night Fights at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
The headliner is a 10-round battle for the vacant North American Boxing Organization (“NABO”) junior middleweight title. Ennis was forced to withdraw due to the flu.
“We’re very fortunate to find a solid veteran like Angel Hernandez as a late replacement,” DeGuardia said. “He’s been in with some of the best and beaten the likes of Juan Carlos Candelo, Frankie Randall, James McGirt, Larry Marks, and Antwun Echols. We expect him to be a solid test for Demetrius.”
Hernandez, fighting out of Chicago, is a typically tough Mexican fighter who has been stopped only twice in 40 professional fights. In 2004, he lost a 12-round decision to Winky Wright in their IBF light middleweight title fight. A former NABF, IBA Americas and NABA champion, Angel lost a disputed 12-round split decision to former world champion Kassim Ouma for the vacant USBA championship.
Former World amateur champion Andrade – WBO #9, WBC & IBF #13 and WBA #15 – fights out of nearby Providence.
Star Boxing’s undefeated junior welterweight prospect, WBA #15 Raymond “Tito” Serrano (17-0, 8 KOs), meets former New York State champion Kenny Abril (11-4-1, 6 KOs) in the 10-round co-feature.
A strong undercard features past and future champions and contenders, as well as some of the most promising prospects on the East Coast.
Former USBA & NABO light welterweight champion “Mighty” Mike Arnaoutis (22-7-2, 10 KOs) returns against popular veteran Shaka Moore (11-16-3, 2 KOs), in a six-round bout.
Star Boxing’s undefeated super featherweight prospect Emanuel Gonzalez (9-0, 7 KOs) plans to keep his perfect intact in a six-round bout dangerous Jesus Bayron (5-3-1, 4 KOs). East Hartford favorite Joseph “Chip” Perez (6-1, 2 KOs) faces Jamell Tyson (2-4-1, 1 KO) in another six rounder.
Also fighting on the undercard in separate four-round bouts is a pair of promising Connecticut boxers. Waterbury’s gifted junior welterweight Jair Ramos (1-0) fights Miguel Rodriguez (0-1), while New Haven super middleweight Charles Foster (1-0) tangles with Queens veteran Borngood Washington.
Tickets are $75.00, $40.00 and $30.00 (plus $5.00 facility fee for all tickets) and are on sale now through Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call Ticketmaster’s national toll free Charge By Phone number 1.800.745.3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets are also available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office, subject to availability, or by calling Star Boxing at 1.718.823.2000 and online via www.StarBoxing.com.
For more information go online to www.starboxing.com or www.mohegansun.co
Six London Hopefuls Advance on to the Winners Bracket Finals at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing
(SPOKANE, WASH.) –U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing action moved into the second day of competition on Tuesday night at the Northern Quest Resort with action in both the winners and challengers brackets. The road to London ended for six boxers with the competitors losing their bouts in the challengers bracket all being eliminated from the tournament.
Six boxers advanced on to the winners bracket final bouts with victories in Tuesday night’s action. Flyweight Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) competed in her first contest bout of the event, facing off with Alex Love (Monroe, Wash.) following a walkover win on Monday night. Esparza won a 22-12 victory over Love to claim the first berth in Thursday’s winner bracket championship.
Esparza will face familiar foe Christina Cruz (New York, N.Y.) in Thursday’s competition. Cruz rode a fourth round comeback to a semifinal win over Tyrieshia Douglas (Baltimore, Md.) in Tuesday’s second bout of the evening. Douglas held a slim one point lead with one round remaining, but Cruz won the final round by an 11-5 margin to take a 20-15 final victory and a spot in the winners bracket final.
Queen Underwood (Seattle, Wash.) enjoyed her second victory in as many nights in her lightweight semifinal bout with Mikaela Mayer (Los Angeles, Calif.). Mayer held a one-point lead after the first, but Underwood grabbed the momentum in the second round to the delight of a partisan crowd. She never relinquished her advantage and went on to win a 27-20 final decision. Underwood will face 19-year-old N’yteeyah Sherman (Cleveland, Ohio) in a rematch of their tiebreaker bout from the 2011 USA Boxing National Championships on Thursday.
Sixteen-year-old phenom Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) continued her impressive run in a semifinal showdown with 2010 Welterweight World Champion Andrecia Wasson (Centerline, Mich.). Shields won her second straight decision over Wasson in Tuesday’s action, taking a 31-12 decision to move on to the winners bracket championship.
Shields will face off with Tika Hemingway (Pittsburgh, Pa.) in Thursday’s action. Hemingway took a 19-15 victory over Tiffanie Hearn (Louisville, Ky.) to claim the final spot in the winners bracket finale on Thursday.
Wednesday’s session will feature six challengers bracket semifinal bouts as they fight to stay alive in the tournament. The winners bracket boxers will enjoy a rest day before returning to the ring for their bracket finals on Thursday evening.
To watch the live stream of Wednesday’s action, go to http://www.universalsports.com/video/assetid=89fd79c3-fbc0-40bd-8bab-ec7ae0567bd2.html
Tuesday, February 14 Results
112 lbs/winners bracket: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas, dec. Alex Love, Monroe, Wash., 22-12
112 lbs/winners bracket: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md., 20-15
112 lbs/challengers bracket: Taversha Norwood, Marietta, Ga., won unopposed
112 lbs/challengers bracket: Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas, dec., Latonya King, Harrison Township, Mich., 14-13
132 lbs/winners bracket: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., dec. Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., 27-20
132 lbs/winners bracket: N’yteeyah Sherman, Barberton, Ohio, dec. Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., 32-24
132 lbs/challengers bracket: Asia Stevenson, Washington DC, won on walkover over Patricia Manuel, Long Beach, Calif., W/O
132 lbs/challengers bracket: Bertha Aracil, Yonkers, N.Y., dec. Lisa Porter, Northridge, Calif., 16-13
165 lbs/winners bracket: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich., dec. Andrecia Wasson, Centerline, Mich., 31-12
165 lbs/winners bracket: Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa., dec. Tiffanie Hearn, Louisville, Ky., 19-15
165 lbs/challengers bracket: Franchon Crews won on medical disqualification over Dara Shen, Alexandria,
Va., DQ
165 lbs/challengers bracket: Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., dec. Tiffanie Ward, Hacienda Heights, Calif., 23-12
Wednesday’s Bout Sheet
112 lbs/challengers bracket: Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md., vs. Taversha Norwood, Marietta, Ga.
112 lbs/challengers bracket: Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas vs. Alex Love, Monroe, Wash.
132 lbs/challengers bracket: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., vs. Bertha Aracil, Yonkers, N.Y.
132 lbs/challengers bracket: Asia Stevenson, Washington DC vs. Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif.
165 lbs/challengers bracket: Tiffanie Hearn, Louisville, Ky., vs. Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md.
165 lbs/challengers bracket: Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., vs. Andrecia Wasson, Centerline, Mich.
USA Boxing, as the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing, is the United States’ member organization of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).