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Category Archives: boxing
Jamel Herring, Denis Shafikov, Patryk Szymanski & Wilky Campfort Media Workout Quotes & Photos
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Anthony “Juice” Young to headline against Ariel Vasquez on Friday, July 22 at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City
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Plus Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna in the co-feature against Eduardo Flores Dan Pasciolla battles Dante Selby in Heavyweight action
Also seeing action will be undefeated Alvin Vermall Jr, Fanlong Meng, and Zhang Zhilel
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For Immediate Release
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (July 1, 2016)–On Friday night, July 22nd, welterweight, Anthony “Juice” Young will headline a great night of boxing against Ariel Vasquez in a scheduled 8-round welterweight bout at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City.
Welterweight Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna will take part in a six-round co-feature bout against Eduardo Flores.
The card is promoted by Rising Promotions.
“We are excited to be running our fourth show in seven months at The Claridge,” said Debra LaManna of Rising Promotions.
“We are starting to build a reputation for putting on well matched and exciting cards at The Claridge and July 22nd will be no different.”
Young of Atlantic City has a record of 12-2 with five knockouts will be looking for his second consecutive victory.
The 28 year-old won his first ten bouts that was highlighted by a victory over Jose Javier Calderon (4-1).
This will be Young’s 6th (and 4th consecutive) fight in his hometown.
He is coming off a 6-round unanimous decision victory over Juan Rodriguez on April 29.
Vasquez of Managua, Nicaragua has a record of 12-14-2 with eight knockouts.
Vasquez, 29 years old turned professional in 2005 and fought his first 11 fights in his native Nicaragua. He twice fought Juan Antonio Rodriguez for the WBC Youth Featherweight title and held undefeated Eliezer Landas (10-0) to a draw in a bout for the WBA Fedecentro Super Bantamweight title.
He has faced six undefeated fighters including his last two. In his last outing, Vasquez lost a unanimous decision to Jose Felix Quezada (9-0) on May 17 in Carlton, Minnesota.
LaManna of Millville, New Jersey has a record of 20-1 with eight knockouts.
The 24 year-old LaManna turned professional in 2011 and won his first sixteen bouts that were highlighted by wins over Ashandi Gibbs & Jamaal Davis.
Since suffering his only loss to world ranked Middleweight Antoine Douglas on ShoBox: The New Generation, LaManna has won four straight which includes a 6-round unanimous decision over rugged Ayi Bruce on September 26th in Beach Haven, New Jersey. In his last bout, LaManna stopped Kendal Mena (20-3) in four rounds on March 19th at The Claridge in Atlantic City.
With a win, LaManna will be back in September in a high profile bout.
But he will have to get past Flores, who is a veteran of 47 professional fights (23-21-3, 15 KO’s).
Flores of Quito, Eciador is a battle tested fighter who has faced a bevy of champions and top contenders.
He has been in the ring with world champions Carlos Baldomir & Kermit Cintron as well as contenders Diego Chaves, Brad Soloman, Wale Omotoso, David Zagara, Knat Islam, Bryant Perella, Khiary Gray Pitts, world title challenger Franklin Mamani & Erick Bone.
In a six round heavyweight bout, Tri-State Heavyweight champion Dan Pasciolla (7-1-1) of Brick, NJ will battle Dante Selby (2-1-1) of Philadelphia, PA.
Marvin Johnson (0-0-1) of Millville, NJ will take on Lamont White (0-1) of Washington, DC in a lightweight bout scheduled for four-rounds.
Appearing in six-round bouts will be Alvin Vermall Jr. (9-0-1, 8 KO’s) of Catskills, NY; light heavyweight Fanlong Meng (7-0, 5 KO’s) of Chifeng, China and heavyweight Zhang Zhilei(10-0, 7 KO’s) of Zhoukou, China.
Appearing in four-round bouts will be pro debuting super featherweight Donald Smith of Philadelphia, pro debuting bantamweight Christian Carto of Philadelphia, PA; pro debuting bantamweight Kevin Asmat of North Bergen, NJ.
Tickets are $125 for premium, $77 Ringside stage and $52 reserved and are available at www.risingboxingpromotions.com
Facebook.com/risingstarboxing
Instagram: @risingpromo   |
Head butt results in “no contest” for Rosa vs. Hinojosa BROADWAY BOXING RESULTS FROM FOXWOODS
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(all pictures by Emily Harney/DiBella Entertainment)
 (L-R) – Luis Hinojosa & Luis Rosa, Jr.
MASHANTUCKET, Conn. (June 30, 2016)– The main event between undefeated New Haven super bantamweight Luis “KO King” Rosa, Jr. and former world title challenger Luis “Barcelo” Hinojosa ended in a “no contest” after one round last night in the latest installment of Broadway Boxing, presented by DiBella Entertainment, at Foxwoods Resort Casino.
Rosa (22-0, 10 KOs), rated No. 10 by the IBF and No. 12 by the WBC, was terribly disappointed by the stoppage decision, which was the result of a serious cut over Dominican Hinojosa’s right eye, ruled from an unintentional head butt.
In the opening round, Rosa dominated with powerful body punches, and it appeared to be only a matter of time before Hinojosa (28-9, 17 KOs) went to sleep.
“I felt that I dominated the fight and it was going to end sooner or later,” Rosa noted in his post-fight interview. “I hit him with a right hand (causing the cut) and I don’t agree with the decision (that it was from a head butt). He quit! I want to fight the best, whoever my promoter (Lou DiBella) chooses to put me in with next.”
UBF super featherweight champion Jennifer “The Bolivian Queen” Salinas (19-3, 5 KOs), stopped Angel “Non-Stop” Gladney (9-12-1, 6 KOs) in the fourth round of their non-title fight. Salinas, who now fights out of Providence, defeated Gladney for the third time in three fights. She broke-down her opponent with her aggressive attack and Gladney finally wilted as referee Callas ended things in the fourth.
 (L-R) – Jennifer Salinas & Angel Gladney
“She hurt me with two or three punches, Angel has got pop,” Salinas commented. “I’ve only been hit like that by Shelly (Salinas’ life partner 17-0 super bantamweight Shelly Vincent. I’m surprised and grateful for all this support (Salinas has lived in Providence for only one year). It’s been a huge life change and I’m very happy where I’m at.”
When asked if she and Vincent would ever fight each other, both fighters agreed, possibly with the proceeds going to charity. “We could have a great fight because styles make fights,” Salinas added. “She can move down and I can move up. We have the same trainer (Peter Manfredo, Sr.), though, but I’d fight her.
Teenage sensation “Marvelous” Mykey Williams (2-0, 2 KOs), fighting out of nearby East Hartford, showcased his vast skills on his way to a third-round stoppage of Puerto Rican junior middleweight Abdel Vera-Clemente (0-4). The 18-year-old Williams, a decorated amateur who won as 3-time Ringside World Champion, displayed quick hands and poise in the ring well beyond his years. He consistently ripped crisp combinations to Vera-Clemente’s body and head, hurting him with a right in the second. The onslaught continued as referee Johnny Callas stepped in to stop the action in the third round.
 (L-R) – Mykey Williams & Abdel Vera-Clemente“This was a good experience,” Williams said after the fight. “I enjoyed showcasing my skills and look forward to doing it again. I’m confident in my skills and did all of the hard work in the gym. I think I put on a good show for the fans.”
Worcester, MA super lightweight Irvin Gonzalez (1-0, 1 KO) made the most of his brief pro debut, dropping Gilvan Santos (0-3) with a sharp left on the chin only a minute into the opening round. Santos beat the count but damage had already been done and referee Eddie Claudio wisely waved off the fight.
 (L-R) – Irvin Gonzalez & Gilvan SantosNew Haven light heavyweight Charles Foster (11-0, 6 KOs) remained unbeaten, pounding outclassed opponent Willie “For Real” Williams (14-12-2, 4 KOs) from the opening until referee Claudio halted the fight midway through the opening round.
 (L-R) – Charles Foster & Willie WilliamsComplete results below:
(winners listed first for each fight result)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Charles Foster (11-0, 6 KOs), New Haven, CT
WTKO2 (2:01)
Willie Williams, Baltimore, MD (14-12-2, 4 KOs)
JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Mykey Williams (2-0, 2 KO), East Hartford, CT
WTKO3 (1:33)
Abdel Vera-Clemente (0-4), Carolina, Puerto Rico
FEMALE SUPER LIGHTWEIGHTS
Jennifer Salinas (19-3, 5 KOs), Providence, RI
WTKO4 (1:51)
Angel Gladney (9-12-1, 6 KOs), Columbus, SC
SUPER LIGHTWEIGHTS
Irvin Gonzalez (1-0, 1 KO), Worcester, MA
WTKO1 (1:22)
Gilvan Santos (0-3), Framingham, MA
SUPER BANTAMWEIGHTS
Luis Rosa, Jr. (22-0, 10 KOs), New Haven, CT
No Contest (after 1 round due to an unintentional head butt)
Luis Hinojosa (28-9, 3 KOs), Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Visit www.DBE1.com and www.Foxwoods.com, follow on Twitter @LouDiBella, @DiBellaEnt, @FoxwoodsCT, @JSalinasBoxing, and @MarvelousMykey, and become a fan on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/
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Deontay Wilder & Chris Arreola Enlist VADA Program Leading Up to Heavyweight World Title Showdown Saturday, July 16
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UNDEFEATED AMERICAN HEAVYWEIGHT JARRELL MILLER TO FACE TOUGH VETERAN FRED KASSI ON FRIDAY, AUG. 19 IN MAIN EVENT OF SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION
Tripleheader from Rhinos Stadium in Rochester, N.Y. Airs Live at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME®
Click HERE For Archive Images; Credit SHOWTIME
NEW YORK (June 30, 2016) – Undefeated heavyweight Jarrell Miller claims he’s America’s top heavyweight prospect. “Big Baby” will get a chance to back up his boast when he faces his toughest test to date in veteran Fred Kassi in the main event of ShoBox: The New Generation on Friday, Aug. 19.
The confident and hard-hitting Miller (17-0-1, 15 KOs) and the durable and vastly experienced Kassi (18-5-1, 10 KOs) will headline a tripleheader live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT from the outdoor soccer venue Rhinos Stadium in Rochester, N.Y.
Two undefeated young bantamweight prospects will square off in theShoBox co-feature as world-ranked Nikolay Potapov (14-0-1, 6 KOs) and Antonio Nieves (16-0-1, 8 KOs) meet in a 10-round bantamweight bout.
In the opening bout of the telecast, undefeated welterweight knockout artist Bakhtiyar Eyubov (10-0, 10 KOs) will face battle-tested veteran Karim Mayfield (19-3-1, 11 KOs) in a 10-round match.
Tickets for the event presented by Salita Promotions go on sale this Friday at Noon ET and are available at http://www.rhinossoccer.com/and http://www.etix.com
“This is an amazing opportunity. I’m in the main event going against a tough opponent, and he’s definitely game to fight,” Miller said. “I’m ready to put his lights out like I do everybody else. I know he’s durable and a little older than me. He’s a tough guy and he can take a beating. So far, he’s only been stopped once. I’ll be the second.
“I’m going back to basics in this camp. I’m an advanced fighter, but there are a couple of things I’ve wanted to work on. It’s easy for heavyweights to rely on power and forget about technique. You see what happened to Dominic Breazeale against Anthony Joshua? His power didn’t mean jack because there was no technique behind it. I want to be the kind of fighter who puts his technique first and power last.”
“I approach Jarrell like all young fighters,” Kassi said. “I’m a seasoned pro that has fought top-tier opponents. Jarrell will have to bring his ‘A game’ against me. He’s got size and power, but it’s nothing I haven’t seen. I’m tired of getting robbed by judges like in El Paso (against Chris Arreola), and in Alabama (against Dominic Breazeale). That should have been me fighting Anthony Joshua in The O2. Against (Hughie) Fury, the cut saved him. Another round or two and he would have been done. Then we heard what we always hear, ‘oh, Fury had a bad night, so did Breazeale, so did Arreola.’ They all seem to have ‘bad’ nights when I’m in the other corner. I’m hoping to actually get some credit when Miller has a ‘bad’ night too. I’m a heavyweight boxer, that’s boxer underlined. I move my feet, I use angles, I hit and don’t get hit. That’s boxing and it’s my art. Boxing fans are going to have a great time watching me dismantle a giant.”
“I am very happy to be back on SHOWTIME fighting the best opponent of my career,” Eyubov said. “I know this will be my hardest fight to date and that’s what motivates me. I am grateful that I am getting an opportunity to prove myself and I want to show that I am ready for the best fighters in the world. I am ready for the boxing world to know my name. August 19, Karim Mayfield, here I come.”
“This will be a special event at Rochester Rhinos soccer stadium. We have America’s brightest heavyweight contender in Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller and a knockout sensation out of Brooklyn by way of Kazakhstan in Bakhtiyar ‘Bakha’ Eyubov,” promoter Dmitriy Salita said. “This show has all the ingredients to be one of the most talked about boxing events of the summer, and we think Miller has all the skills and charisma to break through in the heavyweight division. I am grateful to SHOWTIME and Rhinos Stadium that boxing fans will witness talented fighters in their toughest fights to date. I look forward to an explosive night of boxing.”
“Wendy and I are so excited to be hosting both SHOWTIME and the fighting debut of Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller at Rhinos Stadium,” said Wendy and David Dworkin, owners of the Rochester Rhinos soccer stadium. “August 19 will be a great opportunity to showcase our stadium and the City of Rochester to a nationwide audience.”
The menacing Miller, a 6-foot-4 Brooklyn, N.Y. native, is a consensus top 15 heavyweight – he’s ranked No. 8 in the WBO, No. 9 in the WBA and No. 14 in the IBF. The 27-year-old former professional kickboxer has knocked out six consecutive opponents as he’s risen through the rankings as one of America’s top heavyweight hopes. Prior to Miller’s knockout of Nick Guivas on May 27, his previous two fights were onShoBox – a third round destruction of Akhror Muralimov last October and a knockout of Donovan Dennis in January in which he was pushed to the seventh round for the first time.
Kassi has been in with some of the most recognizable names in the heavyweight division, including Amir Mansour, Dominic Breazeale and Hughie Fury. The 36-year-old fought to a disputed majority draw with three-time world title challenger Chris Arreola last July on PBC on CBS in which most ringside observers, including ShoBox analyst Steve Farhood, had Kassi winning by a wide margin. The New Orleans resident has been stopped just once – in 2014 by Mansour – and stands as an excellent barometer for Miller’s progression as a legitimate contender.
The fast-rising Potapov, of Potolsk, Russia, is ranked in the top 15 in three of the four sanctioning bodies (No. 7 WBO, No. 13 IBF, No. 14 WBA) after just 15 professional fights. A former amateur standout with over 200 fights, the 25-year-old Potapov has already gone at least 10 rounds seven times since turning professional in 2010. The only blemish on his record is a draw with undefeated prospect Stephon Young in his last fight on April 15 on ShoBox.
Coincidently, the only blemish on Antonio Nieves’ record is a 2015 draw with Stephon Young. The 29-year-old is coming off his first 10-round performance, a unanimous decision over then once-beaten Oscar Mojica on June 18. The Cleveland, Ohio native will face his toughest opponent to date in fellow unbeaten Potapov in the matchup of unbeaten bantamweights.
The Brooklyn-based Eyubov has passed every test he’s faced, and knocked out all of his opponents in the process. The 29-year-old native of Kazakhstan is coming off an impressive third-round stoppage of veteran Jared Robinson last January on ShoBox. Eyubov will step up his level of opposition when he faces Karim Mayfield, a 35-year-old veteran who owns wins over Mauricio Herrera and Steve Forbes and has never been stopped in 23 fights.
Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez will serve as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Rich Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
Lee Baxter Promotions Teams up with VonBets
Toronto, Ontario Canada (June 30, 2016) – Lee Baxter, CEO of Lee Baxter Promotions, has announced a partnership with VonBets in association with his “Next Generation” Boxing Series.
Set to kick off July 28 at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto, “Next Generation” will feature up and coming fighters who are aiming to get to the next level. Most of the fighters are from Canada but some will travel from different parts of the world for the opportunity to show off their talents. The debut card on the 28th is headlined by a ten round bout featuring junior lightweight prospect Alex Dilmaghani.
With nearly 1000 live casino games and more than 20,000 events offered monthly on their sportsbook, Vonbets is a full-fledged online casino. Known as the gaming site with class, VonBets is currently running a special for new sign ups courtesy of Lee Baxter Promotions and continues to grow daily.
“VonBets is proud to be an official partner of the Next Generation boxing series,” said Andrew Bryant, Director of Vonbets. “We look forward to providing early odds on most of the fights and helping in generate worldwide interest in this new series featuring Canadian and international fighters.”
Baxter is looking forward to working with VonBets and believes the global potential in their partnership is unlimited.
“VonBets posting odds on many of our fights will create a much broader interest than usual for this type of series,” said Baxter. “They’re fully committed to boxing and people from all across the world use their website to place wagers. This will greatly help our series and put many additional eyes on the fighters.”
Tickets for “Next Generation” are on sale now by going tohttp://www.ticketmaster.ca/lee-baxter-presents-live-professional-boxing-toronto-ontario-07-28-2016/event/100050C9C9CC8BA1?artistid=2255469&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=33.
VonBets’ Sports book is available at http://ads.vonbetspartners.com/redirect.aspx?pid=3383&bid=2317
SALITA PROMOTIONS FIGHTING HUNGER BY DONATING PORTION OF TICKET PROCEEDS FROM UPCOMING ‘DETROIT BRAWL’ TO SUPPLY CHARITABLE MEALS TO FOOD RESCUE ORGANIZATION FORGOTTEN HARVEST
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Salita Promotions is pleased to announce they will donate five charitable meals for each general admission and ten charitable meals for every VIP ticket purchased for their upcoming “Detroit Brawl” event to Forgotten Harvest, one of the nation’s largest food rescue organizations.
Scheduled for Saturday, July 16, at the historic Masonic Temple in Downtown Detroit, the next “Detroit Brawl” will feature WBO #5, IBF #5, and WBC #7 Mexican heavyweight contender Andy “The Destroyer from Mexicali” Ruiz (27-0, 18 KOs) in the 10-round main event.
Sponsored by Greektown Casino and Thomas Magee’s Sporting House Whiskey Bar, tickets for “Detroit Brawl” will be priced at VIP $123, Box Seats $100, Ringside $93, Reserved $63 and $38, and Balcony $28, and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and Tickmaster.com.
Based in Oak Park, Michigan, Forgotten Harvest was formed in 1990 to relieve hunger and prevent food waste throughout the metro Detroit area. Forgotten Harvest “rescued” over 40 million pounds of food last year by collecting surplus prepared and perishable food from over 800 locations, including grocery stores, fruit and vegetable markets, restaurants, caterers, dairies, farmers, wholesale food distributors and other Health Department-approved sources.
This donated food, which would otherwise go to waste, is delivered free of-charge to 280 emergency food providers in the metro Detroit area. Forgotten Harvest has been ranked as a four-star charity by Charity Navigator for nine consecutive years.
Also featured in the “Detroit Brawl” will be Detroit prospects Demetrius Banks (7-0, 4 KOs) in a cruiserweight six-rounder; middleweight Dorell Van Horn Jr (9-0, 6 KOs) in a six-rounder; and bantamweight Jarico O’Quinn (1-0, 1 KO) in a four-rounder. Super bantamweight Zach Shamoun (3-0-1, 3 KOs) of Royal Oak, Michigan and cruiserweight Clarence Dubose (3-0, 3 KOs) of Eastpointe, Michigan, will appear in separate four-rounders, while welterweights Giorgi Gelashvili (4-0, 2 KOs) Brooklyn via Georgia and Serdar Hadurbadyev (2-0, 2 KOs) of Turkmenabat, Turkmenistan, appear in other six-round bouts. Making his long-awaited junior middleweight four-round pro debut that night will be “Southpaw Prince” Gheith Karim, a three-time national amateur champion from Dearborn, Michigan
Learn more about Forgotten Harvest and how to help drive hunger from our community at www.forgottenharvest.org.
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Your downtown playground, Greektown Casino Hotel is consistently voted Detroit’s Best Casino. Located right in the hub of the historic Greektown district it’s impossible to be any closer to the action. No matter what you want to play, Greektown Casino Hotel has your non-stop gaming action. From the newest slots and table games to live poker, Greektown Casino Hotel has 100,000 square feet of exciting, action-packed choices and so many thrilling ways to win!
Greektown Casino Hotel features a 30-story hotel with 400 stunning guestrooms and suites devoted to your comfort. And for your culinary needs, you can savor eclectic cuisine at one of their outstanding restaurants: Prism, Bistro 555 and The Market District.
For your special event or corporate gathering, Greektown Casino Hotel offers impeccable service in addition to a variety of exceptional spaces to help make your event an unforgettable experience.
Thomas Magee’s Sporting House Whiskey Bar offers patrons an old-school sports and whiskey bar in Downtown Detroit’s Eastern Market district. Thomas Magee’s prides itself on providing every sport, every game, and every fight, plus great beer and whiskey!
For more information on the “Detroit Brawl” or Salita Promotions, visitwww.salitapromotions.com. The Greektown Casino Hotel is located at 555 E Lafayette Street in Detroit. For more information, visit them online atgreektowncasino.com. Twitter: @GreektownCasino.
Thomas Magee’s Sporting House Whiskey Bar is located at 1408 E Fisher Service Drive in Detroit. For more information, call 313-263-4342 or visit their official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/
On fight night, doors open at 6:30 pm and the fights begin at 7:15 pm. |
Undefeated Rising Contender Mario Barrios Training Camp Quotes & Photos
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SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATIONCELEBRATES 15TH ANNIVERSARY WITH FOUR-FIGHT TELECAST ON FRIDAY, JULY 22, LIVE ON SHOWTIME®
World-Ranked Adam Lopez Risks Perfect Record Against
Roman Reynoso In Main Event Live at 10 p.m. ET/PT
Tickets on Sale At Foxwoods Resort Casino
NEW YORK (June 29, 2016) – The popular, prospect-orientated boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation celebrates its 15th anniversary with a quadrupleheader on Friday, July 22, live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn.
In the 10-round main event, undefeated top 10-ranked Adam “Mantequilla” Lopez (15-0, 7 KOs) of Phoenix faces Roman Ruben Reynoso (18-1-1, 7 KOs) of Argentina in a bantamweight bout. Super middleweights Ronald Ellis (12-0-1, 10 KOs) of Lynn., Mass., and Julius Jackson (19-1, 15 KOs) of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, will collide in the eight-round co-feature.
Two eight-rounders will round out the four-fight telecast. O’Shaquie Foster (10-1, 7 KOs), of Orange, Texas, meets Rolando Chinea (12-1-1, 6 KOs), of Lancaster, Penn., in a featherweight scrap and undefeatedKhiary Gray-Pitts (13-0, 10 KOs), of Worcester, Mass., will be opposed by fellow unbeaten Ismael Garcia (10-0, 4 KOs), of Vineland, N.J., by way of Pahokee, Fla., in the super welterweight opener.
Tickets for the GH3 Promotions event are priced at $45, $75 and $150 and can be purchased by phone from the Foxwoods Resort Casino at800.200.2882 or online at www.foxwoods.com.
Since its premiere on July 21, 2001, 67 boxers who’ve appeared onShoBox went on to become world champions; the most recent,Rau’Shee Warren. An additional 75 fighters who appeared on ShoBoxhave fought for a world title.
Testament to the ShoBox mission statement and to the competitiveness of the fights – prospects are matched against their toughest opposition to date – 150 fighters have suffered their first loss on the developmental series.
Lopez, Ellis and Foster fought on GH3’s Feb. 19 ShoBox at Atlantic City. Lopez and Foster triumphed; Ellis boxed a draw.
Adam Lopez vs. Roman Ruben Reynoso: 10-round bantamweight bout
The steadily improving Lopez, now trained by Houston-based Ronnie Shields, will be making his fourth ShoBox start since March 2015. In his first three, he defeated previously unbeaten prospects (combined record: 44-0-2) on each occasion.
Last Feb. 19, the 5-foot-7, 25-year-old Lopez captured a career-best, highly competitive 10-round decision over Mario Muñoz (16-0-1) of Mexico. Lopez survived a nasty cut over his right eye to win by the scores of 98-92 twice and 97-93. In his other fights on ShoBox, Lopez won a (then personal-best) 10-round majority decision over DominicanEliecer Aquino (17-0-1) on July 17, 2015, and by second-round knockout over Pablo Cruz (11-0) on March 13, 2015.
Regarding his upcoming fight against Reynoso, Lopez said, “Everything is good. I’m starting to turn up my sparring. I have switched trainers to Ronnie Shields in Houston. I see a lot of improvement since my last fight.
“Reynoso is a good fighter from Argentina. He is in Canada now, so I am sure he is getting good sparring there. He is kind of wild, but guys like that are hard to fight because you don’t know where the punches are coming from, but we will be prepared for anything.”
Born in Phoenix and raised in Los Angeles, Lopez moved to San Antonio at 15. He went 125-23 in the amateurs and won six national championships before turning pro at 21 in February 2012.
The 25-year-old Reynoso brings a 10-fight winning streak into his United States and ShoBox debut. A five-year pro, the South American lightweight champion fought his initial 18 fights in Buenos Aires before winning his last fight and lone start this year on a decision over Cristian Arrazola last May 20 in Canada. Reynoso’s lone defeat came in his fourth fight.
“Everything is going well in training camp,’’ Reynoso said. “We know that Lopez is tall for 122 pounds and he has good hand speed. He has a good name and we will try to learn more in the next few weeks.
“This is a big opportunity for us and we will do our best. This is a big fight and we know we have to win. With a win, we would hope to get a world title opportunity.’’
Ronald Ellis vs. Julius Jackson: Eight-round middleweight bout
Ellis gets an immediate opportunity to regain his winning ways after taking a sizeable jump up in class and boxing an eight-round draw with hard-hitting Jerry Odom in his Feb. 19 ShoBox debut. A spirited, close contest throughout was scored 78-74 for Ellis and 76-76 apiece. The draw snapped a four-fight-knockout streak for Ellis, who’s won all 10 of his knockouts inside two rounds (eight in the first) since turning pro in 2011.
“This is going to be another coming out party for me,’’ the 5-foot-11, 25-year-old Ellis said. “The last fight was a draw. I had some problems with my hand, but I’m back and this is a step for me. Hopefully he comes to fight. I hope he brings it 100 percent because I am bringing 200 percent.
“I am glad to be on ShoBox again. I showed the fans a little bit in my last fight. They can expect the same thing but a little bit more on July 22.’’
Jackson is making his second ShoBox start. In his debut – and initial go in the U.S. – the older brother of John and son of former two-division world champion Julian “The Hawk” Jackson registered two knockdowns en-route to a ninth-round TKO over Jonathan Nelson (19-2, 10 KOs) on Dec. 20, 2014.
Much like Ellis, Jackson is also getting a quick-fix chance to redeem himself and get back on the winning track. But, unlike Ellis, Jackson losthis most recent fight. His perfect record and 19-fight winning streak ended when he lost by second-round TKO to now top-rated super middleweight contender Jose Uzcategui last Oct. 6.
“I’m looking to redeem myself and come out with a win,’’ said the 6-foot-2 Jackson, who turns 29 on Aug. 1. “This is my second ShoBox fight and I’m excited to get back to let the world see my talent. I’m getting better, my training has been good. I expect to be in with another really good fighter. It should be a great fight.’’
A 2008 Olympian for the Virgin Islands and a pro since January 2009, Jackson is fighting for the third time in a row in the U.S.
O’Shaquie Foster vs. Rolando Chinea: Eight-round featherweight bout
O’Shaquie (pronounced “oh-SHACK-ee”) Foster is making his third appearance on ShoBox. Last Feb. 19, he began to live up to expectations when he rebounded from a sub-standard performance in his ShoBox debut (an eight-round decision loss to Samuel Teah in November 2015) to register a seventh-round TKO over previously undefeated Lavisas Williams (8-0-1).
Foster, 22, dropped southpaw Williams four times – in the second, third, fourth and seventh rounds. Three of the knockdowns appeared to result from a push, but Williams’ gloves touched the canvas each time so they went into the books as knockdowns. After the final knockdown in the seventh, the fight was stopped at 52 seconds into the round.
“Everything is going good,’’ Foster said. “I’ve been doing a lot of conditioning. I am in the best shape of my life. Chinea has a good jab and I know he will be in a good shape.
“Ever since I moved to Virginia to train, my conditioning, mentality and confidence has gone way up and that was the difference from my first fight to my last fight on ShoBox. On July 22, I will be even that much better.’’
A highly decorated amateur standout, the 5-foot-8½ inch Foster advanced to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials where he lost to unbeaten pro prospect, Joseph “Jo-Jo” Diaz. Before that, Foster was a 2010 PAL National Champion, a five-time Ringside National Champion and two-time National Junior Golden Gloves Champion.
Chinea, a 5-foot-8, 25-year-old, is making his ShoBox debut. After going pro in November 2011, he went 10-0-1 before losing an eight-round decision to Ismail Muwendo in April 2015. He’s won two straight since, including a six-round decision over previously undefeatedLadarius Miller (then 9-0) in his last fight on Feb. 16.
“I treat every opponent the same,’’ Chinea. “I give everything I got and I leave it all in the ring. I know Foster was a good amateur. I know he can box and I know he has some pop.
“This is the moment I’ve dreamed about since I started boxing at 14. My main goal is to tune out the crowd and win. I want to be a main event fighter on SHOWTIME and this is the first step.’’
Khiary Gray-Pitts vs. Ismael Garcia: Eight-round super welterweight bout
Gray-Pitts, 23, will be boxing on ShoBox for the first time. Ambidextrous with quick hands and feet, Gray-Pitts turned pro in June 2014. He fought three times that year, eight times in 2015 (8-0, 8 KOs, seven in the first, one in the second) and this will be his third fight in 2016.
“I’m very excited,’’ Gray-Pitts said. “Now I get to showcase my skillset to the whole world. It’s something I’ve been waiting for. There’s still more that people haven’t seen yet when it comes to me. Now I get to see what I have the ability to do. I’m able to block [the crowd] out.
“The more pressure there is, the more relaxed I am. I don’t know a lot about my opponent, but it doesn’t matter as long as I go in there and get done what I need to get done.”
The 5-foot-9 Gray-Pitts is coming off a second-round knockout overQuinton Willis last May 13. In his outing before last, the previous Feb. 19, won a 10-round decision over Eduardo Flores.
Garcia, 29, has fought sporadically since turning pro in March 2010, although he’s been more active in the last 14 months. He fought in May and October in 2015 and won his one start this year on a six-round split decision over Carlos Garcia last March 18. Garcia’s initial seven fights took place in Atlantic City, the last three in Philadelphia.
“It is my television debut, and everything we have been working on in my first 10 fights we will put together for this fight,’’ Garcia said. “This is SHOWTIME. Being on ShoBox is a long time coming for me. It’s what I’ve dreamed about since I started boxing. It’s his TV debut as well so I know he will be on top of his game. We will be preparing 100 percent for that and then some.
“I have seen a little of Gray-Pitts on tape. This will be my toughest test, as I will be his toughest test. When you have 13-0 fighting 10-0, it will be a good fight.’’
Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez will serve as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Rich Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.