Tag Archives: Boston

boxing

2-time Dominican Olympian Leonel de los Santos Shipping up to Boston

May 4, 2022 FNU47 Leave a comment

Alex Rivera _ Santos.jpg — **BOSTON (May 4, 2022)** – Two-time Dominican Olympian, lightweight Leonel de los Santos (6-0, 5 KOs), may be settling in the Boston area to enhance his professional boxing career. In fact, he recently spent a month there preparing for his last fight, which resulted in a win by way of a 6-round decision this past March in his native Dominican Republic.

Santos’ manager, Ryan Roach, lives in Boston and he introduced his undefeated lightweight to trainer Alex Rivera, and that paid immediate dividends in terms of improvement.

Santos, 26, trained at the Somerville Boxing Club under Rivera, who trains 26-0 welterweight Rashidi Ellis, who Santos sparred with several times, and US Olympian Rashida Ellis, Rashidi’s sister.

“The conditions at our training camp in Boston were very good,” Santos said. “I learned a lot of new things about professional boxing from Alex in just a short time, especially my defense about dodging smaller boxers. He really helped my performance in my last fight.
Rivera only worked with Santos two weeks, but the two connected right away.

“Leonel is a good boxer with a lot of experience,” Rivera remembered. “He has speed and power. We worked on making him more technically sound. It’s about hitting without being hit. He is very tall for his weight class – 5’ 8’ or 5’ 9” – with a good reach. We got along right away, and it was like we had been working together for a long time. I think he can make some noise with his amateur background. He has all the tools. Reminds me a little of Ryan Garcia: tall and strong for his weight class. Leonel has what it takes.

“I wasn’t with Leonel for his last fight, but I did watch some highlights. The guy he fought (Andres Bens Zapata) could really take a punch. Leonel’s hands were swollen after the fight from hitting his opponent so much. Leonel hit him with everything he had. I noticed how his defense and distance had improved. That’s what we worked on. He kept his distance and had a clean fight.”

Santos, who has relatives living in nearby Lawrence, MA, is applying for a work visa to train with Rivera.

“I think training with Alex vastly improved Leonel’s boxing and timing,” Santos’ manager Roach added. “Alex worked a lot on distance, which will lead to more power behind his shots. I saw big changes in Leonel’s last fight. He applied the skills he learned with Alex, and I look forward to more.”

Fighter Locker’s growing stable of gifted boxers also includes California super flyweight Rocco “So Cal Kid” Santomauro (21-1, 6 KOs), New York’s ABF American West super lightweight Ray Jay “The Destroyer” Bermudez (16-0, 11 KOs), Connecticut’s ABF USA super welterweight Jimmy “Quiet Storm” Williams (18-5-2, 6 KOs), Colorado’s ABF American West super middleweight champion “The Amazing” Shawn McCalman (10-0, 6 KOs), Massachusetts super lightweight Adrian “Tonka” Sosa (12-0, 9 KOs), Florida super bantamweight Daniel “The Dedication” Bailey, Jr. (10-1, 5 KOs), Massachusetts featherweight Troy Anderson, Jr. (4-0, 2 KOs), 2-time Brazilian Olympian & 2016 Olympic silver medalist Yuberjen Martinez, Brazilian Olympian Jorge Vivas, Dominican cruiserweight Roki “Rocky” Berroa (2-0, 1 KO), Dominican super welterweight Juan Solano Santos (1-0, 1 KO), Georgia super middleweight James Hagler, Jr. (2-1, 1 KO), Dominican featherweight Orlando Perez Zapata (10-0, 8 KOs), Dominican lightweight Isaelin Florian Henriguez (8-1, 4 KOs), Florida light heavyweight Robert Daniels, Jr. (6-0, 5 KOs), Irish light heavyweight Tommy “The Kid” O’Toole (3-0, 2 KOs), Texas super lightweight Miranda “La Alacrana” Reyes (5-1-1, 2 KOs), Massachusetts super featherweight Alex Rivera (3-0, 2 KOs), Kansas brothers, welterweight Marcus (3-0, 3 KOs) and super lightweight Marcell (1-0), and Utah brothers, ABF American West lightweight champion Ignacio Chairez (9-0-1, 5 KOs) and lightweight Gabriel Chairez (4-0-1, 2 KOs).

**INFORMATION:**

WEBSITE: fighterlocker.com, punch4parkinsons.com
FACEBOOK: /fighterlocker
TWITTER: @RoachRyan
INSTAGRAM: @RyanRoach82

boxing

“St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” changes New headliner is undefeated prospect Francis “Frank The Tank” Hogan Feb. 12th in Dedham, MA

February 6, 2022 FNU47 Leave a comment

Hogan poster.jpg — BOSTON (February 3, 2022) – Undefeated super welterweight prospect Francis “Frank The Tank” Hogan (9-0, 9 KOs) has been elevated to the headliner on “St. Valentine’s Day’s Massacre” card, presented by Vertex Promotions, February 12^th at Moseley’s On The Charles in Dedham, Massachusetts.

The cancellation of the original main event between Adrian Sosa and Zack Kuhn resulted in a few changes. Kuhn (10-10-1, 5 KOs) is now fighting another undefeated prospect, James “The Slim Reaper” Perella (8-0, 6 KOs), in an 8-round Special Welterweight Attraction.

The 21-year-old southpaw Hogan, fighting out of Weymouth (MA), has knocked out each of his 9 professional opponents to date. The popular fighter was a celebrated amateur boxer, highlighted by his gold-medal performance at the 2019 New England Golden Gloves Championships.

“It’s Tank Time” once again, but this fight Hogan will be making his debut as a headliner, in addition to fighting in his first scheduled 8-rounder.

The 6-round fight between Dorchester (MA) lightweight Jonathan Depina (6-1, 4 KOs) and Jonathan “El Guapo” Hernan Godoy (5-12) has moved up to the co-featured event.
Perella’s (8-0, 5 KOs), of Mansfield (MA), was supposed to fight Mexican challenger Danny “Venado” Flores (15-26-1, 8 KOs), but he was injured during training, and he has been replaced by Kuhn. “The Slim Reaper” is a 4-time USA New England Championships and 4-time New England Golden Gloves Champion.

Irish light heavyweight Tommy “The Kid” O’Toole” (2-0, 2 KOs), of Galway, is matched against Greg Hackett (3-20-1) in a 4-rounder. O’Toole was the 2019 Irish Elite Championship gold medalist, who a powerful southpaw returning to the Boston area for his third pro fight.

Five 6-round bouts are on tap: South Boston super welterweight Joe Farina (7-1, 4 KOs) vs. Rynell Griffin (8-49-2, 2 KOs), Houston super lightweight Miranda “El Alacrana” Reyes (5-0-1, 3 KOs) vs. Jaica Pavilus (1-4-1, 1 KO), undefeated Philly welterweight Tahmir Smalls (6-0, 3 KOs) vs. Leonides Fowlkes (2-7-1), popular Dorchester featherweight Troy Anderson, Jr. (1-0, 1 KO), a 2016 Rocky Marciano Tournament champion, vs. Mike Fowler (7-42, 2 KOs), and super lightweight Marcus Davidson (2-0, 2 KOs) vs. Rakim Johnson (6-15-1, 5 KOs).

Also fighting on the undercard in four-round bouts is Southbridge (MA) super featherweight Alex Rivera (2-0, 1 KO) vs. Brandon Grimmett (0-5), as well as the Davidson’s older brother from Kansas City (KS), pro-debuting lightweight Marcell, a 2-time Ringside World and 2019 National Golden Gloves Champion, vs. TBA.
Fighters subject to change.

Tickets are on sale for $85.00 and up (ringside), $75.00 (general admission) and $50.00 (standing room). Tickets are available to purchase online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/st-valentines-day-massacre-21222-tickets-243038654157?aff=ebdssbdestsearch or contact any of the competing fighters to purchase tickets.

Doors will open at 6:30 pm. ET with the first bout scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET.

boxing

Fighter Locker signs Kansas City lightweight prospect Marcell Davidson

January 14, 2022 FNU47 Leave a comment

Davidson bros.jpg — Davidson brothers (L-R) Marcus & Marcell

**BOSTON (January 11, 2022)** – Kansas City (KS) lightweight Marcell Davidson has joined his younger brother, undefeated welterweight Marcus Davidson (2-0, 2 KOs), in Ryan Roach’s Fighter Locker stable having recently signed an exclusive managerial contract.

The 24-year-old Marcell was a decorated amateur boxer, capturing the Ringside World Championships twice, in addition to winning a gold medal at the 2019 National Golden Gloves Tournament. The 6’ 3” southpaw also won a silver medal at the 2017 National Golden Gloves, as well as a bronze the following year at the The Gloves. He also competed in the Olympic Trials.

Davidson got into boxing almost by accident. He and Marcus were together playing football at a local recreation center. The season ended and they were about to sign up for baseball, when the boxing coach asked them what sport they were going to get into next. He told them that boxers are stronger than football players. Marcus was immediately a convert, but Marcell really wasn’t into it. He just ran around instead of training and eventually he was banned because he broke a rule. Eventually, Marcell got his act together and he was allowed back in the gym a couple of years later. Both of the Davidson brothers have been there ever since.

As Marcell says, “My brother talks to everybody, and I follow.” So, when Marcus turned pro and signed a managerial contract with Roach, soon afterwards Marcell joined Fighter Locker.

“I was ready to turn pro and stayed in the gym training,” Marcell explained. “We were talking about which manager to sign with. We waited it out and stayed ready. My brother signed before me, and I listened to him talk about Ryan. My brother said Ryan was a great guy and the time was right for me to sign with him, too.

“Ryan is a great guy. I didn’t know anything about him – not even his family in boxing – but he’s a great guy who wants to help us and build our careers. I could definitely tell that he cares and takes care of his fighters.”

Davidson is slated to make his pro debut Feb. 12^th on “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre,” presented by Vertex Promotions, at Moseley’s On The Charles in Dedham, Massachusetts.
“I’m very excited,” Marcell spoke about his upcoming pro debut. “You won’t see it, but I’m excited inside. I’ve been waiting for this moment. I’d like to stay very busy this year and maybe move up to 6-rounders by my fifth or sixth pro fight.”

“Marcell is a very skilled fighter,” Roach commented about his newest fighter. “One of his best attributes, which I think will be a huge advantage, is hos 6’ 1” height. We have been discussing him fighting at 135-140 pounds. He is a very athletic, young man with speed and power. He was a nationally ranked fighter who went to the Olympic Qualifiers, so this is a huge signing for my company. I’m excited to have the Davidson brothers under one stable, Fighter Locket. They are very close and do everything together. This will be fun!”

Fighter Locker’s growing stable of gifted boxers also includes California super flyweight Rocco “So Cal Kid” Santomauro (21-1, 6 KOs), New York’s ABF American West super lightweight Ray Jay “The Destroyer” Bermudez (15-0, 11 KOs), Connecticut’s ABF USA super welterweight Jimmy “Quiet Storm” Williams (18-5-2, 6 KOs), Colorado’s ABF American West super middleweight champion “The Amazing” Shawn McCalman (10-0, 6 KOs), Massachusetts super lightweight Adrian “Tonka” Sosa (12-0, 9 KOs), Florida super bantamweight Daniel “The Dedication” Bailey, Jr. (9-0, 5 KOs), Massachusetts featherweight Troy Anderson, Jr. (3-0, 2 KOs), 2-time Brazilian Olympian & 2016 Olympic silver medalist Yuberjen Martinez, Brazilian Olympian Jorge Vivas, 2-time Dominican Olympian, lightweight Leonel de los Santos (5-0, 5 KOs), Dominican cruiserweight Roki “Rocky” Berroa (2-0, 1 KO), Dominican super welterweight Juan Solano Santos (1-0, 1 KO), Dominican featherweight Orlando Perez Zapata (10-0, 8 KOs), Dominican lightweight Isaelin Florian Henriguez (8-1, 4 KOs), Florida light heavyweight Robert Daniels, Jr. (5-0, 5 KOs), Irish light heavyweight Tommy “The Kid” O’Toole (2-0, 2 KOs), Texas super lightweight Miranda “La Alacrana” Reyes (5-0-1, 2 KOs) ), and Utah brothers, ABF American West lightweight champion Ignacio Chairez (9-0-1, 5 KOs) and lightweight Gabriel Chairez (4-0-1, 2 KOs).

**INFORMATION:**
WEBSITE: fighterlocker.com, punch4parkinsons.com
FACEBOOK: /fighterlocker
TWITTER: @RoachRyan
INSTAGRAM: @RyanRoach82

boxing

Marvin Cordova, Jr. & Robert Daniels, Jr. Join Fighter Locker stable

May 29, 2021 FNU47 Leave a comment

BOSTON (May 25, 2021) – Veteran boxer Marvin “Much Too Much” Cordova, Jr and promising prospect Robert Daniels, Jr. are the latest additions to Ryan Roach’s growing Fighter Locker stable.

“Mr. (Jimmy) Burchfield (Cordova’s promoter) linked me up with Marvin,” Roach said. We had a few short conversations on the phone, and it just happened. Marvin is very passionate about the sport, and he’s read to show the worked he still has a lot left in his tank. He truly is a special fighter with a high-caliber resume including opponents like Victor Ortiz andJoselito Lopez. He has a great team around him now and we are really looking forward to getting him going.

“Robert is a great young man coming from a family just like mine. I am ready to get him going with a great trainer in Kevin Cunningham. I am proud to add him to the Fighter Locker team. He is really a talented fighter that had a few bad breaks early on in his career. He had managerial issues and so forth. Look for Daniels Jr. during the next year!”

The 36-year-old Cordova (23-2-1, 12), is a super middleweight from Pueblo, Colorado. A solid amateur who was a bronze medalist at the 2002 U.S. Under-19 and 2003 Police Athletic League, Cordova turned pro in 2014, but his pro career has been interrupted because spent 8 years in prison. He also defeated future pro world champion Daniel Jacobs

“I’m 36 but a young 36,” Cordova said. “I started boxing at 4. I had 242 amateur fights and was chosen as one of the top amateur boxers in the country. I spent 8 years in prison, and it made me a better person and hungrier fighter. I have some unfinished business to take care of. I really beat Joselito Lopez (Lopez won an 8-round decision). I hit him with a big shot in the sixth round, but they let him stay down for 4 minutes, claiming he was hit low.”

In his last fight this past January, Cordova captured the NBA super middleweight title by stopping 56-30-3 Hector Velazquez in round four, adding to his awards display case that also includes his Interim WBC Youth World, WBA NABA U.S. light welterweight, and GBU Youth light welterweight title belts.

“Ryan Roach believes in me,” Cordova noted. “I’m stronger and ready for the next step. I had talked with a friend, Jimmy Williams, about signing with a good manager. He told me Ryan was a good manager who loves his fighters and really cares about him. My promoter, ‘Mr. B’ (Jimmy Burchfield), hooked me up with Ryan. He calls to make sure I’m good and he can get me to the elite level once again.”

Daniels (4-0, 4 KOs) is the son of former WBA cruiserweight World champion Robert “Preacher Man” Daniels (49-10-1, 41 KOs), who became world champion in 1989, when he decisioned the future Hall of Famer Dwight Muhammad Qawi.

“There’s a little bit of added pressure as the son of a world champion boxer,” southpaw Daniels admitted. I’ve heard things like ‘he’s not going to be like his father, he doesn’t have what it takes to be world champion.’”

Now fighting out of West Palm Beach, Florida, Miami native Daniels is now trained by Cunningham. Managerial issues resulted in him fighting only four times as a pro during his nearly 5-year career.

“I was introduced to Ryan by my friend, Daniel Bailey (a member of Fighter Locker), and I believe Ryan can get me to a world title,” Daniels remarked. “The main reason I signed with Ryan is I like his personality. He’s easy to talk with and before I even signed with him, he reached out to me to see how things were going. And that’s a big reason why I did sign with him.

“I was supposed to sign with managers are few times, but it never went anywhere, and I wasn’t getting fights. I have this great opportunity now and I’m going to take full advantage of it.”

Fighter Locker’s growing stable of gifted boxers include California super flyweight Rocco “So Cal Kid” Santomauro (21-1, 6 KOs), Troy, NY ABF American West super lightweightRay Jay “The Destroyer” Bermudez (12-0, 9 KOs), Toronto, Canada welterweight West Haven, CT super welterweight Jimmy “Quiet Storm” Williams (17-5-2, 6 KOs), super middleweight “The Amazing” Shawn McCalman (7-0, 4 KOs), U.S. Army super bantamweight Daniel Bailey, Jr. (5-0, 4 KOs), lightweight Leonel de los Santos (2-0, 2 KOs), a 2-time Dominican Republic Olympian, Boston featherweight Troy Anderson, Jr. (1-0, 1 KO), pro-debuting Dominican Republic welterweight Juan Solano, and Salt Lake City, 2016 Olympic silver medalist Yuberjen Martinez, Utah brothers, super lightweight Ignacio Chairez (8-0-1, 5 KOs) and lightweight Gabriel Chairez (3-0-1, 2 KOs).

INFORMATION:

WEBSITE: fighterlocker.com, punch4parkinsons.com

FACEBOOK: /fighterlocker

TWITTER: @RoachRyan, @Tremendo_Martinez

INSTAGRAM: @RyanRoach82

boxing

Marvin Cordova, Jr. & Robert Daniels, Jr. Join Fighter Locker stable

May 26, 2021 FNU47 Leave a comment

BOSTON (May 25, 2021) – Veteran boxer **Marvin “Much Too Much” Cordova, Jr**(pictured above) and promising prospect **Robert Daniels, Jr.** (pictured below) are the latest additions to **Ryan Roach**’s growing Fighter Locker stable.

“Mr. (Jimmy) Burchfield (Cordova’s promoter) linked me up with Marvin,” Roach said. We had a few short conversations on the phone, and it just happened. Marvin is very passionate about the sport, and he’s read to show the worked he still has a lot left in his tank. He truly is a special fighter with a high-caliber resume including opponents likeVictor Ortiz and **Joselito Lopez**. He has a great team around him now and we are really looking forward to getting him going.

“Robert is a great young man coming from a family just like mine. I am ready to get him going with a great trainer in **Kevin Cunningham**. I am proud to add him to the Fighter Locker team. He is really a talented fighter that had a few bad breaks early on in his career. He had managerial issues and so forth. Look for Daniels Jr. during the next year!”

The 36-year-old Cordova (23-2-1, 12), is a super middleweight from Pueblo, Colorado. A solid amateur who was a bronze medalist at the 2002 U.S. Under-19 and 2003 Police Athletic League, Cordova turned pro in 2014, but his pro career has been interrupted because spent 8 years in prison. He also defeated future pro world champion **Daniel Jacobs**

“I’m 36 but a young 36,” Cordova said. “I started boxing at 4. I had 242 amateur fights and was chosen as one of the top amateur boxers in the country. I spent 8 years in prison, and it made me a better person and hungrier fighter. I have some unfinished business to take care of. I really beat Joselito Lopez (Lopez won an 8-round decision). I hit him with a big shot in the sixth round, but they let him stay down for 4 minutes, claiming he was hit low.”

In his last fight this past January, Cordova captured the NBA super middleweight title by stopping 56-30-3 **Hector Velazquez** in round four, adding to his awards display case that also includes his Interim WBC Youth World, WBA NABA U.S. light welterweight, and GBU Youth light welterweight title belts.

“Ryan Roach believes in me,” Cordova noted. “I’m stronger and ready for the next step. I had talked with a friend, **Jimmy Williams**, about signing with a good manager. He told me Ryan was a good manager who loves his fighters and really cares about him. My promoter, ‘Mr. B’ (**Jimmy Burchfield**), hooked me up with Ryan. He calls to make sure I’m good and he can get me to the elite level once again.”

Daniels (4-0, 4 KOs) is the son of former WBA cruiserweight World champion **Robert “Preacher Man” Daniels** (49-10-1, 41 KOs), who became world champion in 1989, when he decisioned the future Hall of Famer **Dwight Muhammad Qawi**.

“There’s a little bit of added pressure as the son of a world champion boxer,” southpaw Daniels admitted. I’ve heard things like ‘he’s not going to be like his father, he doesn’t have what it takes to be world champion.’”

Now fighting out of West Palm Beach, Florida, Miami native Daniels is now trained byCunningham. Managerial issues resulted in him fighting only four times as a pro during his nearly 5-year career.

“I was introduced to Ryan by my friend, **Daniel Bailey** (a member of Fighter Locker), and I believe Ryan can get me to a world title,” Daniels remarked. “The main reason I signed with Ryan is I like his personality. He’s easy to talk with and before I even signed with him, he reached out to me to see how things were going. And that’s a big reason why I did sign with him.

“I was supposed to sign with managers are few times, but it never went anywhere, and I wasn’t getting fights. I have this great opportunity now and I’m going to take full advantage of it.”

Fighter Locker’s growing stable of gifted boxers include California super flyweight **Rocco “So Cal Kid” Santomauro** (21-1, 6 KOs), Troy, NY ABF American West super lightweight **Ray Jay “The Destroyer” Bermudez** (12-0, 9 KOs), Toronto, Canada welterweight West Haven, CT super welterweight **Jimmy “Quiet Storm” Williams** (17-5-2, 6 KOs), super middleweight **“The Amazing” Shawn McCalman** (7-0, 4 KOs), U.S. Army super bantamweight **Daniel Bailey, Jr**. (5-0, 4 KOs), lightweight **Leonel de los Santos** (2-0, 2 KOs), a 2-time Dominican Republic Olympian, Boston featherweight **Troy Anderson, Jr**. (1-0, 1 KO), pro-debuting Dominican Republic welterweight **Juan Solano**, and Salt Lake City, 2016 Olympic silver medalist **Yuberjen Martinez**, Utah brothers, super lightweight **Ignacio Chairez** (8-0-1, 5 KOs) and lightweight **Gabriel Chairez** (3-0-1, 2 KOs).

**INFORMATION:**
WEBSITE: fighterlocker.com, punch4parkinsons.com
FACEBOOK: /fighterlocker
TWITTER: @RoachRyan
INSTAGRAM: @RyanRoach82

**ABOUT FIGHTER LOCKER:** Established in 2019, Fighter Locker is a comprehensive sports agency that manages professional boxers. Fighter Locker also helps to brand boxers by finding their voice with a 100-percent customized service. Fighter Locker does not really believe in working models. It believes in partnership optimization models in motion.

Fighter Locker uses four creative steps because it believes in “the foundation is everything”: 1. wisely conceived, 2. creatively restrained, 3. Proudly judged, 4. sharply targeted.

boxing

Undefeated RayJay Bermudez: Super lightweight prospect flying under the radar

March 2, 2021 FNU47 Leave a comment

BOSTON (February 25, 2020) – Undefeated RayJay “The Destroyer” Bermudez (12-0, 9 KOs) has tried to stay busy and progress, developmental-wise, fighting three times during the pandemic, including a recent title-winning performance south of the border.

The 22-year-old Bermudez, fighting out of Albany (NY), stopped journeyman Rynell Griffin in five rounds last November in New Hampshire, and he followed that up in December with a third-round technical knockout of Ever Ceballos in Mexico to capture the vacant American Boxing Federation’s (ABF) Americas West super lightweight championship.

“Mexico was a humbling experience,” Bermudez said after his ABF title-winning performance. “I’m honored to have had the opportunity to go to another country and fight for a professional title. I fought a tough, scrappy Mexican veteran, who was game from the beginning, but my plan was to stay composed and break him down. And that’s exactly want I did to score a third-round TKO and advance my record to 11-0 with 8 knockouts. Thank you to everybody who tuned on the FITE.app. This is only the beginning of something special!”

In his most recent fight earlier this month, Bermudez returned to Mexico for a stay busy fight, stopping Mario Israel Vera round four.

Despite his unbeaten run, Bermudez is still fighting under the radar, at least on a national basis, but 2021 promises to be a breakout year for him, of course, pending pandemic restrictions in 2021.

Bermudez, who is managed by Ryan Roach’s Fighter Locker, is trained by his uncle, Hector Bermudez, who has trained five world champions including TJ Doheny and Javier Fortuna.

RayJay looked great in his last fight,” Roach commented. “He stuck to the game plan and broke his opponent down. We as a team are really happy where he is at right now. We will start stepping up the competition this year. Our goal will be to get him a regional title and get him ranked. This will be an exciting year to be a part of RayJay’s team.

Fighter Locker’s growing stable of gifted boxers includes California super flyweight Rocco “So Cal Kid” Santomauro (20-1, 6 KOs), West Haven, CT super welterweight Jimmy “Quiet Storm” Williams (16-5-2, 5 KOs), super middleweight “The Amazing” Shawn McCalman (6-0, 4 KOs), U.S. Army super bantamweight Daniel Bailey, Jr. (2-0, 1 KO), lightweight Leonel de los Santos (2-0, 2 KOs), a 2-time Dominican Republic Olympian, pro-debuting Boston featherweight Troy Anderson, Jr., pro-debuting Dominican Republic welterweight Juan Solano, and Salt Lake City, Utah brothers, super lightweight Ignacio Chairez (7-0-1, 4 KOs) and lightweight Gabriel Chairez (3-0, 2 KOs).

INFORMATION:

WEBSITE: fighterlocker.com, punch4parkinsons.com

FACEBOOK: /fighterlocker

TWITTER: @RoachRyan

INSTAGRAM: @RyanRoach82

boxing

20-1 California super flyweight Rocco Santomauro signs with Ryan Roach’s Fighter Locker

March 2, 2021 FNU47 Leave a comment

BOSTON (February 23, 2021) – Ryan Roach’s Fighter Locker has announced it has signed California super flyweight Rocco “So Cal Kid” Santomauro (20-1, 6 KOs) to an exclusive managerial contract.

The 33-year-old Santomauro, fighting out of Apple Valley, CA, is riding a 7-fight win streak since suffering his only loss as a professional to then 14-0 Diego De La Hoya nearly five years ago.

“I’m 33,” Santomauro said, but I definitely feel I’m in my prime. My skill level is at its best and I’m always improving. When it comes to getting in there with top guys, I’ve been in the ring with many world champions, outside of fights, and I’ve more than held my own. It’s all a matter of timing and I feel mine is here. I believe I’m very close to a major fight right now at super flyweight. It’s all a matter of getting myself in the right position and I feel like, right now, I have the right team to do so with Ryan Roach and Fighter Locker backing me.

“I signed a managerial contract with Ryan and his Fighter Locker because I knew it was a good move. After managing myself the last year and a half, I knew I needed trustworthy help to get to the next level. Ryan and I were friends on social media. I was aware he was signing fighters with Fighter Locker, so I began to watch and study him to see how he was with his fighters. Having liked what I saw – Ryan being there for his fighters and building a good relationship with him talking from time to time — we were able to come to an agreement to take me to that next level and get a major fight.”

“I’m excited to add such a veteran fight to our stable,” Roach commented. “Rocco checks all the boxes in terms of what a manager looks for in a fighter. He has great ring IQ. He’s fast with great defense, and Rocco a very energetic fighter. He is close to a world title shot; one or two more fights and we will be fighting top super flyweights. Rocco has what it takes to beat those guys.”

The son of an Italian father who wanted his son to be an “animal,” Rocco was born with a fighting spirt, aggressive in nature as a child, and inspired by Rocky Marciano. Rocco got into boxing, in large part, due to following in the footsteps of his older brother, who was a decorated amateur boxer. He first boxed because of his brother, then through a local boxing club in Hesperia (CA), in addition to practicing at home as he watched his favorite fighters on ESPN Classic.

Santomauro’s amateur career never really took off. He lived in an area with very little boxing, and needed to travel to box, which resulted in him deciding when he was older to take control of his boxing career by moving to Las Vegas. He developed his skills there and decided in 2009 to turn pro after suffering what he felt was a bad decision at the USA Nationals.

An energetic boxer who is a smart, aggressive counter puncher, Santomauro also checks in on the body, and brings excitement into the ring. His best fight to date was his most recent (Nov. 7, 2020), when he stopped Christian Omar Henriques (10-4-2) in the sixth round of their fight in Tijuana.

“I was backed by Fighter Locker and my team,” Rocco noted. “I went in focused and mentally trained properly to do what I had to do against a game, younger opponent with a winning record. I knocked him out! We did it intelligently and were able to hit all the marks performance-wise.”

Training and fighting during a pandemic have been challenging, to say the least, and being a super flyweight only compounds the problem.

“It’s been very difficult getting fights as an American super flyweight,” Santomauro added, “especially coming down in weight from featherweight and then junior featherweight. Nobody was willing to give me the opportunity, nor did they think I could fight at that weight class having debuted as a junior lightweight. I was basically put on the shelf, turned down left and right as a free agent with 14-1 record at that time. I reached a 1 ½ year layoff, getting only lowball offers against short notice opponents. My trainer, Julian Chua, and I decided it would be smart to start fighting in Mexico, where there were super flyweights to fight.

“Training during the pandemic has been absolute hell for me, closed out of almost all gyms but grateful for being able to visit, from time to time, the Wild Card Boxing Gym and Churchill Boxing Club. But that wasn’t what I was used to. I had to do a lot of what I call ‘Rocky 4’ training on my own to stay fit. I was also lucky enough to build good relationships in Mexico with my promoter, so I was blessed to always have the option of staying busy in Tijuana. And I did.”

Now, Roach and Fighter Locker have Santomauro’s back, and his future is promising.

Fighter Locker’s growing stable of gifted boxers includes, Troy, NY ABF American West super lightweight Ray Jay “The Destroyer” Bermudez (12-0, 9 KOs), Toronto, Canada welterweight West Haven, CT super welterweight Jimmy “Quiet Storm” Williams (16-5-2, 5 KOs), super middleweight “The Amazing” Shawn McCalman (6-0, 4 KOs), U.S. Army super bantamweight Daniel Bailey, Jr. (2-0, 1 KO), lightweight Leonel de los Santos (2-0, 2 KOs),, a 2-time Dominican Republic Olympian, pro-debuting Boston featherweight Troy Anderson, Jr., pro-debuting Dominican Republic welterweight Juan Solano, and Salt Lake City, Utah brothers, super lightweight Ignacio Chairez (7-0-1, 4 KOs) and lightweight Gabriel Chairez (3-0, 2 KOs).

INFORMATION:

WEBSITE: fighterlocker.com, punch4parkinsons.com

FACEBOOK: /fighterlocker, /roccosantomauro

TWITTER: @RoachRyan, @RoccoSantomauro

INSTAGRAM: @RyanRoach82, @RoccoSantomauro

ABOUT FIGHTER LOCKER: Established in 2019, Fighter Locker is a comprehensive sports agency that manages professional boxers. Fighter Locker also helps to brand boxers by finding their voice with a 100-percent customized service. Fighter Locker does not really believe in working models. It believes in partnership optimization models in motion.

Fighter Locker uses four creative steps because it believes in “the foundation is everything”: 1. wisely conceived, 2. creatively restrained, 3. Proudly judged, 4. sharply targeted.

boxing

Undefeated lightweight prospect Jamaine “The Technician” Ortiz No longer best kept secret after Tyson-Jones, Jr. PPV show performance

December 20, 2020 FNU47 Leave a comment

WORCESTER, Mass. (December 14, 2020) – Prior to his sensational performance on the recent Mike Tyson-Roy Jones, Jr. pay-per-view event, undefeated lightweight prospect Jamaine “The Technician” Ortiz was boxing’s best kept secret. No more, though, as Ortiz firmly established himself as a rising star in front of countless fans among the 1.6 million PPV buys.

Ortiz flew from Boston to Los Angeles on Thanksgiving. He was driven to his hotel, where he immediately saw Jones, checked his weight, and walked to Staples Center. “I was comfortable from the start,” said the young fighter who was fighting for the first time as a professional outside of New England. “I was there to get the job done. I was on a mission. I walk to see the Staples Center and that was cool. I later took my run around the Staples Center and there were a lot of statues. It was beautiful. It was cool seeing the Lakers locker-room.”

The 24-year-old Ortiz (14-0, 8 KOs), the reigning World Boxing Youth World champion, knocked out Sulaiman Segawa (13-3-1, 4 KOs) with a bruising body attack, hurting his opponent in the sixth round, and closing the show in spectacular fashion in the seventh for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) USNBC (U.S) Silver lightweight title. Segawa had never been stopped before as a professional.

Ortiz displayed his overall arsenal: stiff jab, lightning quick hands and feet, switching back and forth effortlessly from orthodox to southpaw stances, punishing hooks up and down, and the most lethal body shots seen from a New Englander since “Irish” Micky Ward.

“I was calm and cool before the fight,” Ortiz added. “I like to go into a fight, mentally, like it was a sparring session and I always do good. I started out in an orthodox stance, established my jab and used it a lot. I think I should have used it more and could have beaten him with it. I listened to my coach (Rocky Gonzalez) and he told me when to switch. Body punching is the No. 1 thing with Rocky. I may not have shown it nearly as much in other fights, but he drills that into me all the time. In the sixth round, he told me to go more to the body, not looking to catch him, and in the seventh I really hurt him to the body.

“Segawa was definitely tough. He had beaten a lot of guys, including a few he upset. Every fight is a stepping-stone and I’m my worst critic. I felt that I could have knocked him out in the second round, but I didn’t want to go off the game plan

Ortiz set-up Segawa from the opening bell, broke him down, and finished the show in grand style as Seqawa was hurt and trapped on the ropes, drawing kudos from highly respected people in the industry such as “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Teddy Atlas, and others. Ortiz’ fanbase grew exponentially as boxing fans rushed to sign up to follow Jamaine during and after his breakout fight.

“Once people saw me perform and my style,” Ortiz continued, “they liked me. I could have shown more and thrown more combinations. I really needed to fight in front of the world. I got 5,500 new Instagram flowers that night. I guess, I’m no longer the best kept secret in boxing.”

“Our main goal is to win a world title,” Gonzalez commented. “This was fun and a great opportunity, but the motivation to be world champion is stronger. He dealt with this fight as just another fight, and he followed our game plan.

“His body shots set up the ending. I’m always telling him about Micky Ward’s body shots. You know, boxing is a dance, a salsa. Boxers need to dance; I don’t think they should just be orthodox. They all need to fight the other way and when Jamaine switched stances in the third, he never let up. I’ve trained him hard. I’m always on him and what better way to shut me up than ending it like he did on pay per view? It was a drop the microphone moment!”

Ortiz is promoted by Jimmy Burchfield (Classic Entertainment and Sports) and advised by Richard Shappy and Eddie Imondi.

Because of the uncertainty in boxing due to the pandemic, Ortiz’ 2021 schedule is unknown, but he isn’t boxing’s best kept secret anymore, “The Technician” is a bonafide rising star.

boxing