Tag Archives: Luis Garcia

MATT REMILLARD STOPS FATIOU FASSINOU IN FIVE ROUNDS; TARGETS MIKEY GARCIA REMATCH IN 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
ARIAS DEFEATS SHAMALOV BY DECISION IN SENSATIONAL BATTLE OF
NEW YORK CITY HEAVYEIGHT PROSPECTS
 
BROADWAY BOXING RESULTS FROM FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO

Matt Remillard (R) continued his comeback last night with a big win at Foxwoods
(all pictures by Emily Harney / DiBella Entertainment)

MASHANTUCKET, CT (June 4, 2017) – The amazing comeback of Matt “Sharp Shooter” Remillard continued last night as the popular Connecticut lightweight stopped Fatiou Fassinou in the Broadway Boxing headliner held in Fox Theater, at Foxwoods Resort Casino, in Mashantucket, CT.
The Broadway Boxing series is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and presented by Nissan of Queens, Azad Watches, OPTYX, and Christos Steak House.
Remillard, 30, was the No. 2-ranked featherweight in the world in 2011, when he lost to future world champion Mikey Garcia (LRTD11).  Fighting out of Manchester, CT, tonight’s fight was Remillard’s first in his home state in six-and-a-half years, due to him serving a five-year prison sentence. He returned to the ring this past April, taking an eight-round decision from Agustine Mauras, in Worcester, MA.
In the opening round, Remillard (25-1, 14 KOs) and the slick Benin-native, former WBC International Silver champion Fassinou (27-6-3, 14 KOs) got to know each other as both fighters were cautious. Remillard opened up in the second round, using his left to the body, dropping Fassinou in his corner during the final seconds. Remillard pressed the action in the third, peppering Fassinou around the ring in his familiar punishing style, putting Fassinou in his “Sharp Shooter” sights for target practice in the fourth. Fassinou failed to answer the bell for the fifth round.
“Against a southpaw, the left hook to the liver is there, a punch I’m known for,” Remillard commented after the fight. “He was a little sloppier than I expected. I felt good; I’m 24/7 in the gym. Maybe I’ll have one more fight this year to get in some rounds, and then get ready for a big 2018. I want a rematch with Garcia, at 135 or 140 pounds, 100-percent. He owes me a rematch. The guy he beat wasn’t me.”
Ruslan Shamalov (L) & George Arias turned in the Fight of the Night
In the co-feature, two New York City-based heavyweights, 6’5″ Russian Ruslan Shamalov (4-1, 3 KOs) and Dominican “Gentleman” George Arias (7-0, 3 KOs), fighting out of Brooklyn and the Bronx, respectively, put their undefeated records on the line. Shamalov’s power punches rocked the much shorter 5’11” Arias in the first round, but Arias stayed off the ropes and boxed much better in the second. The two fighters exchanged bombs throughout a terrific third round and, somehow, the fourth was even better with back-and-forth, non-stop action. The pace subsided slightly in the fifth round, setting the stage for a bombs-away sixth and final frame that didn’t disappoint.
Shamalov and Arias fought a furious pace, especially for heavyweights, in a legitimate six-round “Fight of the Year” candidate. Arias, the leader of Team Wash Em’ Up in the Bronx, won a six-round unanimous decision by scores of 60-54, 59-55, and 58-56.
“This win was humungous for me,” said an overjoyed Arias, after his first six-round fight. “I had a game plan, but once he hurt me in the first round, my heart took over and I just fought. I like to fight for the people, so I held on in the first instead of taking a knee.”
Mykquan Williams (R) celebrated his high school graduation a little  early
Crowd favorite “Marvelous” Mykquan Williams (7-0, 4 KOs) gave himself an early high school graduation present as the East Hartford fighter defeated Nicaraguan welterweight Ariel “La Guerra” Vasquez (13-18-2, 9 KOs) in the former’s first six-round bout. The 19-year-old Williams, a five-time national amateur champion, is a budding star with tremendous upside. Poised beyond his years, Williams controlled the pace against his battle-tested southpaw opponent, who is 11 years Williams’ senior, displaying his vast arsenal of punches, especially his left-right combination that landed consistently.  Williams’ fast hands exploded for the first time at the end of the second round, then he picked up his assault in the third, as he cruised to a six-round shutout decision, with three tallies of 60-54.
Williams graduates on June 20 from Prince Tech. “That was a good graduation present,” Williams said. “My hand speed played a big factor. He was a tough guy, especially for my first six-rounder.”
Jennifer Salinas (R) had too much for Marquita Lee
featherweight champion Jennifer “The Bolivian Queen” Salinas (20-4, 5 KOs) defeated Marquita Lee (3-5) by way of a hard-fought six-round unanimous decision.  Salinas, fighting out of Providence, was the aggressor throughout, but Lee never took a backward step. Scorecards 59-55 twice, and 58-56, all for Salinas.
Fighting a much more experienced and taller opponent from Africa, promising Lynn, MA prospect Khiry “TNT” Todd (5-0, 5 KOs) won his fifth pro fight, all by knockout. A 2016 New England Golden Gloves champion, Todd gained invaluable experience against cagey super welterweight Nicolas Sarouna (12-9-1, 9 KOs), of Togo, who took a knee after getting hit by a sneaky uppercut in the third round. Sarouna failed to beat the 10-count as Todd improved his perfect record, with a TKO stoppage at the 1:32 mark.
Radzhab Butaev left Abraham Alvarez on the mat in serious pain
Unbeaten Russian middleweight prospect Radzhab “The Python” Butaev (6-0, 4 KOs) was too much for Mexican Abraham “The Swift” Alvarez (20-11-1, 11 KOs). Butaev dropped Alvarez early with a vicious left hook, from which Alvarez never fully recovered. A brutal right to the liver put the Mexican on mat once again, in obvious pain, as referee Joey Lupino immediately waved off the fight at 1:05 of round one.
Cuban cruiserweight Luis “El Leon” Garcia (15-0, 12 KOs) kept his perfect pro record intact with a first-round knockout of his outclassed Mexican opponent Felipe Romero (19-14-1, 13 KOs), fighting out of San Diego. Now living in Peekskill, NY, Garcia dropped Romero with an overhand right in the opening seconds and he never let up, consistently hurting Romero with a series of devastating rights. Garcia closed the show with a powerhouse uppercut, leading referee Johnny Callas to halt the action at the 1:48 mark.
Three-time Puerto Rican National Boxing team member Jose Roman (4-0, 3 KOs) went the distance for the first time against a game William Hill (2-3), of Detroit. The skilled Puerto Rican super welterweight applied pressure from the opening bell, using a fierce body attack on Hill, who was trapped on the ropes for most of the fight. The judges tallied 40-36 twice, and 39-37, all for Roman via unanimous decision.
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DiBella Entertainment’s unbeaten featherweight contender Luis Rosa also fought on Saturday, headlining a card at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in his hometown of New Haven, CT, facing Carlos Osorio, of Managua, Nicaragua. Rosa pressured his adversary throughout the contest, wearing him down with a steady attack to the body. Osorio was game and had a stiff jab, though the hometown favorite’s combinations on the inside helped to diminish the Nicaraguan’s punch output. Believing that Osorio had taken a great deal of punishment, the referee halted the contest at the 1:25 mark of round six, awarding Rosa the TKO victory. With the win, Rosa improved to 23-0 (11 KOs), while Osorio’s record dropped to 13-7 (5 KOs).
Complete Foxwoods results below:
 
OFFICIAL RESULTS
MAIN EVENT – LIGHTWEIGHTS
Matt Remillard (25-1, 14 KOs), Manchester, CT
WTKO4 (3:00)
Fatiou Fassinou (27-6-3, 14 KOs), Cotonou, Benin
CO-FEATURE – HEAVYWEIGHTS
George Arias (7-0, 3 KOs), Bronx, NY
WDEC6 (60-54, 59-55, 58-56)
Ruslan Shamalov (4-1, 3 KOs), Brooklyn, NY
CRUISERWEIGHTS
Luis Garcia (15-0, 12 KOs), Peekskill, NY
WTKO1 (1:48).
Felipe Romero (19-14-1, 13 KOs), San Diego, CA
MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Radzhab Butaev (6-0, 5 KOs), Brooklyn, NY
WTKO1 (1:05)
Abraham Alvarez (20-11-1, 11 KOs), El Rosario, Mexico
SUPER WELTERWEIGHTS
Khiry Todd (5-0, 5 KOs), Lynn, MA
WKO3 (1:32)
Nicolas Sarouna (12-9-1, 9 KOs), Lome, Togo
Jose Roman (4-0, 3 KOs), Bayamon, Puerto Rico
WDEC4 (40-36, 40-36, 39-37)
William Hill (2-3), Detroit, MI
WELTERWEIGHTS
Myquan Williams (7-0, 4 KOs), East Hartford, CT
WDEC6 (60-54, 60-54, 60-54)
Ariel Vasquez (13-18-2, 9 KOs), Managua, Nicaragua
FEMALE LIGHTWEIGHTS
Jennifer Salinas (20-4, 5 KOs), Providence, RI
WDEC6 (59-55, 59-55, 58-56)
Marquita Lee (3-5), Novato, CA
INFORMATION:
Twitter & Instagram: @DiBellaEnt, @LouDiBella, @FoxwoodsCT

Kevin Dever Sports Management signs Undefeated Cuban light heavyweight Luis Garcia

(L-R – Kevin Dever, Luis Garcia and Patrick Brown)
PEEKSKILL, N.Y. (December 1, 2015) – Kevin Dever Sports Management has announced the signing of undefeated Cuban light heavyweight prospect Luis “The Lion” Garcia to an exclusive managerial contract.
Nearly eight years ago,Garcia (12-0, 9 KOs) defected from Cuba to Mexico with fellow boxer Alexei Acosta.  Garcia (12-0, 9 KOs), who settled in Cork, Ireland, made his professional debut in 2008.  He now lives in Peekskill, New York.
“It was a bigger change when I moved to Ireland than it was six weeks ago when I moved here,” the 28-year-old Garcia explained.  “It was a lot harder in Ireland because I didn’t speak a word of English.  I learned English from the street, watching TV and reading.  It’s not a big change for me to move around because I traveled all over the world when I was a member of the Cuban National Team.”
Garcia hasn’t fought in nearly four years due to previous managerial issues, but his scheduled return is this Saturday night, December 5, against an opponent to be determined in a six-round bout at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.  His last fight was a win by eight-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated (12-0) Alexander Johnson on December 30, 2011 in Cabazon, California.
“It wasn’t my decision not to fight the past four years,” Garcia added.  “Something happened with my now former manager and promoter.  I trained all the time, sparred a lot, and did as much as I could do in the gym.   I still had a contract until it expired.  I’ve known Kevin for 2-3 years.  He asked me why I wasn’t fighting and I told him everything.  He said to call him when my contract expired because he wanted to manage me and that’s what I did.
“America offers me a good opportunity, better than England or Ireland, and I’m going to finish my boxing career here.  I’m fighting December 5th and taking things step by step.  I’m not going to rush.  There are a lot of great fighters in the light heavyweight division and I hope to be in the mix next year.”
Garcia’s two fights prior to his last against Johnson were impressive 2010 technical knockouts of former world champion Byron Mitchell (28-6-1) and Jorge Rodriguez Olivera (19-1), respectively, in the second and sixth rounds.
“I left boxing with a bad taste in my mouth but I was looking to get back into boxing,” said Kevin Dever, who co-manages Garcia with Patrick Brown.  “I knew him from Ireland and I always wanted to manage this kid.  He called to tell me his contract had expired and we worked out a deal that brought him here to live in New York.
“I honestly don’t see any rust watching him spar.  I know sparring isn’t fighting but everybody in the gym stops to watch him workout. I honestly think that, once he has some good fights under his belt, he’ll be a top contender in the light heavyweight division. Luis Garcia is the best fighter I’ve ever worked with.”
Garcia, a World Junior Championship gold medalist, defected because he was disillusioned after being denied a spot on the 2008 Cuban Olympic Team, despite him defeating eventual Olympic silver medalist Emelio Correa, Jr. in the Cuban Olympic Qualifier.  Correa is the son of 1972 Olympic champion Emelio Correa, Sr., who was still involved in Cuban amateur boxing when his son was selected over Garcia to represent Cuba in the 2008 Olympics.  Correa lost in the championship final to James DeGale, the Brit who presently is the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super middleweight titlist.
Not a typical defense-first Cuban boxer, Garcia is known as a crisp puncher that many insiders believed had more upside than any Cuban boxers who’ve defected, outside of Guillermo Rigondeaux and Yuriorkis Gamboa, who both have become multiple-time world champions as professionals.
Garcia is working out of the Be First Boxing in Peekskill and Westchester Boxing Club in White Plains (NY), where he is trained by Nick “Knuckles” Delury and his assistant, former world title challenger Larry Barnes (44-3, 17 KOs).  A former No. 1 ranked welterweight contender in the world, Barnes’ only three losses as a pro were to world champions Felix “Tito” Trinidad, Saoul Mamby and Luis Ramon “Yuri Boy” Campas.
“He’s a great kid, very smart and respectful,” Delury commented. “There’s some rust from being off four years, but Luis lives a good, healthy lifestyle and he hasn’t suffered any damage in the ring.  He’s 28, educated, and a true gentleman.  It’s been a pleasure working with him.  Luis is a gifted boxer.  He’s extremely exciting to watch and has a perfect blend of offense and defense.”
Information: