Tag Archives: Skender Halili

31stannual Ring 8 Holiday Event & Awards Ceremony Dec. 10 in New York

Vasyl Lomachenko, Evander Holyfield, Michael Conlan,
Marcus Browne, Amanda Serrano among 2017 award winners
Vasyl Lomachenko (R) – 2017 Ring 8 Muhammad Ali International Fighter of the Year)
(photo courtesy of Top Rank – more pictures below)
NEW YORK (October 31, 2017) – The 31st annual Ring 8 Holiday Event and Awards Ceremony will be held Sunday afternoon (12:30-5:30 p.m. ET), December 10, at Russo’s On The Bay in Howard Beach, New York.
Ring 8 has announced its 2017 award winners (see complete list below), WBO Junior Lighweight World Champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Vasyl “Hi Tech” Lomanchenko (Muhammad Ali International Fighter of the Year), Hall-of-Famer Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield (Legends Award), two-time Irish Olympian Michael Conlan (International Prospect of the Year Award), 2012 U.S. Olympian “Sir” Marcus Browne (New York State Fighter of the Year), of Staten Island, and five-division world champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano, of Brooklyn by way of Puerto Rico.
“There is an incredible amount of interest for our holiday awards banquet this year” Ring 8 president Jack Hirsch said. “Vasyl Lomachenko is arguably the world’s greatest fighter, and Evander Holyfield is a living legend. They are both confirmed to attend as are future superstars Michael Conlan and Marcus Browne. There will be other high-profile honorees and boxing personalities on hand as well. It will be a treat for fans who will have the opportunity to interact with them.
“Russo’s on the Bay is a great venue; the food is fantastic. Everyone attending should come away with wonderful memories of the event. Tickets are very reasonably priced for an affair of this magnitude. We usually sell out, so I suggest that anyone planning to attend purchase their tickets as soon as possible. Our profits from the afternoon go back to the boxing fraternity, helping those less fortunate, who need assistance.”
 
2017 RING 8 Award Winners
Muhammad Ali International Fighter of the Year: Vasyl Lomachenko
Legends Award: Evander Holyfield
International Prospect of the Year: Michael Conlan
NYS Fighter of the Year: Marcus Browne
NYS Female Fighter of the Year: Amanda Serrano
Sunnyside Gardens Award:: Bobby Cassidy, Sr.
NYS Prospect of the Year: Devaun Lee
Rising Contender Award: Skender & Enver Halili
Sam Kellerman Media Award: Matt Christie
NYS Trainer of the Year: Hector Rosa
Long & Meritorious Service: Edwin Torres
NYS Official of the Year: Robert Perez
NYS Promoter of the Year: Mercedes Vasquez Simmons
Uncrowned Champion: Richard Kiley
Ringside Physician of the Year: Dr. Osric King
Good Guy Award: Joanne Doyle Hutchins
Ring 8 Member of the Year: George Newman
Community Service Award: Mike Reno
Special Guests will include Teddy Atlas, Vito Antuofermo, Iran Barkley, Tommy Gallagher and many others.
David Diamante will once again serve as the event’s Master of Ceremonies.
Tickets are $125.00 include a complete brunch with cocktail hour upon entry, followed by seating at the awards ceremony, dinner and dessert, and top-shelf open bar throughout the afternoon. There will also be a silent auction of boxing memorabilia. This event is expected to sell-out and everybody is urged to purchase tickets as soon as possible to secure favorable seating. Donations of any denomination are welcome for those unable to attend the festivities.
Program ads are available for Back Cover ($500.00), Inside Front or Back Cover ($400.00), Full Page ($200.00), Half-Page ($100.00), and Quarter-Page ($60.00). The deadline for all ads is November 26, 2017, and must be emailed (Ajhirsch5@aol) or mailed to Ring 8, P.O. Box 153, Rockaway Park, NY 11694. All checks for tickets or journal ads should be payable to Ring 8 (credit cards are acceptable).
For additional information about Ring 8 or its annual Holiday Events and Awards Ceremony, contact Ring 8 president Jack Hirsch (516.790.7592 or Ajhirsch5@aol.com) or go online to www.Ring8ny.com for more information.
Russo’s On The Bay is located at 162-45 Crossbay Blvd. in Howard Beach(718.843.5055).
 Vasyl Lomachenko (photo courtesy of Top Rank)
Evander Holyfield (photo courtesy of Real Deal Sports and Entertainment)
Michael Conlan (Picture courtesy of Top Rank)
Marcus Browne (photo courtesy of Premier Boxing Champions)
Amanda Serrano (picture courtesy of DiBella Entertainment)
ABOUT RING 8: Formed in 1954 by an ex-prizefighter, Jack Grebelsky, Ring 8 became the eighth subsidiary of what was then known as the National Veteran Boxers Association – hence, RING 8 – and today the organization’s motto remains: Boxers Helping Boxers.
RING 8 is fully committed to supporting less fortunate people in the boxing community who may require assistance in terms of paying rent, medical expenses, or whatever justifiable need.

Go on line to www.Ring8ny.com for more information about RING 8, the largest group of its kind in the United States with more than 350 members. Annual membership dues is only $30.00 and each member is entitled to a buffet dinner at RING 8 monthly meetings, excluding July and August. All active boxers, amateur and professional, are entitled to a complimentary RING 8 yearly membership. Guests of Ring 8 members are welcome at a cost of only $7.00 per person

Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna returns to the ring when he battles Tomas Mendez for WBC Silver Latino & LBF Intercontinental Welterweight titles on Saturday. November 18th at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City

WBC Youth Champion Devin Haney battles Taiwo Ali Sulaimon
Raymond Serrano battles Enver Halili in co-feature
Adam Lopez squares off with Jorge Diaz for WBC Fecarbox Super Bantamweight title

Skender Halili takes on Jeff Lentz

Tommy Rainone to make final ring appearance

Plus undefeated Yurik Mamedov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Atlantic City, NJ (October 10, 2017)–On Saturday night, November 18th, welterweight contender Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna returns to the ring when he takes on Tomas Mendez in 10-round fight for LaManna’s WBC Silver Latino Welterweight title, as well as the LBF Intercontinental Welterweight title.  The fight will headline a stacked night of boxing at The Claridge Hotel.
The show is promoted by Rising Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions in association with Devin Haney Promotions and Winner Take All Productions.
“This is our 10th show and we expect this to be the best turn out,” said Debbie LaManna, CEO of Rising Promotions. “With a stacked undercard, and my son getting to headline again, we can all expect a great night of boxing. I’m happy Thomas decided to stick with it, after more than 10 years and a lot of money spent, it would be foolish to stop now when he is right there. We are happy to be doing this show with Greg Cohen and we look forward to bigger and better things together in the future.”
I am thrilled to be working with Rising Promotions This is a stacked from top to bottom.  It is worthy of a ShoBox card,” said Greg Cohen, President of Greg Cohen Promotions.. .”When you have a show with Thomas defending his title and fighters like Devin Haney, and fights such as Serrano against Enver Halili plus Skender Halili fighting Jeff Lentz, every fight is a TV worthy fight.  We are really excited to bring this to The Claridge, and a great way to finish out the year in Atlantic City and happy that GCP is a co-promoter on the show.”
LaManna of Millville, New Jersey will be making the 1st defense of the WBC Silver Latino title that he won on August 19th when he scored two knockdowns en-route to a ten round unanimous decision over George Sosa at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City.
The 25 year-old Lamanna is a six-year professional who has wins over veteran’s Ayi Bruce, Kendal Mena, Eduardo Flores, and Carlos Winston Velasquez.
This will be LaManna’s 7th bout at The Claridge and 16th in Atlantic City.
“I’m back! I couldn’t stay away for long. It’s crazy, after my last fight, I was set on being done with boxing,” said Thomas LaManna. “I Couldn’t handle the stress anymore and it’s hard. I have a huge chip on my shoulder with no promoter, no more financial backing, just me and my mother.  We have  mart strategic planning, and a Dream. I feel I have a lot left and I’ll be knocking on doors in 2018. To me, Mendez is dangerous because you never know what he will bring. I’ve always said records don’t mean anything to me. We’ll see on November 18 what he brings and like I always say, I make my adjustments and do what I have to do to win.”

“As for this card, I feel it’s the best one we at Rising Promotions have put together. Raymond Serrano and Enver Halili is a solid cross roads fight, and I’m glad we got it done. I’m excited to have Devin Haney on the show, and Tommy Rainone’s go away fight is special. Expect another sell out. Thank you to everyone involved putting this great card together including all the fighters involved, The NJSACB, Commissioner Larry Hazzard and Rhonda Utley-Herring, Greg Cohen, the LBF and Ms. Marian Muhammad, the WBC, GH3 Promotions and The Claridge.”

Mendez of Santo Domingo, Domincan Republic has a record of 24-10 with 17 knockouts.
The 10 year-professional won 16 of his first 17 bouts, and is a capable fighter who has fought top competition around the world. This will be Mendez 7th title fight, and he is coming off a stoppage defeat to Derrick Cuevas on June 17th in Caguas, Puerto Rico.
WBC Youth Champion, Devin Haney (16-0, 11 KOs) of Las Vegas will take on Taiwo Ali Sulaimon (21-5-1, 16 KOs) of Lagos, Nigeria in a junior welterweight bout.
Haney, of Las Vegas, Nevada has a record of 17-0 with 11 knockouts.
Haney, just 18 years-old has quickly emerged as one of the top prospects in the country.
He turned professional at age 16, and has been more impressive with each performance.
Haney has impressive wins over Jairo Fernandez Vargas (4-0), Clay Burns (4-1-2), and in his last bout he scored a eight-round unanimous decision over Enrique Tinoco (16-4-1) on September 22nd in Philadelphia.
In the exciting welterweight bout, Raymond “Tito” Serrano will take on Enver Halili in a bout scheduled for eight-rounds.
Serrano of Philadelphia has been on the cusp of a big fight in the welterweight division, has a record of 23-4 with ten knockouts.
The 28 year-old is a ten-year professional, has wins over Ashantie Hendrickson (1-0), Jay Krupp (12-1), Ronnie Warrior, Jr. (13-2-1), Ayi Bruce (15-2) & Jerome Rodriguez (6-1-3).
Serrano is on a two-fight winning streak with the latest win being a six-round unanimous decision over Zack Ramsey (8-1) on September 22 in Philadelphia.
Halili is perfect with a record of 10-0 with three knockouts.
Halili of Bronx, New York is a five-year professional with wins over undefeated Raul Nuncio (2-0) and his latest bout where he scored his biggest win with a eight-round unanimous decision over Wesley Tucker (14-0) on June 30 in Toledo, Ohio.
In eight-round bouts.
Adam Lopez (16-1-2, 8 KOs) of San Antonio, Texas battles Jorge Diaz (18-5-1, 10 KOs) of New Brunswick, New Jersey in a super bantamweight bout for the WBC Fecarbox title.

Skender Halili (14-2, 13 KOs) of Bronx, New York battles Jeff Lentz (5-1, 1 KO) of Belmar, New Jersey in a junior middleweight fight.

In six-round bouts:
Tommy Rainone (26-8-1, 6 KO’s) of New York, New York will make his final start of his career when he takes on an opponent to be named in a welterweight bout.
Yurik Mamedov (7-0, 3 KOs) of New York, New York will take on an opponent to be named in a super lightweight bout.
In a rematch of lightweight’s. Tomas Romain (4-1) of Brooklyn, NY boxes Sidell Blocker (1-9-1) of Pleasantville, New Jersey.
In four-round bouts:
Jonathan Arroyo of Long Island will make his pro debut against Steve Moore (0-1) of Orange, New Jersey in a welterweight bout.
Tickets for this great evening of boxing are priced at $200, $125, $80 and $55 (General Admission) and can be purchased at www.RisingBoxingPromotions.com
    

RAHMAN JR. READY TO BEGIN HIS OWN HEAVYWEIGHT LEGACY AT SKYLANDS ECC ON THURSDAY, MARCH 23

Having grown up the son of a former undisputed and two-time World Heavyweight Champion, Hasim Rahman Jr., doesn’t mind that the world will be watching from the beginning of his professional boxing career.
“This isn’t new,” explained Rahman. “I’m so used to being who I am and having eyes on me that it would be awkward to not have them. It hasn’t mattered who I was my whole life, or what I did. The world was watching because of who my father is.”
Rahman Jr., whose father, Hasim “The Rock” Rahman famously knocked out Lennox Lewis in April 2001 to win the WBC and IBF Heavyweight Championships, will make his professional debut against Kansas City’s Brian Imes (1-4, 1 KO) on Thursday, March 23, 2017, at Greg Cohen Promotions’ SUPER BRAWL® III, boxing event at the Skylands Event & Conference Center (ECC) in Randolph, New Jersey.
Presented in association with Rising Promotions and GH3 Promotions (sponsored by David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions), SUPER BRAWL® III will also feature the Bronx, New York’s Halili brothers: power-punching super-welterweight action hero Skender Halili (13-1, 13 KOs) taking on Ecuadorian veteran Eduardo “El Cheíto” Flores (25-25-3, 15 KOs) in the eight-round main event, and undefeated Enver Halili (8-0, 2 KOs) facing Nicaragua’s Ariel Vasquez (13-16-2, 9 KOs) in the six-round welterweight co-main.
Tickets for SUPER BRAWL® III are priced at Golden Ringside $150, Ringside $100 and General Admission $50 and can be purchased by calling the GCP office: 212.851.6425 or online at gcpboxing.com.
“My dad is like an advisor,” he continued. “My dad is the only person I know that truly has my best interests at heart. Anybody else I ever dealt with, it always came down to money at the end of the day. My dad never asks me for anything. I know he knows the game and I know that with him on my team, the sky is the limit.”
25-year-old Rahman is getting a later-than-expected start at his highly-anticipated boxing career. Coming off his successful 100-fight run as an amateur, the buzz was all around the 6′ 3″ 250-lb. fighter, but a fatal car accident in 2012 saw him serving a 2- to 5-year sentence with the Department of Corrections.
Recently released and now ready to go on with life, Rahman says the entire experience changed him for the good. “It was an eye-opener for me. Going through that really changed my career and how I felt as a person, and a son, a father, and a husband. It changed me. I am grateful god blessed me to be in this position today.”
Rahman says he doesn’t know much about first opponent Imes, but he and trainer Kenny Ellis are hard at work at Upton Boxing Center in Baltimore.
“I feel great. I’m really anxious, but the nervousness hasn’t kicked in. It will around fight time. My team says it’s a good fight for me. Being off for two and a half years, I’m looking to get in some rounds.”
Despite the delayed start, Team Rahman has no plan on rushing things.
“I just want to stay busy as I can and learn as much as I can and fight for a world title when I’m ready. I’m not going to rush. There’s no rush. It’s not like I’m going to wait forever. I will fight for the title when I’m ready and I know if it put in the work, I’ll be ready in a about two years. That’s the goal for me. If it takes three or four years, it does. Whatever the case may be. I’ll keep racking up the knockouts until it happens.”
For Rahman, the decision to follow in his famous father’s footsteps was a rational one.
“I’ve always been taught to plan ahead. When I was in middle school, I was really into football. I played tight end, running back and wide receiver. I had dreams. But it dawned on me how many people have the same dream that I do. For instance, there are a million young African American men wanting to go to the NBA every year. 400,000 of them will play high school basketball. 4000 of those will play college. 35 will be drafted. Out of the that 35, only 7 will start. That means there are a million people trying to get 7 jobs. And the average career in the NBA is four years. That’s a problem. People have to look at their odds. I did. So, I said ‘know what? Instead of being in this giant pool of people trying to be the next Ray Lewis. I rarely run across someone who wants to be heavyweight champion of the world,’ so that’s what I decided to do. No father and son duo have ever become heavyweight champions. It’s never been done. For me to be in the position to cement our family name in heavyweight championship history is very motivating and I’m ready to take full advantage of it.”
Signing with Greg Cohen Promotions was an easy decision, according to Rahman, who has known the Jersey-based promoter for most of his life.

“I really want to thank Greg Cohen for the chance he’s given me,” he said. “I’ve known Greg since I was a kid and he has always believed in me. He has always supported me and kept in contact and followed me. He has a real genuine interest in me. Greg already knows he has the best new heavyweight in the world. I’m really dedicated to making him and my father and the City of Baltimore proud.”
SUPER BRAWL® III will be broadcast, tape-delayed, on Sportsnet New York (SNY). On fight night, doors open at 6:00 pm and the action starts at 7:00 pm. The Skylands ECC is located at 792 Route 10 West in Randolph, NJ. Phone: 973.328.8600.
 
 
Twitter @Skylandsecc @gcpboxing

POWER-PUNCHING ACTION HERO SKENDER HALILI TO HEADLINE AT SKYLANDS ECC IN RANDOLPH, NEW JERSEY, ON THURSDAY, MARCH 23

Greg Cohen Promotions Proudly Presents
SUPER BRAWL® III also featuring Undefeated Enver Halili and the 
Professional Debut of Hasim Rahman Jr.
On Thursday, March 23, 2017, Greg Cohen Promotions will proudly present SUPER BRAWL® III, a night of world-class professional boxing at the Skylands Event & Conference Center (ECC) in Randolph, New Jersey.
Presented in association with David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions, Rising Promotions and GH3 Promotions, SUPER BRAWL® III will feature power-punching super-welterweight action hero Skender Halili (13-1, 13 KOs) of The Bronx, New York, taking on the Dominican Republic’s tough veteran Jonathan Batista (16-10, 9 KOs) in the eight-round main event.
Tickets for SUPER BRAWL® III are priced at Golden Ringside $150, Ringside $100 and General Admission $50 and can be purchased by calling the GCP office: 212.851.6425 or online at gcpboxing.com

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“Training is going great,” said Halili. “I’m feeling sharp. I’ve haven’t taken any breaks since my last fight. After every fight, I take two days off and I’m back in the gym.”
Halili, who recently won THE RING Magazine’s “Round of the Year 2016” for the second round of his super welterweight war against Jason Thompson last May 27, says he’s ready for his first career main event, against Batista.
“It feels good to be fighting in the main event. I’m prepared to go in and take care of business. I’ve got a full house coming, including my Albanian fans. There should be a couple hundred of them there. They yell and scream and go crazy at my fights. I love it.”
With every fight, 26-year-old Halili is building a reputation as one of boxing’s most exciting new fighters, a reputation he says he doesn’t chase deliberately. “It’s just natural,” he explained. “You can’t try to be an exciting fighter. That’s not it. I’m a power puncher and if I feel like I’m losing, I go off and do something crazy and things seem to fall into place; like they were meant to happen.”
Halili says he’s aware that Batista has a reputation of his own.
“I know he’s a very dirty fighter. Every fight I watch of him, he’s low blowing somebody four or five times a fight. But boxing is a rough sport and I can learn a lot from him before I get him out of there. I’m prepared to go the distance, but I think I can knock him out. I just have to stay focused and not let him get in my head. If he hits me low I can’t lose my focus. That’s what he wants.”
After about 30 amateur fights with mixed success, Halili says he decided to listen to the people telling him his style was more for the pros… a decision he’s now glad he made.
“Soon as I turned pro, I started doing better. People were telling me I’d make a great pro because I set up my opponents. At first, I turned pro just to give it a try But then when I started doing good, my confidence skyrocketed and I began to believe I can really do this.”
Also featured at SUPER BRAWL® III will be Halili’s promising brother, super welterweight Enver Halili (8-0, 2 KOs), in a six-round appearance, as well as the long-awaited professional debut of Hasim Rahman Jr., son of former undisputed and two-time Heavyweight World Champion Hasim Rahman Sr., in a four-round heavyweight bout.
On the exciting undercard will be Baltimore welterweight Malik Hawkins (10-0, 7 KOs) and Baltimore super featherweight Glenn Dezurn (8-0, 6 KOs) in separate bouts. All un-named opponents are TBA.
SUPER BRAWL® III will be broadcast, tape-delayed, on Sportsnet New York (SNY). On fight night, doors open at 6:00 pm and the action starts at 7:00 pm. The Skylands ECC is located at 792 Route 10 West in Randolph, NJ. Phone: 973.328.8600.

Greg Cohen Promotions Congratulates Skender Halili for Winning Ring Magazine ‘Round of the Year’ for 2016

Greg Cohen Promotions wishes to congratulate their fighter, Skender Halili, one of the most exciting fighters in boxing, for winning THE RING Magazine Round of the Year 2016 for the second round of his super welterweight war against Jason Thompson.
Held on May 27 at the Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino in Niagara Falls, New York, the second round of Halili vs. Thompson featured three knockdowns. After an average first round, Halili (13-1, 13 KOs) went down twice in the second under heavy fire from the unexpectedly aggressive veteran Thompson (5-12-4, 4 KOs).
However, in a breathtaking display of boxing’s exciting unpredictability, a dazed Halili, reeling around the ring badly hurt, somehow found the strength to launch a fight-ending right hand at 2:59.
Those thrilling three minutes have now cemented Fort Worth’s Halili and New York’s Thompson in boxing history. Watch the video HERE.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” said Halili. “I found out right before my last fight, so i was trying to forget about it and stay focused. I saw the names I was up against, and it was guys like Keith Thurman and Sean Porter. That shocked me because their fight was great. Every round was great.”
26-year-old Halili says a lot of the credit for the classic brawl goes to Thompson.
“I give him credit. He came in with a game plan. In the first round, I thought I could out-jab him all day, but he stayed calm and got me to make mistakes. He took me out of my plan and that’s why it became a war. Thompson is smart fighter and his record is very deceiving. He made me realize you can’t judge anyone by their record. But in the end, he didn’t know I could also be the bull.”
“Skender has the type of power and the level of heart that can lead to fights like this,” said promoter Greg Cohen. “We are very proud to be working with him and he’s never let us down. Almost all of his fights turn into crowd-pleasing wars and he always finds a way to win in the end. This fight was just the perfect example of the kind of excitement he brings.”

Brant Stops Hloros with Body Shot and Defends WBA-NABA Championship in Hinckley

On Friday, January 20, in front of a standing-room-only crowd of 3000+ at the Grand Casino’s Events & Convention Center in Hinckley, Minnesota, WBA #3-, IBF #13- and WBO #5-rated middleweight contender Rob “Bravo” Brant stayed busy and defended his WBA-NABA Middleweight Championship by stopping Detroit’s Alexis Hloros.
With a possible title-shot opportunity on the near horizon, the Saint Paul, Minnesota-based Brant (22-0, 15 KOs) wasted no time in dispatching Hloros at2:33 of the first round. A huge body shot dropped Hloros for a count of nine, but he arose still wincing in pain, and was in no condition to continue.
“I was happy with the way the night ended up,” said Brant. “When you get a guy last minute like Alexis Hloros, you have to treat them like they have been training to be the best version of themselves. Overlook them and you can get beat. I feel like I am ready for a bigger name now and am ready to showcase myself at the top level.”
The event, presented by Greg Cohen Promotions in association with David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions, also featured GCP’s always exciting super welterweight KO artist Skender Halili.
Halili (13-1, 13 KOs) kept his KO percentage at 100% by stopping Wichita’s Romon Barber (7-13, 6 KOs) in the fifth round.
The anvil-fisted Halili landed some bombs early that Barber was able to absorb. However, Halili’s power eventually wore him down. In the fifth, he caught Barber with an uppercut that staggered him backwards into the ropes where he then pounded him relentlessly until the referee stopped the fight. It was a spectacular show of brutal punching power.
“I was very impressed with both our fighters tonight,” said Greg Cohen. “Rob Brant is clearly at the top of his game and ready for a big opportunity. Despite the opponent change on short notice, he handled it the way a future champion should. And Skender Halili continued his run as one of the most exciting punchers in boxing with another fan-friendly win. It was a great event in front of a huge crowd of fans. I am proud to have been able to promote it.”

Top-Rated Brant Defends WBA-NABA Championship Against Hloros This Friday in Hinckley, MN

On Friday, January 20, at the Grand Casino’s Events & Convention Center in Hinckley, Minnesota, WBA #3-, IBF #13- and WBO #5-rated middleweight contender Rob “Bravo” Brant will put his lofty rankings and his WBA-NABA Middleweight Championship on the line against Mount Clemens, Michigan’s Alexis “Hurricane” Hloros (18-5-2, 12 KOs) in a 10-round slugfest.
A native of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Brant (21-0, 14 KOs) will return to his home state to headline “Grand Friday Night Fights” a nine-bout professional boxing event, presented by Greg Cohen Promotions in association with David Schuster’s winner take all productions.
Tickets for “Grand Friday Night Fights” are priced at $800 Table, $100 Ringside, $50 Reserved and $35 General Admission and are available at grandcasinomn.com, Ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster outlets. The entire event will also be streamed live on FloBoxing.tv (7:30 p.m. CST).
“It has been five months since I’ve been in the ring, but haven’t taken much time off,” said Brant. “I have focused on nothing but preparing for the top level of the middleweight division. Though my original opponent fell through last minute, I am well-prepared for whoever is across from the ring from me. I treat everyone across from me like a world champion and I am prepared to showcase the best version of myself.”
“He’s going to have get past me if he wants to fight the best in the division,” said Holoros. “How he does against me will give a good indication of who he is. If he beats me he’s got something. I know he’s undefeated and coming to fight and so am I. I’ve been fighting a lot of years. I’m ready and I’ll put on a performance the fans that night will remember.”
Other Greg Cohen Promotions prospects in action will be all-action super welterweight Skender Halili from Fort Worth, Texas, via Klina, Kosovo; and ultra-talented welterweight prospect Malik “Iceman” Hawkins (10-0, 7 KOs) from Baltimore, Maryland.
Never in a bad fight, the the 26-year-old power-punching Halili will take on Wichita, Kansas, veteran Romon Barber (7-12, 6 KOs) in a six-round battle.
21-year-old Hawkins, a highly decorated amateur boxer and now undefeated professional, will face an opponent yet to be announced in a six-rounder.
“Rob Brant is on the verge of a very big opportunity and I commend him for wanting to stay sharp and not rest on his laurels,” said Greg Cohen. “The Grand Casino has been a terrific site to work with throughout my company’s history and I’m very happy to be returning once again. Our fighters Skender Halili and Malik Hawkins are in good match-ups on the undercard and we’ve got FloBoxing.tv streaming the event online. It’s a great even I’m proud to have the Greg Cohen Promotions name on.”
On fight night, the action starts at 7 p.m. The Grand Casino Hinckley is located at 777 Lady Luck Drive in Hinckley, MN. 
How to Watch FloBoxing Fight Series: Brant vs. Hloros
On TV: Now Available on Roku & Apple TV 4
STREAMING: Available only on FloBoxing. Sign up today for $20 monthly or $150 yearly. Yearly FloPRO access gets you premium content and events from ALL FloSports sites, including FloCombat, FloWrestling, and FloGrappling. The commentary team for Jan. 20 will feature Mike Letourneau, national boxing writer Steve Kim and former heavyweight champion of the world Hassim “The Rock” Rahman.   The eight-bout card will begin streaming on FloBoxing.tv at 7:30 p.m. CST. SIGN UP HERE

Results from CBS Sports Network Championship Boxing in Temecula, California 

‘Bravo’ Brant Stops Fitzpatrick in Three, Continues March to Middleweight Title Shot
 
Current WBO NABO and WBA NABA Middleweight Champion and WBA #4- and WBO #7-rated middleweight Rob “Bravo” Brant (21-0, 14 KOs) of Saint Paul, Minnesota, kept his momentum plowing forward and continued to impress tonight with a one-sided beatdown of Chris “The Irish Ghost” Fitzpatrick (15-5, 6 KOs) of Cleveland.
 
Fighting in the 10-round main event of CBS Sports Network Championship Boxing from the Grand Ballroom of the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California, Brant had too many weapons for the game Fitzpatrick.
 
The event, a televised quadrupleheader, was Presented by Greg Cohen Promotions in association with the International Championship Boxing League (ICBL), Ringside Ticket Inc., and David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions.
 
Brant moved smoothly around the ring, landing at will. He dropped Fitzpatrick with an uppercut in round two (Fitzpatrick nearly fell out of the ring) and finished it with another knockdown at 1:18 of round three.
 
Typically candid, Brant said the game plan was to not let Fitzpatrick get a toe hold in the fight. “He’s the type of guy, if you let him hang in there, he’ll hang for a number of rounds,” said Brant, post-fight. “I wanted to make an example of him and make sure I put him down.”
 
The future looks bright for the red-hot Brant, who seems to tighten up his game with every performance. “Under the tutelage of Derrick James, I’ve learned to sit down on my punches and stay defensively sound at the same time,” he continued, “but now it’s time to step up the level of competition. As nice as it is to get these kinds of win, it’s a lot nicer to get them up a level.”
 
In the co-main event, Fort Worth, Texas, slugger “No Surrender” Skender Halili made quick work of Silver Springs, Maryland, veteran Ben Odamattey.
Halili, with a record of 11-1, 11 KOs, caught Odamattey with his proven power early and it quickly became apparent he couldn’t handle it. Odamattey tried bravely to keep his feet under the hell fire. He rose from a knockdown but was quickly under siege again and with Odamattey’s legs betraying him, Referee Ray Corona waved it off at 1:17 of the first.
Odamattey slips to 16-15-3, 9 KOs. Halili, never in a bad fight, is becoming “must see TV” with his action-packed way of doing things.
 
Undefeated middleweight Cem “The Champ” Killic (6-0, 3 KOs) did what he was supposed to do in his tryout fight for GCP, by tearing through debuting Vegas fighter Jerhed Fenderson (0-1).
Fenderson looked to have some skills and fought evenly with Killic in the first round.
However, Killic, of Frankfurt, Germany, now residing in Sherman Oaks, California, took over in round two, clubbing a tiring Fenderson against the ropes with heavy shots until dropping him hard to get the stoppage.
The end came at 1:50 of round two.
To start the televised bouts, Baltimore, Maryland welterweight Malik “Ice Man” Hawkins had to work all four rounds to move his record to 9-0, 7 KOs against a surprisingly determined Sean “The Beast of War” Gee (3-4) of Portland, Oregon.
Hawkins had too much speed and skill for the brawling Gee, but Gee kept it interesting with his wild swings and willingness to exchange. Hawkins’ brilliance carried the night though as he was given a unanimous decision (40-36 x 3).
In the night’s opening bout, Detroit’s Jarico “Great Lakes King” O’Quinn (3-0, 2 KOs) survived a scare from nearby Oceanside California’s Jonathon Quiroz (6-3, 1 KO) in their bantamweight four-rounder.
O’Quinn came out firing in the first, as expected, but Quiroz figured out how to time him with looping shots in the second. He rocked O’Quinn to his boots with a right but wasn’t able to finish.
O’Quinn did a little more in the final two rounds, but credit the California judges for not playing home favorites. The scores, met with booing, were 39-37 across the board.
“It was a good step up for me, being 2-0, fighting someone with nine fights,” said O’Quinn. “I learned that not everybody is going to lay down and that’s exactly what I wanted. I didn’t want a cake-walk.
What was supposed to be a routine dual-pro-debut for two unknowns quickly turned into an epic war for ages, as “Slick” Will Davis finally managed to stop a wild-swinging Erick Fowler in four rounds.
A classic “skill vs. will” match-up, Davis would land his sharp, educated combinations only to be answered every time by the clubbing shots of the iron-chinned Fowler.
With momentum swinging back-and-forth every few seconds, Davis dropped Fowler in the second. Fowler returned the favor in the third.
By the fourth round even the crowd was exhausted, as Davis landed a barrage of unanswered shots that finished things at the :39 seconds mark of round four.
Local super flyweight product Danny Andujo (1-0, 1 KO) turned professional with a quick stoppage of San Jose’s Israel Hernandez, now 1-3-1, 1 KO.
Andujo swarmed, landing hard shots against the outgunned Hernandez, who took the 10 count at :55 of the first round.
And finally, undefeated Temecula featherweight Robert Meza (3-0-0, 1 KO) cruised to a dominant four-round decision over brave, but crude Jose Fabian Naranjo (3-3-1, 1 KO)
of Baja California, Mexico.
The scores were 40-36 x 3.

Undercard Announced for CBS Sports Network Championship Boxing Quadrupleheader, this Friday, August 5, at Pechanga

A host of local up-and-comers in exciting match-ups highlight the untelevised undercard forthis Friday’s (August 5, 2016) CBS Sports Network Championship Boxing quadrupleheader in the Grand Ballroom of the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California.
 
Presented by Greg Cohen Promotions in association with the International Championship Boxing League (ICBL), Ringside Ticket Inc., and David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions, the 10-round main event will feature WBA #4- and WBO #7-rated middleweight and current WBO NABO and WBA NABA Middleweight Champion, Rob “Bravo” Brant (20-0, 13 KOs) of Saint Paul, Minnesota, taking on Chris “The Irish Ghost” Fitzpatrick (15-4, 6 KOs) of Cleveland.
 
Tickets for CBS Sports Network Championship Boxing are priced at $85, $65 and $50 and are available at www.pechanga.com or by calling the Pechanga Box Office:(877) 711-2946.
 
In the six-round super welterweight co-featured bout, Fort Worth, Texas, slugger Skender Halili (10-1, 10 KOs) will look to keep his perfect knockout record intact against experienced Ghanian veteran (now living in Silver Springs, Maryland) Ben Odamattey (16-14-3, 9 KOs). In another televised four-rounder, undefeated former amateur world champion Cem Killic (5-0, 2 KOs) of Sherman Oaks, California, via Frankfurt, Germany, will take on pro-debuting middleweight Jerhed Fenderson of Las Vegas. And in the night’s opening televised bout, red-hot prospect Malik Hawkins (8-0, 7 KOs) of Baltimore, Maryland, will look to keep his march to the top of the welterweight division alive against Portland, Oregon’s Sean Gee (3-4).
Topping the night’s undercard will be Temecula, California’s undefeated Robert Meza (2-0-0, 1 KO) in a four-round featherweight duel with Baja California, Mexico’s Jose Fabian Naranjo (3-2-1, 1 KO).
Also in action will be Detroit-based bantamweight Jarico O’Quinn (2-0, 2 KOs) taking on the more experienced Jonathon Quiroz (6-3, 1 KO) from Oceanside, California.
Making his anticipated professional debut will be Temecula, California’s Danny Andujo in a super flyweight four-rounder against San Jose’s Israel Hernandez (1-2-1, 1 KO).
A dual-pro-debut lightweight four-rounder will pit Las Vegas’ Erick Fowler against Sacramento’s Will Davis.
And opening up the action will be a super welterweight four-rounder between San Diego’s undefeated Kevin Ottley (2-0, 2 KOs) and Hawthorne’s Brian True (1-4, 1 KO).
The Pechanga Resort & Casino is located at 45000 Pechanga Parkway in Temecula, CA. For more information, call 1-888-PECHANGA or visit www.pechanga.com. On fight night, doors open at 6 pm and the action starts at 7 pm. All bouts subject to change.

BRANT VS FITZPATRICK HEADLINES CBS SPORTS NETWORK CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING THIS FRIDAY AT PECHANGA RESORT & CASINO

 

This Friday, August 5, 2016, in the Grand Ballroom of the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California, Greg Cohen Promotions and Ringside Ticket Inc., in association with David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions, will proudly present a quadrupleheader of professional boxing, televised live on CBS Sports Network (11 pm ET/8 pm PT).
In the night’s televised main event, red-hot WBA #4- and WBO #7-rated middleweight and current WBO NABO and WBA NABA Middleweight Champion, Rob “Bravo” Brant (20-0, 13 KOs) of Saint Paul, Minnesota, will look to keep his momentum going in a 10-round battle against Cleveland’s Chris “The Irish Ghost” Fitzpatrick (15-4, 6 KOs).
In the six-round super welterweight co-featured bout, Fort Worth, Texas, slugger Skender Halili (10-1, 10 KOs) will look to keep his perfect knockout record intact against experienced Ghanian veteran (now living in Silver Springs, Maryland) Ben Odamattey (16-14-3, 9 KOs).
In another televised four-rounder, undefeated former amateur world champion Cem Killic (5-0, 2 KOs) of Sherman Oaks, California, via Frankfurt, Germany, will take on pro-debuting middleweight Jerhed Fenderson of Las Vegas.
And in the night’s opening televised bout, red-hot prospect Malik Hawkins (8-0, 7 KOs) of Baltimore, Maryland, will look to keep his march to the top of the welterweight division alive against Portland, Oregon’s Sean Gee (3-4).
Tickets for CBS Sports Network Championship Boxing are priced at $85, $65 and $50 and are available at www.pechanga.com or by calling the Pechanga Box Office:(877) 711-2946.
 
25-year-old Brant has already won two fights this year. In April, he took care of Arkansas veteran Delray Raines in less than a round and in January, he scored a nationally televised “Knockout of the Year” candidate against formidable contender DeCarlo Perez. The victory put Brant on the radar of the boxing world.
29-year-old Fitzpatrick went undefeated in his first 15 fights and only suffered setbacks against some of the world’s top middleweights, including world champion Daniel Jacobs. “The Irish Ghost” is never in a bad fight and will test any would-be contender’s true mettle.
Promoter Greg Cohen says he’s excited to be bringing his popular televised boxing series to California.
“This is our first scheduled quadrupleheader and we’re excited to be bringing it to a classic boxing venue like the Pechanga,” said Cohen. “Rob Brant will be in against a guy who will take you out if you don’t have the goods. Skender Halili’s last fight was one of the best of the year, so I look forward to another slugfest. Cem Kilic won’t have it easy. Although his opponent is making his debut, he can really fight. And we all get another look at the amazing talent of Malik Hawkins to open the night. It’s truly a great night of boxing. Thanks to my partners and the wonderful staff at Pechanga for helping make it happen.”
The night’s jam-packed undercard will be announced later this week.
The Pechanga Resort & Casino is located at 45000 Pechanga Parkway in Temecula, CA. For more information, call 1-888-PECHANGA or visit www.pechanga.com. On fight night,doors open at 6 pm and the action starts at 7 pm. All bouts subject to change.