Tag Archives: Eric Buller

amateur boxing, boxing

Springfield embodies spirit of USA Boxing

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Second stop of USA vs. Ireland Northeast Boxing Tour on Mar. 15
 
TICKETS ON SALE, VISIT WWW.USABOXING.ORG
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (February 28, 2018) – Central City Boxing Club and Barbell, based in Springfield, Massachusetts, embodies the true spirit of USA Boxing.
Dean Fay, the Central City Boxing and Barbell Gym Founder & Director, has helped develop the Western New England Golden Gloves franchise into the preeminent power in the six-state region, capturing numerous individual All-New England titles and five consecutive team championships.
More importantly, though, Dean and his outstanding staff have reshaped the futures of countless youth in Greater Springfield, instilling an invaluable philosophy that, through amateur boxing, provides an opportunity for members to reshape their lives, in addition to making a significant difference in their communities.
From a storied past at the nearby Holyoke Boys & Girls Club, Dean and his young boxers have a new home at MassMutual Center in Springfield, which will host the second stop of the USA Boxing USA vs. Ireland Northeast Boxing Tour on Thursday, March 15. An exciting evening of entertainment, headlined by 10 bouts of amateur boxing between the two powerhouse national programs, as well as Springfield’s hometown AC/DC tribute band,BACK IN BLACK, kicking off the show and continuing to perform throughout the night.
Tickets are on sale now, ranging in price from $35 for Upper Bowl seating to $100 for a limited premium seat at a ringside table. Seats in the Lower Bowl section of the MassMutual Center can be purchased for $50. Tickets can be purchased online here.Groups of 10 or more can enjoy select savings by calling Richard DeCusati at 413-271-3259.
Fay is a Springfield police officer who started his program 10 years ago, last year moving into Central City Boxing and Barbell Gym, primarily to keep kids off the street, teaching them values to become productive citizens.
“Our program, first, is youth development and second, boxing,” Fay explained. “We use boxing as a vehicle for valuable teaching lessons, embodying the same values of boxing: competition, cohesiveness and integrity. Springfield has had a long history in boxing. The Golden Gloves were held in Holyoke, one city over from Springfield, for 50 years before coming here. Golden Gloves has funded a lot of small gyms because many of these kids can’t afford fees. We’ve bridged the gap by hosting shows that raises money and creates fanbases.
“Through the years, Marvin Hagler, Marlon Starling, Micky Ward, John Scully and so many others have come through USA Boxing programs in New England. Boxing represents life; how to conduct themselves in and out of the ring. Boxing is a small fraternity and boxers walk up those steps and through the ropes, in front of everybody, and confront their fears. Boxing is determined by judges and, in life, you are judged by how you live by laws. Life values are taught through boxing.
“Hosting the USA-Boxing Northeast Boxing Tour gives kids in our program an opportunity to watch up close the top boxers who are representing their country. My kids realize that they could do that someday. They see the best boxers in the country and that’s where they want to be.”
Anticipated Team USA boxers competing in Springfield include 2017 Elite World Championship bronze medalist Troy Isley (Alexandria, VA.), along with 2017 Elite World Championship team members Delante Johnson (Cleveland, OH), Virginia Fuchs (Kemah, TX), who won four international gold medals last year, and 2016 Youth World Championship bronze medalist and 2017 USA Boxing Super Heavyweight National Champion, Richard Torrez (Tulare, CA). All boxers are subject to change.
Retired three-time, two-division world champion Jose Antonio Rivera started boxing in Springfield before moving to another Western N.E. stronghold in Worcester (MA). Now promoting professional shows, Rivera excelled as an amateur, winning top honors at the New England Golden Gloves and twice in the Western N.E. Championships, highlighted by a bronze-medal performance at the PAL Championships.
“I was fortunate to be part of USA Boxing,” Rivera said. “Gaining experience in amateur boxing helped mold me as a person and give me confidence to pursue my dream of becoming world champion as a professional. I started boxing in Springfield when I was 15, before moving to Worcester (MA), becoming part of Carlo Garcia‘s growing stable of national and regional champions.”
The three-city boxing tour kicks off at Boston’s Royale Entertainment Complex on March 12 and closes Mar. 21 at the Manchester Downtown Hotel in Manchester, N.H. A full roster for both teams will soon be released.
To stay up to date on the USA vs. Ireland Northeast Boxing Tour click here.
USA vs. Ireland Schedule
March 12: Royale Entertainment Complex, Boston, Mass.
March 15: MassMutual Center, Springfield, Mass.
March 21: The Manchester Downtown Hotel, Manchester, N.H.
All boxers and bouts are subject to change.
INFORMATION:
Twitter: @USABoxing
Instagram: @USABoxing
Facebook: /USABoxing
amateur boxing, boxing

Micky Ward & Kevin McBride Named Honorary Captains in Boston dual

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PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
 
USA vs. Ireland Northeast Boxing Tour
Kicks-off March 12 in Boston
 
TICKETS ON SALE, VISIT WWW.USABOXING.ORG
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (February 26, 2018) – One of boxing’s most beloved boxer of all-time, “Irish” Micky Ward, and the Irishman best known for knocking out legendary Mike Tyson into retirement, Kevin “The Clones Colossus” McBride, have been selected as honorary team captains, respectively, of Team USA and Team Ireland for the first leg of the three-city 2018 USA vs. Ireland Northeast Boxing Tour.
The tour commences Monday, March 12, at the newly renovated Royale Entertainment Complex in Boston’s famed theater district. The Boston stop, which is being presented by Budweiser, have general admission tickets for $20.00 and a limited amount of $30.00 reserved tickets on sale and are available to purchase online here.
Ward, 52, is the pride of Lowell, Massachusetts, where he is a living legend. A three-time New England Golden Gloves champion as an amateur boxer, Ward fought professionally between 1985-2003, registering a 38-13 (27 KOs) record as a junior welterweight throughout his pro career. He is best known for his epic trilogy with the late Arturo Gatti, in which he became the first fighter with double-digit losses to earn a $1-million purse (twice).
An all-action, crowed-pleasing fighter, Ward was involved in three Fight of the Year honors, the first and third of the Gatti trilogy, along with a memorable match with Emanuel Augustus. Ward was the winner in two (first Gatti and Augustus) of those classic fights.
Boston-native Mark Wahlberg portrayed Ward in, The Fighter, a movie about Micky’s life that won two Academy Awards.
“To be honorary captain of Team USA means a lot to me,” Ward said. “It’s great having elite amateur boxing back in Boston with the national teams from the United States and Ireland. It’s especially exciting for me as an Irish-American.”
The 44-year-old McBride was born in Clones, Ireland. He was a member of the 1992 Ireland Olympic Boxing Team at the age of 19, competing in the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. Two years earlier, he represented Ireland at the European Championships and one of his teammates was Billy Walsh, Team USA’s current head coach of Team USA and former chief trainer for Team Ireland.
Like other Irish boxers, McBride came to the United States to enhance his professional career, landing in the predominately Irish neighborhood of Dorchester, a working-class section Boston, back in 1999. The 6′ 6″, 285-pound McBride started training in Brockton, MA with Goody Petronelli, who had trained Marvelous Marvin Hagler, and later Packy Collins, the brother of another Petronelli-trained fighter, world champion Stevie Collins.
McBride fought professionally between 1992-2011, retiring with a 35-10-1 (29 KOs), highlighted by his shocking sixth-round knockout of Tyson in 2005, driving the “Baddest Man on the Planet” into ring retirement.
“I feel good about being honorary captain of Team Ireland,” remarked the still thickly Irish-brogue McBride, who still lives with his family in Dorchester. “I’m honored to be carrying the Irish flag for these fighters. I’m not sure how many of them remember me as the man who beat Tyson. I know some of the Irish coaches and I still support boxing in Ireland as well as America. I just love boxing. And it’s always a pleasure to be with my friend, Micky Ward. He’s a good lad.”
The USA vs. Ireland Northeast Boxing Tour will continue March 15 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass., concluding March 21 at The Manchester Downtown Hotel in New Hampshire.
All the duals will begin at 7:00 p.m. EST and tickets will be made available for purchase in the coming weeks. Each city will showcase up to 12 bouts, which will all be live streamed, free of charge, on USA Boxing’s website (www.usaboxing.org).
Tentatively headlining Team USA’s roster in the Boston dual s 2017 World Championship bronze medalist Troy Isley (Alexandria, VA). Four-time 2017 international gold medalist Virginia Fuchs (Kemah, TX), 2016 Youth World Champion and 2017 Elite Continental Championships silver medalist, Delante Johnson (Cleveland, OH), and 2016 Youth World Championship bronze medalist and 2017 USA Boxing Super Heavyweight National Champion, Richard Torrez (Tulare, CA).
Full team rosters for each city will be released closer to the start of the tour.
USA vs. Ireland Schedule
March 12: Royale Entertainment Complex, Boston, Mass.
March 15: MassMutual Center, Springfield, Mass.
March 21: The Manchester Downtown Hotel, Manchester, N.H.
All boxers and bouts are subject to change.
INFORMATION:
Twitter: @USABoxing
Instagram: @USABoxing
Facebook: /USABoxing
amateur boxing, boxing

“Collegiate Fight Night” West Point vs. New England  This Saturday night in Winchester, MA

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WINCHESTER, Mass. (November 6, 2017) – Veterans Day will be celebrated in a unique way this Saturday night (7 p.m. ET) when the National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA), in association with USA Boxing, presents an evening of amateur boxing, “Collegiate Fight Night”,
With 10 amateur matches being held at Maurer Auditorium in Winchester Town Hall (on Mt. Vernon St.).
The Cadets of the United States Military Academy at West Point are matched against a New England all-star caliber team comprised of boxers from the Coast Guard Academy (New London, CT), University of Massachusetts, University of Connecticut and Trinity College.
“COLLEGIATE FIGHT NIGHT”
(all 3 X 2 Rounds)
 
OPEN CLASS
160 lbs
Luca Botis LoConte (18-7), Army West Point / Winchester, MA
vs.
Joseph Orosco (10-8), Trinity College / Pomona CA
NOVICE CLASS
Heavyweights
Jack Ward (0-0), Army West Point / North Hampton, NH
vs.
Jesus Fequiere (0-0), UConn / Windsor, CT
200 lbs.
Jordan Elliott (4-5), Army West Point / Camden, AZ
vs.
Marshall Rayburn (4-5), Coast Guard / New London, CT
185 lbs
Emmanuel Ahou (0-0), Army West Point / Newark, NJ
vs.
Luke Psoimas (0-1), Coast Guard / New London, CT
175 lbs.
Kalen Khan (0-0), Army West Point / Bonne Terre, MO
vs.
Josh Bennett (1-1), UConn / Bridgeport, CT
158 lbs
Alex Lawrence (0-0), Army West Point / Carrollton, TX
vs.
Jacob Cohen (0-0), UMass / Northborough, MA
158 lbs
Moses Sun (5-3), Army West Point / Granite Falls, WA
vs.
Colin Johnson (4-3), Coast Guard / New London, CT
156 lbs
Kyle Taylor (1-0), Army West Point / Oro Valley, AZ
vs.
Aaron Schneider (1-2), Trinity College / Needham, MA
156 lbs.
Chandon Hutchinson (0-0), Army West Point / Orange County, CA
vs.
Dante Gilbert (0-0), UConn / Stamford, CT
125 lbs.
Isiah Ortiz (4-2), Army West Point / Stockton, CA
vs.
Christian Moura (2-4), UMass / Hollis, NH
(all matches & boxers subject to change)
 
Former professional world champions “Irish” Micky Ward (Lowell) and Jose Antonio “El Gallo” Rivera (Worcester) will be special guests at “Collegiate Fight Night”.
Seacoast Ticket Agency is the exclusive online (www.seacoastticket.com) and phone (1.800.382.5242) ordering ticket service for “Collegiate Fight Night”. Tickets plus ($2.50 service fee) are priced at $20.00 for general admission and limited $40.00 ringside reserved. Limited $500 VIP packages are also available and include four ringside reserved tickets, including a pre-event reception at Lucias Ristorante in Winchester (cash bar), company name recognition in the event program, post and pre-event Meet & Greet with special guest boxers at Lucias. Tickets may be available to purchase fight night at the door, however, this event is expected to sell-out in advance.
INFORMATION:
Twitter: @USABoxing
Instagram: @USABoxing
Facebook: /NCBA, /USABoxing
ABOUT NATIONAL COLLEGIATE BOXING ASSOCIATION (NCBA): The NCBA is the senior college boxing governing body in the United States. The NCBA provides student athletes an opportunity to box at the recreational, intramural, and competitive levels. Its philosophy and rules provide a safe and level playing field for both new and experienced athletes.
ABOUT USA BOXING: The mission of USA Boxing shall be to enable United States’ athletes and coaches to achieve sustained competitive excellence, develop character, support the sport of boxing, and promote and grow Olympic style boxing in the United States. The responsibility of USA Boxing is not only to produce Olympic gold, bit also oversee and every aspect of amateur boxing in the United States.
amateur boxing, boxing

“Collegiate Fight Night” Homecoming for two West Point Cadet Boxers Luca LoConte Botis & Jack Ward

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Saturday, Nov. 11 in Winchester, MA
(L-R) – Luca LoConte Botis, head coach Ray Barone, and Jack Ward
 
WINCHESTER, Mass. (October 29, 2017) – “Collegiate Fight Night”, presented by the National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA) in association with USA Boxing, on Saturday night (7 p.m. ET start), November 11, will be a homecoming for a pair of West Point Cadets boxers with close ties to the town of Winchester (MA), Luca LoConte Botis and Jack Ward.
Ten amateur bouts are on tap at Maurer Auditorium in Winchester Town Hall (on Mt. Vernon St.) as the Cadets of the United States Military Academy at West Point are matched against a New England all-star caliber team comprised of boxers from the Coast Guard Academy (New London, CT), University of Massachusetts, University of Connecticut, Trinity College and Harvard University.
West Point requires all its Cadets, male and female, to take 19 lessons of boxing and that, combined with the program’s tremendous success in competition over the years, results in its relatively high number of boxers (40) on a college boxing team. West Point voluntary head boxing coach Ray Barone is a military retiree who taught at West Point.
“Luca and Jack work hard in the gym and are leaders amongst their peers,” Coach Barone said. “They are top-of-the-line guys and we’re fortunate to have both on our team. West Point is a high-end academic school, like an Ivy League school, and we aren’t allowed to recruit boxers.
“We have another great group of boxers this year. It’s always, ‘Yes, sir; no, sir’ and they’re all very articulate. Luca and Jack, like other boxers on our team, are very respectful. Luca is a very good boxer who could very well be in the Fight of the Night. Jack came here as a football player and he’ll be in his first boxing match on November 11th.”
LoConte Botis and Ward, who has close to a 4.0 GPA, are sophomores who aspire to be Infantry officers upon graduation from West Point.
Luca attended West Point Prep School for one year before entering West Point Military Academy. A 2015 graduate of Winchester High School, he started boxing at a young age, capturing top honors in the New England Junior Olympics, and he developed his skills at Peter Welch’s Gym in South Boston, as well as with the Rivera brothers at the Somerville Boxing Club.
Because he always intended to box at West Point, Luca contacted boxing officials there when he was still in high school, and he knew the coaches and boxers before he officially got there. With 18 (11-7) amateur matches under his belt, Luca has invaluable experience in a sport he passionately views as a lifestyle, much more than a sport
“I am from Winchester and look at this show as a homecoming,” Luca remarked. “I fought there once as a freshman and now I want to show everybody at home that I’ve grown. I’m no longer a boy, I’m growing into a man, and boxing has a lot to do with that. Styles make fights and I know who I’m fighting. I plan to relax in the ring and give everybody a real show. I’m going to have a lot of fun, too, and leave with a smile on my face.
“I become a better version of myself, every day, by getting in the ring. Boxing takes its toll on the body and mind but, if I have a tough day academically or during military training, I get that anger out in the gym. Boxing is a release for me. It reminds me why I’m here. What I overcome in the ring, I can do in any other way. I plan to compete in the Golden Gloves this year and as an officer, I will lead men and women soldiers.”
Ward grew-up in Hampton, NH, but he has roots in Winchester, which he considers his second home. Jack attended Salisbury School, in Connecticut, and he was recruited as a football player. He decided not to play football at West Point and, despite having no prior experience as a boxer, he joined the West Point Boxing Team after meeting Coach Barone and some members of the squad.
“I love competing, discipline and conditioning and I’ve never been in as good shape as I am now as a boxer,” Jack explained. “Boxing adds to my overall development, mentally and physically, and the it will help me become a more effective leader: Calm under pressure, in and out of the ring.
“Because my entire mother’s side is from Winchester, my extended family lives in Winchester, which is like home for me. I’m very happy to be boxing for the first time there and I plan on having a great outing.”
Former professional world champions “Irish” Micky Ward (Lowell) – no relations to Jack Ward — and Jose Antonio “El Gallo” Rivera (Worcester) will be special guests at “Collegiate Fight Night”.
Seacoast Ticket Agency is the exclusive online (www.seacoastticket.com) and phone(1.800.382.5242) ordering ticket service for “Collegiate Fight Night”. Tickets plus ($2.50 service fee) are priced at $20.00 for general admission and limited $40.00 ringside reserved. Limited $500 VIP packages are also available and include four ringside reserved tickets, including a pre-event reception at Lucias Ristorante in Winchester (cash bar), company name recognition in the event program, post and pre-event Meet & Greet with special guest boxers at Lucias. Tickets may be available to purchase fight night at the door, however, this event is expected to sell-out in advance.
INFORMATION:
Twitter: @USABoxing
Instagram: @USABoxing
Facebook: /NCBA, /USABoxing
amateur boxing, boxing

“Collegiate Fight Night” Saturday, Nov. 11 in Winchester, MA

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WINCHESTER, Mass. (October 18, 2017) – Studying will be replaced by punching on Saturday night (7 p.m. ET start), November 11, when the National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA), in association with USA Boxing, presents “Collegiate Fight Night” at Maurer Auditorium (town hall on Mt. Vernon St.) in Winchester, Massachusetts.
An entertaining evening of 10 amateur bouts are scheduled as the Cadets of the United States Military Academy at West Point take on a New England all-star caliber team comprised of boxers from the Coast Guard Academy (New London, CT), University of Massachusetts, University of Connecticut, Trinity College and Harvard University.
“College boxing is not just a sport but also a high-impact leadership development activity,” NCBA president Eric Buller said. “Come out and support these young men and women who face the highest levels of rigor in the classroom and the boxing gym. They will ultimately be the future leaders of our companies, communities and our nation.  Each has worked hard to earn membership in the “Six-Minute Fraternity”.
Two West Points Cadets from Winchester, Luca LoConte Bota and Jack Ward, will headline the event in the homecoming.
Former professional world champions “Irish” Micky Ward (Lowell) and Jose Antonio “El Gallo” Rivera (Worcester) will be special guests at “Collegiate Fight Night”.
Seacoast Ticket Agency is the exclusive online (www.seacoastticket.com) and phone(1.800.382.5242) ordering ticket service for “Collegiate Fight Night”. Tickets plus ($2.50 service fee) are priced at $20.00 for general admission and limited $40.00 ringside reserved. Limited $500 VIP packages are also available and include four ringside reserved tickets, including a pre-event reception at Lucias Ristorante in Winchester (cash bar), company name recognition in the event program, post and pre-event Meet & Greet with special guest boxers at Lucias. Tickets may be available to purchase fight night at the door, however, this event is expected to sell-out in advance.
INFORMATION:
Twitter: @USABoxing
Instagram: @USABoxing
Facebook: /NCBA, /USABoxing