Tag Archives: Jarico O’Quinn
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CLARESSA SHIELDS AND HANNAH RANKIN MIAMI MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES AND PHOTOS
UNBEATEN AMERICAN HEAVYWEIGHT JERMAINE FRANKLIN TO FACE PAVEL SOUR SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5 LIVE ON SHOWTIME® ON UNDERCARD OF CLARESSA SHIELDS vs. IVANA HABAZIN
Plus “All Detroit” Showdown Between Rising Contender Ja’Rico O’Quinn & James Smith Highlights Non-Televised Undercard Action From Dort Federal Events Center In Flint, Mich.
NEW YORK – September 5, 2019 – Undefeated American heavyweight prospect Jermaine Franklin will face Pavel Sour on Saturday, October 5 live on SHOWTIME from Dort Federal Events Center in Flint, Mich.
Franklin (19-0, 13 KOs) will make his third consecutive SHOWTIME appearance of 2019 as he seeks a definitive victory less than an hour from his hometown of Saginaw, Mich. The 25-year-old will take on once-beaten Czech Republic heavyweight Sour (11-1, 6 KOs) on the undercard of a SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION telecast headlined by Claressa Shields vs. Ivana Habazin.
Headlining the non-televised undercard will be an “All Detroit” showdown between crosstown rivals, as West Detroit’s Ja’Rico “Great Lakes King” O’Quinn and East Detroit’s James “O.G.” Smith battle in a 10-round fight for Motown super flyweight supremacy.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Salita Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and at the Dort Center box office.
Considered one of the top American heavyweight prospects, Franklin is a former amateur standout and 2014 National Golden Gloves Champion. He passed on the opportunity to compete for a spot on the 2016 Olympic Games and, after turning professional in 2015, built his undefeated record with relative ease through his first 17 fights. In 2019, Franklin stepped up his level of opposition in consecutive fights on SHOWTIME, earning a unanimous decision over former No. 1-ranked U.S. amateur Rydell Booker in April, followed by a hard-fought split-decision over Jerry Forrest in July. Now, the 6-foot-2 Franklin returns for his third bout of the year seeking a conclusive victory for his hometown fans.
“This is what I have been waiting for,” said Franklin. “I can’t wait to put a show on in front of my hometown with friends and family in the crowd. I’ve been working on my diet and taking better care of my body since my last fight. I’m focused on not wasting any punches and letting the knockout come naturally, not pushing for it. I’m going to be better conditioned and more patient and finally prove to fans why I’m America’s next great heavyweight.”
Sour turned professional in 2016 and has won 11 of his first 12 professional bouts. The 36-year-old is coming off a career-best win over previously undefeated Tomas Salek for the regional Czech heavyweight title. The 6-foot-5 Sour has fought all but one of his professional bouts in his native Czech Republic and will make his U.S. debut against Franklin. He was an accomplished amateur overseas and racked up an 80-43-2 record while representing the Czech national team from 2008 to 2015. The lone blemish on Sour’s record is a 2017 loss to highly regarded unbeaten heavyweight Filip Hrgovic.
“I have the technique, speed and power to beat Jermaine Franklin,” said Sour. “I am in great shape, I’m training hard and I’m very confident heading into this fight. Franklin is underestimating me because of my age, but I’m going to show him he’s wrong and have my hand raised when the final bell rings.”
“Jermaine Franklin is on a mission to show the world that he is the top new heavyweight on the scene,” said promoter Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. “He will fight the big and strong Pavel Sour who is coming off a career-best win. This is a significant heavyweight fight that will add to the already historic and electric event on October 5 headlined by Claressa Shields vs. Ivana Habazin.”
The
24-year-old O’Quinn (12-0-1, 8 KOs) stands 5-foot-6 and is rated No. 13 in the
world by the WBO. Blazing-fast hands and effortless combination punching have
allowed the undefeated O’Quinn to become a favorite among Motor City fight
fans. O’Quinn was the No. 1-ranked amateur bantamweight in the country before
turning professional in 2015. He was last seen on April 13 of this year at
Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, winning a dominant unanimous eight-round
decision over Minnesota veteran Vicente Alfaro Martinez.
“On
October 5 you can expect nothing less than what I always do and that’s
win!” said O’Quinn. “This is the biggest fight of my professional
career and my first 10-round fight and I’m taking it very seriously. I will
look the best I’ve looked as pro on that night and after the fight I’ll be
looking for bigger names to take on in the super flyweight division.”
A 29-year-old standing 5-foot-3, Smith (13-2, 7 KOs) carries a reputation as a throwback and one of the most exciting Detroit fighters of the last decade. Known for his fearless aggression in the ring, Smith’s fights are always “must see” fare for Detroiters. Also an accomplished amateur, Smith is a former National Amateur Champion and eight-time Golden Gloves Champion. His last fight came in February of this year at the Performance Arts Center in Dearborn, Mich., where he won a unanimous six-round decision over Mexico’s Jonathan Lecona Ramos.
“My opponent is solid, but he’s not on my level,” said Smith. “He throws a lot of punches but he slaps a lot. There is nothing he can show me that I have not already seen before. The fans can always expect an exciting fight when it comes to me. I’m going to always put it all on the line to win.”
“Detroit is one of the best boxing fight cities in the country and this fight is an example of that,” said Salita. “Ja’Rico is touted as one of the best American super flyweights, while James Smith was a can’t-miss prospect when he turned professional. This fight could turn out to be the fight of the night because both guys will leave it all in the ring to win. Will it be Ja’Rico’s speed and timing, or will James Smith grind him down with his aggression and pressure? No matter who wins, this will be an unforgettable war.”
Barry Tompkins will call the SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION action from ringside with boxing historian Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing. U�5rkl�
“FIGHT NIGHT: SHIELDS vs. HAMMER” CAPTURES THE DRAMA SURROUNDING HISTORIC UNDISUPUTED SHOWDOWN BETWEEN CLARESSA SHIELDS AND CHRISTINA HAMMER
CLARESSA SHIELDS CROWNED UNDISPUTED MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION WITH NEAR-SHUTOUT VICTORY OF CHRISTINA HAMMER SATURDAY ON SHOWTIME
O’Quinn Wins Again! Undefeated Detroit Bantamweight Sends Mexico’s Esquivel Through the Ropes in Second Round TKO Victory
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Undefeated bantamweight prospect Ja’Rico “Great Lakes King” O’Quinn continued building his reputation as one of Detroit’s most promising young fighters on Friday night with a second-round stoppage of former world-title challenger Christian “Italiano” Esquivel of Mexico.
Fighting at the MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit, O’Quinn (now 10-0-1, 7 KOs) showed why he is so highly regarded by sending Esquivel through the ropes for a TKO victory at 2:56 of round two.
Esquivel, a former NABF, WBC Continental Americas, WBC Youth Intercontinental, WBC FECOMBOX, and WBC Silver Bantamweight Champion, had no answer to the fast and powerful hands of O’Quinn. He falls to 30-16-1, 23 KOs.
“Christian Esquivel was a world title challenger and an experienced fighter. My goal was to make a statement,” said a happy O’Quinn, post-fight. “I did what was expected of me and rose to the occasion. I’m looking forward to having another impressive win before the year’s ends and starting next year with my TV debut. I am bringing world championship glory back to the city of Detroit. It’s just a matter of time!”
O’Quinn’s promoter, Dmitriy Salita, said he expected a strong showing from O’Quinn and says he got even more than he hoped for from the 23-year-old.
“Ja’Rico is one of the most gifted prospects in all of boxing! I was very impressed with his dominating performance. He is on his way to winning a world title and joining the list of the great champions from the city of Detroit.”
Tyner and Chambliss Grudge Match Ready to Explode on October 26 in Detroit
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In boxing, there are “grudge” matches manufactured to sell fights, where the hostility is mostly acting. For example, there are indications of that in the buildup to Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury’s upcoming showdown.
And then sometimes, two fighters really, really don’t like each other. Think Terence Crawford taking out Jose Benavidez Jr., recently.
In Detroit, the latter type of grudge match, a real grudge match, has heated to a boil on social media. With insults and threats going back-and-forth daily, outspoken Detroit boxing staple Lanardo “Pain Server” Tyner (34-13-2, 21 KOs) and upstart opponent Cortez Chambliss (4-0, 4 KOs) have been escalating hostilities since the day their match-up was announced.
The two Detroit-based welterweights will finally settle their differences in the eight-round main event on Friday, October 26, at the MotorCity Casino Hotel.
Tickets priced between $180-$25 and are available through Ticketmaster outlets.
“He’s trying to bunny hop over me, but he’s not ready,” said an animated Tyner. The 43-year-old is known as a fearless and iron-jawed spoiler. A 14-year veteran, Tyner has been the 12-round distance with elite superstar Canelo Alvarez and world champions such as Lamont Peterson and Antonio DeMarco. He’s also taken out a number of prospects who found out too late they were in too deep.
“I can’t believe he even called me out,” continued Tyner. “He’s going to get a beating. This isn’t the amateurs and there are no shortcuts. This is not the door to come through.”
A heavily decorated former amateur, 21-year-old Chambliss has been flawless, thus far, as a professional. With power in both hands and above-average speed, Chambliss looks like a new face in the resurgent Motown boxing scene.
“This fight is personal to me,” he said. “Not for the same reasons as my opponent; anger and hostility have nothing to do with it. For me, it’s all about the energy of the risk and challenge. That’s what life is about: ‘growth through challenge,’ so I’m excited for this opportunity.”
The event, entitled “Night of Knockouts XIV” is presented by Carlos Llinas, in cooperation with Dmitriy Salita.
“Carlos Llinas has delivered a consistent, successful series, which has served as a development ground for many notable names in the sport,” said Dmitriy Salita. “This match between Chambliss and Tyner is a classic crossroads fight, with a young, undefeated contender and a proven veteran. A ‘must win’ for both that I know will deliver for the fans. I am happy to be involved with the upcoming event and working together towards producing top contenders and champions in the championship city of Detroit.”
“This is the number one boxing and MMA series in the country that has been going on for nine years and I’m glad to be working with Salita Promotions on this event,” said Carlos Llinas. “It’s good for fighters and everyone involved when promoters can work with each other and provide a platform for fighters to reach the next level.”
Also on the card, one of the most promising young fighters in Detroit’s resurgent boxing scene, undefeated bantamweight Ja’Rico “Great Lakes King” O’Quinn (9-0-1, 6 KOs), will return to action six-round bout against former world-title challenger Christian “Italiano” Esquivel of Mexico (30-15-1, 23 KOs).
The MotorCity Casino Hotel is located at 2901 Grand River in Detroit. On fight night, doors open at 6:30 pm and the first bout begins at 7 pm. All guests must be at least 21 years of age with valid photo ID.
O’Quinn Continues Climb Against Former World-Title Challenger Christian Esquivel on October 26 in Detroit
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On Friday, October 26, at the MotorCity Casino Hotel, one of the most promising young fighters in Detroit’s resurgent boxing scene, undefeated bantamweight Ja’Rico “Great Lakes King” O’Quinn (9-0-1, 6 KOs), will return to action six-round bout against former world-title challenger Christian “Italiano” Esquivel of Mexico (30-15-1, 23 KOs).
O’Quinn, who was last seen taking out veteran Yaqub Kareem in four rounds last June in Detroit, enjoys immense popularity in his native Motown. As an amateur, he won the USA National Championship at bantamweight and the 2013 USA Boxing Youth National Championships.
Against Esquivel, however, he will be in tough. The Mexican veteran is a 12-year professional and a former NABF, WBC Continental Americas, WBC Youth Intercontinental, WBC FECOMBOX, and WBC Silver Bantamweight Champion.
“I’m happy to be fighting in Detroit in front of my hometown fans!” said an excited O’Quinn. “I look forward to scoring another impressive victory and putting Detroit on the map as one of the best fight cities in the world.”
O’Quinn’s promoter, Dmitriy Salita, says he’s expecting a lot from his 23-year-old prospect in this fight.
“Ja’Rico O’Quinn is one of the most accomplished US-born professional prospects in boxing right now. His undefeated professional record and numerous national amateur championships speak for themselves. He is taking on another stern test in a very experienced fighter in front of his hometown fans and I am sure it will be another spectacular performance.”
Tickets for the event are priced between $180-$25 and are available by calling 718.612.5207. The MotorCity Casino Hotel is located at 2901 Grand River in Detroit. On fight night, doors open at 6:30 pm and the first bout begins at 7pm. All guests must be at least 21 years of age with valid photo ID.