Tag Archives: Philadelphia

boxing

Undefeated Bantamweight sensation Christian Carto to faces toughest test in Alonso Melendez on Friday night, September 29th at The 2300 Arena

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Loaded card also features
Carlos Rosario taking on Jerome Conquest in Lightweight showdown

Junior Castillo takes on Gabriel Pham in 10-round Super Middleweight bout
Mykal Fox squares off with Marlon Aguas
David Gonzales battles Darius Ervin

Erik Spring fights Anthony Prescott

Plus Amir Shabazz and Robert Irizarry in action

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Philadelphia, PA (September 11,  2017) -Undefeated bantamweight sensation, knockout artist, Christian Carto has been added to an already loaded night of boxing on Friday night, September 29th at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.
Carto (11-0, 11 KOs) is set to take on Alonso Melendez (14-1, 11 KOs) of Chihuahua, Mexico in a bout scheduled for eight-rounds.
The show is promoted by King’s Promotions.
The 20 year-old continues to step up in competition, and on  September 29th, he will be taking on his toughest foe in Melendez
Carto has kept extremely busy as he fought all eleven of his bouts  in a 13-month span, with his latest being a 2nd round stoppage over Phillip Adyaka on August 11th in front of a sold-out crowd at SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia.
He will making his 1st appearance at the 2300 Arena.
Melendez will making his United States debut.  He has won three in a row, and the five-year professional has a win over previously undefeated Edgar Garcia.  Alonso is coming off a 7th round stoppage over Jesus Limones on September 9, 2015 in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Carlos Rosario (7-2, 4 KOs) of Pennsuaken, New Jersey and Jerome Conquest (8-2, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will meet in a highly anticipated eight-round lightweight bout.
In a ten-round super middleweight attraction, Junior Castillo (14-1, 10 KOs) of theDominican Republic takes on Gabriel Pham (9-1, 4 KOs) of Atlantic City.
Mykal Fox (14-0, 4 Kos) of Forestville, MD will take on Marlon Aguas (9-1, 4 KOs) of Quioto Ecuador in a eight-round welterweight bout.
In six-round bouts:
Maynard Allison (9-1, 6 KOs) of Philadelphia meets Juan Rodriguez (7-7-1, 5 Kos) of Haymarket, Virginia  in a junior lightweight bout.
David Gonzales (8-2-2, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia battles Darius Ervin (4-1) of Los Angeles in a super lightweight bout.
Erik Spring (9-1-2, 1 KO) of Reading, PA will fight Anthony Prescott (6-7-2, 2 KOs) of Cherry Hill, NJ in a super welterweight fight.
In four-round bouts:
Robert Irizarry (3-1-1) of Cherry Hill, NJ fights Bryan Perez (2-7-1, 1KO) of Carolina, Puerto Rico in a super featherweight fight.
Rasheed Johnson (1-1) of Philadelphia battles Demetrius Williams (1-3) of Philadelphia in a welterweight tussle.
Sultan Zamir Ululu of Philadelphia will make his pro debut against Christopher Burgos(0-1) of Philadelphia in a junior lightweight bout.
Amir Shabazz (4-1) of Philadelphia will square off with Alan Lawrence (1-0, 1 KO) of Newark, NJ in a light heavyweight bout.
Tickets for this great night of boxing can be purchased at www.2300arena.com for $100, $75 and $50
boxing

Two-Time world champion, Steve “USS” Cunningham to release comic book series this fall

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Philadelphia, PA (August 25, 2015) – On the eve of his highly anticipated bout with undefeated Andrew Tabiti on Saturday’s Floyd Mayweather – Conor McGregor Pay-Per-View card in Las Vegas, two-time cruiserweight world champion, Steve “USS” Cunningham has announced that he will be releasing a series of comic books this Fall.

Cunningham of Philadelphia will combine his love of comics and his decorated boxing career into an entertaining comic book series that will also feature many of the opponents and personalities of his illustrious 17 year career.
The first strip will feature a fictional depiction of his epic battle with Amir “Hardcore” Mansour that took place in 2014.  Below is a brief video with some of the illustrations that will be featured in the inaugural book.
“Drawing has always been a passion of mine, and people who are artists are inspired from their life experiences.  I have been fortunate to be able to participate in the highest form of theater in professional sports, and that is boxing at the highest level.  I have so many thoughts and ideas from those experiences and I hope to entertain not only boxing fans, but comic lovers from all over the world,” said Cunningham.
boxing

STEVE “USS” CUNNINGHAM TO HOST THE 10TH ANNUAL BRISCOE AWARDS ON OCTOBER 15TH

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PHILADELPHIA – Philly Boxing History announced today that former two-time cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham will be the celebrity guest host of the 10th Annual Briscoe Awards at Xfinity Live!   Philadelphia, on October 15, 2017.

“It’s an honor,” Cunningham said of being named the guest host. “I’m happy and proud. I’m going to do my best.”
Cunningham was the very first recipient of the “Philly Fighter of the Year” Briscoe Award in 2007, and won the same award three years later. Overall, Cunningham has won a total five Briscoe Awards through the years, also winning for “2014 Philly Fight of the Year” (vs. Amir Mansour), and the “Performance of the Year” in both 2012 and 2014.
“The Bennie Briscoe Award was the first Philly organization to step up and really show appreciation for the things that I was doing,” Cunningham said. “I’ve been a world champ, but didn’t get the shine that some world champs would have. But the Bennie Briscoe Awards have always been there, not just for me but for every Philly fighter. I think every city should do this for their fighters, but they don’t. That’s what makes the Briscoe Awards so special.”
“Steve is the most decorated fighter in the Briscoe Awards’ ten year history AND he was our very first “Fighter of the Year” winner,” said John DiSanto of Philly Boxing History Inc. “He’s the perfect person to guest host our 10th annual celebration. Steve has always represented the Briscoe Awards well, and it will be great to have him back on the stage in a whole new role.”
First up however, Cunningham fights undefeated Andrew Tabiti for the NABF cruiserweight title on the Mayweather-McGregor mega-card, this Saturday night in Las Vegas. The ten round bout opens the Pay-Per-View TV broadcast.
ABOUT THE BRISCOE AWARDS ON OCTOBER 15 FROM 1-4 PM
 
The Briscoe Awards are named in honor of legendary Philly middleweight Bennie Briscoe and the trophies given away – the Briscoe Statue and the Briscoe Medal – all bear the deceased icon’s likeness. The event brings together the local boxing community, including the award winners, their families, past and present boxers, fight fans, other boxing people, and general sports fans.
This is the tenth year for the Briscoe Awards, which are presented by Philly Boxing History Inc., a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization, dedicated to preserving and celebrating Philadelphia’s great boxing legacy. Past winners at the Briscoe Awards include Bernard Hopkins, Danny Garcia, Steve Cunningham, and many others.

The event returns to Xfinity Live! Philadelphia, the central hub of Philly’s sports stadiums, located at 1100 Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia. Admission is $5, and tickets can be purchased at BriscoeAwards.com or by calling 609-377-6413. Everyone is welcome.
For more information, including sponsorship and advertising opportunities, please call John DiSanto, 609-377-6413 / johndisanto@phillyboxinghistory.com
The 10th Annual Briscoe Awards will be held on Sunday, October 15, 2017, 1-4 PM, at Xfinity Live!, 1100 Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia.
boxing

VICTORY BOXING RETURNS TO PHILADELPHIA WITH PHILLY STRONG

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PHILADELPHIA – August 18, 2017 – Victory Boxing Promotions has found a new home in Philadelphia. The growing promotional outfit will make its return to the City of Brotherly love, and re-launch its Philly Strong series at the 23rd Street Armory in Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia on October 21st.

The card will be headlined by Jaron “Boots” Ennis (14-0, 12KO), who has racked up an impressive six wins in 2017 alone. It was recently announced that Ennis, who is trained by his father Bozy Ennis, and managed by mega-manager Cameron Dunkin, will be honored at Philadelphia’s Briscoe Awards for the third time. He will take home 2016 Rookie of the Year honors, just days before he steps into the ring in front of his home town for the first time since June. After stopping veteran Wilfredo Acuna in the first round in that fight, Ennis has fought twice more – once in Durham, North Carolina, and once in Washington D.C.

“Without question, Boots is one of the best young fighters in the country,” said Victory Boxing Promotions Founder and Promoter, Chris Middendorf. “We have kept him extremely busy, fighting him 14 times since his debut on April 30th last year. We have done this because of his skills, and his rapid development. He has impressed each time we’ve put a challenge in front of him. We are considering several opponents for him for October 21st, all of whom will be solid tests.” Middendorf added that Boots would be fighting at least once more before October 21st.

Several other Victory Boxing prospects will showcase their talents that evening at 23rd Street Armory, including Adam Daranyi (12-0, 11 KO), who was a standout amateur and national champion in his home country of Canada. Korean-Mexican sensation and former amateur standout Brandun Lee (5-0, 4KO), who is coming off a 2nd round knockout win in DC last weekend, will fight at Philly Strong, and local favorite Joshua Jones (4-0-1, 2KO) will don his gloves in front of his home crowd. All three fighters are also managed by Cameron Dunkin, who has managed 34 champions in his 30+ years in the boxing business.

“We are very excited to re-launch Philly Strong at the 23rd Street Armory,” said Middendorf. “It is the oldest armory in the United States, and will be a great host for world class boxing. The Armory hasn’t seen boxing since 2003, and we plan on making October 21st a night to remember.

Ticket information and purchase outlets, along with the undercard will be announced soon. For more information on Victory Boxing Promotions, please visit www.victoryboxingpromotions.com.

The 23rd Street Armory is located at: 22 S 23rd St, Philadelphia, PA 19103

boxing

Christian Carto remains perfect with 2nd round stoppage in front of sold out crowd at SugarHouse Casino

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Spring defeats previously undefeated Wilson

Montano remains undefeated with stoppage over Kirby
DuBose defeats Crespo in thriller

Taylor decisions Floyd

Sanchez stops Whitmore

Justice & Minor win pro debuts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Philadelphia, Penn. (August 14, 2017)–This past Friday night, Christian Carto thrilled a sold out SugarHouse Casino, and kept his perfect knockout streak in-tact as he stopped Phillip Adyaka in round two of their scheduled six-round bantamweight contest that headlined a terrific ten-bout card that was promoted by King’s Promotions.
The card was televised throughout the United States LIVE on Eleven Sports.
Carto of Philadelphia used his superior skills to dominate and swell the left eye of Adyaka.  As Carto continued to pummel Adyaka, referee Gary Rosato had no choice but to rescue Adyaka at 2:43 of round two.
Carto, 118.8 lbs of Philadelphia is now 11-0 with 11 knockouts.  Adyaka, 118.8 lbs of St. Paul, Minnesota is now 7-10.
“I took my time, and I did not want to rush anything,” said Carto.  “I am looking forward to being challenged.  I love performing in front of my fans that come to see,” finished Carto, who had a massive cheering section at SugarHouse Casino to root him to the victory.
In the televised main event, Erik Spring ran his unbeaten streak to six in a row as he took a six-round majority decision over previously undefeated David Wilson in a junior middleweight bout.
After a close opening two rounds, Spring was able to get his shots off 1st and won by scores of 58-56 twice and 57-57.
“It was a great fight,  He was a tough a opponent, and a great boxer.  I think I pulled it out in the last three rounds,” said Spring.  “I think I established the jab in the 1st round.  He wasaggressive in the next two rounds, and I took over in the last three rounds.  I defeated another undefeated fighter, and it was a good step-up, but I have things to work on.”
Spring, 153 lbs of Reading, PA is 10-1-2.  Wilson, 156 lbs of New Haven, CT is 5-1-1.
In a shocking upset, Elvin Sanchez came back after a three-year layoff to score a stunning 2nd round stoppage over Khalib Whitmore in a cruiserweight.
Sanchez dropped Whitmore with a vicious left hand that sent Whitmore face-first bouncing off the canvas.  Somehow Whitmore was able to get to his feet, but a hard combination sent Whitmore to the ropes, and the bout was called off at 1:54,
Sanchez, 195.9 lbs of Paterson, NJ is 8-3-1 with six knockouts.  Whitmore, 202,5 lbs of Philadelphia is 6-2.
Antonio DuBose used a 2nd round knockdown to springboard himself to a tough six-round unanimous decision over Josh Crespo in a super featherweight bout.
DuBose, 127 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 60-53 twice and 58-55 to raise his mark to 9-2-1.  Crespo, 126.4 lbs of New Haven, CT is 7-5-3.
Marquis Taylor pitched a shutout and won a six-round unanimous decision over Vincent Floyd in a welterweight bout.
Taylor, 147.6 lbs of Houston, TX win by scores of 60-54 on all cards, and is now 7-1.  Floyd, 147.8 lbs of Philadelphia is 3-3-1.
Brandon Robinson scored a vicious 2nd round stoppage over Shane Pearson in a scheduled six-round super middleweight bout.
Robinson landed a booming right hand that sent Pearson down and out at 25 seconds of the 2nd frame.  Robinson, 166.6 lbs of Philadelphia is 5-1 with four knockouts,  Pearson, 166.7 lbs of Statesville, NC is 2-2.
Shamsuddeen Justice made a successful pro debut by stopping late-replacement Tito Gosalves in the final round of their four-round super lightweight bout..
The time of the stoppage was 2:11 for Justice, 145.5 lbs of Philadelphia.  Gosalves, 148 lbs of Philadelphia is 0-3.
Kashon Hutchinson of Reading, PA won a four round unanimous decision over Demetrius Williams in a super lightweight bout.
Hutchinson, 142.9 lbs won all cards 39-37, and is now 3-3.  Williams, 143.8 lbs of of Philadelphia is 1-3.
Jerrod Minor stopped Steven Lopez in the 4th and final round of their bantamweight bout.
The time of the finish was 2:34 for Minor, 116.5 lbs of Philadelphia, and is now 1-0.  Lopez, 113.2 lbs of Philadelphia is 0-2.
Christian Montano scored three-knockdowns en-route to a 1st round stoppage over Dameron Kirby in their light heavyweight bout.
The time was 2:25 for Montano, 181.4 lbs of Houston, TX, and is now 2-0 with two knockouts.  Kirby, 178.6 lbs of Washington, DC was making his pro debut.
UPCOMING KING’S PROMOTIONS SHOWS
KIng’s Promotions will have shows on Tuesday, September 19th at The Sands Bethlehem Event Center .
Friday, September 29th at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia.
About ELEVEN SPORTS:
ELEVEN SPORTS is available in 70 million homes worldwide in Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Singapore, Taiwan and the United States. Launched in the US in March 2017, ELEVEN SPORTS is dedicated to delivering world-class domestic and international sports and lifestyle entertainment ‘For The Fans’. Sports fans will be treated to a unique mix of emerging and established sports combined to provide engaging and compelling LIVE entertainment, placing the viewer at the very heart of the action.
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boxing

Carlos Rosario takes on Jerome Conquest in Lightweight showdown on Friday, September 29 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia

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Junior Castillo takes on Gabriel Pham in 10-round co-feature
Tyrone Crawley Jr takes on Victor Vazquez
David Gonzales battles Darius Ervin

Erik Spring fights Anthony Prescott

Plus Amir Shabazz and Robert Irizarry in action
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Philadelphia, PA (August 4,  2017) –Carlos Rosario and Jerome Conquest will meet in a highly anticipated eight-round lightweight bout that will headline a great night of boxing on Friday, September 29 at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia.
The show is promoted by King’s Promotions.
Rosario of Pennsauken, New Jersey has a record of 7-2 with four knockouts.
The 26 year-old of is a three-year professional, and is known for being a hard puncher.
Rosario already has quality wins over Bobby Hornsby (8-1-1), Victor Vazquez (4-1) and Eliezer Mendez Garcia (1-0).
Rosario will look to get back in the win column after being stopped by Joshua Davis on May 19th at the 2300 Arena.
Conquest of Philadelphia has a record of 8-2 with one knockout.
Like Rosario, the 31 year-old Conquest is a three-year professional and has a quality win on his resume of Christian Molina (4-1).
Conquest has won two in a row, and in his last bout he took a six-round unanimous decision from Jae Ho Kim on June 24th at the 2300 Arena.
In the ten-round co-feature, Junior Castillo (14-1, 10 KOs) of the Domincan Republic takes on Gabriel Pham (9-1, 4 KOs) of Atlantic City.
In six-round bouts:
Tyrone Crawley, Jr.(7-0) of Philadelphia meets Victor Vazquez (8-3, 3 Kos) of Yonkers, NY in a super lightweight bout.
David Gonzales (8-2-2, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia battles Darius Ervin (8-2, 1 KO) of Los Angeles in a super lightweight bout.
Erik Spring (9-1-2, 1 KO) of Reading, PA will fight Anthony Prescott (6-7-2, 2 KOs) of Cherry Hill, NJ in a super welterweight fight.
In four-round bouts:
Robert Irizarry (3-1-1) of Cherry Hill, NJ fights Jordan Peters (2-1-1, 2 KOs) of Washington, DC in a super featherweight fight.
Johnny Cuevas of Philadelphia will make his pro debut against an opponent to be named in a lightweight bout.
Amir Shabazz (4-1) of Philadelphia will square off with an opponent to be named in a light heavyweight bout.
Tickets for this great night of boxing can be purchased at www.2300arena.com for $100, $75 and $50
boxing

Undefeated Bantamweight Christian Carto to appear in new main event on Friday, August 11th at The SugarHouse Casino

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Carto to battle Phillip Adyaka
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Philadelphia, Penn. (July 26, 2017)–Undefeated bantamweight knockout artist, Christian Carto will headline a nine-bout card at the SugarHouse Casino on Friday, August 11th.
The show is promoted by King’s Promotions.
Carto, will take on Phillip Adyka (7-9, 4 KO’s) of St. Paul, Minnesota in the six-round featured bout.
Carto of Philadelphia has a record of 10-0 with all of his wins coming via knockout.
The 20 year-old continues to step up in competition, and he has looked more impressive with each outing.
Carto has kept extremely busy as he fought all ten of his bouts in under a year, with his latest being a 1st round stoppage over Juan Guzman on June 30th in Atlantic City.
“I don’t know much about Adyka.  I know he likes to come forward,” said Carto, who has been training in Los Angeles at the Wild Card Gym and has been sparring with world champions.
When asked about his knockout streak, Carto said he does not go in looking for the early stoppage.
“I don’t go in looking for the knockout.  I just go out there to box and pick my shots, and if the stoppage comes, it comes.”
When Carto gets back to Philadelphia, he will be performing in front of a fan base that is one of the best in the Philadelphia region.
“It’s good to get a ton of support, and I enjoy performing in front of them.”
When asked about the busy schedule, Carto leaves it up to his team, which includes his his father Frank and brother Frankie.
“I just train for one fight at a time, and my team tells me that when I am going to fight, I just go back in the gym, but I do want to stay active.”
In six-round bouts:
Erik Spring (9-1-2, 1 KO) of Reading, PA will take on David Wilson (5-0-1, 1 KO) of New Haven, CT in a junior middleweight bout.
Brandon Robinson (4-1, 3 KO) of Philadelphia, PA will fight Shane Pearson (2-1,  2 KOs) of Staesville, NC in a super middleweight affair.
Khalib Whitmore (6-1, 5 KOs) of Philadelphia returns in a cruiserweight fight against Elvin Sanchez (7-3-1, 5 Kos) of Paterson, NJ
Antonio DuBose (8-2-1, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia battles Josh Crespo (7-4-3, 3 KOs) of New Haven, CT in a super featherweight tussle.
Marquis Taylor (6-1) of Houston, TX takes on Vincent Floyd (3-2-1, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia in a welterweight contest.
In four-round bouts:
Shamsuddeen Justice of Philadelphia will make his pro debut against Jack Grady (0-6-1) of Buffalo, NY in a super lightweight bout.
Demetrius Williams (1-2) of Philadelphia will take on Kashon Hutchinson (2-3, 1 KO) of Reading, PA in a super lightweight fight.
Jerrod Minor of Philadelphia will make his pro debut against fellow Philadelphian Steven Lopez (0-1) in a bantamweight fight.
Tickets are on sale for $100, $75, $50, and can be purchased at SugarHouseBoxing.eventbrite.com
boxing

Fight of the Year candidate between Kermit Cintron and Tyrone Brunson to have at least four airings in the coming weeks

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Philadelphia, PA (July 13, 2017) – The scintillating Pennsylvania Junior Middleweight championship bout that took place on June 24th  between former two-time world champion Kermit Cintron and knockout artist Tyrone Brunson will have at least four airings in Philadelphia area in the coming weeks.
The first airing will this Friday night, July 14th at 9:30 PM ET on The Comcast Network.
Subsequent airings will be on Comcast Sportsnet on Wednesday, July 19th at 9 PM;Sunday, July 23rd at 11 PM and Wednesday, August 2nd at 8:30 PM.
The bout, which was won by Brunson via 5th round stoppage had five knockdowns, and saw Brunson come back from almost-certain defeat and take out Cintron in what ringside observers are calling a sure-fire Fight of the Year candidate.The match is added to the list of classic fights in the long storied history of Philadelphia boxing.
“For the fans that were inside the 2300 Arena, they can witness this great fight again, and for those who only heard about it, they are in for a treat,” said King’s Promotions CEO, Marshall Kauffman.
“I am glad that the fight will be shown in the Philadelphia region.”
Bare Knuckle Boxing

BARE KNUCKLE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP™ TO HOLD OPEN FIGHTER TRYOUTS THIS SATURDAY IN PHILADELPHIA

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PHILADELPHIA, PA (JULY 12, 2017)–Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) will hold its first ever open fighter tryouts in Philadelphia, THIS SATURDAY,Saturday, July 15th, BKFC President and CEO David Feldman has announced.

The open fighter tryouts will take place at the city’s historic 2300 Arena, and provide athletes with the opportunity to earn a professional contract with BKFC.

“We’re rapidly moving towards the launch of BKFC as a fully sanctioned, regulated, and licensed professional combat sport in the United States,” said David Feldman. “Identifying and signing top level fighters are two major steps in moving forward towards bringing bare knuckle boxing out of shadows and into the mainstream.”

In attendance at the open fighter tryouts will be Art Davie, the founder and creator of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, who is now serving as an advisor for BKFC.

“Almost a quarter-century ago, I launched the UFC as a brand-new combat sport, which of course came to be known as MMA,” Davie said. “My vision was to bring back the ancient sport of Pankration with a modern twist. BKFC is following in my footsteps, in bringing back the great history of bare knuckle boxing, and incorporating a modern sensibility.”

BKFC directly follows the lineage of bare knuckle boxing that began in the 18th century under the London Prize Ring Rules (also known as the Broughton Rules), and all-time great fighters such as John L. Sullivan, Jem Mace, and Tommy Ryan.

Under the leadership of David Feldman, BKFC has spoken with numerous Athletic Commissions across the United States, in an effort to make bare knuckle boxing a newly categorized combat sport.

WHAT: Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship Tryouts, and casting for Bare Knuckle reality show. Fighters will do various punching power and skill tests, interviews, and more.

WHO: Art Davie (Creator Of UFC), David Feldman (President Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship™)

WHERE: 2300 Arena-  2300 S. Swanson St, Philadelphia PA 19148

WHEN: THIS Saturday, July 15, 2017 9AM-5PM

HOW: ALL FIGHTERS NEED TO REGISTER @ www.bareknuckle.tv
boxing

Taras Shelestyuk & Ruben Villa Successfully Defend Unbeaten Records on Saturday Night

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  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PHILADELPHIA, Penn. /ORANGE, Calif. (July 3, 2017) – In the “Locked n’ Loaded” main event, welterweight Taras “Real Deal” Shelestyuk (16-0, 10 KOs) made quick work of Jesus Alvarez Rodriguez (15-3, 11 KOs) by knocking him out in the third round Saturday night from Omega Products International in Sacramento, Calif. 

Shelestyuk, who is ranked No. 5 by the WBO, predicted a knockout win in his prefight interview with the Olympic bronze medalist (London 2012) saying he planned to be aggressive from the start.

“I didn’t want this fight going the distance,” said Shelestyuk, who attributes the aggressiveness to new trainer Joel Diaz. “Joel and I worked on increasing our punch output and it showed in this fight.”

Shelestyuk, who is from the Ukraine but now makes his home in Los Angeles, rocked Rodriguez in the first round. He connected on a two-punch combination that sent the Mexican to the canvas. In the third round, Shelestyuk struck early and often, earning the knockout win at the 2:05 mark.

Top featherweight prospect Ruben Villa (7-0, 4 KOs) of Salinas, Calif. delivered a beating to overmatched veteran Jonathan Alcantara (7-16-2, 1 KO) of El Salvador. Villa, who swept all three scorecards (40-36), looked equally comfortable fighting on the outside or in the pocket.

“I think this fight showed how versatile I am,” Villa said. “I boxed him well and mixed it up inside without taking any hits. It was a solid performance.”

Villa, indeed, looked the part of an elite prospect. He was aggressive the entire fight, yet was extremely disciplined on the defensive end.

“There’s no doubt I frustrated him,” Villa continued. “I could tell he was having a hard time. I never let him relax.”

Shelestyuk and Villa are co-promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing.
For more information, please visit Banner-Promotions.com. 
For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check Banner Promotions Facebook Page , and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing.
Photo by Carlos Baeza / Thompson Boxing