Tag Archives: Rafael Vasquez

boxing, NBC, Premier Boxing Champions

PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON NBCSN RESULTS   GABRIEL BRACERO KNOCKS OUT DANNY O’CONNOR IN 41 SECONDS

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 JONATHAN GUZMAN MAKES IT 20-FOR-20
 
RYAN KIELCZWESKI DECISIONS VAZQUEZ IN WAR
 
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Photo Credit: Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment
 
LOWELL, Mass. (October, 10 2015) – Brooklyn welterweight Gabriel “Tito” Bracero(24-2, 5 KOs) came into hostile territory and knocked out hometown favorite Danny “Bhoy” O’Connor (26-3, 10 KOs) only 41 seconds into the first round, headlining tonight’s loaded Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBCSN card at historic Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, Massachusetts.
Bracero, who handed O’Connor his first pro loss four years ago, used an overhand right that O’Connor, fighting out of nearby Framingham (MA) did not see coming.  O’Connor was out cold before he hit the mat.
“I worked on that punch for six weeks,” Bracero said after the fight.  “In my last fight, I fought a southpaw and made some mistakes.  I specifically worked on that punch because Danny’s a southpaw. I slipped to the side and threw the right.  This was the first time I went away to camp, away from my family.
“I’m just so humbled and grateful. I knew coming in here that all the pressure was on him (O’Connor); the crowd would try to take the beast out of me and put me on the defense.
Everything is going to work out (regarding his next fight).  I’ll let Tommy Gallagher andLou DiBella take care of my next fight.  I’m ready to go right back in the gym.”
O’Connor was taken by ambulance to the nearby Lowell General Hospital for observation.
Hometown hero “Irish” Micky Ward and National Hockey League Hall-of-Famer NBCSN analyst “Sugar” Ray Leonard returned to the same building in which he captured a National Golden Gloves Tournament title in 1973.
Undefeated Dominican super bantamweight KO artist Jonathan “Salomon King” Guzman (20-0, 20 KOs), fighting out of nearby Lawrence (MA), made it a perfect 20 fights, 20 KO wins via a ninth-round stoppage of a game Danny Aquino (17-3, 10 KOs) in the 10-round co-feature.
Guzman dropped Aquino, a Mexican native fighting out of Connecticut, in the second round.  The badly hurt Aquino, however, lasted until the ninth round when Guzman ended the show with a brutal left hook.  Aquino, another New England Golden Gloves champion who won his title in this very building, had never been stopped as a professional.
 
Quincy (MA) featherweight Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczweski (24-1, 7 KOs), who won two New England Golden Gloves championships at Lowell Memorial Auditorium, won a 10-round, hard fought decision over Brooklyn’s Rafael “Dynamite” Vazquez (16-2, 13 KOs).
Kielczweski out boxed Vazquez in the first four rounds, but Vasquez came charging back and opened a cut over Kielczweski’s right eye in the eighth and rocked the local fighter in the final 30 seconds of the fight  The judges had Kielczweski winning the entertaining fight by scores of 97-93 twice and 96-94.
FIGHTER QUOTES
GABRIEL BRACERO:
“God bless Danny O’Connor. He’s a champion. Just because he lost here today, I still tip my hat off to him. It takes a real champion to come in here and do what he does. I wish him the best.
“It’s an amazing feeling. The truth is, I was a winner before I walked in the ring. This is a dream come true. I have dreamed about this day for a long time. I made some mistakes in my prior fights, but I went back to the drawing board, went to camp, fixed my mistakes and came in here super focused today.
On what he said to O’Connor after the fight…
“My message to Danny was, after my last fight, after my last loss, I was down. I went through a depression. I told him not to let that happen to him. To pick himself back up, to be proud of himself. To go home to his beautiful wife and kids and enjoy life. I didn’t want the same thing to happen to him, that happened to me.”
JONATHAN GUZMAN:
“I proved that I can fight and I can punch. This fight was an example of what I can do.
“From the second round I fought with two hurt hands. It didn’t matter to my hands, I was going to stop him.”
RYAN KIELCZWESKI:
“Before this fight, I knew he could punch. I thought I avoided it for the whole fight, but in the 10th round, he got me. It felt pretty good to get rocked for the first time, just to know what it feels like.”
“I kind of started off slow, but in the middle rounds, I started putting my punches together, throwing four, five, six punches at a time and it was working. But he came back every time and started trading with me.
(On going 10 rounds…)
“It’s all the same. You’re just as tired after a four-round fight as you are after six, eight or 10.  You leave it all till the end of the fight. It all feels the same.
(On getting hurt in the 10th….)
“I didn’t know where my feet were. It was a strange feeling, I had no idea what that felt like. He caught me and I could see straight, but I felt myself going left and right.
“He’s a tough guy.  I really needed that fight.
“We knew he wasn’t much of a volume pincher.  It didn’t surprise us when he came on in the middle rounds.
“The blood wasn’t in my eye. I didn’t know I was cut until the referee came over.
“I like to entertain in the ring.  I don’t need to do this.  I do it because I like to fight and entertain.
“This was my favorite venue to fight in as an amateur.  I fought here 10-15 times as an amateur.”
RAFAEL VAZQUEZ:
“He was a slick fighter, he moved and he had great power. He was in great shape. He’s young, I will be 38 this year. No excuse, I moved up to 126 pounds to face him, I’m 122 pounds.
“I thought I won the last three rounds. Especially the ninth and tenth round. The tenth round was big. He maybe connected ten punches in the whole round. I rocked him. I hurt him. But, we’re fighting in his hometown, and I’m grateful to him for giving me the opportunity.”
Undercard
Polish heavyweight Adam Kownacki (12-0, 10 KOs), fighting out of Brooklyn, kept his undefeated record intact, turning in a workmanlike effort to win an eight-round unanimous decision (78-73 X 3) over Rodney Hernandez (8-3-1, 1 KO).
Irish junior lightweight Patrick “The Punisher” Hyland (31-1, 14 KOs), a 2012 Interim world featherweight title challenger, lived up to is nickname.  The Dubliner dropped toughDavid “El Finito” Martinez (18-7-1, 3 KOs) once on his way to a one-sided fight that ended at 18 seconds of the eighth round when Hyland caught Martinez with a vicious left hook.
Irish middleweight champion Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan (22-1, 15 KOs) outclassed light heavyweight veteran David Toribio (21-16, 14 KOs) and ended the fight with a second-round knockout. Former European champion Stephen “The Rock” Ormond (19-2, 10 KOs) dropped former world title challenger Michael “Cold Blood” Clark twice en route to an opening round victory by knockout.
New York lightweight prospect Titus Williams (3-0, 2 KOs) remained unbeaten, stoppingArthur Parker (1-14-2, 1 KO) in the second round, while two-time world title challengerFernando “El Vasco” Saucedo (57-6-3, 10 KOs) registered a second-round technical knockout over lightweight Carlos Fulgencio (19-7-1, 12 KOs) in the opening bout of the evening.
O’Connor vs. Bracero was promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Murphy’s Boxing.
boxing, NBC, Premier Boxing Champions

FOLLOWING THE TRAGIC LOSS OF HIS FATHER AND TRAINER IRISH CONTENDER PATRICK HYLAND CARRIES A HEAVY HEART AS HE LOOKS TO FIND SOLACE IN THE RING ON SATURDAY NIGHT

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RETURNS ON THE UNDERCARD OF PBC ON NBCSN AT LOWELL MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM IN LOWELL, MASS.
LOWELL, Mass. (10/9/15) – On Saturday night, Irish world-rated contender Patrick Hyland (30-1, 14 KOs) faces David Martinez on the undercard of the PBC on NBCSN  event from Lowell, Mass. The fight won’t be shown on television, Hyland views this is the most important fight of his career as he works his way back into world title contention.
The bout on Saturday night will be the first in a career that dates back to his days as a 9-year-old amateur in Ireland where his trainer, father and best friend Patrick Sr. will not be in his corner. Patrick Sr., better known as Paddy, tragically passed away in the spring of this year. Leaving the Irish boxing community shocked.
“I hear his voice in the back of my head every day. Every day. Especially in the gym though when I am training,” said Hyland Jr.
The loss of Hyland’s father came just weeks before Hyland’s wife Lorna gave birth to their first child, Callum, further adding to the significance of this fight.
“I challenged Javier Fortuna for the world championship,” said Hyland. “I won the Irish world title. I have fought at MGM Grand, the O2 Arena and Madison Square Garden. For me though, this is the most important fight of my career. Not only am I fighting for my newborn son, but I am fighting to keep my father’s legacy alive. He made me the man that I am today and the man that I want my son to one day become. Winning a world title was our dream that we had together. He was always pushing me and my brothers to be the absolute best that we can be, and I won’t stop until I get another crack at a world title.”
The bout on Saturday night will be Hyland’s fourth since the lone loss of his career, a highly entertaining 12-round decision for the interim featherweight title against now-reigning super featherweight champion Javier Fortuna.  Following the loss to Fortuna, Hyland was out of action for a year and a half, as he sorted through promotional issues. Hyland signed with DiBella Entertainment in June of 2014 and has since put together three impressive victories. Hyland believes that he will be knocking on the door to challenge for another world title in 2016.
“I have a great team behind me. My manager Brian Peters and promoter Lou DiBella are working hard,” continued Hyland. “As long as I continue to win and do what I need to do, I know they will get me the opportunity to prove myself and show that I am one of the best 126-pounders in the world. 2016 is going to be a big year for me and I fully expect to once again be challenging for a piece of the featherweight crown.”
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Murphys Boxing, are on sale and priced at $125, $85, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Special student, veteran and senior ticket prices also available. For tickets, visit www.lowellauditorium.com
# # #
For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.nbcsports.com/boxing,www.lowellauditorium.com and www.dbe1.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing,  @LouDiBella, @DropkickMurphys, @MurphysBoxing, @DOC_Boxing, @TeamBracero, @NBCSports and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions,www.facebook.com/NBCSports, www.Facebook.com/DropkickMurphys, www.facebook.com/MurphysBoxing and www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment.
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PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON NBCSN FIGHTER MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES & PHOTOS

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Credit: Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment
 
BOSTON (October 8, 2015) – Fighters took part in a media workout today at Welch’s Gym in South Boston to kick off fight week for this Saturday night’s Premier Boxing Champions on NBCSN card at Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, MA, headlined byDanny “Bhoy” O’Connor (26-2, 10 KOs) vs. Gabriel “Tito” Bracero (23-2, 4 KOs) with triple-header coverage starting at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Murphys Boxing, are priced at $125, $85, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges and taxes, and are on sale now. Special student, veteran and senior ticket prices also available. For tickets visit www.lowellauditorium.com
See here what the participants had to say Wednesday:
DANNY O’CONNOR
 
“This is all about me fighting the process. Gabriel Bracero beat me but I really beat myself.  Just like training for this fight, we had a baby son.  Two weeks before our first fight, my first son was born and I didn’t know how to separate sport from such life-changing events.  I was 14-0 and fighting on Showtime. We just had a baby boy two weeks before this fight.  I want to prove to myself that I can beat this process.  Bracero is my redemption!
“This fight is me vs. me.  The time was right for this fight.  I was offered this fight five times during the past few years but the time wasn’t right.
“I was a scared little kid with no experience in our first fight.  I couldn’t handle the pressure, I didn’t even know it was there.  Now, I’m a mature man who is a husband and father.  I’m a totally different person.
“This fight could be in my living room.  I’m at peace in the ring doing what I love to do.  It’s great being back in the ring in Lowell, where I won the New England Golden Gloves title and I’m fighting on national TV, but the event is between the four corners and that’s what really counts.”
GABRIEL BRACERO
 
“I’m excited. I’ve trained for this fight like I’ve never fought Danny before.  I beat him but that was four years ago.  I can’t overlook him.  He has obviously made improvements and I did also to get where we are today.
“I’m more experienced. I moved to train in Orlando and get away from distractions.  I hit a few bumps and got incarcerated.  Tommy Gallagher (trainer) saved my lie.  He was there when I went to prison and there when I got out.  I added a new trainer to our corner, Alexander Lopes, but Tommy and my father, Kiro, are still there.  Tommy gives the orders and he likes what Lopez has done with me.
“Tommy Gallagher is my guardian angel.  He believed in me more than I believed in myself.  He had this vision before I did.
“Danny has become a better fighter.  I can’t take anything away from him, but I’m looking forward to putting on a spectacular performance Saturday night.”
JONATHAN GUZMAN
“I’m going to make it 20-for-20, yes!  I’m powerful because I make strong moves.  My left hook is my best punch. I can feel the power through my entire body when I hit somebody right.
“I don’t worry about my opponent or what he’s done in the past.
“Lawrence is my home now.  I will go back to the Dominican Republic in December for the holidays.  I feel like a Bostonian.  This is the sixth fight I’ve trained here for and I love the Boston Red Sox.”
DANNY AQUINO
 
“My last fight propelled me (upset by decision over Ryan Kielczweski).  It made me more confident in myself. My last fight was on ESPN and this one is on NBCSN.
“I don’t know too much about my opponent other than he has power that I’ll be looking out for.  A win over him should put me in the top 10 and that’s why I’m so motivated for this fight.
“I won the New England Golden Gloves championship in Lowell Memorial Auditorium in 2007.
“I train hard and I’m always in good enough shape to beat anybody.”
 
RYAN KIELCZWESKI
 
“I like fighting at home and this is one of my favorite venues.  I won the New England Golden Gloves there twice.
“I’ve trained for this to be the toughest fight of my career.
“(Vasquez) is tough with a lot of power.  He’s going come forward, but I’ll be able to out-box him.
“He’s rated in the top 10 of the world and a win should put me back in the top 10 fighting for a world title within the next year.”
 
RAFAEL VASQUEZ
 
“This is a great opportunity for me.  I think this fight will put me on the map fighting on national TV and showing fans what I’ve got.
“I’m a hungry, small fighter determined to win.  I fight for my wife, Sandra, who has stage-four cancer and my eight-year-old daughter, Kaline, who has autism.  It’s not just me fighting in the ring, it’s the Vasquez family.  With God’s grace, anything is possible.
“Ryan moves a lot. He uses the ring and boxes.  He lost to Aquino and I know he’ll be coming back to prove himself. “
GARY “SPIKE” O’SULLIVAN
 
“Boston is my second home.  I love it here.  The people are so nice and there are good gyms.
“I’m an exciting, entertaining fighter who always comes to fight.
“After I finish off Eubanks, I’ll be the No. 1 contender in the WBA and Golovkin can’t hold me off any longer.
“I watched a few clips of my opponent.  We have identical records.  We both knock people out, so I have to be careful.  I’d like to get in a few rounds, but when I hit people, they fall.”
 
STEPHEN ORMOND
“My first four fights were here in the US.  Boston is like my second home.  The people are so nice.  Boston is a real fight city.  I can’t wait for these people to see me in the ring.
                                                                                                                        
“I saw my opponent fight last year in Boston.  He’s an experienced guy with a lot of fights.  He fought for a world title a long time ago.
“With Ken Casey behind me, an impressive victory will get me a title shot.  I’ll take any of them. I was one fight away, losing a qualifier.  My grandmother passed away the day of my fight.  I’m ready now!”
#          #          #
The Saturday, Oct. 10 edition of Premier Boxing Champions on NBCSN, promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Murphys Boxing, features a O’Connor(26-2, 10 KOs) and Bracero (23-2, 4 KOs) rematch in a 10-round welterweight super middleweight showdown, Jonathan “Salomon King” Guzman (19-0, 19 KOs) Danny Aquino (17-2, 10 KOs) in a 10-round super bantamweight match up, and Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczweski (23-1, 7 KOs) meets Rafael “Dynamite” Vazquez (16-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight bout to open the PBC on NBCSAN broadcast at 8:00 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.comwww.nbcsports.com/boxing, www.lowellauditorium.com and www.dbe1.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing,  @LouDiBella, @DropkickMurphys, @MurphysBoxing, @DOC_Boxing, @TeamBracero, @NBCSports and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions,www.facebook.com/NBCSports, www.Facebook.com/DropkickMurphys,www.facebook.com/MurphysBoxingand www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment.
boxing, NBC, Premier Boxing Champions

DANNY O’CONNOR VS. GABRIEL BRACERO II, RYAN KIELCZWESKI VS. RAFAEL VAZQUEZ CONTINUES BOSTON VS. NYC RING RIVALRY

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PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON NBCSN
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10 FROM THE LOWELL MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM IN LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS
8 P.M. ET/5 P.M. PT
 
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
 
LOWELL, Mass. (October 6, 2015) – The great Boston vs. New York City sports rivalry continues Saturday, October 10 in the ring on national television with northeast bragging rights on the line as Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBCSN comes to historic Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, Massachusetts.
The Boston home team sends out welterweight Danny “Bhoy” O’Connor (26-2, 10 KOs) and featherweight Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczweski (23-1, 7 KOs), respectively, against Brooklyn invaders Gabriel “Tito” Bracero (23-2, 4 KOs) and Rafael “Dynamite” Vazquez (16-1, 13 KOs).
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Murphys Boxing, are on sale and priced at $125, $85, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges and taxes.  Special student, veteran and senior ticket prices also available. For tickets, visit www.lowellauditorium.com.
O’Connorwill be seeking revenge for 2011 loss to Braceroin the 10-round main event, while Kielczweski faces the toughest test of his career versus Vasquez in their 10-round bout to open the NBCSN broadcast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
In the other scheduled televised fight, undefeated Dominican super bantamweight KO artistJonathan “Salomon King” Guzman (19-0, 19 KOs), fighting out of nearby Lawrence (MA), takes on Connecticut’s upset-minded Danny Aquino (17-2, 10 KOs) in the 10-round co-feature.
Boston vs. New York is a classic matchup that has dominated sports headlines in the northeast for years as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox waged countless wars while the New England Patriots faced the New York Giants in two Super Bowls and continued their longtime rivalry with the New York Jets. The rich tradition of this rivalry has also spilled into the ring as many top fighters from each region have faced-off over the years.
The first significant Boston vs. NYC fight goes back to 1927 at Yankee Stadium, when Jack Dempsey stopped Jack “The Boston Gob” Sharkey in the seventh round of their heavyweight title eliminator to challenge world champion Gene Tunney.  Controversy surrounded this fight as Sharkey, a sailor in the U.S. Navy, fought his boxing idol, Dempsey, who along with Babe Ruth ruled Manhattan during America’s Golden Age of Sports in the 1920s.  Sharkey out-boxed Dempsey for six rounds until, complaining to the referee about Dempsey’s low punches, he was knocked out cold with a picture-perfect left hook.
Another legendary heavyweight champion from the Boston area, Rocky Marciano, wouldn’t have retired with his famous 49-0 record if one round or another were scored differently against Bronx favorite Roland LaStarza in 1950.  Marciano took a questionable 10-round decision from LaStarza at Madison Square Garden. Three years later at the Polo Grounds, Marciano successfully defended his world title, knocking out LaStarza in the 11thround of their 1953 Fight of the Year.
A pair of Hall of Fame heavyweights from Brooklyn, Floyd Patterson and “Iron” Mike Tyson, respectively, knocked out Boston’s Tom McNeeley and his son, Peter McNeeley.  McNeeley dropped Patterson once but he hit the deck 11 times before finally succumbing in the fourth round of their 1961 title fight in Toronto.  His son, Peter, lost by first-round disqualification to Tyson who was fighting for the first since being released from prison.
A fireman from Boston with brittle hands, Paul Pender, twice defeated arguably the consensus Greatest of All-time, Harlem’s “Sugar” Ray Robinson, not once but twice by 15-round split decisions in 1960 world middleweight title fights at the Boston Garden.
“Marvelous” Marvin Hagler, a transplanted New Jersey fighter who lived in Marciano’s hometown of Brockton, Mass., felt ripped off when he was given a draw in his first world title fight against Brooklyn’s defending champion Vito Antuofermo in Las Vegas. Two years later in 1981, Hagler captured the coveted crown at the Boston Garden as Antuofermo retired after four rounds.
Even Lowell’s “Irish” Micky Ward had a New York City rival in Brooklyn’s Zab Judah, who he dropped a hard-fought 12-round decision to in 1998.  For many years Judah said Ward was the toughest opponent he ever fought.
More recently, Irish Olympian Kevin McBride, fighting out of the Dorchester section of Boston, ended Tyson’s career in 2005 with a sixth-round TKO victory that left the boxing world in shock, and Boston heavyweight John Ruiz – the only Latino heavyweight champion of the world – won a 2008 fight in Mexico against Harlem’s Jameel McCline by 12-round decision in a world title eliminator.
On October 10, O’Connor, Bracero, Kielczweski and Vazquez will have their opportunity to not only represent their hometowns, but to etch themselves into the annals of the rivalry.
# # #
For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.comwww.nbcsports.com/boxing,www.lowellauditorium.com and www.dbe1.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing,  @LouDiBella, @DropkickMurphys, @MurphysBoxing, @DOC_Boxing, @TeamBracero, @NBCSports and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/NBCSports,www.Facebook.com/DropkickMurphys,www.facebook.com/MurphysBoxingandwww.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment.
boxing, NBC, Premier Boxing Champions

SUGAR RAY LEONARD RETURNS TO LOWELL MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM 42 YEARS AFTER WINNING NATIONAL GOLDEN GLOVES TITLE THERE

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DANNY O’CONNOR VS. GABRIEL BRACERO REMATCH HEADLINES
PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON NBCSN
SATURDAY, OCT. 10 FROM IN LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS
 
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
(Photo Credit: Premier Boxing Champions)
 
LOWELL, Mass. (October 1, 2015) – Forty-two years after he captured his first National Golden Gloves Tournament title at Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Hall-of-Famer Sugar Ray Leonard returns Saturday, October 10 to the same historic building as a television analyst for Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBCSN, promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Murphys Boxing, airing live from Lowell, Massachusetts.
PBC on NBCSN is headlined by a 10-round rematch between Framingham (MA) welterweight Danny “Bhoy” O’Connor (26-2, 10 KOs), who is fighting to avenge his 2011 loss to Brooklyn welterweight Gabriel “Tito” Bracero (23-2, 4 KOs). O’Connor and Leonard are two of only four people to ever win the National Golden Gloves and National Amateur Championship in the same year. O’Connor collected both accolades in 2008.
Leonard captured top honors in the lightweight division (132 pounds) of the 1973 National Golden Gloves Tournament, outpointing Hilmer Kenty in the championship final at Lowell Memorial Auditorium. Leonard won the National Golden Gloves Tournament at light welterweight title the following year, while seven years later Kenty became the first professional world champion from Emanuel Steward‘s soon-to-become legendary Kronk Gym in Detroit.
“One of the most precious moments of my career happened in Lowell, Massachusetts,” Leonard recently said about his aforementioned experience.  “It was priceless.”
In addition to Leonard and Kenty, five other future world champions – Marvin Hagler,Aaron Pryor, Art Frias, Leon and Michael Spinks – competed in the 1973 National Golden Gloves Tournament.  Leonard, Hagler, Pryor and Michael Spinks are International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees.
Leonard has another tie to Lowell, the fourth-largest city in Massachusetts.  In 1978, he won a 10-round decision over Dicky Eklund at Hynes Auditorium in Boston. Eklund was the head trainer of his half-brother, “The Pride of Lowell” and three-time “Fight of the Year” participant “Irish” Micky Ward, who celebrates his 50th birthday this coming October 4.
Also featured on the PBC on NBCSN telecast is undefeated super bantamweight rising star Jonathan “Salomon King” Guzman (19-0, 19 KOs), a Dominican Republic native who now lives in nearby Lawrence (MA), takes on upset specialist Danny Aquino (17-2, 10 KOs), of Meriden (CT), in the 10-round co-feature.
The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will showcase Quincy, Mass. featherweight prospect Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczweski (23-1, 7 KOs) against Brooklyn’s Rafael “Dynamite” Vazquez (16-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-round bout.
Lowell Memorial Auditorium, which also hosted the 1995 National Golden Gloves Tournament, represents a homecoming for O’Connor and Kielczweski, who both won New England Golden Gloves Tournament titles there.
Tickets are on sale and priced at $125, $85, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges and taxes.  Special student, veteran and senior ticket prices also available. For tickets visit www.lowellauditorium.com.
# # #
For more information, visit www.premierboxingchampions.comwww.nbcsports.com/boxing, www.lowellauditorium.com and www.dbe1.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing,  @LouDiBella, @DropkickMurphys, @MurphysBoxing, @DOC_Boxing, @TeamBracero, @NBCSports and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/NBCSports,www.Facebook.com/DropkickMurphys,www.facebook.com/MurphysBoxingandwww.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment.
boxing, NBC, Premier Boxing Champions

IRISH INVASION COMING TO LOWELL! GARY “SPIKE” O’SULLIVAN, STEPHEN ORMOND & PATRICK HYLAND FEATURED IN UNDERCARD ACTION, SATURDAY OCTOBER 10 FROM THE LOWELL MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM

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DANNY O’CONNOR FACES GABRIEL BRACERO IN REMATCH
HEADLINING PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON NBCSN
8 P.M. ET/5 P.M. PT
 
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
 
LOWELL, Mass. (September 25, 2015) – An Irish invasion is coming to Lowell, MA onSaturday, October 10 as Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan (21-1, 14 KOs), Stephen “The Rock” Ormond (18-2, 9 KOs) and Patrick “The Punisher” Hyland enter the ring and provide colorful support for the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBCSN card, promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Murphys Boxing, from historic Lowell Memorial Auditorium.
At the same venue in which he became a New England Golden Gloves amateur champion, wildly popular welterweight Danny “Bhoy” O’Connor (26-2, 10 KOs), will be out to avenge his 2011 loss to Brooklyn welterweight Gabriel “Tito” Bracero (23-2, 4 KOs) in the 10-round main event.
The 10-round co-feature showcases undefeated super bantamweight knockout specialist Jonathan “Salomon King” Guzman (19-0, 19 KOs), a Dominican Republic native now living in nearby Lawrence MA, facing New England upset specialist Danny Aquino (17-2, 10 KOs), of Meriden, CT.
Opening the NBCSN broadcast, starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, will be Quincy, Mass. rising prospect Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczweski (23-1, 7 KOs), who twice captured a New England Golden Gloves title at Lowell Memorial Auditorium, against Brooklyn’s Rafael “Dynamite” Vazquez (16-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight bout.
Tickets are on sale and priced at $125, $85, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges and taxes.  Special student, veteran and senior ticket prices also available. For tickets, visit www.lowellauditorium.com.
Irish middleweight champion O’Sullivan returns to the United States once again, where he has a perfect 5-0 (3 KOs) record.  The charismatic, top 10 world rated brawler, in the truest Irish sense, has a growing fan-base throughout New England, as well as back home in Cork, Ireland.  O’Sullivan, whose only pro loss was two years ago by controversial 12-round decision to current world title challenger
Billy Joe Saunders, takes on 29-year-old Colombian invader Francisco “Volcan” Cordero(31-4, 22 KOs) in a potentially explosive 10-round match.
A Former European champion, Ormond, from Dublin, will be fighting in the U.S. for the first time in nearly six years, against local favorite Agustine “Ruthless” Mauras (6-1-3, 3KOs), from Lawrence, MA, in a lightweight showdown.
The former world title challenger” Hyland (30-1, 14 KOs), also fighting out of Dublin, is slated for an eight-round lightweight bout.
Also competing on the undercard is unbeaten 26-year-old Polish heavyweight prospectAdam Kownacki (11-0, 10 KOs), fighting out of Brooklyn, in an eight-round bout. The 6′ 3″, 250-pound Kownacki is a two-time New York Golden Gloves champion.
Super featherweight prospect Titus Williams (2-0, 1 KO) will enter the ring in a four round bout. The 26-year-old won a gold medal at the 2013 New York Golden Gloves tournament.
 
Argentine veteran Fernando “El Vasco” Saucedo (56-6-3, 9 KOs), a former South American champion, will compete in an eight-round bout. The 33-year-old is a former world title challenger who will be looking for his fourth victory of 2015.
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