"Touch of Sleep" meets "Baby" Joe…

DIBELLA ENTERTAINMENT IN ASSOCIATION WITH HOLDEN PROMOTIONS PRESENTS DAVARRYL WILLIAMSON VS. JOE MESI ON SATURDAY NIGHT, SEPTEMBER 27, AT HSBC ARENA IN BUFFALO, NEW YORK

***"A Night of the Young Heavyweights" to be televised on HBO Boxing After Dark***

21.08 - DiBella Entertainment will continue its torrid schedule of outstanding televised boxing when presenting "A Night of Young Heavyweights" featuring DaVarryl "Touch of Sleep" Williamson (18-1, 16 KOs) vs. undefeated "Baby" Joe Mesi (26-0, 24 KOs) in the main event at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York on Saturday night, September 27, it was announced today by DBE president Lou DiBella. Holden Promotions is the co-promoter of the boxing extravaganza that is sponsored by Budweiser.

HBO Boxing After Dark will broadcast beginning at 10:00 PM/ET. Another pair of outstanding heavyweight contests pitting Duncan Dokiwari (22-1, 19 KOs) vs. Dominic Guinn (22-0, 17 KOs), and Juan Carlos Gomez (36-0, 31 KOs) vs. Sinan Samil Sam (22-0, 17 KOs) will also be televised. In all, the six heavyweights have a combined total of 146 wins, 124 by way of knockout, and only two losses.

The announcement was made at Crunch Fitness, Kips Bay, and DiBella was joined by knockout artists Williamson and Mesi, along with HBO vice president of programming Xavier James, co-promoter Tony Holden and George Horowitz, President and CEO, Everlast WorldWide.

Williamson, dubbed "Touch of Sleep" because of his uncanny knockout to win ratio (almost 90 percent), fights out of Denver, Colorado, and has his Masters degree in Administrative Services from Northern Michigan University. Managed by Gary Gittlesohn, the native of Washington, DC, got a late start in boxing at age 25, but has made up for lost time. Mesi, a Buffalo native ranked 11th by the WBC, 12th by the WBA and 14th by the WBO, will try to defend his home turf against Williamson, his sternest test to date. Both fighters will be making their HBO debuts.

DBE comes off of three televised events over a two-week period: Hector Camacho, Jr. defeated Byron Mackie on ESPN/2 Tuesday Night Fights on August 5 in Washington, DC; Jermain Taylor continued his unbeaten pro streak against Freddie Cuevas on ESPN/2 Friday Night Fights on August 8 in Little Rock; and last Saturday night's Montiel vs. Johnson/Marquez vs. Lincona twinbill from Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT on HBO Boxing After Dark.

"The winner of this fight will be the next heavyweight star and command a huge purse for their next fight," DiBella says.

"This fight is basically a pick 'em," added Holden. "Some people say DaVarryl will win, some say Joe will win, so that is the makings of a great fight."

Mesi is ecstatic about his first appearance on HBO. "This is all my hard work paying off," the 29-year old says. "I have been dying to get on one of the major networks, this is a global audience I have been looking for."

"This is one of the most significant boxing cards will we put on this year." says Xavier James, vice-president of programming for HBO. "This is an intriguing fight; like DaVarryl, Joe is an intelligent fighter who has a big punch."

Tickets are priced at $250, $100, $75, $50, $40, $20 and $10 and can be obtained through tickets.com.