Seattle's Martin O'Malley to fight for NABA Lightweight Title

19.06 - Press Release - The NABA Lightweight Title will be up for grabs on July 19th, 2003 at the Emerald Queen Casino, as "Irish" Martin O'Malley (21-1, 14KO's) of Seattle, Washington will be taking on Luis "El Puma Villalta (29-4-1, 25KO's) from Lima, Peru for the belt. O'Malley, whose only loss was to Leonard Dorin (Dorin went on to win the WBA/IBF World Championship title directly after the O'Malley fight) is determined to climb the ladder for a world championship fight. This will be O'Malley's first title fight and a win would propel him into the top 10 rankings of the WBA.

With a record of 21-1, 14KO's, O'Malley has been heralded as something special in the boxing world. With his calmness and heavy hands O'Malley is a rare fighter who is able to handle speed and neutralize it with his solidity. Floating forward and back with his front foot he maximizes his reach, especially with his right which will catch his opponents off guard. "My goal is to redeem my loss against Leonard Dorin", said O'Malley. "I believe I'm the best lightweight in the world and I'm setting out to prove it".

His opponent, Luis "El Puma" Villalta of Lima, Peru has had his last 3 fights televised. With an aggressive style and good punching power Villalta will test O'Malley's game as both fighters punch with fast combinations. "When I was a kid, I used to fight a lot in the streets and at school", said Villalta. "They sent me home from school for fighting, and the principal told me if I wanted to come back to school I had to take some boxing classes. I had around 150 amateur fights, with 120, 130 wins and 10 or 15 losses. I competed in the Peruvian Nationals seven times and won the championships six times. I used to train with Joel Casamayor, we're good friends."

"We're excited to have Martin fight for the title in the Northwest. He is one of the best lightweights in the world", said Brian Halquist of Brian Halquist Productions. "He is fighting an incredibly tough opponent. This fight will definitely be a crowd pleaser".

The undercard will feature Seattle's Horatio Garcia, Michael Sams and female sensation Dakota Stone.

Tickets are on sale now at all Ticketmaster outlets, at the Emerald Queen Casino Gift Shop and by calling Brian Halquist Productions at 253-564-2090. Prices are $100 - $50 - $25.