Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Announces Malice At Gold Rush Palace
29.03 - Six-time World Champion boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard, Chairman of Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing, announced today Malice at the Gold Rush Palace, a battle of former world champions Verno Phillips (34-8-1, 18 KO) of Denver, Colorado, and Bronco McKart (45-4, 29 KO) of Monroe, Michigan at Thunderbird Wild Wild West Casino in Norman, Oklahoma on April 25, 2003. Phillips and McKart, both former WBO Jr. Middleweight Champions, will have much at risk in this pivotal 10 round Jr. Middleweight showdown. The winner clearly puts himself in line for another World Championship opportunity.
Featured in the 12 round co-main event of the live ESPN2 nationally and internationally televised fights are Middleweight contenders Tony Ayala, Jr. (31-1, 27 KO) of San Antonio, Texas and Anthony Bonsante (21-3-3, 11 KO) of Shakpee, Minnesota who will be battling for the vacant IBA Middleweight Championship of the world. Ayala, the former WBA Jr. Middleweight Champion, will be making his first ESPN appearance in almost a year and is always a fan favorite because of his non-stop action-packed style.
Hometown favorite Allan The True Dream Green of nearby Tulsa, Oklahoma, will be featured in an undercard bout. Green, a former highly decorated amateur champion, including a National Golden gloves title in 2002, will be putting his undefeated (4-0 3 KO) record on the line when he steps in against 25 fight veteran Berry Basler of Denver, Colorado, in a 4 round Light Heavyweight bout. Green is most highly acclaimed for breaking the two-decade-old 8-second world knockout record of Mike Tyson, knocking out Tommy Krupe in the 2002 Golden Gloves National Championships in June 2002.
Also scheduled to appear on the undercard is one of boxings hottest young prospects, Bernard Irishman Ben Dunne (5-0, 4 KO), who has moved from his native Ireland, where he amassed an incredible 119-11 record as an amateur, including a gold medal at the prestigious Multi Nations Games and 2 bronze
medals at the European championships, to his new home in Los Angeles, California, where he is under the tutelage of one of boxings most respected trainers, Freddie Roach. Ben will be featured in a 4 round Featherweight contest.
Two additional fights will complete the six-bout card.
Order tickets by calling 800-955-5566, on the web at www.tickets.com, at Metro-Homeland Stores or Thunderbird Wild Wild West Casino.