THOMPSON-MARTINEZ ON AUG. 22

WALTON-ASIPELI IN SEMI-MAIN

PLUS WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMP ZAGANAS

19.08 - Anthony “Tony The Tiger” Thompson of Silver Spring, Md., winner of 14 straight, meets rugged Gilbert Martinez of Sacramento, Calif., in the 10-round main event on the nationally and internationally televised “Everlast Heavyweight Explosion” boxing card presented by Cedric Kushner Promotions Friday, Aug. 22, at the Reno (Nev.) Hilton.

James Walton of Cleveland faces Sione Asipeli of Las Vegas, Nev., in the semi-main event.

The Thompson-Martinez main event replaces Charles Hatcher against Gerald Nobles. That fight was cancelled after Hatcher visited a physician in Columbus, Ohio.

“Charles had been suffering from headaches all last week,” said his manager/trainer John Johnson. “When they weren’t going away and, in fact, were happening more frequently and getting worse, we had to go to a doctor. On top of that, he’d lost 10 pounds and was down to 207. I think it all goes back to a sinus problem he had earlier this year.

“He just wasn’t in any condition to fight, and the doctor agreed,” continued Johnson.

Thompson, who’s earning comparisons as a larger version of current International Boxing Federation heavyweight champion Chris Byrd, has a record of 18-1 with 10 knockouts while Martinez has a mark of 15-5-1 with seven knockouts.

Walton has a record of 18-3-2 with 10 knockouts while Asipeli has a mark of 17-8-2 with eight knockouts.

Also on the six-bout card are fights featuring International Female Boxing Association minimumweight champion Vaia Zaganas of Las Vegas, Nev., and former International Boxing Federation cruiserweight champ Al Cole of Spring Valley, N.Y.

The Cedric Kushner Promotions card at the Reno Hilton starts at 7 p.m. (Pacific) with doors to the Hilton Theater opening at 6.

Tickets for the Cedric Kushner Promotions card at the Reno Hilton are priced at $10, $20, $30 and $50 with all seats reserved.

Tickets are on sale at the Reno Hilton ticket office from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days and by calling 775-789-2285 or 800-648-3568 24 hours daily.

Cole goes against Joe Lenhart of Cleveland while Zaganas clashes with Tracey Stevens of Thunder Bay, Ont., in six-round fights.

In another six-round heavyweight bout veterans Willie Chapman of Ogden, Utah, and Todd Diggs of Las Vegas meet in a rematch.

Cedric Kushner Promotions, one of the world’s premiere boxing promotional firms, presents numerous nationally and internationally televised cards each year. During the past 20 years Cedric Kushner Promotions has presented more than 300 world championship bouts.

Cedric Kushner Promotions promotes a number of world-class boxers including, heavyweights David Tua and Jameel McCline and super featherweights Joel Casamayor, ranked No. 1 by both the World Boxing Association and the World Boxing Organization, and Steve Forbes, rated No. 1 by the IBF.

The 31-year-old Thompson, a southpaw who’s 6-foot-6-inches tall and has an 81-inch reach, is gaining recognition as a taller, longer-armed Byrd.

Thompson has fought once this year, stopping James Gaines in the eighth round March 7 in Niagara Falls, Ont., to record his fifth knockout in his past seven bouts.

The most recent win for the 37-year-old Martinez, also a southpaw, came Jan. 17 in Lemoore, Calif., when he took a 10-round unanimous decision over former World Boxing Association heavyweight champion Tony Tubbs.

The 31-year-old Walton is fighting for the first time this year.

The 29-year-old Asiplei, originally from Tonga, went the distance with current IBF cruiserweight champion James Toney last year. During 2001, Asipeli beat Jimmy Lester at the Reno Hilton.

The 39-year-old Cole has a record of 33-11-3 with 16 knockouts. He moved up to heavyweight during 1996 after holding the IBF cruiserweight champion from 1992 to 1996.

Cole has faced numerous top-notch heavyweights, including former World Boxing Council and WBA champion Tim Witherspoon and WBO champ Corrie Sanders plus world-ranked contenders such as Jameel McCline, Michael Grant, Kirk Johnson and Juan Carlos Gomez.

Cole is coming off a win over David Izon March 1 in Las Vegas and a draw with Jeremy Williams Jan. 30 in Portland, Ore.

The 32-year-old Lenhart has a record of 11-18-3 with four knockouts

The 35-year-old Chapman has a record of 16-18-3 with four knockouts while the 32-year-old Diggs has a mark of 4-7-3 with no knockouts. Chapman decisioned Diggs on a Cedric Kushner Promotions “Everlast Heavyweight Explosion” card June 7 in Laughlin, Nev.

Zaganas, originally from Burnaby, B.C., has a record of 10-2 with four knockouts. She won the IFBA championship with an eighth-round knockout of Sarah Jones-Goodson June 15, 2002, in Ignacio, Colo. In her most recent outing, Zaganas decisioned Jones-Goodson in a rematch July 25 in Tulsa, Okla.

Stevens, who’s won three of her past four fights, has a record of 5-5 with one knockout.

Everlast, sponsor of Cedric Kushner Promotions’ “Heavyweight Explosion” series, has been at the forefront of boxing equipment for almost 100 years.

The card will be televised nationally on HDNet and on tape delay to more than 100 countries on the Cedric Kushner Promotions Sports Network.