Ex-World Champ Forbes Tops CKP Card on April 26

17.04 - Former International Boxing Federation junior lightweight champion Steve Forbes of Las Vegas faces hard-hitting Marty Robbins of Crossville, Tenn., in the main event on the Cedric Kushner Promotions card Saturday, April 26, at the Stratosphere Hotel Casino & Tower in Las Vegas, Nev.

Also featured on the seven-bout card are undefeated Las Vegas heavyweight David Defiagbon, highly regarded heavyweight Ray Austin of Cleveland and International Female Boxing Association minimumweight champion Vaia Zaganas of Las Vegas.

The card starts at 7 p.m. (Pacific) with gates to the Stratosphere's Outdoor Events Center opening at 6.

Tickets, priced at $30 for plaza or premium and $40 for ringside, are on sale daily from 10 a.m. to midnight at the Stratosphere ticket office, located on the second floor. Tickets also are available by calling 702-380-7711 daily from 10 a.m. to midnight and through tickets.com

Defiagbon and Austin meet opponents to be determined in six-round fights while Zaganas faces Mary Duron of Anaheim, Calif., in another six-round bout.

Also on the card are Willie Chapman of Ogden, Utah, in a six-round heavyweight fight and Las Vegans Heman Ali Gipson and Alphonzo Davis in a four-round heavyweight rematch.

The 26-year-old Forbes has a record of 22-1 with six knockouts and was the IBF 130-pound champion during 2000 through last year.

Forbes won the title Dec. 3, 2000, in Miami, Fla., when he stopped John Brown in the eighth round to capture the vacant title. Forbes didn't lose his IBF junior lightweight championship in the ring, but on the scale. He failed to make weight prior to his defense against David Santos Aug. 8, 2002, and had to relinquish the title. But Forbes fought Santos anyway, and won a
12-round decision.

In his most recent outing on Jan. 3, in Norman, Okla., Forbes halted Ronnie Longakit in the fifth round.

The 33-year-old Robbins has a record of 13-14-1 with 10 knockouts.

The 32-year-old Defiagbon has a record of 18-0 with 11 knockouts. The 6-foot-5-inch Nigerian has stopped three of his past four foes and is coming off a decision over
Ramon Hayes Sept. 29 in Lemoore, Calif.

The 32-year-old Austin has a record of 17-3-2 with 13 knockouts.

Zaganas has a record of 7-1 with three knockouts and won the vacant IFBA minimumweight championship June 15, 2002, in Ignacio, Calif., by stopping Sarah Jones-Goodson in the eighth round.

Duron has a record of 4-4-1 with no knockouts.

The 35-year-old Chapman has a record of 14-17-3 with four knockouts. His opponent will be determined.

The 30-year-old Gipson has a record of 2-1 with one knockout while the 33-year-old Davis has a mark of 4-10-1 with two knockouts. The two first met Sept. 21 at the Stratosphere when Gipson won a split decision.