17.10.03 – PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island – Two 21-year-old middleweight prospects, “Bad” Chad Dawson and Dumont “Dewey” Welliver, will fight for the vacant WBC Youth title in the 10-round co-feature October 31 on Haunted Homecoming,” promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc., live on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence.
Hometown hero Gary “Tiger” Balletto (29-1-2, 25 KOs), born in Providence’s historic Federal Hill, defends his International Boxing Union World lightweight title against former world champion Gregorio “Goyo” Vargas (43-7-1, 30 KOs) in the 12-round main event on “Haunted Homecoming,” presented by CES in association with Mohegan Sun, 94 WHJY, Westin Hotel and Gansett Juice.
Dawson and Welliver have a history together. South Carolina-native Dawson (13-0, 9 KOs), fighting out of New Haven (CT), is rated No. 14 by the NABF and No. 15 by the NABA. He is the 2002 & 2001 New England Prospect of the Year. One of his few losses as an amateur was to Welliver (14-5-1, 4 KOs) in the 1998 U.S. Junior Olympics championship final. Dewey, who lives in Washington (state), holds a victory against former world champion Livingstone Bramble.
“You have to give credit to Team Dawson and Chad’s manager, Lou Mayo, as well as Welliver’s management team for stepping up to the plate and taking this fight,” promoter Jimmy Burchfield said. “Very few boxing people today would accept a risky fight between young prospects like Dawson and Welliver. For years Chad has wanted revenge for his loss to Welliver as an amateur. Now he has that opportunity. Fans are going to love this entire card, headlined by three world title fights.”
Present WBC Youth champions include lightweight Juan Diaz and flyweight Brian Viloria. Francisco “Pancho” Bojado is a former WBC Youth title-holder.
Vargas (43-7-1, 30 KOs), the former World Boxing Council super featherweight champion and present No. 16 rated contender, is cut from the same cloth as great, tough Mexican fighters such as Julio Cesar Chavez, Salvador Sanchez, Erik Morales, Carlos Zarate and Ricardo Lopez.
Vargas’ lone loss in the past six years was a 12-round decision to Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in their 2000 WBC super featherweight title bout. “Goyo” has been stopped only once in 51 pro fights and he holds victories against world-class contenders such as Ben Tackie and Tracy Harris Patterson.
The power-punching Balletto, 28, coming off impressive back-to-back ESPN2 co-feature triumphs against Luis Lizarraga (WDEC10) and Frank Houghtaling (WKO4), will be fighting in his first main event on national television.
The third world championship match on “Haunted Homecoming” is the 10-round special attraction between reigning EBA champion Jaime “Hurricane” Clampitt (11-2, 4 KOs), of Narragansett (RI), and Michelle “Amazing Grace” Linden (6-3, 6 KOs), of Pompano Beach (FL), for the vacant International Women’s Boxing Federation light welterweight crown.
Manchester’s (CT) hot featherweight prospect, Angel “Gee Roc” Torres (13-2, 5 KOs), Flash Update’s 2002 Most Improved New England Fighter, puts his nine-fight win steak on the line in a six-round bout against (no relations) Angelo Torres (7-6-1, 3 KOs), of Lakewood (WA).
Providence’s undefeated middleweight Bobo “The Bull” Starnino (6-0, 1 KO) battles Martin “The Irish Assassin” Thornton (5-1, 1 KO), of South Boston (MA), in a four-round match. Also scheduled to fight on the undercard in separate fights are featherweight, Missy “The Fury” Fiorentino (7-0, 5 KOs), of Cranston (RI); middleweight Joe Gardner (3-0-1, 1 KO), of Bellingham (MA).
All matches and fighters are subject to change.
Available tickets are priced at $75.00 ringside, $50.00 reserved and limited $25.00 general admission. For more information or to order tickets call CES corporate headquarters at 401.724.2253/2254 or visit its Web site at www.cesboxing.com.