22.10.03 – Highly regarded heavyweight Charles Shufford of Las Vegas, Nev., faces relentless Gilbert Martinez of Sacramento, Calif., in the 10-round main event on Cedric Kushner Promotions’ nationally and internationally televised “Everlast Heavyweight Explosion” Saturday, Oct. 25, at Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino in Robinsonville, Miss.
Also on the nine-bout card presented by Cedric Kushner Promotions in association with Brian Young’s Prize Fight is current International Female Boxing Association and Women’s International Boxing Association minimumweight champion Vaia Zaganas of Las Vegas. The card starts at 8 p.m. (Central) with doors to the River Place Entertainment Center opening at 7.
Tickets, priced at $15 for reserved and $20 for ringside reserved, are on sale Monday through Saturday from noon until 8 p.m. at Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino or by calling 800-456-0711.
Shufford has a record of 20-4 with nine knockouts while Martinez has a mark of 15-6-1 with seven knockouts.
Zaganas meets an opponent to be determined in the four-round, non-title fight.
Also on the card are four more heavyweight fights, a light heavyweight bout, a middleweight fight and a second women’s fight featuring featherweight Shannon Birmingham of Hamilton, Ala., against teenager Hollie Dunaway of Fort Smith, Ark.
Heavyweights in action include Jovo Pudar of Brooklyn, N.Y., against Dan Ward of West Memphis, Ark., in a six-round fight; David Vedder of San Jose, Calif., against Wesley Martin of Sebia, Texas,., in a six-round bout; Ray Lunsford of Coldwater, Miss., against Vernon Woodward of Shawnee, Okla., in a four-round fight; and undefeated Albert Jimenez of Miami, Fla., against an opponent to be determined in a four-round bout.
The six-round light heavyweight fight features unbeaten Rowland Bryant of Orlando, Fla., against Tyrone Muex of Covington, Tenn.
The four-round middleweight bout matches Dana Horne of Nashville, Tenn., against Timothy Broyles of Sulligent, Miss.
The 30-year-old Shufford is coming off a 10-round decision over Willie Chapman on a Cedric Kushner Promotions’ “Everlast Heavyweight Explosion” card July 12 in Stateline, Nev. Shufford fought Wladimir Klitschko for the World Boxing Organization heavyweight championship during 2001.
The 37-year-old Martinez, a southpaw, scored his most impressive win earlier this year when he took a 10-round decision over former World Boxing Association heavyweight champion Tony Tubbs Jan 17 in Lemoore, Calif.
The 32-year-old Pudar has a record of 19-1 with nine knockouts and has won 12 straight.
The 40-year-old Ward has a record of 28-14-1 with 14 knockouts and has fought three former world champions: welterweight, super welterweight and middleweight champ Thomas Hearns; World Boxing Council cruiserweight king Juan Carlos Gomez and International Boxing Federation cruiserweight champion Arthur Williams.
The 39-year-old Vedder has a record of 21-22-5 with three knockouts. During the 1990s Vedder fought for the WBA, WBC and IBF light heavyweight championships and the WBC cruiserweight title. He went the 12-round distance in all four of those fights. In all, Vedder has had 10 fights against eight current or former light heavyweight, cruiserweight or heavyweight world champions and has gone the distance in nine of those, including a 10-rounder during 2001 against reigning IBF heavyweight champ Chris Byrd.
The 37-year-old Martin has a record of 13-38-8 with seven knockouts and has fought three former world champions: Gomez, Williams and IBF super middleweight champ James Toney.
The 34-year-old Lunsford has a record of 16-3 with seven knockouts. His past four fights have been at Sam’s Town Casino & Hotel.
The 34-year-old Woodward has a record of 3-7 with three knockouts.
The 6-foot-6-inch, 30-year-old Jimenez, originally from Puerto Rico, has a record of 3-0 with three knockouts, all coming in the first round.
Bryant has a record of 1-0 with no knockouts while the 38-year-old Muex has a mark of 9-20-3 with two knockouts.
Both Horne and Broyles are making their pro debut.
The 28-year-old Zaganas, originally from Canada, has a record of 11-2 with five knockouts. She won the IFBA championship last year with an eighth-round knockout of Sarah Jones-Goodson in Ignacio, Colo., and captured the WIBA title in her most recent outing, on Aug. 22 in Reno, Nev., when she stopped Tracey Stevens in the second round.
Birmingham has a record of 2-1 with one knockout and is coming off decision over Emily Gosa June 28 at Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino.
The 19-year-old Dunaway has a record of 4-3 with three knockouts.