11.01.05 – What do you get when you have a former national Golden Gloves champion and world title contender, the prospect of the year from Puerto Rico, the American Bronze Medalist from the last Olympics, a heavyweight prospect who is graduating from college this year with a major in pharmaceutical marketing and three other undefeated rising young stars? You guessed it, Ballroom Boxing!
Thursday, January 27 will undoubtedly be one of the greatest Ballroom shows ever. Never have we delivered to our fans a show such as this. You could, without embarrassment call this one of the most amazing club shows that has ever been put on. The talent that is going to be climbing through the ropes is unprecedented and here is a glimpse of what the night will bring.
The main event features local hero, the mailman with a message, Lamont Pearson. Its been two years since he went to Thailand and fought on the King’s birthday against the national hero of Thailand for the world title at 130 pounds. Ahead in the fight, he broke his hand and the fight was stopped. With his hand properly healed, Lamont is ready to make another run at the world championship, and like Hasim Rahman last year, Lamont is dedicated to win the title this time. And like Rahman, Lamont is making his first step towards that goal at the Ballroom.
The co-feature bout is a young Puerto Rican fighter Roman Martinez (9-0). Roman was just named the prospect of the year in Puerto Rico and he is going to bring his super talent to the Ballroom and face Mario Lacey. Mario is one of those guys we love at the Ballroom. His record is just 7-7, but his losses were against guys with a combined record of 63-2 and he tested each of them. So when Roman Martinez climbs through the ropes for the first time at the Ballroom, this hot young prospect will be in his toughest fight.
The most exciting moment on this show will undoubtedly be the pro debut of Olympic Bronze medal winner, Andre Dirrell, from Flint, Michigan. His only loss was to the gold medal winner, but he surprised everyone with his rapidly developing pro style and his tremendous heart and ring savvy. After the other Olympic medal winner, Andre Ward signed a huge contract to be co-promoted by Roy Jones and Goosen Tudor (the same guys who paid David Reid 50 million bucks), the man whose telephone has not stopped ringing is Andre Dirrell. So faced with offers from every major player in the biz, courted by the television networks, and hounded by every hustler in boxing, what does this savvy young man and his team decide to do? You know the answer and our fans will have the sort of once in a lifetime opportunity on January 27th, to be the first fans to see this fine young star slip his first punch without headgear and throw his first punch for money. His opponent is the experienced Joseph Harris (6-5, 4 KOs), who is not impressed, and is coming to surprise the young star.
Mixed in here will be an intriguing heavyweight matchup between, Ballroom regular Adele Olakaneye (5-1) and Jerome Tabb (6-1, 6KOs) from New York This six round fight could be the main event on most local shows, and promises to be a rough and exciting bout between two guys who can hit and have nothing to lose.
But then we turn to some of the most exciting fights and fighters that we have ever put on one card. They are all so good and they are all names that we will be reading about and rooting for for years to come. Leading off will be Andre Dirrell’s brother, Anthony making his pro debut at middleweight. He was slotted for the Olympics as well, but a broken hand kept him home. He was happy to have his brother do so well and now he knows that it is his turn to shine. He may not have a medal handing around his neck, but he looks like the type of young fighter that will be wearing a championship belt someday.
Coming out of the Mexican Olympic team is a young Southern California surfer boy, Daniel Cervantes (4-0). At 135lbs, Daniel is managed by superstar Fernando Vargas, and he combines the same sort of boxing skill and heart that made Fernando a champion.
Wait, there is more..
At 6-0 with 6 KO’s, there is an unusual young man from Buffalo named Nick Casal. Trained by his Dad Ray, and guided by manager extraordinaire, Shelly Finkel, Nick has one very redeeming quality. HE CAN PUNCH. Now I don’t know where his opponent is coming from yet, but our only hope is that he is in a cave somewhere with Rip Van Winkel, because if he finds out how hard Nick hits, he won’t be showing up! In Nick’s last fight, he got clocked by a late sub who was a middleweight (Nick fights at welter, two weight classes down). Nick fell forward and grabbed the guy, and slowly sank down almost to the ground. Recovering quickly, Nick stumbled around, and then got fired up. Thirty seconds later, Nick had him in the corner and one punch later it was over. OVER!
Like the local Ballroom favorite Ismail Arvin, though, Nick does get hit, so guaranteed, his fight will be exciting for however long it lasts.
More, you ask.. oh yes. there is more, and he is a BIG more.
Almost an Olympian after a very brief amateur career; the only heavyweight to win the national Golden Gloves by knocking out all five of his opponents; currently studying pharmaceutical marketing at college in Philadelphia, cousin of former heavyweight star, Tim Witherspoon, Ballroom Boxing presents the second pro fight of Chazz Witherspoon. You will be hearing a lot from him over the next few years, and it is an exciting opportunity to see this young pro as he hones his skills.
And last but not least, Chuckie Cavallo (2-0) light heavyweight from Trenton will come to town to face Jarell Jackson of Keystone Boxing in Marlowe Heights.
So that is where we are now. As always sometimes, people get sick, or they get bitten by a dog and they fall off the card, but this is as exciting a group of fighters that has ever appeared on one card in the history of Maryland boxing. Can we really state something like that ? Absolutely. These guys can all fight, and they know when they come to the Ballroom that our fans demand the best, so you can be certain that you will see a hell of a show. So get your tickets fast, get the word out to your friends, as this will be a show that you will speaking about for years to come, these are fighters that you will be hearing about and watching for years to come. And that is a Ballroom Boxing guarantee.
PS. For those of you who come to our shows to see and be seen, and missed the last show, you missed Deion Sanders and a group of Ravens that were so big, that they would make Chazz Witherspoon and Adele look like defensive backs. Now I don’t know whether we will get the Governor, the Mayor or Ray Lewis, but we thought it might be good to let you know that Andre Dirrell’s friend and advisor is P. Diddy. All I know is that if he comes, I wish he still dated JLO!
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