PROVIDENCE, RI – On Wednesday, May 10th, Joey “The KO Kid” Spina looks to make the third defense of his WBC United States (USNBC) super middleweight crown when he battles Jesse Brinkley, a semi-finalist in last years NBC reality show, “The Contender.” For Spina, another defense of his crown on May 10th will surely move him up the ladder in the WBC world ratings, where he currently holds the #22 position. He is also ranked #11 by the NABF.. Brinkley is hoping a win over Spina puts him into the WBC world ratings. He currently holds the #14 position in the NABF.
Spina, 17-0-1, 12 KO’s, is coming off a draw with veteran Jose Spearman this past November. That was the only blemish thus far in his career. Brinkley, 26-3, 17 KO’s, is coming off a major win over nemesis Anthony Bonsante in a rematch of their bout from “The Contender,” which Brinkley won via 5th round TKO.
“This is a major league fight,” said CES President Jimmy Burchfield. “Joey really wants to rid himself of the sour taste he felt following the draw in his last fight and has chosen to step right back with an even tougher foe in Brinkley. Jesse is a fan favorite and a very exciting fighter. He earned a lot of fans, and respect, with his performance on “The Contender.” This will be an electric night of boxing, one that you definitely don’t want to miss.”
“Both of these fighters know each other as Brinkley is from Las Vegas and Spina has been training there,” said Burchfield. “So I know the tempers will flare and the excitement will be in the air on May 10th. This is a fight that has been months in the making as I have been working closely withBrinkley’s promotional team of Henry Holmes and Jeff Wald of “The Contender,” to make this happen.”
The Spina-Brinkley bout is scheduled for 12 rounds and, along with a major cruiserweight title unification bout between WBC U.S. champion Matt Godfrey & NABA champion Shaun George, will co-headline “Put Up or Shut Up,” being promoted by Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc. and televised nationally by ESPN2. Tickets are priced at $150 for Platinum Main Event Ringside seats, $100 for Gold Co-Feature Ringside seats and $50 for Silver Reserved seats. Tickets are available now by calling CES at (401) 724-2254 or (401) 724-2253, the Foxwoods Box Office (800) 200-2882 or online at www.foxwoods.com.