Vernon Paris Injured, Tyner Steps Up

31.01.08 – The Donofrio Boxing “FIRE & ICE” card that was to feature Detroit’s two hottest lightweights, scheduled for Friday, February 1 at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Michigan, was dealt a blow this week when undefeated Vernon “The Iceman” Paris announced he had suffered a hand injury..

Paris (17-0, 12 KOs) was scheduled to face Mexican veteran Roberto Valenzuela in the eight-round main event Friday, but is now forced to withdraw. Taking his place on top of the show will be his bitter rival, also undefeated Lanardo “Pain Server” Tyner (18-0, 10 KOs).

Promoter Joseph Donofrio says that while the loss of Paris is a disappointment, what’s left is still a very solid night of boxing for the fight-hungry Motown fans. “Lanardo Tyner never even asks who he’s fighting. He just says ‘get me a fight.’ We had him paired up with a guy (Panama’s Victorio Abadia) who is 22-6-2 with 8 knockouts before we had matched any of the four-round fights on the undercard! For a kid who is looking at a big-money showdown with Vernon Paris later this year, that’s a pretty impressive opponent to take on. That’s the kind of fighter Lanardo is.”

In addition to Tyner’s battle with Abadia, Detroit’s undefeated middleweight knockout artist Brian “The Lion” Mihtar will return for a six-round scrap with Ukraine’s Mikhall Lyubarsky.

Also scheduled for the undercard are Michigan veterans Bernard Harris and Chris Grays in a welterweight battle; a super lightweight double-pro debut between Sterling Heights, Michigan’s Luigi Gjokaj and St. John’s, Michigan’s Angel Mondujano; the super featherweight pro debut of Kingsville, Ontario’s Anna Jayne Mc Neil vs. Tennessee’s Melinda Woody and a super lightweight four-rounder between Brant, Michigan’s Cory Hall and West Palm Beach, Florida’s Howard Davis Jr.-trained Trevor Latulas.

Known for going the extra mile in his well-attended shows, Donofrio says he’ll also have live entertainment and a high-energy dance troupe performing for the fans.

“We’ve still got a top-quality night of boxing going on and the thousands in attendance will most certainly get their money’s worth. Watching Lanardo Tyner and the relentless way he overpowers his opponents will make for an excellent preview of the Tyner-Paris fight. In all, we’re very proud to be putting on a show that’s so packed with local talent.”

Premium tickets for “FIRE & ICE” are priced at $85.00 front row, $75.00 ringside, $50.00 VIP and $25.00 reserved, and are on sale now at www.palacenet.com, The Palace Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations. For more information, visit www.donofrioboxing.com. Doors will open on fight night at 6:30 pm. The action starts at 7:30 pm.