By Peter Mark Heintzelman, Photos by Peter Mark Heintzelman — click here to view photo gallery — Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports, in association with Twin River, Budweiser and Tournament of Contenders, hosts eight bouts of professional boxing at the Twin River Event Center, in Lincoln, Rhode Island, this Friday night!
The main event features 10 rounds of super middleweight boxing between “The Pride of Providence” Peter Manfredo, Jr, 28-5, 13 KO’s, who weighed in at 170 ½ lbs against York, South Carolina’s Shane “The Irish Hitman” Benfield, 17-1, 9 KO’s, who weighed in at 169 ½ lbs.
The co-feature features Jaime “The Hurricane” Clampitt, 18-4-1, 7 KO’s, of Warwick, RI, via Canada, defending her IWBF Lightweight Championship belt again the busiest female boxing in the USA, and ten time world title challenger, Belinda “Brown Sugar” Laracuente, 23-21-3, 9 KO’s..
Laracuente weighed in this afternoon at 133 ¾ lbs, while Jamie Clampitt originally weighed in at 136 ½ lbs, over the title weight limit of 135. After the original weigh in, Clampitt had to go out and lost a pound and a half, reportedly by sauna, and returned, again, ¼ lb overweight. Laracuente’s manager, Melissa Hernandez, rightly put up a stink, because it was a world belt title fight, and had a couple rounds of verbal fisticuffs with Clampitt’s promoter, Jimmy Burchfield, who called the Rhode Island Boxing Commissioner, Bill DeLuca, and telephone called the IWBF chair, Frankie “G” Globuschutz, who arbitrated the rules, and reported that, if Clampitt could come in on weight by 9am tomorrow, they could still fight for the belt.
Clampitt, after her second unsuccessful weigh in, went back outside and ran off weight, came back in to the scales, blowing the weight of water from her hair, stripped down to mother nature, and hits 135 lbs, to secure the fight as a title fight. Burchfield and Hernandez probably lost more weight fretting over the rules and weights, and then shook hands and said the fighters will come out fighting for the world belt on Friday night!
Joey “KO Kid” Spina 20-1-1, 15 KO’s , of Providence RI, and rated No. 4 by the USBA, who weighed in at 178 lbs, is scheduled for six rounds in the light heavyweight division, after a long spell off, against game Henry “Hurricane” Mayes, 4-2, 3 KO’s of Baltimore, MD, who weighed in at 179 lbs.
Chris McInerney, 9-1-1, 6 KO’s, of Stoughton, MA, who weighed in at 197 lbs, rematches against his last victim, Brockton, MA’s, Tim “The Hammer” Flamos, 19-4-1, 7 KO’s, 194 lbs, who is a former New England, Massachusetts and EBA Champion, for six rounds of cruiserweight action. This rematch by itself, is worth the price of admission!
“Irish” Joe McCeedy, 6-1, 4 KO’s, of Lowell, MA, who weighed in at 178 lbs, is pitted for six rounds at light heavyweight against 178 pounder, Zeferino Albino, 3-4-1, 1 KO, of North Philadelphia, PA.
The undefeated Worcesterite, via Russia, Andre Nevsky, 3-0, 3 KO’s, who weighed in at 164 lbs, puts his unblemished record on the line against 2-1, 2 KO’s Eric Pinarreta, of Bedford, MA, who also weighed in at 164 lbs, in a highly anticipated four rounds at middleweight. Ray “Sucra” Oliviera is the manager/trainer of Pinarreta, and will be working his corner.
Islander Beauchamp, 3-0, of Lynn, MA, via Puerto Rico, who weighed in at 113 ¾ lbs, will look to keep his undefeated record intact in a scheduled four rounder at featherweight against Oceanside, California’s Gabriel Cruz, 2-1, who weighed in at 112 lbs.
And rounding off the card, the much anticipated pro debut of Pawtucket, Rhode Island’s Diego Pereira, who weighed in at 139 lbs, and faces Brockton, MA’s Felix “The Joker” Fernandes, 4-7, 2 KO’s, who weighed in at 139 lbs as well. Their fight is scheduled for four rounds at junior welterweight.
Matchmaker, Ted Panagiotis, did the job, and is entitled to the kudos, finding some opponents at the midnight hour.. Panagiotis is one of the best matchmakers on the East Coast, and his fingerprints on the card always results in the boxing fan getting their money’s worth in exciting and competitive match ups.
Although all seats have been sold out, there is a limited amount of $25 standing room only tickets that are still available at the Twin River Box Office. For more information, contact CES at 401-724-2253, or Twin River Events Center at 1-887-82-RIVER, or www.twinriver.com. Twin River has waived its 18+ rule for the fight night, but under 18s must enter via the West entrance, and remain in the company of an adult at all times. Doors open at 6pm EST, and the first bell rings at 7 pm EST