COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – USA Boxing will showcase eleven outstanding bouts of amateur boxing action, May 9 at the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn., in a major United States Olympic tune-up for the Beijing Summer Olympic Games. Nine international bouts between the United States, Brazil and China will highlight the action in an early showcase of many of the athletes that will vie for gold in Beijing, China..
In addition to the international competition, a feature middleweight bout between 2008 National Champion Luis Arias (Milwaukee, Wis.) and 2007 National Golden Gloves champion Shawn Porter (Stow, Ohio) and a woman’s light middleweight contest, showcasing four-time national champion Franchon Crews (Baltimore, Md.) and two-time titlist Lisa Kuronya (Portland, Maine) will round out the action.
The event underscores the strategy of USA Boxing to establish the State of Connecticut as its East Coast hub, and the center of its national marketing activities.
“The USA Boxing Olympic Invitational marks the beginning of a very exciting relationship for us with the State,” commented USA Boxing CEO Jim Millman. “Bridgeport is perfectly situated to attract boxing fans from the East Coast and we’re delighted to be bringing our Olympic athletes to the Arena at Harbor Yard for a world-class event.”
“The City of Bridgeport is proud to host the USA Boxing Olympic Invitational in our Arena,” added Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch. “Our residents are very much looking forward to cheering on our boxing Olympians in what promises to be a grand event on May 9th. USA Boxing and all the visiting athletes are especially welcome to our City.”
Four United States Olympians will face off in international competition with light welterweight Olympian Javier Molina (Commerce, Calif.) taking on China’s Qiong Maimatituersan and heavyweight Olympian Deontay Wilder (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) battling China’s Abudureheman Abulikemu. Light flyweight Olympian Luis Yanez (Duncanville, Texas) will face off with Brazil’s Paulo Carvalho and lightweight Olympian Sadam Ali (Brooklyn, N.Y.) will compete close to home as he challenges Brazil’s Everton Lopes. In addition to the Olympic match-ups, the United States will face off in two additional bouts with China and three contests with Brazil.
A score will be settled in the middleweight feature bout as the scheduled championship bout of the recent Future Stars National Championship will be settled in Bridgeport. Porter was forced to pull out of the final round contest due to an injury, giving Arias the title by walkover. The two will finally face off in what is sure to be action-packed contest at the USA Boxing Olympic Invitational.
The outstanding action will continue into women’s action as multi-time national champions Crews and Kuronya face off in a rematch from the 2008 U.S. Future Stars National Championship. Both accomplished athletes have changed weight classes for 2008, and it was Crews winning the earlier match-up but Kuronya hopes to avenge her loss in New England.
Tickets for the USA Boxing Olympic Invitational will go on sale on Wednesday and are available through Ticketmaster as well as the Arena at Harbor Yard and range from $30 for upper level seats, $50 for lower level seats, to $75 for premium floor seating.
USA Boxing, as the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing, is the United States’ member organization of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).