Junior middleweight James Moore ready for return to the ring against Lloyd Christian Joseph at B.B. Kings on Wednesday, August 6. The popular junior middleweight James Moore, 15-1 (10 KOS), a native of County Wicklow, Ireland, who fights of Queens, New York, will face the battle-tested veteran Lloyd Christian Joseph, 12-6-3 (5 KOS), in an 8 round bout on Wednesday, August 6, at B.B. King Blues Club in the heart of New York City’s Times Square..
This will be Moore’s first fight since losing a disputed decision to Gabriel Rosado on June 4.
The show, which is being called “Hot Fights…Summer in the City,” is being co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment (DBE) and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing. It will be televised as part of DiBella’s popular Broadway Boxing series.
A lot of eyes will be on Moore, who has been sparring with such rugged fighters as George Walton. “We’ve had some real ding-dongs in the gym,” said the relaxed Moore at the July 21 press conference at Hurley’s Saloon in midtown Manhattan. “Everything is back to normal. I’m feeling really good, and I can’t wait to get back on the winning track.”
Moore says Joseph’s record and level of opposition indicates that he is a “tough and durable opponent, which is exactly what I need right now.”
Promoter DiBella is thrilled to have Moore on the show and looks forward to working with him in the future.
“It’s hard not to love the way James fights,” said DiBella. “His loss to Rosado was just a bump in the road. I admire the fact that he took a comeback fight against Joseph, who is not a pitty-pat opponent. James is very exciting to watch. I love his body punching and his attitude.”
Should Moore beat Joseph, there is talk of him fighting on the undercard of the Joe Calzaghe-Roy Jones Jr. title bout at Madison Square Garden on September 20. Names being mentioned as possible opponents are Troy Browning and Willie Lee.
As excited as Moore is about the future, he is not looking beyond Joseph right now.
“I’m not thinking about September when it’s not even August 6 yet,” said Moore. “Once this fight is behind me, I’ll think about the next one.”
Headlining the August 6 show is former world lightweight champion Randall Bailey, 36-3 (33 KOS), of Miami vs. Dairo Esalas, 31-13 (25 KOS), of Colombia. Popular New York heavyweight Vinny Maddalone, 29-4 (20 KOS), will be appearing in the co-feature.
Also scheduled to appear is featherweight Dat Nguyen, 12-1 (6 KOS), an exciting Vietnamese-American who fights out of Vero Beach, Florida.
Making their pro debuts will be lightweight Ryan Kielczewski of Lowell, Massachusetts, and two sensational New York amateurs: light heavyweight Will Rosinsky of Queens and Philip Jackson-Benson of Brooklyn. Rosinsky is a four-time New York City Golden Gloves champion, while Jackson-Benson is a two-time titlist.
B.B. Kings is located at 237 West 42 Street in Manhattan. Tickets are priced at $160 (VIP seats and VIP tables); $100 (ringside seats and ringside tables); and $60 for standing room only. Due to the intimate size of the venue, only 550 seats are available. To purchase tickets, call DBE at 212-947-2577.