Promoter Michael Acri announced today that undefeated former IBF lightweight champion PAUL “The Pittsburgh Kid” SPADAFORA and his new trainer, four-division world champion and Hall of Fame inductee PERNELL “Sweet Pea” WHITAKER, will hold public workouts and autograph sessions in the Pittsburgh area as they prepare for Spadafora’s homecoming fight, scheduled for Wednesday, June 24 at Pittsburgh’s Amphitheatre at Station Square (125 West Station Square Drive, Pittsburgh, Penn. 15129.) Spadafora (41-0-1), will rumble with Ivan Bustos (27-12-3), of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in a 10-round junior welterweight bout, headlining an all-action show which will begin at 7:30 p.m..
PUBLIC WORKOUT SCHEDULE
Saturday, June 20, beginning at 1:00 P.M., the Spadafora-Whitaker Public Workout and Autograph Session will take place at 1st Choice Motors (1 Furnace Street, McKees Rocks, PA. 15136), located next to Eat And Park. Monday, June 22, beginning at 2:00 P.M., the second Spadafora-Whitaker Public Workout and Autograph Session will take place at James 5:16 Boxing Center in Tarentum (301 West 7th Avenue, Tarentum, PA 15084)
The undercard will feature two Pittsburgh favorites, undefeated lightweight “Lightning” Rod Salka (7-0, 2 KOs), and welterweight Jose “The Prince” Caraballo (5-3, 1 KO), the professional debut of heavyweight Tommy Poe, from Wheeling, WV, and additional bouts.
Remaining tickets, priced at $103.00 (Ringside), $53.00 (Reserved) and $23.00 (General Admission), can be purchased at the Amphitheatre’s box office (Monday-Friday, Noon to 4 P.M. – 412-434-7600), all Ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com, Blue Eagle Sports (726 Broadway Ave., McKees Rocks, Penn. – 412-331-4884) or charge by phone at 800-745-3000. For additional ticket Information, call 814-455-8309.
“FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS” AT DESERT DIAMOND CASINIO INCLUDES TOP PROSPECTS AND LOCAL RISING STAR
New Yorkers Daniel Jacobs and George Walton Go Head-to-Head in Main Event
Local Female Fighter, Netta Agredano, Scheduled to Fight on Undercard
(Tucson, Arizona) – On June 26, 2009, the hottest prospects in boxing converge on Desert Diamond Casino’s Diamond Center to determine who makes the step up and who gets left behind. World-class fighters and former amateur world champions make up the latest Golden Boy Promotions/Desert Diamond Casino fight card; this fight night marks the 23rd event in the partnership and will be televised on ESPN. Special guest Oscar De La Hoya will be present at the fights. Doors open at 6:00 PM with the first fight beginning at 6:30 PM. Tickets range from $25 to $120 in advance and are on sale now. They can be purchased at any Ticketmaster location, by calling 1-800-745-3000, by contacting the Desert Diamond Casino Box Office, or by visiting www.desertdiamondcasino.com.
The main event of the evening features Brooklyn, New York’s Daniel Jacobs (16-0, 14 KOs), a prized prospect that is on the verge of becoming a legitimate contender. He recently won a wide decision over Michael Walker on the undercard of the Pacquiao/Hatton mega-fight. Jacobs faces fellow New Yorker George “Blaze” Walton (20-3, 12 KOs) who is a former Golden Gloves champion and famous for his role in the 1999 Academy Award-nominated documentary On the Ropes.
Fighting as part of the co-main event is Guantanamo’s Erislandy Lara (6-0, 4 KOs). Lara is a former amateur world champion and, prior to defecting from Cuba, was favored to take home the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics. Lara will take on Mississippi’s Willie Lee (16-5, 11 KOs).
Tucson’s own Annette “Netta” Agredano (3-0) will be making her first-time appearance at the Diamond Center. A stand-out in the amateur ranks, Agredano is transitioning to be the area’s next great pro boxing sensation. Her opponent is Clara de la Torre (1-6-1, 1 KO).
Two heavyweight bouts are scheduled for the evening, featuring the United States’ only boxing medalist in the 2008 Olympics, Deontay Wilder (5-0, 5 KOs), in the four-round fight and Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell (11-0-1, 7 KOs), a former All-American linebacker at Michigan State, in the six-round fight. Wilder faces Kelsey Arnold (1-2-2) out of Lexington, TN; Mitchell will take on Las Vegas’ Alvaro Morales (3-5-5).
Returning to the Diamond Center is Jermell Charlo (7-0, 3 KOs) and Hylon Williams (9-0, 3 KOs), both fighting out of Houston, Texas. Charlo is featured in the junior middleweight fight and will compete against Federico Flores (6-2, 2 KOs) fighting out of Hart, MI. Khadaphi Proctor (4-3-1) out of Hesperia, CA goes up against Williams in a junior lightweight bout.
A 6-round welterweight fight will feature Keith “One Time” Thurman (8-0, 8 KOs) fighting out of Clearwater, FL. Thurman won six national championships as an amateur and captured the silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Trials. His opponent has yet to be named.
Tucsonan Isaac Hidalgo (4-4, 1 KO) is taking on Robert Guillen (4-2-2) fighting out of Glendale, Arizona. The two will compete in a six-round junior featherweight bout.
Treena Parvello, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise, said, “June 26th is shaping up to be one of our best fight nights yet! ESPN is coming to town to catch the action, and with two up-and-coming stars like Jacobs and Lara leading the night, Desert Diamond Casino will be the place to be!”
Desert Diamond Casino on Pima Mine Road, Desert Diamond Casino♦Hotel on Nogales Highway, and the Golden Ha:san in Why, Arizona, are enterprises of the Tohono O’odham Nation. Further information can be found at www.desertdiamondcasino.com or by calling 866-DDC-WINS.
The Showdown at Early Sunset June 27 in Boston!
Oliver – Gonzalez Headline
Ayala – Caminero to Co-Feature
New England fight fans, and summer enthusiasts, looking to start off their summer weekends early, need not look any further as Cappiello Promotions’ President Rich Cappiello has officially announced “The Showdown at Early Sunset,” a professional boxing event, to be held Saturday, June 27 at The Roxy in Boston, Massachusetts. The nine-bout event, to be held in association with Seminole Warriors Boxing, will begin at 5 PM, with doors to the event opening at 3:30 PM.
“It’s a great feeling to bring professional boxing back to Boston, in particular, The Roxy,” Cappiello exclaimed. “The Roxy is one of the best venues to watch a night of professional boxing, and Cappiello Promotions, in association with Semonole Warriors Boxing, is thrilled to have the opportunity to put on this event at such a great venue. The card is jam-packed with talent, prospects, and extremely well-matched fights, from top to bottom. It’s going to be a terrific night of professional boxing in Boston, and we are, absolutely, expecting a full-house!”
In the main event of the evening two of New England’s most exciting boxers square off for the second time, when Hartford, CT’s Mike “Machine” Oliver (21-2, 7 KO’s) takes on Lynn, Massachusetts’ Castulo Gonzalez (9-8, 3 KO‘s) for the New England Jr. Featherweight title. While just over a year ago Oliver was knocking on the door of a world title, back-to-back knockout losses have since left his future in question, hence the rematch with fellow stable-mate, and once prior foe, Gonzalez. “Both of these guys are coming off losses,” Cappiello stated. “The winner of this fight goes on, and the loser quite possibly goes away…for good! Oliver won their first encounter via ninth round stoppage (2/18/06), but Castulo had plenty of moments in that fight. This is a great opportunity for both fighters to rejuvenate their respective careers.”
In the super middleweight co-feature bout New Haven, CT’s Elvin Ayala (19-3, 8 KO’s) takes on Lawrence, Massachusetts’ extremely heavy-handed Eddie Caminero (5-1, 5 KO’s). While Ayala is far more experienced, having once fought Arthur Abraham in Germany for Abraham’s IBF World Title (3/29/08), Caminero’s fists of iron, and straight-forward attack, may make this the most interesting fight of the evening! “Listen, Elvin is a tremendous fighter,” Cappiello stated. “However, Elvin best not be thinking of this as a tune-up fight. He has the experience, but Caminero has the equalizer, in both hands. This kid can punch, and he knows it. Eddie is coming into this fight thinking he is going to knock Elvin out! Elvin had better be in shape, and prepared for him.”
In a special undercard attraction Framingham, Massachusetts’ “Irish” Danny O’Connor (6-0, 2 KO’s), an extremely accomplished amateur, and heavily touted professional prospect, steps up to take on Longuevil, Canada’s Sebastian Hamel ((10-18, 1 KO) in a junior welterweight clash slated for six rounds. O’Connor’s amateur pedigree drew the attention of boxing promoters nationwide and, ultimately, resulted with his signing with the event’s co-promoter, Seminole Warriors Boxing. However, O’Connor will be in for his toughest professional test to date in Hamel. “To say that Hamel’s record is deceiving would be an understatement,” Cappiello exclaimed! “Hamel just recently lost a majority decision to Paul Delgado (20-9-1, 4 KO’s), while fighting in Massachusetts. Hamel has a heck of a lot of experience, and against a heck of a lot of very, very talented fighters. This fight represents a huge test for any fighter with only six professional fights, regardless of all their amateur accomplishments. But, O’Connor is definitely up to the challenge. Campaigning as a junior welterweight, he is quite possibly the most promising Irish-American fighter out of New England since the legendary “Irish” Micky Ward. He has that much potential!”
Also slated for action on the undercard:
Middleweights – Six Rounds
Andre Nevsky (6-0, 3 KO’s) vs. Roberto Burgess (4-1, 2 KO’s)
Heavyweights – Four Rounds
Phil “Killa” Miller (4-0, 2 KO’s) vs. Jonathan Felton (6-15, 5 KO’s)
Heavyweights – Four Rounds
Rashad Minor (1-1, 1 KO) vs. Ernest Blackwell (Pro Debut)
Junior Lightweighs – Four Rounds
Frankie Trader (4-0, 2 KO’s) vs. Javier Dennis (1-3, 1 KO)
Junior Middleweights – Four Rounds
Derek Silveira (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Antonio Chaves Fernandez (0-1)
Junior Welterweights – Four Rounds
Edwin Rosado (1-5, 1 KO) vs. Jose Velasquez (1-6, 1 KO)
Tickets, priced at $75, $55, & $40, are available now by calling 508-586-CAPP (2277). Doors to “The Showdown at Early Sunset” open at 3:30 PM, with the first fight slated for 5 PM.
For further information call 508-586-2277 or visit www.cappielloboxing.com
Promoter: Cappiello Promotions in assaciation with Seminole Warriors Boxing
Venue: The Roxy – Boston, Massachusetts
Date: Saturday, June 27
Opening Bell: 5 PM