(FLINT, MICH.) – While his fellow Super Six competitors Carl Froch (Nottingham, England) and Mikkel Kessler (Copenhagen, Denmark) face off on the opposite side of the globe, Andre Dirrell (Flint, Mich.) will be attending to important business of his own in his hometown of Flint, Michigan. Dirrell will wed his high school sweetheart, Alaia Zamora in a family affair at a local church on Saturday afternoon.
The pair met a decade ago when she shared a school bus with Dirrell and his brother, Anthony. The groom remembers Zamora sitting in the front of the bus while he and his brother caused trouble in the back, often getting kicked off for their antics. Yet it wasn’t until two years later in 2002 that the two officially met at a high school football game, and he turned on the charm. They have been together since that time and Zamora has experienced many ups and downs with her fiancée, including the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece and more recently his controversial loss to Carl Froch and disqualification victory over the previously unbeaten Arthur Abraham..
After several years together, Dirrell popped the question in 2008 and the pair will seal the deal on Saturday. The two have two children together, three-year-old Anaijah and two-year-old Andre, Jr., and share a home in Flint.
Several members of Dirrell’s boxing family will be on hand at the event, including long-time friend and former amateur standout Lorenzo Reynolds and WBC Welterweight World Champion Andre Berto.
TKO BOXING PROMOTIONS SIGNS DODIE BOY PENALOSA JR.
SAN CARLOS, CA (April 23, 2010) A press conference was held on Thursday, April 22, 2010 in San Carlos, California to announce the signing of Filipino prospect Dodie Boy Penalosa Jr. to fast rising promotional outfit, TKO Boxing Promotions. Present were TKO President, Chet Koerner, manager Cameron Dunkin along with world champion Nonito Donaire. Said Koerner, “We’re very proud to welcome Dodie Boy to the TKO Boxing team. He’s got excellent boxing skills, comes from a great lineage of world champions in his family and we look forward to working with him towards his goal of also becoming a world champion.”
Penalosa Jr. is the son of Dodie Boy Penalosa Sr. and nephew of Gerry Penalosa.
Said the 20 year old Penalosa, “It’s my first time to come to the United States, and I appreciate TKO for giving me this opportunity. My grandfather was a Filipino champion, my dad was a two divisional world champion. Now it’s my turn. I will do my best to make everyone proud.”
With a polished amateur record of 27-0 with 10 knockouts, Dodie Boy made his successful professional debut with a second round stoppage of Anthony Balubar on January 23, 2010 in Manila, Philippines.
Details of Penalosa Jr’s debut in the United States will be announced shortly.
Friday Night Fights NYC Series
NYC Super Fight! For over a decade, NY Fight Fans have wondered who would win if Sean Hinds Chris Romulo fought. On May 14th – they get their answer
The Church Street Boxing Gym’s Friday Night Fights NYC Series brings the “Mega” back into “Mega Fights” on Friday May 14th, 2010 with 4 championship fights in addition to the Main event: Sean Hinds vs Chris “Mr. Classic” Romulo!
Whether or not you’re a fight fan the Friday Night Fights NYC Series is known throughout NYC as the event to be at. And on Friday May 14th, “The Big Show” will feature more than a dozen Muay Thai and Boxing matches. “Only the best of the best fighters ever to appear on our series will be competing at this event” said event promoter Justin Blair who also happens to own the Church Street Boxing Gym, “Further more, this time they are all fighting each other!”.
Both Sean Hinds and Chris Romulo have dominated the local fight scene and have competed internationally however, neither of these middle weights have ever faced one another. The question of who would win if they ever met has been a topic of debate for well over a decade.
The popularity of Muay Thai has grown in recent years, especially in New York, where MMA is still illegal whereas Muay Thai is perfectly legal. Many industry insiders expect that the May 14th Muay Thai event will be on scale so much larger than any other, that it could very well create an unprecedented awareness of the sport
The Friday Night Fights NYC are the perfect combination of the old school New York club fight shows of the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s and the new genre of “hipsters and tastemakers”, those new enthusiasts to the sport – Urban professionals and trendsetters itching to get a taste of the old school club fights of yesteryear. Since the events began in 1997 the crowd just keeps on growing – what started as “under ground” fights for a couple of hundred people has grown into a real happening, consistently attracting sell out crowds!
What: Friday Night Fights NYC Presents: Hinds VS Romulo, an evening of Amateur Boxing and Muay Thai Kick Boxing.
When: Friday, May 14th, 2010. Doors open at 6.30pm with the first bout at 7.00pm. Doors close …….(?)
Where: The Lexington Avenue Armory. 68 Lexington Avenue (between 25th and 26th Streets in Manhattan). Take the 6 train to 28th Street.
Who: Sean Hinds vs Chris Romulo. Additionally, a funky, hip, cross-section of NYC…. downtown trendsetters meet uptown attitude meet the toughest and most talented local fighters in the history of the Friday Night Fights NYC Series.
How: Tickets are $35, $60 & $85. Tickets are available either in advance (www.fridaynightfights.com) or on the night of the event, at the door when available. These sell out fast!