Massachusetts native Chris Traetti to square off with unbeaten Edwin Rodriguez the main event of Broadway Boxing on August 20 from Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Mass.
WORCESTER, MA (August 3, 2011) – It will be a battle for home state supremacy on August 20 when Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez puts his unbeaten record on the line in the main event of Broadway Boxing from Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts. Rodriguez (18-0, 13 KOs), a Worcester native, will battle another local favorite, Chris Traetti (10-2, 6 KOs), who hails from just down the road in Quincy.
Tickets for Broadway Boxing are on sale now through DiBella Entertainment, and start at only $35. Tickets can be purchased by calling DiBella Entertainment at (212) 947-2577.
Traetti certainly won’t be scared by anything the unbeaten Rodriguez throws his way when they square off in the ring. Traetti is an active member of the US Air Force Reserves, who was stationed in Iraq from December, 2004 through May, 2005. Even now, Traetti spends his weekdays stationed at an Air Force base in Chicopee, Mass. before hitting the gym at night to prepare for Rodriguez.
“When I was deployed, there were days when I didn’t want to be there. I was in the worst place in the world, working 12 to 14 hour days, sleeping in a tent, and I had no home to go to,” said Traetti. “It puts things in perspective. Some days I don’t want to go to the gym, but then I think to myself ‘if that is the worst thing I have to do today, I am pretty lucky.’”
Since last June, when Rodriguez last stepped into the ring in his hometown, he has hit the road to score the two biggest wins of his career, a ninth round stoppage of James McGirt, Jr. to capture the WBC USNBC super middleweight title last November and a ten round decision over top-10 ranked super middleweight Aaron Pryor, Jr. in January. Traetti believes that those wins add weight on Rodriguez’s shoulders to perform that may pave the way to an upset.
“There is definitely going to be a big crew coming from Quincy, but it is still his homecoming” said Traetti. “If I lose, I go from 10-2 to 10-3 and I’ll get another fight because I promote my own shows. If he loses, there goes the world title shot. All the pressure is on him, and that is pretty liberating for me as a fighter.”
Tickets for Broadway Boxing are on sale now through DiBella Entertainment, and start at only $35. Main Floor tickets are priced at $55, $75, and $125. Rear Balcony tickets are $35 and $75. Tables for groups of 10 are priced at $1,000. Tickets can be purchased by calling DiBella Entertainment: (212) 947-2577, and more information can be obtained by visiting www.dbe1.com.
Ten Olympic Hopefuls Advance to the Final Round at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Mobile
(MOBILE, ALA.) – Ten of the nation’s top boxers moved one step closer to a U.S. Olympic Team Trials crown with victories in the winners bracket final on Wednesday at the Mobile Civic Center. Ten winners bracket bouts and 10 challengers bracket contests were showcased in the fourth day of competition in Mobile with another night of close bouts.
The first upset of the night took place in the light flyweight division as Last Chance Qualifier champion Eros Correa (San Jose, Calif.) took a tiebreaker decision over three-time national champion Louie Byrd (Denver, Colo.). The bout couldn’t have been much closer as the final bell sounded with the two boxers tied at 25. Only one point separated the total punch count tiebreaker with Correa claiming the victory on his 132-131 edge.
Shawn Simpson (Chicago, Ill.) was hoping to pull the second upset of the night and got off to a quick start in his bout with two-time Olympian Rau’shee Warren (Cincinnati, Ohio). Yet Warren responded like the veteran he is despite Simpson’s outstanding performance. The two brought the crowd to their fight with an action-packed bout, but it was Warren taking the victory by a 34-20 margin.
Bantamweight Joseph Diaz, Jr. (El Monte, Calif.) enjoyed a comfortable decision in his winners bracket final bout as well. Diaz punched his ticket for the finals with a 29-15 victory over 2010 National PAL Champion O’Shanique Foster (Orange, Texas).
Two-time National Champion Jose Ramirez (Avenal, Calif.) pulled out another razor-close victory in his bout with 2008 Olympian Raynell Williams (Cleveland, Ohio). Ramirez held a one-point lead after the second round, but Williams tied up the contest in the finals seconds. However, Ramirez claimed the final lead as the bell rang to win an 18-17 decision and move on to the finals.
The light welterweight bout was decided by a single point as well in the second big upset of the night. Two days after 2010 National Champion Pedro Sosa (Brooklyn, N.Y.) pulled off a slim victory, he found himself on the opposite end of a close decision. 2011 Armed Forces Champion Jamel Herring (Coram, N.Y.) pulled off his second straight upset victory win with a 24-23 win over Sosa.
Welterweight Errol Spence (Desoto, Texas) claimed his berth in the championship round with a 19-12 decision over new welterweight Amir Imam (Albany, N.Y.) to claim the first welterweight berth in the championship bout.
In middleweight action, veteran Jesse Hart (Philadelphia, Pa.) won a 14-8 decision over exciting youngster Antoine Douglas (Philadelphia, Pa.) to advance to Friday’s tournament finals.
Light heavyweight Marcus Browne (Staten Island, N.Y.) emerged victorious in one of the most exciting bouts of the night with hard-hitting Jerry Odom (Bowie, Md.). Browne claimed a hard fought 30-26 decision over Odom to take the first light heavyweight berth on championship night.
2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Champion Michael Hunter (Las Vegas, Nev.) put on one of the most impressive performances of the night in his heavyweight contest with two-time national champion Jordan Shimmell (Hudsonville, Mich.). Hunter kept his foot on the gas from the opening bell, and the score reflected his efforts as he won a 23-8 decision over Shimmell.
Two-time National Champion Lenroy Thompson (Lenexa, Kansas) won the last championship round berth of the night with a 15-9 victory over Andrew Shepherd (Fort Carson, Colo.) in their super heavyweight showdown.
The Challengers Bracket finals will take place tomorrow night at 6 p.m. with all of the boxers competing for the second spot in the championship round and their tournament lives.
Thursday Bout Sheet
108 lbs: Louie Byrd, Denver, Colo., vs. Santos Vasquez, Sparks, Nev.
114 lbs: Shawn Simpson, Chicago, Ill., vs. Emilio Sanchez, Pacoima, Calif.
123 lbs: O’Shanique Foster, Orange, Texas vs. Tramaine Williams, New Haven, Conn.
132 lbs: Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio vs. Kenneth Sims, Jr., Chicago, Ill.
141 lbs: Jamel Herring, Coram, N.Y., vs. Duran Caferro, Helena, Mont.
152 lbs: Amir Imam, Albany, N.Y., vs. Samuel Vasquez, Fort Carson, Colo.
165 lbs: Antoine Douglas, Burke, Va., vs. Luis Arias, Milwaukee, Wis.
178 lbs: Jerry Odom, Bowie, Md., vs. Siju Shabazz, Las Cruces, N.M.
201 lbs: Jordan Shimmell, Hudsonville, Mich., vs. Joseph Williams, Bronx, N.Y.
201+ lbs: Andrew Shepherd, Fort Carson, Colo., vs. Laron Mitchell, San Francisco, Calif.
Wednesday’s Olympic Team Trials Results
108 lbs/winners bracket: Eros Correa, San Jose, Calif., dec. Louie Byrd, Denver, Colo., 25-25 (132-131)
108 lbs/challengers bracket: Santos Vasquez, Sparks, Nev., dec. David Carlton, Cincinnati, Ohio, 26-14
114 lbs/winners bracket: Rau’shee Warren, Cincinnati, Ohio, dec. Shawn Simpson, Chicago, Ill., 34-20
114 lbs/challengers bracket: Emilio Sanchez, Pacoima, Calif., dec. Oscar Cantu, Kingsville, Texas, 38-21
123 lbs/winners bracket: Joseph Diaz Jr., El Monte, Calif., dec. O’Shanique Foster, Orange, Texas, 29-15
123 lbs/challengers bracket: Tramaine Williams, New Haven, Conn., dec. Luis Feliciano, Milwaukee, Wis., 11-6
132 lbs/winners bracket: Jose Ramirez, Avenal, Calif., dec. Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio 18-17
132 lbs/challengers bracket: Toka Kahn Clary, Providence, R.I., dec. Kenneth Sims Jr., 24-19
141 lbs/winners bracket: Jamel Herring, Coram, N.Y., dec. Pedro Sosa, Bronx, N.Y., 14-13
141 lbs/challengers bracket: Duran Caferro, Helena, Mont., dec. George Rincon, Carrollton, Texas, 11-11 (66-56)
152 lbs/winners bracket: Errol Spence, Desoto, Texas, dec. Amir Imam, Albany, N.Y., 19-12
152 lbs/challengers bracket: Samuel Vasquez, Fort Carson, Colo., dec. Bryant Perrella, Lehigh Acres, Fla., 18-10
165 lbs/winners bracket: Jesse Hart, Philadelphia, Pa., dec. Antoine Douglas, Burke, Va., 14-8
165 lbs/challengers bracket: Luis Arias, dec. Edgar Alvarado Jr., San Bernadino, Calif., 23-12
178 lbs/winners bracket: Marcus Browne, Staten Island, N.Y., dec. Jerry Odom, Bowie, Md., 30-26
178 lbs/challengers bracket: Siju Shabazz, Las Cruces, N.M., dec. Jeffery Spencer, Fort Carson, Colo., 12-10
201 lbs/winners bracket: Michael Hunter, Las Vegas, Nev., dec. Jordan Shimmell, Hudsonville, Mich., 23-8
201 lbs/challengers bracket: Joseph Williams, Bronx, N.Y., dec. Steve Geffrard, Boca Raton, Fla., 19-15
201+ lbs/winners bracket: Lenroy Thompson, Lenexa, Kan., dec. Andrew Shepherd, Fort Carson, Colo., 15-9
201+ lbs/challengers bracket: Laron Mitchell, San Francisco, Calif., dec. Dominic Breazale, Alhambra, Calif., 16-12
Quotes:
Jose Ramirez
“Beating Raynell Williams just proves the level that I am. He (Williams) is a counter puncher so sometimes I had to throw some fake punches.”
“I’m going to take advantage of the day off just as I did last time.”
“If I have a bout with Raynell again, I have to move my head, use my jab more, adjust, and go down to the body.”
Erros Correa
“No one had hope for me, everyone had Louie favored, but I knew I was going to come over here and shock everyone.”
“In the final round I knew I had to pick it up, I was down one point going into that final round.”
“It’s not about skill anymore, it’s whoever wants it more. We are the best eight boxers in the division here. I knew he was my toughest opponent out here, we are both great boxers.”
“Santos Vasquez is the next opponent, I lost to him by one point last year, but we are very good friends.”
Jesse Hart
“My coaches were a major importance tonight, without them I don’t know if I could have done it. Al Mitchell and everyone else really stressed to use the jab.”
“We knew he had a left hook and we took it away with footwork. When I had an angel in there he couldn’t punch. We really rose to the occasion.”
Marcus Browne
“I knew it was going to be a hard one, but I pulled it out.”
“I can’t be beat two days in a row.”
“I’m going to need that extra day off and let my body rest and get the sleep that I need.”
Junior Olympic National Championships Results
106 lbs/male: Jesus Luna, Inglewood, Calif., dec. Tyrone Arzeno, Allentown, Pa., 16-7
106 lbs/male: Aarkeyse Higdon, East Lansing, Mich., dec. Lionel Tidewell, Hot Springs, Ark., 11-4
106 lbs/male: Daniel Ramirez, Richardson, Texas, dec. Dominique Ascencion, Glendale, Ariz., 19-12
110 lbs/male: Nestor Varela, Lindsay, Calif., dec. James Taylor, Ann Arbor, Mich., 16-13
110 lbs/male: Malik Jackson, Washington, D.C., dec. Arnold Alejandro, Grand Prairie, Texas, 21-10
110 lbs/male: Da’Reece Crawford, Kansas City, Mo., won on disqualification over Pablo Lopez, Albuquerque, N.M., DQ
110 lbs/male: Jemaine Ortiz, Worcester, Ma., dec. Alec McGee, Reno, Nev., 20-14
114 lbs/male: Hector Valdez, Dallas, Texas dec. Efren Lopez, Fresno, Calif., 17-12
114 lbs/male: Donovan Estrella, Arvada, Colo., dec. Angel Perez, Wichita, Kan., 32-17
114 lbs/female: Jasmine Hampton, Ann Arbor, Mich., dec. Raynesia O’neal, Washington, D.C., 19-14
114 lbs/male: Ja’Rico O’Quinn, Detroit, Mich., dec. Luis Santiago, Springfield, Mass., 18-6
114 lbs/male: Gary Russell, Capitol Heights, Md., stopped Kolby Dinius-LeCoure, Butte, Mont., RSC-2 (1:44)
119 lbs/male D’Andres Hockerson, Rochester, N.Y., dec. Richard Quiterio, Minneapolis, Minn., 24-15
119 lbs/female: Rianna Rios, Alice, Texas, won on walkover over, Dacia Jacquez, Bloomfield, N.M., W/O
119 lbs/male: Isidro Flores Jr., Fort Wayne, Ind., dec. Justly Laquihon, Honolulu, Hawaii, 9-8
119 lbs/male: Matthew Guerrero, Lathrop, Calif., dec. Roberto Tamez, Houston, Texas, 15-14
119 lbs/male: Gary Salazar, Fresno, Calif., dec. Joshua McKoy, Laurel, Md., 17-12
125 lbs/male: Cresencio Ramos Jr., San Antonio, Texas, dec. Rogelio Cervantes, Kansas City, Kan., 17-11
125 lbs/male: Malick Montgomery, Macron, Ga., dec. Kevin Salgado, Chicago, Ill., 35-21
125 lbs/female: Laura Garfias, Cornelius, Ore., stopped Brooklyn Brenden, East Helena, Mont., RSC-2 (1:06)
125 lbs/male: Gervonta Davis, Baltimore, Md., dec. Mason Cornelio, Honolulu, Hawaii, 12-4
125 lbs/male: Lamont Roach Jr., Upr Marlboro, Md., dec. Efrain Estrada, Hillsboro, Ore., 12-10
132 lbs/male: Lorenzo Caldera, Portland, Ore., dec. Alexis Del Bosque, Gartland, Texas, 16-14
132 lbs/male: Erickson Lubin, Kissimnee, Fla., dec. Michael Kershner, Helena, Mont., 50-3
132 lbs/male: Austin Dulay, Hendersonville, Tenn., dec. Brendan Bryant, Memphis, Tenn., 15-11
132 lbs/male: Mario Esparza, Tempe, Ariz., dec. Jeremaul Jones, Fort Wayne, Ind., 9-4
138 lbs/male: Nicholas Torrance, Evans, Ga., dec. Armando Huerta, Salt Lake City, Utah, 36-22
138 lbs/male: Jose Alday, Odessa, Texas, dec. Kieran Rosas, Hilo, Hawaii, 20-10
138 lbs/male: Julian Rodriguez, Paterson, N.J., dec. Jose Lopez, Hillsboro, Ore., 21-1
138 lbs/male: Adrain Gutierrez, Chula Vista, Calif., dec. Kieran hooks, Philadelphia, Pa., 20-9
145 lbs/male: Kareem Martin, Clinton, Md., dec. Jelame Garcia, Lynn, Mass., 24-19
145 lbs/male: Darryl Jaime, Vacaville, Calif., dec. Javier Martinez, Milwaukee, Wis., 8-6
145 lbs/male: Alfredo Santamaria, Garden Grove, Calif., dec. Javaune James, Miramar, Fla., 14-10
145 lbs/male: Kameron Jones, Garland, Texas, dec. DeAndre Woods, Jackson, Tenn., 17-12
154 lbs/male: Moses Taylor, Detroit, Mich., stopped Mike Briggs, Worcester, Mass., RSC-3 (1:23)
154 lbs/male: Flavio Becerra, White Bear Lake, Mont., dec. Daniel Galloway, Salt Lake City, Utah, 16-9
154 lbs/male: James Kelleher, Coopersburg, Pa., dec. Deonte Boyland, Oakland, Calif., 23-18
189 lbs/male: Josh Slater, Monroe, Mich., dec. Justin Cartwright, Huntsville, Ala., 23-8
189 lbs/male: Estevan Roman, Fort Worth, Texas, Pedro Cervantes, Denver, Colo., 16-7
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).
Karl Dargan Takes On Juan Suazo For UBO Inter-Continental Title
Top Rank in association with Peltz Boxing will present a fight for the vacant Universal Boxing Organization™ (UBO) Inter-Continental Lightweight title on August 13 at the Grand Ballroom at Bally’s Atlantic City between undefeated Karl Dargan and hard-punching Juan Suazo. Fox Sports will televise the show.
Philadelphian Dargan (9-0, 4 KOs) is trained by Nazim Richardson, and has so far shown great promise since turning pro in December 2007 with a victory over undefeated Roberto Norris at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. In his latest fight, also at the MGM Grand, Dargan won a unanimous decision over the tough Randy Arrellin and is now ready to go for his first professional championship.
Juan “Nito” Suazo hails from Tucson, Arizona and brings a more modest 8-4-2 5 KOs) record into his career first title fight. But he has shown good form lately, and is coming off his two best results. On June 3 he scored a draw with 10-1 prospect Gabriel Tolmajyan, and on July 29 he beat Ramon Montano from Mexico. Montano holds a draw against Dmitriy Salita and a win over contender Americo Santos.
In the Main event super bantamweight Teon Kennedy will defend his North American Boxing Association (NABA) title in a scheduled 12-round contest against Alejandro Lopez, of Tijuana, Mexico. First fight will begin at 7.30 p.m.
Five additional fights complete the card. Tickets priced at $50 and $75 are on sale at the offices of Peltz Boxing Promotions (215-765-0922) and all Ticketmaster outlets (800-736-1420). They also can be purchased online at www.peltzboxing.com and www.Ticketmaster.com.
More info on: www.uboboxing.com
The UBO is also on Twitter: www.twitter.com/UBOboxing
And Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Universal-Boxing-Organization-UBO/129022037171860