Campillo vs. Kovalev, Cruz vs. Smith tickets on sale for September 21st card

Bethlehem, PA—Tickets go on sale Friday, July 27, for the world-class boxing card set for Friday evening, Sept. 21, at the Event Center of the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. Featured in the doubleheader main events are: light-heavyweights Gabriel Campillo, of Madrid, Spain, against Sergey Kovalev, of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 10 rounds; welterweights Ronald Cruz, of Bethlehem, PA, against Antwone Smith, of Miami, FL, 12 rounds.

Tickets are priced at $130 (luxury suites), $80 and $55. They go on sale Friday at the Sands Event Center, all Ticketmaster outlets and at the offices of Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc., in Philadelphia, PA.

The Sept. 21 card marks the fifth boxing card in the series televised by NBC Sports Network Fight Night in 2012 and the second NBC Sports Network card at the Sands, which hosted the June 1 show. That night, junior middleweight Gabriel Rosado knocked out Sechew Powell and Cruz out-pointed Prenice Brewer in a front of a standing-room-only crowd in the inaugural boxing show at the 2,000-seat Sands Event Center.

Campillo is ranked No. 3 in the world by the IBF. He last boxed Feb. 18 when he lost a controversial 12-round split decision to champion Tavoris Cloud in Corpus Christi, TX. Two years earlier, Campillo lost another 12-round split decision for the WBA belt against Beibut Shumenov in Las Vegas, NV.

A pro since 2002, the 33-year-old Campillo is 21-4-1, 8 K0s. This will mark his third fight in the United States.

Kovalev, originally from Chelyabinsk, Russia, boxed on the June 1 card at the Sands, knocking out Darnell Boone, of Atlanta, GA, in two rounds. A pro since 2009, the 29-year-old Kovalev is 18-0-1, 16 K0s. He is ranked No. 13 by the WBC.

Cruz will be making the first defense of his WBC Continental Americas title against Smith.

A pro since 2009, the 25-year-old Cruz is a big attraction in Bethlehem and this will be his third hometown appearance. In addition to his 12-round decision on June 1 against Brewer, he also K0d Doel Carrasquillo, of Lancaster, PA, in six rounds on July 1, 2011, in a temporary tent set up outside the Sands and he also drew a packed house that night of 1,300.

Smith is an aggressive battler from Miami, FL. He has been in with some of the best at 147 and 154 pounds. His 21-4-1 record includes 12 K0s and he has scored wins over Jerome Ellis, Richard Gutierrez and Henry Crawford.

Five additional fights complete the card.

ABOUT SEPTEMBER 21

The Campillo-Kovalev and Cruz-Smith fights top a seven-bout card at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. First fight is 7.15 pm. Tickets priced at $130 (luxury suites), $80 and $55 can be purchased through the offices of Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922), all Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000) or at the box office at the Sands Event Center (610-297-7414). Tickets also can be purchased online at www.peltzboxing.com, www.SandsEventCenter.com and www.Ticketmaster.com. In Bethlehem, tickets are available at Deja Brew, Inc., 101 West 4th Street (610-865-2739) and at Pronto Insurance Notary, 232 East 3rd Street (610-419-6790). NBC Sports Network will televise the Campillo-Kovalev and Cruz-Smith fights, beginning at 9 pm. The card is being promoted by Main Events and Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc., in association with Sampson Boxing and the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem.

IABA UPDATE (IRISH SQUAD – OLYMPIC DRAW NEWS)

Irish Amateur Boxing Association

The Irish boxing squad had a light training session at the Olympic Village this morning as the countdown to the opening bell for the 30th Olympiad begins in earnest.

The squad will visit the ExCel, the venue for boxing at London 2012, this afternoon.

Irish boxing is on familiar terms with the ExCel as an Irish team competed at the venue in an Olympic Test Event late last year.

The Irish squad arrived in London from their training camp in Assisi, Italy yesterday and have settled in well at the Olympic Village said Irish team manager Des Donnelly.

The Irish team will attend at Welcoming Ceremony at the Olympic Plaza in the Olympic Village early this evening (6pm).

Irish boxing received an enormous boost yesterday when the Olympic Council of Ireland confirmed that current World, European and European Union lightweight champion Katie Taylor will be Team Ireland’s flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony for the 2012 Games on Friday evening.

Meanwhile, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) would like to inform all media that the Official Draw of the London 2012 Olympic Games will take place on Friday 27 July at 14:00, in the Spectators Zone of the ExCeL.

The Ceremony will be followed by a press conference at 16:00 with AIBA President, Dr Ching-Kuo Wu, Technical Delegate, Mr Franco Falcinelli and Deputy Technical Delegate, Mr Pat Fiacco, in the Media Conference Room (level 3) at the ExCeL London.

Conducted manually, the Official Draw will distribute the 250 Men Boxers into ten weight categories and 36 Women Boxers into three weight categories.

Irish 2012 Olympic squad

49Kg (Light-flyweight) Paddy Barnes (Holy Family BC, Belfast)

52kg (Flyweight) Michael Conlan (St John Bosco BC, Belfast)

56kg (Bantamweight) John Joe Nevin (Cavan BC)

60kg (Lghtweight) Katie Taylor (Bray BC, Wicklow)

69kg (Welterweight) Adam Nolan (Bray BC, Wicklow)

75kg (Middleweight) Darren O’Neill (Paulstown BC, Kilkenny)

Team Manager: Des Donnelly

Coaches: Billy Walsh, Zuar Antia, Pete Taylor

Physio: Conor McCarthy

Strength & Conditioning: John Cleary

Performance Psychologist: Gerry Hussey