Turning Stone's turn on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights

A pair of promising prospects from Hall of Fame trainer Lou Duva’s camp headlinethe next professional boxing card at Turning Stone Resort and Casino. The night of action at the Event Center on Friday, February 24 will be televised live on ESPN2.

In the Main Event, Duva prodigy Oscar “El Torito” Diaz (23-1, 11 KOs) of San Antonio, Texas will face Rochester southpaw Russell Jordan (12-2, 8 KOs). Diaz is looking to earn a welterweight world title shot this year, following a stellar 2005 highlighted by an exciting nationally televised win over Al Gonzalez and a much talked-about slugfest with Jessie Feliciano. His next opponent is familiar to the Turning Stone faithful. In December, Jordan scored a third round TKO of Maximo Cueves and, in October, he stopped Henry Humphrey in the fifth.

The undercard includes Duva-trained Kendall Holt (20-1, 12 KOs) of Paterson, N.J. Holt is the current WBO Inter-Continental Light Welterweight Champion and is ranked fourth in the world by the WBO. Like Diaz, Holt has experience under the hot lights of national television.

Local boxing fans will also be treated to another match featuring undefeated Brooklyn pugilist Cindy “Checkmate” Serrano (12-0-1, 7 KOs). Serrano went toe-to-toe with Rhonda Luna for action-packed rounds on the Turning Stone canvas in December, as both fighters earned a standing ovation for their efforts. The judges scored the bout a draw.

Also, Utican Jamar Patterson (4-0, 3 KOs) returns to the friendly confines of Verona. All four of Patterson’s previous fights have been at Turning Stone.

Further details on the February 24 card, with action beginning at 7:30 p.m., will be announced at a later date.

Pro Boxing at Turning Stone is presented in conjunction with Duva Boxing LLC and Fisticuff Productions. Tickets — priced at $25, $35, $45 and $75 — are available by calling the Showroom box office at 361-SHOW or toll-free at 1-877-833-SHOW Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets may also be purchased at any Ticketmaster location or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

For more information and reservations, call (315) 361-7711 or 1-(800) 771-7711. Visit the websites at www.turningstone.com and www.oneidanews.net.