NEWS ON: Hank Lundy, Thabiso Mchunu, FNF n ShoBox Weigh-In

CES photo by Jerry Coli

LIGHTWEIGHT HANK LUNDY of Philadelphia, Pa., will return to the ring Saturday, May 31st, 2014 against Pipino Cuevas Jr. in the main event of Classic Entertainment & Sports' pro-am boxing event at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn. Lundy is coming off a televised win over Angelo Santana in February.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, May 15^th, 2014

CES MEDIA ALERT

With one eye on a world title bout, Philadelphia's Lundy returns to the ring May 31^st

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (May 15th, 2014) — If none of the world champions with the coveted hardware are willing to bring the fight to top-ranked challenger Hank Lundy,then the flashy Philadelphia slugger will continue to force the issue.

No one in the 135- or 140-pound division has answered the call yet, but Lundy (24-3-1, 11 KOs) remains one of the busiest fighters in boxing. The 5-foot-7 lightweight, more commonly known as “Hammerin'” Hank, will return to the ring Saturday, May 31^st, 2014 when he battles Mexican veteran Pipino Cuevas Jr. in the main event of Classic Entertainment & Sports' star-studded pro-am boxing event at Mohegan Sun.

“The whole idea is to stay busy, and stay sharp,” said Lundy, who is only three months removed from a huge win over Angelo Santana in front of a worldwide audience on Showtime's ShoBox: The Next Generation. “That way, when I get the call to fight for a world title, I'll be ready to fight right then and there.”

Lundy's 10-round fight against Cuevas Jr. headlines a dynamic card that also features the return of female bantamweight sensation Shelito Vincent and light heavyweight slugger Kevin Cobbs, plus the addition of an exciting amateur undercard replete with the region's most sought-after talent, including Gary Balletto Jr. and Ray Oliveira Jr., sons of two well-respected sluggers who dominated the regional circuit at the turn of the 21^st century.

Tickets for the event are priced at $40, $65 and $125 (VIP) and can be purchased by calling 401-724-2253/2254, online at www.cesboxing.com or www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Mohegan Sun Box Office. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

“We are excited to be hosting a fight card that has a future world champion in the house,” Mohegan Sun's Senior Vice President of Sports & Entertainment Tom Cantone said.

A win on May 31^st against the dangerous Cuevas Jr. will move Lundy one step closer to his dream of fighting for a world title. With back-to-back wins over Olusegun Ajose and Santana, the former two-time regional champion is ranked No. 9 among lightweights in the World Boxing Council (WBC).

The combined record of Lundy's last 11 opponents dating back to 2010 is a staggering 232-18-3, including a win over current World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight champion Richar Abril. Know as one of boxing's most prolific road warriors, Lundy has fought everywhere from the Ukraine to Montreal, beating hometown favorites, unbeaten prospects and former world champions on their own turf.

The son of former welterweight world champion Pipino Cuevas, who defended his WBA title 11 times in a four-year span from the mid-1970s to early '80s, Cuevas Jr. has scored knockouts in 15 of his 17 professional wins and is a veteran of 28 fights, the same number of fights as Lundy. The 34-year-old has fought for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Latino lightweight title and the WBC Youth lightweight championship.

“I'm dying to fight for a world title,” Lundy said. “I hope my time comes soon.”

The May 31^st undercard is stacked with the biggest names in the region, including Vincent (10-0, 1 KO), the unbeaten New London, Conn., star who scored her first career knockout win in November, and Cobbs (7-1, 2 KOs), a veteran from Willimantic, Conn., who will face Willis Lockett (13-13-5, 5 KOs) of Maryland in a four-round bout in Cobbs' first fight in more than a year.

Also on the undercard, New Haven, Conn., junior middleweights Jimmy Williams (5-0-1, 2 KOs) and Christian Lao (5-2-1, 2 KOs) will battle for state bragging rights in a six-round bout; and female welterweight Aleksandra Magdziak-Lopes (10-2-1, 1 KO), a former world-title challenger, will face Althea Saunders (3-0-1) of Atlantic City in a six-round bout. In other regional action, Hartford, Conn., light middleweight Joe Wilson Jr. (1-1) faces Ethan Pena (2-1, 1 KO) of Providence, R.I., in a four-round bout.

The amateur portion of the show features Balletto Jr. of Cranston, R.I., battling middleweight Franklin Gonzalez of Lawrence, Mass. Oliveira Jr., also a 165-pounder who trains out of On Point Boxing in New Bedford, Mass., will face Adam Paolino of Warwick, R.I. New Haven, Conn., middleweight Godfrey Campbell faces Miguel Teo of Marlboro, Mass.; and Smithfield, R.I., light welterweight Anthony Marsella Jr. battles New Bedford's Scott Sullivan. All amateur bouts are three rounds, unless otherwise noted.

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Ellen Haley

ehaley@mainevents.com

Main Events

“The Rock” Will Take on Brazilian Julio Cesar Dos Santos in South Africa

“The Rock”

Photo Credits:

Rich Graessle/Main Events

Pretoria, South Africa: Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu (16-1, 11 KOs), the southpaw from South Africa, will fight for the vacant IBF International Cruiserweight Title against Julio “Gaspar” Cesar Dos Santos (26-2, 23 KOs), the veteran from Sao Paulo, Brazil, on June 6th at Rembrandt Hall at the University of Pretoria in Pretoria, South Africa. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds.

Mchunu vs. Chambers

Photo Credits:

Rich Graessle/Main Events

The young Mchunu, 26, of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, made his US debut Aug. 3, 2013 at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT with a stunning unanimous decision upset of former heavyweight contender “Fast” Eddie Chambers. He then went on to defeat Olanrewaju “God's Power” Durodola on Jan. 24, 2014 on NBCSN Fight Night in Atlantic City, NJ. This will be his first fight back in his home country since signing with Main Events last year.

Dos Santos, 36, will make his South African debut against Mchunu. “Gaspar” has won his last four fights in a row, all in his hometown of Sao Paulo. Julio has an impressive 88% (23 of 26) knockout-to-win ratio and has never been stopped.

Durodola and Mchunu

Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

A confident Mchunu said, “I am going to traumatize my Brazilian opponent, Julio Cesar Dos Santos, from beginning to end. He'll take up soccer when I'm finished with him.” To which his trainer, Sean Smith, replied, “It's a bold statement but I think Thabiso can give the world another superstar, this time in a 200 pound frame.”

Main Events CEO Kathy Duva said, “Our plan for Thabiso is to keep him active to build a following for him here in the United States and continue to build on the following he has in South Africa with our partner, Showpony Promotions. Dos Santos is a tough opponent who will present a good test for Mchunu and the bout is sure to entertain his fans in South Africa. A win will also move him up in the ratings, which brings us all closer to the goal of capturing a world cruiserweight title.”

WEIGH IN RESULTS FROM

STAR BOXING'S

WEEK ON ESPN'S FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS

Montreal, Canada (May 15, 2014)

The fighter weighed in today for tomorrow nights ESPN's Friday Night Fights from the famed Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Canada. Former world title challenger DELVIN “EL Peligro” RODRIGUEZ takes on JOACHIM Alcine and heavyweight contender JOE “The Future” HANKS faces DERRIC “The Shaolin Fist” ROSSY. Pictures and weights below.

10 Round Jr. Middleweight

Delvin Rodriguez 153.8

Joachim Alcine 153.

10 Round Hvy Weight

Derric Rossey 234.7

Joe Hanks 232.8 

6 Round LtWeight

Christian Uruzquiea 134.5

Mario Perez 135. 

6 Round Super Middleweight

Frank Miville 169.6

Walid Smichet 172.5 

6 Round Jr. Lightweight

Kevin Lavalee 130.8

James Owens 131

SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION COMPLETE CARD WEIGH-IN RESULTS

FRIDAY, MAY 16, AT FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO MASHANTUCKET, CONNECTICUT

Mashantucket, Conn. (May 15, 2014)- Earlier today, all of the fighters for the DiBella Entertainment (DBE) and Jean Pascal Promotions card weighed in ahead of their bouts tomorrow night at the beautiful Foxwoods Resort Casino, in Mashantucket, Conn., The exciting ShoBox: The New Generation doubleheader card is headlined by highly regarded undefeated junior lightweight prospect Joel Diaz Jr. taking on Tyler Asselstine and will air live on SHOWTIME^® beginning at 10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast.

Below is the complete bout sheet for tomorrow night, with the official weights included. Photos and quotes from the two televised fights to follow.

10 ROUNDS – LIGHTWEIGHTS

MAIN EVENT

Joel Diaz         vs.        Tyler Asselstine

Palmdale, CA                Toronto, Canada

15-0, 12 KO's                 14-1, 7KO's

130 lbs.                          130 lbs.

8 ROUNDS – JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS

CO-FEATURE

Frank Galarza      vs.         Sebastien Bouchard

Brooklyn, NY                      Quebec, Canada

13-0-2, 9 KO's                     8-0, 2 KO's

153 lbs.                               154 lbs.

6 ROUNDS – JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHTS

Bryant Cruz          vs.        Osnell Charles

Port Chester, NY               Atlantic City, NJ

10-0, 6 KO's                        10-8-1, 1 KO

132 lbs.                               131 lbs.

4 ROUNDS – FEATHERWEIGHTS

Gervonta Davis       vs.        Joshua Arocho

Baltimore, MD                       Vineland, NJ

6-0, 6 KO's                              3-9-4, 2 KO's

127 lbs.                                   127 lbs.

4 ROUNDS – SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS

John Magda            vs.       David Courchaine

Rutherford, NJ                    Spokane, WA

5-0, 4 KO's                            2-3, 2 KO's

167 lbs.                                 163 lbs.

4 ROUNDS – JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT

Kareem Martin        vs.      Azamat Umarzoda

Washington, D.C.                Las Vegas, NV

1-0, 1 KO                               0-3

150 lbs.                                152 lbs.

Here is a quotes release from Showtime:

MASHANTUCKET, Conn. (May 15, 2014) – Undefeated super featherweight prospect Joel Diaz Jr. and once-beaten Tyler Asselstine both measured at the 130-pound limit during Thursday’s official weigh-in for their 10-round main event showdown tomorrow/Friday, May 16 on ShoBox: The New Generation, live on SHOWTIME^® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Streaking junior middleweight prospect Frank Galarza weighed in at 153 pounds and fellow undefeated prospect Sebastien Bouchard tipped the scale at 154 pounds for their eight-round co-feature bout on ShoBox.

Co-promoter and former world champion Jean Pascal presided over Thursday’s weigh-in at Fox Theatre at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., the site of Friday’s ShoBox doubleheader. The event is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Jean Pascal Promotions. Galarza-Bouchard is also promoted in association with New Legend Boxing.

Eight of Diaz’s (15-0, 12 KOs) 12 career knockouts have come in two rounds or less, with six coming in the first round. The Glendale, Calif., resident, who is guided by renowned trainer Abel Sanchez, is looking to make a move in the lightweight division but faces his toughest opponent to date in Asselstine (14-1, 7 KOs), a former Canadian amateur standout.

Brooklyn’s Galarza, who is returning to ShoBox for the second time in 2014, has knocked out four consecutive opponents, including a career-best KO of previously undefeated prospect John Thompson this past January on the series. Bouchard, a former two-time Canadian amateur champion, is an up-and-coming boxer in his native Quebec.

Here’s what the fighters had to say during Thursday’s weigh-in:

JULIO DIAZ JR.:

“I can’t wait, especially because it’s the main event. I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a little kid to fight in the main event and now my dream is becoming a reality. I’m on SHOWTIME once again, main event, 10 rounds, I’m ready to rock and roll.

“This is a great opportunity for me to show my fans how I’ve developed since I last fought on SHOWTIME. I want to show them what I’ve worked on and I think I’ll win over some new fans tomorrow.

“Working with Abel has done a lot for my career. He’s a very good guy, outside the ring and inside the ring. He’s improved my boxing skills and I can’t wait to show them off.

“This might be the toughest opponent of my career. We’ll find out the first round. But we’re not going to get too big-headed. We’re just going to go in there, follow our plan and hopefully our plan gets us the victory.

“Style-wise, this is a good matchup for me. He’s a southpaw. I’ve actually been sparring with a lot of southpaws, from (Daniel) Ponce de Leon to Ivan Redkach. This training camp was full of southpaws. So whatever the guy brings to the table I’m ready for it.

“If I can get a knockout I’m going for it. But, if we can’t, we’re ready to go the distance. We had a good six- week training camp, good sparring partners and hopefully everything goes as planned.”

TYLER ASSELSTINE:

“I would say he’s the toughest opponent I’ve faced. He definitely has the most power of anyone I’ve been in there with. He had a decent amateur career and he’s strong. But I’ve seen a lot of things I can capitalize on in the ring.

“At times his style and aggression will be a challenge. At the same time, he leaves himself open and I can sneak in there. The more he throws the more I can sneak in and do my work.

“This is my first fight at 130. I think 126 is definitely a better class for me – I only had to cut two pounds for this fight. I know I’ll be the smaller guy in there, but I’ll be fine. This fight is a huge opportunity for me so I had to take it. It’s not like me to turn down an opportunity, especially one like this. After the fight I’ll move back down to 126 or even 122.

“My focus is just on this fight. After that, we’ll see what happens and go from there. But I have a huge chance here and I need to take advantage of it.”

FRANK GALARZA:

“I think every time I step into the ring I’m always looking to put on a show, to entertain the fans and give them what they want. They like to see people fight and dish it out, so that’s what I’m going to do.

“This is going to be the fourth undefeated fighter we’ve faced. And I don’t mind that. I actually look forward to facing top prospects that are undefeated. It gives me more confidence as far as my boxing ability and what I feel capable of.

“If he wants a war we’ll give him a war. Sometimes you have to be careful what you ask for. The fans are going to see an exciting fight. I’m always going to put on a show, that’s my thing.

“I just want to stay active and stay busy. We’re looking for a few more fights in before the year is up.”

SEBASTIEN BOUCHARD:

“It’s not the television that makes me nervous. The only thing that makes me nervous is the guy that I’m fighting.

“I think it will be a war. I know that’s his style, but that’s my style as well. I want to make it a war.

“With this opportunity, my foot is now in the door. I’m going to kick out the door and open it. This is only the start for me.”

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