Army Vet Sammy Vazquez To Debut April 27

ERIE, PENN (April 5, 2012) – Undefeated contenders YENIFEL VICENTE and Ohio buzzsaw CHRIS HAZIMIHALIS headline the 27^th Annual Erie Boxing Classic, Friday April 27 at The Avalon Hotel (10^th and State St., Erie, Penn.)The undercard will feature the professional debut of U.S. Army veteran and 2011 PAL National Champion SGT. SAMMY VAZQUEZ, who served two tours in Iraq. The show will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Promoted by Michael Acri Boxing Promotions, in association with Budweiser, tickets to the Erie Boxing Classic go on sale today and are priced at $40 (ringside) and $20 (general admission). They can be purchased at Dee’s Cigar Store (1705 State St.), The Avalon Hotel (16 West 10^th St.) and the Ringside Restaurant (3202 Sterrettania Rd).

Vicente (22-0-2, 14 KOs), of the Dominican Republic, enters this fight with five of his last six victories coming by way of knockout, including a two-round pasting of Jonathan Perez for the vacant WBA Fedelatin super bantamweight title. World-rated No. 10 by the WBA, Vicente is scheduled to headline the Erie Boxing Classic in a 10-round junior featherweight battle.

Hazimihalis (8-0, 7 KOs), of Campbell, OH, who works under the tutelage of Hall of Fame promoter Emanuel Steward at the world-famous Kronk Gym in Detroit, will be featured in the co-main event in a six-round lightweight bout. Only one opponent, Damon Antoine, has survived Hazimihalis’ steel-belted fists and even he paid a visit to the canvas, in the fourth round, en route to a unanimous decision loss.

The undercard’s featured bout will be the professional debut Sgt. Vazquez of Belle Vernon, Penn. A U.S. Army veteran who served two tours in Iraq, Vasquez was the 2011 PAL National Champion and the 2011 and 2010 All Army Armed Forces Gold Medalist. Vasquez will be fighting in a four-round junior middleweight bout. Ivan Hernandez (1-1) of Dunkirk, NY and the professional debut of Erie native Samantha Griffiths, who trains in Pittsburgh, fighting in separate four-round junior welterweight and lightweight bouts, respectively, highlight the undercard. Details on opponents for all the fighters will be announced soon.