SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT JOSH Crespo, right, of New Haven, Conn., seen here in a bout against Luis Acevedo in March, will fight for the vacant New England Super Bantamweight Title on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015 at Mohegan Sun Arena in an eight-round bout against Jorge Abiague of Portland, Maine. It's one of two title fights on the card, which is presented by CES Boxing and also features six amateur bouts.
CES Boxing kicks off its 2015 Fight Series on Saturday, Jan. 17th, 2015 with a dynamic pro-am card at Mohegan Sun Arena, featuring two professional title bouts and six amateur bouts on the undercard.
After fighting to a draw twice in 2014, Hartford, Conn., super featherweight Joseph "Chip" Perez (10-3-2, 3 KOs) will battle Agustine Mauras (6-0-3, 3 KOs) of Lawrence, Mass., in an eight-round bout for the vacant N.E. title while Josh Crespo (3-1-2, 1 KO) of New Haven, Conn., faces Portland, Maine's Jorge Abiague (7-0-1, 1 KO) in an eight-round bout for the vacant N.E. super bantamweight crown.
Courtesy of Jay-Z's Roc Sports Nation, two former Chinese Olympians and a former Chinese international champion also headline the undercard, including southpaw heavyweight Zhang Zhilei (1-0, 1 KO), a silver medalist in the 2008 Beijing Olympics; light heavyweight southpaw and 2012 Olympian Meng Fanlong; and Wang Zhimin, who won gold in the 2011 World Series of Boxing.
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.
Jan. 17th also features the return of New Haven super middleweight Elvin Ayala (26-6-1, 12 KOs), a former five-time title challenger and WBC U.S. National Boxing Council (USNBC) champion, who faces Philadelphia veteran Taneal Goyco (7-8-1, 3 KOs) in a six-round bout. New Bedford, Mass., lightweight Briam Granado makes his professional debut against Willie Carville (1-0) Khiary Gray-Pitts (3-0, 1 KO) returns to face hard-hitting veteran Emmanuel Medina (3-4-1, 3 KOs) of Tilton, N.H.
CES will kick off the countdown to fight night on Tuesday, Jan. 13th, 2015 at The Russian Lady on Temple Street in downtown New Haven with a dual pep rally and press conference beginning at 7 p.m. Listed below are quotes from the participants in Saturday's event:
Josh Crespo
(On fighting for a title in front of his hometown fans)
"I really don't have much to say. [Abiague] is to me what I am to him -- someone standing in the way. I'm very sure he's going to be very prepared come the 17th and he can be sure I will, too. I'm going in there like always, feeling like I'm going to be tested physically and mentally, and I want to rise to the occasion and come out victorious. His people were wanting this fight. They asked me if I was ready to fight after every fight last year and now I'm ready. I have the right corner, training and mentality and I want to go there to surprise some people, upset some and keep others happy. We're ready."
Khiary Gray
(On facing veteran Emmanuel Medina)
"He's a tough guy. I think anyone is a tough guy when it comes to me because a lot of people do want to fight, but he is stepping up to the plate and trying to give me a loss. As far as me fighting at Mohegan Sun, I am excited because that place got me a contract and my pro debut six days later. That's where I got my contract to fight for CES, so Mohegan Sun is a special place for me. My goal for 2015 is to stay busy, stay undefeated get a New England title shot. I hope we can do that I my hometown of Worcester. I would love to do that in 2015 because I know it would be a sold-out show."
Jimmy Williams
(On his goals for 2015)
"I'm ready to start the year off with a bang. I've been working hard with [trainer] Brian Clark to improve my boxing skills everyday and I believe one day I will become champion of the world. I'm willing to take any path to get me where I need to go. Also, I'm glad to fighting for CES and I know our future is bright. I'm going to keep working hard to be the best fighter I can be. I learn a lot from Brian. He helps me a lot with being more fluid with my punches and my power shots. I'm bless to have great people in my corner from my manger, trainer, promoter and all the support from my fans."
For up-to-date information on the Jan. 17th event visit www.cesboxing.com, follow @CESBOXING on Twitter and Instagram and join the CES Boxing fan page on Facebook.
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