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Hits keep coming for unbeaten UBF champ Gray as he puts perfect record on the line Oct. 17th

Posted by Bud Mench Media Group -BMMG on October 8, 2015 at 15:00
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Photo courtesy of Will PaUL
UNDEFEATED WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS junior middleweight Khiary Gray, seen here after winning the UBF Northeast Title in September, returns to the ring and puts his perfect record on the line against Denver's Marcus Dawkins in a six-round bout Saturday, Oct. 17th, 2015 on the undercard of CES Boxing's "Gold Standard" professional boxing event at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. Gray is now 9-0 and has won each of his last seven fights by first-round knockout. 
 -- Kendrick Ball always knew his protégé,Khiary Gray, had the right pedigree to be a star in the junior middleweight division, but this recent string of first-round knockouts? It's bordering on the absurd.
 
"The situation is a little overwhelming," Ball admitted. "It's not something we plan, but what we work on is if you happen to give us an opening, we'll take that opening and hurt you.
 
"I always knew how good he was. It was just a matter of showing everyone else."
 
Gray (9-0, 7 KOs), the reigning, undefeated Universal Boxing Federation Northeast champion from Worcester, Mass., has won his last six fights by first-round knockout, including his most recent bout Sept. 18th against Kenton Sippio-Cook in what was supposed to be the first major test of his career. Instead, Gray ripped through his opponent in impressive fashion, stopping Sippio-Cook at the 2-minute, 2-second mark of the opening round to capture the vacant UBF strap.
 
Less than a month later, Gray is back at it, scheduled to face Denver's Marcus Dawkins (4-2, 1 KO) in a six-round bout Saturday, Oct. 17th, 2015 on the undercard of CES Boxing's "Gold Standard" event at Mohegan Sun Arena, headlined by the long-awaited return of former world champion Demetrius Andrade.
 
Tickets are priced at $25.00, $50.00, $125.00 and $200.00 (VIP) and available for purchase online at www.cesboxing.com or www.mohegansun.com,www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254, or at the Mohegan Sun Box Office. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
 
Will Gray finally face some opposition and get some much-needed rounds? Ball hopes so.
 
"We train for longer rounds. When we were fighting four-rounders, we were already training for eight-rounders. Right now, we're doing six-rounders, so we're training for 12-round fights," Ball said. "I'm not worried about the rounds. Eventually, I know we'll run into someone that can probably take it a little longer and we'll get him out later on, but I think people are finally starting to see more of what he can do."
 
The irony of Gray's impressive streak, Ball said, is fight fans really haven't seen the best of what he has to offer. They've yet to see how he'll respond in a major test, or how he'll hold up physically and mentally over the course of a six- or eight-round fight. Time will tell. For now, some of Gray's best attributes are being overshadowed by the sheer violence and astonishment of his current knockout streak.
 
"Everyone knows he can punch. You can see he throws a good body shot. He's pretty accurate," Ball said. "What people don't understand is he has really good defense and his boxing IQ is really high. We're hoping to get some work in with someone who can give us some rounds so he can display that also."
 
Dawkins might be the one. The 5-foot-9 lefty recently boxed 10 rounds in his last fight, or precisely as many rounds as Gray has boxed in his last seven bouts. A former football and basketball standout in high school, Dawkins recalls watchingMike Tyson dismantle Michael Spinks in 91 seconds back in 1988 at the age of 9. He immediately caught the boxing bug, but admittedly didn't put on a pair of gloves until 2004. A self-proclaimed "defensive fighter," he's gone the distance in four of his six professional bouts.
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"He's kind of a loopy fighter. Throws wide, loopy punches. Nothing I haven't seen before," Gray said. "It plays right into my game plan."
 
Echoing the same sentiment as his long-time trainer, Gray thought Sippio-Cook would give him "at least three, four rounds," but went for the kill when "the opportunity presented itself." The beginning of the end came with 1:16 remaining when Gray cracked his opponent with an overhand right that brought the crowd to its feet.
 
"That was the first one the whole fight," Gray said. "After that, he began to buckle every time I hit him."
 
Eleven seconds later, Gray delivered another right to the temple that sent Sippio-Cook to the canvas for good.
 
"I learned a lot in that fight. I learned to put more of my weight on my back leg and get more power out of my punches. Every fight, I learn something," Gray said.
 
"I just took it the same way I took my last fight. That's how I approach every fight. I don't try to put pressure on myself. I just go out and fight. I had a different mindset. I knew this was what I had been waiting for, a chance to step up."
 
Now he wants a chance to showcase his full arsenal in front of a packed house under the bright lights of Mohegan Sun. He might get that chance Oct. 17th, unless those trademark body shots get through.
 
"We did that a lot in the amateurs, and some of the fights he lost were due to the fact they weren't scoring body shots," Ball said. "I always knew he was a good body puncher and it was going to work out perfect for us when we turned pro, so even if we fought a guy we knew we'd eventually beat the body up, wear him down fast enough and beat the body to slow him down.
 
"There won't be anybody -- well, I can't say anybody, but it's going to take a really strong person to be able to take body shots for a certain amount of rounds. We're definitely going to touch the body a certain amount of times in a round where eventually three or four rounds later they're either going to shit on themselves or they'll be pissing blood."
 
The 10-round main event, promoted in association with Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing and Artie Pelullo's Banner Promotions, features Andrade (21-0, 14 KOs) against Argentinian Dario Fabian Pucheta (20-2, 11 KOs) for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) and World Boxing Association (WBA) International Titles, Andrade's first fight in 16 months.
 
"Gold Standard" also includes the return of world-rated lightweight "Hammerin'"Hank Lundy (25-5-1, 12 KOs), No. 15 in the WBC, fighting for the WBC's vacant Continental Americas Title at 135 pounds. Super middleweight Vladine Biosse (15-7-2, 7 KOs) of Providence, R.I., returns in a six-round bout against Nathan Miller(6-0-1, 4 KOs) of New Brunswick, Canada.
 
Also featured on the undercard, New Haven, Conn., featherweight Josh Crespo (4-2-3, 2 KOs) battles Albany, N.Y., vet Rigoberto Miranda in a four-round bout; cruiserweight Mike Marshall (1-0, 1 KO) of the Bronx faces newcomer Hampton Miller of New Haven in a four-rounder and featherweights Carlos Pena of Worcester and Phil Dudley of Providence make their professional debuts against one another in a four-round bout.
 
For more information on "Gold Standard" visit www.cesboxing.com, follow @CESBOXING on Twitter and Instagram and "like" the official CES Boxing Facebook fan page.
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-- CES --
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Andrade returns to the ring Oct. 17th

Posted by Bud Mench Media Group -BMMG on October 5, 2015 at 14:30

327.jpg?a=1102743131505 Providence native and former U.S. Olympian and World Boxing Organization (WBO) Junior Middleweight world championDemetrius Andrade returns to the ring for the first time in 16 months on Saturday, Oct. 17th, 2015 at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn.

 

“It’s been a year and a half now,” Andrade said Tuesday during a press conference at the Rhode Island State House. “Fourteen, 15 months of me not in the ring showing and displaying my true talents and what I can do for the sport of boxing, but now I have the privilege to be here in Connecticut, Mohegan Sun, 45 minutes away where you can come see me put somebody to sleep, hopefully.”

 

The undefeated Andrade (21-0, 14 KOs) will fight for the vacant WBO International Junior Middleweight title in the main event of a card promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s CES Boxing in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Artie Pelullo’s Banner Promotions.

 

Tickets for the event are priced at $25.00, $50.00, $125.00 and $200.00 (VIP) and available for purchase online at www.cesboxing.com or www.mohegansun.com,www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254, or at the Mohegan Sun Box Office. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

 

“A lot of people still don’t know who Demetrius is,” Burchfield said. “There are a lot of people who’ve been waiting for Demetrius to fight in this area. No matter where I go they ask me when ‘Boo Boo’ is fighting here. First of all, I want to thank Art Pelullo and Banner from Philadelphia and Joe DeGuardia and Star Boxing from the Bronx.

 

“There are promoters that work together. Not all of them, but there are some promoters that are the best in the business and they work together for the benefit of the fighter. Everyone understands that’s why we’re here at the State House today. That’s why I wanted to have this here at the State House, because this state belongs to Demetrius ‘Boo Boo’ Andrade. He is going to be our franchise. Soon, everyone will know what they’ve been missing.”

 

 

QUOTES:

 

 

GARY BALLETTO

 

“Demetrius Andrade was training in my gym when I was fighting on ESPN2 every other month and I used to line up my sparring partners and when Demetrius was 14 or 15, he’d be one of the guys in the lineup to spar with. I used to get so frustrated because I couldn’t hit this guy. I couldn’t hit this kid! It took me until he got real tired to land a punch on him. He’s been so naturally gifted since the day he started. I always tell my son, because he has natural defense, you have to have a natural defense and a natural ability before you ever start boxing and you can tell where they’re going to go with it. Demetrius, to me, is the best fighter in the world. He’s the best. I could put him in with any fighter in his weight division in the world and I would bet whatever I have on him.”

 

 

PAUL ANDRADE

 

“I want to set something a little straight here. Jimmy was generous to our promoters and they allowed it, but this was Jimmy’s doing. They offered us a fight in Russia, a fight over here, we said, no, we’re fighting at home, and if they can’t do it, we’ll see Jimmy. So I went and saw Jimmy, we had a nice little meeting and thanks to Jimmy, we’re here.”

 

DEMETRIUS ANDRADE

 

“First of all, I want to thank everyone for coming out, and CES Boxing for putting the show together. October 17th. It’s been a year and a half now. I don’t know, 14, 15 months of me not in the ring showing and displaying my true talents and what I can do for the sport of boxing, but now I have the privilege to be here in Connecticut, Mohegan Sun, 45 minutes away where you can come see me put somebody to sleep, hopefully.

 

Before that, I want to let people know a true champ is someone that stays in the gym 24/7. A true champ is somebody that dedicates his time and efforts to whatever it is that’s going to make him better in and out of the ring. I haven’t fought in 16 months, but I’m in the gym helping out Nick DeLomba get some sparring for his fights, Thomas Falowo – anybody in New England that needs help, I’m there for them. I traveled to Vegas to help Shawn Porter get ready for his fight against Kell Brook, and much more just so I can stay sharp and so that once this opportunity came to me I wouldn’t have to get ready to fight. I’m already ready to fight.

 

For all of you young fighters here and all of the dreams and goals you have in your mind, set them up, visualize them, accomplish them. Accomplish what you want to do in this sport of boxing. It’s rough and it’s tough. Gary Balletto, he’s been in it. He knows I’ve been it since I was ye high. The reason I didn’t want him hitting me is because I didn’t want to get hit. That boy hit hard! I was dipping and dodging those punches. The things I’ve seen him do to everyone else, hell no.

 

I do want to thank my dad, Paul Andrade, for sticking it out and making sure I had everything I needed to prosper in the sport of boxing. Even though we had our ups and downs, we’re back together because there’s nothing more important than family. I also want to thank Ed Farris. He’s been with me since I was 14 years old. I came to a time and point in my life where I needed some real help. He made it happen for me, man. I’m living good, I made some good investments and now I’m just ready to fight man. I can’t wait to put on a fresh pair of gloves.

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Unbeaten DeLomba faces tall order July 17th against experienced southpaw Rodriguez

Posted by Bud Mench Media Group -BMMG on July 8, 2015 at 15:30
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CES photo courtesy of Will Paul
UNBEATEN WELTERWEIGHT NICK DeLomba (foreground) puts the finishing touches on Joe Wilson Jr. during their April 3rd, 2015 at Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I. The 7-0 DeLomba returns to the same venue Friday, July 15th, 2015 in his toughest test to date when he faces 12-2 southpaw Juan Rodriguez Jr. of Union City, N.J., in the six-round co-feature of CES Boxing's "Rhode To Redemption" card, headlined by Providence's Vladine Biosse. 
(July 8th, 2015) -- Juan Rodriguez Jr. stopped short of making any predictions in advance of his Friday, July 17th, 2015 bout against unbeaten welterweight Nick DeLomba, but has little doubt as to which fighter would benefit more in an old-fashioned slugfest.

 


"Every boxer has a puncher's chance. If you get caught with the right one, that's it," said the Union City, N.J., southpaw, "but the record shows I have the advantage if it becomes a brawl."


 


The 5-foot-9 slugger with five knockouts on his record represents the toughest, most dangerous test of DeLomba's young career. The 29-year-old Rodriguez Jr. enters next Friday's bout at 12-2, a lengthy resume that includes showdowns against welterweight standouts Sammy Vazquez and Taras Shelestyuk, the latter on ESPN2. He and DeLomba will square off in the six-round co-feature of CES Boxing's "Rhode To Redemption" card at Twin River Casino.


 


"I think he's going to be a good opponent to make us look and put us on that next level," DeLomba said. "He's a traditional, tough opponent. Comes forward.


 


"Like I said before, I can adapt to anything in the ring. We just come up with a game plan and take to it and I adapt to whatever he throws out there."


 


The soft-spoken DeLomba (7-0, 1 KO) has every reason to be confident after putting together his most complete performance April 3rd in a knockout win over regional rival Joe Wilson Jr. His road to 7-0 was an unlikely one, starting exclusively with six-round bouts, which merely meant the competition across the ring was guaranteed to be as tough, if not tougher, on a nightly basis.


 


The truth is, DeLomba's never had it easy; his professional debut in 2013 was a six-round slugfest with ex-Marine Jimmy Smith, a bloody battle in which DeLomba emerged victorious on the scorecards. In his fourth fight, he beat 12-fight vet Edwin Soto in Soto's backyard in Connecticut. Now it's a 12-2 southpaw with twice as many fights.


 


Regardless of the challenge, DeLomba is at his peak both physically and mentally working with coach Victor Fagnant, a welcome change from the early days when he bounced from gym to gym with no real positive influence in his corner. The results showed April 3rd when DeLomba scored his first career knockout just days after forecasting his improved power in training camp.


 


"We trained hard. Our training camp was phenomenal. Preparation, everything was perfect. I felt phenomenal in that fight," DeLomba said of his April 3rd win over Wilson Jr.


 


"Vic's just working on my technique, making me sit down on my punches more, getting away from my amateur style of on your toes, up and throwing fast flurries and instead waiting a half second and cracking a little more."


 


Though DeLomba doesn't watch much video - "I leave that up to coach Vic," he said - he might be able to glean some useful information from Rodriguez's two losses, particularly the one against the rising prospect Vazquez in which he hit the canvas three times before the referee stopped the bout.


 


But Rodriguez admits he was tentative in those fights. He held back and didn't let his hands go as much as he's done in previous fights. That, he predicts, will all change July 17th.


 


"You're going to see a different Juan Rodriguez," he said matter-of-factly. "More accurate, more precise with my punches - busier. I laid back sometimes in those other fights. I went back into boxing mode a little too much, and that really doesn't favor me.


 


"I'm ready to rock and roll," he added. "If I have to brawl, I'll brawl. If I have to box, I'll box. My record shows when a fight come my way, I don't back down from anybody."


 


Tickets for "Rhode To Redemption" are priced at $40.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and available for purchase online at www.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254 or at the Twin River Players Club. All fights and fighters are subject to change.


 


Super middleweight Vladine Biosse (15-6-2, 7 KOs), known in his hometown as "Mr. Providence," returns to Rhode Island for the first time in two years when he faces the hard-hitting Chris Chatman (12-5-1, 5 KOs) of Jersey City, N.J., in the 10-round main event.


 


The undercard features several regional rivalries, starting with a four-round junior middleweight bout between Wilson Jr. (3-2) of Hartford, Conn., and Andy Gonzalez (1-0, 1 KO) of Worcester, Mass., and a four-round heavyweight rematch between Jean Pierre Augustin (4-0-1, 2 KOs) of Lawrence, Mass., and Solomon Maye (1-4-1, 1 KO) of New Haven, Conn. The two fought to a draw in April.


 


Unbeaten Worcester, Mass., junior middleweight Khiary Gray (7-0, 5 KOs) also returns in a six-round bout.


 


Framingham, Mass., super lightweight Julio Perez makes his pro debut against Boston's Rafael Francis (0-4) and New Bedford, Mass., welterweight Scott Sullivan (1-1, 1 KO) returns to face Providence's Angel Valdez (0-2), both four-round bouts. Lawrence, Mass., lightweight Jacob Solis (1-0) will make his Twin River debut and fight for the first time since 2012 when he faces Salem, Mass., vet Matt Doherty (2-1, 2 KOs) in a four-round bout.


 


For more information on "Rhode To Redemption" visit www.cesboxing.com, follow @CESBOXING on Twitter and Instagram and "like" the official CES Boxing Facebook fan page.


 


-- CES --
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Official pep rally and press conference for CES Boxing’s Saturday, Jan. 17th, 2015 pro-am event at Mohegan Sun Casino.

Posted by Bud Mench Media Group -BMMG on January 12, 2015 at 14:00

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CES photo by Emily Harney

WHO:

 

Participants for the Saturday, Jan. 17th, 2015 pro-am boxing event presented by CES Boxing at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn., including former super middleweight world-title challenger Elvin Ayala, super bantamweight Josh Crespo and junior middleweight Jimmy Williams of New Haven, Conn.; plus Hartford, Conn., super featherweight Chip Perez.

 

WHAT:

 

Official pep rally and press conference for CES Boxing’s Saturday, Jan. 17th, 2015 pro-am event at Mohegan Sun Casino.

 

WHEN:

 

Tuesday, Jan. 13th, 2015, 7 p.m.

 

WHERE:

 

The Russian Lady

144 Temple St.

New Haven, CT 06510

(203) 691-7276

 

WHY:

 

Tuesday’s rally and press conference is the official kickoff to the countdown for CES Boxing’s Saturday, Jan. 17th, 2015 pro-am event at Mohegan Sun Casino, which features eight professional bouts and six amateur undercard bouts. Two belts are on the line on the main card as Hartford’s Chip Perez battles Agustine Mauras of Lawrence, Mass., for the third time in six months for the vacant N.E. Super Featherweight Title and New Haven’s Josh Crespo faces Jorge Abiague of Portland, Maine for the vacant N.E. Super Bantamweight Title.

 

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, a former five-time title challenger and WBC U.S. National Boxing Council (USNBC) champion, who faces Philadelphia veteran Taneal Goyco in a six-round bout. New Haven junior middleweight Jimmy Williams will put his unbeaten record on the line in a six-round bout against an opponent to be determined.

 

New Bedford, Mass., lightweight Briam Granado makes his professional debut against Willie Carville (1-0) of Lewiston, Maine, while unbeaten Worcester, Mass., prospect Khiary Gray-Pitts (3-0, 1 KO) returns to face hard-hitting veteran Emmanuel Medina (3-4-1, 3 KOs) of Tilton, N.H. The undercard also features the professional debuts of former Chinese national champions Meng Fanlong and Wang Zhimin.

 

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.

 

– CES –

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