Now that she's finally a world champion, Shelly Vincent must face the same challenges every title-holder faces each time she steps inside the ring, most notably the prospect of staring down a hungry opponent desperate to take what's hers.
Five months after capturing the vacant Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) super bantamweight title, Vincent (13-0, 1 KO) will defend the crown and put her unbeaten record on the line Friday, April 3rd, 2015 against former world champion and four-time title contender Christina Ruiz (7-7-3, 4 KOs) of San Antonio in the 10-round main event of CES Boxing's "The Revival" at Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I.
As an added bonus, the vacant International Boxing Association (IBA) female super bantamweight world title, last held by Ana Julaton, is also up for grabs.
"This will be my biggest fight to date, even better than my war with [Jackie] Trivilino," Vincent said. "My team expanded with Sharik Ali as my head strength coach. We're working on new things.
"You will see a new beast in there. They're transforming me into a killer."
Tickets for "The Revival" are priced at $40.00, $100.00 and $125.00 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.
Willimantic, Conn., light heavyweight Kevin Cobbs (9-1, 3 KOs) returns to face undefeated Providence, R.I., native Angel Camacho Jr. (13-0, 4 KOs) in the six-round co-feature while welterweights Nick DeLomba (6-0) of Cranston, R.I., and Joe Wilson Jr. (3-1) of Hartford, Conn., battle in a six-round special attraction.
No stranger to tough fights, the 29-year-old, 5-foot-3 Ruiz has stood toe-to-toe with elite competition in several weight classes, including current UBF bantamweight champion Tyrieshia Douglas, International Boxing Federation (IBF) title-challenger Jennifer Han, former World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight world champion Kaliesha West and 33-fight veteran Alicia Ashley, a former World Boxing Council (WBC) title-holder in the super bantamweight division.
Two years after challenging Ashley for the then-vacant WBC 122-pound world title, Ruiz defeated Christina Fuentes by unanimous decision to capture the vacant International Female Boxers Association (IFBA) world super bantamweight title, her first victory in three title bouts. She's faced six undefeated fighters over the span of four and a half years with two notable wins during that stretch, including a knockout victory over previously unbeaten Emily Klinefelter in 2011 and a unanimous decision win over Jennifer Scott in 2010.
Ruiz also fought WBC No. 7 ranked super bantamweight Celina Salazar twice, earning a draw in their rematch in 2010, and faced former WBO lightweight champ Amanda Serrano, now ranked No. 2 in the world, in just her second pro fight.
With a resume second to none, Ruiz is a serious threat to dethrone Vincent, who has climbed to No. 6 in the WBC after beating Jackie Trivilino in a back-and-forth slugfest to capture the then-vacant UBF crown in November. Vincent also boasts a pair of wins over Bronx native Nydia Feliciano and a unanimous decision win over four-time world-title challenger Angel Gladney in 2013.
"I'm training like I've never trained before," Ruiz said. "I'm taking this fight very seriously and putting in 110 percent. I can't let another world title pass through my hands. With God on my side I will come out victorious."
The undercard of "The Revival" features several noteworthy regional showdowns, including a four-round junior welterweight bout between unbeaten Worcester, Mass., native Freddy Sanchez (3-0, 2 KOs) and Briam Granado (1-0, 1 KO) of New Bedford, Mass., and a four-round super middleweight bout between Zachary Christy (1-0-1) of Warwick, R.I. (St. Petersburg, Fla.), and former Rocky Marciano Tournament amateur champion Bobby Flynn of Sandwich, Mass., who is making his professional boxing debut.
Also on the undercard, New Bedford junior middleweight Ray Oliveira Jr. (3-0, 2 KOs) returns to face Cambridge, Mass., newcomer Yves Thevenin. Heavyweight Jean Pierre Agustin (4-0, 2 KOs) of Lawrence, Mass., makes his New England and Twin River debut and unbeaten middleweight prospect Khiary Gray-Pitts (5-0, 3 KOs) of Worcester fights for the third time in 2015, both in separate bouts.
For more information on "The Revival" visit www.cesboxing.com, follow @CESBOXING on Twitter and Instagram and "like" the official CES Boxing Facebook fan page.
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