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Perez ends trilogy with win over Mauras; Ayala celebrates return in victorious fashion over Mitchell

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (Jan. 17th, 2015) – Two fighters settled a longstanding rivalry Saturday while another cagey veteran began his slow, steady climb back to the top of the rankings.

In his third bout against regional foe Agustine Mauras, Hartford, Conn., super featherweight Joseph “Chip” Perez captured the vacant New England Championship while former world-title challenger and super middleweight contendr Elvin Ayala of New Haven, Conn., won in his return to the ring following a two-year layoff.

Saturday’s pro-am event at Mohegan Sun Arena, promoted by CES Boxing, featured five amateur bouts and nine professional fights, including two title bouts. In the eight-round main event, Perez (11-3-2) finally got the best of Mauras (6-1-3), a Lawrence, Mass., native, after the two fought to a draw twice in 2013, this time utilizing a more aggressive approach while out-working and out-landing his opponent. The trilogy ended with a 79-73, 78-74, 78-74 win for Perez, easily the most lopsided of their three bouts.

On the undercard, Ayala (27-6-1) ended a layoff of more than two years with a satisfying 60-54, 59-55, 58-56 win over dangerous Philadelphia vet Aaron Mitchell (27-2-1).

A former World Boxing Council (WBC) title-holder rated among the top super middleweights in the world, Ayala hadn’t fought since suffering a first-round knockout loss to Curtis Stevens in January 2013. Having fallen out of the national spotlight, Ayala took the next two years to recover physically and mentally, making changes within his inner circle in an effort to rebuild his career for one last run at a world title.

Saturday’s win was a step in the right direction. The always-ready Mitchell, who hadn’t fought since 2008 prior to this weekend, formerly held the North American Boxing Organization (NABO) middleweight title and won 15 consecutive bouts with a stunning 14 by knockout before his brief departure from the sport more than five years ago.

In the second title bout of the evening, Portland, Maine, veteran Jorge Abiague (8-1) edged New Haven’s Josh Crespo (3-2-2) by split decision, 78-74, 75-77, 78-74 to earn the vacant N.E. Super Bantamweight championship. Abiague controlled the first two rounds with his overhand left before Crespo rocked him with a straight right hand in the closing seconds of the third. Crespo went for the kill, but Abiague survived the final few seconds and got his legs back in the fourth, where he began to dictate the pace. Abiague has now won back-to-back fights since losing to Nate Green in October.

Chinese heavyweight Zhang Zhilei (2-0, 2 KOs), a silver medalist in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, stopped Perry Filkins (0-1) of Hooksett, N.H., at the 1:10 mark of the opening round. Junior welterweight Wang Zhimin (1-0), a gold medalist at the 2011 World Series of Boxing, beat newcomer Kin Moy (0-1) of Cambridge, Mass., by unanimous decision, 40-36, 39-37, 39-36, on all three scorecards and 2012 London Olympian Meng Fanlong (1-0) defeated Washington, D.C., vet Marcellus Yates (0-2) by majority decision 40-36, 40-36, 38-38, in Fanlong’s professional debut.

Worcester, Mass., light middleweight Khiary Gray-Pitts (4-0, 2 KOs) remained unbeaten with dominant knockout win over Springfield, Ill., vet Jake Constant (0-3) courtesy of a body blow at the 1:20 mark of the opening round. Lightweight Briam Granado (1-0, 1 KO) impressed in his professional debut, stopping Theo Desjardin (0-5) of Pawtucket, R.I., at 1:18 of the opening round, knocking Desjardin to the canvas twice.

New Haven junior middleweight Jimmy Williams (8-0-1, 4 KOs) also remained unbeaten, stopping 29-fight vet Jose Felix (11-17-2) at 2:34 of the third round for his fourth consecutive win since fighting to a draw with Atlantic City’s Greg Jackson in August of 2013.

– CES –

  
Light middleweight Chris Chatman, seen here in July following his win over Thomas Falowo at Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I., will return to the same venue Friday, March 28th, 2014 when he faces The Contender Season 2 champion Grady Brewer in the eight-round main event. (CES photo by Craig Eagleson)

Chatman focusing on winning, not making friends, in return to Providence on Friday
 

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 25th, 2014) -- Having already marked his territory in Rhode Island by beating hometown favorite Thomas Falowo in July, Jersey City middleweight Chris Chatman has taken his newfound allegiance to New England one step further by signing with Classic Entertainment & Sports, the region's premier combat sports firm.
 
But don't think for a second being part of a team for the first time in his career has tamed the outspoken, 5-foot-8 southpaw.
 
"I'm focusing my efforts on becoming a world champion," Chatman said, "and if I have to take out their whole lineup to do it, then so be it."
 
For now, Chatman (11-3-1, 5 KOs) will focus his efforts on chopping down another out-of-town challenger with ties to New England, The Contender Season 2 champion Grady Brewer(30-16, 18 KOs) of Lawton, Okla., in Friday night's main event at Twin River Casino.
 
Brewer teamed with Rhode Island's Gary "Tiger" Balletto on the hit reality series in 2006 and returned to Providence two years later to beat fellow Contender alum Cornelius Bundrage. Now he'll face the hard-hitting Chatman, who's gained an improbable cult-like following in Rhode Island not only for his win over Falowo, but also for his effort in a disputed loss to former Olympian Demetrius Andrade in 2009, his first of three appearances at Twin River.
 
The eight-round middleweight bout between Chatman and Brewer will be the headliner of Classic Entertainment & Sports' latest installment of the 2014 Twin River Fight Series. Tickets are priced at $41, $76 and $126 (VIP) and can be purchased by calling 401-724-2253/2254, online at www.cesboxing.com or www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Players Club at Twin River. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
 
"He's a strong fighter," Brewer said of Chatman. "A guy like him, you know he's coming to fight.
 
"I'm excited to come back to Providence," he continued. "I loved it there. Great fight fans. They love boxing and I'm excited to show them what I can do."
 
Despite an age difference of 14 years (Chatman is 29 an Brewer is 43), the two are chasing the same dream of winning a world title, and both have shown the willingness to fight anyone at any given time, even if it means standing toe-to-toe with a hometown favorite on foreign soil.
 
Born and raised in Chicago, Chatman eventually relocated to San Diego and carved his niche out west, fighting nine of his first 10 bouts in California -- the lone exception and only blemish on his record being the fight in Rhode Island against Andrade -- before taking his 9-1 record to Forth Worth to face unbeaten Texan Charles Hatley. The two traded knockdowns and fought to a majority draw. Two of the three judges scored it even while the third favored Hatley by four rounds.
 
It wouldn't be the last time Chatman found himself on the wrong end of a decision in his opponent's backyard. After beating Falowo last year, he faced unbeaten Maryland prospect Jarret Hurd in Maryland in a six-round bout in January. Hurd won by split decision. One judge scored it 59-55 in favor of Chatman. The other two gave it to Hurd, 58-56 and 59-55.
 
"Anyone who saw that fight knows I won it," Chatman said. "I'm always putting my best in the ring. That's the only way I know how to do it. I think it's a shame when a fighter trains hard and makes all the sacrifices and wins the fight, but loses because of politics.
 
"It discredits our sport and shows the lack of integrity among judges. That's one of the reasons I love to fight in Rhode Island. I always get a fair shot."
 
Five of Chatman's last seven opponents were undefeated at the time of the fight, and Falowo only had one loss when they faced one another last year. The combined record of those opponents was 76-5-2 before the bell rang.
 
Fittingly, Brewer has built a similar resume through the years with each of his last three fights coming against undefeated opponents, including a 2013 showdown against world-rated Russian prospect Matt Korobov -- "to this day, one of the better fighters I've faced," Brewer said -- and a scheduled eight-round bout against 17-0 Tony Harrison of Detroit in April.
 
After beating Steve Forbes in The Contender finale, Brewer won his next four fights before stopping unbeaten Nigerian prospect Albert Onolunose in the second round of their scheduled 12-round bout. Two years later, he handed world-title challenger Fernando Guerrero -- 21-0 at the time -- the first loss his career via fourth-round knockout. Brewer has also faced World Boxing Association (WBA) light middleweight champion Erislandy Lara and Andrade, the current World Boxing Organization (WBO) champ.
 
"The Contender was real instrumental for me because it set the stage for my career and gave me the respect I had been looking for," Brewer said.
 
"I'm always trying to get to the top. Sometimes, I've been there, and sometimes I've taken fights on short notice thinking I was ready, and that's part of the reason why I wasn't always able to show who I really am."
 
With the dream of winning a world title still within reach, Brewer draws inspiration from former champs George Foreman and Bernard Hopkins. Foreman had been the oldest fighter to win a world title before the 48-year-old Hopkins broke his record in 2013. Brewer still has a shot, but he needs to beat Chatman on Friday to snap his four-fight losing streak.
 
The fight is of equal importance to Chatman, who'd benefit tremendously by beating a well-known veteran with more than three times his experience as a professional.
 
"I'm putting my all into this like I do with every fight," Chatman said. "Grady is a veteran, a former champ, and he has the experience to back it up. Like me, he's pulled off many upsets, so to go in there thinking I'm guaranteed a win is foolish.
 
"That being said, I'm confident enough in my work ethic to expect that I can earn a victory."
 
Win or lose, Chatman's future in New England will certainly be entertaining if nothing else, and though he may never get that coveted rematch with Andrade, there are plenty of opponents to target in this neck of the woods, teammates or not.
 
"If you're between 154 and 168 pounds and you're being put ahead of me, you'll be in my sights," Chatman said. "I'm ready to prove that I'm No. 1 and if anyone wants to speak to the contrary, you're more than welcome to step up and glove up."
 
Friday's undercard includes the return of unbeaten Providence middleweight KJ Harrison-Lombardi (5-0-1) of Providence, who will put his record on the line in a four-round bout against Jason Bakanowski (0-1) of Worcester, Mass. 
 
Coming off a knockout win over veteran Arthur Saribekian in November, Cape Cod, Mass., heavyweight Jesse Barboza (7-1-1, 5 KOs) will look to stay on track against East Stroudsburg, Pa., heavyweight Glenn Thomas in a four-round bout while Springfield, Mass., welterweight Zack Rasmey (6-0, 3 KOs) takes on veteran Shakha Moore (11-19-3, 2 KOs) of Norwalk, Conn., in a six-rounder.
 
Louisiana cruiserweight Alvin Varmall Jr. (2-0, 2 KOs), who made his Twin River debut in February with a knockout win over Andre Ward, will return to face Devon Mosley (0-0-1) of Capitol Heights, Md., in a four-round bout and Chattanooga, Tenn., lightweight prospect Ryan Martin (3-0, 2 KOs) will face Justin Robbins (2-5, 1 KO) of Springfield, Ill., in a four-round bout. Cranston, R.I., welterweight Nick DeLomba (2-0) will return in a separate four-round bout. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
 
                                                              -- CES --

CES is proud to announce it will induct "The Pride Of Providence" Peter Manfredo Jr.into its Ring of Honor during a special ceremony Friday night at Twin River Casino. The Providence native won 40 fights in his professional career and established himself as one of the most popular fighters in Rhode Island's rich boxing history. The star of Season 1 of The Contender reality television series, Manfredo Jr. also captured the IBO middleweight world title and was a two-time NABF middleweight champion. Among his most notable wins include knockouts against Joey "K.O. Kid" Spina and Scott "Sandman" Pemberton in Providence. After a brief return to the sport in 2013, Manfredo Jr. capped his career in November with a knockout win over Rich Gingras. Other members of the Ring of Honor include Gary "Tiger" Balletto, Rocky Marciano, Israel "Pito" Cardona and Vinny Paz.

Jersey City, N.J., light middleweight Chris Chatman, right, will face The Contender Season 2 champion Grady Brewer in the main event Friday, March 28th, 2014 at Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I. Chatman is 2-1 in his career at Twin River, including a win over fan-favorite Thomas Falowo in July. (CES photo by Kelly MacDonald)

Fan-favorite Chatman returns to Rhode Island to take on Contender alum Brewer  

The Contender Season 2 champion Grady Brewer has faced several top prospects in his career, including Demetrius Andrade and Erislandy Lara, and also owns two recent wins against undefeated fighters. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 18th, 2014) -- As far as out-of-town fighters are concerned, Chris Chatman has had so much success at Twin River the casino might want to consider adding his name to the deed.   The hard-hitting fan-favorite from Jersey City will return to his second home Friday, March 28th, 2014 when he faces The Contender alum Grady Brewer in the eight-round middleweight main event of Classic Entertainment & Sports' upcoming professional boxing card at the Event Center.   The event also features the return of Cape Cod, Mass., heavyweight Jesse Barboza (7-1-1, 5 KOs); unbeaten Providence middleweight KJ Harrison-Lombardi (5-0-1); welterweight Nick DeLomba (2-0) of Cranston, R.I., and undefeated Springfield, Mass., welterweight Zack Rasmey (6-0, 3 KOs).   Tickets for the event are priced at $41, $76 and $126 (VIP) and can be purchased by calling 401-724-2253/2254, online at www.cesboxing.com or www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Players Club at Twin River. All fights and fighters are subject to change.   Originally from San Diego, Chatman (11-3-1, 5 KOs) first won over the Rhode Island crowd in 2009 when he fought tooth and nail against former Olympian and Providence native Demetrius Andrade, at the time the toughest fight of Andrade's young career. He returned two years later with a knockout win over Rahman Yusubov and made his third appearance at Twin River in July of 2013 by beating hometown favorite Thomas Falowo by unanimous decision.   The muscular, 5-foot-8 southpaw has become an unlikely fan-favorite in Rhode Island with both his colorful interviews at press conferences and no-nonsense approach in the ring. Now, with the crowd firmly in his corner, he'll face the veteran Brewer (30-18, 16 KOs), who fought alongside Rhode Island's Gary "Tiger" Balletto on Season 2 of The Contender and won the $500,000 cash prize by beating former world-title challenger Steve Forbes by split decision in the finals.   Like Chatman, Brewer is no stranger to New England; the Lawton, Okla., native fought in 2008 on the undercard of the CES and the Tournament of Contenders' co-promotion at The Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, beating Season 2 teammate and former light middleweight world champion Cornelius Brundage by split decision. In 2009, he stopped unbeaten Nigerian prospect Albert Onolunose in the second round of their scheduled 12-round bout and two years later handed world-title challenger Fernando Guerrero -- 21-0 at the time -- the first loss his career via fourth-round knockout. Brewer has also faced World Boxing Association (WBA) light middleweight champion Erislandy Lara, current World Boxing Organization (WBO) champ Andrade and unbeaten Russian prospect Matt Korobov in his 15-year career.    With Chatman-Brewer at the top, the undercard is stacked with the region's top talent, including rising stars DeLomba and Harrison-Lombardi, who've quickly become household names in Rhode Island. A protégé of Balletto, DeLomba will fight a four-round bout in his first appearance since September while Harrison-Lombardi will aim to keep his perfect record intact in a four-round bout against Jason Bakanowski (0-1) of Worcester, Mass., following his win over Antonio Fernandes in February.   Coming off a knockout win over veteran Arthur Saribekian in November, Barboza will look to stay on track against East Stroudsburg, Pa., heavyweight Glenn Thomas in a four-round bout while Ramsey takes on veteran Shakha Moore (11-19-3, 2 KOs) of Norwalk, Conn., in a six-rounder.   Louisiana cruiserweight Alvin Varmall Jr. (2-0, 2 KOs), who made his Twin River debut in February with a knockout win over Andre Ward, will return to face Devon Mosley (0-0-1) of Capitol Heights, Md., in a four-round bout and Chattanooga, Tenn., lightweight prospect Ryan Martin (3-0, 2 KOs) will face Justin Robbins (2-5, 1 KO) of Springfield, Ill., in a four-round bout.   -- CES --