@allstarboxinginc All Star Boxing Returns to Seneca Niagara
Miami, Fla: Tuto Zabala’s All Star Boxing, Inc returns to Seneca Resort and Casino Niagra Falls after two years when Covid derailed the Fight Night series. All Star’s last event pre-pandemic on October 2019 was a tremendous success; the event sold out three weeks before the show date. Zabala does not expect anything less this time around. The upcoming show is scheduled for Friday, May 13, 2022. Many Western New York boxers have showcased their talents locally through All Star Boxing’s series.
“The plan is to continue to support the local talent as we have always done. All fighters participating in the show will be from Niagra Falls, Buffalo, Dunkirk, and many other surrounding cities. Our partners at Seneca have been working diligently to restart the series” – Tuto Zabala, President of All Star Boxing, Inc.
Three-Fight Telecast Features Six Prospects with Combined Record of 74-2-2; ShoBox Returns to Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Fla. For Second Consecutive Event
NEW YORK – ShoBox: The New Generation returns to Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Fla. for the second time in two months on Friday, February 18 for an exciting tripleheader featuring six prospects with a combined record of 74-2-2, five new to the developmental series. The action takes place live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
The main event will see undefeated lightweight prospect Jamaine Ortiz (14-0-1, 8 KOs), who shared the ring with Jaron Ennis and Teofimo Lopez during a decorated amateur career, make his ShoBoxdebut against once-beaten Nahir Albright (14-1, 7 KOs) in a 10-round bout that could have long-term consequences for boxing’s hottest division. Albright is an aspiring R&B singer who belted out a tune during a post-fight interview following his last win. The co-feature matches ShoBoxreturnee Joe George (11-0, 7 KOs) facing Sean Hemphill (14-0, 8 KOs) in an eight-round super middleweight bout of unbeatens. The telecast opens with Philadelphia’s undefeated welterweight prospect Paul Kroll (9-0, 6 KOs) squaring off against perennial spoiler Marquis Taylor (12-1-1, 1 KOs) in an eight-round battle between ShoBoxnewcomers. The three-fight telecast is promoted by King’s Promotions. “
“This edition of ShoBoxhas compelling storylines and terrific matchups that make it a must-see for boxing fans,” said Gordon Hall, executive producer for ShoBox: The New Generation. “I’m particularly interested in finding out if Jamaine Ortiz or Nahir Albright can emerge as serious players at 135 pounds. Or if Joe George can follow up his sensational KO in his last outing against the gifted and elusive boxer-puncher Sean Hemphill. Or whether Paul Kroll can fulfill his vast potential against the talented Marquis Taylor. I can’t wait to see how it all plays out on February 18.” Here is a closer look at the matchups: Ortiz vs. Albright – 10-Round Lightweight Main Event Bout Fighting out of Worcester, Mass., the 25-year-old Ortiz is a promising prospect in the loaded 135-pound division. Blessed with fast hands and an aggressive style, Ortiz delivered a career-best win over Sulaiman Segawa in November 2020 on the undercard of Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones, scoring a seventh-round KO to become the first fighter to stop Segawa. Known as “The Technician,” Ortiz, who sometimes fights out of the southpaw stance, is also the only fighter to beat current 11-1 lightweight Ricardo Quiroz.
His last time out, Ortiz overcame two knockdowns to battle the undefeated Joseph Adorno to a majority draw in a thrilling eight-round affair in April. He recently spent five weeks in California helping pound-for-pound great Vasiliy Lomachenkoprepare for his December fight with Richard Commey. Ortiz built his foundation in the amateurs, where he went 100-14 and sustained spirited losses to Ennis and Lopez. Ortiz is a former full-time union carpenter and college student who currently dabbles in real estate and has spoken of finishing college and perhaps attending medical school following his boxing career. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to be the main event on ShoBox,” said Ortiz. “I’ve been waiting for this a long time. I’m ready to put on a great performance. This is a great platform for future champions, and on February 18 I’m going to put the lightweight division on notice.”
Albright turned pro in 2016, dropping a majority decision in his debut against current 13-1 pro Anthony Laureano, before bouncing back to rattle off 14 straight wins. The streaking prospect has earned stoppages in five of his last six bouts which all took place in 2021, including his last time out when he dropped Michael Dutchover four times en route to a sixth-round stoppage victory. Albright will be making his ShoBox debut but has already beaten two fighters who have appeared on the developmental series in Dutchover and the 16-2 Jeremy Hill. The 25-year-old from Sicklerville, N.J. was originally scheduled to face Ortiz in November 2020 but was forced to withdraw with an injury. “It’s a great feeling to headline on ShoBox,” said Albright. “The Hill fight was a step-up fight and I proved again that I belong. I will show again against Jamaine Ortiz that I am on my way to being a world champion. Ortiz is a sharp, fast and slick fighter. I’m sure he will give his all and it will be a good fight, but I will be victorious.” George vs. Hemphill – Eight-Round Super Middleweight Bout Managed by San Francisco 49ers All-Pro offensive lineman Trent Williams, George will return to the ring for the first time since scoring one of 2020’s most vicious KOs. The Houston native landed a stunning uppercut in the ninth round to immediately end his rematch with Marcos Escudero. George previously emerged victorious via a split decision victory in a battle of then unbeaten fighters when he first faced Escudero on SHOWTIME in November 2019.
The 32-year-old George played basketball in college and didn’t start boxing until he was 19. He fought in the amateurs for five years, winning the 2015 National Golden Gloves and going 74-5 before making his pro debut in 2016. Campaigning primarily at light heavyweight, George will look to continue his success when he moves down to super middleweight on February 18. “I am excited to be back on ShoBox,” said George. “I have won on this stage before and on February 18th, I will prove it again that I am one of the top super middleweights out there.” Hemphill made his pro debut in 2019 and has already reeled off 14 consecutive wins without a blemish after a standout amateur period. He has fought six times since George last stepped in the ring, including once already in 2022. Hemphill scored an eight-round unanimous decision over Jeyson Minda in front of his hometown New Orleans fans on January 7. The 26-year-old known as “Silky” fought three times in 2021, scoring two TKOs. George will be the first undefeated opponent of Hemphill’s career with multiple victories. Hemphill is managed by Adam Glenn, son of the late Jimmy Glenn, who owned the beloved Jimmy’s Corner bar in Midtown Manhattan and was a well-known, iconic figure in boxing circles. Hemphill was a member of Team USA during a stellar amateur career (55-12) that saw him rise to become one of the top light heavyweights in the country. “This is a great opportunity for me,” said Hemphill. “I have been looking for something like this to showcase my talent. I have been going through a lot in my personal life such as Hurricane Ida and I want to show people that I am fighting through it all. This is a good fight for me and it will show the world how great I am. This will take my career to the next level. I have been fighting on local shows and this is a big step up and a big stage for me to show I am part of the next generation.” Kroll vs. Taylor – Eight-Round Welterweight Bout Representing the fighting city of Philadelphia, Kroll is a four-year pro who already owns impressive wins over the highly regarded ShoBox alum Shinard Bunch and previously undefeated Philadelphian southpaw Mark Dawson. He also owns a 10-round victory over Lucas Santamaria in perhaps the toughest test of his career. Kroll overcame a knockdown in the second round to recover and earn the unanimous decision. A highly-touted amateur with a record of 123-17, Kroll won the U.S. Olympic Boxing Trials in 2015 and has sparred with the likes of standouts Julian Williams, Shawn Porterand Danny Garcia. “This is a great opportunity for me to get back on television against a good opponent,” said Kroll. “I am looking forward to a big win. I’ll take a unanimous decision, but I definitely want the knockout that will make a statement. I have seen a couple clips of Taylor and I see that he’s a good fighter, but I know he can’t beat me. He’s tall and had a draw with Lucas Santamaria. I’m really excited to be on ShoBox and I’m going to perform and put on a show for everybody.” The 28-year-old Taylor is a nine-year veteran who owns wins over three then-undefeated fighters including Jimmy Williams (14-0-1) and Sanjarbek Rakhmanov (10-0-1), who have both appeared on ShoBox, and Oscar Torres (8-0). The 6-foot-1 Taylor suffered his only career loss to current 21-2 contender Ladarius Miller. Following that loss, Taylor won five consecutive fights before taking on two-time welterweight world champion Kermit Cintron. That fight was ruled a no contest after Cintron was cut from an accidental headbutt. Taylor has one opponent in common with Kroll, Lucas Santamaria, who Taylor fought to a majority draw in June 2019. His last time out, Taylor traveled to Colombia where he earned a third-round KO over Esteban Alseco. Taylor refined his tools in the amateurs, where he went 130-20. “I appreciate the opportunity and I have been trying to get on ShoBox for years,” said Taylor. “I have a lot of appreciation and gratitude, and I still can’t believe it’s finally happening. I am just anxious to get in the ring now. I know Kroll is a good boxer and an undefeated fighter. This will be my fifth undefeated opponent. I have the tendency to have fighters fight my fight. I am super motivated for this and I’m coming to win in spectacular fashion. I am always the underdog and stealing fights is my thing.” Hall of Famer Barry Tompkins calls the action from ringside with veteran combat sports reporter Brian Campbell and former world champion Raul Marquezserving as expert analysts, and Hall of Famer Steve Farhoodremotely performing unofficial scoring duties. The executive producer of ShoBox: The New Generation is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
CLEVELAND, OH – Established boxing manager, best known for his eye for talent and guiding amateurs into the pros, Tim VanNewhouse, has signed Milwaukee’s own Daniel Blancas, a six-foot, four-inch middleweight who was a 13-time national champion. “I wanted to start my career off right, and I know Tim VanNewhouse will guide me the best way possible,” said Blancas, who is just 20-years old. “It’s all about working with the right people, and I believe we have built a strong team. I am ready to make my pro debut and take the steps necessary to follow my dream of becoming a world champion.” “Blancas is huge for the weight class and has good power to go with his height,” said VanNewhouse, who’s stable includes prospects Najee Lopez, Darrelle Valsaint, Jan Paul Rivera and Tommy Wu. “I’ve been following Daniel for many years. He entered the sport at just 8 years old. He has a wonderful father and family pushing him to be the best he can be. He is a charming young fighter who is physically gifted with good ability. Soon everyone will see his fan-friendly style and I expect we will see a bunch of knockouts from him”. “I had a style that was better suited for the pros. We considered many offers from several managers, but my dad and I knew we wanted to work with Tim.” concluded Blancas. “I appreciate my time competing for USA Boxing, but that time has come and gone, and I feel I went as far as I could. Now it is time for me to establish myself as one of the best young fighters in the pros and I am ready to prove it.” Blancas’s promotional deal and pro debut will be announced in the coming weeks.
Verona, N.Y. – WBO light heavyweight world champion Joe Smith Jr (28-3, 22 KOs) scored a ninth round KO over late sub Steve Geffrard (18-3, 12 KOs) on Saturday night at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.
Smith had trouble getting through Geffrard’s high guard early on, but he was also far busier. Smith started connecting with his right hand in round three and began teeing off the defensive-minded Geffrard in round four. Smith had Geffrard hurt in round five. Geffrard seemingly went into survival mode after that. Smith battered Geffrard to the canvas in round nine to end it. Time was :37.
Abraham Nova shines in featherweight co-feature
Unbeaten WBO #3, IBF #11 featherweight contender Abraham Nova (21-0, 15 KOs) scored an eighth round TKO over late sub William “El Gago” Encarnacion (19-2, 15 KOs) on Saturday night in the Smith-Geffrard co-feature at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. Nova methodically broke down the very game Encarnacion and Encarnacion’s corner finally stopped the fight. Time was :55.
Junior Welterweight
Omar Rosario (6-0, 2 KO’s) from Caguas, P.R. scores a six round unanimous decision victory over Raekwon Butler (4-2, 2 KO’s) from Brooklyn, N.Y.
Rosario went to work on Butler body right away landing big shots to Butler’s head.
Butler made a strong effort in round two battling Rosario back with hard counters.
Judges official scores 58-55, 59-54 (2x).
Welterweight Jahi Tucker (6-0, 4 KO’s) from Deer Park, N.Y. finishes off Akeem Black (6-5, 2 KO’s) from Chicago, ILL. by knockout.
Tucker came out strong in the opening round tagging Black with big shots catching him with a hard upper cut dropping Black in the opening stanza.
Tucker went in for the kill jumping right on Black swarming Black with hard shots forcing referee to jump in and wave off the contest at the official time 1:18 seconds of round two by TKO victory.
Middleweight Troy Isley (4-0, 2 KO’s) from Alexanderia, VA. scores a unanimous decision win over Harry Keenan Cruz-Cubano (6-3, 2 KO’s) from Jacksonville, Florida.
Cruz came out swinging in the opening round, Isley countered with hard shots stunning Cruz in the inside. Cruz had good showing in round three counter punching against Isley who was quick in his hands and feet. In five Isley landing hard upper cuts on Cruz who is showing a huge heart in there.
Judges official scores 59-53, 59-54 (2x).
In the opening bout of the event Cruiserweight
Lyubomyr Pinchuk (14-2-1, 8 KO’s) from Lviv, Ukraine
scores an eight round unanimous decision victory over a tough customer Jose Mario Flores (8-3-2, 4 KO’s) from Washington, D.C.
Pinchuk demonstrating good boxing skills keeping the very tough Flores in the out side boxing him throughout the contest, Flores had no quit in him battling Pinchuk. Judges official scores 80-72, 79-73 (2x).
Joe Smith Jr. vs. Steve Geffrard
Turning Stone Resort Casino (Verona, N.Y.)
Top Rank in association with Star Boxing.
Photo credits: Mikey Williams (Top Rank via Getty Images) & Ed Diller
Aaron Aponte has signed a promotional deal with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom.
Aponte (4-0 2 KOs) has impressed in his early outings in the paid ranks, turning pro in October 2020 on home turf in Florida with a first round KO before appearing on one of the biggest stages in the sport in his second outing, on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez’s clash with Avni Yildirim at the Hard Rock Stadium home of the Miami Dolphins in February.
‘The Alien King’ made it three wins from three with victory on the undercard of Demetrius Andrade’s clash with Liam Williams in April, and in August recorded a second stoppage win in his first fight outside the Sunshine State at the Hulu Theater in New York.
The 20 year old former amateur standout will move his assault on the pro game into a new gear in 2022, and the Peter Kahn managed starlet cannot wait to get going.
“First and foremost, I want to thank God because without him none of this would be possible,” said Aponte. “I want to thank my parents who have dedicated themselves to making me successful. Thank you to all the coaches I’ve worked with over the years to get to this point.
“I have the best manager in the sport Peter Kahn and now with best promotional company in the world in Matchroom and Eddie Hearn. There is no stopping me from becoming the next face of boxing. The Alien King has arrived.”
“I am delighted to welcome Aaron to the team,” said Hearn. “We’ve had the pleasure of having Aaron on two cards in Florida and even in his infancy in the paid ranks, this young man has shown that he has both the in-ring talent and growing fan base to become a real force in the sport. We look forward to his journey continuing in 2022 and beyond, and Aaron rising to all challenges we put in front of him.” Photo credits: Damon Gonzalez/LatinboxSports
LUIS NUÑEZ REGISTERS 10thROUND TKO OVER CARLOS ARRIETA IN MAIN EVENT OFSHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION®
Otar Eranosyan Impressive in Unanimous Decision Win Over Starling Castillo in Co-Feature; William Foster III Earns Split-Decision Against Edwin De Los Santos in Telecast Opener on SHOWTIME®
Photos from Damon Gonzalez/LatinboxSports
ORLANDO, Fla. – Luis “The Twist” Nuñezlooked impressive in his second consecutiveShoBox: The New Generation outing registering a 10th round technical knockout against a game Carlos Arrieta in the super featherweight main event of an action-packed tripleheader featuring six undefeated fighters on SHOWTIME® Friday night at the Caribe Royale Resort.
The Dominican Republic’s Nuñez (16-0, 12 KOs) worked the bodyeffectively all night against Puerto Rico’s Arrieta (14-1, 8 KOs), finally landing a staggering straight right hand that stunned Arrieta in the middle of the final round.Nuñez, 22, then finished off Arrieta with a flurry of punches that ultimately led to the stoppage at 1:41 of the 10th round on a night that saw three undefeated records fall on the popular ShoBoxprospect series.
“The plan was to work the body and to break him down and that’s what we did,” Nunez said. “I saw the right hand was landing and I kept throwing it and trying to set him up for it and attacking until we got what we wanted in the final round. It was a great shot and great win for my career. It’s the way I wanted to close the fight.”
Arrieta’s loss was the 206th time in ShoBox’s21-year history that a fighter lost his undefeated record and the Nuñez-Arrieta matchup was the 144thShoBox fight between undefeated fighters.
“I thought it was a quick stoppage,” Arrieta said. “I was a little stunned, but I could have continued. I didn’t want the fight to be stopped. He was a strong fighter, a true warrior. He’s a very good fighter and was very effective with the right hand.”
Nuñez said he is ready to go back down to 126 pounds after contesting his first professional fight in the 130-pound super featherweight division. “I fought for most of my career at 122 so 126 is where I belong,” he said. “I felt strong at this weight [super featherweight] but 126 is the weight for me.”
He added: “I knew he was a tough fighter and I’m not surprised the fight went as it did. He came to fight, and we gave the fans a good fight.”
In the co-feature, Otar Eranosyan remained unbeaten with his second consecutive ShoBoxvictory as he dominatedStarling Castillo with a unanimous-decision victory in an eight-round lightweight affair. The scores were 79-71 and 80-70 twice.
The former highly decorated Georgianamateur Eranosyan (11-0, 6 KOs), fighting out of Hollywood, Fla., dominated the bout, scoring a 10-7 first round with two knockdowns against the Dominican Republic’s Castillo (16-1, 12 KOs).
“We work on the left hook in training and when the opening presented itself I landed the left hook on the (first) knockdown,” said Eranosyan, ranked No. 7 by the WBA at 130 pounds, who fought six times in 2021. “It’s fine that he got up. This is pro boxing. We train for 12 rounds, 10 rounds, eight rounds, however long it takes we will be there.
“I feel great about my performance. This is why I train like I do and fight as hard as I do for nights like these.”
With the win, Eranosyan believes the time is now for him to face the blue-chippers around his weight class.
“I’m ready for all the champions. Bring them on,” Eranosyan said. “Shakur Stevenson, Oscar Valdez, I’m ready for all of them. I’m getting better and better each fight and I’m ready now to face the best. I know that with more performances like these, soon I will be champion of the world.”
Eranosyan outlanded Castillo 153-102 in total punches. Of his 153 landed punches, 150 were power punches for Eranosyan.
The 28-year-oldEranosyan nicknamed “Pitbull” made his ShoBoxdebut in September and defeated the highly regarded Alejandro “Pork Chop” Guerrero via unanimous decision in Broken Arrow, Okla.
In the telecast opener, William Foster III passed a difficult test, earning a hard-fought split decision against Edwin De Los Santos in an eight-round super featherweight bout. Two judges scored the fight 77-74 twice for Foster, with the third judge scoring it 77-74 in favor of De Los Santos.
Foster (14-0, 9 KOs) of West Haven, Conn., overcame a slow start but was the busier fighter, outthrowing De Los Santos 468-421. Fighting in his U.S. debut, the power-punching De Los Santos (13-1, 12 KOs) of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, had an eventful fourth round, suffering a cut above his left eye, which seemed to slow him over the final four rounds. It was the first time the Dominican suffered a cut in his professional career. De Los Santos also had a point taken away in the fourth for holding. Fatigue was also a factor as De Los Santos had never been past the sixth round in his young career and seemed to run out of gas as the fight wore on.
“I was pressuring him the whole time and I knew he was slowing down and eventually I would get to him,” said Foster, who kept moving forward as the fight progressed and dictated and landed the more powerful punches. “I thought it was the right decision because I was landing more shots as the fight went on.”
The 28-year-old Foster – the younger brother of 20-0 professional light heavyweight prospect Charles Foster – was surprised with how fast De Los Santos started. “I knew I had to stay calm, and I adapted and my experience allowed me to adjust to what was happening,” Foster said. “He wasn’t devastating, and the punches never hurt me. I knew he would slow down and when he did, I began to land my shots and had success with my pressure.”
Regarding the point deduction in the fourth, De Los Santos disagreed with the referee’s decision. “I didn’t think the point should have been deducted,” said De Los Santos, who had scored stoppages in his last seven fights. “I thought I should have been warned first.
“I thought it was a close fight, but I thought I did enough to earn the victory. I was landing the harder shots throughout and he never hurt me.”
Added De Los Santos: “He was a little awkward and he came with a little more than we thought he would, but I still thought I won. He was aggressive and maybe I slowed down a little as the fight went on, but I still thought I was landing. This is a setback but I’ll learn from this and come back better.”
Super Lightweight Shinard Bunch 18-1-1, 15 KO’s scores a eight round unanimous decision victory over Shyngyskhan Tazhibay 9-1, 2 KO’s Judges scorecards were 80-71, 80-72 (2x) in favor for Bunch.
Super Middleweights go the distance Elvis Figueroa 10-0, KO’s scores a hard fought unanimous decision victory over very tough Ryan Adams 8-4-1, 6 KO’s Judges official scores were 80-72, 78-74 (2x).
Lightweight Robert Ramirez 25-3-1, 18 KO’s finishes off very wild Rodolfo Puentes 20-9-2, 16 KO’s at 2:41 seconds of the opening round by way of TKO victory.
Light Heavyweight Ali Izmailov 7-0, 5 KO’s stops Isreal Duffus 20-8, 17 KO’s at :34 seconds in round four by TKO victory.
International Boxing Hall of Famer Barry Tompkins called the action from ringside alongside former world champion Raul Marquez and renowned combat sports expert Brian Campbell serving as expert analysts. Hall of Famer Steve Farhood was the unofficial scorer. The executive producer was Gordon Hall with Rich Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
The event was promoted by Sampson Boxing. The ShoBox tripleheader will re-air on Monday at 11 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME®.
About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 85 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.
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