Saratoga Springs, June 22, 2009 – Troy’s Miller Brothers – exciting heavyweight Shannon and former All-American and light heavyweight Shawn – will box together for the first time on Pugnacious Promotions’ annual “Night of Future Champions” summer boxing event at the Saratoga Springs City Center on Friday, July 31st. 

The fights will be featured on the annual card showcasing young boxing prospects during the first weekend of world-class thoroughbred racing at Saratoga Springs’ historic track.  Shannon Miller faces Plainfield, N.J. veteran Terrell Nelson (8-8, 6 KOs) and Shawn Miller takes on Valentine Fortnelly (0-3), Atlanta, Ga.  New York State Heavyweight Champion Darrel Madison (13-1, 3 KOs), Central Islip, will defend his title against Newburgh’s Nagy Aguilera (13-1, 8 KOs) in the card’s main event.

“It’s going to be a unique and exciting experience to have the Miller Brothers fighting for the first time on the same card,” said promoter Lisa Elovich. “Shannon is a crowd-pleasing, in-your-face power puncher and Shawn is an elite athlete in peak condition. Fans will thoroughly enjoy watching them fight. The crowd also will enjoy the main event, a New York State Heavyweight Championship.”
   

The Miller brothers grew up in a boxing household:  their mother, Lorraine, was a local fight promoter and their father, Bob, was a trainer and manager of fighters. Bob Miller was a fixture in upstate New York boxing who founded the Uncle Sam Boxing Club famous for such contenders as Verno Phillips and Kevin Pompey.

Shannon first laced up the gloves at the age of eight and boxed for several years before taking some time off to start a family in Troy and focus on his career as a financial consultant.  His return to the ring with Pugnacious Promotions in 2005 helped Miller earn opportunities to compete in ESPN2's “Heavyweight Fight of the Year” with Vinny Maddalone, challenge Derick Rossy for the NYS Heavyweight Title at Madison Square Garden and take on undefeated prospect Joe Mesi for the WBC Regional Heavyweight Championship.

Shawn was a three-sport athlete at Troy High School, earning all state honors in both baseball and football.  He went on to play both football and baseball at HVCC and was a two-time First Team All-American and NJCAA Player of the Year.  Focusing on baseball at West Virginia University, Shawn was a All Big East Rookie Team member and led the conference three years straight in strikeouts and shut outs.  After college, Shawn returned to football, playing two years with the AFL2 Albany Conquest before turning his focus 100% toward boxing.

Also appearing on the annual summer event are Guilderland lightweight prospect Mike Faragon (6-0, 2 KOs), Schenectady light welterweight Brian Miller (3-0-3, 1 KO) and Plattsburgh female featherweight Jaci Trivilino (0-1-1).

Tickets and more information are available from Pugnacious Promotions, www.pugnaciouspromotions.com or 518-527-0160.  Reserved tickets are $125 for Golden Ringside and $75 for Ringside.  General Admission open seats are $40.