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“BATTLE
OF THE HEAVYWEIGHTS” – PROFESSIONAL BOXING Saratoga
Springs, NY – Professional boxing returns to the Mecca of
world-class thoroughbred racing when popular heavyweight contender
Vinny Maddalone (24-2, 17 KOs, Flushing, N.Y.) faces local rising star
Shannon Miller (11-0, 6 KOs, Troy, N.Y.) in the headline bout of the
“Battle of the Heavyweights” at the Saratoga Springs City Center
on Friday, August 19, 2005. Televised
live by ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights,” the card will be held
during the heart of the city’s horseracing season, one week prior to
the 136th running of the Travers Stakes.
The
event is co-promoted by Lisa Elovich and Pugnacious Promotions, who
promoted the region’s last show on May 13th at Saratoga
Gaming and Raceway, and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, of Bronx, N.Y.,
who has promoted world-class boxing for more than 15 years, including
the recent Antonio Tarver – Glen Johnson light heavyweight
championship fights and the upcoming Tarver - Roy Jones, Jr. rubber
match. In
the televised co-feature, former WBC Youth Junior Middleweight
titleist and NYS Junior Middleweight belt challenger Andrey Tsurkan
(22-2, 13 KOs), from Mogansk, Russia now fighting out of the Bronx,
N.Y., will face former IBA Americas Light Middleweight champ Julian
Burford (12-1, 10 KOs) from Cleveland, Ohio. Other local favorites
from the Albany-Saratoga region will fight competitive bouts on the
undercard, including Gary Wilcox (18-3-1, 6 KOs), the Saratoga,
N.Y.-based cruiserweight contender, who will make his return to the
ring at heavyweight against tough veteran Harold Rodriguez of Taunton,
Mass. The undercard also features junior welterweight Wayland Willingham (6-0, 4 KOs, Atlanta, Ga.), who grew up and fought as an amateur in Albany, N.Y., against Norwalk, Conn.’s Shakha Moore (9-9-3, 1 KO); Highland, N.Y. junior welterweight Hervey Medina (3-0-1), who is trained by Hudson Valley two-time world champion Tracy Harris-Patterson, versus Jesus Serrano (2-1 Hartford, Conn.); welterweight Sheldon Rudolph (3-1, 2 KOs, Patterson, N.J.) versus Maximino Cuevas (4-1, 1 KO, Bronx, N.Y.); and Puerto Rican junior lightweight Eduardo
Torres (1-2-1) against pro-debuter Arte Bembry of the Bronx, N.Y. The
show has broad support from business leaders, public officials and
boxing enthusiasts from throughout New York State.
Former U.S. Senator
Alphonse D’Amato will be guest announcer for the headline Maddalone-Miller
matchup and NYS Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno will announce the
Tsurkan-Burford co-feature. NYS Senator Hugh Farley, Assemblyman James
Tedisco, Saratoga Springs Mayor Michael Lenz and other elected officials
will attend. Sponsors
I Love NY, DeCrescente Distributors, Miller Lite, The Swyer Companies
and Tioga Downs also will be represented at the event. Former
heavyweight contender Gerry Cooney will be in attendance
representing F.I.S.T., a
charitable organization he founded that assists retired boxers with the
support and training needed to carry on their lives after they leave the
ring. Dr.
Barbara Wilmes, Executive Director of the Backstretch Employees
Assistance Team (B.E.A.T.), will represent her organization and accept a
donation of the evening’s proceeds.
B.E.A.T. was created to address the chemical dependency recovery
needs of licensed personnel working on the backstretches of Aqueduct,
Belmont Park and Saratoga Racetracks. Tickets are on sale now at 866-468-7619 or www.ticketweb.com and at the door on August 18th and 19th. Call 518-584-0027 for more information.
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