News: Bowater; Boxing Legends Gala; Kasiulevicius
Dezzie Bowater is ready to prove himself at the highest level after switching from boxing’s amateur to professional ranks.
The former Wodensborough ABC fighter makes his pro debut when he takes on Scotland’s Michael Stupart at Walsall Town Hall on Friday, 31st May.
Bowater reached the finals of the Midlands ABA Championship at 60kg in each of the last two years. Last year he and opponent Sukjeevan Brar were both disqualified for persistent rule-breaking whereas this time round the 21 year-old lost out on a split decision to Coventry’s Jordan Cooke.
Those two heart-breaking defeats paved the way for Bowater to try his hand in the paid ranks and the Wolverhampton super featherweight makes his debut on the undercard of Martin Gethin’s IBF Final Eliminator with Ammeth Diaz.
“I’m ready to give it a go at pro level and see what I can achieve,” he told www.uko-boxing.com . “I enjoyed being an amateur but I got fed up of being on the wrong end of bad decisions to be honest.
“It happened to me two years running in Amateur Finals and I’ve reached a stage where I want to move on from that. I’m still working, at my sponsors Swift Construction, but am putting in the graft in the gym.
“This is a massive opportunity for me. I’m making my debut on a massive night of boxing, live on BoxNation. I look at what Martin Gethin is doing and that’s what I want. I think I’m good enough to, one day, fight for a World Title myself so this is a perfect first pro experience for me.
“Stupart is meant to be a bit of a spoiler. He’s a messy fighter so I just want to go in and box his head off. I’ll take him apart.”
As well as Gethin versus Diaz, Walsall Cruiserweight, Chris Keane, competes for the WBO International Cruiserweight Title against Neil Dawson whilst, like Bowater, West Bromwich welterweight Tom Stokes and Swadlincote super middlweight, Craig Willshee, makes their professional debuts.
Also on the bill are Welsh super-featherweight, Craig Evans, unbeaten Boston light-heavyweight prospect Callum Johnson and former Commonwealth Welterweight title challenger Ronnie Heffron.
Tickets, priced at £40 and £75 Ringside, are available from Walsall Town Hall Box Office on 0845 111 2900. Doors will open at 6pm and boxing will commence at 6.30pm.
Gethin versus Diaz, which being promoted by Frank Warren in association with NEWOB Promotions, will be televised live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546). Join at www.boxnation.com .
ATLANTIC CITY – Dozens of Boxing Legends will return to Atlantic City as the 2013 summer season begins at the Jersey shore.
Former boxing champions Iran Barkley, Corey Spinks, Marlon Starling, Ivan Robinson, DeMarcus Corley, William Joppy, Tony Tubbs and others, will join IBF President Daryl Peoples, and numerous other boxing personalities to be honored as Atlantic City Boxing Legends, during the 2nd Annual All Star Boxing Legends Gala tribute awards dinner on Saturday, June 1st at Resorts Casino Hotel’s Ballroom. Also, a special Lifetime Achievement Award will be bestowed upon longtime professional boxing official, Robert Wall
Immediate past Atlantic City Chief Prosecutor Jonathan Diego, Chairman of the event's committee, said Monday at Resorts Casino Hotel that there will dozens of new Honorees being recognized as 2013 Atlantic City Boxing Legends. Mr. Diego, whom recently returned to his private law practice, following a three year tenure as Atlantic City’s Chief Prosecutor, stated that many 2012 Honorees will return as guests of the Boxing Gala Committee during this year’s awards dinner. “Great champions like Mike Tyson, Bobby Czyz, David Tiberi and Buster Drayton, will be joined by other champions whom call Southern New Jersey home, including Bruce Seldon, Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Virgil Hill, Mike Rossman, Patrick Majewski and Shamone Alvarez,” stated Diego. “Over 60 champions and boxing personalities, whom assisted in Atlantic City’s ascension to becoming the boxing Mecca of the United States, will attend this year’s black tie optional event. We will also honor the lives, careers and legacies of Hector “Macho” Camacho, Carl “The Truth” Williams, Tony “Pound for Pound” Martin and other champions and personalities whom passed during the past 12 months.”
Diego has received commitments from at least 33 Champions and boxing personalities to be honored during the event including, but not limited to, Iran “The Blade” Barkley. Barkley retired with 43 victories, including 13 in Atlantic City. Iran held World Championships in three weight classes (Middleweight, Super Middleweight and Light Heavyweight). He defeated Thomas Hearns two times, to win World Titles in two different weight classes.
Others who have confirmed their attendance include Hector Camacho, Jr., Keith Holmes, William Guthrie, William James, Eddie Cotton, Charlie Brown, Johnny Carter, Jeff Chandler, Calvin Grove, Rob Hines, Nicholas Tiberi, Diane Fischer, Steve Smoger, Richie Kates, David Weinberg, Ray Bailey and Joseph Pasquale.
Tickets to the Boxing Legends Gala, which is a black-tie optional affair, are $100.00 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster. Also, Resorts Casino Hotel has room/ticket packages available for the Saturday, June 1st awards dinner. Diego advised that additional information, about the Boxing Legends Awards Dinner, can be found on their official web site ( www.acboxinggala.com ).
****Honorees and guests, attending the 2013 All Star Boxing Legends Gala, are subject to change without notice.****
2013 HONOREES
Iran Barkley
Michael Borao
Hector Camacho, Jr.
Dr. Dominic Coletta
Kathy Collins
Ken Condon
DeMarcus Corley
Eddie Cotton
Tony Green
William Guthrie
Virgil Hill
Scott Hirsch
Keith Holmes
William James
William Joppy
Jackie Kallen
Cedric Kushner
Tony Marshall
Jameel McCline
Henry Milligan
Randy Neumann
Daryl Peoples
Tony Perez
Barbara Perez
Joan Pierce
Dennis Rappaport
Ivan Robinson
John Scully
Cory Spinks
Dorin Spivey
Marlon Starling
Don Trella
Tony Tubbs
Robert Wall
David Weinberg
Chuck Wepner
2012 HONOREES
RETURNING FOR
2013 AWARDS DINNER
1. SHAMONE ALVAREZ
2. BENNY AMPARO
3. RAY BAILEY
4. CHARLIE BROWN
5. VINNY BURGESE
6. JOHNNY CARTER
7. JEFF CHANDLER
8. BOBBY CZYZ
9. BUSTER DRAYTON
10. DIANE FISCHER
11. CALVIN GROVE
12. ROB HINES
13. RICHIE KATES
14. HENRY LUNDY
15. PATRICK MAJEWSKI
16. NATE MILLER
17. CHUCK MUSSACHIO
18. JOSEPH PASQUALE
19. DWIGHT MUHAMMAD QAWI
20. MIKE ROSSMAN
21. BRUCE SELDON
22. STEVE SMOGER
23. DAVID TIBERI
24. NICHOLAS TIBERI
25. MIKE TYSON
26. BOBBY WATTS
Amateur Heavyweight Star Kasiulevicius Pro Debut, York Hall 1st June.
Two time Lithuanian Amateur Heavyweight Champion Paulius Kasiulevicius is set to debut in the professional ranks, on the Johnny Eames TKO Events promoted ‘Two Tribes’ show, headlined by Colin Lynes versus Beka Sutidze at York Hall on Saturday 1st June 2013.
Kasiulevicius, who throughout his amateur career amassed numerous national and international accolades, is being hailed as a seriously exciting prospect, with World Championship potential by his manager and promoter, the aforementioned Mr. Johnny Eames.
Currently training both at the VK Gym in Bognor Regis, with John Murray, as well as the TRAD TKO gym in Canning Town, Kasiulevicius will be facing fellow debutant Adel Badawy on June 1st.
Following a full on sparring session with fellow TRAD TKO Heavyweight prospect Tom Little, Kasiulevicius spoke briefly on his amateur career and his impending debut.
“I started boxing when I was nine years old, my father put me in a boxing gym, so I’ve been training and boxing for fifteen years.
I had one hundred and eighty five amateur fights, won over a hundred and thirty fights. I won many titles in my career in juniors and seniors and was two time Lithuanian Champion.
I’ve been training with John Murray, at the VK Gym in Bognor Regis, and Johnny Eames at the TRAD TKO in London.You get best sparring here at the TRAD TKO.
I think the fans will like me, I’m exciting fighter and I will beat that guy, he’s not lucky.”
Paulius’ head coach at both the TRAD TKO and VK Gym’s John Murray then added.
“I’ve been training Paulius about three months down at the VK Gym in Bognor Regis, obviously I’ve been helping Johnny out also with Joel McIntyre and Andy Gattenby.
When I see Paulius up here the first time sparring I could see he needed some help with his fitness, so Johnny took me aside and asked me to work on that and his technique.
We’ve been working on his stamina and endurance as well as developing his power really.
Paulius has aspirations to be a World beater, but he’s still a baby as a Heavyweight at twenty four, so we need to be patient.
Saying that though we’re expecting an explosive debut on the 1st June.”
Paulius Kasiulevicius against Adel Badawy features on the undercard of Colin Lynes versus Beka Sutidze which headlines the Johnny Eames promoted ‘Two Tribes Go To War’ event at York Hall in Bethnal Green, London on Saturday 1st June 2013.