Salt Lake City, Utah – Thursday Night Fights, known as “The best fight series of all time,” will return live Championship Boxing to the home of the Utah Jazz, the Delta Center, in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Thursday, March 30, 2006.
The Main Event will be a clash of heavyweights featuring heavyweight contender Chauncy Welliver (29-3) versus veteran Cliff Couser (25-10) for Chauncy Welliver’s World Boxing Council (WBC) Fecarbox title. Welliver, of Spokane, Washington is the WBC Fecarbox Heavyweight Champion as well as the WBC Youth Heavyweight Champion. Though he is only twenty two, Welliver’s accomplishments speak for themselves as he has already fought thirty six professional fights and sport an impressive record of twenty nine wins, three losses and three draws. The fight will be an important test for Welliver as he has fought mainly limited competition. Welliver insists that he has not dodged any tough fight, “I am ready to fight anyone and have been called out several of the current champions and big names in the game. Top fighters just do not want to take a risk on me because I am a skilled boxer.” Welliver most notable wins were over Billy Zumbrun of Ogden Utah, who went toe to toe with former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe before losing a controversial decision, then undefeated Chris Lewallan (9-0), Felipe Borjoquez (10-1), and King Ipitan.
Challenging Welliver for his title is Cliff Couser. Cliff Couser’s claim to fame is being the brother of former world heavyweight champion Iron Mike Tyson. Couser, 34, calls himself "Twin Tyson," for not only does he look like Tyson, but also he played him in an HBO movie about Don King. Couser may not have either the outlandish KO percentage of the young Mike Tyson or be as illustrious in the ring; nonetheless, Couser does his best to impersonate the former heavyweight ruler. He isn’t shy about taking it to an opponent. He makes up for a limited amateur with a very aggressive style and attitude. Couser has been featured in fights on HBO and Fox Sports Net, his most impressive win was over Jorge Luis Gonzalez defeating the former Cuban amateur champion in three rounds.
In the co-main event, Brazilian Light Welterweight Champion, former WBO Latin America Junior Welterweight Champion and former WBC number two ranked Junior Welterweight Antonio Mesquita, now fighting out of St. George, Utah, will seek to continue his comeback against an opponent to be announced. Undefeated in thirty-one professional wins, twenty five by way of knockout, Mesquita is a top Welterweight contender and was ranked as high as number two previous to a short delay in his career. After a year and half layoff, Mesquita is eager to finish the job he started. He returned February 16, 2006 in Ogden, Utah and stopped Luiz Caetano DaSilva in the ninth round for his thirty first win. Mesquita plans to fight often until he gets a world title shot. Mesquita’s next stop after Salt Lake City is an eliminator with New Zealander Santos Pakau (27-1).
Titled A Night of the Heavies, the show will feature three exciting heavyweight fights including two heavyweight debutantes. Ogden, Utah’s own renowned spoiler, Willie Chapman (20-25-3), takes on Bryan McIntyre (7-12), Eric Hodges (Debut) of Sacramento, California takes on gigantic Danny McGarry (3-5) of Los Angeles, California while Alexo Dardiasdilli (Debut) of New York, NY fights Semisi Bloomfield (1-3) of Salt Lake City. Also, local favorites Light Heavyweight Valente Tinajero (6-0), Light Middleweight and Geraldo Prieto (5-3) look to continue their winning ways against James Holmes (1-0) and Darryl Innis (0-2), while David Foley (1-4) takes on James Jefferson (0-1). A total of eight fights and over forty rounds of live boxing are scheduled for A Night of the Heavies.
In an effort to break yet another Utah state professional boxing attendance record, Lion Heart Boxing Productions offers very reasonable pricing: $60.00 for VIP Ringside (Heavyweights), $40 for Ringside & Floor seats (Middleweights) and $20 for Lower Bowl (Lightweights). Tickets are discounted by $10.00 for seniors, students, children under 12, men in uniform (firemen, police officers, military and EMT). Further, tickets purchased in advance, by March 23, 2006, get a $5.00 discount.
