New York - DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing series makes its anticipated 2009 debut, on Wednesday, February 25 at the intimate BB King Blues Club & Grill, located in New York City’s Times Square.
The main event features the WBC # 6 rated light heavyweight and Brooklyn’s own Shaun George taking on former IBF Continental African cruiserweight titlist Jaffa “African Assassin” Ballogou.
“This coming April marks the five-year anniversary of ‘Broadway Boxing’ and what a great way to start off 2009 then with a high-stakes light heavyweight main event between two world-class, New York-based fighters in Shaun George and Jaffa Ballogou. Shaun is one of boxing’s most avoided men…his ‘anyone...anytime...anywhere’ attitude is why he’s willing to risk his world rankings against Ballogou, a more experienced contender, who can end every fight with one punch,” commented DBE president Lou DiBella.
A winner of four straight, Shaun George (17-2-2, 8 KOs) put the boxing world on notice this past May with a brilliant, one-sided TKO victory over former two-time heavyweight champion Chris Byrd, in a nationally televised bout seen on ESPN2. Since his unexpected dramatic triumph over Byrd, few fighters have shown interest in challenging Brooklyn’s George – currently rated WBC #6, IBF #10 and WBA #11 at 175 lbs.
Fighting out of New York City, Ballogou (46-7, 40 KOs) is a southpaw of Tongan descent, who has held the IBF Continental African 200 lbs. belt as well as the WBC International super middleweight title during a stellar 20 year professional career.
Double “0’s” must go, in two separate and exciting match-ups. Undefeated local Tor Hamer (3-0, 3 KOs) will fight also undefeated Chris Hancock (5-0, 3 KO’s) of Detroit, Michigan. Hamer is a Penn State graduate and 2008’s number-one rated amateur super heavyweight. He is also a National and two-time NY Golden Gloves Champion. Hamer is coming off a knock-out win on the Berto-Collazo undercard in Biloxi, Mississippi last month. In another exciting match-up of two undefeated prospects, is a Junior Lightweight bout that is sure to entertain in another case of “Someone’s “0” must Go!” Former 3 Time NY Golden Gloves Champ Louis Del Valle (4-0, 3 KO’s) of Newburgh, NY and Tommy Atencio (3-0, 2 KO’s) of Detroit, MI will both do all they can to protect their unblemished records as of yet.
Also appearing is middleweight Philip Jackson-Benson (2-0, 2 KO’s), a two-time NY Golden Gloves champion. A talented prospect, Benson just TKO’d Bryant Smith last week in front of the home crowd in Brooklyn.
Rounding out the talent filled “Broadway Boxing” under card are four-time NY Golden Gloves titlist and Queens own undefeated light heavyweight Will Rosinsky (4-0, 4 KOs); and New Jersey’s Bedarin Toma of Hashbrouck Heights, making his pro debut at heavyweight against Joseph Rabotte (2-4, 2 KO’s) of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Tickets for Broadway Boxing priced at $150 (ringside tables, ringside seats), $100 (floor tables, floor seats, stage seats), $55 (general admission) are currently on sale. They are available by calling DiBella Entertainment at (212) 947-2577. For more information on Broadway Boxing, please visit DiBella entertainment on the web at www.dbe1.com .
BB King Blues Club & Grill is located at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 West 42 Street in New York City.