Promoter Art Pelullo/Banner Promotions will present a sensational fight card on February 16, 2007, at Wynn Las Vegas. The event will be a private party, by invitation only, part of the NBA All-Star Weekend Extravaganza. The main event and co-featured fight will be televised live on ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights.”
In the 10-round main event, former WBO and IBF jr. middleweight world champion Verno Phillips, 40-11-1 with 21 knockouts, of Denver, Colorado, will fight Eddie Sanchez, 15-5-2 with 9 knockouts, of Santa Ana, California.
Verno is currently ranked No. 4 by the IBF and No. 10 by The Ring. Now 37 years old, he continues to give strong performances at a high level of competition, and is coming off two impressive wins in in his last two fights, a twelfth-round TKO against Teddy Reid in August, 2006, and a 10 round unanimous decision win against former J.C. Candelo the previous April. After his last fight, Fightnews.com reported from ringside, “The former two-time world champion, and 20-year veteran of the sport, showed few signs of slowing down as he did a little bit of boxing, a little bit of brawling, and mainly a whole lot of hitting...”
31-year old Sanchez is a 10-year pro. A veteran at 154 pounds, he has won three fights in a row.
In the co-featured bout scheduled for 10 rounds, hard-hitting undefeated heavyweight prospect Alonzo Butler, 24-0-1 with 18 knockouts, of Knoxville, Tennessee, will fight James “Hurricane” Walton, 21-8-2 with 11 knockouts, of Phoenix, Arizona.
An exciting lineup of three supporting bouts is planned to complete the event. All bouts are subject to change without notice.
