Willie Monroe Jr.: record, next fight and profile →
BoxingScene.com has been advised that 2014 Boxcino winner Willie Monroe Jr. will face rugged veteran Bryan Vera on the January 16th edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights. The fought will headline a card at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY. The NABO and NABF middleweight titles will be at stake.
Last month Willie Monroe Jr. (18-1) captured the Boxcino middleweight title by defeating Brandon Adams in the ESPN televised tournament finale. Monroe wasn't on the radar of most boxing fans prior to the fight and said that he is very thankful for the experience. Monroe went 3-0 in the single elimination tournament. "It was a great experience. I am very grateful and happy that I won it. Thanks to Banner Promotions and all of the guys in the tournament. It was very exciting and to me it was a throwback tournament with the way it was set up to stay busy and to stay fighting. I'm really happy to be apart of it and that I won," sad Monroe.
New York native Willie Monroe Jr. (18-1, 6KOs) burst onto the scene by winning the Boxcino middleweight tournament on May 23rd by defeating the then undefeated Brandon Adams. Monroe hopes to parlay his success in the tournament into a title shot. He said that he thinks WBA/IBO middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin will successfully defend his titles on July 26th when he takes on former champ Daniel Geale and said that he would have no problems facing Golovkin in the near future.
The winner between ESPN2 Friday Night Fights' televised opener between Brandon Adams and Willie Monroe Jr. will be in a far better position in his career than was the case just three months ago. The bout serves as the Boxcino middleweight finals, which airs live from the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York. The bout brings to close an eight-man single-elimination tournament that began just this past February.
Both threw 51 punches per round. Brandon Adams landed more and was more accurate- especially with his power punches, landing 41%. Both displayed excellent defense. Willie Monroe's opponents (Bondas, Kopylenko) landed just 16% of their total punches and 21% of their power shots. Adams' opponents (Edouard,Gatica) landed 21% of their total punches and 30% of their power shots.
The weights are in for the Boxino 2014 finals, which is being promoted by Banner Promotions from the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York. The doubleheader will be televised by ESPN 2 as part of their Friday Night Fights series.
Prior to the first semi-final, fans were treated to a clash between aspiring Heavyweight hopefuls. It didn’t last long but it was memorable. 28-year old Nate Heaven (9-0, 7 KO), 233, of Ocala, Florida had no amateur career and he’s not doing much to log rounds yet as a professional either. Heaven used a single massive right hand with moments left in the first round to knock 26-year old fellow undefeated prospect Donovan Dennis (9-1, 8 KO), 226, of Davenport, Iowa, silly. Dennis beat the count but was wobbly, falling into referee Dick Pakozdi as the count tolled eight. Pakozdi called it with time expired on the frame. The official time of the stoppage was 3:00 of round one.