BATTLE FOR BROOKLYN – BRACERO VS. SALITA
NOVEMBER 9
AVIATOR SPORTS AND EVENTS CENTER, BROOKLYN, NY
New York, NY (10/29/13) On Saturday, November 9, DiBella Entertainment (DBE) will present a special edition of its Broadway Boxing series at the Aviator Sports and Events Center in Brooklyn, NY. The event, which is being called the “Battle for Brooklyn”, is headlined by two of Brooklyn’s most popular fighters as once-beaten contender Gabriel “Tito” Bracero (22-1, 4KO’s) squares off against former world title challenger Dmitriy “Star of David” Salita (35-1-1, 18KO’s) in a 10-round welterweight showdown.
The bout between Bracero and Salita has been talked about throughout the New York boxing scene for years, and is one of the most significant fights to be made as part of the ever-popular Broadway Boxing series in its 10+ year existence.
The remainder of the card is loaded from top to bottom with several exciting fights as well as some of the most promising young prospects in the DBE stable.
Appearing on the card in a special attraction eight-round bout will be world-rated junior middleweight contender Charlie Ohta (23-1-1, 16KO’s). The Harlem-native Ohta, who now lives and trains in Japan after moving to the country following the time he spent stationed there in the US Navy, is ranked #11 in the WBO and #13 in the WBC. Ohta is set to take on tough Puerto Rican-native Mike Ruiz (17-7, 9KO’s) in their eight-round junior middleweight showdown.
Ohta has won 17 fights in a row dating back to 2008, after suffering his only career loss via eight-round majority decision. The bout on November 9 will be Ohta’s second here in the US. The career of Ruiz, now living and training in Queens, has seen a number of ups and downs, starting off 0-2 before putting together a string of eight consecutive victories. Ruiz is 9-3 in his last 12 bouts and is coming off back-to-back stoppage victories.
Returning to action for the seventh time since turning pro just a little over a year ago will be Brooklyn’s fan-favorite Heather “The Heat” Hardy (6-0, 1KO), as she looks to keep her unbeaten record intact when she squares off against Laura Gomez (4-3). The fight, contested at the junior featherweight limit, will be Hardy’s first bout scheduled for eight rounds. The vacant UBF International title will be on the line.
Hardy, a NY Golden Gloves champion, recently signed an exclusive long-term promotional contract with DBE and has quickly become one of the main boxing attractions in New York City. After her signing, promoter Lou DiBella proclaimed, “Heather has the ability, the story and the intangibles to be a legitimate star in the biggest media market in the world. I believe that Heather can be New York City’s breakthrough female fighter.” Given the excitement that Hardy brings each fight and as her legion of adoring fans continues to grow, along with the major media coverage she receives, her promoter’s words have held true.
Making his much anticipated pro debut on the card will be #1-rated US junior amateur Junior “Sugar Boy” Younan. Having just turned 18 on October 14, Younan is set to take on an opponent TBA in a four-round super middleweight matchup.
The “boxing prodigy”-as Younan was referred to in a lengthy New York Times article written on him and his father/trainer Sherif Younan when Junior was just 10 years old-has long been in the spotlight throughout his amateur career. The blue-chip prospect first picked up a pair of gloves at just two years old and by the time he was eight, he was fighting competitively. Compiling an outstanding 90-5 record, Younan won nearly every major tournament in which he competed on both the regional and national level. In addition to winning the National Junior Olympic championship in 2011 (he lost a debated decision in the 2012 finals), Younan was a nine-time Junior Olympic champion, nine-time Junior Metro champion, eight-time NY State Silver Gloves champion, five-time Regional Silver Gloves champion, four-time National Silver Gloves champion, three-time Ringside World champion, three-time National PAL champion and a two-time National Junior Golden Gloves champion. He is being advised and managed by James Prince and Josh Dubin, the same business team behind pound-for-pounder and super middleweight champion Andre Ward.
Looking for his sixth straight victory since turning pro earlier this year will be DBE’s highly touted Patrick “All” Day (5-0, 2KO’s), as he takes on Urmat Ryskeldiev (5-3, 4KO’s) in a six-round junior middleweight contest.
The former #1-rated US amateur Day was also the 2012 USA Boxing National, PAL National, and NY Golden Gloves champion. He is coming off his most impressive victory to date as a pro; a dominant six-round shutout decision over (5-1) Donald Ward this past August.
Fighting in separate four-round bouts on the card will be Shemuel “The Chosen One” Pagan (3-0, 1KO) and Christopher “Golden” Galeano (0-1), both of whom are co-promoted by DBE and 50 Cent’s SMS Promotions.
Pagan, a five-time NY Golden Gloves champion, returned last month after a near two-and-a-half year layoff, looking as though he never lost a step, dominating and dropping his opponent twice en route to a four-round shutout decision. Pagan is set to see action against Jesus Javier Cintron (2-3-2, 1KO) in a four-round junior welterweight matchup.
Galeano, a National amateur and NY Golden Gloves champion, is looking to get into the win column after dropping a close decision in his professional debut when he takes on Jamil Gadsden (0-3) in their four-round junior middleweight contest. In his pro debut last month, Galeano dominated the action in his four-round bout, but unfortunately suffered two flash knockdowns that were the deciding factor on the judges’ scorecards. Galeano will be looking to right the ship and get what many feel will be a very promising professional career back on track.
Also seeing action on the card out of the SMS Promotions stable will be one of the crown jewels of their growing roster of fighters, lightweight Ryan Martin (1-0, 1KO). A 12-time National champion with over 200 amateur fights, Martin is regarded as one of the most successful amateur boxers to have ever come out of the state of Tennessee. Martin made his successful debut last month and looked absolutely sensational, scoring a second-round TKO over Darus Somieari. Martin is set to take on William Fauth (0-2) in a four-round lightweight matchup.
Rounding out the card will be former NY Golden Gloves champions Louis Cruz (5-0, 2KO’s) and “Irish” Joe Smith (12-1, 11KO’s).
The Bronx-native Cruz is looking to make it a perfect 4-0 in 2013, after signing with DBE earlier this year when he faces Brooklyn’s Bryan Acaba (3-4, 2KO’s) in his first scheduled lightweight six-rounder.
The heavy-handed and fan-favorite Smith has strung together six consecutive victories, with five of them by stoppage, after suffering the only pro defeat of his career back in August 2010. In that bout, Smith suffered a broken jaw that required immediate surgery and nearly a year of recovery. The 24-year-old Smith is looking to continue his winning ways when he takes on Lamont Williams (5-2-1, 2KO’s) in a six-round light heavyweight showdown.
Tickets are currently on sale and are priced at $125, $85, $65 and $45, and can be purchased by calling the DiBella Entertainment office at (212) 947-2577. Only a limited number of tickets are currently left at each price point so act fast as this event will be sold out!
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CONTACTS:
Kevin Rooney Jr., DiBella Entertainment: (212) 947-2577, kevin@dbe1.com
