RENO, NEVADA — The super middleweight division has been thrust into the boxing media spotlight of late, and yet another intriguing clash of 168-pounders takes place tonight at the Grand Sierra Resort & Casino, as hometown hero Jesse Brinkley takes on Curtis Stevens in a bout with world title implications. Their twelve-round bout, with the IBF#2 super middleweight ranking up for grabs, headlines ESPN2 Friday Night Fights. Fighters weighed in Thursday evening at the casino’s Xtreme Sports Bar & Lounge.
For Brinkley (34-5, 22 KOs) of Yerington, Nevada, the last two-and-one-half years have culminated to the position he finds himself in tonight, perhaps one win away from a crack at a world championship. It was then that Brinkley ended a two-fight skid and, with the help of his promoters Terry and Tommy Lane of Let’s Get It On Promotions, righted the ship of his career by beginning the eight-fight winning run that brought him back into contention. It has been an impressive turnaround, but Brinkley needs to win tonight for it to pay off. Brinkley, the IBF #7 ranked super middleweight, weighed in at 167 ½-pounds on Thursday.
Stevens (21-2, 15 KOs) of Brownsville, New York has rebuilt his career with a four-fight unbeaten run over the past two years. The last time Stevens took center stage was his biggest a career disappointment, as he lost a lackluster decision to Andre Dirrell on HBO in 2007. Stevens, once one of the more highly touted prospects in the sport, signed with Star Boxing and worked his way back up the ladder. Most impressively, Stevens is coming off of a third-round knockout of previously unbeaten Piotr Wilczewski last July. Stevens, the IBF #8 ranked super middleweight, came in at 165-pounds.
With the IBF title one of two 168-pound championships not locked up in the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament, the stakes could not be higher for Brinkley and Stevens, as the winner would be in excellent position to challenge reigning champion Lucian Bute. The Canadian-based Romanian Bute does not have a deep pool of challengers to choose from, especially considering two of the top IBF contenders are in the Super Six tournament. Currently both the IBF #1 and #2 rankings are vacant.
In the televised co-feature, welterweight prospect Raymond Serrano (11-0, 6 KOs) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania will take on Ronnie Warrior Jr. (13-2-1, 4 KOs) of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in an eight-round bout. Serrano, who weighed 146 ½, is coming off of an up-and-down victory over journeyman Anthony Bowman last November. This is Serrano’s second appearance on ESPN2, as he scored a near shutout in a six-rounder over Jay Krupp last March. Warrior is a more experienced fighter than his record would put on, as he is a veteran of 24 fights, including several no contests. The southpaw Warrior scaled 147-pounds.
Reno heavyweight Tyler Hinkey (5-1-2, 4 KOs) will see action on the undercard against William Mitch Williams (3-2, 3 KOs) of Jackson, Michigan in a six-round heavyweight fight. Hinkey, who scaled 270-pounds, is looking to get back into the win column after going 0-1-1 in his last two bouts. For his last fight in August, Hinkey weighed 254-pounds. Williams, weighing in with his clothes on, scaled 215-pounds.
Middleweight prospect Brandon Gonzales (9-0, 8 KOs) of Sacramento, California will take on always game journeyman Dewey Welliver (18-19-1, 6 KOs) of Snoqualmie, Washington in a six-round bout. Gonzales, who came in at 163, is coming in off of a fourth-round kayo of Victor Villereal in Reno in December. Villereal had never before failed to last the distance. Welliver, who has been in with just about everybody from 154- to 168-pounds over his career, scaled 159-pounds Thursday.
Chad Forrester (0-1) of Sparks, Nevada gets a second opportunity to start his boxing career tonight against Michael Goins (1-3, 1 KO) of Las Vegas, Nevada in a four-round heavyweight rematch. In June of 2008, Goins scored a technical stoppage when the referee stopped the fight with Forrester taking a flurry against the ropes. Forrester weighed in at 220-pounds, while Goins scaled 227.
MMA competitor Jack Montgomery of Dayton, Nevada will make his professional boxing debut against Reno’s Carlos Gayton, also making his pro debut. Montgomery, a 7-7 striker in mixed martial arts, weighed in at 173-pounds. Gayton, who trains out of the Arce Boxing Club in nearby Sparks, scaled 171 ½-pounds.
Tickets for the event, promoted by Let’s Get It On Promotions and Star Boxing, are available online at GrandSierraResort.com.
Quick Weigh-in Results:
IBF Super Middleweight Championship Eliminator, 12 Rounds
Stevens 165
Brinkley 167 ½
Welterweights, 8 Rounds
Serrano 146 ½
Warrior Jr. 147
Heavyweights, 6 Rounds
Hinkey 270
Williams 215
Heavyweights, 4 Rounds
Forrester 220
Goins 227
Middleweights, 6 Rounds
Gonzales 163
Welliver 159
Light heavyweights, 4 Rounds
Montgomery 173
Gayton 171 ½
Photos by Mark Ortega
Mario Ortega Jr. can be contacted at ortega15rds@lycos.com.
