Springfield, Mass (December 10, 2019) — Having already announced a fierce New England focusd triple-header showcasing, Hartford’s RICHIE “POPEYE THE SAILOR MAN” RIVERA (15-0 12KO’s), E. Hartfrod’s “ACTION” ANTHONY LAUREANO (12-0 4KO’S) and Danbury’s OMAR “THE BEAST” BORDOY (9-1 3KO’s), Star Boxing is pleased to showcase the talents of two local Springfield fan favorites, DERRICK WHITLEY II and ANGEL VAZQUEZ, in separate bouts.
Tickets to “New England Explosion,” presented by JOE DEGUARDIA’S STAR BOXING, powered by MGM Springfield, from Mass MutualCenter, start at $40.00 (excludes facility fees and convenience charges) and are on sale now, HERE, and at the MassMutual Center Box Office. “New England Explosion” will air live in a first for New England Sports Network (NESN), starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. As the home of the Boston Bruins and Boston Red Sox, NESN is available nationally on a sports subscription basis.
Whitley, who meets JERMAINE CORLEY (3-8, 1 KO) in a 6-round bout, is a direct descendant of Springfield boxing royalty. His father/head trainer is former Mass State champion Derrick Whitley, and his uncle/assistant trainer, Darin Whitley, also was a popular regional pro boxer. The Whitley brothers are twins.
“It’s exciting,” Derrick II spoke about fighting at home in Springfield. “I started out in boxing off my father’s name. I have a lot to live up to, but I’m a little different than him. I have my own fanbase, which is pretty cool, and they’re there win or lose. There hasn’t been a lot of boxing here since the Hippodrome closed, but MGM Grand has brought boxing back to Springfield. This will be my third fight here.
“I’m popular in my city because I played football here in high school. It’s been a thrill for me to still have my family and fans watching me. They’ve always supported me. It’s been pretty crazy for this fight.”
Vazquez (0-1), a native of Puerto Rico, faces LEANDRO SILVA (1-3) in a 4-round match.
“I feel great, like Muhammad Ali,” an excited Vazquez said about fighting at home. “This is awesome. Springfield is my town! I’m proud. I grew up in Puerto Rico, but I’ve lived here seven years. I want to put on a great show for my hometown.”
Also fighting on the undercard in a 6-round bout is Hartford welterweight JEFFREY TORRES (5-0, 4 KOs) vs. Brockton, MA veteran ANTONIO FERNANDEZ (3-39-4, 3 KOs).
“New England Explosion” is promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, and will take place at MassMutual Center, powered by MGM Springfield.
INFO: East Hartford super lightweight “ACTION” ANTHONY LAUREANO (12-0, 4 KOs) returns home in an 8-round tilt against ANGEL “AZTEC WARRIOR” HERNANDEZ (17-14-2, 11 KO’s), Hartford cruiserweight RICHIE “POPEYE THE SAILOR MAN” RIVERA (15-0, 12 KO’s) faces Virginia cruiserweight “MIGHTY” JOE JONES (11-1, 8 KOs), while Danbury lightweight OMAR “THE BEAST” BORDOY (9-1, 3 KO’s) meets Dublin, Ireland’s undefeated “SLICK” VICTOR RABEI (8-0, 2 KO’s). On the undercard will be local Springfield, Mass favorites, DERRICK “BAD BOY” WHITLEY II (6-1-1) the son of Springfield’s, Derrick Whitley Sr., former USA Massachusetts State Super Middleweight Champion, as well as ANGEL VASQUEZ (0-1).
DEC. 13 “NEW ENGLAND EXPLOSION” TICKETS
Ticket prices start at $40.00 (excludes facility fees and convenience charges) and are available for purchase at HERE or at the MassMutual Center Box Office.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET, first bout at 7:30 p.m. ET
WATCH LIVE ON NESN
NESN Star Boxing Night’s, “New England Explosion” sponsored by MGM Springfield will air live for the first on New England Sports Network (NESN), starting at 9PM ET / 6PM PT. The home of the Boston Bruins and Boston Red Sox, NESN is available nationally on a sports subscription basis. NESN is the only way to watch Star Boxing’s “New England Explosion” in the New England area (except Fairfield County, CT.)
WATCH ON FITE.TV PPV
For those outside of the NESN regional footprint, you can catch the action via FITE.TV. FITE, the world leader in the digital distribution of combat sports will stream the event live on thewww.FITE.TVwebsite, FITE mobile apps for iOS, Android, and the FITE channels of Amazon Fire, Android, Apple TV, and Roku on a PPV basis. The FITE PPV will stream the “New England Explosion,” and be available for just $14.99. Pre-order “New England Explosion” HERE.
