Week six of Team Combat League’s second season got off to an electrifying and nail-biting start at the Royale in Boston, as the injury-hampered Boston Butchers team (now 1-0-1) had to rely on some “Money” round heroics late in the match from Demek “Hightower” Edmonds, “Speedy” Rashidi Ellis, Alejandro Paulino and especially Keno Luna, to pull out a 225-225 draw with a determined LA Elite squad (now 0-1-1).

Fighting in front of a raucous sold-out crowd, with former NFL Linebackers Brandon Spikes and Pepper Johnson in attendance, the coach Marc Gargaro-led Boston Butchers team jumped out to an early lead in the opening eight “Launch” rounds off the strength of a 10-7 knockout by Steven Sumpter over LA’s Jaivion Cardinal, which made the score 67-64.

Cardinal was down twice during the action. “My plan was to move around and bait him in because he’s a taller opponent,” said Sumpter post-fight. “I saw he was falling for my feints, so I faked down to the body and came over the top.”

However, the Boston momentum was brought to a grinding halt in the middle eight rounds, as the Manny Robles-guided LA Elite clawed into the lead off Jose Pablo Rodriguez’s quick knockout of Boston’s Tevin Regis which grabbed them back three points, and a subsequent pair of strong showings by Elijah Espadas in an exciting firefight win over Anthony Hines, and Cuban light heavyweight Brayan Leon’s impressive work against a capable Francis Hogan of Boston.

Despite a second impressive victory by Boston heavyweight “Hightower” Edmonds over Belgium’s Michael Pirotton to tie the score at 188 each, things appeared to turn dire for the Boston club late in the final eight “Money” rounds, when LA’s Osvel Caballero followed up his opening round win over Irvin Gonzalez of Boston by knocking Gonzalez out in the rematch round, which brought the overall team score to 198-195 for Los Angeles with just three fights to go.

Missing three of their regular fighters due to injury, Melanie Costa, Mike Fontanez and Thomas O’Toole, the Boston squad needed big finishes in the final three matches to pull out a tie.

And that’s what they did. Well-known contender “Speedy” Rashidi Ellis of Boston repeated his opening round victory over LA’s Alex Esponda to bring the score to 207-205 LA. Alejandro Paulino reversed his opening-round loss to Daniel Morales of LA with a hard-found rematch win to bring his team within one and set up Luna’s final-fight heroics to pull out the 225-225 tied final score against a tough opponent in Angel Munoz of Los Angeles.

“My team told me it was up to me that I had to pull it off, so that’s what I did,” said a happy Luna. “I was under pressure and I’m glad I got the job done. It’s me alone, but my team is with me in spirit. They were all cheering me on from the crowd. It was up to me to do it for them.”

Team Combat League President Dewey Cooper was impressed at the excitement TCL had delivered in this hotly-contested matchup. “If this were a playoff, we’d have to do a sudden death round, but unfortunately in the regular season a draw stands. What a great show by both teams. It’s only right that it ends in a draw.”

Philly Smoke Team Remains Undefeated with Convincing Victory Over Miami Stealth

In the other Team Combat League event held Thursday, May 2, the juggernaut that is coach Bob Kane’s Philadelphia Smoke moved their team record to an undefeated 4-0 with a steamrolling of coach Herman Caicedo’s Miami Stealth (now 1-1) by a final score of 233-221.

Fighting out of their adopted headquarters of the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia, the Philly Smoke squad got out to an early lead, saw it vanish on the strength of a highlight-reel knockout by Miami’s Victor Abreu over Angel Pizarro to start the middle rounds, then rattled off 13 consecutive wins to seal the night’s deal.

In addition to Abreu’s starching of Pizarro, of particular distinction were the all-out war of a round between Miami’s Yunieski Gonzalez and Philadelphia’s Ray Robinson, where both men landed eye-catching power shots nearly at will throughout and the determined and unstoppable effort put in by Philly’s expert Money Rounds closer Brittany Sims against Miami’s Rosalinda Rodriguez. Philly prospect Isaiah Johnson flashed his dazzling hands in two dominant wins over Miami foe Jimmy Brenes.

#

About Team Combat League:

Through its innovative event structure, Team Combat League (“TCL”) has disrupted the professional boxing industry. With a roster of 12 teams competing out of major U.S. markets, TCL combines rising talent with seasoned veterans in a format that lends itself to non-stop action. Weekly events feature male and female boxing across a series of weight classes in 1 round contests within a tournament format culminating in the Money Rounds where winning and losing is determined by overall team performance.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit www.teamcombatleague.com or follow on Instagram: @teamcombatleague and Youtube: www.youtube.com/@teamcombatleague_

The Team Combat League Concept:

There are 24 three-minute rounds of continuous action, with competitors competing in one-round matches across eight weight classes (six male and two female).

Each match consists of three periods: Launch Rounds (1-8), Middle Rounds (9-16) and Money Rounds (17-24). Scoring is based on a 10-9 system for decision wins, 10-8 for knockdowns and 10-7 for two knockdowns or a stoppage.

Three judges from a state athletic boxing commission score each round individually, and the team with the highest total score after all 24 rounds wins!

LINCOLN, RI – March 23 is a significant day for lightweight prospect Alejandro “El Abusador” Paulino (16-0, 13 KOs). The Dominican-born, Providence, RI based fighter headlines his first major card at Bally’s Twin River Lincoln Casino against Brazilian upset specialist Estivan Falcao (13-3, 7 KOs). On the line is a chance for Paulino to win his first professional title, the WBC US Silver Lightweight championship.

Paulino v. Falcao serves as the main event of a stacked ‘CES Boxing Homecoming’ card at Bally’s Twin River Lincoln Casino on March 23. Purchase your tickets now, priced at $60, $80, $155, and $180, at CES Fights or the Twin River Lincoln Casino box office.

It’s an assignment that Paulino relishes. The pugilist wants to impress so badly that he took the drastic steps of quitting his day job and moving into the Big 6 Boxing Academy in Providence, Rhode Island for the duration of the training camp.

“Training camp has been great,” says an enthusiastic Paulino. “I’m staying at the gym right now, so I’m doing things differently this time. All I do is train all day, every day. Monday through Saturday, 3 times a day. We’re ready for whatever Falcao brings to the fight on March 23.”

Living in New London, Connecticut and making the one hour plus drive to Rhode Island is something that the 25-year-old has done on a daily basis since turning pro in 2021. What’s different about this camp is that Paulino has literally moved into the boxing gym, where he trains from Monday through Saturday before driving home for the weekend.

Like many immigrants who come to the US in search of a brighter future, the Dominican fighter happily makes sacrifices with the faith that all his hard work will pay off in the long run. He’s also making up for lost time: while Alejandro wrestled through high school, he only picked up boxing 7 years ago at 18 years old.

“I had 37 amateur fights,” explains Paulino of his brief but successful amateur career. “I won the Golden Gloves 3 times. I went to Nationals once and made it to the semi-finals. I could’ve gone to Nationals again, but COVID hit and it was cancelled. I decided to turn pro after that.”

What makes Paulino’s amateur achievements even more impressive is that he won those titles as a self-trained fighter. Alejandro knew that this was a gap he needed to fill if he wanted to become a world champion.

“I was just going to the gym and practicing things I learned by watching others or from what I saw on Youtube,” recalls Paulino. “At a certain point I hit a level where I got stuck. I knew I had to make a change, and that’s when I went to Nationals and met Jason Estrada.”

Jason ‘Big Six’ Estrada, a 2004 US Olympian and former heavyweight pro boxer from Providence, Rhode Island, liked what he saw in the raw Paulino and invited the Dominican to train at his Big Six Boxing Academy under the tutelage of his father, Dr. Roland Estrada. It was a perfect fit.

“That’s the best thing that ever happened to me,” says a grateful Paulino. “I’m always improving, not just on the technical side but also my cardio. When I first came in, I would get tired after sparring 3 rounds. Now my conditioning is great and something I always work on.”

A big Manny Pacquiao fan growing up, Paulino adopted an aggressive, all action style as a pro that depends on conditioning. Thankfully, he’s a smart fighter who understands that activity keeps him sharp. In an era where boxers are considered active when they fight 3 times a year, Paulino has fought 15 times in 3 years, and this will be his second fight of 2024.

“It’s been great fighting often because it keeps me in the gym,” says Paulino. “Not that I need motivation to train, but I like training more when I have a fight coming up. It keeps me sharp and learning, trying a lot of new things.”

Paulino will need to bring his entire toolkit on March 23, when he faces upstart Estivan “Tunny” Falcao. The 27-year-old Brazilian is known for derailing prospects, handing Djamel Dahou his first loss via knockout last May and following that up with a decision win over James Bernadin 3 months later. What compounds the danger is that the Brazilian is a largely unknown commodity.

“I just found out about him 2 weeks ago,” admits Paulino. “I looked at his record and watched some of his fights. He’s dangerous. He just beat someone who is 18-0, and one that is 10-1-1, so it’s going to be a great fight. I’m not overlooking him.”

Ever the student, Paulino learned from his 8-round decision win over D’Angelo Keyes in February that while he will always enter the ring with knockout intentions, it’s better to let the knockout come to him rather than to force it.

“Last fight I was trying to get a knockout,” says Paulino, who knocked Keyes down twice in round 3 but couldn’t put away the crafty Texan. “It didn’t happen. I learned a lot because I wanted to knock him out so bad that all my shots were power punches. Once I hurt him, he was holding a lot and didn’t do too much offensively. He was trying to survive. Now I know that you can’t knock everybody out. I’m not going to go there and try to force stuff; I’m going to be more patient and set things up better. If I have him hurt, I won’t rush things.”

What Paulino hopes is that Falcao comes to win so that a real fight breaks out for the fans at the sold-out Bally’s Twin River Lincoln Casino.

“I’m looking for guys who are coming to win,” insists Paulino. “Guys with good records. He’s 13-3. Keyes was 17-3. I’m gonna take my time and see what he does, but if the knockout is there, I’m gonna go for it. I like knock outs. The fans like knockouts, and I want to give the fans a good show.”

Alejandro Paulino believes that he has made the sacrifices necessary to give the fans a fight they’ll remember. If Falcao is as focused as he was when he upset Dahou and Bernadin last year, we’re in for an electric main event on March 23.

For more information, follow CES Boxing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @CESBOXING.

INFORMATION

CES Boxing is one of the top promotions on the East Coast. Founded in 1992 by Jimmy Burchfield Sr., CES Boxing has promoted many world class fighters, including Jamaine Ortiz, Juiseppe Cusumano, Hank Lundy, Vinny Paz, Peter Manfredo, Mariusz Wach, Jason Estrada, Matt Godfrey, Chad Dawson and Ray Oliveira. CES Boxing has promoted such super fights as “The Thriller on Triller: Tyson v Jones Jr.”, “Mayweather vs. Gotti III” and “The Contender: Manfredo v Pemberton”.

CES Boxing is proud to announce the signing of one of boxing’s hottest prospects, Alejandro “El Abusador” Paulino, to a multi-year promotional agreement.

“This is our biggest signing since Jamaine Ortiz,” said CES Boxing founder Jimmy Burchfield, Sr. “Paulino is one of the best young prospects in boxing. You never have to worry about him being in shape. He’s always in the gym and he wants to be a world champion. These are the types of fighters we want to sign.”

New London’s Paulino is a perfect 15-0 with 13 knockouts, his latest win a one round blowout last Saturday night at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.

“I feel like it was time to sign with a promoter because after 15 fights, it’s becoming harder to get quality opposition,” said an excited Paulino. “We went over a few offers, and Jimmy was the best option. CES puts on a lot of big shows in Connecticut and I’m from Connecticut, so it was a perfect match.”

The 24-year-old Dominican native, who has worked with CES Boxing since his 9th pro bout, was one of the most sought out prospects in boxing.

“We’re honored that Alejandro and his team chose to be with CES on a long-term basis,” said Burchfield, Sr. “We know that there were many promoters who wanted to sign him. He’s an exciting fighter who can box, punch, and adjust to any situation. That’s what TV wants – exciting fighters, and I’m going to use the 35 years of experience I’ve acquired in this business to help him become a world champion.”

Alejandro’s manager and trainer, Dr. Roland Estrada, is confident that CES will provide the talented Paulino with the right level of opposition to prepare him for a world title within the next few years.

“Jimmy and I have worked together for 20 years now,” explained Dr. Estrada, who guided his son Jason’s career to several amateur titles, the 2004 Olympics, and a 20-6 professional record. “No promoter in New England is doing what Jimmy is doing. His work speaks for itself. We were independent for a while, but when you want to get to the next level, you want to sign with a promoter who can take your fighter from prospect to contender and eventually to world champion.”

Estrada has been working with Paulino since the 24-year-old walked into his ‘Big 6 Boxing Academy’ in Providence, Rhode Island as an amateur. The pair have worked together ever since, with the fighter making the hour plus drive from New London, Connecticut to train in Providence, Rhode Island several times a week.

“Alejandro is not only an exceptional talent, but he’s extremely dedicated,” said Dr. Estrada, who is a practicing optometrist by day. “He’s 15-0 now. Within a year, I expect him to be fighting for a US title, and by 2025 he should be challenging for a world title.”

A three-year pro, Paulino is a perfect 4-0 with 4 KOs in 2023. With this promotional agreement in place, his team expects to step up the power puncher’s level of opposition and fight at least one more time before the year is out.

For more information, follow CES Boxing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @CESBOXING.

INFORMATION

CES Boxing is one of the top promotions on the East Coast. Founded in 1992 by Jimmy Burchfield Sr., CES Boxing has promoted many world class fighters, including Jamaine Ortiz, Juiseppe Cusumano, Hank Lundy, Vinny Paz, Peter Manfredo, Mariusz Wach, Jason Estrada, Matt Godfrey, Chad Dawson and Ray Oliveira. CES Boxing has promoted such super fights as “The Thriller on Triller: Tyson v Jones Jr.”, “Mayweather vs. Gotti III” and “The Contender: Manfredo v Pemberton”.

CRANSTON, RI – Since its inception in early 2022, “Rhode Wars” is designed to serve as a proving ground for the next generation of CES stars looking to join the list of past greats such as Vinny Paz and Peter Manfredo Jr. as well as current stars like Jamaine Ortiz.  

The ring is a truth machine, and the series is meant to weed out the true prospects from those who have more work to do in the gym.  Rhode Wars IV was no exception.  The show featured the CES debuts of two recent signings from legendary fighting families, the development of several New England prospects, and the pro debuts of two of Rhode Island’s own fighters.    

The event did not disappoint, as the bouts were evenly matched to the delight of the fans who came to support their local favorites at the packed Historic Park Theater in Cranston on a rainy Saturday night.  

Paulino annihilates Perez

In the main event of the evening, New London, CT’s Alejandro “El Abusador” Paulino stopped Colombia’s Jonathan Perez in the sixth and final round of a lightweight bout to improve his record to 13-0 with 11 knockouts.

‘El Abusador’ was in control of the bout from the opening bell, nearly dropping Perez with a left hook in the opening stanza.  A subsequent right to the body caused Perez’s gloves to touch the canvas, but referee Joey Lupino ruled it a slip.  Paulino continued landing at will in round 2, when a right to the head finally dropped Perez, who mustered up the will to beat the count and survive the round.

The knockdown appeared to wake up the Colombian, who responded in round 3 with several right hands of his own.  The shots did little to discourage Paulino, as the New Londoner returned to his dominant ways in rounds 4 and 5, stunning Perez repeatedly with laser straight right hands that left a welt under the Colombian’s left eye.   

Paulino continued looking for the knockout in round 6, and he finally found the opportunity he was seeking as he trapped Perez against the ropes and landed a combination that dropped the Colombian to the canvas.  Perez got up, but this time Paulino put a final exclamation on the night, ending matters with a follow up attack that caused referee Ricky Gonzalez to halt the bout at 2:20 of the round.  With the loss, Perez falls to 40-37 with 32 KOs.   

Mascarenhas makes triumphant return

In the co-feature, Wilson Mascarenhas shut out Ghana’s Benjamin Lamptey in a 6 round welterweight contest.  All three judges scored the bout 60-54 for the New Bedford resident.

‘Ill Will’ thrilled the raucous crowd, which included Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson, with his smooth boxing and rapid-fire combinations.  Many fans wondered whether Mascarenhas would show any ill effects from a stabbing he suffered shortly after his last outing in March 2022 that kept him out of the ring for 18 months.  

The New Bedford resident was able to quell any concerns in round 1, patiently working behind an educated jab and appearing to be the sharper of the two pugilists.

Wilson dominated rounds 2 and 3, landing crisp combinations to the head and body of the mostly upright and stationary Lamptey.  The Accra native looked to counter, but he was never able to mount much of an attack against the quicker Mascarenhas.  

With the crowd chanting “Ill Will,” the Portugal native upped the ante in rounds 4 and 5, walking Lamptey down with a stiff jab and firing combinations whenever his opponent’s back touched the ropes.  Mascarenhas moved the fight to the inside in round 6, ripping short hooks to the body and rights to the head as the bout came to a close.  With the win, Mascarenhas improves to 7-1 (2 KOs) while Lamptey drops to 13-10-2 (9 KOs).      

Walsh decisions Williams in a War

In the fight of the night, Brockton’s Kevin Walsh outlasted Orlando, Florida’s Marcello Williams over 6 rounds in a lightweight war.  The bout was a contrast in styles, as the sharper Walsh was forced to trade early and often with the wild and persistent Williams.

Williams pressured Walsh from the opening bell, launching haymakers to the head of the patient Walsh, who responded with a big uppercut midway through the round.  The fighters traded heavy leather in round 2, with Walsh sharply countering the Brazilian’s wild advances.  

Williams landed a left hook and an uppercut in round 3, but a big right hand from Walsh briefly halted his momentum.  Walsh wisely chose to box in round 4, but the relentless Brazilian caught him with a right hand that forced the Brockton native to fire back with a left uppercut and right hand at the bell.  

The bout continued to follow this pattern in round 5, with Walsh landing the crisper punches early on and Williams weathering the storm to land heavy shots in the second half of each round.

Sensing that the fight was up for grabs, Walsh came out firing in round 6, finally staggering an exhausted Williams with a left hook to the head.  The fighters again engaged in a back-and-forth war until the final bell. The judges scored the fight 59-55 (2x) and 58-56 for Walsh, who improved his perfect record to 9-0 with 4 KOs as the unrelenting Williams dropped to 4-18-1.   

One Legend continues, the other stalls as Duran Jr. decisions Florez and Hagler Jr. suffers a knockout defeat

Alcibiade “Robert” Duran Jr. (12-3, 9 KOs) impressed fans in his CES debut, pounding out a 6-round unanimous decision win over Colombian Luis Florez (26-27, 21 KOs) in a 6 round junior middleweight showdown.  

With mentor Vinny Paz looking on, the son of the legendary “Hands of Stone,” landed at will against the sturdy Florez, switching between orthodox and southpaw stances throughout the contest.

Duran came out as a southpaw in round 1, focusing on Florez’s body and countering well to the head.  A 3-punch combination staggered Florez in round 2, and Duran continued to land heavy shots to the Colombian’s head and body.  

Duran, who fights out of Pedro Diaz’s ‘Mundo Boxing’ gym in Florida, threw the proverbial kitchen sink at Florez, walking the Colombian down and nailing him with heavy left hooks and right hands in rounds 3 and 4.  

The game Florez took the punches well, but he was unable to mount a significant assault of his own.  Scores were 60-54 (2x) and 59-55.  After the fight, Duran stated that he’d like to drop down to the welterweight division, where he feels most comfortable.       

Leonardo Ledeira (3-8, 3 KOs) can tell his future grandchildren that he once beat the grandson of a legend, as the Revere, MA resident spoiled James Hagler Jr.’s (3-2, 1 KO) CES debut in a 4 round light heavyweight bout.  

Hagler Jr. hurt Ledeira to the head in round 2, but the Brazilian responded in round 3 with a ferocious body assault that badly hurt the Atlanta native.  

Hagler Jr., who lost over 30 pounds in training camp for this bout, did his best to weather the storm, but a final left hook to the body dropped him for the full 10 count and the bout was called at 1:08 of the round.  

“I had to lose too much weight ahead of this fight, and it took a toll on my body,” said a disappointed Hagler Jr.  “I’d like to come back quickly to make up for this loss.”  

Other Action:

In her pro debut, Melanie Costa (1-0) destroyed England’s Daisy Preston (0-6-1) in round 2 of a 4 round featherweight bout.  The Providence native swarmed Preston from the opening bell, ripping shots to Brit’s midsection as she pressured her taller opponent.  Costa ended matters in round 2, landing a series of heavy shots that crumbled Preston to the canvas.  The bout was called off at 1:32 of the round.  

North Providence’s Michael DiDino (1-0) also made his professional debut a successful one, winning a competitive 4 round decision over Joel Young (0-2) in a lightweight bout.  The pugilists traded combinations throughout the first and second rounds, with the Southpaw DiDino landing the sharper blows.  A right hook appeared to hurt Young in round 3, but the Beltsville, Maryland native was able to tie up long enough to clear his head.  The fighters fought on the inside in round 4, with Young pressuring DiDino, who was cut by an accidental headbutt.  After 4 rounds, scores were 39-37 (2x) and 40-36 for the North Providence native.         

In the opening bout of the night, Springfield, MA’s Calixto Cruz (2-0) shut out Scotland’s Kevin Traynor (1-2, 1 KO) over 4 rounds in a welterweight matchup.  Traynor looked to pressure Cruz in rounds 1 and 2.  He was able to trap Cruz along the ropes on a few occasions, but the Springfield native effectively fought his way out or spun Traynor to avoid any significant damage.  After a competitive first 2 rounds, Cruz began to focus on Traynor’s body in round 3, jabbing to the body before launching right hands to the head.  Calixto’s higher workrate was the difference in the bout, as he consistently landed combinations to the head and body while the Scotsman was limited to single shots.  Scores were 40-36 (3x).

For more information, follow CES Boxing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @CESBOXING.

INFORMATION

CES Boxing is one of the top promotions on the east coast.  Founded by Jimmy Burchfield Sr. in 1992, CES has promoted several world class fighters, including Jamaine Ortiz, Juiseppe Cusumano, Hank Lundy, Vinny Paz, Peter Manfredo, Mariusz Wach, Jason Estrada, Matt Godfrey, and Ray Oliveira.  CES Boxing has promoted such superfights as “The Thriller on Triller: Tyson v Jones” and “The Contender: Manfredo v Pemberton”.

Uncasville, CT – With a new year comes fireworks, and CES Boxing is ready to light up the sky with an epic showcase next month at one of the world’s premier entertainment venues.

CES Boxing’s 2023 season opener, Winter Brawl, is scheduled for Saturday, January 21 at Mohegan Sun Arena and features a stacked lineup headlined by hard-hitting heavyweight “The Sicilian Nightmare” Juiseppe Cusumano facing “The Hungarian Hammer” Istvan Bernath in the 10-round main event.

Tickets are available online at CESFights.com, MoheganSun.com, or at the Mohegan Sun Arena box office.

Fresh off his knockout win over Dennis Ventura four months ago at Mohegan, Cusumano (21-4, 19 KOs) returns to face the 6-foot-4 Bernath (10-1, 8 KOs), a two-time silver medalist at the European Union Amateur Boxing Championships who was born in Budapest and now fights out of Miami.

The 10-round Cusumano-Bernath showdown is one of 11 fights at Winter Brawl, which also features the long-awaited return of Stamford, CT, light middleweight Chordale Booker (17-1, 7 KOs) in an eight-round showcase against 37-fight veteran Angel Hernandez (17-17-3, 11 KOs)plus a highly-anticipated six-round interstate battle between Michael Valentin (7-1-1, 1 KO) of Providence, RI and the undefeated Kevin Walsh (6-0, 4 KOs) of Brockton, MA.

Returning from a 13-month layoff, Worcester, MA, featherweight Irvin Gonzalez (15-3, 11 KOs) steps back into the ring in an eight-round bout against the dangerous Headley Scott (18-1, 12 KOs) of Jonesboro, GA, and super featherweight Alejandro Paulino (11-0, 9 KOs), one of the region’s fastest-rising prospects, puts his undefeated record on the line in a six-round bout against Ryizeemmion Ford (8-3, 6 KOs).

As an added bonus, the undercard also features a four-round cruiserweight bout between rising MMA star John Gotti III (1-0) of Oyster Bay, NY, and Alex Citrowske (1-1-1, 1 KO) of Saint Cloud, MN. A standout with CES Boxing’s sister division, CES MMA, Gotti boxes for the second time in three months after making his pro debut in October. In another potential showstopper, undefeated welterweight Josniel Castro (9-0, 7 KOs), a Boca Raton, FL, native who’s fought his entire pro career in New England from Massachusetts to New Hampshire, faces one of his toughest tests to date in a six-round showdown against Quebec native and Boston resident Mitch Louis Charles (6-3-2, 3 KOs).

Winter Brawl also marks the return of female welterweight Stevie Jane Coleman (3-1, 1 KO), who faces New Jersey’s Michaele Nogue (2-2) in a four-round bout, and Worcester super middleweight Kendrick Ball Jr. (19-1-2, 12 KOs) in a six-round bout against Argentinian and 22-fight vet Victor Hugo Exner.

In preliminary action, Brockton heavyweight Chad Leoncello (1-0-1, 1 KO), fresh off his first career victory in November, faces Boston’s Wallace Nass Silva (0-4) in a four-round bout and MMA standout Mike Kimbelof Watertown, CT, makes his professional boxing debut against Robert Banks (0-1) of Monroeville, NY, also in a four-round bout.

For more information, follow CES Boxing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @CESBOXING.

INFORMATION

CES Boxing is one of the top promotions in the northeast and one of the few to successfully promote both mixed martial arts and professional boxing. Launched in 1992 by longtime boxing judge Jimmy Burchfield Sr., the promotion is the only in professional boxing to boast two reigning WBC Youth world champions in lightweight Jamaine Ortiz and featherweight Irvin Gonzalez. CES Boxing recently teamed with UFC FIGHT PASS, the world’s No. 1 streaming platform for combat sports, to showcase its events to a worldwide audience, and worked as a promotional consultant for the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. pay-per-view event in November of 2020.

Mohegan Sun Arena is one of the busiest Arenas in the United States and is ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and VenuesNow. Mohegan Sun Arena finished 2021 with its first “#1 Indoor Arena” ranking for its capacity in the world according to Pollstar and VenuesNow, ranked among the top 10 venues in the United States regardless of size based on ticket sales, and was named “2021 Innovator of the Year” by Celebrity Access for its ViacomCBS residency.  In recent years, the award-winning venue has also been the “#1 Casino Venue in the World,” “#1 Social Media Venue in the World” and a seven-time national award winner for “Casino of the Year – Arena” by the Academy of Country Music. For more information on concerts and other great events, visit MoheganSun.com. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711.

Uncasville, CT – The fight night lineup keeps getting stronger in anticipation of CES Boxing’s long-awaited return to Mohegan Sun Arena.

Summer Heat, scheduled for Saturday, August 20 and promoted by CES Boxing, features the top fighters in the northeast showcasing their talents in one of the region’s preeminent combat sports venues, headlined by 6-foot-6 heavyweight Cassius Chaney from New London, CT, facing Troy, NY, veteran Shawn Miller in the 10-round main event.

The most recent addition to the card is unbeaten super featherweight sensation Alejandro Paulino, also of New London, battling dangerous Bronx, NY, vet Brandon Idrogo in a six-round bout that could steal the show on what is an already stacked fight card. The co-main event features hard-hitting Sicilian heavyweight Juiseppe Cusumano facing the 6-foot-3 Dennis Ventura of Lynn, MA.

Summer Heat kicks off at 7 pm ET. Tickets are available online at CESFights.com, MoheganSun.com, or through the Mohegan Sun box office. August 20 marks CES’ first show at Mohegan Sun Arena since October of 2015, renewing a long-standing partnership between the region’s top combat sports promotion and one of the world’s foremost entertainment venues.

Paulino figures to be one of the region’s top attractions for years to come, eventually with the pedigree to headline a major show in the northeast. Next weekend, he faces his toughest test to date against the 24-year-old Idrogo, who boasts six wins – all by knockout.

A former New England Golden Gloves Champion and National Golden Gloves semi-finalist as an amateur, Paulino makes his third appearance with CES. In his first fight with the promotion, he recovered from an early knockdown to defeat Andrew Rodgers by unanimous decision. He returned in June to earn his ninth career knockout win, beating Aldimar Silva in just 54 seconds.

Paulino trains under the guidance of Big Sox Boxing Academy’s Roland Estrada, the father of former Olympian and heavyweight contender Jason “Big Six” Academy. Paulino have another familiar face in the arena next Saturday as his girlfriend, pro welterweight Stevie Jane Coleman of nearby Columbia, fights on the undercard in a four-round bout against Jesenia Rivas of Denver.

Fresh off his comeback win in June, Cusumano now faces the upset-minded Ventura, who boasts three wins by knockout. After a loss to Daniel Dubois a year ago, Cusumano relocated his entire training camp, earned his 20th professional win by knockout two months ago, and is now exclusively training out of Champs Boxing & Fitness in Danbury, CT, under the guidance of coach Dave McDonough.

Also at Summer Heat, undefeated Irish super middleweight Francis Hogan of Weymouth, MA, battlingCleotis Pendarvis of Lancaster, CA, in six-round bout; Stoughton, MA, heavyweight Sean Bey putting his perfect record and knockout streak on the line against Dallas’ John Shipman in a four-round bout; and lightweight Jonathan de Pina of Boston batting New York’s Christian Otero in a six-round bout; and rising welterweight prospect Gary Balletto III of Cranston, RI; battling Niagara Falls’ newcomer Jeremiah David Austin in a four-round bout.

Unbeaten Springfield, MA, welterweight Jalen Renaud, middleweight James Maner of Providence, RI; and New York City super middleweight Jahvel Joseph also appear on the card in separate bouts.

Additional details for Summer Heat are available online. For more information, follow CES Boxing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @CESBOXING.

INFORMATION

CES Boxingis one of the top promotions in the northeast and one of the few to successfully promote both mixed martial arts and professional boxing. Launched in 1992 by longtime boxing judge Jimmy Burchfield Sr., the promotion is the only in professional boxing to boast two reigning WBC Youth world champions in lightweight Jamaine Ortiz and featherweight Irvin Gonzalez. CES Boxing recently teamed with UFC FIGHT PASS, the world’s No. 1 streaming platform for combat sports, to showcase its events to a worldwide audience, and worked as a promotional consultant for the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. pay-per-view event in November of 2020.

Mohegan Sun Arena is one of the busiest Arenas in the United States and is ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and VenuesNow. Mohegan Sun Arena finished 2021 with its first “#1 Indoor Arena” ranking for its capacity in the world according to Pollstar and VenuesNow, ranked among the top 10 venues in the United States regardless of size based on ticket sales, and was named “2021 Innovator of the Year” by Celebrity Access for its ViacomCBS residency.  In recent years, the award-winning venue has also been the “#1 Casino Venue in the World,” “#1 Social Media Venue in the World” and a seven-time national award winner for “Casino of the Year – Arena” by the Academy of Country Music. For more information on concerts and other great events, visit MoheganSun.com. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711.

Kevin Walsh, Brockton, MA.
vs. Nate Balakin, Tyngsboro, MA.
6 Rounds, Junior Welterweights

Kris Jacobs, Fall River, MA.
vs. Ryan Clark, Berwick, ME.
6 Rounds, Welterweights

Alejandro Paulino, New London, CT.
vs. Braulio Avila, Tlaxcala, MX.
4 Rounds, Lightweights

Rodrigo DaRocha, Boston, MA.
vs. James Perkins, Lynn, MA.
4 Rounds, Light Heavyweights

Michael Bulger, Malden, MA.
vs. Ian Beatease, Schuylerville, NY.
4 Rounds, Junior Middleweights

Justin Morales, Malden, MA.
vs. Mike Taylor, Cortland, NY.
4 Rounds, Lightweights

Sean Bey, Stoughton, MA.
vs. Enzo Baptista Guimaraes, Rutland, VT.
4 Rounds, Heavyweight

Laquan Lewis, New York, NY.
vs. Kenny Larson, Salem, MA.
4 Rounds, Welterweights

Walsh vs.Balakin takes place Sunday, January 30th at the Castleton in Windham, New Hampshire. Limited tickets remain and are available at www.boxingnh.com. The event will stream live on WWW.COMBATSPORTSNOW. for 19.99.

ABOUT BOSTON BOXING PROMOTIONS

Boston Boxing Promotions was founded in 2013 and is dedicated to the resurgence of professional boxing at the regional level, particularly in the New England area. Since that time, it has presented professional boxing events in places like Boston, Cape Cod, New Bedford and New Hampshire. Boston Boxing Promotions was the first independent boxing promoter on the east coast to hold an event during the pandemic. The event led to a popular series of empty venue shows broadcast live and for free on YouTube watched by thousands of fans around the world. Boston Boxin Promotions returned to live audiences with The Great American Boxing Bash this past summer which featured 3 consecutive sold out weekends at the The Castleton in Windham, New Hampshire.

Follow Boston Boxing Promotions on Social Media!
Facebook ? Twitter ? Instagram ?

FULL LINE UP

Harry Gigliotti, Haverhill, MA.
vs. Brandon Higgins, Chelmsford, MA.
8 Rounds, Merrimack Valley Welterweight Title

Danny Robles, Oxnard, CA.
vs. Juan Bryand, Laredo, TX.
4 Rounds Super Featherweights

Shayna Foppiano, Everett, MA.
vs. Vanessa Grimes, Abilene, TX.
4 Rounds, Lightweights

Alejandro Paulino, New London, CT.
vs. Celiel Castillo, San Juan, PR.
4 Rounds, Lightweights

Nick Molina, Lowell, MA.
vs. Mike Taylor, Cortland, NY.
4 Rounds, Lightweights

David Tubbs, Ventura, CA.
vs. Thomas Haney III, St. Louis, MO.
4 Rounds, Light Heavyweights

Stephen Langlais, Acushnet, MA.
vs. Rico Depaolis, Watertown, MA.
4 Rounds, Light Heavyweights

Sean Bey, Providence, RI.
vs. Gary Cameron, Wilmington, VT.
4 Rounds, Cruiserweights

Alexis Flores, Ojai, CA.
vs. Carlos Galindo, Woburn, MA.
4 Rounds, Lightweights

Mitch Louis Charles Boston, MA.
vs. Aguilando Brandao, Woburn, MA.
4 Rounds, Junior Middleweights

Bryce Davis, New Rochelle, NY.
vs. Fernando Perez, Haverhill, MA.
4 Rounds, Welterweights

The Great American Boxing Bash presented by Boston Boxing Promotions takes place Friday, July 23rd, Friday, July 30th and Friday August 6th at the Castleton in Windham, New Hampshire. Tickets for July 23rd are completely sold out. Very limited tickets remain for July 30th and August 6th and are available at www.boxingnh.com. All three nights will be aired live on www.YouTube.com/BoxingBoston

ABOUT BOSTON BOXING PROMOTIONS

Boston Boxing Promotions was founded in 2013 and is dedicated to the resurgence of professional boxing at the regional level, particularly in the New England area. Since that time, it has presented professional boxing events in places like Boston, Cape Cod, New Bedford and New Hampshire. Boston Boxing Promotions was the first independent boxing promoter on the east coast to hold an event during the pandemic, last August when they held an empty venue show in Windham, New Hampshire that was broadcast for free on YouTube and watched live by thousands of boxing fans worldwide. After 4 empty venue events for free and broadcast online at www.youtube.com/bostonboxing Boston Boxing Promotions returns with The Great American Boxing Bash, three consecutive Friday Nights of boxing July 23, July 30 and August 6. All three events will be broadcast live and for free on www.youtube.com/bostonboxing

Follow Boston Boxing Promotions on Social Media!

FULL LINE UP

Alejandro Paulino vs. Earnest Walls
4 Rounds, Lightweights

Danny Robles vs. Michael Gaxiola
4 Rounds, Super Featherweights

Harry Gigliotti vs. Jader Oliveria
4 Rounds, Welterweights

Brandon Higgins vs. Calvin Glover
4 Rounds, Welterweights

Kris Jacobs vs. Robert Bricks
4 Rounds, Welterweights

Travis Gambardella vs. Antonio Chavez Fernandez
6 Rounds, Middleweights

Matt Doherty vs. Paulo De Souza
4 Rounds, Welterweights

Joshua Raineri vs. Montoyia Swilling
4 Rounds, Super Middleweights

Nick Molina vs. Bruno Dias
4 Rounds, Super Featherweights

James Perkins vs. Jesus Cintron
4 Rounds, Cruiserweights

Rico Depaolis vs.Francisco Neto
4 Rounds, Light Heavyweights

Laquan Lewis vs. Nate Charles
4 Rounds, Welterweights

Michael Bulger vs. Jay Gregory
4 Rounds, Middleweights

Kevin Walsh vs. Henry Garcia
4 Rounds, Lightweights

Christian Andrade vs. Kyle Massoth
4 Rounds, Bantamweights

Aaron Bernardo vs. Andrew Nolan
4 Rounds, Heavyweights
ABOUT BOSTON BOXING PROMOTIONS

Boston Boxing Promotions was founded in 2013 and is dedicated to the resurgence of professional boxing at the regional level, particularly in the New England area. Since that time, it has presented professional boxing events in places like Boston, Cape Cod, New Bedford and New Hampshire. Boston Boxing Promotions was the first independent boxing promoter on the east coast to hold an event during the pandemic, last August when they held an empty venue show in Windham, New Hampshire that was broadcast for free on YouTube and watched live by thousands of boxing fans worldwide. After the successful event, that featured numerous safety protocols including Covid-19 testing, Boston Boxing Promotions returned with 2 more matinee events again for free and broadcast online at www.youtube.com/bostonboxing. May 8th will be Boston Boxing’s final empty venue event before returning this July with back to back weekend shows with fans back in attendance.

Follow Boston Boxing Promotions on Social Media!