Uncasville, CT – The stakes just got a whole lot higher for Worcester, MA, featherweight Irvin Gonzalez Jr.

With heavyweight Juiseppe Cusumano unable to fight Saturday due to an illness, Gonzalez’s originally-scheduled eight-round bout against Dannis Aguero Arias will now be contested at 10 rounds for the vacant WBC Silver Featherweight Title as the new main event of CES Boxing’s 2023 season opener, Winter Brawl, at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Cusumano’s bout against Hungarian Istvan Bernath has been postponed, elevating Gonzalez to main-event status in his first bout in more than a year.

As an added bonus, Winter Brawl will stream live on Spectation Sports beginning at 9 pm ET featuring play-by-play from CES Boxing publicist Michael Parente. Dubbed “the future of combat sports,” Spectation Sports is a live sports streaming platform focusing on combat sports and sports gaming that features live events, an extensive video library, featured articles, and fighter rankings. A premium subscription is required to stream live content, starting with monthly passes as low as $19.99 that can be canceled at any time.

Doors open at 6 pm Saturday with preliminary bouts beginning at 7. Today’s official weigh-in is open to the public and begins at 4 pm at the Arena. Tickets for Winter Brawl are still available online at MoheganSun.com or at the Arena box office.

Saturday’s live stream features six bouts, including the main event. The others are:

• 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)
• New London, CT, super featherweight Alejandro Paulino (11-0, 9 KOs in a six-round bout against Ryizeemmion Ford (8-3, 6 KOs)
• A four-round cruiserweight bout between John Gotti III (1-0) of Oyster Bay, NY, and Alex Citrowske (1-1-1, 1 KO) of Saint Cloud, MN
• Mike Kimbel of Watertbury, CT, making his professional boxing debut against Robert Banks (0-1) of Monroeville, NY, in a four-round bout
• Undefeated super lightweight Kevin Walsh (6-0, 4 KOs) of Brockton, MA, in a six-round bout against Christian Otero (4-2, 2 KOs) of New York City

After missing all of 2022 while recovering from elbow and hand surgery, Gonzalez (15-3, 11 KOs) fights for the first time since December of 2021 and now competes for the WBC Silver title, previously held in the 126-pound division by former bantamweight world champion Nonito Donaire and former world-title challenger Rocky Juarez.

The 31-year-old Arias, a San Cristobal, Dominican Republic native, boasts a 19-2 record with 16 KOs, including eight consecutive wins – all by knockout. Saturday is Arias’ United States debut.

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 – 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 – Heavyweights Cassius Chaney and Juiseppe Cusumano continued their climb to the top of the division Saturday night at Mohegan Sun Arena with knockout victories in the main and co-main events of Summer Heat, presented by CES Boxing.

The New London, CT, veteran Chaney (22-1, 15 KOs) made quick work of Mathew McKinney in the main event, flooring his opponent three times to score the win at 2:07 of the opening round, while the 6-foot-4 Sicilian Juiseppe Cusumano (21-4, 19 KOs) finished Lynn, MA, native Dennis Ventura at 1:53 of the second round. The event streamed live on BXNG TV, showcasing both top-ranked heavyweights to a worldwide audience.

Body shots were the weapon of choice for both winners. Chaney exposed McKinney’s core early and often, using a devastating right hook to the ribcage to finish the fight. Cusumano was equally effective to the body, blasting Ventura with several unanswered hooks to the midsection before referee Danny Schiavone stopped the fight.

Chaney and Cusumano entered the weekend ranked 11th and 17th, respectively, among United States heavyweights and among the top 75 in the world. As they continue to establish their footing, the “who’s who” list among heavyweights is much clearer following Oleksandr Usky’s second win over Anthony Joshua this past weekend to retain the IBF, IBO, WBO, and WBA Super World Heavyweight titles. The opportunities are endless for both.

In other action Saturday at Mohegan, New London super featherweight Alejandro Paulino (11-0) kept his perfect record intact with a hard-earned 58-56, 60-54, 59-55 win over Bronx, NY, challenger Brandon Idrogo. Paulino ran into some trouble in the opening round courtesy of a hard, overhand right by Idrogo, but recovered quickly and dominated the second half of the fight to earn the win.

In similar fashion, Boston lightweight Jonathan de Pina (9-1) rebounded from a slow start to earn a narrow 59-56, 58-56, 58-56 unanimous decision win over New York’s Christian Otero.

Fighting for the first time since his MMA world title bout in February, Cranston, RI, light heavyweight Gary Balletto III (3-0, 2 KOs) returned to the boxing ring and scored a second-round knockout win over debut Jeremiah David Austin at the 2:55 mark. Stoughton, MA, heavyweight Sean Bey (7-0, 7 KOs) turned in an equally-impressive performance, stopping Dallas’ John Shipman at the 12-second mark of the second round following two knockdowns in the opening round. Bey remains perfect at 7-0 with each win coming by knockout and none of his fights lasting past the second round.

Also remaining undefeated, Springfield, MA, welterweight Jalen Renaud improved to 9-0 with a 58-56, 59-55, 60-54 unanimous decision win over Quincy, MA, veteran Michael Ogundo and southpaw middleweight Francis Hogan upped his record to 12-0 with a fourth-round knockout win over Cleotis Pendarvis, sending his opening crashing to the canvas at the 2:59 mark. Female welterweight Stevie Jane Coleman (3-1) scored her first career knockout in the opener, stopping debut Jesenia Rivas of Denver 39 seconds into the opening round.

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.

Uncasville, CT – CES Boxing stablemates Cassius Chaney of New London, CT, and Sicilian slugger Juiseppe Cusumano could move one step closer to a shot at heavyweight championship glory this Saturday as they return to the ring for Summer Heat live from to Mohegan Sun Arena.

Chaney (21-1, 14 KOs) headlines in a 10-round bout against Fullerton, CA, native Matt McKinney while Cusumano (20-4, 18 KOs) faces Dennis Ventura of Lynn, MA, in the eight-round co-main event.

Tickets are available online at CESFights.com, MoheganSun.com, or through the Mohegan Sun box office. Summer Heat also streams live on BXNG TV for $19.99 beginning at 7 pm ET with play-by-play from CES publicist Michael Parente (@michaelparente) alongside color commentator and New England boxing icon “Sucra” Ray Oliveira. BXNG TV is the new home for watching boxing’s next era of champions and is available worldwide through the VYRE app on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, Android, iPhone, and Samsung TVs or on the web at bxngtv.com

The two heavyweight bouts are just the tip of the iceberg for Saturday’s event. Springfield, MA, welterweight Jalen Renaud puts his unbeaten record on the line in a six-round welterweight showdown against 31-fight vet Kenyan challenger Michael Ogundo, who now lives and trains in nearby Quincy.

Also appearing at Summer Heat, super featherweight sensation Alejandro Paulino, also of New London, battles dangerous Bronx, NY, vet Brandon Idrogo in a six-round bout; and welterweight Stevie Jane Coleman of nearby Columbia, CT, faces Jesenia Rivas of Denver in a four-round bout. James Maner of Providence, RI; and New York City super middleweight Jahvel Joseph also appear on the card in separate bouts.

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

Saturday’s top-tier heavyweight bouts feature two well-established sluggers in Chaney and Cusumano, who rank 11th and 17th, respectively, among United States heavyweights and among the top 75 in the world, no small feat during a time in which the heavyweight division has enjoyed a much-needed return to its glory days. The two have also combined for 32 knockouts, setting the stage for potential fireworks Saturday at Mohegan.

Former WBC champion Deontay Wilder’s rise to prominence gave hope to U.S. heavyweights who had grown weary during the era of the Klitschko brothers’ dominance; when Wilder beat Bermane Stiverne in 2015, he became the first American heavyweight champion since Shannon Briggs in 2006, ending nearly a decade of international dominance.

With Wilder, Andy Ruiz, and Trevor Bryan long since dethroned, the WBA, IBF, WBC, and WBO belts have once again landed on foreign soil in the hands of Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk (IBF, WBA Super, and WBO) United Kingdom greats Tyson Fury (WBC) and Daniel Dubois (WBA), the latter of whom Cusumano faced a year ago in Cleveland before Dubois captured his first world title with a win over Bryan.

Wilder is still the top dog among American heavyweights despite the fact he hasn’t fought since October of 2021, but the gap between the rest of the field has tightened, opening up opportunities for either of CES’ top-rated contenders to land the opportunity of a lifetime. They just need to keep winning, a quest that resumes Saturday in CES’ first event at Mohegan in nearly seven years.

Both Cusumano and Chaney are facing different opponents than originally scheduled. Cusumano now battles Ventura (4-1), an upset-minded, 6-foot-3 slugger from Massachusetts, while Chaney steps into the ring opposite McKinney (9-5-3), a 6-foot-4 right-hander coming off a win in June who first appeared for CES in 2017, ironically against Cusumano.

Additional details for Summer Heat are available online. 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.

Uncasville, CT – CES Boxing returns to Mohegan Sun Arena for the first time in nearly seven years Saturday, August 20 with Summer Heat, the latest installment of its 2022 Fight Series featuring two of the sport’s hardest-hitting heavyweight prospects.

CES’ newest acquisition, 6-foot-6 right-hander Cassius Chaney of New London, CT, and 6-4 Carini, Sicily, native Juiseppe Cusumano headline Summer Heat in separate bouts. The two CES stablemates have combined for 41 wins and 32 knockouts in nearly two decades as pros and find themselves firmly entrenched among the nation’s top 20 heavyweights with an opportunity to inch closer to the dream of competing for a world title.

Summer Heat kicks off at 7 pm ET. Tickets are available online at cesfights.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.

In addition to the highly-anticipated heavyweight showcase, Summer Heat features the long-awaited return of New London female featherweight icon Shelly Vincent, undefeated Irish super middleweight Francis Hogan of Weymouth, MA; and fast-rising bantamweight prospect Angel Gonzalez of Hartford, CT.

Hogan (11-0, 10 KOs), another recent addition to the CES roster and a member of the Iron Workers Local 7 union, returns after cruising to a unanimous decision win over Rodrigo Lopes Rodrigues in June. The undefeated Gonzalez (10-0, 6 KOs) aims for his fourth win of the year in as many tries, which includes a hard-fought victory over Ira Terry at CES’ April 2 showcase in Connecticut. Stay tuned for additional fight announcements.

Chaney (21-1, 14 KOs) returns to his home state August 20 after signing a promotional agreement with New England’s top promotion, joining forces with promoter Jimmy Burchfield Sr. Born in Baltimore, Chaney relocated to Connecticut as a youth and initially put his talents to use on the basketball court at the University of New Haven.

Working with renowned trainer Stephen “Breadman” Edwards, Chaney climbed the ladder quickly among heavyweights after making his pro debut at the age of 28, winning his first 21 fights. In 2019, he made headlines on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights with a sensational win over Joel Caudle, knocking his opponent out of the ring in the first round of their scheduled eight-round showdown. Later that year, he captured the vacant WBC USNBC Silver heavyweight title with a knockout win over Nick Jones.

With the burning desire to win a world title, Chaney kept busy during the pandemic, too, scoring two more knockouts in 2020 and opening 2021 with a knockout win over 18-fight veteran Shawndell Terell Winters in Worcester. In his most recent fight in December, Chaney fought 10 hard rounds with fellow unbeaten heavyweight George Arias in New York City.

His new teammate, Cusumano (20-4, 18 KOs), is on a similar path. The heavy-handed Sicilian bounced back in June with a first-round knockout win over Irineu Costa Junior in Rhode Island, earning career win No. 20 and his 10th overall under CES’ guidance since signing with Burchfield in 2017. Cusumano has stopped his opponent in each of his last 14 wins dating back to 2014 and remains on the sport’s hardest punchers in the heavyweight division.

Vincent’s return to the ring brings additional star power to Summer Heat. The 43-year-old trailblazer and former world-title contender boasts a 27-2 record, two nationally-televised showdowns against rival Heather Hardy, and a UBF world super bantamweight championship. A fixture on the regional circuit for more than a decade, Vincent is unbeaten with CES in 17 fights, including her most recent win in November over veteran Shelly Barnett.

Additional details for Summer Heat are available online. 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.

Lincoln, RI – The new Juiseppe Cusumano doesn’t like to look back too much at the old Juiseppe Cusumano

Juiseppe 2.0 is a leaner, stronger, more determined version of the old model, not the same Cusumano who barely lasted two minutes against Daniel Dubois in August.

Fight fans can expect fireworks Friday, June 24 at Ballys Twin River Lincoln Casino Resort when Cusumano (19-4, 17 KOs) unveils a never-before-seen rendition of himself in an eight-round bout against Brazilian heavyweight Irineu Beato Costa Junior at Summer Splash, presented by CES Boxing.

His long-awaited return to Ballys, where has hasn’t fought since 2019, caps a busy training camp in which the 6-foot-4 Cusumano spent the majority of time away from his residence in Danville, VA, and instead trained everywhere from Costa Rica and Tampa to Connecticut and New York.

Summer Splash also features Warwick, RI, resident Jaime “Hurricane” Clampitt battling Texas lightweight Miranda “El Alacrana” Reyes, plus the Ballys debut of unbeaten super middleweight and 6-foot-2 southpaw Francis Hogan of Weymouth, MA. Tickets are available at CESFights.com.

When Cusumano lost to Dubois on Showtime, a lopsided bout in which the “Sicilian Nightmare” hit the canvas three times before referee George Nichols stopped the fight, the 34-year-old heavyweight considered walking away from the sport. He had already begun thinking about life after boxing, using his payout from the Dubois fight to purchase a gym in anticipation of running his own fitness boxing courses.

But, in a plot twist straight out of Hollywood, Cusumano had a change of heart. He knew his performance against Dubois didn’t reflect who he was as a fighter or how much he had progressed under the guidance of promoter Jimmy Burchfield Sr. To quote a certain well-known fictional Italian boxer, there was “still some stuff in the basement.” He had to make one more run at not only competing for a world title, but showing boxing fans there’s more to him than what they saw that fateful night in August.

“I told Jimmy, ‘That’s not me,’” Cusumano said. “I had only six rounds of sparring before that fight. I was in out of the gym. I had a lot of personal issues going on. And the whole world saw me like that. It eats me alive.

“It would’ve been different if I was ready and I went through a war and lost a close fight, but I wasn’t mentally ready – or really ready in any regard. I’ve got to get back on Showtime and show what I really have in my blood and in my heart.

“I won’t be a happy man if I don’t do what I’ve got to do. Then I’ll sit back and say, ‘Oh, I could’ve done that, but I didn’t.’ At least now if anything happens in my career that messes me up, I’ll know I gave it all I’ve got. No regrets.”

After taking some time off to recover and reflect on his mistakes – and pray, Cusumano said – he received a call from the manager of unbeaten Chinese heavyweight Zhilei Zhang inviting him to spar for two weeks in New Jersey. That turned into a three-week stay with Zhang’s camp in Tampa, this time with Cusumano participating in every minute of every workout, not just the sparring sessions.

“As soon as I finished camp there, I knew I didn’t want to go back home,” Cusumano said.

As luck would have it, he then received a call from an associate in Costa Rica inviting him to fly south for a makeshift “boot camp” training in the jungles and mountains, often running eight miles a day in brutal conditions.

“The training I did there was unbelievable,” Cusumano said. “It got me out of my comfort zone – way out – and it felt to me like when I got past that zone, I got lost. Now you’re in a different world and you’re still pushing. That’s what you need in fights. You have to get out of your comfort zone.”

After Costa Rica, Cusumano reached out to his promoter, who then set him up at Champs Boxing & Fitness in Danbury, CT, under the guidance of coach Dave McDonough. Cusumano has been at Champs for the last four weeks, traveling back and forth to New York to spar with the likes of WBO world light heavyweight champion Joe Smith Jr. and Connecticut heavyweight Cassius Chaney.

“I’m really proud of myself,” Cusumano said. “You have to make tough decisions in life. I could’ve stayed home, ran the gym, worked a 9-to-5, but I knew I had already made a name for myself and hadn’t even put 100% into it. I never traveled and got the work like I should have. I didn’t stay consistent. I went back home, fooled around, got sidetracked. Now I’m making the sacrifices necessary to achieve this dream.”

Cusumano still has family in Virginia, including his 12-year-old son, a budding southpaw baseball star who cranked three home runs in his last game. Being away from loved ones is difficult, but Cusumano knows if he doesn’t give it his all now, he’ll regret it later in life. This is the version of himself he always dreamt he could be.

“This is what I needed. I needed to be around boxing and be around good sparring. That’s what I was missing,” Cusumano said. “Now, if I get a call and people need work, I’m there. That’s what I should have been doing all along.”

Full fight details for Summer Splash are available online. 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.

Bally’s Twin River Lincoln Casino Resort, located in Lincoln, RI, is the state’s largest gaming and entertainment venue as well as its top tourist and cultural attraction. Formerly known as Lincoln Park and then Twin River Casino Hotel, the renovated facility offers 162,000 square-feet of gaming space with over 5,000 gaming positions. The casino operates over 4,100 slot machines and virtual table games (including blackjack and roulette), as well as 125 live table games including blackjack, roulette, craps, sports betting, and more. This unique gaming facility also hosts simulcasting of the best thoroughbred and greyhound racing from around the country, a 29,000+ square foot Twin River Event Center with headline entertainment, free concerts at the Lighthouse Bar, incredible food and drinks at Fred & Steve’s Steakhouse, and authentic Italian cuisine at Jerry Longo’s Meatballs & Martinis. The hotel at Bally’s Lincoln features 136 rooms and suites. Amenities include an indoor pool with a stone fireplace feature wall, multiple meeting space, a fitness center and an outdoor courtyard off the pool and lobby that is also available for special events. Guests may access the hotel from the casino’s north entrance.

Jake Paul remained undefeated with an eight-round sPLIT decision over former UFC Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in front of over 16,000 fans at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland.

Paul landed 71 of 207 punches; Woodley was 52 of 163.

Paul, 190 lbs of Cleveland won by scores of 78-74 and 77-75, while won a card 77-75.

Paul is now 4-0. Woodley, 189 1/2 lbs of Saint Louis, MO is 0-1.

For Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley photos (more to come), scorecard and punch stats using this link HERE

Photo Credit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME

JAKE PAUL

“I don’t know what to say. He was a tough opponent and he’s been fighting for so many years and I’m still new to this. My legs felt weird, I wasn’t sure what was wrong with me. All respect to Tyron though. He’s a Hall of Famer and put up a good fight. I have nothing but respect for him. There’s no hard feelings. This feels amazing to do this for my city and it’s a dream come true

“He hit me with one shot the whole fight, and it was a good shot. It was one real good shot. I don’t know what that one judge saw. But l still got the victory. For me to come here and go eight rounds in my fourth fight, who does that? I’m doing things that have never been done. 

“We’ll see who’s next. I’ve been fighting for 18 months now. I haven’t got my hair cut in two years. I haven’t stopped for a second. I’m just going to figure out what’s next.”

TYRON WOODLEY

“I feel like I won the fight. Jake is a great opponent. I didn’t expect him to eat my punches like that. But the fact that one judge only gave me two rounds is insane. Forget that Tommy Fury fight. Let’s run that back.

“Nobody is going to sell the PPV like we did. The ropes held him up when I hit him. I could have had that knockdown. I walked him down and landed back time and time again. I landed power punches, he missed shots all night.”

Serrano Decisions Mercado; Retains Featherweight titles

Amanda Serrano retained her WBC/WBO Featherweight titles with a 10-round unanimous decision over 122-lb world champion Yamileth Mercado.

In round nine, Mercado had a mouse for med under her left eye. Later in the round

Serrano landed 160 of 577 punches; Mercadro was 95 of 302.

Serrano, 124 lbs of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 and is now 41-1-1. Mercado, 124 lbs of Chihuahua, MEX is 18-3.

AMANDA SERRANO

“I had a tough Mexican in front of me tonight. She’s a champion in her own weight class, but I hope I made everyone proud and happy and that SHOWTIME will have me back again. I’m hoping that I made some of these people here fans of women’s boxing and that I made the sport proud. 

“I don’t want to say that I’m No. 1 pound-for-pound, because there are great female fighters like Claressa Shields. As long as I’m at the top with fighters like her, then I’m good. 

“I want that fight with Katie Taylor in the future. First I want to fight the other featherweight champions and become undisputed in my weight class. Then we’ll have two undisputed champions against each other when Katie and I fight.” 

DuBois Blows Out Cusumano inside of 1

Daniel Dubois made a statement in his American debut as he stopped Juiseppe Cusumano inside of the 1st round of their scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout.

DuBois dropped Cusumano three times. The first was set up by a left hook that was followed by a right hand to the side of the head that sent Cusumano to the canvas. The 2nd knockdown cam from a combination on the inside. DuBois finished off the fight as DuBois laded a right to the jaw that was followed by a right to the head that folded Cusumano to the canvas at 2:10

DuBois, 238 lbs of London is 17-1 with 16 knockouts. Cusumano, 235 1/2 lbs of Danville, VA is 17-4.

DANIEL DUBOIS:

“You don’t get paid for overtime. I had a great performance and had the best training camp ever.

“I want to fight for a world title. I want to fight the best. It’s going to come soon. Whoever’s next. I want to fight for a world title.

“It was a great week. Amazing atmosphere. Good crowd and energy. I loved it.

Love Stops Baranchyk After 7

Montana Love scored the biggest win of his career and remained undefeated by stopping former world champion Ivan Baranchyk after round seven of their scheduled 10-round junior welterweight bout.

At the end of round seven, Love landed a perfect counter left that sent Baranchyk down to the canvas. Branahcyk, who never seemed to get on track had the plug pulled on the fight after the 7th frame.

Love, 141 lbs of Cleveland, OH is now 16-0-1 with eight knockouts. Baranchyk, 140 1/4 lbs of Miami, FL is 20-3.

MONTANA LOVE

“I want to say thank you to everyone who came out tonight. Hopefully I gained some fans. It’s an amazing feeling. It’s very emotional to have this moment in my hometown.

“This is a dream come true. I’m in training everyday thinking about and visualizing this moment. I want to thank Ivan for giving me this opportunity and helping us give the fans a great show.

“We’d been working on that uppercut the whole time during training. The game plan was to move and box him and make him miss. We knew that eventually he was going to open up.

“Strap me up. We’ve been working hard and now it’s my time. I want Josh Taylor and Gervonta Davis. Line them up and we can make it happen, as soon as possible.”

Fury Decisions Taylor

Tommy Fury remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Anthony Taylor in a crruiserweight bout.

Fury landed 73 of 179 punches; Taylor was 29 of 113.

Fury, 179 lbs of Manchester, ENG won by scores of 40-36 and is now 7-0. Taylor, 175 lbs of Alemeda, CA is 0-2.

TOMMY FURY

“I thought I had a good performance. You can’t forget that I only had 10 amatuer fights and my dad wasn’t here with me tonight. I had a great time fighting in front of all these lovely people. 

“Jake Paul should have an easy night against me right? He has no excuse to not take the fight. Let’s get it on Jake Paul. I’ve done my part, now you do your part Jake, and we’ll get it on. 

“I’m a novice in this game and I know that I have to work on everything. I’m nowhere near a finished product. I’m learning every single day and I’m just thankful to be here healthy and talking to you. 

“I was nervous, but at the end of the day, we get in the ring and we fight. Day by day, second by second, I’m getting better and I’m learning. We’re going to get there slowly, but we’re going to get there surely.”

ANTHONY TAYLOR

“I felt like I stole rounds three and four. It could have gone either way. I controlled the middle of the ring and I backed him up. I of course feel like there was some bias because everyone wants to see Fury fight Jake Paul. 

“I was more active and threw more body shots. I’m happy with my performance, now it’s up to the powers that be if they want me back. I appreciated this opportunity that I got. 

“Everyone said he was going to knock me out in the first round, but obviously I gave him trouble. I’m not happy that the scores were unanimous.” 

Cleveland, Ohio (August 26, 2021) – Every fighter talks and dreams about that “opportunity of a lifetime,” but few ever get it, and the percentage that actually come out on top is even smaller.

Heavyweight Juiseppe Cusumano, the hard-hitting, 6-foot-4 giant from Sicily – appropriately nicknamed “The Sicilian Nightmare” – finally gets that coveted, life-changing opportunity Sunday, August 29 in Cleveland when he faces 23-year-old United Kingdom prospect Daniel Dubois in a 10-round bout on the undercard of the highly-anticipated Jake Paul-Tyron Woodley pay-per-view extravaganza on Showtime.

Since signing with longtime promoter and CES Boxing president and CEO Jimmy Burchfield four years ago, Cusumano’s stock has risen considerably to the point where he is name one of the more talked-about heavyweights in a crowded market of heavy-handed sluggers. He is 9-2 under CES’ guidance, including his most recent win in November against Gregory Corbin on the undercard of the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones exhibition showdown in California.

The difference this time is there will be fans in attendance, which means more eyes on Cusumano and an even bigger opportunity to show the world what he can do on the sport’s biggest stage. Nerves? Fuggedaboutit! This is the fight – and the platform – Cusumano envisioned when he teamed with Burchfield in 2017, and with Paul, a social media influencer with more than 20 million followers on YouTube and an additional 16 million on Instagram, facing Woodley, a former UFC champion making his pro boxing debut, there’s no telling who might be watching Sunday.

The PPV portion of the show begins at 8 pm ET and is available for $59.99 on Showtime PPV on all traditional cable and satellite providers. The live stream is also available on Showtime.com or by downloading the Showtime app.

“I’m ready,” Cusumano said. “I’ve been fighting for a long time, and I’m ready to let my skills show.”

With Cusumano (19-3, 16 KOs) and Dubois (16-1, 15 KOs) having combined for 32 knockouts in their pro careers, the odds suggest someone will hit the deck Sunday before 10 rounds are through, but Cusumano is promising a smarter, more mature approach.

Over a span of four years, Cusumano knocked out 11 of 12 opponents, which, despite a rewarding payoff at the final bell, may have worked against him in others bouts as his game plan at times appeared too focused on landing a finishing blow. Eschewing the knockout in favor of a more patient, deliberate style of boxing is difficult for a fighter who admits he fell in love with the sport because he liked to “mix it up” as a youth – especially one who grew up idolizing Tyson – but Cusumano now understands at the age of 33, a smarter approach may not only pay greater dividends, it may also keep him around longer than expected.

“I’m a lot better than what I’ve shown,” Cusumano said. “I’ve really been working on my skills and how to show off what I can do. This is the perfect fight to do that.”

Dubois, who began boxing at the age of 9 while growing up in London, is, according to Cusumano, “young and hungry” and no doubt a dangerous adversary, but Cusumano is confident he’s yet to face anyone with as much punching power as he has – a bold statement considering Dubois, the former WBA interim heavyweight champion, has faced the likes of Joe Joyce, who stopped Dubois in the 10th round of their scheduled 12-round fight in November of 2020, Dubois’ only loss as a pro.

The overwhelming confidence Cusumano has displayed in recent years is a byproduct of his own success coupled with the belief that anything is possible, even when dark days make it seem like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. Cusumano has faced as many battles outside of the ring as he has in between the ropes, including contract disputes with ill-minded promoters, depression, and alcoholism, but he’s picked himself up off the canvas each time, the mark of a true champion.

The only logical next step is to cement his status as a champion inside the ring, and he can begin taking those steps by putting everything he’s learned in the gym, the ring, and in life to use against Dubois. The journey hasn’t been easy, but that light at the end of the tunnel is starting to shine. Cusumano is in the best shape of his life, back in the 220-pound range after feeling “sluggish” in the 240s, and has all the right people in his corner as he prepares for the fight of his life this weekend.

“Everything is looking good. Everything feels rights,” Cusumano said. “Dubois is an attacker like I am, and he’s young and hungry. This is a good fight. Both of us hit hard and fight to slug it out, but I believe the smarter man will win.

“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized you can’t always just attack. This is the heavyweight division. Anything can happen. The older I’ve gotten, the smarter I’ve gotten. This is a dream come true.”

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.

Los Angeles, CA (Nov. 27, 2020) – Three of CES Boxing’s rising stars are primed and ready to chase championship glory tomorrow night on one of the most highly-anticipated nights in the sport’s recent history.

With pound-for-pound legends Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. set to face one another Saturday at The Staples Center for the WBC Frontline Title, Worcester, MA natives Jamaine Ortiz, and Irvin Gonzalez Jr., and Italian heavyweight Juiseppe Cusumano each aim for titles of their own on the undercard of a star-studded pay-per-view extravaganza.

The festivities, presented by Triller and Tyson’s Legends Only League, begin at 5 pm ET with a free hour of live boxing before the start of the pay-per-view main card at 6. You can stream the entire event for $49.99 via FITE.tv or through the Triller app.

Gonzalez’s showdown with undefeated featherweight prospect Edward Vazquez of Fort Worth, TX, for the vacant WBC USNBC title will be featured in the free 5 o’clock hour while Ortiz’s highly-anticipated battle against Maryland’s Sulaiman Segawa for the USNBC Silver lightweight crown airs during the pay-per-view portion of the card beginning at 6. Also on Saturday, Cusumano fights for the vacant USNBC heavyweight title against hard-hitting Greg Corbin of Dallas.

Friday’s official weigh-in kicked off the pre-fight festivities, highlighted by the long-awaited faceoff between the 54-year-old Tyson and the 51-year-old Jones, two larger-than-life talents finally going toe-to-toe decades after dominating the sport during the rise of the pay-per-view era.

The Tyson-Jones bout is an eight-round exhibition for the newly-created Frontline title, leading an action-packed pay-per-view card that also features YouTube sensation and unbeaten pro Jake Paul facing former NBA star and three-time Slam Dunk Contest winner Nate Robinson and former two-time world champion Badou Jack battling unbeaten California native Blake McKernan in an 8-round bout.

Complete weigh-in results are listed below. Visit CESBoxing.com for more information, or follow CES Boxing on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter at @CESBOXING.
WEIGH-IN RESULTS
Mike Tyson, 220.4Roy Jones Jr., 210
Jamaine Ortiz, 133.5Sulaiman Segawa, 131.8
Irvin Gonzalez, 124.4Edward Vazquez, 125.4
Juiseppe Cusumano, 224.5Greg Corbin, 291.8
Jake Paul, 189Nate Robinson, 181
Badou Jack, 188.9Blake McKernan, 186.8
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.

Mike Tyson’s Legends Only League is a sports league created and owned by Mike Tyson and Eros Innovations. The Legends Only League is a next-generation sports venture that provides full support and infrastructure to the world’s greatest athletes, bringing the best of the best back to the ring, onto the court, and back on the field. The league will span live sporting events including tennis, basketball, boxing, and more in addition to creating consumer products, live events, premium content, and full-service management for the greatest sports stars the globe has ever known.

Eros Innovations is a global venture creation group led by Sophie Watts that invests in and creates globally recognized businesses for celebrities across premium content, consumer products and live experiences.Owners of Eros Innovations include Eros Investments, a media and tech investment holding company whose affiliate companies include Eros Now, India’s leading OOT platform with 186 million registered users.

Triller is an entertainment platform built for creators. The app allows users to create music videos, skits, and lip-syncing videos containing background music. Launched in 2015 by co-founders David Leiberman and Sammy Rubin, Triller uses an AI-based video editing tool that automatically adds effects like overlays, fast or slow motion, and basic text to videos. Triller has more than 65 million active users and has been downloaded over 250 million times worldwide. It also boasts some big names among its users, like Cardi B, Chance the Rapper, DJ Khaled, Alicia Keys, and others. Triller is owned by Proxima Media, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and Universal Music Group with other investors like Snoop Dog, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, and The Weeknd.

November 19, 2020 (Providence, RI) – Boxing is one of a small handful of sports in which participants need to be ready for anything at all times, specifically outside the ring, where last-minute cancelations, fall-outs, and other roadblocks can derail a fighter’s path to success.

In this unpredictable 2020 – highlighted by a worldwide pandemic that shut down most of the professional sports’ landscape for several months – heavyweight contender and CES Boxing prospect Juiseppe Cusumano has operated under the ideology that it’s not only wise to expect the unexpected, but perhaps it’s best to brace yourself for the unthinkable.

Less than two weeks from his scheduled WBC USNBC Heavyweight Title bout Saturday, November 28 in Los Angeles, the 6-foot-4 “Sicilian Nightmare” is now prepping for one of boxing’s most common curveballs – the sudden change in opponent.

With Mississippi’s Nick Jones unable to obtain a license in the state of California, Cusumano (18-3, 16 KOs) will now challenge the dangerous Greg Corbin (15-3, 9 KOs) of Dallas, TX, a former National Golden Gloves champion and fellow 6-4 giant ready to embrace the opportunity of a lifetime on the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. undercard at The Staples Center.

Cusumano-Corbin, scheduled for eight rounds for the USNBC title, is one of seven fights scheduled for November 28, including the highly-anticipated exhibition headliner between rings legends Tyson and Jones, who fight eight rounds for the newly-created WBC Frontline championship. With no fans in attendance, the card is available for purchase on pay per view via FITE TV, or on the newly-launched Triller app, available both on Apple or Android devices. Visit tysonontriller.com for more information. Showtime is 9 pm ET.

This is no walk in the park for Cusumano; Corbin rose to prominence over a six-year stretch as a pro with 15 consecutive victories, including a spectacular knockout win over the rugged Homero Fonseca in 2018. He is best remembered for recent showdowns with boxing’s top heavyweights, notably former world champion Charles Martin and rising prospects Filip Hrgovic and Stephan Shaw, who are now a combined 25-0.

Cusumano’s not-so-secret weapon may be the influence of his recent two-month training camp in Providence, where he trained under the guidance of Roland Estrada; his son, former Olympian and heavyweight contender Jason “Big Six” Estrada, and former cruiserweight title challenger Matt “Too Smooth” Godfrey. This is an ever-changing landscape for Cusumano, who typically trains in his hometown of Danville, VA, but decided to minimize distractions and add a new set of voices to his camp in anticipation of the biggest fight of his career.

With Jones out, this is now a crossroads fight between two heavyweight contenders looking for a big win to get them back on track and back into the conversation among top-ranked heavyweights. The USNBC belt provides the exposure and world ranking necessary to a shot at championship glory that, unfortunately, eludes most fighters in their quest for boxing immortality.

WBC World Youth Featherweight Champion Irvin Gonzalez Jr. (14-2, 11 KOs), also from Worcester, battles undefeated Forth Worth, TX, prospect Edward Vazquez (8-0, 1 KO) in an eight-round bout for the vacant WBC USNBC Featherweight Title. Also on the card, undefeated lightweight and reigning WBC Youth title-holder Jamaine Ortiz (13-0, 7 KOs) of Worcester, MA, faces African southpaw Sulaiman Segawa (13-2-1, 4 KOs) of Silver Springs, MD, in an eight-round bout for the vacant WBC USNBC Silver Lightweight Title.

Visit CESBoxing.com for more information, or follow CES Boxing on Facebook, Instagram, 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.

Mike Tyson’s Legends Only League is a sports league created and owned by Mike Tyson and Eros Innovations. The Legends Only League is a next-generation sports venture that provides full support and infrastructure to the world’s greatest athletes, bringing the best of the best back to the ring, onto the court, and back on the field. The league will span live sporting events including tennis, basketball, boxing, and more in addition to creating consumer products, live events, premium content, and full-service management for the greatest sports stars the globe has ever known.

Eros Innovations is a global venture creation group led by Sophie Watts that invests in and creates globally recognized businesses for celebrities across premium content, consumer products and live experiences.Owners of Eros Innovations include Eros Investments, a media and tech investment holding company whose affiliate companies include Eros Now, India’s leading OOT platform with 186 million registered users.

Triller is an entertainment platform built for creators. The app allows users to create music videos, skits, and lip-syncing videos containing background music. Launched in 2015 by co-founders David Leiberman and Sammy Rubin, Triller uses an AI-based video editing tool that automatically adds effects like overlays, fast or slow motion, and basic text to videos. Triller has more than 65 million active users and has been downloaded over 250 million times worldwide. It also boasts some big names among its users, like Cardi B, Chance the Rapper, DJ Khaled, Alicia Keys, and others. Triller is owned by Proxima Media, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and Universal Music Group with other investors like Snoop Dog, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, and The Weeknd.

Providence, RI (November 9, 2020) – CES Boxing is stepping into the producer’s booth for its latest endeavor, embarking on a new journey and teaming with global venture creation group Eros Innovations in the production of the upcoming “Iron”Mike Tyson–Roy Jones Jr. megabout later this month to provide the opportunity of a lifetime for three of its top fighters.

Under the guidance of CES Boxing president and CEO Jimmy Burchfield Sr., reigning WBC World Youth Champion and NABF No. 10-ranked lightweight Jamaine Ortiz (13-0, 7 KOs), current WBC World Youth Featherweight Champion Irvin Gonzalez Jr. (14-2, 11 KOs), and hard-hitting heavyweight contender Juiseppe Cusumano (18-3, 16 KOs) will compete in separate 8-round championship bouts Saturday, November 28 on the preliminary card of the Tyson-Jones Jr. showdown in Los Angeles, presented by Tyson’s Legends Only League in association with entertainment platform Triller.

The event will take place at the Staples Center two days after Thanksgiving with boxing legends Tyson and Jones headlining a star-studded fight card beginning live at 9 pm ET on pay per view via FITE TV, or on the newly-launched Triller app, available both on Apple or Android devices. Visit tysonontriller.com for more information.

Tyson, the youngest heavyweight world champion in boxing history and a dynamic box-office draw during his prime, returns to the ring for the first time since 2005 to face Jones, a pound-for-pound all-time great who boasts multiple world titles in four different weight classes.

Through CES Boxing’s collaboration with Eros, three of boxing’s top rising prospects will showcase their talents to a worldwide audience November 28. Ortiz, a Worcester, MA, native and 2015 National Golden Gloves silver medalist, battles 24-year-old Philadelphia native Nahir Albright (8-1, 2 KOs) for the WBC USNBC Silver Title.

The undefeated Ortiz captured the vacant WBC Youth title in 2019 and recently defended the belt in his 2020 debut at The Palladium in Worcester with a second-round knockout win over Mexican challenger Luis Ronaldo Castillo in February.

Ranked No. 9 among lightweights in the NABF, Ortiz enjoyed a stellar amateur career before making his professional debut in 2016, winning more than 100 fights and advancing to the semifinals of the U.S. Olympic Trials in Nevada. The 24-year-old right-hander is also an apprentice carpenter and member of the Local 107 carpenter’s union. In his third year as a pro, he won the Youth title with a dominant win over unbeaten California native Ricardo Quiroz, then blasted 15-4 Vitor Jones before piecing together another dominant against French challenger Romain Couture in August of 2019.

Cusumano, a winner of 16 of his last 18 bouts, faces Mississippi’s Nick Jones (9-3, 6 KOs), who has won his last two. The bout will be contested for the vacant WBC USNBC Heavyweight Title.

A native of Carini, Sicily fighting out of Danville, VA, the 6-foot-4 Cusumano won 13 consecutive bouts during an impressive stretch between 2012 and 2018, which included 11 knockouts – five in the first round. He joined CES Boxing in 2017 and made his promotional debut with a knockout win over Dan Biddle. Cusumano also notched impressive wins over 9-1-2 Fred Latham, whom he stopped in just under three minutes, and 8-3-1 southpaw Bernardo Marquez via fourth-round knockout. Since October, the heavy-handed Cusumano has lived and trained in Rhode Island under the tutelage of noted trainer Roland Estrada; and his son, former Olympian Jason “Big Six” Estrada.

Gonzalez, also from Worcester, battles undefeated Forth Worth, TX, prospect Edward Vazquez (8-0, 1 KO) for the vacant WBC USNBC Featherweight Title. The 24-year-old prospect signed a promotional agreement with CES Boxing in November and has since won back-to-back bouts, including a thrilling, sixth-round knockout victory over Yeuri Andujar to capture the WBC Youth title in February. Gonzalez amassed an amateur record of 90-15 and joined his CES Boxing stablemate, Ortiz, at the 2016 Olympic Trials in Nevada.

Vazquez earned his eighth win as a pro in September, recovering from an early knockdown to defeat Adan Ochoa by unanimous decision at the MGM Grand “Bubble” in Las Vegas live on ESPN. Nicknamed “Kid,” Vazquez began boxing at 8 years old, amassed an amateur record of 82-8 and advanced to the Junior Olympic semifinals before launching his pro career in 2016 under the guidance of Roy Jones Jr. Promotions.

In addition to the highly-anticipated Tyson-Jones exhibition bout, the main card November 28 features a cruiserweight showdown between unbeaten British prospect and internet personality Viddal Riley and former UFC mixed martial arts pro Rashad Coulter. YouTube sensation and unbeaten pro Jake Paul faces former NBA star and three-time Slam Dunk Contest winner Nate Robinson and former two-time world champion Badou Jack battles unbeaten California native Blake McKernan in an 8-round bout.

Visit CESBoxing.com for more information, or follow CES Boxing on Facebook, Instagram, 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.

Mike Tyson’s Legends Only League is a sports league created and owned by Mike Tyson and Eros Innovations. The Legends Only League is a next-generation sports venture that provides full support and infrastructure to the world’s greatest athletes, bringing the best of the best back to the ring, onto the court, and back on the field. The league will span live sporting events including tennis, basketball, boxing, and more in addition to creating consumer products, live events, premium content, and full-service management for the greatest sports stars the globe has ever known.

Eros Innovations is a global venture creation group led by Sophie Watts that invests in and creates globally recognized businesses for celebrities across premium content, consumer products and live experiences.Owners of Eros Innovations include Eros Investments, a media and tech investment holding company whose affiliate companies include Eros Now, India’s leading OOT platform with 186 million registered users.

Triller is an entertainment platform built for creators. The app allows users to create music videos, skits, and lip-syncing videos containing background music. Launched in 2015 by co-founders David Leiberman and Sammy Rubin, Triller uses an AI-based video editing tool that automatically adds effects like overlays, fast or slow motion, and basic text to videos. Triller has more than 65 million active users and has been downloaded over 250 million times worldwide. It also boasts some big names among its users, like Cardi B, Chance the Rapper, DJ Khaled, Alicia Keys, and others. Triller is owned by Proxima Media, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and Universal Music Group with other investors like Snoop Dog, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, and The Weeknd.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (May 28, 2020) — Classic Entertainment and Sports (CES), founded and operated by veteran boxing promoter Jimmy Burchfield, Sr., is offering “Iron” Mike Tyson $1,000,000 to square-off with Juiseppe Angelo Cusumano, plus a percentage of closed circuit receipts to be negotiated, as well a $200,000 donation to whatever charity Tyson’s wife prefers.

Jimmy Burchfield, Sr., known as “The Hardest Working Promoter in Combat Sports”
“If Mike Tyson is serious about making a comeback,” Burchfield said, “we’re prepared to make him a legitimate offer to fight Cusumano in a 6 or 8-round fight, whichever Mike chooses. After three months of the COVID-19 pandemic, boxing fans are hungry to watch real fights, not exhibitions. Tyson is a boxer and a damn good one at that! He’s not a bare-knuckle fighter or wrestler. A real boxing match is what we’re interested in promoting!”

Tyson (50-6, 49 KOs) hasn’t officially fought since June 11, 2005.

The 6′ 4″ Cusumano (18-3, 16 KOs) is an Italian heavyweight who fights out of Carini, Sicily.

CES needs to make sure that Tyson is medically cleared before proceeding. His complete medical exam results are required by CES to be submitted with a June 25, 2020 deadline. The date and venue for Tyson vs. Cusumano is to be determined, but open to negotiations once CES has spoken to Tyson or his representatives.

“Cusumano will be a true gauge for Tyson’s first fight in 15 years,” Burchfield added. “This is a fight boxing fans want to see, not an exhibition, because it will let everyone know exactly where he’s at today and whether or not he can truly challenge a (Tyson) Fury, (Anthony) Joshua, or (Deontay) Wilder. We’re ready to negotiate in good faith right now.”

CES has been promoting boxing events for nearly 30 years and its stable of fighters has included 5-time world champion Vinny Paz, who was a very close teammate of Tyson’s when they were amateurs, 3-time world titlist Chad Dawson, Peter Manfredo, Jr., Ray Olivieria, Jason Estrada, Matt Godfrey, Gary “Tiger” Balletto, and Matt Remillard, among the more notables.

INFORMATION:
Website: www.CESBoxing.com
Twitter & Instagram: @cesboxing

Lincoln, RI (Aug. 5, 2019) — Juiseppe Cusumano feels as close as he ever has to reaching that magic moment in the sport of boxing most fighters can only dream of.

From his wild win over Brendan Barrett in February to his trip to Alabama a month later to spar with WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, Cusumano (18-2, 16 KOs) knows greatness is at the doorstep. The ball is in his court, and he’s ready to take that next step Friday night at Twin River Casino Hotel.

The hard-hitting heavyweight returns to the ring for the first time in six months Aug. 9 when he faces Quincy, MA, vet Steve Vukosa (11-1, 4 KOs) for the vacant WBC USNBC title in the eight-round main event of CES Boxing’s summer-ending spectacular at the Event Center.

The significance of winning a WBC regional title isn’t lost on Cusumano; as a historian of the sport, he recalls that Wilder captured the WBC Continental Americas title — a similar stepping stone — in 2013 and, within three fights, earned his shot at the world championship two years later against Bermane Stiverne.

This is a potential life-changing opportunity and the 31-year-old Cusumano has ensured he’s in the best shape of his life both mentally and physically knowing what’s at stake Friday night.

“These are all blessings. A lot of people in this sport wish they could have these opportunities and now I’m here getting my shot,” Cusumano said. “I went through hell in this sport and almost gave it up a few times.

“That’s why I say, ‘Never give up on your dreams.’ Now they’re starting to come true for me.”

Tickets begin at $47 and are available online at www.cesboxing.com or www.showclix.com. Doors open at 6 p.m. ET and the first fight begins at 7.

Two and a half years ago, Cusumano was close to walking away. He had dealt with bad management, depression and a bout with alcoholism, all of which kept him out of the ring and away from the sport he loved. Upon signing with CES Boxing and promoter Jimmy Burchfield Sr., he made the effort to change up his routine and work on his conditioning to get himself back into fight shape.

Since June of 2017, Cusumano has gone 8-1 under CES’ guidance and is now a serious contender in the heavyweight division. When looking at past fighters who’s won the USNBC belt, some notable names stand out. Chris Arreola went on to fight for two world titles after capturing the USNBC championship in 2012. Same for Stiverne and Eric Molina, former USNBC title-holders who eventually faced Wilder for the heavyweight championship of the world.

So why not Cusumano? If he’s successful Friday, his shot at Wilder — or any of the current heavyweight title-holders — could be around the corner. And forget what the odds might say; few gave Andy Ruiz Jr. a chance against Anthony Joshua and now Ruiz is the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion after flattening Joshua in a stunning upset in June.

“That would be amazing. We could shock the world,” Cusumano said. “I’m at a loss for words because being put in this position is such a blessing. It’s finally here.”

No one other than Tyson Fury, who survived a late knockdown in November to earn a draw with Wilder, has come close to dethroning the current WBC champion, but Cusumano had the opportunity to briefly test the waters in camp earlier this year with Wilder and felt he learned a lot in just a short amount of time.

“It really showed me I have a chance to compete with the top guys. I held my own,” Cusumano said. “I hit him with some great shots. There were a few times they told me to calm down in there. I did pretty well. He does hit hard, though – especially in those 10-ounce gloves.”

Before he can dream of a money-making showdown with Wilder, Cusumano must first set his sights on the elusive, enigmatic Vukosa, a 6-foot-4 southpaw who at one point early in his career was considered one of the country’s top amateur heavyweights. Vukosa tried with the legendary Freddie Roach in the early 2000s, but suffered a knee injury so severe he decided to retire.

Twelve years later, he put aside his daytime job as a bus driver and returned in 2014 to dethrone Providence, RI, native and former Olympian Jason Estrada, an unexpected upset given his layoff. Vukosa is now attempting a second comeback following a triumphant return in July and has the speed and the slick boxing technique to give a heavy-handed heavyweight like Cusumano fits once the bell rings.

This, however, is a hungrier Cusumano, one who is itching to get back in the ring after six months off. He’s smarter, too, understanding he can no longer train at 31 the same way he did when he was 21. So he’s working more now on maintenance and focusing on the health of his joints, trading his dumbbells for swimming weights to improve his endurance and flexibility.

“I think my power has increased, but I need to be more patient, too,” he said. “I’m doing more pad work, staying calm. I usually just jump on people when the bell rings, but with some of these bigger guys you can’t do that all the time. There are times I have to set things up. I’ve been doing that a lot.”

Cusumano is also more aware of his surroundings. In addition to technique tips and the overall experience of being in a championship fight camp, Cusumano learned a little bit about how to be a professional if and when he reaches that next level. Wilder is a flamboyant champion and an outspoken advocate for the sport, but, Cusumano said, the unbeaten Alabama native generally lays low outside of the gym. His business-like approach is something all fighters can learn from, especially one like Cusumano who’s confident his time is next.

Friday could be the start of something big for the heavy-handed Sicilian if he can keep his win streak alive.

“I feel good. I’m hungrier. I’m more motivated,” Cusumano said. “I’m looking forward to this opportunity.”

In Friday’s co-main event, WBC Youth World Lightweight Champion Jamaine Ortiz (11-0, 6 KOs) of Worcester, MA, puts his unbeaten record on the line in an eight-round showdown against French challenger Romain Couture (8-1-1, 4 KOs), who makes his United States debut.

The undercard features six undefeated prospects looking to keep their perfect records, including Pawtucket, RI, featherweight Ricky De Los Santos (8-0, 1 KO), who battles Reading, PA, vet and Dominican standout Yeuri Andujar (4-1, 3 KOs) in a six-round featured bout. Lightweight Michael Valentin (6-0, 1 KO) of Providence, RI, also steps up in his toughest test to date against Philadelphia’s Lonnie Jackson Jr. (4-1-1, 1 KO), in a six-round special attraction.

Another red-hot fighter, Marqus Bates (7-2, 5 KOs) of Taunton, MA, aims for his sixth consecutive win in an intriguing six-round welterweight bout against well-traveled Lancaster, PA, vet Evincii Dixon (8-23-2, 3 KOs), who fights for the 34th time in six years and returns to Rhode Island for the first time since 2013.

Also facing a tall order on the undercard, Big Six Boxing Academy super welterweights Victor Reynoso (4-0, 4 KOs) and Lamont Powell (4-0, 1 KO), both of Providence, put their identical records on the line in four-round featured bouts. Reynoso battles Canadian Kenny Chery (2-2, 1 KO), whom Powell faced in February, while Powell looks to build off his impressive win in April in a major step-up against Reading’s Ricardo Garcia (14-7-1, 9 KOs), a Dominican Republic native and veteran of 22 professional fights.

A potential showstopper between unbeaten super lightweight prospects Elijah Peixoto (1-0, 1 KO) of East Providence, RI, and 26-year-old “Slick Hands” Carlos Otero (2-0) of Tampa highlights the preliminary card. Peixoto debuted earlier this year in grand fashion with a knockout win over Carlos Galindo. Otero, a decorated amateur much like Peixoto, returns from a two-year layoff. Worcester, MA, welterweight Nicholas Briggs (4-0, 3 KOs), also unbeaten, returns to face Macon, GA, native Bryan Goldsby (5-13), a veteran of 18 professional bouts.

Visit www.cesboxing.com, www.twitter.com/cesboxing or www.facebook.com/cesboxing for more information, and follow CES Boxing on Instagram at @CESBOXING.

Lincoln, RI (Aug. 1, 2019) — Rivalries renew next Friday as CES Boxing returns to Twin River Casino Hotel with a loaded championship doubleheader to close out the summer season.

Reigning NBA Heavyweight World Champion Juiseppe Cusumano (18-2, 16 KOs) of Sicily looks to add another belt to his collection when he battles “The Gentle Giant” Steve Vukosa (11-1, 4 KOs) of nearby Quincy, MA, in the eight-round main event for the vacant WBC USNBC crown.

In the co-main event, WBC Youth World Lightweight Champion Jamaine Ortiz (11-0, 6 KOs) of Worcester, MA, puts his unbeaten record on the line in an eight-round showdown against French challenger Romain Couture (8-1-1, 4 KOs), who makes his United States debut.

Tickets for the Aug. 9 fight card begin at $47 and are available online at www.cesboxing.com or www.showclix.com. Doors open at 6 p.m. ET and the first fight begins at 7.

“On Aug. 9, we’re showcasing two peak performers at the top of their game in what will be the event of the summer!” said CES Boxing president Jimmy Burchfield Sr. “Juiseppe Cusumano and Jamaine Ortiz belong on the sport’s biggest stage and we’re thrilled to deliver two competitive bouts at Twin River Casino Hotel, New England’s premier boxing venue.

“The last time these two stepped into the ring on the same night, we sold the arena out and we intend to do the same next Friday.”

The undercard features six undefeated prospects looking to keep their perfect records intact in dangerous bouts against worthy adversaries, including Pawtucket, RI, featherweight Ricky De Los Santos (8-0, 1 KO), who battles Reading, PA, vet and Dominican standout Yeuri Andujar (4-1, 3 KOs) in a six-round featured bout. Lightweight Michael Valentin (6-0, 1 KO) of Providence, RI, also steps up in his toughest test to date against Philadelphia’s Lonnie Jackson Jr. (4-1-1, 1 KO), in a six-round special attraction.

Even with a stacked undercard, next weekend’s headliners will be tough to match. Cusumano enters fresh off a thrilling win over Brendan Barrett in February, earning the victory via sixth-round knockout. He has now won three in a row and 16 out of 17 dating back to 2012 with 14 of those wins coming by knockout as he continues to climb the ladder in the wide-open heavyweight division, a weight class officially put on notice with Andy Ruiz Jr. unseating title-holder Anthony Joshua in June.

An accomplished amateur, Vukosa returns following a comeback bout in July, which ended a four-year layoff. The slick, 6-foot-4 southpaw formerly trained under Freddie Roach at the famed Wild Card Boxing Gym in Los Angeles before a knee injury derailed his career. He came back in 2014 after 12 years away from boxing and dethroned former Olympian Jason Estrada before earning a spot on the short-lived ESPN Boxcino Tournament, where he battled Donovan Dennis.

The WBC USNBC title has been held by some of the best heavyweights in boxing, past and present, including world-title challengers Chris Arreola and Eric Molina, former world champion Bermane Stiverne, and “Baby” Joe Mesi, a contender under the guidance of CES Boxing who captured the belt at Twin River with a win over Shannon Miller in 2007.

There’s not much that hasn’t been said already about the ever-improving Ortiz, who followed up his masterpiece against previously-unbeaten Ricardo Quiroz in February with a crushing first-round knockout win over Vitor Jones in April. As the accolades continue to pour in, Ortiz keeps pushing himself to the limit, stepping up again next week against the dangerous, relatively unknown Couture, who makes his U.S. debut after launching his career on foreign soil. Couture has won five in a row since a draw in October of 2017.

Another red-hot fighter, Marqus Bates (7-2, 5 KOs) of Taunton, MA, aims for his sixth consecutive win in an intriguing six-round welterweight bout against well-traveled Lancaster, PA, vet Evincii Dixon (8-23-2, 3 KOs), who fights for the 34th time in six years and returns to Rhode Island for the first time since 2013.

Bates has gone on a tear of late, stopping Connecticut’s Jair Ramos in February and then handing Wilfredo Pagan of Massachusetts his first career loss via knockout. Dixon become a fixture in New England in 2013 when he battled CES stablemates Nick DeLomba, Christian Lao and Jimmy Williams in consecutive bouts and makes his way back to the Ocean State following what might be his most impressive win, a second-round knockout over previously-unbeaten Philadelphia native Marcel Rivers in June.

Also facing a tall order on the undercard, Big Six Boxing Academy super welterweights Victor Reynoso (4-0, 4 KOs) and Lamont Powell (4-0, 1 KO), both of Providence, put their identical records on the line in four-round featured bouts. Reynoso battles Canadian Kenny Chery (2-2, 1 KO), whom Powell faced in February, while Powell looks to build off his impressive win in April in a major step-up against Reading’s Ricardo Garcia (14-7-1, 9 KOs), a Dominican Republic native and veteran of 22 professional fights.

A potential showstopper between unbeaten super lightweight prospects Elijah Peixoto (1-0, 1 KO) of East Providence, RI, and 26-year-old “Slick Hands” Carlos Otero (2-0) of Tampa highlights the preliminary card. Peixoto debuted earlier this year in grand fashion with a knockout win over Carlos Galindo. Otero, a decorated amateur much like Peixoto, returns from a two-year layoff. Worcester, MA, welterweight Nicholas Briggs (4-0, 3 KOs), also unbeaten, returns to face Macon, GA, native Bryan Goldsby (5-13), a veteran of 18 professional bouts.

Visit www.cesboxing.com, www.twitter.com/cesboxing or www.facebook.com/cesboxing for more information, and follow CES Boxing on Instagram at @CESBOXING.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Feb. 14th , 2019) — As a young up-and-comer, the heavy-handed Sicilian who breezed through his amateur career undefeated, Juiseppe Cusumano promised his coach and mentor, Robert Matney, he’d one day win a world title.

When Matney, a former Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy, died unexpectedly in 2014, Cusumano’s career took a turn for the worse. The promising heavyweight struggled with alcohol abuse and sat on the shelf for more than two years, the victim of a shady manager who robbed him of most of his earnings without booking him any fights.

There were days Cusumano struggled to get out of bed. Friends and family urged him to give up boxing a find another career. But Cusumano refused to throw in the towel. He had a promise to keep.

Next Saturday at Twin River Casino Hotel, Cusumano (17-2, 15 KOs) finally has the opportunity to cash in when he faces Brendan Barrett (7-1-2, 5 KOs) of Ventura, Calif., in an eight-round showcase for the vacant National Boxing Association (NBA) World Heavyweight Title, one of three title bouts at CES Boxing’s 2019 season opener.

The NBA, dormant for more than six decades after it changed its name to the World Boxing Association (WBA) in 1962, has returned under the direction of its new president, Damon Gonzalez. The Feb. 23rd Cusumano-Barrett showdown is the first NBA heavyweight championship bout since 1951 when the legendary Jersey Joe Walcott knocked out fellow Hall of Famer Ezzard Charles at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.

The list of former NBA heavyweight champions includes 11 Hall of Famers, among themJack Dempsey, who won the inaugural title in 1921; Gene Tunney; Max Schmeling; Jack Sharkey; Max Baer; Jim Braddock; Joe Louis; Floyd Patterson and the iconic Rocky Marciano, Cusumano’s idol as a young fighter. Marciano won the World Heavyweight Title in 1952, stopping Walcott in the 13th round of their scheduled 15-round fight in Philadelphia. He defended it six times before retiring at 49-0 in 1955.

Other sanctioning bodies existed at the time, including the New York State Athletic Commission, which dissipated in the early 1960s with the formation of the WBC, and the European Boxing Union, but the NBA was the first of today’s major sanctioning bodies to recognize world champions and its history is indisputable. The opportunity to wear that belt and join a list of champions that includes names such as Schmeling, Louis, Patterson and Marciano is a dream come true for Cusumano.

“It’s something I really need to get,” Cusumano said.

Reunited with trainer Marcus Luck, Cusumano continues to get stronger and leaner with each fight camp, shedding the excess weight from his year-long layoff between 2016 and 2017. He has implemented new techniques into his training regimen and enters next weekend in the best shape of his life as he aims for his 16thwin in his last 17 fights.

“With CES signing me [in 2017] it’s really helped me out because they have watched the process of me growing back into the fighter I should be,” said Cusumano, who has fight eight times in the last 17 months since joining forces with CES Boxing president Jimmy Burchfield Sr. “Even though I’m not 100 percent there yet, you can see the process. Each time, I’m getting better and better and my body is getting better.

“I’m learning things, too, because I’m older. I’m 30 years old, so I can’t train like I was when I was 20, but I had to learn that after a few fights because I did feel a little heavy in the [2018] fight with Bernardo Marquez, so I was like, ‘OK, I did something a little wrong here,’ because I shouldn’t have felt that heavy. Now it’s more about being in fight shape already. I should be in shape weeks before the fight. Not work harder, but work smarter, like Floyd [Mayweather] says.”

Cusumano struggled early in that fight with the southpaw Marquez before extending his then 12-fight win streak with a fourth-round knockout, but his run came to an unexpected halt less than a month later when he lost to the slick and surprisingly-elusive Robert Simms by unanimous decision. Cusumano still feels he won that fight, but admits the awkward 5-foot-11 Simms frustrated him by landing quick shots to the body, then holding on for dear life, not allowing the 6-foot-4 Sicilian to use his height and reach to his advantage.

His opponent next weekend is the same height as Simms, which may initially raise eyebrows, but Cusumano insists there are several differences between Barrett and Simms, many of which may play into his favor on the 23rd.

“Simms was a little slicker. He was very flexible for his weight,” Cusumano said. “With Barrett, he’s a little more stiff and more hard-headed. He’s a hard-headed guy that likes to throw bombs and likes to keep his head and come forward. That’s not going to be a very smart thing to do with me, especially with the shape I’m in.”

Cusumano and Barrett have combined for 20 knockouts in their careers, 15 for Cusumano and five for his opponent. Neither have been knocked out. Cusumano is confident he can use his jab more effectively than he did against Simms and use it to set up his knockout punch — the “bang-bang, night-night,” as he calls it — similar to the way he finished Marquez in May after three sluggish rounds.

“If he doesn’t get knocked out,” Cusumano said, “he’s going to have a serious headache the very next day.”

Twenty-two-year-old Worcester, Mass., prospect Jamaine Ortiz (9-0, 4 KOs) faces 21-year-old Oxnard, Calif., standout Ricardo Quiroz (10-0, 5 KOs) in an eight-round bout on the main card of CES Boxing’s 2019 season opener for the vacant WBC World Youth Lightweight Title. Headlining is female featherweight sensation Shelly Vincent (23-2, 1 KO) of Providence, R.I., by way of New London, Conn., who faces Budapest veteran Edina Kiss (15-9, 9 KOs) in an eight-round rematch of their 2015 bout, won by Vincent by majority decision.

Tickets for the event start at $47 and are available online at www.cesboxing.com or www.showclix.com or by phone at 401-724-2253/2254. Next weekend’s event also makes history as part of the world’s first ultra-high definition, high dynamic range — also known as 4K — event streaming live via VIVE Network TV. The VIVE app is available on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Play (Android TV), iOS, Roku and all smart TVs. Visit https://tickets.vivetv.network to purchase.

Doors open at 6 p.m. ET and the first preliminary bout begins at 6:30. VIVE will stream two bouts for free on Facebook beginning at 8 before the 4K televised pay-per-view main card kicks off at 9. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Also on the main card, female super bantamweights Marcia Agripino (3-1-1) of Ledyard, Conn., and Boston’s Amanda Pavone (6-0, 2 KOs) face one another in an eight-round bout for the vacant New England Championship. Taunton, Mass., welterweight Marqus Bates (5-2, 3 KOs) faces Jair Ramos (5-2-2, 2 KOs) of Waterbury, Conn., in a six-round bout and super lightweight Nicholas Briggs (2-0, 2 KOs) of Worcester puts his unbeaten record on the line against Andy Aiello (1-1-1) of Bridgewater, Mass., in a four-round bout. Unbeaten Pawtucket, R.I., super featherweight Ricky Delossantos (6-0, 1 KO) returns in his toughest test to date against U.S. Army National Guardsman Javar Jones (7-1, 2 KOs) of Indianapolis.

Providence junior middleweights Victor Reynoso (2-0, 2 KOs) battles 1-0 John Williams of Baton Rouge, La., who scored a knockout win in his pro debut in August, while fellow unbeaten junior middleweight Lamont Powell (2-0, 1 KO) of Providence faces 29-year-old Kenneth Chery (1-1, 1 KO) of Montreal Quebec. Likewise, Providence lightweight Michael “Bling Bling” Valentin( 4-0, 1 KO) returns from a one-year layoff to face Philadelphia’s Christopher Burgos (1-3-1, 1 KO) in a four-round bout and decorated New York City amateur Arnold Gonzalez makes his long-awaited professional debut in a four-round super lightweight bout against Falls Church, Va., veteran Stacey Anderson (0-4).

Visit www.cesboxing.com, www.twitter.com/cesboxing or www.facebook.com/cesboxing for more information, or follow CES Boxing on Instagram at @CESBOXING.