Mohegan Sun Newsroom

Unification bout will take place live in the Arena on Saturday, March 6th

Two world champions from one of the most active and exciting weight divisions in boxing will meet in a unification bout on Saturday, March 6th when undefeated World Boxing Council Super Lightweight Champion Devon Alexander “The Great” faces International Boxing Federation Junior Welterweight Champion Juan Urango at Mohegan Sun Arena.   The event will be broadcast live on HBO’s Boxing After Dark.

Tickets are $175.00, $95.00, $50.00 and $35.00 and are on sale now at the Mohegan Sun Box Office and through Ticketmaster.  Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call Ticketmaster’s national toll free Charge By Phone number 1.800.745.3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet.  

Alexander, 19-0-0 (12 KOs), from St. Louis, won the vacant WBC 140-pound championship by stopping a former holder of that crown, Junior “The Hitter” Witter, when they met on August 1st in southern California.

Always a hot prospect, the 22 year-old Alexander successfully emerged from the shadow of fighting his entire career out of the Cory Spinks camp by displaying elusive defensive skills—no doubt picked up from his mentor—while displaying enough firepower to cause a tough Brit to quit on his stool.

Twenty-nine year-old Urango, 22-2-1 (17 KOs), a Colombian native now fighting out of Cooper City, FL, also won his first world championship in his last fight by rising from the canvas to stop noted knockout artist Randall Bailey on August 28th in South Florida.

Bailey, known for having one of the best right hands in the sport, sent Urango to the mat in the sixth round.  The Colombian showed great fortitude to survive the round, then rallied to floor Bailey three times, leading Bailey’s corner to throw in the towel in the 11th round.

Alexander has been building his unblemished record since high school.  He served notice that he would soon be a force to be reckoned when he won a unanimous decision over former world champion DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley at New York’s Madison Square Garden on January 19, 2008.

Urango’s two losses came against fighters at the top of the sport:  Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton in 2007 and Andre Berto—in Urango’s lone foray up to the 147-pound limit—on May 30, 2009.

The event is being promoted by Don King Productions, in association with Mohegan Sun.  A full undercard will be presented, with doors opening at 5:00pm.

About Don King Productions
Don King Productions has promoted over 500 world championship fights with nearly 100 individual boxers having been paid $1 million or more.  DKP also holds the distinction of having promoted or co-promoted seven of the ten largest pay-per-view events in history, as gauged by total buys, including three of the top five:  Holyfield vs. Tyson II, 1.99 million buys, June 1997; Tyson vs. Holyfield I, 1.6 million buys, November 1996; and Tyson vs. McNeeley, 1.58 million buys, August 1995.DKP has promoted or co-promoted twelve of the top twenty highest-grossing live gates in the history of the state of Nevada including four of the top five: Holyfield vs. Lewis II, paid attendance: 17,078, gross: $16,860,300 (NOTE: Also second-highest live-gate gross for any event in the history of the world.), date: November 13, 1999; Holyfield vs. Tyson II, paid attendance: 16,279, gross: $14,277,200, date: June 28, 1997; Holyfield vs. Tyson I, paid attendance: 16,103, gross: $14,150,700, date: November 9, 1996; and Tyson vs. McNeeley, paid attendance: 16,113, gross: $13,965,600, date: August 19, 1995.

About Mohegan Sun
Mohegan Sun, owned by the Mohegan Tribe, is one of the largest, most distinctive and spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping and meeting destinations in the United States.  Situated on 240 acres along the Thames River in scenic southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence and located 15 minutes from the museums, antique shops and waterfront of Mystic Country.  More information is available by calling 1.888.226.7711 or visiting mohegansun.com.

Hulking strongmen showcase their power and might in the first qualifier event at Mohegan Sun

 Many of the world’s strongest men, including defending champion and local favorite Derek Poundstone, will return to southeastern Connecticut for the World’s Strongest Man Qualifier.  These mountains of muscle and brawn will attempt to press, lift and carry thousands of pounds at Mohegan Sun Arena on Sunday, April 25th starting at 4:00pm.  This event is part of the 2010 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) competition, the qualifier to the World’s Strongest Man championship event.

Tickets are $30.00 and go on sale Friday, January 29th at 10:00am through Ticketmaster.    Ticketmaster customers may log onto ticketmaster.com; call Ticketmaster’s national toll free Charge By Phone number 1.800.745.3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet.  Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office beginning on Saturday, January 30th, subject to availability.

Athletes from around the world will battle in such feats of strength as the Giant Timber Frame Carry, the Car Dead Lift and the Atlas Stones competition.  The American contingency features Derek Poundstone (Waterbury, Connecticut), 2009’s America’s Strongest Man, 2009 Arnold’s Strongman Classic Champion and 2nd place at 2008’s WSM; Brian Shaw (Denver, Colorado), 2009 World Strongman Super Series World Champion; Nick Best (Las Vegas, NV), 2010 All-American Champion; Josh Thigpen (Houston, TX), 4th place 2010 All-American Strongman Challenge and Jason Bergmann (Appleton, WI), World’s Strongest Man competitor.

Meanwhile, the roster of international competitors includes: Mark Felix (Grenada), 2nd place at 2010 All-American Strongman Challenge; Stoyan Todorchev (Bulgaria), 2nd place at 2009 World Strongman Super Series Overall Championship; Terry Hollands (United Kingdom), WSM finalist and 3rd place at the 2008 Mohegan Sun Grand Prix; Louis-Philippe Jean (Canada), Canada’s Strongest Man and 2009 World’s Strongest Man finalist and Johannes Arsjo (Sweden) Sweden’s Strongest Man. 

In the Giant Timber Frame Carry, the athletes will each attempt to lift and carry a 750-pound timber frame and carry it for 30 meters/100 feet.  Furthest or fastest time to complete course wins. The athlete will have a 60-second time limit to complete the course.

In the Car Dead Lift, the athletes will attempt to lift the rear end of a compact car with their bare hands for as many repetitions as possible in a 60-second time limit.

During the Atlas Stones portion, the athletes will attempt to lift, carry and load six stones weighing 285 – 420 pounds onto platforms. Fastest time to load all six stones (or the most stones) wins.  The athlete will have a 60-second time limit to complete all six stones. 

Mohegan Sun Arena is ranked the 4th best venue by Billboard Magazine and was the 2008 recipient of a Country Music Award for “Casino of The Year.” For more information on concerts and other great events at Mohegan Sun, visit mohegansun.com.  For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.

Weigh-in for Friday Night Fights At Mohegan Sun

WHAT: Official Boxing Weigh-In

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, January 28th
5:00 pm
Outside Mohegan Sun Box Office
Mohegan Sun

WHO: Main Events:
Peter Manfredo Jr. 33-6-0 (18 KOs) vs. Matt Vanda 42-9-0 (22 KOs)

Matt Remillard 20-0-0 (11 KOs) vs. Rafael Lora 11-1-0 (5 KOs)

IN DETAIL: Headlining the January 29th event, Peter “The Pride of Providence” Manfredo Jr. will face off against Matt “The Predator” Vanda in the ten-round main event for the NABF Super Middleweight Title.

The co-feature on January 29th is a featherweight showdown between Hartford’s Matt “The Sharp Shooter” Remillard and Dominican Rafael Lora in a ten round battle for the NABF Featherweight Title. The bout is a rematch of their action-packed September 19th bout, won by Remillard in a controversial fourth round stoppage, which Lora hotly disputed.