Mohegan Sun Newsroom

Peter Manfredo Jr. & Matt Remillard co-headline Hometown Heroes fight card

On Saturday, May 22nd, TKO Boxing Promotions returns to Mohegan Sun with its nationally-acclaimed Hometown Heroes To World Champions series, headlined by the return of Peter “The Pride Of Providence” Manfredo Jr. battling Chicago’s Angel “El Toro” Hernandez for the vacant IBO Middleweight Title. The co-main event will feature Manchester, CT’s own Matt “The Sharp Shooter” Remillard defending his NABF Featherweight Title.  The action begins at 7:30pm.

Tickets are $125.00, $60.00 and $30.00 and go on sale Saturday, April 10th at 10:00am 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.  Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office beginning on Sunday, April 11th, subject to availability.

Manfredo Jr. made his return to Mohegan Sun on January 29th with an outstanding shutout ten-round decision over Minnesota veteran Matt Vanda, acquiring the NABF Middleweight Title in the process. In front of a large and passionate crowd, Manfredo Jr. dominated Vanda from the opening bell. With a record of 34-6-0 (18 KOs), Manfredo is currently ranked #11 in the world by the World Boxing Council.

Hernandez, a native of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, 30-7-0 (17 KOs), has battled numerous world champions and contenders over his fourteen-year career including Winky Wright, Frankie Randall, Kassim Ouma, Wilfredo Rivera and J.C. Candelo.  Known for his fan friendly all-action style of fighting, Hernandez won both of his starts in 2009, a unanimous decision over highly regarded prospect James “Buddy” McGirt Jr. on January 16th and a sixth round stoppage over Antwun Echols on August 21st.

The 23-year-old Remillard is one of the most highly-regarded prospects in boxing. After winning all four of his bouts in 2009, he raised his undefeated record to 21-0-0 (12 KOs) on January 29th at Mohegan Sun with a third round stoppage of Rafael Lora where he defended his NABF Featherweight Title and earned him a top 10 world rating.

Further details on Remillard’s bout and an action-packed undercard will be announced shortly.

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.

Two budding superstars—one from boxing, one from music—team up

Grammy-nominated recording artist Drake will join undefeated World Boxing Council Super Lightweight Champion Devon Alexander “The Great” during the boxer’s walk to the ring for his world championship unification match on Saturday at Mohegan Sun that will be televised live on HBO (9:30pm ET/PT) from Mohegan Sun.  The event is being promoted by Don King Productions.

Drake will perform his smash-hit “Forever,” which will provide a perfect opportunity to play to the song’s lyric, “Last name ever, first name greatest,” as Alexander’s ring nickname is “The Great.” 

The song was included on the soundtrack of the LeBron James documentary film More Than a Game and peaked in Billboard magazine at #1 on the Rap chart; #2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart; and #8 on the overall Hot 100 chart.

The boxer and rapper, both 23, recently met in Las Vegas where Alexander, a native of St. Louis, had set up his training camp.  The boxer’s trainer-manager Kevin Cunningham and Drake’s managers noted the chemistry between the two emerging superstars and decided to pair them at Saturday’s boxing event.

“Naturally I’m a big fan of Drake’s,” Alexander said.  “He’s a really nice guy and I like the ‘Forever’ lyric.  I’m looking forward to hearing it as an added bit of motivation while I’m walking into the ring to face Juan Urango on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun.”

Music fans that viewed the recent national telecast of the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards may remember seeing Drake’s performance of “Forever” alongside Lil Wayne and Eminem to close out the show.

Alexander’s promoter Don King—whose music exploits include owning The Corner Tavern in Cleveland during the 50s and 60s, which was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002; the classic 1974 music festival that accompanied the “Rumble in the Jungle”; and promoting the “Jackson’s Victory Tour” in 1984—is excited to have Drake joining with his fighter.

“I’ve always loved music and Drake is one of the hottest artists in the world today,” King said.  “We’ve got the best young boxer in Devon Alexander and this sparkling young singer Drake.  It’s going to be something special on Saturday night.”

Aubrey Graham, better known as Drake, is a Toronto-born actor and singer recently nominated for two Grammys: “Best Rap Solo Performance” and “Best Rap Song” for “Best I Ever Had.”  Drake, who is signed to Aspire / Cash Money / Young Money has worked with, and earned the respect of, the most innovative artists in the Hip-Hop world including Lil Wayne, Kanye West and Eminem as well as musicians like Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige, to name a few. 

Drake is currently putting the finishing touches on his debut album, Thank Me Later, which is slated for a May 2010 release. Starting in April, Drake will headline the “Away From Home” tour, a Campus Consciousness tour, which has been selling out in ticket pre-sales.

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.

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 10 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 12 of the top 20 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: Nov. 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: Nov. 9, 1996; and Tyson vs. McNeeley, paid attendance: 16,113, gross: $13,965,600, date: Aug. 19, 1995.

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.