UNCASVILLE, CT (September 16, 2026) – The 2026 Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame will celebrate a historic induction class on Saturday, October 10th at Mohegan Sun, including a special honor for former New England featherweight and super featherweight champion, Joey Negron of Bridgeport. A special ceremony taking place inside Mohegan Sun’s Earth Ballroom is slated for 6:00pm, with tickets available HERE via Eventbrite. The full class of 2026 being recognized at the event are Luis Rosa Sr., Kent Ward, Ken Ezzo, Fernely Feliz Sr., and Rich Cappiello.
After a slow start in 1986, 18-year old Joey Negron caught fire, going undefeated in his next 10 bouts. The streak included a victory over Mike Cappiello to capture the USA New England super featherweight title in May 1991 in Fall River, MA. Soon after Negron scored a TKO over Julio DeJesus to win the USA New England featherweight crown. He successfully defended the title in February 1992 with a TKO victory over Carlos Vergara.
Although he lost his final two pro bouts in Florida and finished with a career record of 14-7-4, Negron faced formidable competition. He retired after six rounds against former world champion John John Molina, who owned a 42-4 record when they met in October 1997. In May 1998, Negron dropped a decision to the undefeated Frank Olsen, who entered the fight with a 25-0 record. As an amateur, Negron was a New York State Golden Gloves champion.
In 2009, Luis Rosa Sr. founded the Boxing in Faith Gym in New Haven, CT with his wife Marilyn. He has earned praise for his ability to mentor and train both amateur and professionals that have come to his gym. One of the best prospects to come out of the gym was his son, Luis Rosa Jr., who passed away in a tragic auto accident in 2018.
A fixture on the New London, CT boxing scene for years because of his leadership, knowledge and dedication as a trainer at the Whaling City Athletic Club, Kent Ward earned further acclaim when he established Championship Rounds, which is a program for boxers with disabilities like Parkinson’s Disease.
Since 2005, Ken Ezzo has been a prominent referee and judge in the amateur and professional ranks in Connecticut. Ezzo is also a recognized historian of the sport, specializing in boxing’s golden era of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.
A Dominican Republic native, Fernely Feliz Sr. is a former professional heavyweight who now runs the Champs Boxing Gym in Danbury, CT. He trains sons Ali and Fernely Jr, the latter of whom is an undefeated prospect.
One of the most prominent promoters in New England, Rich Cappiello was honored earlier this year with a Lifetime Achievement Award from Nolan Brothers Boxing. In addition to being involved with “The Contender” reality show, Cappiello has been lauded for his contributions to the Rocky Marciano Foundation. From 1996-2013, Cappiello promoted several events that featured Connecticut fighters.
Recognitions at the 2026 Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame Ceremony also include:
Kamarre Kemp for “Amateur Boxer of the Year.”
Chordale Booker for “Pro Boxer of the Year”
Marilyn Rosa for “Pro Official of the Year”
Phyllis Roy for “Amateur Official of the Year”
Paul Cichon for “Trainer of the Year”
And finally, the “Contribution to Boxing” award will be presented to Kirk Lang, a longtime journalist and advocate for the sport throughout Connecticut. The late Mark Foster will also receive the “Willie Pep Courage Award.”
For more information on the 2026 Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, visit ctboxinghof.com
ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN
Owned by Mohegan, Mohegan Sun is one of the largest, most spectacular entertainment, gaming, dining and shopping destinations in the United States. Situated on 185 acres along the Thames River in scenic Southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is home to two unique casinos, 1,600 deluxe hotel rooms, two world-class spas, two distinct convention centers, an expo center, a golf course, over 70 shops, restaurants and bars as well as three award-winning entertainment venues including a 10,000-seat Arena. 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. Connect with us on Facebook, follow us on X and Instagram @mohegansun and view us on YouTube.
Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Invitational’ Amateur Showcase & Pro Boxing Showcase hits Mohegan Sun Arena on August 12th
UNCASVILLE, CT (July 21, 2023) – Taking place on Saturday, August 12th from Mohegan Sun Arena will be the highly anticipated CES Boxing “Summer Heat 2023.” A stacked boxing card is planned, including professional stand-out Chordale ‘The Gift’ Booker from Stamford, CT as well as Chad Dawson Jr. and Troyveon Allen, both from New Haven, CT.
“August 12th is going to be special, as fans will not only be treated to a great night of professional boxing, but they’ll get a 2-for-1,” stated CES Founder Jimmy Burchfield Sr. “Their ticket will also allow them to attend the ‘Jimmy Burchfield Classic Invitational,’ a USA Boxing sanctioned Amateur showcase that will take place before the pro card on August 12th.”
The stacked pro boxing card will be headlined by newly minted WBC US Super Welterweight champion Booker (19-1, 8 KOs), who picked up that title with a spectacular 4th round knockout at Mohegan Sun Arena in April.
Booker, with an impressive victory over Puerto Rico’s Nicolas Hernandez (27-6-3, 12 KOs) will be one step closer to a title shot, especially if undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo vacates his belts after moving up two divisions to challenge undisputed super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez on September 30th in Las Vegas.
“This is going to be one of my best performances,” exclaimed Booker. “I haven’t been this locked in since 2018. However long it goes, it’s going to be bad for Nicolas Hernandez. You’re going to see a great performance and a great show. This fight is not going 10.”
The pro card will also feature Hall-of-Famer Jaime ‘The Hurricane’ Clampitt (24-6-2, 7 KOs) and many of the best prospects that New England has to offer, including Anthony ‘ATV’ Velasquez (12-0-1, 11 KOs), Alejandro Paulino (14-0, 12 KOs), Angel Gonzalez (12-0, 7 KOs) and Wilson Mascarenhas (7-1, 2 KOs) in separate bouts.
“All of New England will be represented on the card in competitive match-ups,” said Burchfield Sr. “From top to bottom, this will be one of the best shows of the year.”
Another fighter CES boxing is excited to showcase is Polish prospect Slawomir Bohdziewicz (1-0, 1 KO), who scored a tremendous 3rd round knockout in his debut at Mohegan Sun Arena in April.
“I’m very thankful to Jimmy Burchfield for putting on this event,” said Bohdziewicz. “I know my Polish fans will come out to support me and I will not let them down.”
The event kicks off with “Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Invitational” amateur showcase beginning at 4:30pm. Topping that card will be Ali Feliz, the #1 ranked Heavyweight in the United States. Feliz is from a fighting family: his father, Fernely Feliz, was a heavyweight puncher who retired with a record of 23-9 with 16 KOs and fought the likes of former heavyweight champions Oleg Maskaev and ‘The Quiet Man’ John Ruiz. Ali’s brother, Fernely Feliz Jr. (6-0, 5 KOs) is a power punching heavyweight who will also see action on the undercard of the pro show.
The Invitational will also feature Chad Dawson Jr., son of former two-time light heavyweight champion ‘Bad’ Chad Dawson, and Troyveon Allen, a 22-year-old who won the Western New England Golden Gloves at 132lbs this February.
“My Dad stepped down, so now I’m here to take his place and have fun,” joked Dawson Jr. to the delight of the crowd. “Fun destruction!”.
Join CES Boxing at Mohegan Sun Arena for a fantastic night of boxing. Tickets for this event are $165, $140, $66, and $46, and are on sale now at ticketmaster.com and the Mohegan Sun Box Office.
Doors open at 4:00pm, with the first amateur bout starting at 5:00pm and the pro card beginning at 6:30pm.
“Mohegan Sun Arena has hosted some tremendous boxing in our 22-year history and were thrilled about the upcoming “Summer Heat 2023” fight card on August 12th, featuring so many impressive boxers, many of which hail from Connecticut!” Said Tom Cantone, President of Sports & Entertainment for Mohegan.
CES Boxing is one of the top promotions on the East Coast. Founded in 1992 by Jimmy Burchfield Sr., CES Boxing has promoted many world class fighters, including Jamaine Ortiz, Juiseppe Cusumano, Hank Lundy, Vinny Paz, Peter Manfredo, Mariusz Wach, Jason Estrada, Matt Godfrey, and Ray Oliveira. CES Boxing has promoted such super fights as “The Thriller on Triller: Tyson v Jones Jr.”, and “The Contender: Manfredo v Pemberton”.
ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN ARENA
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 U.S. 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 “Most Beloved Venue in America” 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 “Arena of the Year.” For more information on concerts and other great events, visit Mohegan Sun. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711.
Card includes WBC Silver Junior Middleweight title bout
UNCASVILLE, CT (June 13, 2023) – CES Boxing returns to Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, August 12th for a memorable night of boxing. The stacked card will include a newly crowned champion, several prospects, and a hall-of-famer in action.
Tickets are $165, $140, $66, and $46, and are on sale now at ticketmaster.com and the Mohegan Sun Box Office.
In a title fight, Stamford, CT’s Chordale “The Gift” Booker (19-1, 8 KOs) returns to the Mohegan Sun Arena for the third consecutive time following his spectacular knockout of Daniel Aduku in April to win the vacant WBC Silver junior middleweight title.
Fans will also be treated to 5-time, 2 division world champion Jaime “The Hurricane” Clampitt (24-6-2, 7 KOs), as she continues her hall-of-fame career in an 8 round super featherweight bout.
A pair of undefeated prospects from Springfield, MA will also be in action, as junior middleweight Anthony “ATV” Velasquez (12-0-1, 11 KOs) looks to make a statement in his first bout after an 8-round draw in April at the Mohegan Sun, and middleweight Jalen Renaud (9-0, 3 KOs) faces Portland, Maine’s Casey James Streeter (10-2-1, 4 KOs) in a middleweight slugfest.
Power punching prospect Michael “The Savage” Kimbel (2-0, 2 KOs) of Waterbury, CT, continues his assault on the super lightweight division, seeking his 3rd knockout in as many bouts.
ABOUT CES BOXING
CES Boxing is one of the top promotions on the East Coast. Founded in 1992 by Jimmy Burchfield Sr., CES Boxing has promoted many world class fighters, including Jamaine Ortiz, Juiseppe Cusumano, Hank Lundy, Vinny Paz, Peter Manfredo, Mariusz Wach, Jason Estrada, Matt Godfrey, and Ray Oliveira. CES Boxing has promoted such super fights as “The Thriller on Triller: Tyson v Jones Jr.” and “The Contender: Manfredo v Pemberton”.
ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN ARENA
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 U.S. 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 “Most Beloved Venue in America” 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 “Arena of the Year.” For more information on concerts and other great events, visit Mohegan Sun. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711.
Cusumano, Booker, Paulino, and Gotti featured on loaded fight card at Winter Brawl
With a new year comes fireworks, and CES Boxing is ready to light up the sky with an epic showcase at one of the world’s premier entertainment venues. Winter Brawl, CES Boxing’s 2023 season opener, comes to Mohegan Sun Arena at 7:00pm on Saturday, January 21st.
Tickets are $165, $140, $66, and $46, and are on sale now at ticketmaster.com and the Mohegan Sun Box Office.
Winter Brawl 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.
Fresh off his knockout win over Dennis Ventura in August at Mohegan Sun Arena, 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. Bernath 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 light middleweight Chordale Booker (17-1, 7 KOs) from Stamford 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, Rhode Island, and the undefeated Kevin Walsh (6-0, 4 KOs) of Brockton, Massachusetts.
Mixed martial arts standout John Gotti III of Oyster Bay, New York, returns to CES for his second professional boxing match. Gotti is no stranger to the limelight; the highly touted MMA welterweight prospect made his professional debut in the cage at CES 46 in Rhode Island in October 2017 and went on to win his first four bouts by first-round knockout. Gotti will take on Alex Citrowske (1-1-1, 1 KO) of Saint Cloud, Minnesota, in a four-round cruiserweight bout.
Returning from a 13-month layoff, featherweight Irvin Gonzalez (15-3, 11 KOs) from Worcester, Massachusetts, steps back into the ring in an eight-round bout against the dangerous Headley Scott (18-1, 12 KOs) of Jonesboro, Georgia. 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).
In another potential showstopper, undefeated welterweight Josniel Castro (9-0, 7 KOs), a Boca Raton, Florida, native who’s fought his entire pro career in New England, 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 Kimbel of Watertown, Connecticut, makes his professional boxing debut against Robert Banks (0-1) of Monroeville, New York, also in a four-round bout.
About CES Boxing
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.
About Mohegan Sun Arena
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.
Newly acquired Cassius Chaney, hard-hitting Juiseppe Cusumano headline CES Boxing’s long-awaited return to Mohegan Sun Arena
CES Boxing returns to Mohegan Sun Arena for the first time in nearly seven years with Summer Heat, the latest installment of its 2022 Fight Series featuring two of the sport’s hardest-hitting heavyweight prospects. CES Boxing Presents Summer Heat takes over Mohegan Sun Arena at 7:00pm on Saturday, August 20th.
Tickets are $120, $100, $60, and $40 go on sale Friday, July 15th at Noon through Ticketmaster and cesfights.com. Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office beginning Saturday, July 15th at 10:00am, subject to availability.
CES’ newest acquisition, 6-foot-6 right-hander Cassius Chaney of New London, Connecticut, 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 closer to the dream of competing for a world title.
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, Massachusetts, and fast-rising bantamweight prospect Angel Gonzalez of Hartford, Connecticut.
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 2nd showcase in Connecticut.
Chaney (21-1, 14 KOs) returns to his home state after signing a promotional agreement with New England’s top promotion, joining forces with promoter Jimmy Burchfield Sr. Born in Baltimore, Chaney was an All-Conference basketball player at the University of New Haven.
Working with renowned trainer Stephen “Breadman” Edwards, Chaney climbed the ladder quickly among heavyweights after making his professional debut at 28 years old, 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, Chaney 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, scoring two more knockouts in 2020 and opening 2021 with a knockout win over 18-fight veteran Shawndell Terell Winters in Worcester, Massachusetts. In his most recent fight in December, Chaney fought 10 hard rounds with fellow unbeaten heavyweight George Arias in New York City.
Chaney’s new teammate Cusumano (20-14, 18 KOs) is on a similar path. The heavy-handed Sicilian bounced back in June with a 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 one of 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.
About CES Boxing
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.
About Mohegan Sun Arena
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 (July 21, 2023) – Taking place on Saturday, August 12th from Mohegan Sun Arena will be the highly anticipated CES Boxing “Summer Heat 2023.” A stacked boxing card is planned, including professional stand-out Chordale ‘The Gift’ Booker from Stamford, CT as well as Chad Dawson Jr. and Troyveon Allen, both from New Haven, CT.
UNCASVILLE, CT (June 13, 2023) – CES Boxing returns to Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, August 12th for a memorable night of boxing. The stacked card will include a newly crowned champion, several prospects, and a hall-of-famer in action.
With a new year comes fireworks, and CES Boxing is ready to light up the sky with an epic showcase at one of the world’s premier entertainment venues. Winter Brawl, CES Boxing’s 2023 season opener, comes to Mohegan Sun Arena at 7:00pm on Saturday, January 21st.