CES Boxing opens 2023 season at Mohegan Sun Arena

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 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.

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 MagazinePollstar 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.

 

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Boxing Returns to Mohegan Sun Arena

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 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.

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 MagazinePollstar 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.

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2015 Boxcino Tournament Kicks Off on Friday, February 13th Live on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights From Mohegan Sun Arena

Tickets on sale now through Ticketmaster and the Mohegan Sun Box Office

UNCASVILLE, CT (January 28, 2015) — The popular boxing elimination tournament, Boxcino 2015, will make its season debut, Friday, February 13, 2015, featuring four quarterfinal bouts in the junior middleweight division at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT. The entire Boxicino 2015 series will be televised live on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.
Promoted by Banner Promotions and Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports (CES), tickets to the February 13th edition of Boxcino 2015, priced at $120.00, $60.00, $35.00 and $28.00, are on sale now.  Tickets can be purchased via ticketmaster.com, by phone at 1.800.745.3000, all Ticketmaster outlets or in person at the Mohegan Sun Box Office.
The four quarterfinal fights in the Jr. Middleweight division are as follows:
1.    Cleotis Pendarvis (17-4-2, 6 KO’s) will fight Ricardo Pinnell (10-1-1, 6 KO’s)
2.    Stanyslav Skorokhod (8-0, 6 KO’s) will fight Michael Moore (13-0, 6 KO’s)
3.    Brandon Adams (15-1, 10 KO’s) will take on Alex Perez (18-1, 10 KO’s)
4.    Vito Gasparyan (14-3-5, 8 KO’s) will square off with Simeon Hardy (13-0, 10 KO’s).
The winner of bout 1 will fight the winner of bout 2 while the winners of bouts 3 and 4 will fight on April 3rd in the semifinals.
The Boxcino 2014 tournament spawned breakout stars Willie Monroe and Petr Petrov. Both are now world-rated #3 along with future stars Brandon AdamsFernando Carcamo.
The Boxcino 2015 season debut will feature four quarterfinal bouts with the winners moving on to semifinals which will take place on April 3rd & April 10th.
“We are excited to be coming to Mohegan Sun to kick off Boxcino 2015,” said Banner Promotions CEO Artie Pelullo.  “I have been friends with Tom Cantone for over 15 years and I look forward to working with him and his staff on this great event.  Last year’s tournament was very successful and we look forward to having the first round of junior middleweights at Mohegan Sun.  There have been many classic fights at Mohegan Sun and on February 13th we plan on adding to the great tradition.”

“We are excited and honored to collaborate with Artie Pelullo and Banner Promotions,” said Jimmy Burchfield, President of CES Boxing. “Artie is a dear friend of mine and one of the true gentlemen in the sport of boxing. Few promoters work harder or go to such great lengths to nurture and develop talent from all over the world. In an era where the entertainment dollar is stretched thin and fighters are ducking challenges left and right, Artie remains old school, building his foundation through hard-fought, competitive fights that give the ticket-buyer tremendous value for every dollar they spend. What he has done in such tumultuous times for our sport is remarkable and it’s an incredible thrill to be working alongside him on what will be an epic event February 13th. You will see the best of both worlds — boxing’s marquee talent along with the rising stars of the Northeast. No one knows this market better than Banner Promotions and CES Boxing. This will be a must-see event.”
“We love any time we have a boxing event here as they always account for tremendous energy and buzz in the Casino,” said Tom Cantone, Senior Vice President of Sports & Entertainment for MTGA.
Local prospects slated to appear on the undercard include:
David Bauza, Hartford, CT:  light-heavyweight (6-0, 3 KOs);
“Prince” Ray Oliveira, New Bedford, MA: light-middleweight (2-0, 1 KO), son of former jr. welterweight contender “Sucra” Ray Oliveira
Khiary Gray-Pitts, Worcester, MA: middleweight (3-0, 1 KO)

Nick DeLomba, Providence, RI: welterweight (6-0, 0 KOs)
Below are the contacts for Media credentials for the Boxcino 2015 tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena:
Marc Abrams at marc@banner-promotions and 856 287 7611 or
Michael Parente at [email protected] and 401 263 4990
Visit www.banner-promotions.com for more information.
Mohegan Sun Arena is ranked 3rd in the U.S. and 5th in the world by Billboard Magazine and was the 2008 and 2010 recipient of a Country Music Award for “Casino of The Year.” Venues Today also ranked Mohegan Sun Arena #3 in the Nation and #3 in the World for top stops in 2013 and also ranked the Arena in the top six of “Top Stops of The Decade” in 2012. 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.

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