ESPN Friday Night Fights Card Shakes Up

Red-hot junior middleweight Tony Harrison moves into main event; Puts undefeated record on the line against Mexico’s Pablo Munguia;
Tevin Farmer to open the triple-header against Gabriel Tolmajyan at Mohegan Sun Arena on April 17th

UNCASVILLE, CT (April 8, 2015) – The previously announced ESPN Friday Night Fights card has shaken up a bit. The card, being promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Fight Promotions Inc. and New Legend Boxing, at the beautiful Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT, was originally slated to be headlined by Sergiy Derevyanchenko (4-0, 3KO’s) taking on Elvin Ayala (27-6-1, 12KO’s). With Ayala facing a legal situation, promoter Lou DiBella has elected to replace the feature bout, moving Derevyanchenko over to his April 10th ShoBox card, and sliding in red-hot undefeated junior middleweight Tony Harrison (20-0, 17KO’s) into the main event slot. Harrison is set to square off against Mexico’s Pablo Munguia (20-6, 11KO’s) in the 10-round feature bout of the evening.
Tickets are $100.00, $70.00 and $30.00 and are currently on sale 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 are also available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office, subject to availability.  Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET with the first bout scheduled for 7:30pm ET.
The eagerly anticipated co-feature remains intact, with WBA #10-rated super featherweight Ryan Kielczweski (22-0, 6KO’s) putting his undefeated record on the line against Connecticut’s own Danny Aquino (16-2, 10KO’s) in an eight-round featherweight matchup and battle for New England bragging rights.
Opening up the triple-header is junior lightweight contender Tevin Farmer (18-4-1, 4KO’s) taking on Gabriel Tolmajyan (14-4-2, 3KO’s) in an eight-round 130lb. matchup.
Live coverage will begin at 10:00pm ET on ESPN2 and will also be available through WatchESPN on computers, smartphones, tablets, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One via an affiliated video provider. In addition ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates will carry the fights live on broadband Spanish-language ESPN Deportes+.
“I want to thank Al Haymon and Lou DiBella for giving me this fight and I also want to thank ESPN for giving me another opportunity to display my talent to the world. Come April 17th, you are going to see another great performance by Tony Harrison. I am coming to put on a heck of a show and display my full arsenal. I know my opponent is tough and he has been in there with some pretty good guys, but I am coming in there in top shape. This is going to be an exciting fight for as long as it lasts, so get there early, get your popcorn ready and don’t blink,” stated Harrison.
The 24-year-old Harrison, a former protégé of the late great Emanuel Steward, is as good as any up-and-coming prospect in the game right now, and is expected to begin moving into title contention this year. The bout on April 17th will be his second straight headlining bout on the ESPN network in just over a month. On March 6th, Harrison destroyed longtime fringe contender Antwone Smith, dropping Smith twice in the first round before getting the official stoppage in the second. Munguia is expected to be a stern test for Harrison, arguably his toughest to date. Munguia is 3-2 in his last five bouts, but those five opponents have had a combined record of 92-5-2. In his most recent bout in February of this year, Munguia dropped a razor-thin split decision to highly regarded former Cuban silver medalist Yudel Johnson. Munguia knows that a win on April 17th, on national TV, will propel him into the type of fights that he is looking for.
“I want to thank DiBella Entertainment and ESPN for this great opportunity to get my career back on track and moving in the direction I want it,” said Munguia. “I have 20 wins and on April 17th, I will secure my 21st victory, the most important of my career. I believe April 17th will be the beginning of a great run for me and my career.”
It is hard to think of another fighter in recent memory that has had as drastic a career turnaround as Tevin Farmer has had. Three years ago, Farmer’s record stood at 7-4-1 and he was considered nothing more than a tough Philly fighter who was a good opponent to match against up-and-coming prospects. Fast-forward three years and 11 impressive wins later and Farmer has not only emerged as one of the prospects he was once put in against, but as a legitimate contender. In his most recent outing in January, his first fight since signing with DBE, Farmer easily defeated once-beaten Victor Chernous (15-1-1), winning a dominant eight-round unanimous decision. Farmer, in whom promoter Lou DiBella sees style comparisons to Pernell Whitaker, comes from a boxing family and has family ties to Hall-of-Famer Joe Gans, who was called the greatest lightweight boxer of all time by boxing historian and Ring Magazine founder Nat Fleischer.
Farmer is looking to build his own legacy and knows he has the talent and ability to compete against the best the 130lb. division has to offer, but he must first get by the hungry and determined Tolmajyan.
“April 17th is a very big fight for me, the biggest of my career. Every fight out from here on is the biggest fight of my life,” said Farmer. “Every time I step into the ring, I’m looking to make a statement. I have worked so hard to get to this point; I can’t let anyone take this away from me. I want to thank my manager Mark Cipparone and my trainers Raul Rivas and Rashiem Jefferson for believing in me and Lou DiBella and ESPN for giving me this opportunity. Come April 17th, I am going to be at my absolute best. April 17th is going to be the beginning of something special.”
Like Farmer, Tolmajyan’s record is deceiving. Tolmajyan has never been stopped in his career, and three of his four career losses have come against undefeated opponents, including fellow Farmer conqueror, and #1 contender, Jose Pedraza. Tolmajyan holds victories over three previously undefeated foes, including an eight-round decision win over world-rated contender and former featherweight world-title challenger Daulis Prescott.
Additional bouts on the card will be announced soon.
Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Today. It has won “Casino of The Year” at the Country Music Awards in 2008 & 2010 and in 2013, was voted “Arena Of The Year” at the G2E Global Gaming Conference in Las Vegas. Also in 2013, Mohegan Sun won “Casino of The Year” in 2 categories at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Mohegan Sun Arena was also ranked among the top 10 Arena venues in the world for 2014, regardless of size. 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, ext. 27163.

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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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Tickets Available Friday For The 2014 American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship

Tickets for the inaugural Championship taking place at Mohegan Sun Arena available on November 15th

UNCASVILLE, CT (November 13, 2013) — All-session ticket packages for the 2014 American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship will go on sale Friday, November 15th, at 10:00am via all Ticketmaster outlets. The championship will be played at Mohegan Sun Arena, March 7-10, 2014.
All 10 American teams will battle for the conference’s automatic NCAA tournament bid. The 2014 American Women’s Basketball Championship will showcase the 2013 defending national champion UConn, national runner-up Louisville, NCAA Tournament participant USF, and two WNIT competitors in Memphis and SMU.  UCF, Cincinnati, Houston, Rutgers, and Temple will also contend for the title.
Package tickets to all nine games of the championship will be priced at $99.00 each, discounted by nearly one third of the face value. Ticket offices at all 10 American institutions will have all-session packages available, and tickets may also be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Box Office beginning November 15th, subject to availability.
Tickets can also be acquired by phone or online. To purchase via phone, call Ticketmaster at 1.800.745.3000. Both the Mohegan Sun website and Ticketmaster will have packages available for online purchase. For group sales (10 or more) information and discounts, please contact the Connecticut Sun Group Sales Department at 860.862.4000
The championship will be telecast via the ESPN family of networks.  The first round and quarterfinals, scheduled for March 7th – 8th, will be carried live on ESPN3.  The March 9th semifinals will be shown on ESPNU. The championship game, on March 10th, will appear on ESPN or ESPN2.
The American Digital Network, the league’s online home for live streaming audio and video, will provide fans with behind-the-scenes features and wrap-around content from the Championship. For all Championship information, please visit www.TheAmerican.org/WBB.
The American Athletic Conference (The American), which operated as the Big East Conference from 1979 to 2013, is a proud member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and located in Providence, Rhode Island. The American Athletic Conference comprises the following 10 member institutions: the University of Central Florida; University of Cincinnati, University of Connecticut, University of Houston, University of Louisville, University of Memphis, Rutgers University, Southern Methodist University, University of South Florida, and Temple University. In 2014-15, East Carolina University, Tulane University and the University of Tulsa become full members. The U.S. Naval Academy joins in football only in 2015. The American Athletic Conference is a member of the Bowl Championship Series. For more information on the Conference and its membership, please visit www.TheAmerican.org.
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 2012 and ranked it in the top six of “Top Stops of The Decade” in 2012. Venues Today also named Mohegan Sun Arena #4 in mid-year Top Stops for 2013. 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, ext. 27163.

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Delvin Rodriguez Squares Off With George Tahdooahnippah In Upcoming ESPN Friday Night Fights At Mohegan Sun

Rodriguez makes his return to the Arena along with a great card on February 15th

The popular, world ranked junior middleweight contender Delvin “EL Peligro” Rodriguez battles George “Comanche Boy” Tahdooahnippah on Friday, February 15th in the ten round main event of ESPN Friday Night Fights at Mohegan Sun.
Tickets are $75.00, $45.00 and $30.00 with 1st row VIP seats priced at $150 and go on sale now 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, starting Sunday, December 23rd, subject to availability.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to bring Delvin back to the Mohegan Sun Arena for the first time in three years.  The fans in Connecticut have been extremely supportive of him throughout his career and he is very excited to return” said Joe DeGuardia, President of Star Boxing and promoter of the event. “Going on sale this Saturday, these tickets make a great last minute gift or stocking stuffer for boxing fans.”
“For ‘Comanche Boy’ a fight against Rodriguez represents a terrific opportunity. This will be the first time he has fought on the East Coast and his first main event on ESPN so this is a chance for him to truly impress. He’s an undefeated Native American-Indian and a very colorful and aggressive fighter.”
A native of nearby Danbury, CT, the Dominican born Rodriguez, 26-6-3 (14KOs), is among the most popular fighters on the East Coast having continuously drawn huge crowds to his all-action fights. In July 2011 on ESPN Friday Night Fights, perennial contender Rodriguez fought to a draw with Pawel Wolak in a legendary battle that was voted “2011 Fight of the Year.” Rodriguez fought again in December of 2011 to beautifully outbox Wolak on his way to a dominant victory at Madison Square Garden.
In June of this year, Rodriguez challenged WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Austin Trout, losing a hard fought decision in a nationally televised bout.
Fighting out of Lawton, Oklahoma and a proud member of the Comanche Nation, Tahdooahnippah sports a record of 31-0-1 with 23 knockouts and is coming off a third round stoppage of Gundrick King that took place on September 28th, winning him the NABA USA Middleweight Title. The huge bout took place in his hometown.
The Rodriguez/Tahdooahnippah bout will be contested at a catch weight of 157 pounds. An exciting undercard will be announced shortly.
Mohegan Sun Arena is ranked 3rd in the U.S. and 4th 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 #4 in 2011 and ranked 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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