DOVER, Del. — Dover Downs Hotel & Casino will present two heavyweight championship bouts on Friday, May 27 in the Rollins Center arena. Headlining for the WBC Caribbean Boxing Federation Heavyweight Title are Franklin “Yah-Yah” Lawrence, 14(9)-2-2, of Indianapolis, Ind. and Jason “The Sensation” Gavern, 20(9)-7-4 of Kissimmee, Fla. This bout is scheduled for 12 rounds.
The co-headline event of the night will feature local phenomenon Amir “Hard Core” Mansour appearing in the first championship bout of his career for the WBF Intercontinental Heavyweight Title. Mansour, from Wilmington, Del. via his hometown of Penns Grove, NJ, made a remarkable return last August from a lengthy hiatus, beefing his record to 13 hard-hitting wins, ten by knockout, and no losses.
“I am very excited about returning to Dover to fight for my first, but not last, title belt,” said Amir Mansour. “Dover Downs Hotel & Casino is a special place for me, and I plan on giving their great boxing fans my best effort.” Mansour will face off against Raymond “King Kong” Ochieng of Nairobi, Kenya, with a record of 23(18)-13(9)-3.
The undercard features super middleweight “Mighty” Mike Tiberi, 16(7)-1 of Smyrna, Del., scheduled for eight rounds and featherweight “Queen” Ronica Jeffrey, 5(1)-0 of Brooklyn, N.Y. Omarr Douglass of Wilmington, Del. will make his debut in a four round super featherweight bout.
Also confirmed on the card is light heavyweight “The Bull” Anthony “Caputo” Smith of Kennett Square, Pa. With a clean record of 9(7)-0, Smith has drawn a loyal local following and brings a large entourage of fans from both Pa. and Del. Cruiserweight Dan “Bada Bing” Biddle 6(4)-1 of Hockessin, Del. is scheduled for four rounds. Opponents are to be announced soon. Nick Tiberi is the matchmaker.
Tickets are still available from $40 to $200 and may be purchased at 800-711-5882 or www.doverdowns.com. The first bout will begin at 7:30 p.m. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Will call will be open from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.
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Owned by Dover Downs Gaming & Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: DDE), Dover Downs Hotel & Casino® is a premier gaming and entertainment resort destination in the Mid-Atlantic region. Gaming operations consist of approximately 2,600 slots and a full complement of table games including poker. The AAA-rated Four Diamond hotel is Delaware’s largest with 500 luxurious rooms/suites and amenities including a full-service spa/salon, concert hall and 35,000 sq. ft. of multi-use event space. Live, world-class harness racing is featured November through April, and horse racing is simulcast year-round. Professional football parlay betting is accepted during the season. Additional property amenities include multiple restaurants from fine dining to casual fare, bars/lounges and retail shops. For more information, please visit www.doverdowns.com.