New York, NY (August 1, 2019) DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing returns tonight with a special edition of the Summer Series, titled “Night of the Contenders”, from the Monroeville Convention Center, in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. The event will be live streamed exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT. Broadway Boxing: NIGHT OF THE CONTENDERS is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, in association with Pinnacle Fighting Championships, and is presented by Nissan of Queens, Azad Watches, OPTYX, Christos Steak House and Gagliardi Insurance.
Fighting for the first time since competing for “The Contender”, Ievgen “The Ukrainian Lion” Khytrov (18-2, 15 KOs), of Brooklyn, New York, will headline the event against Gabriel Pham (11-1, 5 KOs), of Atlantic City, New Jersey, in an eight-round contest with the vacant WBC USNBC super middleweight title at stake. The heavy-handed Khytrov, co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Fight Promotions Inc., defeated both Morgan Fitch and Malcolm McAllister by knockout on “The Contender” series last year. Pham is riding a five-bout winning streak, including a unanimous decision victory against previously undefeated Jaba Khositashvill on June 20, in Atlantic City. Each fighter weighed in at 167.6 pounds.
In the co-featured bout, junior middleweight Eric “The Baby Faced Assassin” Walker (18-2, 8 KOs), of Plaquemine, Louisiana, will take on Jose Antonio “Bachata” Abreu (14-5, 8 KOs), of La Romana, Dominican Republic, in an eight-round bout. On “The Contender”, Walker defeated John Jackson and John Thompson before losing a hard-fought majority decision over five rounds to tournament champion Brandon Adams on May 22, 2018, in Los Angeles. In his last fight, Walker won an eight-round unanimous decision versus Michael Moore on November 9, 2018, at the Forum in Los Angeles, CA. Walker weighed in at 154.2 pounds and Abreu, 155 pounds.
The upset-minded Jose Antonio Abreu returns following an outstanding victory against hometown favorite Wesley Tucker in Toledo, Ohio, on July 6. The battle-tested veteran has faced numerous contenders and top prospects over his seven years as a professional, including Kerman Lejarraga, Euri Gonzalez and Madiyar Ashkeyev.
Welterweight contender Ivan “The Volk” Golub (16-1, 12 KOs), of Brooklyn, New York, will meet Joaquim Carneiro (25-10, 23 KOs), of Sao Paulo, Brazil, in an eight-round bout. Co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Fight Promotions Inc., the 30-year-old Ukrainian southpaw is currently riding a three-bout winning streak. He last fought on April 10, earning a dominant 10-round unanimous decision against Manuel Alejandro Reyes at Sony Hall in New York City. As an amateur, Golub accumulated a 270-32 record, while becoming a five-time Ukrainian National champion, and won bronze medals at the Junior World Championships in 2006 and at the World Championships in 2009. He also participated in the World Series of Boxing, winning all five of his bouts. Golub tipped the scales at 148.6 pounds, while Carneiro came in at 150.4 pounds.
Puerto Rican junior welterweight prospect Victor Padilla (4-0, 4 KOs), will make his DiBella Entertainment debut tonight against Benjamin Borteye, of Silver Spring, Maryland, in a scheduled four-round bout. Now living in Berlin, NJ, Padilla was born in Vieques, Puerto Rico, and had a stellar amateur career, compiling a 90-7 record while becoming a three-time National champion. He is now trained by Raul “Chino” Rivas and fights out of the same camp as IBF Super Featherweight World Champion Tevin Farmer. Padilla weighed in at 139.4 pounds and Borteye, 140.4 pounds.
Undefeated heavyweight prospect Mike Balogun (13-0, 10 KOs), of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, faces St. Louis, MO, veteran Ed Fountain (12-5, 5 KOs) in what promises to be an exciting clash, scheduled for eight rounds. The athletic Balogun is a former college football standout who started for the Oklahoma Sooners before playing in the NFL for three years. The southpaw Balogun will be fighting for the third time this year, with knockout victories against Marquis Valentine and Danny Calhoun coming in February and April. Fountain is seeking to rebound from a hard-fought loss to undefeated contender Hemi Ahio on March 2, in Columbus, Ohio. Balogun weighed in at 233.6 pounds, and Fountain, 240.6 pounds.
Local fan favorite Bill Hutchinson (17-2-4, 8 KOs), 134.4 pounds, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, faces Charlie Serrano (16-4-2, 5 KOs), 127.6 pounds, of Tampa, Florida, in a scheduled eight-round lightweight attraction. The 30-year-old Hutchinson is currently on a seven-bout winning streak, which includes a stoppage victory against Justin Savi last August.
Heavyweight Bob Weisen, 195.8 pounds, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, will make his pro debut against Dennis Vance (1-0, 1 KO), 235 pounds, of Detroit, Michigan.
Tickets for tonight’s Broadway Boxing: NIGHT OF THE CONTENDERS, promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Pinnacle Fighting Championships, and presented by Nissan of Queens, Azad Watches, OPTYX, Christos Steak House and Gagliardi Insurance, are priced at $100, $50 and $25, and can be purchased online HERE. The Monroeville Convention Center is located at 209 Mall Plaza Blvd., Monroeville, PA 15146, just 12 miles east of Pittsburgh. Doors will open at 6:30 pm, with the first fight scheduled for 7:30 pm. For more information on the venue, please visit their website HERE.
