NEW YORK, NY (October 18, 2024) Next Wednesday, October 23, Lou DiBella’s DiBella Entertainment presents “Heroes on the Hudson 2,” a stacked card including three title fights, live from The Theater at Madison Square Garden. The main event features the much-anticipated rematch between IBF Bantamweight World Champion Miyo Yoshida and Shurretta Metcalf. “Heroes on the Hudson 2” will be broadcast live on ProBoxTV, beginning at 8:00pm ET/5:00pm PT. A portion of the event’s proceeds will be donated to West Point Society of New York, Merging Vets & Players, and The Headstrong Project.
Tickets for “Heroes On The Hudson 2”, priced at $182, $157, $82 and $57, can be purchased via Ticketmaster.com HERE. Doors at The Theater at Madison Square Garden will open on the night of the event at 7:15 PM ET.
How to Watch: Download the free ProBoxTV app available in all app stores, in English and Spanish. It is available on Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, Samsung, LG and Fubo Sports Channel, as well as on ProBoxTV’s YouTube channel.
The evening will kick off with a heavyweight clash between Jerry “Slugger” Forrest (27-6-2, 20 KOs), of Newport News, VA, and Brooklyn, NY’s Earl Newman (10-3-1, 7 KOs), scheduled for eight rounds. Forrest, who is coming off of a unanimous decision win against Robert Hall Jr. late last year, plans to set the stage for a major fight in 2025. Before turning pro, Newman was an accomplished amateur, winning the National Golden Gloves, National PAL tournament, and New York Golden Gloves twice.
Forrest, the heavy-handed six-foot-one southpaw was given his “Slugger” nickname by his grandmother after he survived complications at birth. In 2021, Forrest engaged in back-to-back slugfests, both of which ended in controversial draws, against then-undefeated Chinese southpaw Zhilei Zhang and a rematch against top-rated contender Michael Hunter. Forrest has also battled Jermaine Franklin, Carlos Takam, Kubrat Pulev and Jared Anderson.
“I’ve been in camp for the last few months,” said Forrest. “I always stay in shape, and I’m always ready. I’m feeling good, feeling healthy, and I’m ready for a fight. We’ve been studying footage of Newman. I’m not going in the ring feeling like this will be a pushover. I will be prepared for whatever Newman brings.”
Being a part of “Heroes on the Hudson 2” is especially important to Forrest, as his father, Duane, was a Master Chief Petty Officer aboard the USS Nimitz before recently retiring from the Navy. At the outset of his ring career, Jerry had been employed as a nuclear electrician for 10 years, working on submarines and aircraft carriers.
“My parents were always very supportive of me pursuing boxing. When my dad was in the Navy, he would get the carriers to show my fights. I had soldiers all over the world supporting me whenever I fought. It is an honor to fight on this card. The military blessed my family. We wouldn’t have what we have now without it.”
The elder Forrest is proud of his son for pursuing his dream.
“Jerry got into a fight at school with a bully, a gang member,” said Mr. Forrest, describing his son’s start in boxing. “The bully hit my son from behind, and Jerry responded by beating him up. The school official described my son’s punches sounding like a bat hitting a wall. After that, some kids came to our front door at home looking to fight my son, and he beat up them too. I told my son that if he wanted to fight, he needed to do it in the ring.
“We have always been supportive of my son’s career,” continued Mr. Forrest, who is proud that his son will fight on an event benefiting veterans. “My heart is with the veterans. I’m one myself. Men and women sign their names on dotted lines to defend this country and it’s about freedom. We enlist at our free will. That takes courage, heart, grit and guts. Only one percent of the population joins. Any member of any branch, I applaud you and thank you for your service. A lot of people won’t make the sacrifice. Most people do other things in life. It’s not easy by any means. Veterans made a sacrifice to give a part of their lives to defend democracy and freedom in our nation. I tip my hat to them because they are true leaders.”
Also on the undercard, Polish light heavyweight Konrad Kaczmarkiewicz (7-1-1, 3 KOs), a popular fighter out of Brooklyn, NY, takes on Pennsylvania’s Khainell Wheeler (7-5, 6 KOs) in a six-round bout. A Polish National Champion as an amateur, Kaczmarkiewicz trains out of the same gym as world champion Miyo Yoshida and is cornered by Aureliano Sosa. Managed by Lukasz Kownacki, he made his US debut last month in Queens, NY, with a fifth-round stoppage.
World-ranked super lightweight contender “Marvelous” Mykquan Williams (21-0-2, 10 KOs), of East Hartford, CT, squares off against Rochester, NY’s Lavisas Williams (10-1-1, 3 KOs) in the co-main event. Mykquan, who will defend his WBA Continental Americas Gold Super Lightweight title, last fought in June, stopping Willmank Brito in the third round.
Edward “Kid” Vazquez (16-2, 3 KOs), of Fort Worth, TX, vies for the vacant IBF USBA Junior Lightweight Championship against Kenneth Taylor (14-3-2, 6 KOs), of Tyler, TX, in a 10-round contest. Vazquez has been anxious to return to the ring following his dominant win against Daniel Bailey in May. The fight followed a controversial majority decision loss to then-IBF featherweight world champion Joe Cordina in an action-packed “Fight of the Year” contender for 2023.
“Heroes on the Hudson 2” is proudly sponsored by CAVU Securities and Morgan Stanley. Companies interested in purchasing sponsorship packages available can contact DiBella Entertainment at (212) 947-2577.
A portion of the event’s proceeds will be donated to the following Veterans causes:
West Point Society of New York provides camaraderie and support to graduates and former cadets of the United States Military Academy.
Merging Vets & Players is an organization that combines veterans with the sporting community to help our heroes thrive and make connections and a difference on the field and in their communities. Learn more at vetsandplayers.org.
The Headstrong Project provides free, confidential, and easy-to-access mental healthcare for members of the military community. More information can be found at theheadstrongproject.org.