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| LYNN, MA – Top welterweight contender “Speedy” Rashidi Ellis (25-1, 16 KOs) headlines his second CES Boxing card in as many fights on Saturday, February 15, when he takes on Jose Angulo (16-9, 9 KOs) for the vacant WBC US Silver Welterweight Championship. The fight is one of 3 stellar title bouts taking place at Mohegan Sun Arena that will be televised live worldwide on DAZN. Tickets to CES Boxing’s ‘Love and War’ are available now at CESfights.com, TicketMaster, or the Mohegan Sun Box Office. Priced starting at $77, the card makes the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for that special someone who enjoys the sweet science and some of the best restaurants, nightlife and amenities in the world, all under one roof. Doors open at 4pm, with the first amateur bout scheduled for 5pm. “I’m really excited to perform at Mohegan Sun Arena,” said the 31-year-old Ellis from his training camp in Salem, New Hampshire. “The first professional fight I ever saw live was at Mohegan Sun, so I always wanted to fight there.” In Rashidi’s way will be Jose Angulo, a former Ecuadorian champion who has shared the ring with the likes of ex-world champion Alberto Machado, welterweight contender Cletus Seldin, and super lightweight prospect Ernesto “Tito” Mercado. Angulo has been an active fighter who has given every opponent he faced a tough outing. The 28-year-old won the Ecuadorian title in 2023 and followed that up with a razor close majority decision loss to Seldin at Madison Square Garden last March. A win over Ellis for the WBC title would be his biggest career achievement to date. “He’s a decent fighter,” agrees Ellis when assessing Angulo. “I’ve seen a couple of his fights. He’s someone that you can’t sleep on because if you overlook him, he could catch you or beat you, but he ain’t doing that over here. We’re working hard to make a statement.” The statement Ellis wants to make is that he is the best welterweight in the world, and he’s willing to prove it against any of the current champions. “Any one of them,” emphasizes Rashidi when asked which of the champions he’d prefer to challenge. “I definitely want to beat up [WBO Champion] Brian Norman Jr. We’ve been going back and forth, and we have to settle it this year. I also want [WBC Champion] Mario Barrios. I wanted to fight him a while ago when we were both with the PBC. He’s a warrior, so it would be a great show, but I would come out victorious.” One fighter who isn’t available is Jaron “Boots” Ennis, who will attempt to unify his IBF title against WBA champion Eimantas Stanionis in April. “That’s a good fight,” concedes the Lynn, MA native. “Stanionis is very strong, and Boots doesn’t have the best defense in the world. Stanionis could catch him, but he also opens up a lot, so I think Boots is going to catch him with something eventually. I’d be more than ready to take on the winner.” While there is no shortage of viable opponents for Ellis, the question is, what will it take to lure one of the champions into the ring with him? “This is my second fight in a row on DAZN and it’s for a WBC title, so I should be on everyone’s radar and moving my way up the rankings,” reasons Ellis. “If I can’t get one of the champions next, I’m happy to welcome some of the guys moving up from 140 to the welterweight division, like Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia.” If those do not materialize, there is always the opportunity to avenge the only loss of his career, a majority decision loss to Roiman Villa in 2023. “I definitely want that rematch to show the world that he didn’t beat the real me,” says Ellis. “I was fighting with one hand that night. This time I’ll knock him out with that hand.” Before the talented fighter can look ahead to those lucrative fights, he needs to make sure that he shows out on “Love and War” on February 15. “I’ve been training really hard at the LFG gym in Salem, New Hampshire with [middleweight prospect] Mike Fontanez,” assures Ellis. “Training is good. We’re working really hard and ready to take over the show. Make sure you guys come through to Connecticut. We’ve got 3 title fights and a lot of great fighters on the card. This is going to be an action-packed night.” For more information about CES and its events, follow CES Boxing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @CESBOXING.INFORMATION ABOUT CES BOXINGCES Boxing is one of the top promotions on the East Coast. Founded in 1992 by Jimmy Burchfield Sr., CES Boxing has promoted many world class fighters, including Jamaine Ortiz, Juiseppe Cusumano, Hank Lundy, Vinny Paz, Peter Manfredo, Mariusz Wach, Jason Estrada, Matt Godfrey, Chad Dawson and Ray Oliveira. CES Boxing has promoted such super fights as “The Thriller on Triller: Tyson v Jones Jr.”, “Mayweather vs. Gotti III” and “The Contender: Manfredo v Pemberton”. ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN ARENA 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 U.S. 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 “Most Beloved Venue in America” 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 “Arena of the Year.” 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. |
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