BLUE-CHIP LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT PROSPECT ALI IZMAILOV BATTLES FORMER WORLD TITLE CHALLENGER RADIVOJE KALAJDZIC ON SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION® FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21 LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

NEW YORK – October 3, 2022 – Blue chip prospect and top-ten ranked light heavyweight Ali Izmailov will face the toughest test of his young career when he takes on former world title challenger Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kalajdzic on Friday, October 21 live on SHOWTIME at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT in the latest edition of SHOBOX: The New Generation. The telecast features five undefeated prospects and six fighters with a combined record of 88-2 and returns to Bally’s Atlantic City Hotel & Casino, site of the first SHOBOX® 21 years ago for the second show in as many months.

The John David Jackson-trained Izmailov (9-0, 6 KOs) and veteran power-puncher Kalajdzic (27-2, 19 KOs) will square off in a 10-round light heavyweight bout. The co-feature matches a pair of undefeated, aggressive prospects in Isaiah Steen (16-0, 12 KOs) clashing with Elvis Figueroa (11-0, 7 KOs) in an eight-round super middleweight contest. The telecast opens with Sean Hemphill (14-0, 8 KOs) taking on David Stevens (11-0, 8 KOs) in another intriguing eight-round super middleweight matchup between undefeated American prospects. Included in the telecast will be highlights of perennial spoiler and SHOBOX alum Marquis Taylor (12-1-2, 1 KO) taking on undefeated Marlon Harrington (8-0, 7 KOs) in an eight-round super welterweight attraction.

Tickets for the event promoted by Salita Promotions are on sale now priced at $40, $100 and $150 and can be purchased at TicketWeb.com.

“Once again SHOBOX demonstrates its commitment to showcasing the sports’ most compelling and gifted prospects and providing them with a platform to perform at their very best,” said Gordon Hall, executive producer of SHOBOX: The New Generation. “With a victory, relatively unknown Ali Izmailov will cement himself as a contender as he faces by far his toughest test to date against former title challenger Radivoje Kalajdzic. In the two opening bouts, we feature four undefeated super middleweight prospects with impressive amateur credentials and high expectations. SHOBOX returnee Isaiah Steen is matched tough against Elvis Figueroa, while the Buddy McGirt-trained Sean Hemphill faces the Ronnie Shields-trained David Stevens in a matchup of talented fighters and elite trainers.”  

Added promoter Dmitriy Salita, “This is a fantastic fight card from top to bottom with pick ‘em fights throughout the show. As a fight fan, I can’t wait to see what unfolds. We are excited about promoting this amazing fight card on SHOWTIME live from Bally’s in Atlantic City.”

Here is a closer look at the matchups:

Izmailov vs. Kalajdzic – 10-Round Light Heavyweihgt Main Event Bout

Ranked No. 7 by the WBC, No. 9 by the IBF and No. 11 by the WBO after just nine fights, Izmailov is a fast-rising force in the light heavyweight division. A former amateur standout having won multiple elite international tournaments, Izmailov, economical and efficient in the ring, has been matched tough throughout his professional career. In his second fight, he cruised to a six-round unanimous decision over 30-fight veteran Dmitry Sukhotskiy and followed that up with a dominant performance against once-beaten Sergei Ekimov. Since making his U.S. debut in October 2021, Izmailov is 4-0 with 3 KOs against competition with a combined record of 51-10. He has back-to-back wins over undefeated opponents, including most recently a unanimous decision over Eric Murguia in August. Originally from Malgobek, Russia, the 29-year-old Izmailov works and resides with trainer Jackson in Florida.

“I am excited to make my debut on SHOBOX against a very experienced and proven fighter like Kalajdzic,” said the Salita-promoted Izmailov. “I will bring my toolbox and put it to work on October 21 and show the world why I’m the future of the light heavyweight division.”

Kalajdzic, currently ranked No. 7 by the WBO, has proven throughout his 29-fight career that he’s a player in the 175-pound division, unafraid to test himself against the very best. A 6-foot-2 native of Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Hot Rod” turned pro in 2011 and won his first 21 fights before meeting 2012 U.S. Olympian and then-undefeated Marcus Browne in 2016. Kalajdzic, 31, lost a controversial eight-round split decision but rebounded with three straight stoppage victories to earn a world title shot against Artur Beterbiev in 2019. Among those three victories was a 2016 SHOBOX main event fifth-round TKO victory over former amateur standout Travis Peterkin. Against Beterbiev, Kalajdzic suffered a fifth-round loss but has again rebounded with three straight victories as he seeks a shot at redemption and world title glory. 

“Not to overlook Ali Izmailov, as he’s a good fighter, but I can affirm that I’m one of the best light heavyweights in the world,” said Kalajdzic, who lives and trains in St. Petersburg, Fla. “This fight will put me in contention for a world title and I’m confident everyone will see that I belong in the conversation with Dmitry Bivol, Gilberto Ramirez, Anthony Yarde, and those guys. I’m grateful for the opportunity DiBella Entertainment and my management were able to put together with this fight. Expect my best performance come October 21.”

“Hot Rod’s only true loss was to Artur Beterbiev. Everyone saw him get robbed against Marcus Browne,” said Lou DiBella, Kalajdzic’s promoter and President of DiBella Entertainment. “He’s a genuine top contender and will prove it against Ali Izmailov on October 21.”

Steen vs. Figueroa – Eight-Round Super Middleweight Bout

Steen returns to SHOBOX after recording the biggest win of his career against the previously undefeated Kalvin Henderson on July 2021 on SHOBOX (Highlights HERE). An aggressive, come-forward fighter who likes to dig to the body, Steen is the half-brother of super welterweight contender and former U.S. Olympian Charles Conwell. The two shared the same card in August 2020 when Steen of Cleveland, Ohio showed off his power with a first-round TKO of tough Kenneth Council. That was the seventh time Steen stopped his opponent in the first round. Like his half-brother, the 6-2 Steen was a decorated amateur, going 85-15 in the unpaid ranks before he turned pro in 2016. Born in Detroit, Mich., Steen started boxing when he was seven.

“Fighting on SHOWTIME is a huge milestone in my career,” Steen said. “I have stayed in the gym since my last fight on July 23, 2021. My team has made sure that my weight and nutrition are on point. I know I can defeat anyone placed in front of me. Teamwork definitely makes the dream work.”

Figueroa will enter the ring for the third time this year after stopping tough veteran Fidel Monterrosa Munoz in two rounds on August 20. The six-foot New Haven, Conn. product has stopped five of his last six opponents, employing a poised, patient, and hard-punching style. The lone decision was against Ryan Adams on the undercard of a January 7, 2022, edition of SHOBOX in Orlando, Fla. Figueroa, 25, started boxing when he was eight to lose weight and began his amateur career four years later. He is a three-time New England Golden Gloves champion and 2015 USA National Championship silver medalist. Among his amateur victories, he owns a decision win over undefeated super middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga.

Hemphill vs. Stevens – Eight-Round Super Middleweight Bout

Trained by Hall of Famer James “Buddy” McGirt, Hemphill made his pro debut in 2019 and has already reeled off 14 consecutive wins after a standout amateur career. In his last bout, Hemphill scored an eight-round unanimous decision over Jeyson Minda in front of his hometown New Orleans fans in January. The 26-year-old known as “Silky” fought three times in 2021, four times in 2020 and six times in 2019. Stevens will be the first undefeated opponent of Hemphill’s career with multiple wins. Hemphill is managed by Adam Glenn, son of the late Jimmy Glenn, who owned the beloved Jimmy’s Corner bar in Midtown Manhattan and was a well-known, iconic figure in boxing circles. Hemphill was a member of Team USA during a stellar amateur career (55-12) that saw him rise to become one of the top light heavyweights in the country. His nickname “Silky” is an amalgamation of his dad’s nickname from his kickboxing days (“Spyder”) and his smooth fighting style — spiders produce silk.

“This fight means a lot to me,” Hemphill said. “I understand how big of an opportunity fighting on SHOWTIME is for my team and me. This is something I’ve been working towards since I was a kid. I feel like I was born to do this, and I’m ready to show the world why I belong on this stage! Camp is going well with coach Buddy McGirt. He has a lot of knowledge and wisdom that I can use and soak up to help improve my game and skill set.”

Added McGirt, “Sean is a great prospect and a pleasure to work with. He has all the tools to succeed, and I believe, one day, he will become a world champion.”

Stevens, trained by Shields, will enter the ring for the fourth time this year on October 21 when he makes his SHOBOX debut. His busy schedule includes a second-round stoppage of Loris Barberio on July 23 and a first-round TKO of veteran Colby Courter on May 28. The 22-year-old Stevens of Reading, Pa., has stopped four of his last five opponents, relying on a polished skillset and aggressive, hard-punching style. He started boxing when he was 11 and went 60-8 in the amateurs. Among his amateur highlights, he is a two-time Junior Olympic gold medalist, a Silver Gloves champion, Ringside champion, USA Boxing Youth national champion and a Youth World Championships qualifier. 

“I am excited and thrilled to be on SHOBOX in my 12th fight,” Stevens said. “Since training with Ronnie Shields, I have learned so much and will show it on October 21.”

Added Shields, “The thing about David is we don’t know how strong he is yet. I know he’s strong, but I’ve been getting him to focus more on technique than he used to. That makes him very hard to beat. He’s one of those kids who wants to learn everything in the gym. When a kid like him wants to learn everything, every day, I like it because I know I have to bring my A game to the gym all the time. He will go a long way.”

Taylor vs. Harrington – Eight-Round Super Welterweight Bout (Highlights Only)

The 28-year-old Taylor is a nine-year veteran whose toughness and smooth boxing skills have proven to be a puzzle for everyone he’s faced. Taylor fought the undefeated former amateur star Paul Kroll to a controversial split draw on SHOBOX on February 18. He also owns victories over three then-undefeated fighters including Jimmy Williams (14-0-1) and Sanjarbek Rakhmanov (10-0-1), who have both appeared on SHOBOX, and Oscar Torres (8-0). Taylor refined his boxing tools in the amateurs, where he went 130-20.

After turning pro in 2019, Detroit’s Harrington has proven to be a quick study in the ring, knocking out seven of his eight opponents and making quick work with no one advancing past the fourth round. Harrington, who started boxing when he was 19, has worked on his trade through sparring with former champions like Tony Harrison and Cornelius “K9” Bundrage. An aggressive, fan-friendly fighter, Harrington will see action for the fourth time this year on October 21 after last fighting on May 26, knocking out Azael Cosio in the fourth round.

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Hall of Famer Barry Tompkins calls the action from ringside with veteran combat sports reporter and MORNING KOMBAT host Brian Campbell and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts with Hall of Famer Steve Farhood remotely performing unofficial scoring duties.

SHOBOX: The New Generation is executive produced by Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

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For more information visit www.sho.com/sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, #ShoBox, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports

About SHOBOX: The New Generation

Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, SHOBOX: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The SHOBOX philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 86 fighters who have appeared on SHOBOX and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more. 




DKO Boxing’s William Foster III wins on ShoBox

Orlando, FL (January 18, 2022)–DKO Boxing Management has gotten off to a fast start in 2022 as two of its prized fighters remained undefeated while a third undefeated fighter fights a high-profile bout coming up on February 5th.

On January 7th William Foster III remained undefeated with a tough eight-round split over previously undefeated Edwin De Los Santos.

The fight was the opening bout of a ShoBox: The New Generation card on SHOWTIME.

On the same card, on the Off-Television portion, heralded super middleweight Elvis Figueroa won an eight-round unanimous decision over Ryan Adams.

Coming up on February 5th, undefeated featherweight Edward Vazquez takes on Raymond Ford in a 10-round bout for the WBA Continental Featherweight title at the Footprint Arena in Phoenix.

Foster extended the power punching De Los Santos the full eight round distance and took over control of the bout as the fight progressed. De Los Santos started fast in round one but Foster withstood the early onslaught and began to take control in round 2. As Foster took control of the action it became a sloppy fight at times with a lot of holding on the inside initiated by De Los Santos.

In round four, De Los Santos was deducted a point for holding the head. De Los Santos was also cut over the left eye in the round. Foster was able to create space and land solid shots in the second half of the fight, and won by 77-74 twice, while, somehow, De Los Santos won a card 77-74.

Foster of New Haven, Connecticut, 129 1/4 lbs of West Haven, CT is now 14-0 (9 KO’s). De Los Santos, 129 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is now 13-1 (12 KO’s).

“I was pressuring him the whole time and I knew he was slowing down and eventually I would get to him,” said Foster, who kept moving forward as the fight progressed and dictated and landed the more powerful punches. “I thought it was the right decision because I was landing more shots as the fight went on.”

The 28-year-old Foster – the younger brother of 20-0 professional light heavyweight prospect Charles Foster – was surprised with how fast De Los Santos started. “I knew I had to stay calm, and I adapted and my experience allowed me to adjust to what was happening,” Foster said. “He wasn’t devastating, and the punches never hurt me. I knew he would slow down and when he did, I began to land my shots and had success with my pressure.”

Figueroa, also of New Haven, moved to 10-0 with the unanimous decision over the durable Adams. Figueroa boxed well and was able to win by scores of 80-72 and 78-74 twice.

Vazquez of Fort Worth, Texas is 11-0 with three knockouts and will be looking to establish himself by taking on former National Amateur champion and undefeated Ford.

Vazquez, who is the former WBC USNBC champion will look to add Ford to a victim list that already includes Everado Jhoao (1-0), Brandon Arvie (2-0), Brandon Cruz (6-0), Adan Ochoa (11-1), Irvin Gonzalez (14-2) and a 1st round stoppage over Ezequiel Alberto Tevez on November 5th in Irving, Texas.

The Vazquez – Ford showdown will be streamed live on DAZN.

Foster and Figueroa are co-managed by Marilyn Rosa. Foster, Figueroa and Vazquez are promoted by KO Night Boxing.




AUDIO: Elvis Figueroa talks about his fight with Ryan Adams this Friday night in Orlando, Florida






VIDEO: Elvis Figueroa talks about his fight with Ryan Adams this Friday night in Orlando, Florida




DKO Management Fighters go 5-For-5 This Weekend

Newark, NJ / Manchester, NH (November 22nd 2021)–Five fighters from the DKO Management stable all came out victorious with four knockouts in Newark, New Jersey and a unanimous decision in Manchester, New Hampshire.

At the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, super middleweight Elvis Figueroa, super featherweight William Foster III, junior welterweight Jeffrey Torres and featherweight Felix Parrilla all scored impressive stoppage victories.

Figueroa stopped Arsenio Hall at 39 seconds of round two. Figueroa dropped Hall twice in the opening round, and dropped Hall for a third and the fight was stopped.

Figueroa of New Haven, Connecticut is now 9-0 with six knockouts. Hall was stopped for the first time and is now 3-5.

Foster moved to 13-0 with nine knockouts by taking out Pedro Hernandez in the opening round. Foster scored one knockdown, and the New Haven native will look for a high profile fight in the beginning of 2022.

Torres dropped Rosekie Cristobal three times in his 2nd round stoppage to improve to 9-1 with five knockouts. Cristobal falls to 15-6.

Parrilla went to 2-0 with two knockouts as he needed just 45 seconds to take out Dakota Laster.

Figueroa, Foster, Torres and Parrilla are co-managed by Marilyn Rosa, trained by Luis Rosa and are promoted by KO Night Boxing.

At the SNHU Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, Nelson Perez remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Raymundo Rios in a junior welterweight bout.

In round one, Perez dropped Rios with a left hook. In round two, Perez sent Rios down again with a left hook.

Perez, 140 lbs of Marlboro, MA won by scores of 40-34 on all cards, and is now 5-0. Rios, 139.6 lbs of Mexico is 3-8-2.




Five DKO Boxing Management Fighters in Action in Two States

Newark, NJ / Manchester, NH (November 19th, 2021)–Five members of the DKO Boxing Management stable will be in action in both Newark, New Jersey and Manchester, New Hampshire
At the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, New Jersey, super middleweight Elvis Figueroa, junior lightweight William Foster III, junior welterweight Jeffrey Torres and featherweight Felix Parilla will display their talents in the Garden State.

Figueroa takes on Arsenio Hall in a bout scheduled for six-rounds.

Figueroa of New Haven, Connecticut is 8-0 with five knockouts and is coming off a 3rd round stoppage of Larry Smith on October 16th in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Hall of South Carolina is 3-4 with three knockouts. He is coming off a 2nd round stoppage of previously undefeated Travis Toledo (4-0) on October 8th in Queens, New York. Figueroa was 168 lbs; Hall was 167 lbs.

Foster (12-0, 8 KOs) of New Haven, Connecticut battles Pedro Hernandez (7-8-1, 2 KOs) of Colorado Springs, Colorado in a six-round bout.

Foster has big wins over Suliman Segawa (10-0), Angel Suarez (8-2), Jahmal Dyer (9-2) and his last bout when he defeated previously undefeated Donald Smith (10-0) on February 6 in Smith’s hometown of Philadelphia.

Hernandez has wins over Luis Angel Paneto (1-0-2) and Bryan Perez (6-0). Hernandez is coming off a decision loss to Daniel Bailey (7-0) on October 16th in Clearwater, Florida.

Foster weighed 133 lbs; Hernandez was 131 lbs

Torres of New Haven is 8-1 with four knockouts, and he takes on Rosekie Cristobal in a six-round bout. He has a win over Jesus Almonte. He is coming off a 1st round stoppage of Jader Alves de Oliveira on October 16th in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Cristobal of the Philippines has a record of 15-5 with 11 knockouts. Cristobal is coming off a loss to Carlos Morales (18-4-3) on July 18, 2018 in Indio, California.

Torres weighed 142 lbs; Cristobal was 143 lbs.

Parrilla of New Haven was explosive in his pro debut as he took out Sidell Blocker on October 16th in Framingham, Massachusetts. He takes on 18-fight veteran Dakota Laster of Hannibal, Missouri.

Parrilla will be the 9th undefeated opponent for Laster.

Parrilla was 127 lbs; Laster was 125 lbs.

All four are co-managed by Marilyn Rosa and are promoted by KO Night Boxing.

The fights from Newark will be streamed live on BXNGTV.com

At the SNHU Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, undefeated junior welterweight Nelson Perez takes on Raymundo Rios Cardiel in a bout scheduled for six-rounds.

Perez of Marlboro, Massachusetts is 4-0 with two knockouts. Perez, who weighed 140 lbs, is coming off a unanimous decision over Ryan Venable on October 16th in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Cardiel of Durango, Mexico is 3-7-2 with three knockouts, is coming off a decision loss to Oscar Alan Perez on October 16th in Fresno, California. Cardiel weighed 139.5 lbs.

The fight can be see on Live on Before the Bell on Matchroom Boxing YouTube channel from 5.30pm ET




DKO Boxing Management Rack Up Four Wins in Framingham, Massachusetts

Framingham, Mass. (October 18th, 2021)–Four Fighters from the DKO Management stable all came out victorious with decisive wins on Saturday night at the Sheraton Hotel in Framingham, Massachusetts.

In the main event, Nelson Perez took a six-round unanimous decision over Ryan Venable in a lightweight battle.

Perez scored two knockdowns and won by comfortable scores of 59-53 on all cards of 59-53 to raise his record to 4-0.

Perez, 30 years-old, was a Rocky Marciano and Connecticut State champion in 2018.

Elvis Figueroa made it 8-0 as he stopped 64-fight veteran Larry Smith in round three of their scheduled six-round super middleweight contest.

Figueroa dominated the action as Smith had to take a knee in round two. Figueroa continued the pressure which forced the corner of Smith to toss in the towel at 1:04 of round three.

Figueroa of New Haven, Connecticut notched 4th stoppage win in eight fights.

Felix Parrilla lived up to the billing as he scored a sensational 2nd round stoppage over Sidell Blocker in a scheduled four-round super featherweight bout.

Parrilla dropped Blocker in the opening seconds from a perfect left hook. Parrilla dropped Blocker again in round two, and the fight was stopped in between rounds after Blocker continued to take more punishment.

Parrilla of New Haven was a 2017 New England Golden Gloves champion; 2017 Junior Olympics Finalist; 2018 National Golden Gloves Finalist; 2019 New England Golden Gloves Finalist and the 2019 Connecticut Amateur of the Year.

Jeffrey Torres raised his record to 8-1 with four knockouts with a 1st round dismantling of Jader Alves in a welterweight fight.

Torres dropped Alves with a left hook at the end of the opening frame, and the fight was stopped at 2:56.

Figueroa, Torres and Parrilla are co-managed by Marilyn Rosa and are promoted by KO Night Promotions.




DKO Boxing Management Foursome in Action Tonight in Framingham, Massachusetts

Framingham, Mass. (October 16th, 2021)–TONIGHT at The Sheraton Hotel in Framingham, Massachusetts, four members of the DKO Management stable will be in action.

Competing in the main event will be undefeated lightweight Nelson Perez.

Perez will be taking on Ryan Venable in a six-round bout.

Perez of Marlboro, Massachusetts has a record of 3-0 with two knockouts. Both Perez and Venable came in at 135 lbs.

Perez, 30 years-old, was a Rocky Marciano and Connecticut State champion in 2018.

Competing in a six-round super middleweight fight will be undefeated Elvis Figueroa. Figueroa will take on Larry Smith.

Figueroa of New Haven, Connecticut is 7-0 with four knockouts. He has wins over Leemont Johnson (6-0) and his bout when he stopped Marcelo Ruben Molina in the opening round on August 17, 2019 in Springfield, MA.

Figueroa was an accomplished amateur who won two National Championships, four Golden Gloves titles, and finished second in the Olympic Qualifier tournament, which made him an alternate for the Olympic team in 2016. He holds an amatuer win over Edgar Berlanga.

Figueroa weighed 168 lbs. Smith was 162.5.

Making his pro debut will be highly regarded featherweight Felix Parrilla.

Parrilla will fight Sidell Blocker. Parrilla of New Haven was a 2017 New England Golden Gloves champion; 2017 Junior Olympics Finalist; 2018 National Golden Gloves Finalist; 2019 New England Golden Gloves Finalist and the 2019 Connecticut Amaateur of the Year.

Parrilla weighed 129.5 lbs. Blocker was 125.5

Jeffrey Torres will take on Jader Alves in a four-round welterweight bout.

Torres of New Haven is 7-1 with three knockouts. Torres has a win over Jesus Almonte (9-2-2).

Torres weighed in at 147 lbs. Alves was 145.5

Rodriguez, Parrilla and Torres are co-managed with Marilyn Rosa and promoted by KO Night Boxing




AUDIO: Interview with Undefeated Super Middleweight Elvis Figueroa






VIDEO: Interview with Undefeated Super Middleweight Elvis Figueroa




Former USA amateur stars in action Elvis Figueroa returns to ring, Felix Parrilla making pro debut

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (October 7, 2021) – New Haven (CT) super middleweight Elvis Figueroa and pro-debuting Felix Parrilla, a pair of former USA amateur stars, will be in action October 22nd

In the first professional boxing show ever held in Framingham, Massachusetts.

“Fight Night in Framingham” card, presented by Shearns Boxing Promotions, will benefit “Fighting Life,” at Sheraton Hotel in Framingham, Massachusetts[BT1] . “Fighting Life” is an after-school youth boxing program and academic empowerment program, available 100-percentfree of charge to students beginning in elementary school through high school education.

New Haven is a 2-hour drive to Framingham, located in the MetroWest sub-region of Greater Boston, less than 40 miles from Boston

High Octane Classics is the presenting sponsor. Other sponsors include Platts Landscaping and Shamrock Sports.

A 3-time New England Golden Gloves champion, as well as a 2015 USA Nationals silver medalist, Figueroa (7-0, 4 KOs) has been inactive for more than two years. He will face veteran Dallas fighter Larry “Slo Mo” Smith (12-49-2, 8 KOs) in a 6-round bout.

“I may have been out of the ring for two years,” Figueroa explained, “but never out of the gym, and that’s the key to this sport. I’m always in the gym working and staying busy. COVID changed the way of doing things, but I didn’t change my goal or vision of winning a world championship.”

Parrilla, a 4-time New England Golden Gloves champion in addition to being the 2018 National Golden Gloves silver medalist, will make his pro debut in a 4-round fight against Sidell Blocker (1-11-1).

“I’m excited to be making my pro debut,” Parrilla said. “It’s been a long wait, but God’s timing is perfect. I’m ready to show everyone that I belong here.”

Figueroa and Parrilla are Boxing in Faith Gym stablemates in New Haven, where they are trained by the highly respected Luis Rosa, Sr.

A proud “graduate” of the Fighting Life program, nearby Marlboro, MA super lightweight Nelson “Chino” Perez (3-0, 2 KOs), another past New England Golden Gloves champion, will headline against Ryan Venable (2-6) in the 6-round main event.

In the 6-round co-featured event, undefeated Florida-based junior middleweight Josniel “TG” Castro (5-0, 3 KOs), a Puerto Rico native who grew up in Massachusetts, meets Rynell Griffin (8-47-2, 2 KOs), of Las Vegas.

Hometown favorite Kevin Lewis will make his professional debut in a 4-round bout versus fellow Framingham resident, super middleweight Saul “The Spider” Almeida (0-14-4), one of the top MMA fighters in New England.

Also fighting on the undercard in 4-round bouts is pro-debuting heavyweight Sean Evans, of Shrewsbury, MA, vs. TBA; and Philadelphia welterweight Jeffrey Torres (7-1, 3 KOs) vs. Framingham’s Jader Alves (0-12).

Priced at $75.00 ringside and $60.00 general admission, tickets are available to purchase online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fight-night-in-framingham-tickets-171408807357, at UpperKuts gym, or from any of the local fighters on the card.

Doors open at 6 p.m. PT, first bout at 7:00 p.m.

INFORMATION:

Facebook.com/ShearnsBoxingPromotions

Twitter: @ShearnsBoxing