Both of Salita Promotions undefeated Detroit-based welterweights, twin brothers Joseph and Jacob Bonas, and Russian heavyweight destroyer Apti Davtaev, remained undefeated with impressive victories last Friday night.

Fighting on the untelevised undercard of the Claressa Shields vs. Ivana Habazin showdown at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J., Joseph “Detroit Bad Boy” Bonas moved his record to 7-0, 6 KOs by stopping Steubenville, Ohio’s Glenn Mitchell (3-5, 3 KOs) via TKO 2. Meanwhile, brother Jacob Bonas (now 5-0-1, 2 KOs) had to work a bit harder to gain a unanimous four-round decision over Highwood, Illinois’ Christian Rivera (1-1-1).

Showing marked improvement from his work in Detroit with SugarHill Steward, heavyweight crusher Apti Davtaev (19-0-1, 18 KOs) from Kurchaloi, Russia, overpowered Glenville, West Virginia’s Keith Barr (20-13-1, 8 KOs) in three brutal rounds.

Joseph Bonas showed some newfound patience in waiting for the right moment to pounce on the long-limbed Mitchell. And when the opening finally presented itself, he lowered the boom with a three-punch combination that brought things to a decisive end at 1:55 of round two.

Jacob Bonas survived a momentary scare when a surprise right hand from opponent Rivera got his attention quickly in round one. Showing his extensive amateur pedigree, however, Bonas made adjustments and eventually cruised to a comfortable four-round decision (scores 39-37 x 3).

Early on, Barr looked ready to rumble with his big Russian foe until a few punches from the Eastern Bloc strongman had him in full survival mode. 38 seconds into round three, the super naturally powerful Davtaev had his most impressive victory to date.

“All our fighters had terrific nights on Friday,” said Dmitriy Salita. “The Bonas brothers look to be turning into excellent professional fighters. They did what they are supposed to do with their early opponents by dominating. And Apti Davtaev is clearly getting stronger and stronger as his career advances. He is ready for a step-up fight against another up-and-coming heavyweight. His power is something the boxing world should have a look at soon.”

ABOUT SALITA PROMOTIONS

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including Showtime, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Undefeated welterweight Jacob Bonas will continue his determined return to boxing this Saturday 7, December, just three weeks after his previous fight.

Fighting in a four-round supporting bout of Second 2 None Promotions’ event at the Performance Arts Center in Dearborn, Michigan. Bonas (5-0-1, 2 KOs) will face Palmdale, California’s Hector Torres.

26-year-old Bonas scored a four-round shutout decision over Missouri’s Noah Kidd on November 22 but says he’s ready to go again.

“Three weeks is a very short time to recover from a fight, but the support I get from my Romanian community gives me all the energy I need,” said Bonas, one of the last of the young fighters formerly trained by the late, great Emanuel Steward. “When I came back, I told my promoter Dmitriy I wanted to stay busy and that’s what we are doing. I’m sharper than ever and looking forward to a very big 2020.”

“Jacob is looking to end the year strong and take a shot at a top prospect next year,” said Salita. “And when it happens, my goal will be to bring the fight to Detroit. Jacob’s popularity in this area will generate the fan interest that helps lead the city back to more glory days of boxing.”

Undefeated hometown welterweight Jacob Bonas will return to action tomorrow night (Friday, November 22) at Detroit’s MotorCity Casino-Hotel against Jefferson City, Missouri’s Noah Kidd.

Bonas (4-0-1, 2 KOs) and Kidd (4-2-1, 3 KOs) will collide in a four-round supporting bout at promoter Carlos Llinas’ latest “Night of Knockouts” installment, topped by Detroit’s Taylor Duerr (9-0-2, 7 KOs) taking on Neller Obregon (13-2-1, 8 KOs) for the Junior NABF Light Heavyweight Championship.

26-year-old Bonas is one of the last of the young fighters trained by the late, great Emanuel Steward, who considered him a prodigy. Bonas was National Ringside Champion and went 45-5 as an amateur. The talented Bonas remains a beloved figure in the Romanian community of Detroit. He was last seen scoring a dominant four-round decision over Indiana’s Norfleet Stitts on October 5.

“This fight is very exciting for me because so many Romanians will be there,” said Bonas. “I feel blessed to get so much support from my people. It’s amazing how fast I’m progressing and how fast amazing things are happening for me. Boxing fans can expect to see pure, raw, technical boxing tomorrow night.”

Earlier this Fall, Bonas signed with Detroit-based promoter Dmitriy Salita, who often sings the praises of his popular prospect.

“Jacob is one of the best young prospects in all of boxing,” said Salita. “He is one of the very few young, undefeated fighters who has experienced training at the original Kronk. Now under trainer Sugar Hill Steward at the new Kronk Gym, I believe Jacob has the ability to reach a very high level and I am excited about his development every step of the way.”

Tickets for “Night of Knockouts” are available at Ticketmaster.com or at the Sound Board box office inside the MotorCity Casino-Hotel. On fight night, doors open Friday night at 6:30 pm with the first bout at 7 pm.

Salita Promotions proudly announces the signing of undefeated welterweight Jacob Bonas to a promotional contract.

Bonas will have his debut fight under the Salita Promotions banner on Saturday, October 5, on the undercard of the Claressa Shields vs. Ivana Habazin battle for the vacant WBO Junior Middleweight Championship at the Dort Federal Event Center in Flint, Mich.

The popular 25-year-old Bonas (3-0-1, 2 KOs) is one of the last of the young fighters trained by the late, great Emanuel Steward, who considered him a prodigy.

Under Steward’s guidance, Bonas was National Ringside Champion and went 45-5 as an amateur while training with many of Steward’s top fighters. Bonas spent numerous camps with Wladimir Klitschko and was one of main sparring partners for Miguel Cotto when he regained his world title. He is now trained by Steward’s nephew, Javan Sugarhill Steward, at the new Kronk Gym.

“Words can’t describe how glad I am to be signed to Salita. I’ve wanted this my whole life. I sleep so well now. I’m in such a blessed place in my life right now,” said Bonas. “I feel like I signed with the right person to give me the best future. I’m ready to go.”

Bonas turned professional in 2012 and had three quick fights before legal troubles sidelined his career and saw him have only one more fight, a two-round victory in 2017.

“It’s a part of my life I learned a lot from,” said Bonas of his incarceration. “People always say they regret going to prison. I don’t regret it because it showed me a lot. I experienced so much and was exposed to so many different personalities and cultures. Being there made me a better man today and I don’t regret going. I have no problem sharing my past with people. I know where I’m at in life now, mentally, because of how much I grew up in prison.”

Quick and strong with high ring intelligence and a strong fighting heart, Bonas is a beloved figure in the Romanian community of Detroit, and they flock to his fights en masse.

“Emanuel taught me the real basics of boxing and I learned a lot about determination and dedication from Emanuel – a lot about respect,” continued Bonas. “And now Javan is like a family member to me. I love him. I trust him wholeheartedly. I am blessed to have him on my team.”

“I’ve known Jacob since he was 10. I used to go after school and help him with his homework and stuff like that,” recounted SugarHill Steward. “He and his (twin) brother (also undefeated Joseph) caught on very fast and became instant stars in the gym. They were beating up everybody, but he’s been in and out of trouble previously in his life. Now it’s all behind him and he’s back training and preparing for his return.”

Steward said it took a few weeks for Bonas to sharpen back up, but he’s still got the wealth of natural fighting gifts that had his Uncle Emanuel convinced he was a future champion.

“He still has it, we had to sharpen him back up,” said Steward. “He’s back in shape and motivated knowing he’s fighting. I’ve seen a change in him since he came back and started preparing for a fight. It gives him some direction. I feel very positive about this. Dmitriy has been doing a lot in boxing and he’s part of the Kronk family as well, so this is good for everyone involved.”

“As one of Emanuel Steward’s last young fighters now training with Javan SugarHill Steward, Jacob Bonas is connecting the rich history of Kronk to the future,” said Dmitriy Salita. “He has all the skills inside the ring to reach boxing’s heights and add another world title to Kronk Gym’s legacy.”