Osiobe bests Hernandez; Rojas conquers Serrano in Tacoma!

 

Tacoma, WA (August 19, 2012) - Grizzled veteran Robert Osiobe of Nigeria made his “Battle at the Boat” debut a successful one by scoring a razor-thin majority decision over Forth Worth, TX’s Jose Hernandez Saturday evening in Tacoma.

 

The 88^th edition of “Battle at the Boat” was promoted by Halquist Productions and took place at the Emerald Queen Casino.

 

An evenly-matched contest between tough lightweights, both men boxed patiently during the first nine rounds, counterpunching for the majority. Osiobe and Hernandez each landed some solid shots, most notably a hard jab that knocked out the Texan’s mouthpiece. In the closing stanza, an aggressive Osiobe and efficient Hernandez fought in close quarters hoping for a knockout, but the final bell left the bout in the judges’ hands.

 

Scores were 96-94 twice and 95-95.

 

Osiobe improves to 13-5-4 with 6 knockouts. Hernandez, who dropped a number of close decisions, falls to 13-6-1 with 5 wins by knockout.

 

Portland, OR native Osvaldo Rojas, 7-2-2 (2 KO’s), took an impressive decision over fan favorite Nate Serrano, 4-2-1 (3 KO’s) in the six round welterweight co-feature. Rojas and Serrano, of nearby Yakima, WA, previously fought to a scintillating six round draw on June 2, but this time the visitor took control.

 

Rojas, who brought a group of vocal fans down Interstate 5 with him, fought most of the contest from the outside and did so successfully against his shorter foe. Serrano did his best to keep the fight in close quarters however Rojas had a good amount of momentum. In the fifth, Serrano was buzzed by a multi-punch combo but battled back hard in the sixth.

 

All three judges ruled in Rojas’ favor by the tally of 59-55.

 

In what turned out to be the most exciting match of the evening, Visalia, CA’s Jose Leon scored a gutsy second round TKO over Kalispell, MT resident Jesse Uhde. Uhde appeared en route to scoring an impressive victory early on, decking Leon with a hard hook in the opening round. Early In the second, Leon was rocked again with another hook and his glove touched the canvas, but the tides ultimately turned. Moments later, Leon connected with a strong shot to Uhde’s face that put him down. Uhde got up on unsteady legs and stumbled into the referee, forcing him to stop the bout at 43 seconds of round number two.

 

Leon ups his record to 3-1-1 with 2 KO’s, while Uhde slips to 2-2 (1 KO).

 

In other undercard action, locals Omar Avelar of Moses Lake, WA and Eltopa, WA’s Andres Ramos scored impressive victories. Portland’s Gabriel Pineda also emerged victorious.

 

“This was a very exciting card,” said promoter Brian Halquist. “We had a lot of hungry fighters on this card and everybody fought extremely hard. I’m definitely impressed with what I saw.”

 

Halquist Productions returns to the Emerald Queen September 29 with a stacked MMA card followed by “Battle at the Boat 89” on November 3.

 

Information about both events will be available shortly.

 

During the last 23 years, Halquist Productions built a reputation in the boxing world for their loyalty, honesty and integrity. In 1997, Halquist Productions ran their inaugural “Battle at the Boat” series, which remains successful to this day. Halquist Productions promoted many world title bouts and their fight cards have been seen on ESPN, HBO and Showtime.

Full Card set for Saturday’s “Battle at the Boat 88”

 

Seattle, WA (August 16, 2012) – Halquist Productions has finalized their lineup for “Battle at the Boat 88.” The card is taking place at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, WA on Saturday and features a total of six action-packed matchups.

 

Tickets are still available on ticketmaster.com or by visiting the Emerald Queen box office.

 

Topping the bill is an intriguing ten round lightweight contest between Fort Worth, TX’ Jose Hernandez and Robert Osiobe of Ughelli, Nigeria. Both fighters, who are yet to decline a difficult challenge, look to make a statement by emerging victorious.

 

Hernandez, 13-5-1 (5 KO’s) and Osiobe, 12-5-4 (6 KO’s), faced Luis Ramos, Rances Barthelemy, Matt Remillard, Sharif Bogere, Michael Angelo Perez, Evgeny Gradovich and Spend Abazi among others. The likable lightweights combined to face an incredible 15 unbeaten opponents, going the distance in 14 of those bouts. Unlike the majority of their matches, this is a showcase opportunity for both fighters on a level playing field.

 

Easily the most talked about local matchup in recent memory, the six round co-feature pits Yakima’s favorite son Nate Serrano against Portland OR’s Osvaldo Rojas in a highly-anticipated rematch. Serrano, 4-1-1 (3 KO’s) went toe-to-toe with Rojas, 6-2-2 (2 KO’s), on June 2 in a bout that ultimately ended in a draw and both are promising to emerge victorious this time around.

 

The rest of the undercard features locals in four round bouts, which are expected to take place before a packed house on fight night. Omar Cruz, a Moses Lake, WA resident who’s also a mixed martial artist, meets Kelso, WA’s William Fernandez. A second battle featuring Washington State natives will see Andres Ramos (Eltopa) challenge Frank Mendez (Longview), while Visala, CAresident Jose Leon squares off against Jesse Udhe of Lakeside, MT. Gabriel Pineda, who hails from Hillsboro, OR, meets Matthew Flores, the pride of Twin Falls, ID, to round off the card.

 

“The local feel is something I really enjoy,” said promoter Brian Halquist. “Some of these fighters are from non-boxing states and don’t have the same opportunity as guys from places like New York, California or Texas. I’m excited about this card on multiple levels, from the main event, to the Serrano-Rojas rematch and of course the preliminary matches. In fact, it’s usually the undercard fights that are often the best, so I advise all ticketholders to get to the venue early.”

 

Doors open at 6 pm and the opening bell is scheduled for 7.

 

During the last 23 years, Halquist Productions built a reputation in the boxing world for their loyalty, honesty and integrity. In 1997, Halquist Productions ran their inaugural “Battle at the Boat” series, which remains successful to this day. Halquist Productions promoted many world title bouts and their fight cards have been seen on ESPN, HBO and Showtime.

Hernandez-Osiobe is new “Battle at the Boat” Headliner!

 

Tacoma, WA (August 6, 2012) – Battle at the Boat veteran Jose “Loco” Hernandez and Robert Osiobe have replaced the Juan Garcia-John Jackson bout as the main event for “Battle at the Boat 88” Saturday, August 18 at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, WA.

 

The original headliner was scrapped due to unforeseen circumstances but the new main event is expected to produce fireworks from the opening bell.

 

The definition of a tough luck contender Hernandez, 13-5-1 (5 KO’s), is known for taking on all comers with no questions asked. Although many of his fights took place as the so called “opponent” the Fort Worth, TX native defeated contender Noe Bolanos, unbeaten Jairo Sanchez and the aforementioned Juan Garcia. He’s also received no love from the judges, dropping controversial decisions to hometown favorites Michael Angelo Perez, Luis Ramos, Matt Remillard and Oscar Meza.

 

Born in Nigeria and based in Denmark, Osiobe is also recognized for his willingness to challenge the best. Osiobe, 12-5-4 (6 KO’s), battled 9 undefeated foes and the five men to beat him were a combined 74-1-1. Although he went all-out against the likes of Rances Barthelemy, Evgeny Gradovich, Martin Kristjansen and Spend Abazi, Osiobe has never been knocked out.

 

“Strange things take place in this sport, but as you know, everything happens for a reason,” stated promoter Brian Halquist, CEO of Halquist Productions. “I love the new main event and this is going to be a slugfest. Both men fought top-notch opposition and are eager to make a statement. For some reason, almost all of the replacement fights on my card turned out to be better than the original one was expected to be.”

 

The Hernandez-Jackson bout is set for ten rounds in the lightweight division.

 

Retired Marine and local superstar Nate Serrano, 4-1-1 (3 KO’s), will look to best Osvaldo Rojas, 6-2 (2 KO’s), in the semi-main event. Serrano, of Yakima,WA, and Portland, OR’s Rojas fought to an entertaining six round draw in June and agreed to a rematch just minutes after exiting the ring. The rematch is set for six rounds in the welterweight division.

 

The undercard also pits junior welterweights Portland native Ray Lampkin Jr., 1-0, against Yakima’s Randell Corpuz 2-1-1. Lampkin is the son of Ray Lampkin Sr., who challenged legend Roberto Duran for the lightweight title in 1975. In a battle of debuting cruiserweights looking to make a statement, Cody Kraylavich meets Cody Gates in a four round affair.

 

Tickets starting at $25 are available at the EQC box office or by going to Ticektmaster.com.

 

Additional bouts will be added shortly.

 

Doors open at 6 pm and the opening bell is scheduled for 7.

 

During the last 23 years, Halquist Productions built a reputation in the boxing world for their loyalty, honesty and integrity. In 1997, Halquist Productions ran their inaugural “Battle at the Boat” series, which remains successful to this day. Halquist Productions promoted many world title bouts and their fight cards have been seen on ESPN, HBO and Showtime.