Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) off to a Big Start in 2014

New York-based promoter Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions has a very busy schedule set up for the start of 2014, with several high-profile events he is either promoting or co-promoting and featuring many of his premier fighters. On Friday, January 10, Greg Cohen Promotions, DiBella Entertainment, Brian Halquist Productions, and GH3 Promotions will present "Battle at the Boat 94", in the I-5 Showroom of the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington, and televised live, worldwide, by ESPN Friday Night Fights. In the 10-round super featherweight main event, IBF #8-ranked Afghani-Canadian Arash Usmanee (20-1-1, 10 KOs) will face Mexican KO artist Juan Antonio "El Mozo" Rodriguez (25-4, 23 KOs). In the televised co-feature, Zahir "Z-Man" Raheem (34-3, 21 KOs) will continue his comeback against TBA. And in a special attraction, former top cruiserweight contender Lateef "Power" Kayode (19-0, 15 KOs) will make his second appearance as a heavyweight. And then, on January 17, at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tennessee, DiBella Entertainment, in association with GH3 Promotions, Greg Cohen Promotions and Prize Fight Boxing, will present an exciting quadrupleheader for the premiere of the 2014 ShoBox: The New Generation season with live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). In the 10-round main event, GCP's once-beaten Tony "Lightning" Luis (17-1, 7 KO's) will face Ukrainian lightweight Ivan "The Terrible" Redkach (15-0, 13 KO's). In the televised co-features, unbeaten junior middleweights John Thompson (14-0, 5 KO's) and Frank Galarza (11-0-2, 7 KO's) collide in an eight-round matchup and fast-rising and highly regarded up-and-coming prospect Antoine Douglas (11-0, 7 KO's) squares off against Marquis Davis (8-0-2, 5 KO's) in an eight-round middleweight showdown. Opening the telecast will be hard-hitting Maurice Hooker (12-0-1, 9 KOs) against an opponent TBA in an eight-round junior welterweight matchup.  On January 31, in West Orange, New Jersey and live on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights,Greg Cohen Promotions, DiBella Entertainment, and GH3 Promotions will present "Super BrawlTM", featuring Elvir "The Kosovo Kid" Muriqi (40-5, 24 KOs) taking on former world light heavyweight champion Zsolt Erdei (33-1, 18 KOs) in a 10-round light heavyweight bout. On the same card, Jorge Diaz (17-2) will take on undefeated Luis Rosa (15-0) in a ten-round super bantamweight bout. On the undercard, undefeated lightweight prospect Mikey Faragon (18-0, 8 KOs) will make his much-anticipated return to the ring against an opponent TBA, after recovering from major foot surgery. And finally, on February 1, Cohen's fighter, WBA #3 Jarrod Fletcher (17-1, 10 KO's), will face  WBA #1 Martin Murray (26-1-1, 11 KO's)  for the vacant WBA 160 lb. title as the co- feature of Golovkin's title defense against Osumanu Adama at the Salle des Etoiles, in Monte Carlo, Monaco. "Our fighters have been blessed with big opportunities and we've been working very hard to bring them to fruition," said Cohen. "I'd like to thank ESPN, Showtime and all my co-promoters for helping make it all happen. I look forward to a big year for GCP and its fighters and we're off to a terrific start!"

Top Super Featherweight Arash Usmanee to Face Mexican Slugger Juan Antonio Rodriguez on Friday Night Fights, January 10 at Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington

On Friday, January 10, promoters Greg Cohen Promotions, DiBella Entertainment, Brian Halquist Productions, GH3 Promotions will proudly present "Battle at the Boat 94", a night of high-level professional boxing, televised live, worldwide by ESPN in the I-5 Showroom of the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington. In the night's main event, IBF #8-ranked Afghani-Canadian Arash Usmanee (20-1-1, 10 KOs) will face Mexican KO artist Juan Antonio "El Mozo" Rodriguez (25-4, 23 KOs) in a 10-round super featherweight battle. And in the televised co-feature, longtime top contender and Erik Morales conqueror Zahir "Z-Man" Raheem (34-3, 21 KOs), the former Philadelphian turned hometown Tacoma hero, will continue his comeback against an opponent that is TBA. On the undercard, former top cruiserweight contender Lateef "Power" Kayode (19-0, 15 KOs) will make the second appearance of his heavyweight campaign. 31-year-old Usmanee, was born in Afghanistan, is now based in Montreal, but trains in Las Vegas with former champion Eddie Mustafa Muhammad. He was last seen fighting to a draw with current IBF Super Featherweight Champion, Argenis Mendez, in August of 2013. In a battle many felt the aggressive Usmanee had won, the fight was declared a majority draw with one judge scoring for Usmanee. Puebla, Mexico's hard-punching southpaw Juan Antonio Rodriguez was last seen n November of this year, scoring a TKO 4 over Javier Mercado at the Centro de Convenciones IMSS, in Tlalpan, Mexico. Rodriguez has been very competitive against top level opposition including former IBF Featherweight Champion Billy Dib, but has just fallen short. The fight against Usmanee will be his chance to join the upper ranks of the division. 37-year-old Zahir "Z Man" Raheem was a top-level featherweight for many years and scored a nationally televised win over all-time-great Erik Morales and dropped a highly questionable decision to multi-world champion Acelino Freitas. He began his comeback earlier this year and has notched three victories since stepping away in 2010. He was last seen scoring an impressive TKO 2 over Tim Coleman at the Emerald Queen Casino. Undefeated 30-year-old Nigerian Lateef Kayode is best known for fighting to a draw with world champion and Roy Jones conqueror Antonio Tarver in June 2012. Kayode began campaigning as a heavyweight earlier this month and scored a devastating TKO 2 over Travis Fulton at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California.  "I am happy to be working with so many great promotional firms to bring this sensational event to the fans in Tacoma. We are expecting a total sell-out, standing room only." said event promoter Greg Cohen. "Arash Usmanee is the uncrowned champion of the world and I congratulate ESPN for recognizing his importance and putting him in another main event of one of their exceptional broadcasts. The entire night will be terrific. There is also a full undercard of local prospects. I expect this to be one of the best shows of the year." "We are very excited to be working with Friday Night Fights once again," said Brian Halquist. "We have now been working with Zahir for over a year now and are absolutely ready for a national showcase. Being 3-0 with 3 knockouts, Zahir has done everything we have asked of him and more. After Zahir defeated Morales there were always questions surrounding a Raheem vs. Pacquiao fight, leaving behind some unfinished business. He belongs on the world stage and that's where we're going to take him." Tickets for "Battle at the Boat 94" are available through Ticketmaster and start at $35. All bouts are subject to change. The Emerald Queen Casino is located at 2024 E. 29th St, in Tacoma. This event will begin at 6:00 pm (PST). Visit GCPboxing.com for more information. This event is for persons 21 years of age and older. No one under 21 will be admitted.