Patrick Hyland injured; May 18 card in Poughkeepsie cancelled

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (May 9, 2013) - A minor shoulder injury suffered during training camp has forced Irish featherweight contender Patrick "The Punisher" Hyland to withdraw from his scheduled main event fight May 18 at Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York.  Final Round Promotions announced today that the entire "The Heat Is On" card has been cancelled. Hyland (27-1, 12 KOs), rated No. 13 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), has a muscle pull in his right shoulder.  The 29-year-old Hyland, a native of Dublin, lives in Marlboro, New York. "Patrick is under doctor's orders to stop training for two weeks and undergo treatment," promoter Mike Pascale (Final Round Promotions) explained.  "We're all disappointed but injuries, unfortunately, are part of boxing.  We've already started looking at a few possible dates for a rescheduled show featuring Patrick, but we need to wait for his medical report in two weeks to know his physical status, before we can book a date.  This is just a minor bump in the road for Patrick, who will not have any permanent damage from this injury, as he continues on his journey towards a world title." Anybody who has tickets for the cancelled May 18 show can be reimbursed at point of purchase (Mid-Hudson Civic Center or Ticketmaster outlets). Go to www.teamsnookiboxing.com for additional information about Hyland and the rescheduled date when announced.

Professional boxing returns to Poughkeepsie; Patrick Hyland headlines 'The Heat Is On'

THE HEAT IS ON Featuring PATRICK "The Punisher" HYLAND Mid-Hudson Civic Center  ●  Poughkeepsie, NY  ●  May 18, 2013  May 18 at Mid-Hudson Civic Center POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (May 2, 2013) - Irish featherweight contender Patrick "The Punisher" Hyland headlines "The Heat Is On" professional boxing  card, presented by Final Round Promotions, in association with Team Snooki Boxing,Saturday night,  May 18, at Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York. Hyland (27-1, 12 KOs), rated No. 11 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), faces an opponent to be determined in the eight-round main event.  The 29-year-old Hyland, who lives in Marlboro, New York, is coming off his first pro loss.  Last December in Las Vegas, he lost a 12-round decision to undefeated Javier Fortuna for the vacant Interim WBA featherweight title.  "We're excited to bring pro boxing back to Poughkeepsie with Patrick Hyland headlining once again," promoter Mike Pascale (Final Round Promotions) said. "Patrick learned valuable experience fighting for the world title.  Although he lost, Patrick went 12 hard rounds with Fortuna, who is 22-0 with 16 KOs.  We're still confident that Patrick will be world champion and the May 18th fight is his next step in that direction.  We also have some of the best talent in the Hudson Valley fighting on this show." Unbeaten Michael "Lefty" Brooks (9-0-1, 2 KOs), fighting out of Long Island, takes on Yonkers favorite Chass McDowell (6-3, 1 KO) in the eight-round co-feature for the vacant New York State lightweight title. Newburgh (NY) light welterweight Treysean Wiggins (3-0, 3 KOs) meets David Roman "The Riot" Curiel (3-1-1, 1 KO) in a six-round bout. Also fighting on the undercard in separate four round bouts are Newburgh heavyweight Detroy "The Destroyer" Jones (5-1-1, 2 KOs) vs. TBA, Newburgh bantamweight Michael Del Valle in his pro debut vs. Derrick Bivins (1-1-1), Queens cruiserweight Armin "The Bosnian Prince" Mrkanovic (5-3, 3 KOs) vs. Eric George (0-2), of Niagara Falls, Albany heavyweight Kimbo Bethel Boykin (6-1, 5 KOs) vs. TBA, New York City super featherweight Jodie Ann Wells in her pro debut vs. TBA, and Puerto Rican featherweight Kendal Santos (0-1) vs. Micah Brown (1-6-1). Tickets, reasonably priced at $35.00, $50.00 and $100 (Gold Ringside), are available to purchase at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center and through all Ticketmaster outlets. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET with the first bout scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.  Go towww.finalroundpromotions.com for additional information.

Lewkowicz: Fortuna Would KO Any Featherweight in the World

Promoter Sampson Lewkowicz would like to congratulate his fighter, Javier "El Abejon" Fortuna (22-0, 16 KOs) of the Dominican Republic for his sensational first-round KO over Mexico's Miguel Zamudio. Fighting in the main event last Friday (April 19) at the Tropicana Showroom in the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City (and televised live worldwide on ESPN Friday Night Fights), Fortuna came out like a human buzz saw and dropped Zamudio twice, the second time rendering him unconscious for several frightening minutes at 1:08 of the first round. Unfortunately, Fortuna was unable to made the 126-lb featherweight limit before the fight (he weighed in at 126.6 lbs) and lost his WBA Interim belt on the scale, but the performance against Zamudio was eye-catching enough to cement him as a major force in the division, title belt or not. Fortuna's promoter, however, says he's disappointed in criticisms from those who said Fortuna and Zamudio didn't belong in the same ring. "How can anyone make that determination?" said Sampson Lewkowicz. "What Fortuna did to Zamudio is what he did to Yuandale Evans, who was undefeated and many thought was going to beat Fortuna. It's the same thing he did to Cristobal Cruz, a former world champion. It's what he did to Victor Valenzuela, who was 8-0. He did the same thing to Zamudio that he did to two of his last three opponents and there was no questioning their quality as fighters. It's impossible to say based on what we saw if Miguel Zamudio belonged in there. Fortuna would do that to anyone in the division." Lewkowicz says Fortuna will continue to campaign at featherweight and he will be looking to help him regain his championship as quickly as possible in a high-profile fight. "Javier was only .6 overweight, and it's possible he could have lost the weight, but even though it cost me money I would not let him risk his health. My fighters are like my children. He will make the weight next time. I am putting a challenge out to the promoters of any world champ or any top featherweight to come and face Javier Fortuna. He is the best of the best at featherweight and he will do what he did to Zamudio to anyone. It really doesn't matter who I put in front of Javier. They're getting knocked out."

Lewkowicz Congratulates Jackson for Impressive Victory against Fort

Promoter Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing congratulates Virgin Islands slugger John "Dah Rock" Jackson (16-1, 14 KOs) for his impressive nationally televised victory over formerly undefeated "Sir" Cerresso Fort. Fighting in the eight-round co-main event last Friday (April 19) at the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City, and live worldwide on ESPN Friday Night Fights, Jackson was stronger and faster than the well-regarded Fort and won by unanimous decision (77-75, 79-73 and 79-73). WBC #15 Jackson was expected to face a test against Fort (then 16-0-1, 11 KOs) but was simply a league above his game opponent. Jackson took Fort's power with ease while delivering world-class power shots in dazzling combination. It was an impressive win for the 24-year-old son of former world champion Julian Jackson. "John was sensational," said Lewkowicz. "He showed he is a class above even well-regarded prospects. Fort is a strong fighter and John was just too good for him. Even though he is a KO puncher, he took his time and picked Fort apart. That was a veteran move and it showed his true championship character." Lewkowicz says Jackson will be back soon in an even higher profile matchup. "The next fight will hopefully be an ESPN main event against a quality opponent that will showcase to the world that he is a future champion. And after that, I will be looking to the premium cable channels like HBO to put him in a world-title fight. I believe it's going to be a big year for John Jackson."

Fort: This Fight Will Be My Introduction

They call St. Paul, Minnesota, junior middleweight Cerresso Fort (16-0-1, 11 KOs) "Sir" because of his cordial nature. He's a very nice young man.

But heading into the biggest fight of his life tonight, Fort knows it is now time to earn the respect of the boxing world by being anything but polite against Virgin Islands slugger John "Dah Rock" Jackson (15-1, 14 KOs).

The two will meet tonight (Friday, April 19) at the Tropicana Showroom in the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City and live across the country on ESPN Friday Night Fights (10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD, ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN and later televised Saturday April 20, at 2:30 a.m. on ESPNEWS).

The exciting eight-round match-up will serve as the main supporting bout to Javier "El Abejon" Fortuna (21-0, 15 KOs) defending his interim WBA World featherweight title against Sinaloa, Mexico's Miguel "Mikol" Zamudio (25-1-1, 13 KOs) in the main event.

"I give a lot of respect, I was raised well by my grandmother, but I know it's time for me to go out and get my respect now. That's what this performance against Jackson will be about. It'll be my introduction to the boxing world."

Fort, a former accomplished amateur and cousin to highly touted prospect Gary Russell Jr., says he's got a surprise for Jackson, the hard-punching son of former champion Julian Jackson.

"I've got power too. He's going to feel it. I call myself a puncher/boxer. He's either going to have to throw in the towel or get knocked out because I'm here to show the world what I can do. I didn't have a famous father in boxing. I have a lot of will built in me. I used to run six miles a day to get to the gym. I made me who I am. I didn't have any help from anyone famous."

Fort spends his off-time working at the boxing gym he's partly owns called Element Boxing and Fitness in St. Paul, training children and adults.

"The dream is to be world champion someday. That's why I'm in it. And after this fight, all the fans will know who I am. People inside boxing have known who I am for years because of my amateur career, but now the fans around the world are going to see what I can do!"

###

This event is presented by Sampson Boxing.

In another featured bout Ghana's Emmanuel Lartei Lartey (14-0-1, 7 KOs) will take on the Dominican Republic's Jonathan Batista (13-0, 6 KOs) in a six/eight-round welterweight battle of undefeateds.

On the undercard, undefeated Anthony Young (7-0, 3 KOs) of Atlantic City will face St. Clair, Pennsylvania's Rafael Montalvo (2-3, 2 KOs) in a  four-round welterweight clash and Brooklyn, New York's Dean Burrell (6-1, 5 KOs) will face Durham, North Carolina's Vernon Alston (5-4, 5 Kos).

Tickets for "Fortuna vs. Zamudio" are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or at the Tropicana box office on fight night.

On fight night, doors open at 7:00 (approx.) and the action starts at 8:00. The Tropicana Casino & Resort is located at 2831 Boardwalk in Atlantic City.

Jackson Ready for 'Exciting War' Against Fort

"My dad gave me the name 'Dah Rock'. He said that when I hit it feels like a rock in my gloves. The island we're from, they call it the rock too. Plus, God is my rock. I heard him say that and I said 'yeah. I like it.'" Growing up the son of one of boxing's hardest hitters ever, you have some pretty big gloves to fill if you plan on becoming a fighter, but so far, Virgin Islands slugger John "Dah Rock" Jackson (15-1, 14 KOs), son of legendary champion Julian "The Hawk" Jackson, isn't doing so bad at it. 16 fights into his career, the elder Jackson was still fighting preliminaries. Going into his 17th fight, WBC #15 Jackson is set to face St. Paul, Minnesota's undefeated "Sir" Cerresso Fort (16-0-1, 11 KOs) in the televised six-round co-main event this Friday (April 19) at the Tropicana Showroom in the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City and live across the country on ESPN Friday Night Fights (10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD, ESPN Deportes andWatchESPN and later televised Saturday April 20, at 2:30 a.m. on ESPNEWS). Presented by Sampson Boxing, the spectacular tripleheader of world-class boxing will be topped by La Romana, Dominican Republic's dynamic Javier "El Abejon" Fortuna (21-0, 15 KOs) defending his interim WBA World featherweight title against Sinaloa, Mexico's Miguel "Mikol" Zamudio (25-1-1, 13 KOs) and will also feature Ghana's Emmanuel Lartei Lartey (14-0-1, 7 KOs) taking on the Dominican Republic's Jonathan Batista (13-0, 6 KOs) in a six/eight-round welterweight battle of undefeateds. "A lot of people compare me to my dad because of the power I got from him, but my dad was something special," admitted Jackson of his father, who also serves as his assistant trainer (with head trainer David Rogers). "He had that one-punch power that puts guys to sleep. I'm glad I got some of what he had at least. And I'm glad to be his son and represent him." Jackson says he's ready for war against the formidable Fort, a match-up that could prove to be the runaway winner of Fight of the Night. "I know he's undefeated and a very strong fighter, and a hard hitter also. We're both heavy-handed. I'm going in there focused and ready for war. I know it'll be exciting. The people who tune in are going to love it. I'm not going out for a KO. I'm just going in to work and it if comes, it comes. Early or late I will take it, but I'll go in there and do what we worked and come out with the impressive win." Unlike his father at similar points in their careers, the younger Jackson has already suffered a career loss. Last September in Las Vegas, he dropped a close but unanimous decision to the streaking Willie Nelson in a battle for the NABF Championship. "I learned a lot," he admitted. "It was the best fight I've had to date, an exciting ten-rounder and I fought hard. It could have gone either way. I learned a lot about myself. I learned I can go ten and I can take a punch. It was a great experience." Jackson is one of a fistic trio with his brother, undefeated super middleweight contender Julius "The Chef" Jackson (15-0, 11 KOs) and cousin, undefeated super welterweight Samuel "Rock City Cobra" Rogers (13-0, 6 KOs), known as "The Hawk's Flock" a play on Julius Jackson's fighting nickname. "We mostly spar with each other. We go real hard at each other, but we don't try to see who is better. We train three times a week, so we can't be trying to win every day. Sometimes, we each get the best of each other and there are some wars, but there is no family rivalry." Jackson says that, like his father, the dream is to eventually strap a world-title belt around his waist for his beautiful homeland. "My dream is just to keep moving up, get to the top and be world champion. That's the ultimate goal: to hold a world title and defend it. That's the dream. I think I could get some more experience first. After a couple more fights, I'll be ready to go in there and capture my dreams." ### On the undercard, undefeated Anthony Young (7-0, 3 KOs) of Atlantic City will face St. Clair, Pennsylvania's Rafael Montalvo (2-3, 2 KOs) in a  four-round welterweight clash;  Brooklyn, New York's Dean Burrell (6-1, 5 KOs) will face Durham, North Carolina's Vernon Alston (5-4, 5 KOs) in a four-round lightweight bout; and in a pair of  four-round heavyweight battles, undefeated Charles Martin (6-0-1, 6 KOs) of St. Louis, Missouri, will face David Saulsberry (7-5, 7 KOs) of Greenville, Kentucky, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania's Eric Newell (5-2-1, 3 KOs) will take on Virginia Beach, Virginia's Joe Cusomano (6-1, KOs). Tickets for "Fortuna vs. Zamudio" are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or at the Tropicana box office on fight night. On fight night, doors open at 7:00 (approx.) and the action starts at 8:00. The Tropicana Casino & Resort is located at 2831 Boardwalk in Atlantic City.

Friday's ESPN Tripleheader Undercard Announced

The complete card has been finalized for this Friday's (April 19) ESPN Friday Night Fights-televised (10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD, ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN and later televised Saturday April 20, at 2:30 a.m. on ESPNEWS) tripleheader from the Tropicana Showroom in the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City. Presented by Sampson Boxing, the spectacular night of world-class boxing will be headlined by La Romana, Dominican Republic's dynamic Javier "El Abejon" Fortuna (21-0, 15 KOs) defending his interim WBA World featherweight title against Sinaloa, Mexico's Miguel "Mikol" Zamudio (25-1-1, 13 KOs) in an intriguing 12-round clash. Also scheduled for televised battle are St. Thomas, Virgin Islands' promising, once-beaten John "Dah Rock" Jackson (15-1, 14 KOs) and St. Paul, Minnesota's undefeated "Sir" Cerresso Fort (16-0-1, 11 KOs), who will lock up in a six-round junior middleweight war. Completing the televised tripleheader will be Ghana's Emmanuel Lartei Lartey (14-0-1, 7 KOs) taking on the Dominican Republic's Jonathan Batista (13-0, 6 KOs) in a six/eight-round welterweight battle of undefeateds. On the undercard, undefeated Anthony Young (7-0, 3 KOs) of Atlantic City will face St. Clair, Pennsylvania's Rafael Montalvo (2-3, 2 KOs) in a  four-round welterweight clash;  Brooklyn, New York's Dean Burrel (6-1, 5 KOs) will face Durham, North Carolina's Vernon Alston (5-4, 5 KOs) in a four-round lightweight bout; and in a pair of  four-round heavyweight battles, undefeated Charles Martin (6-0-1, 6 KOs) of St. Louis, Missouri, will face David Saulsberry (7-5, 7 KOs) of Greenville, Kentucky, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania's Eric Newell (5-2-1, 3 KOs) will take on Buffalo, New York's Excell Holmes (2-1-1, 1 KOs). Tickets for "Fortuna vs. Zamudio" are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or at the Tropicana box office on fight night. Four other bouts featuring local favorites are also scheduled and will be announced shortly. On fight night, doors open at 7:00 (approx.) and the action starts at 8:00. The Tropicana Casino & Resort is located at 2831 Boardwalk in Atlantic City.

Combined Records Tell The Story Of April 19 ESPN Tripleheader

105 Wins. 2 Losses. 2 Draws. The combined records of the six combatants tell the story of what a great show it will be on Friday, April 19, 2013, at the ESPN-televised tripleheader entitled "Fortuna vs. Zamudio", presented by Sampson Boxing at the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City. Scheduled to air live on ESPN Friday Night Fights that night are a 12-rounder featuring La Romana, Dominican Republic's Javier "El Abejon" Fortuna (21-0, 15 KOs) defending his interim WBA World featherweight title against Sinaloa, Mexico's Miguel "Mikol" Zamudio (25-1-1, 13 KOs); St. Thomas, Virgin Islands' once-beaten John "Dah Rock" Jackson (15-1, 14 KOs) taking on St. Paul, Minnesota's undefeated "Sir" Cerresso Fort (16-0-1, 11 KOs) in a six-round junior middleweight war; and Ghana's Emmanuel Lartei Lartey (14-0-1, 7 KOs) facing the Dominican Republic's Jonathan Batista (13-0, 6 KOs) in a six/eight-round welterweight battle of undefeateds. "You cannot set up easy fights on ESPN," said Sampson Boxing President, Sampson Lewkowicz. "(ESPN Boxing Chief) Doug Loughrey and the network have set strict quality standards for their air, so none of these fights are easy or certain victories for any of the fighters. This is going to be one of the best shows this year with three terrific match-ups for the fans." Tickets for the "Fortuna vs. Zamudio" ESPN-televised tripleheader start at $40 and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or at the Tropicana box office on fight night. Four other bouts featuring local favorites are also scheduled and will be announced shortly. On fight night, doors open at 7:00 (approx.) and the action starts at 8:00. The Tropicana Casino & Resort is located at 2831 Boardwalk in Atlantic City.

Tickets on Sale Today for April 19 Friday Night Fights in Atlantic City

Tickets start at $40 and go on sale today (Tuesday, April 2) at 5 pm ET for the Friday, April 19, 2013, "Fortuna vs. Zamudio", a night of world-championship professional boxing being presented by Sampson Boxing at the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City and live on ESPN Friday Night Fights. In the night's main event, La Romana, Dominican Republic's dynamic Javier "El Abejon" Fortuna (21-0, 15 KOs) will defend his interim WBA World featherweight title against Sinaloa, Mexico's Miguel "Mikol" Zamudio (25-1-1, 13 KOs) in an intriguing 12-round clash. This will be the first title defense for the always exciting Fortuna, who won the crown last December against Ireland's Patrick Hyland via 12-round decision.   Also scheduled for televised battle are St. Thomas, Virgin Islands' promising, once-beaten John "Dah Rock" Jackson (15-1, 14 KOs) and St. Paul, Minnesota's undefeated "Sir" Cerresso Fort (16-0-1, 11 KOs), who will lock up in a six-round junior middleweight war. Completing the televised tripleheader will be Ghana's Emmanuel Lartei Lartey (14-0-1, 7 KOs) taking on the Dominican Republic's Jonathan Batista (13-0, 6 KOs) in a six/eight-round welterweight battle of undefeateds. Sampson Boxing President, Sampson Lewkowicz, says he's excited to be bringing an event like this to the Tropicana. "This is going to be a great show. We have a world-championship fight in the main event between a Dominican and a Mexican, so that will be very exciting and the two supporting bouts are between top up-and-coming fighters. It's a terrific night of boxing and I'm very happy to be able to bring it to a world-class casino like the Tropicana." After 5 pm today, tickets for "Fortuna vs. Zamudio" will be available at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or at the Tropicana box office on fight night. Four other bouts featuring local favorites are also scheduled and will be announced shortly. On fight night, doors open @ 6:30 pm and the first fight is at 7:00. The Tropicana Casino & Resort is located at 2831 Boardwalk in Atlantic City.

26th annual Ring 8 Holiday Event & Awards Ceremony Sunday in New York

Peter Quillin & Joe Calzaghe among top 2012 award winners Ring 8 Fighter of the Year Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin   NEW YORK, NY (Feb. 5 2013) - The 26th annual RING 8 Holiday Event and Awards Ceremony will be held this Sunday afternoon (12:00-5:00 p.m. ET) at Russo's On The Bay in Howard Beach, New York. Damage from Hurricane Sandy to Russo's On The Bay forced the event's postponement from December 9 to February 10. New boxing promoter and television reality star, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, will be in attendance along with one of the fighters she promotes, world title challenger Patrick Hyland. "Nicole is a new promoter who wants to show her support for boxing and Ring 8," Ring 8 president Bob Duffy said. "Nicole had to reschedule a few things to be with us but she did because she really cares about boxing and what happens to boxers after they retire. We're grateful for her support as well as the many others who are giving their time to support our annual event. We have eight world champions attending and many other boxing dignitaries." Popular ring announcer Dave Diamante will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Ring 8 previously announced its 2012 award winners (see full list below), including new World Boxing Association middleweight champion Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin (Fighter of the Year) and Joe Calzaghe (Fighter of the Decade). Lifetime Achievement Award winner Bernard Hopkins is unable to attend as originally scheduled due to training for his March 9th fight against International Boxing Federation light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Hopkins indicated that he would attend a future Ring 8 monthly meeting as a special guest to receive his award. In addition to Quillin and Calzaghe, other world champion attendees include Bobby Czyz, Iran Barkley, Vito Antuofermo, Mark Breland, Tracy Patterson, Jr. and Junior Jones, as well as Renaldo "Mister" Snipes,Tommy Gallagher, Vinny Maddalone, 2008 U.S. Olympian Sadam Ali, and many others. ___________________________________________________________________   2012 RING 8 Award Winners Fighter of the Year: Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin Fighter of the Decade: Joe Calzaghe Man of the Year: Frankie Russo, Jr. Uncrowned Champion: David Sears Coach of the Year (FDNY): Bob McGuire Lifetime Achievement Award: Bernard Hopkins Official of the Year (Referee): Eddie Claudio Official of the Year (Judge): John Signorile Boxing Writer of the Year: Mike Woods Long & Meritorious Service: Ron McNair Prospects of the Year: Floriano Pagliara & Joe Smith Comeback of the Year: Adam Willett   ___________________________________________________________________      Tickets, priced at $125.00 per person, are still available to purchase by calling1.718.729.4862, emailing DepComish@aol.com or mailing checks (payable to Ring 8) to Tony Mazzarella, C/O Waterfront Crab House, 2-03 Borden Ave., Long Island, NY 11101. Donations of any denomination are welcome for those unable to attend the festivities. Tickets include a complete brunch with cocktail hour upon entry, seating at the awards ceremony, dinner and dessert, and top-shelf open bar throughout the afternoon. There will also be a silent auction of boxing memorabilia. Boxing and sports memorabilia will be on display. Go online to www.Ring8ny.com for more information about Ring 8 or its annual Holiday Events and Awards Ceremony. Russo's On The Bay is located at 162-45 Crossbay Blvd. in Howard Beach(718.843.5055). About Ring 8: Formed in 1954 by an ex-prizefighter, Jack Grebelsky, Ring 8 became the eighth subsidiary of what was then known as the National Veteran Boxers Association - hence, RING 8 - and today the organization's motto still remains: Boxers Helping Boxers. RING 8 is fully committed to supporting less fortunate people in the boxing community who may require assistance in terms of paying rent, medical expenses, or whatever justifiable need. Go on line to www.Ring8ny.com for more information about RING 8, the largest group of its kind in the United States with more than 350 members. Annual membership dues is only $25.00 and each member is entitled to a buffet dinner at RING 8 monthly meetings, the third Tuesday of every month, excluding July and August. All active boxers, amateur and professional, are entitled to a complimentary RING 8 yearly membership.

Lewkowicz Congratulates Fortuna, Manager Manguita Promotions and ESPN's Loughrey on Title-Winning Victory

Promoter Sampson Lewkowicz wishes to congratulate Cesar Mercedes of Dominican Republic-based Manguita Promotions, for managing his first world champion and also sends thanks to Doug Loughrey, Director of Programming and Acquisitions at ESPN, now that featherweight Javier "El Abejon" Fortuna (21-0, 15 KOs) is the interim WBA Featherweight Champion.

Fighting on the Pacquiao/Marquez IV undercard, Fortuna defeated New York, via Ireland's Patrick Hyland by scores of 118-110, 116-112, and 115-113 to win the world title belt.

"I know what a thrill it is to be the manager of a world champion and I want to say that it couldn't have happened to a better person," said Lewkowicz. "Cesar and I have always believed in Javier and now the world sees how right we were. He will go on now to have a wonderful career and he is just the first of many Dominican boxers who will someday win a title under Cesar Mercedes and Sampson Boxing."

Meanwhile, Lewkowicz also sends his sincere thanks to Doug Loughrey, Director of Programming and Acquisitions at ESPN, for his and his network's role in the development of Fortuna into a world champion.

"Doug Loughrey and ESPN have been instrumental in making Javier a well-known boxer. Without his willingness to repeatedly showcase Javier, he would not have risen to the level he is now at. We are forever grateful for this to Doug Loughrey and everyone at ESPN."

Lewkowicz says there are many potentially lucrative fights to be made for Fortuna, but for now it is time to celebrate. "Cesar Mercedes and I will sit down and map a course for Javier, but right now we are celebrating his landmark victory."