Hernandez-Harrison Scores Impressive 5th Round TKO to Improve to 15-0

Debut Champion Class Event Features 4 KO Wins at

University of the District of Columbia Campus

WASHINGTON, D.C. --- The Champion Class promotion, produced by All-In Entertainment, could have been billed as a night of knockouts as four of the five bouts featured explosive KOs highlighted by a dominating performance and victory from Washington welterweight sensation Dusty Hernandez-Harrison.

In the featured bout in front of his hometown crowd at the University of the District of Columbia’s Sports Complex, the 18-year old Hernandez-Harrison displayed tremendous patience, lightning quickness and executed crisp jabs to post a resounding fifth-round TKO over Eddie Soto (12-7) of Providence, RI and run his professional record to 15-0 with 9 knockouts.  Soto was a game adversary, but was unable to match Hernandez-Harrison’s superior boxing skills and speed, constantly getting peppered by an effective jab. Hernandez-Harrison dropped Soto at the close of the second round with a perfectly executed left-right combination setting the tone for the rest of the fight.  Hernandez-Harrison, who starts colleges classes at UDC next month, remained clearly in control, eventually flooring Soto with a combination that left his opponent crumbled on the mat in the waning seconds of the fifth round.

One year removed from earning the 178-lb. title at the 2012 National Golden Gloves and being named the tournament’s outstanding boxer, Jerry Odom (4-0, 4 KO’s) scored his fourth straight victory by first-round knockout when he delivered some punishing body blows to stop Andrew Murias (1-1) at 1:07.

In a battle of giant heavyweights, Natu Visinia (9-0, 8 KO’s) of Lakewood, CA kept his record unblemished by overwhelming Upper Marlboro, MD’s Phil Brown (6-2, 3 KO’s) for a TKO at the conclusion of the first-round.

Alexandria, VA light heavyweight Patrick Coye (1-0, 1 KO) made an impressive professional debut when he delivered a crushing right hook that dropped Charles Parker (0-1) at 1:36 of the first round for his first win.

Landover, MD featherweight Kevin Rivers Jr. (7-0, 5 KO’s) kicked off the entertaining evening by cruising to a unanimous win over Jason Rorie (6-17, 3 KO’s).  All three judges scored it 40-36.

D.C. light heavyweight Greg Newby’s bout against William Prieto of Lorain, OH was called when the Ohio fighter was deemed not medically fit to participate.  Another top local prospect, Waldorf, MD welterweight Mike Reed, originally slated for the card also saw his bout fall out at the last-minute.

Notables among the capacity crowd were Washington Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garson, Denver Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson, and District native and Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist Wale who accompanied Hernandez-Harrison during his walk to the ring.

RESULTS

WELTERWEIGHTS 8-ROUNDS

Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (15-0, 8 KO’s) of Washington, DC defeats Eddie Soto (12-7, 4 KO’s) of Pawtucket, RI by TKO 2:48 RD5

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS 4-ROUNDS

Jerry Odom (4-0, 4 KO’s) of Bowie, MD defeats Andrew Morias (1-2) of Monroe, MI by TKO 1:07 RD1

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS 4-ROUNDS

Patrick Coye of Alexandria, VA (1-0, 1 KO) defeats Charles Parker (0-1) of Wilson, NC by KO 1:36 RD1

HEAVYWEIGHTS 6-ROUNDS

Natu Visinia (9-0, 8 KO’s) of Lakewood, CA defeats Phil Brown (6-2, 3 KO’s) of Washington, D.C. by TKO 2:49RD1                

FEATHERWEIGHTS 4-ROUNDS

Kevin Rivers Jr.  (7-0, 5 KO’s) of Landover, MD defeats Jason Rorie (6-17, 3 KO’s) of Winston-Salem, NC by Unanimous Decision (40-36 3x)               

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS 4-ROUNDS

Greg Newby (7-0, 4 KO’s) of Washington, D.C. vs. William Prieto (5-7-1, KO’s) of Lorain, OH  (Prieto was not medically cleared to fight by the DC Boxing Commission so the bout was scrapped)

WELTERWEIGHTS 4-ROUNDS

Charles Natal (1-0-1, 1 KO’s) of Cleveland, OH vs. Damon Antoine (11-46-2, 5 KO’s) of Akron, OH (Declared a no-contest after power outage caused the bout to be stopped at 1:48 of the third round)

Promoter:  All-In Entertainment:

All-In Entertainment is a Washington, D.C.-based boxing and entertainment promotional company founded by prominent local attorney and entrepreneur Jeff Fried along with partners Phil Ivey, the world’s greatest poker player and recent winner of his ninth World Series of Poker bracelet and NBA Milwaukee Bucks superstar, Monta Ellis. 

Tonight’s event sponsors were Jordan Brand, EPIX, Everlast, IveyPoker, Founding Farmers, Maketto, Old School Boxing, USO of Metropolitan Washington, Henry’s Soul Café, Fou Dré Vodka and Starr Hill Brewery.

Fight Fans Invited to Open Boxing Workout

****May 13, Noon, LA Boxing in Georgetown****

WHAT:	CHAMPION CLASS OPEN WORKOUT Professional boxers competing on the All-In Entertainment Champion Class fight card (May 18, 2013, University of the District of Columbia Sports Complex) will showcase their skills and talent by conducting a public workout that is open to fans and the media.
WHEN:	MONDAY, May 13, 2013 Noon – 3:00 p.m.
WHO:	Dusty Hernandez-Harrison, Undefeated Welterweight Contender from Washington, DC @Dusty30th Mike Reed, Undefeated 2011 National Golden Gloves Champion from Upper Marlboro, MD Jerry Odom, Undefeated 2012 National Golden Gloves Champion from Bowie, MD Yurii Polishchuk, Undefeated Ukrainian Fighting out of Alexandria, VA Natu Visinia, Undefeated Samoan Heavyweight Prospect
WHERE:	LA Boxing Gym- Georgetown @LABoxing_Gtown 1116 24th St NW Washington, DC 20037 Phone: (202) 388-IBOX (4269)
METRO:	Foggy Bottom Metro Station is four blocks from LA Boxing on the blue and orange lines
RSVP:	Tammy Nguyen                  AND            Brian Bishop  All-In Entertainment, LLC                        Brotman | Winter | Fried Communications                   (202)331-3900                                         (703)533-4830    tnguyen@friedco.com                               bbishop@aboutbwf.com
TICKETS:  ALL-IN: SPONSORS: SOCIAL MEDIA:	Fans can purchase tickets, priced at $20 (general admission), $40 (reserved), $100 (VIP Ringside) and $150 (VIP Ringside with pre-fight VIP reception), to the May 18th event online at www.all-in-entertainment.com and at www.dustyharrison.com or in person at Old School Boxing Gym (6636 Rosecroft Drive, Fort Washington, MD. 20744, 202-320-5576).  Onsite parking is available or fans can ride Metro to the Van Ness-UDC station via the Red Line. All bouts are subject to change. All-In Entertainment is a Washington, DC based boxing and entertainment promotional company founded by prominent attorney and entrepreneur Jeff Fried, Phil Ivey, the World’s greatest poker player and recent winner of his Ninth World Series of Poker bracelet and NBA superstar, Monta Ellis of the Milwaukee Bucks. The event is sponsored by the Jordan Brand, EPIX, Everlast, Ivey Poker, Founding Farmers,Maketto, Old School Boxing, USO, Henry’s Soul Café and Starr Hill Brewery. Follow the promotion on Twitter and Instagram @AllIn_DC; plus use hashtags: #ChampionClass #AllIn #AllInDC #TeamDusty #DCBoxing and #ChampionClassOpenWorkOut

DC’s Dusty Hernandez-Harrison Headlines Hometown May 18th Champions Class Card vs. Eddie Soto

All-Star Undercard to Showcase Region’s Top Talent including Mike Reed, Jerry Odom, Kevin Rivers Jr., Yurii Polishchuk and Greg Newby

Washington, DC (May 7, 2013) -- Washington, D.C. teen welterweight boxing sensation Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (14-0, 8 KO’s) will put his undefeated record on the line against his toughest competition to date when he faces Eddie Soto (12-6, 4 KO’s) of Pawtucket, RI on Saturday, May 18.  The eight-round bout is the Main Event of the All-In Entertainment promotion, Champions Class, which will take place at the University of the District of Columbia’s Sports Complex (4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20006).  Sponsored by the Jordan Brand and EPIX, the event will be streamed live online by Go Fight Live (www.gfl.tv) and broadcast on Comcast at a future date. Doors will open at6:00 pm with the first of 10 scheduled bouts set to begin at 7:00pm.

Currently the youngest boxer to compete in the professional ranks, Harrison made his pro debut at age 17 on June 11, 2011.  An incoming student at the University of District of Columbia, set to begin classes in June, Harrison has quickly developed a strong reputation and an active following in the boxing-rich Nation’s Capital, thanks to his attractive fighting style, natural skills and ability to connect with his fans. Trained and managed by his father, Buddy Harrison, out of Old School Boxing Gym, Dusty Harrison is poised to take the next step with this hometown showing. In his last bout, Harrison earned a six-round unanimous decision over Jonathan Garcia on April 12 in Dover, DE. 

A native of Puerto Rico fighting out of New England, Soto has faced tough competition during his eight-year career.  The combined record of his last five opponents is 81-9-1, including Edgar Santana (26-4) who defeated Soto in his most recent bout on January 25, 2013, also in Dover.

While Harrison – Soto is the Main Event, the card will feature an evening guaranteed to entertain with a full lineup of boxers “on the rise.”  One of the most anticipated undercard bouts will be a six-round heavyweight slugfest between six-foot-two, 240-lb. Natu Visinia (8-0, 7 KO’s) of Lakewood, CA and six-foot-seven, 280-lb. Phil Brown (6-1, 3 KO’s) of Upper Marlboro, MD.

Some of the Washington region’s top prospects will be appearing on the all-star card, including welterweightMike Reed (2-0, 2 KO) of Waldorf, MD, super middleweight Jerry Odom (3-0, 3 KO’s) of Bowie, MD, featherweight Kevin Rivers, Jr. (6-0, 5 KO’s) of Landover, MD, welterweight Yurii Polishchuk (1-0, 1 KO) of Alexandria, VA. and light heavyweight Greg Newby (7-0, 4 KO’s) of Washington, D.C. 

Reed, a former 2011 National Golden Gloves Champion, is off to a fast start as a professional, recording a pair of first-round knockouts in his inaugural fights, including last month’s win against Cassius Clay at the nearby Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, MD.  Reed will face pro debuting Christian Daniel of Wilson, NC in a four-round contest.  During his amateur career, Reed was a medalist at the National Silver Gloves, USA Boxing Championships and National PAL Tournament as well as Jr. Olympic National Champion.

Odom will seek his fourth win in a row when he battles Drew Morias (1-1) of Monroe, MI in a four-round tilt. None of his previous fights have lasted beyond the first round, his most recent win coming on a first-round TKO of Craig Boykin on March 2 at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.  Odom, the 2012 National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions at 178 pounds, led Washington, D.C. to the team title and earned The Golden Boy Award for the tournament’s most outstanding boxer.

The hard-hitting Rivers is scheduled to fight his first six-round contest against an opponent to be named. Rivers scored a third-round knockout of a debuting Carlos Alcala in his most recent bout on April 20 at the Showplace Arena. Rivers was a highly decorated amateur who captured six major belts, including the Ringside World Championships, National PAL Tournament and Jr. Golden Gloves title where he was named the event’s outstanding boxer.  

Polishchuk will face Charles Natal (1-0-1, 1 KO) of Cleveland, OH, in four-round action, after scoring a first-round TKO over Demetrius Winbush in his pro debut last month at Show Place Arena. 

Newby’s opponent for their six-round contest has not yet been announced. The D.C. fighter scored a unanimous decision victory over Mark Anderson in his last fight on April 27 in Bamberg, SC.

Fairfax, VA junior welterweight Joseph Rector (1-1) goes for his second win in a four-round contest against Blair Cobbs (pro debut) of Philadelphia, PA, while Patrick Coye of Alexandria, VA and Charles Parker of Wilson, NC will make their pro debuts in a four-round light heavyweight bout. Guyana’s Elton Dharry (13-5-1, 7 KO’s) will be on the card in a six-round bantamweight bout against an opponent to be named.

Lightshow, Shy Glizzy, and Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist and District native Wale are among the special guests appearing at the event.  Other celebrities from the worlds of entertainment and professional sports are also expected to turn out.

Tickets, priced at $20 (general admission), $40 (reserved), $100 (VIP Ringside) and $150 (VIP Ringside with pre-fight VIP reception), can be purchased online at www.all-in-entertainment.com and at www.dustyharrison.com or in person at Old School Boxing Gym (6636 Rosecroft Drive, Fort Washington, MD. 20744, 202-320-5576).  Onsite parking is available or fans can ride Metro to the Van Ness-UDC station via the Red Line. All bouts are subject to change.