PROVIDENCE (October 10, 2008) –
Tickets go on sale Wednesday, (Oct. 15 at 10 AM/ET) for
the November 13th “Tough & Tested” pro boxing show,
headlined by an IBO super middleweight title fight between
“The Pride of Providence”
Peter Manfredo, Jr., runner-up in Season One of
The Contender,
and Sakio “The
Scorpion” Bika, winner of Season Three of
The Contender, at
the newly renovated Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode
Island.
“Tough & Tested,” co-promoted by
the Tournament of Contenders and Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic
Entertainment and Sports, Inc. (CES), will air nationally live
on Versus television. “Tough & Tested” will feature at least
five fighters who are “Contender” alumni: Manfredo and Bika in
the main event, Grady “Bad
Boy” Brewer, winner of Season Two of
The Contender,
versus fan favorite in Season Two of
The Contender,
Cornelius “K9” Bundrage,
in the IBO light middleweight title eliminator co-feature;
runner-up in Season Three of
The Contender,
Jaidon “The Don” Codrington,
in a super middleweight Special Attraction.
“CES,
The Contender,
Peter and Sakio all want to celebrate the grand re-opening of
‘The Dunk’ by bringing in the IBO world championship title
fight between Manfredo and Bika,” promoter Jimmy Burchfield
said. “This will be the first pro boxing show at the new
Dunkin’ Donuts Center as well as the first major world title
fight held there in 17 years, since Vinny Paz stopped Gilbert
Dele (at the Providence Civic Center as it was known then) in
the 12th round for the WBA light middleweight
belt. Manfredo versus Bika is going to be a very tough fight.
We also have a good co-feature, the Brewer-Bundrage IBO title
eliminator, and we’re putting together a strong, competitive
and entertaining undercard starting with Codrington.
“We
all want to give something
back, too. ‘Tough & Tested’ will benefit the Gloria Gemma
Breast Cancer Resource Foundation www.gloriagemma.org.
We’re calling for a ‘Pink Out’ (everybody wearing something
colored pink) to show support for this great cause. A portion
of the proceeds from ticket and T-shirt sales will go to the
Gloria Gemma Foundation for research
into early breast cancer
detection.”
Manfredo and Bika have combined
to fight in four world title fights and one of them will walk
away with the IBO world title belt on Nov. 13.
“The
Contender is pleased to stage its third fight in
Providence, Rhode Island,”
The Contender
executive producer Jeff Wald commented. “Providence feels like
our second home and we’re grateful for the support Providence
has given The Contender
and ‘The Pride of Providence.’ Peter Manfredo fought two fan
friendly fights against Sergio Mora, as well as two great
fights in Providence against (Scott) Pemberton and (Joey)
Spina. Fans can always expect action and excitement when Peter
Manfredo fights. Sakio Bika went the distance in two world
championship fights and won
The Contender,
Season Three in what many believed was the Fight of the Year
against Codrington. Bika’s also an exciting fighter. Manfredo
and Bika should be dynamite.
“Grady Brewer won Season Two of
The Contender
against Steve Forbes, who has gone on to fight Oscar De La
Hoya and Andre Berto. His opponent, ‘K9’ Bundrage, just beat
former world champion Kasim Ouma. Brewer-Bundrage looks like
another exciting fight. Jaidon Codrington knows how to box and
he also has knockout power. He was the other half of the Fight
of the Year candidate with Bika. Everybody working on
The Contender is a
big supporter in the fight against breast cancer and we’re
thrilled to be associated with the Gloria Gemma Foundation.
Fighters aren’t the only ones who are Tough & Tested – women
who’ve survived breast cancer are Tough & Tested, too.”
Manfredo (31-5, 16 KOs), the
reigning NABF Interim champion, is the WBC No. 13 rated super
middleweight. Fighting in front of his hometown fans, “The
Pride of Providence” sports a perfect 16-0 (10 KOs) record in
Rhode Island, including 3-0 (3 KOs) in the same Providence
building as his Nov. 13th showdown against Bika.
Manfredo’s five pro career losses have all come at the hands
of world champions.
IBF Pan Pacific super
middleweight title-holder Bika, a 2000 Cameroon Olympian now
fighting out of Australia, won
The Contender III
with a dramatic eighth round stoppage of Bridgeport,
Connecticut native Codrington (18-2, 14 KOs) in the finale in
Boston. Bika, rated No. 5 by the IBF and No. 8 by
The Ring magazine,
hasn’t been stopped in 31 pro fights.
In the 10-round co-feature,
Brewer (23-11, 13 KOs), former IBA light middleweight
champion, takes on Bundrage (28-3, 16 KOs), IBF rated No. 13,
in the IBO junior middleweight title eliminator.
Some of New England’s most
talented and popular fighters will be on the soon to be
announced undercard.
Tickets, priced at
$18.00, $23.00, $58.00, $79.00, $107.00 and $222.00, go on
sale
Wednesday
(Oct. 15 at 10 AM) at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center
Box Office or through CES Boxing at 401.724.2253/2254 or
www.cesboxing.com.
Tickets will also be on sale through
www.Ticketmaster.com
and at all local Ticketmaster outlets by calling Ticketmaster
direct at 401.331.2211 or 617.931.2000.
For more
information call 401.724.2253/2254 or go online to
www.cesboxing.com,
www.tournamentofcontenders.com
or
www.dunkindonutscenter.com.
10-10-2008
