LAS VEGAS (Aug. 17, 2015) – Promising up-and-coming heavyweight Trevor Bryan (15-0, 11 KO’s) will put his unblemished record on the line when he faces his toughest opponent to date, the more experienced Derric Rossy (30-9, 14 KO’s), in the 10-round main event of a ShoBox: The New Generation tripleheader live on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). Promoted by Don King Productions, the bout will take place Friday, Aug. 28, at Downtown Las Vegas Events Center (DLVEC), across from the D Las Vegas in iconic Downtown Las Vegas.
In the co-feature, two-time Dominican Republic Olympian Juan Ubaldo Cabrera (23-0, 16 KO’s), will take on the versatile Mike Gavronski (18-1-1, 12 KO’s), of Tacoma, Wash., in a 10-round middleweight match. In the opening bout of the telecast, Samoa’s 6-foot-2 heavyweight Natu Visinia (11-1, 9 KO’s) of Tacoma, Wash., will face 5-foot-10 Joey Dawejko (14-4-2, 7 KO’s), of Philadelphia, in an eight-round matchup.
All six boxers will make their ShoBox debuts in what amounts to make-or-breakout fights for each. Tickets are priced at $39.50, $59.50, $89.50, $149.50 and $500.00 for VIP Tables and are available at www.ticketmaster.com.
“It gives me great pleasure to help young and old prospects, men and women, chasing their dreams, grasping for an opportunity to transform their dreams into living reality,” King said. “Trevor Bryan is such a prospect seeking an opportunity to fulfill his dreams. Well, Don King and SHOWTIME are giving him that opportunity to capture the imagination of the people on ShoBox on Aug. 28. However, Derric Rossy, a great challenger and ‘Dreambreaker’ is blocking the door to greatness. And Trevor Bryan has to fight like hell to get through that door. The fight will be the power of dreams. I urge all fight fans to tune in on ShoBox and don’t blink.”
“We are excited to partner with Don King Promotions and ShoBox in bringing outdoor boxing to downtown Las Vegas,” said Derek Stevens, CEO/Owner DLVEC and the D Las Vegas. “The fight card features promising talent, which should make for an unforgettable event.”
Looking to establish himself in the United States heavyweight division, the talented but unproven Bryan of Pompano Beach, Fla., by way Albany, N.Y., is taking a huge leap in class against Rossy, of Medford, N.Y. The former amateur standout won five national championships in just 60 amateur bouts. While a close loss in the finals of a 2011 qualifying tournament kept him out of the U.S. Olympic Trials, the heavyweight gained valuable experience at Northern Michigan University under the tutelage of former U.S. Olympic Coach Al Mitchell.
“On paper, it looks like it’ll be exciting and I’m definitely looking at it as a breakout fight for me,” Bryan said. “I feel excitement, not pressure. It’s time for people to start mentioning my name with the others. I’ve had a great training camp, I continue to feel confident with trainer Stacey McKinley and I feel strong, mentally clear and confident. I’m ready to roll.”
“You can’t take an awkward, determined guy like Rossy lightly,” Bryan said. “He’s scored a couple of upsets, fought some guys he thought he beat, has ring experience, and he’s been there against all kinds. Like me, I feel he’s kind of desperate in his own way and the guys who are the most desperate are the most dangerous.
“This guy can’t beat me, but I expect a tough, tough fight. Rossy’s not coming to lie down. Me? I’m just a young fighter trying to make his way, and it’s time to fight somebody tough.”
Rossy, 35, an All-American high school football star who would go on to play at Boston College, has never managed to get past journeyman/gatekeeper status and over that proverbial hump fight that catapults you to the next level. He has been in with former WBO heavyweight champion Ray Mercer, world-title contenders Eddie Chambers (twice) and Fres Oquendo and world-ranked contenders such as Vyacheslav Glazkov in an 11-year career in which he seldom got the benefit of the doubt in tight fights. In his outing before last, Rossy dropped a highly controversial 10-round majority decision to 2008 Olympic bronze medalist and IBF No. 2-rated contender Glazkov (17-0-1) on Aug. 9, 2014.
“I’ve been dealt some unfortunate hands in boxing, results not coming my way, but I don’t sit and dwell on them,” Rossy said. “The bottom line is I can’t sit around and mope. I’ve got to win and leave no doubt in anybody’s mind. I feel like I’ve done that in many fights, but for some reason they think I leave doubt.” Rossy is looking for a similar performance against the undefeated Bryan.
“Bryan, I think he’s put together well,” Rossy said. “He’s a good boxer. It’s going be a good stylistic and action-packed fight and anybody that fights me know they are looking at a war.”
During the exciting fight night, Juan Ubaldo Cabrera, who represented the Dominican Republic in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, will take on Mike Gavronski in the ShoBox co-feature. The 36-year-old may best be known for defeating future world champion Jean Pascal en route to taking the gold medal in the middleweight class in the 2003 Pan-American Games. During an excellent amateur career, Cabrera also brought home a silver medal in the 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games as a light-middleweight.
Gavronski is a durable, well-conditioned 29-year-old from the Northwest, who combines boxing skill with KO power in both hands and also fought in MMA. He’s won four in a row – all in Tacoma – and is 3-0 this year. In his last fight, he recorded a resounding ninth-round TKO over rival Tyrell Hendrix on May 30 in a rematch of their 2011 draw.
The opening bout of the telecast – Natu Visinia vs. Joey Dawejko – features a heavyweight showdown between a talented prospect and a former standout amateur.
Visinia, 30, is perhaps the most promising up-and-coming Samoan heavyweight since former longtime contender David Tua. A true heavyweight with tremendous knockout power in both hands, a rock-hard head and a granite chin, the 6-foot-4 30-year-old is coming off a fourth-round knockout over Joshua Clarke last May 13. Seven of Visinia’s nine KO victories have come in the first round.
Visinia was a former standout high school and college football player at Southern Illinois University. He began his fighting career in MMA, where he became the No. 2 ranked amateur in the United States before making his pro debut. He then switched to boxing in 2006.
Dawejko had a decorated amateur career that included a World Junior Amateur championship in 2008, the national under-19 crown, and a victory over Bryant Jennings, who recently challenged World heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko last April.
