Unbeaten rising star Robert Easter Jr. (16-0, 13 KO) will take on former world champion Algenis Mendez (23-3-1, 13 KOs) in a lightweight attraction as part of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Spike on Friday, April 1 from the D.C. Armory in Washington, D.C.
A stacked undercard will feature top local talent including top prospect Gervonta “The One” Davis (14-0, 13 KOs) battling Mexico’s Guillermo Avila (15-5, 12 KOs) in a 10-round super featherweight bout, plus Anthony Peterson (36-1, 24 KOs), Kareem Martin (7-0-1, 3 KOs), Patrick Harris (8-0, 5 KOs) and Demond Nicholson (16-1, 16 KOs) in separate bouts. A full undercard will be announced in the coming weeks.
“This fight is another stepping stone for me towards a world title,” said Easter Jr. “It’s a blessing to be on a card like this, and I’m very excited for the opportunity. I’m going to bring my style and true boxing skills to the ring and put on a great show.”
“I really like this matchup, and I can’t wait to get into the ring,” said Mendez. “I’m a different fighter than two years ago when I lost to Rances Barthelemy. Easter is long and tall, he’s a good fighter, but he hasn’t fought anyone near my caliber, and I think his style sets up well for me. It will be a good fight between two talented fighters. When the fans see Easter get counted out by the ref, don’t think it’s an April Fools joke, it will be the real thing.”
Televised coverage on Spike begins at 9 p.m. ET/PT and is headlined by four-division world champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner defending his 140-pound title against London’s Ashley “The Treasure” Theophane.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by About Billions Promotions and Mayweather Promotions in association with HeadBangers Promotions, are priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, and are on sale now. To purchase tickets visit www.ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster locations or call (800) 745-3000.
An accomplished amateur who was a 2012 U.S. Olympic alternate, the 25-year-old Easter Jr. picked up four victories in 2015 including knockouts over Osumanu Akaba, Miguel Mendoza, Alejandro Rodriguez and Juan Ramon Solis. Unbeaten since turning pro in 2012, the Toledo, Ohio-born prospect faces the toughest challenge of his career in Mendez, and he hopes to join his close friend Broner as a world champion sometime this year.
A former world champion who represented the Dominican Republic in the 2004 Olympics, Mendez now fights out of Brooklyn and is coming off of a victory over former champion Miguel Vazquez in October 2015. Mendez was victorious despite herniating two discs during training camp and needing epidural shots to be able to manage the pain. The 29-year-old won his world title by knocking out Juan Carlos Salgado and owns victories over Martin Honorio, Cassius Baloyi, and Daniel Evangelista Jr.
A highly-regarded prospect who won the 2012 National Gloves championship, the 21-year-old Davis recorded five victories inside of the distance in 2015. The Baltimore-native stopped former world champion Cristobal Cruz during that streak and looks to put on another explosive performance near his hometown.
A pro since 2011, the 23-year-old won his first eleven outings and most recently stopped Antonio Torres in the fourth round in December 2015. Born in Jalisco but fighting out of Tijuana, Avila’s last 12 wins have come by knockout.
The brother of former world champion Lamont Peterson, Anthony is at the forefront of the D.C. boxing scene and will look to impress in front of his home crowd once again on April 1. 2015 saw the 30-year-old score knockout victories over Mike Oliver and Ramesis Gil as he brought his winning streak to six straight.
At just 20-years-old, Martin is entering his third year in the professional ranks. A busy 2015 saw him take home four victories, including his first three six-round bouts. He will fight in his hometown of D.C. for the second time on April 1.
Another rising prospect at just 21-years-old, Harris has stayed busy since turning pro in June 2014 with a first-round stoppage of George Palmer. Most recently the Hyattsville, Maryland-born fighter picked up victories over Irvin Hernandez, Rafael Vazquez, Carlos Acevedo and Sean Lockhart in 2015.
Laurel, Maryland’s Nicholson is another prospect that has been keeping busy since turning pro and will look for another great performance in front of a friendly D.C. crowd. The 23-year-old impressively stopped veteran Milton Nunez in the first round of their October 2015 fight.
For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.mayweatherpromotions.com and www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions.
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www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions. Highlights available to embed at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions. PBC on Spike is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.
