ONEIDA NATION HOMELANDS (March 19, 2014) The parade of world-class, nationally televised boxing events continues at Turning Stone Resort Casino as the ESPN Friday Night Fights Boxcino Championship tournament will hold its middleweight semifinals in the Event Center, Friday, April 18. The championship finals in the lightweight and middleweight divisions will also be held at Turning Stone, Friday, May 23, also live on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights. Just last month, 10-time world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. was in attendance at Turning Stone as top fighters representing his Mayweather Promotions brand competed live on a Showtime Network nationally-televised event.
Presented by Banner Promotions, the 2014 Boxcino Championship includes a lightweight and middleweight tournament. Eight boxers in each weight class made up the initial field. The fighters are all hoping that a strong showing in the tournament will launch them into the world-title picture in their respective weight classes. In the middleweight division, the quarterfinals were held February 28 on ESPN, with four fighters advancing to the April 18 semifinals at Turning Stone.
The middleweight semifinal bouts will be eight rounds each, and will feature Willie Monroe Jr. (16-1, 6 KOs) of Rochester, NY taking on undefeated Vitaliy Kopylenko (23-0, 13 KOs) of Ukraine. The other semifinal bout pits Brandon Adams (13-0, 9 KOs) of Los Angeles, CA against Raymond Gatica (14-2, 9 KOs) of Austin, TX. Kopylenko, Adams, and Gatica each advanced to the semifinals with knockout victories February 28. Monroe won a unanimous decision in his quarterfinal bout, for his sixth consecutive victory.
The full list of undercard bouts for the April 18 boxing event will be announced soon, and all bouts are subject to change.
Tickets for the April 18 ESPN Friday Night Fights Boxcino Championship semifinals at the Turning Stone Resort Casino Event Center are on sale now. Tickets are priced at $60, $35, $25, and $15, and are subject to additional fees. Call the Turning Stone box office at (315) 361-7469 to order tickets directly, or visit www.Ticketmaster.com.
Doors open at the Turning Stone Resort Casino Event Center at 6:00 p.m. Friday, April 18. The first undercard bout starts at 7:00 p.m. The live ESPN2 telecast begins at 9:00 p.m..
The middleweight semifinal winners will return to Turning Stone, Friday, May 23 for the Boxcino Championship final. The May 23 event will also feature the lightweight championship final. Details on that matchup will be announced following the lightweight semifinals, which are scheduled for March 28 in New Town, SD.
Tickets for the May 23 event at Turning Stone are also on sale now, through the Turning Stone box office and www.Ticketmaster.com. Tickets are priced at $60, $35, $25, and $15, and are subject to additional fees.
