Paul McCloskey will fight Manuel Perez at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast on September 22, live on Sky Sports.

McCloskey is aiming to get back on track after his defeat to DeMarcus Corley in May and a victory over the WBA ranked Perez would boost the title hopes of the former World title challenger.

Perez, 28, successfully defended his NABA light welterweight title against Jose Miguel Cotto last month and has twice tangled with WBA lightweight champion Brandon Rios.

McCloskey is part of the undercard of a huge night for boxing in Belfast with Carl Frampton topping the bill in a mouth watering clash against two-time World champion Steve Molitor for the Commonwealth and IBF Inter Continental titles in his hometown. Martin Lindsay welcomes Lee Selby to his hometown in a challenge for the Welshman’s British and Commonwealth featherweight titles, while fellow Belfast fighters Eamonn O’Kane, Jamie Conlan and Dee Walsh will also be in action, with O’Kane’s opponent announced tomorrow. Team GB stars Scotty Cardle, Kal Yafai and Martin Ward all continue their pro education in Belfast.

Tickets are on sale from the Odyssey Arena box office on 028 9073 9074 and at www.odysseyarena.com – tickets are priced at £30, £40, £60 and £100.

Ringside VIPs tickets priced at £150 are exclusively available from Matchroom Sport on 01277 359900 and at www.matchroomboxing.com .

McCloskey and O’Kane’s fans can also buy their tickets at the prices above from Eurospar Dungiven and any EuroXchange outlet.

BUGLIONI JOINS BUNCEY FOR STIEGLITZ-ABRAHAM SHOW ON BOXNATION

Red-hot super-middleweight prospect Frank Buglioni will be a studio guest for this Saturday night’s big world title fight on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546) live from Germany between Robert Stieglitz and Arthur Abraham.

The unbeaten Londoner is making big waves on the domestic scene with his exciting all-action style, massive fan following and mediterranean good looks as he builds towards a potential first title fight later this year.

The 23-year-old has his sixth pro fight - a six-round contest - on Friday 14th September at the York Hall, Bethnal Green, on the undercard of stable-mate Billy Joe Saunders’ Commonwealth Middleweight title defence against Australian Jarrod Fletcher, which is also live on BoxNation.

Buglioni joins BoxNation presenter Steve Bunce in the London studio for live coverage of Stieglitz’s WBO World Super-Middleweight title defence against Abraham at the O2 World in Berlin.

And Buglioni is looking forward to seeing all the action.

“It’s a cracking fight for BoxNation, both are come forward fighters and I expect a great fight between them.  Of the two, Abraham is the heavier handed and has been in harder fights and Stieglitz has more movement and is in the prime of his career.  It’s a tough one to call, but I’m looking forward to a very interesting fight between them,” Said Buglioni.

He added, “At the moment I’m only five fights into my professional career and I’m enjoying the learning experience of it all as I work towards challenging for domestic titles.  Stieglitz and Abraham are at the top of their game and I want to be in their position in a good few years which will be a long hard road, but I’m loving every minute of it.”

Stieglitz v Abraham is live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546) this Saturday with live coverage starting from 7.30pm.  Join at www.boxnation.com

Buglioni features on an action packed card at the York Hall, Bethnal Green, headlined by Billy Joe Saunders’ Commonwealth Middleweight title defence against Jarrod Fletcher, plus Bradley Skeete v Peter McDonagh in a ten-round welterweight contest and unbeaten prospects Billy Morgan, Gary Corcoran, Mitchell Smith and Ediz Hussein.

Tickets priced at £40 and £60 are available from Ticketmaster on 0844 844 0444 or www.ticketmaster.co.uk or Frank Warren Promotions on 01992 550 888 or www.frankwarren.com

WHITTAKER LOOKS FORWARD TO PROVING HIMSELF IN SEPT. 21 FIGHT WITH ROSADO

 

Junior middleweight Charles Whittaker hopes everyone underestimates his chances of beating Gabriel Rosado when the two collide Friday evening, Sept. 21, at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem.

The winner of the scheduled 12-round contest will become the No. 1 contender and official mandatory challenger for IBF world champion Cornelius K9 Bundrage.

The Whittaker-Rosado bout is one of three to be televised Sept. 21 by the NBC Sports Network Fight Night series.  The others:  Gabriel Campillo, of Madrid, Spain, vs. Sergey Kovalev, of Chelyabinsk, Russia, 10 rounds, light-heavyweights; Ronald Cruz, of Bethlehem, PA, vs. Antwone Smith, of Miami, FL, 12 rounds, for Cruz’ WBC Continental Americas Welterweight Title.

Whittaker, 38, of the Cayman Islands, has boxed under the radar during most of his 19-year career.  His 38-12-2 record includes 23 knockouts, but he rarely has been in high-profile matches.

“This fight means the world to me,” Whittaker said.  “I have paid my dues and ready to be number one in the world.  After this fight I will challenge for the IBF 154 world title.”

Whittaker gained the No. 2 slot in the IBF ratings due to a pair of 12-round victories in his two most recent fights--over Keenan Collins, of Reading, PA, 14 months ago in the Cayman Islands for the vacant USBA junior middleweight title, and over Giorbis Barthelemy, of Cuba, last November, in Miami, FL.

Whittaker has beaten former world-title challenger Billy Lyell and he has lost to some of the best--Troy Rowland, Mikkel Kessler, Shannon Taylor and Hercules Kyvelos.

“There are some people who told me I would never make it as a professional boxer and I have proved them wrong,” Whittaker said.  “When I step into the ring on September 21 it will be no different.  I know Rosado will be game but I have the experience and I am hungry to win.”

Proof of Whittaker’s popularity in the Cayman Islands is the fact that Premier McKeeva Bush plans to attend the Sept. 21 fight in Bethlehem.

It has been a long and winding road to the top spot for Whittaker, who got into trouble as a youth in the Cayman Islands.  Born in Georgetown, he later moved to West Bay and was placed in a Jamaican reform school.

He returned home to attend Cayman Island High School.  After graduation, his cousin John Evans took Whittaker to the local boxing gym where Dalmain Ebanks became his first coach and mentor.      

After a brief amateur career, Whittaker turned pro in 1993 and won a four-round decision over Larry Jarrett, of Lafayette, TN.

With few opportunities in the Cayman Islands, Whittaker headed for Florida and spent time in Hollywood at Angelo Dundee’s gym under the guidance of Joe Quinlan and Dell Cava, then moved to Pensacola and worked with Roy Jones.  Back in Hollywood, he finally hooked up with Norman Wilson, who has been his trainer for the last 10 years.

A native Philadelphian, Wilson is a former US Marine and Dade County Public School teacher with over 40 years boxing experience.  He has worked with Oliver McCall, Tony Tucker and Randall Bailey.

Whittaker and family members formed Knockout Productions, Ltd., a group which promotes Whittaker’s fights in the Cayman Islands with Whittaker in the main event.  Longtime friend Raul Alvarez, of Winter Haven, FL, is matchmaker and advisor.

Rosado, 26, of Philadelphia, PA, earned the No. 3 slot in the IBF ratings this year with knockout victories over Jesus Soto-Karass, of Mexico, and over Sechew Powell, of Brooklyn, NY.  The win over Powell topped the June 1 card in front of a standing-room-only crowd at the 2,000-seat Event Center at the Sands.

A pro since 2006, Rosado has a 20-5 record, 12 K0s.  He has won his last six fights and also has defeated ex-IBF champ Kassim Ouma, of Uganda, and contender Saul Roman, of Mexico.

   

ABOUT SEPTEMBER 21

 

The Rosado-Whittaker, Campillo-Kovalev and Cruz-Smith fights top a seven-bout card at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem.   First fight is 7.15 pm (ET).  Television portion begins at 9 pm (ET).  Tickets priced at $80 and $55 can be purchased through the offices of Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922), all Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000) or at the box office at the Sands Event Center (610-297-7414).  Tickets also can be purchased online at www.peltzboxing.com , www.SandsEventCenter.com and www.Ticketmaster.com .   Luxury suite tickets at $130 apiece also are available.  In Bethlehem, tickets are available at Deja Brew, Inc., 101 West 4th Street (610-865-2739) and at Pronto Insurance Notary, 232 East 3rd Street (610-419-6790).  NBC Sports Network will televise the Campillo-Kovalev, Cruz-Smith and Rosado-Whittaker fights, beginning at 9 pm.  The card is being promoted by Main Events and Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc., in association with Sampson Boxing and the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem