Sports

Estrada, Andrade on Twin River boxing card

01:00 AM EST on Friday, November 28, 2008



Special to the Journal

Demetrius Andrade, reacting after an Olympic victory in Beijing in August, will be on the boxing card at Twin River tomorrow.


AP / Murad Sezer

PROVIDENCE — Rhode Island’s only U.S. Olympic boxers, heavyweight Jason Estrada (2004) and super welterweight Demetrius Andrade (2008) will be showcased tomorrow night on the “Holiday Havoc” pro boxing card at Twin River Event Center in Lincoln.

“We’re excited to have two Olympians, Jason and Demetrius, and an Olympic alternate, Jason Pires (1996), all fighting on the same card in one of the most beautiful venues for boxing, Twin River,” Classic Entertainment and Sports president Jimmy Burchfield said. “We also have some of New England’s most talented and entertaining prospects on the undercard. CES encourages everyone at the show to bring a toy for the Marines ‘Toys For Tots’ program.”

Providence’s Estrada and Andrade, two of the most decorated U.S. amateur boxers of all-time, will be fighting together as pros for the first time. Estrada was 261-14 in U.S. competition and the first boxer to win both the U.S. Nationals and U.S. Challenge three years in a row (2001-2003), in addition to a gold medal in the 2003 Pan-Am Games. Andrade, who was a two-time U.S. Nationals and National Golden Gloves champion, captured a gold medal in the 2008 AIBA World Championships.

Estrada (14-1, 3 KOs), now rated No. 7 in the NABF, fights Philadelphia southpaw Derek Bryant (20-4-1, 17 KOs) in the eight-round main event. Bryant has beaten two-time world title challenger Frankie Swindell and Jorge Luis Gonzalez, split with Providence’s Robert Wiggins, and fought a draw with 1996 U.S. Olympic Team captain Lawrence Clay-Bey.

Andrade (1-0, 1 KO) made his pro debut this past October, stopping Patrick Cape (4-2) in the second round of their fight in the state of Washington.

Andrade is making his hometown pro debut in a four-round Special Super Welterweight Attraction against Kamel Al-Olabi (0-1).

New Bedford’s Jason Pires, a former USBA champion and 1996 U.S. Olympic Team alternate, has been inactive the past 5½ years to concentrate on becoming a police officer and complete his education at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. Pires is matched against former IBC Continental champion Frank Houghtaling (19-14-5, 3 KOs) in a six-round bout. Joey McCreedy, fighting out of Lowell, Mass., meets 54-fight veteran James Johnson in a six-round super middleweight match

Local fighters also on the undercard in four-round bouts include Pawtucket lightweight Eddie Soto (9-0, 4 KOs), Warwick super middleweight Keith Kozlin (1-0), and Providence junior lightweight Omar Pena (0-0-1). Worcester heavyweight Rashad Minor (1-0, 1 KO) makes his CES debut versus Ryan Shay (3-7, 3 KOs). All fights and fighters are subject to change.

For tickets, call (401) 724-2253 or go to www.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com or any TicketMaster location.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and the first bout is at 7.

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