DETROIT – Wayne State University will host a professional boxing event with rising stars from Michigan as the headliners.
The card is loaded with great matchups from the main event down to the undercard, which will occur on Tuesday (Feb. 20) at 7 p.m.
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The main event is a 10-round all-Michigan brawl between Flint’s Ardreal Holmes Jr.(14-0, 5KOs) and Detroit’s Marlon Harrington (10-1, 9KOs).
Holmes Jr. is defending his USBA Super Welterweight Championship. It’s all going down at Wayne State Fieldhouse, and live streaming on DAZN starts at 8 p.m.
Holmes Jr., a 6′2″ southpaw and 2016 U.S. Olympic alternate, is coming off a bout last June at Little Caesars Arena, which he won by technical decision over Wendy Toussaint.
The fight was stopped in the eighth round due to a gruesome cut on Toussaint’s forehead. Holmes Jr. wants to bounce back with a better performance and put the super welterweight division on notice with this fight.
“I’m thankful and very excited to be having my first title defense in my home state,” said Holmes. “The fans are going to be the winner on Feb. 20 because this fight, and the whole card, are going to be action-packed. I’m going to show all the fans in Detroit and watching on DAZN who the best guy at 154 pounds is. This performance is going to put the whole division on notice.”
His opponent, Harrington, who fights out of Detroit’s World’s Best Boxing Gym, enters the bout off back-to-back stoppage victories following a decision loss to Marquis Taylor in 2022.
He stopped Ramses Agaton in the third round last September. Harrington does not overlook his opponent but aims to put on a great performance for the hometown crowd.
“I’m not underestimating this guy,” said Harrington. “I know the opposition I’m up against, so we just got to turn it up a notch. I’m looking to put on a show as usual. It’s not my first time in front of the hometown crowd, and I just want to give the fans what they want to see.”
The USBA Light Heavyweight Championship will be on the line in the co-main event when Ali Izmailov faces Britton Norwood in a 10-round bout.
The card features a battle of unbeatens where someone’s ‘O’ has got to go.
Grand Rapids native and U.S. National Amateur Champion standout Joshua Pagan (9-0, 4KOs) faces Detroit native Dwane Taylor (7-0, 7KOs) in an eight-round lightweight bout.
Pagan’s father and trainer, Victor Pagan, says Joshua is in the best shape of his life ahead of this fight.
“This is the best he’s looked in his life,” said Victor. “This is the best shape he’s been in. He’s very ready for this fight and determined. It’s going to be a great show.”
His opponent, Dwane Taylor, comes into this fight undefeated, with all seven wins coming by knockout.
Taylor’s trainer Julio Herrnandez says his fighter is ready for his biggest fight so far.
“He’s feeling good,” said Herrnandez. “His spirits are up. Training camp is going very well. We’re about three weeks out from the fight, and everything is lined up. This is his biggest competition. He’s watched Pagan fight on the same show with him, so it’ll be a really interesting fight.”
Pagan is not looking past Taylor but trusts in his ability to pull out the victory.
“Dwane’s a tough competitor, but I know what I bring to the table and I know the work that I put in everyday,” Pagan said. “I’m coming prepared to win.
Undefeated 23-year-old Inkster native Da’Velle Smith (7-0, 6KOs) competes in a six-round middleweight bout.
Smith is a highly touted middleweight prospect training out of Kronk Boxing Gym. His skills and physique draw comparisons to Detroit boxing legend Thomas (The Hitman) Hearns.
His longtime trainer, Angel Callaboro, says Smith can surpass Hearns.
“Everybody says that everywhere we go,” said Callaboro. “They say the first thing they saw was young Tommy Hearns. Davelle can be Tommy Hearns or better than Tommy Hearns. It’s up to Davelle to go with the hype.”
Smith is coming off three TKO wins in 2023. One of those victories was at Little Ceasars Arena last June. Before that, Smith’s fiancée gave birth to their son, which he says motivates him in the ring.
“Being here, following my dream, doing the things I love, I’m just trying to inspire my son and all the kids out there to show them that they can do whatever they put their minds to,” said Smith.
The undercard will also see undefeated Grand Rapids native and USA Olympic Team Captain Joseph Hicks Jr. (9-0, 6 K.O.s) in a six-round super welterweight contest, undefeated WBO Intercontinental Light Heavyweight Champion Juan Carrillo (11-0, 8 K.O.s), to face Florida’s Jose Cortes (10-4, 3 K.O.s) in an eight-round fight and Mount Clemens’ Luis Quintero (7-0, 7 K.O.s) looking to stay undefeated in a four-round super lightweight fight.
The event launches Salita Promotions’ new partnership with DAZN called “Big Time Boxing USA.”
The Tuesday night boxing series will allow fans to see developing young talent and championship fights on the same card.
Dmitriy Salita, head of Salita Promotions, aims to showcase local boxing prospects and restore boxing interest in Detroit and beyond.
“I feel the boxing scene here, and it’s very important that the guys that come up here that have good amateur boxing careers have a chance to progress their careers professionally in the city of Detroit and build a relationship with the boxing fans and with the boxing media,” said Salita. “And us coming together is going to make the sport of boxing grow again and make it great again in the city of Detroit.”
This will be the first boxing event at Wayne State Fieldhouse, the home to the Detroit Pistons G-League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.
It comes after Claressa Shields headlined the first boxing event ever at Little Caesars Arena in June 2023.