Rising junior middleweight prospect and Flint, MI native Ardreal “Bossman” Holmes Jr., will defend his USBA title in the main event of “Big Time Boxing USA” on Thursday, Sept. 12, when he steps into the ring against Cuban veteran Hugo Noriega. The night of boxing takes place at the Dort Financial Center in Flint and will be broadcast live on DAZN.
True to Salita Promotions’ “Big Time Boxing USA” series format, the fight card will feature several regional prospects and national rising contenders including unbeaten prospect Joseph “Sug” Hicks (10-0, 7 KOs) of Grand Rapids, MI , and Detroit’s undefeated “Hitman 2.0″ Da’Velle Smith (8-0, 6 KOs).
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Flint product Leon Lawson III (15-1, 8 KOs) will make his return to the ring after a 17-month layoff. Lawson is the nephew of Flint’s famed Dirrell brothers, Andre and Anthony.
The fight card will also feature Claressa Shields-promoted amateur standout Jaquan McElroy (1-0) from Flint, who won his pro debut on the undercard of Shields vs Joanisse-Lepage in July.
In the televised co-feature, unbeaten middleweight prospect Joseph Hicks (10-0, 7 KOs) will face Ronnie Austion (10-2, 7 Kos) of Las Vegas by way of Detroit. Hicks fights out of Grand Rapids, MI., and made his professional debut in Jan. 2022. He has stopped three of his last five opponents, including a fourth-round KO over Ricardo Villalba in his last fight. As an amateur, Hicks competed in the National Golden Gloves in 2018 and 2019 and made an appearance in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
The 30-year-old southpaw Holmes (15-0, 6 KOs) is a Flint native who previously fought on the popular Showtime prospect series ‘ShoBox: The New Generation.’ Holmes was a decorated amateur winning the 2015 U.S. Nationals and was a silver medalist at the 2013 National Golden Gloves. That same year, he also won a bronze medal at the World Golden Gloves in the 152-pound division.
In his last bout in February, Holmes delivered a devastating second-round TKO against hometown fighter Marlon Harrington at Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit. Holmes silenced the crowd in Detroit, but now with the city of Flint behind him he’s looking to move one step closer towards a world title opportunity.
“There’s nothing like fighting at home and I know on Sept. 12, there will be a raucous crowd rooting me on,” Holmes said. “When I get my ‘W’ over Hugo Noriega, it will put me just that much closer to my dream of winning a world title.”
34-year-old Noriega (10-2, 5 KOs) lives and trains in Miami by way of Camaguey, Cuba. He has been active since turning pro in March 2022. After reeling off eight straight wins, Noriega lost a close unanimous decision against countryman Damian Lescaille in an MVP Prospects show in Orlando, FL., in Aug. 2023. Noriega rebounded from his second loss with a unanimous decision win over Mexican Saul Corral in March.
“The BIG TIME BOXING series has quickly become the premier developmental platform for young fighters in the U.S.,” said Salita. “Flint is the home of former heavyweight world champion Chris Byrd, Anthony and Andre Dirrell, and, of course, The GWOAT, Claressa Shields. We have never seen a crop of young and hungry fighters like the group fighting on Sept. 12, and I feel the next U.S. born world champion will come from right here in the Greater Detroit and surrounding areas like Flint. I am excited that those in the crowd and the viewers watching on DAZN will get to see some amazing matchups that can make or break the next chapter in these fighters’ respective careers. You don’t want to miss it.”
All the action takes place at Dort Financial Center in Flint, with at least three of the final bouts airing live on DAZN (8 p.m. ET). Tickets for the live event are on sale now and can be purchased online or in-person at the Dort Financial Center Box Office.