A boxing event consisting of Michigan’s finest fighters is coming to Flint, MI.
The night of boxing takes place Sept. 12 at the Dort Financial Center in Flint and will be broadcast live on DAZN.
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USBA super welterweight champion Ardreal “Bossman” Holmes Jr. (15-0, 6 KOs) will defend his title in the main event against Cuban veteran Hugo Noriega (10-2, 5 KOs).
“It has been a blessing to be able to headline a card in my hometown,” said Holmes Jr. “It will be excitement come fight night, then I will execute. I’ve watched Claressa [Shields] do it for years, and now I get the opportunity to headline.”
The fight card also includes some of Michigan’s most talented and emerging boxers including Flint fighters Leon Lawson III(15-1, 8 KOs) , DeAndre Savage(6-0, 6KOs), Jaquan McElroy (1-0, 0KOs) and Inkster’s Da’velle Smith(8-0, 6 KOs).
McElroy is the brother of Holmes Jr. and the two will fight on the same card for the first time.
“I am so excited to be fighting on the same card as my brother [Jaquan McElroy],” said Holmes Jr. “I can’t even put into words how excited I am. We’ve been so close to each other for so long, so it’s just an honor to share this moment with him. It’s a dream come true.”
Flint native and global boxing superstar Claressa Shields accompanied the fighters at a media event at Berston Field House. She believes Holmes has the skills to beat the best in his division.
“I respect his [Holmes Jr.] skill,” said Shields. “I think he is a very patient fighter. He picks his shots, and he is very strong. He doesn’t mind sitting back and throwing out that jab. He is ready for this next step. In his last fight, he scored a second-round knockout.”
“I’m not the only one who has all this knockout power,” said Shields. “All these guys have that power and skill. When holding pads for Ardreal, I could tell he was extremely strong and fast. He is going to get the chance to display his talents this Thursday. I also believe that he rises to the occasion with his opponents. So, when his opponents come with that smoke, he comes with that smoke.”
The co-main event pits unbeaten prospect Joseph “Sug” Hicks (10-0, 7 KOs) of Grand Rapids, MI, taking on Detroit’s Ronnie Austion (10-2, 7 KOs) in an eight-round super welterweight bout.
Inkster native fighting out of Kronk Boxing Gym “Hitman 2.0” Da’Velle Smith (8-0, 6 KOs) collides against Esau Herrera de la Cruz (21-17-1, 8 KOs) in a middleweight fight.
Smith has the “Hitman 2.0″ nickname because his skills and physique draw comparisons to Detroit boxing legend Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns.
Kicking off the televised card on DAZN will be a showdown between surging Flint prospect Leon Lawson III (15-1, 8 KOs) and Argentina’s Luis Alberto Veron (20-8-2, 9 KOs). Lawson is the cousin of former pro boxers Andre and Anthony Dirrell and is trained by his father, former pro boxer Leon Lawson II.
McElroy, who recently signed to Claressa Shields’ ‘T-Rex Promotions’ enters the second fight of his career against Lamar Bolden(2-10-2) of Monroe, LA in a 4 round middleweight bout.
Heavyweight prospect Savage will fight his third fight of 2024 against Keshawn Jackson of Kalamazoo, MI (1-5-1) in a 6 round bout.
Head of Salita Promotions, Dmitriy Salita has consistently delivered exciting boxing events in Detroit throughout 2024.
The most recent “Big Time Boxing USA” event was in July where Claressa Shields defeated Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse for the WBC heavyweight championship in a historic night at Little Caesars Arena.
“Some of the best boxers in the world happen to live here locally,” said Salita. “It is so prestigious in Michigan. Claressa Shields, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Thomas Hearns, Chris Byrd, the Dirrell brothers and many others are a testament to that. Fighters like Ardreal Holmes are the future of the sport, and people are going to see that come Thursday as this will be broadcast worldwide live on DAZN.”
“That is what the Big Time Boxing USA series is about — giving the best young prospects and contenders an opportunity to show out in great fighting cities like Flint and before a global television audience,” said Salita. “This is how you build the future stars of the sport and develop new boxing fans to keep the sport healthy, vibrant, and growing for years to come.”
All the action takes place at Dort Financial Center in Flint, with the top four bouts airing live on DAZN at 8 p.m.
Tickets for the live event are on sale now and can be purchased online or in person at the Dort Financial Center Box Office.