Boxing News : Cipriani's Showcase

What's New at MaxBoxing

US News Pages 2...3

News Briefs

Today's Boxing Press

Sign Up To MaxBoxing

Steve
Kim

Chief
Columnist

The
MAIN EVENT
Radio Show
Listen Now!

Cipriani's Showcase
15 Rounds by Steve Kim (August 26, 2002)

Send this page to friend

Give us your feedback

This Friday night, boxing is 'Puttin' on the Ritz' again as 'Black Tie Boxing' returns to Cipriani's in the heart of New York City. And no, this isn't your grandfather's club show.

"It's a pretty fancy club show," admits Lou DiBella, who is putting on this show in conjunction with Tommy Gallagher. "There's going to be gourmet food, people dressed up in black ties, a lot of women dressed provocatively, and people smoking cigars, eating and drinking. And it's going to be sort of like a formal boxing show - a black tie smoker. It'll be fun and I think that the fights are good and it's an opportunity to see some real prospects. So I'm hoping people are going to come out."

And this won't be your average fight audience either, as tickets are priced at $200 across the board, which includes a full course dinner. So if you were expecting to come in with jeans and a T-shirt, buying a general admission ticket and then gulping down a few hot dogs, you're better off watching this event on ESPN2's 'Friday Night Fights', because that ain't happening here.

This is part of DiBella's ongoing quest to show the world that New York still produces more than just playground legends at Rucker Park or hip-hop lyricists. Boxing is alive and well in the Big Apple, and it still produces blue-chip talent, according to him.

"It's a great opportunity to see a bunch of young kids perform," stated DiBella, who has much of his young roster on the bill. Although the main event features 'the Hawaiian Punch' Brian Viloria, in his first 12-rounder against Gabriel Munoz for the vacant NABF flyweight title, most of the talent on this show comes out of New York.

Unbeaten Jeffrey Resto (12-0, 8 KOs) from the Bronx will be getting his toughest professional test to date.

"Resto's going to fight Emmanuel Clottey in the opening bout," DiBella says."Resto's moved down to 140-pounds; that's where he's campaigning now. It's an opportunity to see a four-time New York Golden Gloves champion. He's going to be a terrific pro." Clottey should be a much tougher foe than the ancient 'barely' Livingstone Bramble that Resto just recently downed.

"Yuri Foreman (5-0, 3 KOs) is going to be on TV," continued DiBella. "Anthony Simpkins is fighting Paulie Malignaggi (9-0, 3 KOs). Simpkins is another tough opponent for Paulie. Sechew Powell will be fighting his second pro fight and it looks like he'll be fighting Tommy Attardo."

Powell, a highly touted amateur that DiBella just signed a few weeks ago, made his pro debut on August 17th on the un-televised portion of the David Tua-Michael Moorer undercard in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

"I was very happy (with his debut)," said DiBella. "This kid has been ready to turn pro for awhile. He's a strong fighter, he can punch, he's got fast hands, and he knows how to move. I really think that Sechew's going to emerge as a factor in that group of young guys around the middleweights that you're going to see in the coming years like Jermain Taylor, Jerson Ravelo, and Jeff Lacy. I think Sechew Powell is going to factor in as a real prospect around the middleweight division."

This isn't the first show DiBella and Gallagher have done at Cipriani's and if it works out well, it could become a regular staple in New York's struggling boxing scene.

"If these kind of shows can economically work, if they can pay the freight, then I'm on board with Tommy six times a year," says DiBella. "I'll do these shows regularly because I have a whole slew of New York talent that doesn't have to travel if we do these
shows and I think it's a great idea Tommy came up with and I support him."

ALSO ON THE BILL

Welterweight Luis Collazo (16-1 with 8 KOs) out of Queens, and Brooklyn junior welterweight Gabe Bracero (5-0) will be on the card.

Unfortunately, Nas and Jay-Z will not be squaring off.

JONES-HOPKINS II?

So those two squared off last night in Puerto Rico, huh?

A couple of thoughts: Leave it to Roy Jones to upstage his little buddy Derrick Gainer, even when he doesn't fight.

And secondly, that little altercation may be as close as we get to seeing a rematch between the two. Besides isn't Roy now getting ready to move up to heavyweight like he did in 1998?

But it's good to see that he's completely focused on the dangerous Clinton Woods, as he was in Puerto Rico just two weeks from his own fight.

OCTOBER-FEST

As part of the October 18th pay-per-view show that is being discussed by Mike Acri and Lou DiBella - that features the return of IBF lightweight titlist Paul Spadafora - are fights involving: a lightweight bout between Angel Manfredy and Victoriano Sosa, a lightweight tilt between Paulie Malignaggi and Joe Wyatt and a middleweight bout featuring Jermain Taylor against Brandon Mitchem.

OTTKE-GATTI

I think noted oddsmaker Herb Lambeck was being charitable when he listed IBF super-middleweight titlist Sven Ottke as a 100-1 favorite over Joe Gatti. It's really no surprise that Gatti was eventually stopped because that's exactly the reason why he was chosen to fight Ottke in the first place.

From 168-175 pounds, the quartet of Roy Jones, Joe Calzaghe, Dariusz Michalczewski and Ottke, have a made a pretty lucrative living feasting on second and third tier opposition.

What would Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank or Steve Collins think of this crap?

SPINKS STYNX

Is there any boxer who is as boring on a consistent basis as Cory Spinks?

I didn't think so.

But being a southpaw stinker that he is, I'm sure Max Kellerman will start incessantly beating the drums for him and putting him on his pound-for-pound list.

FINAL FLURRIES

If that's the kind of show Don King is going to deliver to ESPN2's 'Friday Night Fights', then King needs to stay off the Deuce... The first bout featuring Rhoshii Wells was a hideous mismatch, the swing bouts were terrible and the main event of Spinks and Rafael Pineda wasn't exactly the most appealing of match-ups..... Can you believe it, it's only three weeks until 'Bad Blood', Fernando Vargas vs. Oscar De La Hoya.... Kermit Cintron is a heavy-handed prospect worth looking out for. He still has plenty of rough edges to work out but it does look like he has a future. I say he grows into a middleweight down the line. I just hope with his hairstyle he never faces Bernard Hopkins. Hopkins, may try to dunk his head or something.

Discuss this Topic - Go to the forums

For Questions or Comments
E-Mail Steve Kim at k9kim@maxboxing.com

Steve Kim's Column Archives - Click Here