Duddy-Bonsante headlines March 16th Pay-Per-View show at MSG

Photo: Thierry Gourjon

NEW YORK CITY (March 9, 2007) – All tickets have been sold for the “Erin Go Brawl” pay-per-view show on March 16, featuring “Ireland’s” John Duddy and Anthony “The Bullet” Bonsante, live from The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Duddy (18-0, 15 KOs), rated No. 7 by the WBO and No. 9 by the IBF, defends his IBA World and WBC Continental Americas middleweight titles against The Contender Season I star Bonsante (29-8-2, 17 KOs), reigning IBA Americas and Minnesota State middleweight title-holder, in the 12-round main event.

“We sold out (4,955 seats) three weeks before the fight,” Irish Ropes Promotions president Eddie McLoughlin said. “With all of the interest in John and the show being held the night before St. Patrick’s Day, we probably could have sold 8,000-9,000 tickets, but now the only way people who don’t have tickets can watch is on pay per view. Next year, hopefully, we’ll be in the big arena at Madison Square Garden.”

“The rapid sell out of The Theater at Madison Square Garden is proof that John Duddy is one of the sports most exciting boxers,” said Joel Fisher, Senior Vice President Madison Square Garden Sports Properties. “New York fight fans demand to see the very best and I’m sure they won’t be disappointed on March 16th.”

“Erin Go Brawl,” presented by Irish Ropes Promotions, will be broadcast live in North America on cable and satellite pay-per-view starting at 9 PM/ET, 6 PM/PT. The event is being produced and distributed for pay-per-view by Integrated Sports and will be available in more than 50-million homes in North America via iN Demand, TVN, DirecTV and Dish Network in the USA and on Viewer’s Choice in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $24.95. It will also be available live on Setanta Sports in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia, as well as taped delayed (March 18 on BBC 1 at 22:25) on BBC Northern Ireland. The full “Erin Go Brawl” PPV broadcast will be available to viewers outside of North America via streaming video subscription on www.secondsout.com.

The “Erin Go Brawl” all-star broadcast team is comprised of award-winning Al Bernstein, blow-by-blow announcer; Hall of Fame member and former world featherweight champion Barry “The Clones Cyclone” McGuigan and past world heavyweight title challenger “Gentleman” Gerry Cooney, color commentators; popular sports television and radio personality Tony Paige, ringside reporter.

In the 10-round PPV co-feature, unbeaten middleweight contender Giovanni “El Chico Malo” Lorenzo takes on veteran Robert “The Doctor” Kamya. Lorenzo (22-0, 14 KOs), the 2000 Dominican Olympian, lives in Washington Heights (in New York City) and is rated No. 6 by the WBC and No. 11 by the IBF. Ugandan-native Kamya (15-6, 4 KOs) is now fighting out of Palm Beach (FL).

Undefeated middleweight prospect “Irish” Andy Lee, 2004 Irish Olympian, faces an opponent to be determined in a six/eight-round PPV bout. Lee (7-0, 4 KOs) is now fighting out of Detroit by way of Limerick, Ireland.

Also fighting on “Erin Go Brawl” is WBA rated No. 1 super featherweight contender Maureen “The Real Million Dollar Baby” Shea (9-0, 4 KOs) against Eva Lidia “La Nortenita” Silva (4-6) unbeaten heavyweight James Clancy (9-0, 1 KO) meets upset-minded Rodney Ray (3-4-1, 3 KOs), cruiserweight Mark Clancy (6-0-1, 1 KO) faces Andrew “Came To Fight” Hutchinson (2-8-2) – the Clancy brothers are from Clare, Ireland and fight out of Boston — and 2004 Irish National Senior amateur champion Henry Coyle makes his pro debut against Jason Collazo (0-0). All bouts and fighters are subject to change.

For more information about “Erin Go Brawl” call Irish Ropes Promotions at 212.835.1582 or go on line to www.irishropes.com.