Connecticut heavyweight prospect, Tony Grano, the 2005 United States Amateur Heavyweight Champion, makes his professional headlining debut Friday night at the Connecticut Expo Center in Hartford, Connecticut. Grano (9-0-1, 8 KO) risks his undefeated record, when he takes on Baltimore, Maryland’s Jed Phipps (17-6, 10 KOs) in the main event of Final Forum Boxing’s “Battle at the Expo.”

It will be Grano’s fourth time stepping in the ring in 2007, and his first scheduled eight round affair. “I need to step up and fight some tougher opposition,” Grano stated. “In order to do that, my team feels that we need to move up to eight round bouts. I’m very excited to be fighting in the main event, in front of all my friends and family.”

Grano, prepared for his bout with Phipps in the Pocono’s and the New York / New Jersey area, where he received terrific work in sparring with the likes of Curtis Stevens, Elvir Muriqui, and two-time heavyweight title challenger – Monte Barrett. “They gave me some great work, and I gave them some great work. We had a great camp, and I’m looking forward to getting in the ring with Phipps.”

In his last bout (5-4-07), Grano only needed 1:35 to dispatch of Delaware journeyman, Jay Sweetman (7-6, 3 KOs). While Sweetman was expected to be another notch on Grano’s professional resume, Grano’s camp was more than content with the outing, considering Sweetman had just managed to make it to the second round with former WBA heavyweight champ Bruce Seldon just two months earlier.