ROC NATION SPORTS TO PRESENT NEXT throne boxing EVENT
ON APRIL 17 LIVE ON FOX SPORTS 1
FROM THE GRAND THEATER AT FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO
Undefeated Russian Cruiserweight Murat Gassiev and
Texas Native Felix Cora Jr. to Battle in Main Event
Roc Nation Artist Performance to Complement Boxing for Unique Fan Experience
—Tickets Are On Sale Now—
NEW YORK (March 31, 2015) – Roc Nation Sports is pleased to announce that the second edition throne boxing is set for Friday, April 17, 2015 at The Grand Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut and will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT. Headlining the event will be undefeated Russian cruiserweight sensation Murat “Iron” Gassiev defending his IBF Intercontinental Cruiserweight Championship against veteran Felix “Bad News” Cora Jr. of Galveston, Texas in a 12-round main event.
Tickets priced at $90, $60 and $30, plus any Ticketmaster charges, are on sale now and are available for purchase at ticketmaster.com, foxwoods.com or by calling (800) 200-2882. One dollar from each ticket sold will be donated to the Muhammad Ali Center.
Supporting the main event, several of boxing’s hottest young fighters will be featured on the April 17 throne boxing undercard including Dusty Hernandez-Harrison, Junior Younan and Wellington Romero.
In addition to the great action inside the ring, the April 17 edition of throne boxing, sponsored by Jaybird, TapouT Muscle and Tequila CAZADORES®, will feature several notable Roc Nation touches that offer an unprecedented fan experience, including a live musical performance and a name DJ to keep the energy at a high level throughout the event.
“All of us at Roc Nation Sports are extremely excited to continue our throne boxing series on FOX Sports 1 on April 17 at Foxwoods,” said Roc Nation Sports’ COO of Boxing David Itskowitch. “We plan to continue where we left off with our premiere throne boxing event in January by bringing great fights, a unique musical performance and an unparalleled fan experience which we know will capture the attention of both avid boxing fans and a new fans alike.”
“Through our relationship with Roc Nation Sports, we are pleased to again bring some of the sport’s top fighters to FOX Sports 1 in April and look forward to another great event,” said Patrick Crakes, Senior Vice President Programming, Research & Content Strategy, FOX Sports.
“We are thrilled to partner with Roc Nation Sports to bring boxing and music fans under one roof for this spectacular event,” said Monique Sebastian, VP of Entertainment and Entertainment Marketing for Foxwoods Resort Casino. “This unique experience will forever change the boxing landscape and Foxwoods sets the perfect stage for this exciting event.”
Undefeated cruiserweight Murat “Iron” Gassiev (20-0, 13 KO’s) of Vladikavkaz, Russia has the boxing world buzzing. The twenty-one year old IBF Intercontinental Cruiserweight Champion is known for his fast hands and superior balance and has been called “the second coming of Gennady Golovkin” by his trainer, Abel Sanchez, who also trains Golovkin. Gassiev made his professional debut before a hometown crowd in September of 2011, defeating Roman Mirzoev via a four-round unanimous decision victory. For the next three years Gassiev dominated the competitive Russian professional circuit, racking up impressive wins over the likes of Levan Jomardashvili in June 2013 and Ivica Bacurin in December of the same year. His victory over Bacurin, a hard-fought, ten-round unanimous decision win, earned Gassiev the WBC Youth Cruiserweight World Championship. Only two months, later Gassiev outlasted a vastly more experienced Ismail Abdoul in scoring a twelve-round unanimous decision victory to win the vacant IBF East/West Europe Cruiserweight Championship. On October 31, 2014, Gassiev scored his most impressive victory to date, stopping Engin Karakaplan via first-round technical knockout to win the vacant IBF Intercontinental Cruiserweight Championship. With the goal of becoming a world champion, Gassiev moved to the United States in late 2014 and began training in Big Bear, Calif. under the guidance of Sanchez. He made his American debut on January 23 of this year at Quiet Cannon in Montebello, Calif. where he dominated Terrance Smith en route to fourth round technical knockout victory. Sanchez has predicted that Gassiev will “clean out the cruiserweight division in a couple of years” and then make the leap to heavyweight. Before he makes that leap, he has to get past a formidable opponent in Felix Cora.
Felix “Bad News” Cora Jr. (25-6-2, 14 KO’s) of Galveston, Texas is on a quest to have his name spoken in the same breath as his hometown hero, the legendary Jack Johnson, the first African American Heavyweight Champion of the World. Cora began fighting at the age of eleven, following in the footsteps of his father who was a Golden Gloves champion. Cora began his career with a six-year undefeated streak, compiling a record of 20-0-2 along the way. On June 25, 2004 he defeated Michael Simms for the vacant USBA cruiserweight title with a twelve-round majority decision in Rosemont, Illinois. He added the NABF cruiserweight title to his trophy case with an eighth-round technical knockout of Arthur Williams at the Coeur d’Alene Casino in Worley, Idaho on October 27, 2005. Following a successful NABF title defense against Darnell Wilson, Cora suffered defeats in his next two fights, with both losses coming at the hands of undefeated fighters in Vadim Tokarev of Russia and Matt Godfrey. Following those setbacks, in late 2008/early 2009 Cora was a participant in the fourth season of the hit reality show The Contender. Most recently, Cora has put together a three-fight winning streak including an eleventh round knockout win over Laudelino Jose Barros in Barros’ hometown of Sao Paulo, Brazil in October of 2013 and, in his most recent fight in March of 2014, a second round knockout of Andrae Cathron before a hometown crowd in Galveston. He now has his sights set on victory number four of his winning streak with Gassiev standing in the way.
Hailing from Washington, DC with an undefeated professional record, 20 year-old Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (25-0, 13 KO’s) has been referred to as “Washington’s best boxing prospect since Sugar Ray Leonard” by the Washingtonian Magazine. He made his professional debut as the youngest licensed professional fighter in the United State on June 11, 2011, less than a month following his 17thbirthday. Most recently, Hernandez-Harrison headlined Roc Nation Sports’ inaugural throne boxing event at The Theater at Madison Square in a fight televised by FOX Sorts 1 on January 9, 2015, capturing the vacant WBC Continental Americas Welterweight Championship with a dominant ten-round unanimous decision victory over Tommy “The Razor” Rainone.
Brooklyn, New York’s undefeated super middleweight Junior “The Young God” Younan (6-0, 5 KO’s) is considered one of New York City’s best boxing prospects. Younan began fighting competitively at age eight and only two years later was called a “boxing prodigy” by the New York Times. He compiled an amateur record of 90-5, racking up an impressive series of titles along the way. Less than a month after his 18th birthday, Younan made his professional debut on November 9, 2013 at the Aviator Sports and Events Center in Brooklyn, stopping Kenneth Schmitz in the first round. In his most recent fight on August 13, 2014, he scored a first round knockout win over Marlon Farr at BB King’s Blues Club in New York City.
Fighting out of Newburgh, New York, by way of the Dominican Republic, Wellington “W.A.R.” Romero (5-0-1, 3 KO’s) was a highly decorated amateur who was a proud member of the 2012 Dominican Olympic Boxing Team at the 2012 Games in London. Prior to that, he captured a bronze medal at the 2010 Central American Games and made back to back appearances at the 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championship and the 2011 Pan American Games. On October 26, 2013, Romero made his pro debut, defeating Victor Galindo via a four-round unanimous decision at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In his most recent fight, Romero maintained his unbeaten run by scoring a first round knockout win against Lee Kreisher on January 9 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
On fight night, doors open at 6:30 PM with the first bout to take place at 7:00 PM.
For more information please visit www.rocnation.com. Follow Roc Nation on Twitter and Instagram @rocnation and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation.
About Roc Nation Sports
Roc Nation Sports, a sub-division of Roc Nation, launched in spring 2013. Founder Shawn “JAY Z” Carter’s love of sports lead to the natural formation of Roc Nations Sports, helping athletes in the same way Roc Nation has been helping artists in the music industry for years. Roc Nation Sports focuses on elevating athletes’ career on a global scale both on and off the field. Roc Nation Sports conceptualizes and executes marketing and endorsement deals, community outreach, charitable tie-ins, media relations and brand strategy. Roc Nation Sports launched its boxing division, a full service promotional company which represents world champions Miguel Cotto and Andre Ward, in August 2014. Roc Nation Sports’ roster includes premiere athletes such as Robinson Cano, Skylar Diggins, Kevin Durant, Geno Smith, Victor Cruz, CC Sabathia, James Young, Hakeem Nicks, Dez Bryant, Ndamukong Suh, Rusney Castillo, Yoenis Cespedes, Jaelen Strong, Todd Gurley, Wilson Chandler and Erick Aybar.
About FOX Sports 1
FOX Sports 1 is the fastest growing sports cable network in television, reaching over 85 million subscribers. Premiering in August 2013, the national sports network puts fans first with 24/7 coverage of the most compelling sporting events in the world – MLB, NASCAR, UFC, college football and basketball, world-class soccer and more. FOX Sports 1 is proud to be the home for The Ultimate Fighterin addition to covering LIVE main card fights; college football including Big 12, Pac-12 and Conference USA games; and Big East, Big 12, Pac-12 and Conference USA college basketball including the Big East men’s basketball tournament. FOX Sports 1 features consistent coverage from the world’s most prestigious soccer competitions like the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and CONCACAF Champions League, as well as coverage of FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019 and FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2018 and 2022. For more information, visit www.foxsports1.com.
About Foxwoods Resort Casino
Foxwoods Resort Casino is one of the premier entertainment destinations in the Northeast. As the largest resort casino in North America, Foxwoods offers a vast array of gaming in six casinos; AAA Four-Diamond hotels, restaurants from gourmet to quick service, world-renowned spas, award-winning golf, state-of-the-art theaters, and exclusive retailers. Perfect for both recreation and business, Foxwoods provides modern and versatile convention and meeting space to infuse new life into any meeting or event. Foxwoods Reso