As hometown favorite Cassius Chaney (9-0, 5 KOs) prepares to face Michigan native Juan Goode (8-4, 6 KOs) on the non-televised undercard of the next installment of Mohegan Sun’s Rising Stars Boxing Series on April 15 at the Uncas Ballroom at Mohegan Sun, he will once again work with world-renowned trainer, John David Jackson.
This will be Chaney and Jackson’s third straight fight together. Their first fight was on the premiere of the Rising Stars Boxing Series in November of 2016. Chaney stopped veteran heavyweight Carlos Sandoval in the second round. Their next fight was last month at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In Philly, Chaney faced Tommy Washington, Jr. of Lansing, Michigan and Cassius earned a six-round majority decision victory over Washington.
When asked about working with Jackson, Chaney said, “He is a patient trainer. I must understand changes aren’t going to just happen overnight. I think being around all these professionals with John in Florida has helped me. I was happy I could go the full six rounds against Washington without any problems at all. I think for this next fight I can dictate the fight the whole entire time. This fight is a short period after my last fight which is a bonus for me. I was already in shape and I took only a few days off and then went right back to Florida for camp. I think it has been good because I could jump right back into sparring.”
The upcoming fight with Goode will be the toughest opponent Cassius has faced to date. Goode has a 75% knockout-to-win ratio and has had two fights last six full rounds, whereas Chaney has only gone six rounds once in his young career. According to Chaney, “Goode is durable. He is smart. I think the key to victory for me is pressure and being smart in the ring. I need to keep him outside with my jab and keep him outside with my footwork. He is durable, he knows how to tie up and he knows how to make the fight ugly. I need to try to disable that.”
As a former basketball star at the University of New Haven, Chaney was a fan-favorite. Those loyal fans have continued to support him as a professional boxer and he has managed to acquire new fans as well. Expect the stands on April 15 to be overflowing with fans cheering for their hometown hero.
Sullivan Barrera vs. Paul Parker is a 10-round light heavyweight bout presented by Main Events and Mohegan Sun as part of the Mohegan Sun’s Rising Stars Boxing Series. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. ET. The HBO Latino Boxing telecast begins at 11:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) with a ten-round middleweight match-up between Arif “The Predator” Magomedov and Elias “Latin Kid” Espadas. Tickets, which are priced at $50 and $75, are available now through Ticketmaster, the Mohegan Sun box office or the Main Events’ office. The card is presented by Main Events in association with Shamo Boxing and A&T Events and Promotions.