By: Ken Hissner
Rising Star Promotions, Debra Lamanna, matchmaker Cesar Gonzalez, keeps New Jersey boxing alive with a 12 bout card at the Showboat Hotel & Casino, in Atlantic City, NJ, Saturday night.
With the vacant USA New Jersey State Super Middleweight Title at stake Atlantic City’s Antowyan Aikens, 13-4-1 (1), meets Egg Harbor’s Decarlo “3mendo” Perez, 16-6-1 (5).
Aikens won his first 10 fights and his last 2 fights and is looking to take his first title. It’s been over 4 years since he has fought in his hometown of Atlantic City. He is 6-0 there and looks forward to add another win to that record. He had this to say about his upcoming bout with Decarlo Perez:
I had a 10-week camp, and it was great. I am prepared for a good fight on Saturday. Perez is tough, and I know he is going to bring his “A” Game. He is going to come in shape. But I know what I have, and how I prepared, so there is nothing to worry about. This is one of those fights that is for bragging rights. It is for the State Championship. It is one of those fights that I never expected to happen, but it is here, so I am going to make the best of it. I am prepared to go to war. I will use my boxing ability. That is who I am, but if I have to go to war, then I will.
Perez has defeated Shamone Alvarez, 21-5, who was top dog in Atlantic City at one time. He stopped Philly’s Tyrone Brunson, 22-2-1, who is in the 16 boxer tournament that is coming up. In his last win he defeated Lenell Bellows, 16-1-1, in Las Vegas while Bellows stopped Aikens. Perez had this to say about his upcoming bout with Aikens:
Camp was tremendous. I had a fantastic camp. It was a lot of hurt, but it was worth it with all the road work and great sparring. It was tough, but it was my best camp. Aikens is somebody else that is in the way of something that I want.
He has to go. I know he is the one who wanted this fight, but that is his business. There is not much I can say about that. To me, he wants to prove that he is the best in the area. He had to fight someone who is one of the best. I top my hat to him, because he acknowledged me as one of the best. It is going to be an interesting and action packed fight. We are both coming to fight to see who is the best in the area.
In the 8 round co-feature, Greg “Lil Greg” Jackson, 8-7-1 (2), of Philly battles Julius Dyis, 9-1 (4), of Clarksdale, MS, for the WBF Welterweight title. In a 6 round battle of New Jersey junior welterweights, John Bauza, 10-0 (5), of North Bergen takes on Rashad Bogar, 4-7-1 (2), of Newark.
There are 9 undercard bouts in addition that are scheduled 4’s.
Lightweight Isaiah Hart, of Atlantic City makes his debut against Dillan Kasprzak, 0-1 of Philly. Middleweight Ryan Wilczak, 6-0 (3), of Scranton, PA, meets Alberto Delgado, 0-3 of Roanoke, VA.
Light heavy Tahlik Taylor, 3-11-1 (1), of Greensboro, NC, meets Travis Toledo, 1-0 of Baltimore, MD. Middleweight Omar Salem, 3-0, OF Brooklyn, NY, meets Mike Anderson, 0-2 of Philly.
Lightweight Nahir Albright, 3-1 (1), of Philly meets Glenford Nickey, 4-1 (1), of Brooklyn, NY. Lightweight Jahmal Dyer, 5-1 (3), of Baltimore, MD, meets Marcos Lugo, 0-1, of Vineland, NJ.
Bantamweight Ry’Shine Collins, makes his debut meeting Lucky Holt, 0-2, of Hannibal, MO. Welterweight Steve Moore, 1-4 (1), of Orange, NJ, meets Kashon Hutchinson, 3-5 (1), of Reading, PA. 2018 National Golden Gloves Heavyweight champion Roney Hines, 3-0 (3), of Cleveland, OH, meets Kendrick Houston, 1-3 (1), of Concord, NC.
Doors open at 6 and first bout at 7. Showboat is at 801 Boardwalk.
