A spectacular boxing show will be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on the evening of December 5. Two championship bouts will headline and very strong undercard, which will be especially appealing to fight fans and New Yorkers. The live show will feature current, former, and future boxing champions, many whom were born and/or reside in the New York metropolitan area.
A third middleweight title tilt will be contested within a six week time period. Gennady Golovkin won a unified championship and four belts at Madison Square Garden early on October 17. On the 21rd of the November, Miguel Cotto will defend the WBC title against Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas. Brooklyn native Danny “The Miracle Man” Jacobs (30-1, 27 KO’s) will put the WBA Middleweight Championship on-the-line against undefeated Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillen (32-0-1, 23 KO’s). As Quillen is Chicago born, but is currently a Brooklyn resident, local fans of both fighters should be present to root on their favorite.
The co-feature of the Showtime telecast promoted by DiBella Entertainment will be for the WBA Featherweight championship. Jesus Cuellar (27-1, 21 KO’s) of Argentina will defend his title against Puerto Rican Jonathon Oquendo (26-4, 16 KO’s).
Several of the talented boxers on the attractive undercard were in McMahon’s Public House at 39 East 5th Street in Brooklyn for interview and photo sessions this week. The boxers and members of the media were treated graciously and fortified with food and drink during the session.
Former WBA Super Welterweight Champion Yuri Foreman (32-2, 9 KO’s) will be stepping into the ring after more than two years away from boxing. The native of Belarus has remained in great shape and is ready to compete for another title. Foreman remarked, “I love this sport. My body, heart, will, desire and reflexes are prepared. It’s refreshing to be back in the gym. I feel more centered spiritually and mentally. “
The 35 year old, whose attitude is thoroughly positive, discounts his age and his inactivity as being negative factors. He commented, “Age is how you feel and believe.” He is a constant presence in gyms and remained in excellent physical shape by helping others train. Foreman looks upon training in the gym as the same as teaching others in a school. He sees it as “something I’m good at and enjoy.”
After his only two professional losses in 2011, Foreman underwent knee surgery and did not return to the squared circle for 22 months. The lack of ring activity did not lessen his skills at that time as he won all four of his bouts in 2013.
Foreman left boxing again after 2013, but will return next month at Barclays. He used some of his time away from the sport to study to become ordained as an Orthodox rabbi.
Foreman and his family left their native land at the age of 9 to live in Israel. As professional boxing opportunities were few in Israel, he came to the United States in 1999 to further his pugilistic career. He had a successful amateur run of 75-5, winning the New York Golden Gloves in 2001.
Living in Brooklyn and training at Gleason’s Gym makes it natural for Foreman to be comfortable boxing at Barclays Center, yet the next encounter will only be his second bout in his adopted home of Brooklyn. He explained his happiness of fighting at Barclays, “Every human has a desire and a goal. I had a desire to fight here and now I am. It’s a big card with a lot of talent and great fighters.”
Two outstanding encounters on the card are being promoted by Joe De Guardia’s Star boxing. Ecuadorian Erik Bone (16-2, 8 KO’s) spoke being able to face another former world champ, Chris Algieri (20-2, 8 KO’s), “If I can pull off the win, this will be big for my career.” Algieri, the former champ hopes to rebound after his last two bouts, losses, in an attempt to eventually win the welterweight crown.
The other Star Boxing encounter features two light heavyweights who have sparred with one another many times, Will Rosinsky ((19-2, 10 KO’s), an EMT in the NYFD assigned to Brooklyn, and Joseph Smith, Jr. ((19-1, 16 KO’s) of Long Island will be in a 10 round bout.
Two undefeated and highly rated boxers from New York City will also be on the card. “Sir” Marcus Browne (16-0, 12 KO’s), a 2012 Olympian, and Heather “The Heat” Hardy (14-0, 3 KO’s), a super bantamweight, will attempt to keep their records unblemished and be able to move up in the pro rankings. Hardy was in the first woman’s bout at Barclays and is happy to return, “It’s an honor to fight at Barclays Center.”