Comebacking Ronald “The Chosen One” Hearns (26-5, 20 KOs) will appear in a featured middleweight bout of Warrior’s Boxing’s mammoth 14-fight “Holiday Boxing Bash” event at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago on Friday, December 12. Also appearing in 10-round showcase bouts that night will be undefeated Hudsonville, Michigan, cruiserweight Jordan Shimmell (17-0, 14 KOs), Fort Washington, Maryland, light heavyweight Thomas “Top Dog” Williams Jr. (17-1, 12 KOs), and unbeaten Toledo, Ohio, lightweight Robert “E Bunny” Easter (11-0, 9 KOs).
The “Holiday Boxing Bash” is headlined by undefeated former amateur star Rau’shee Warren (12-0, 3 KOs) going 10 rounds in the bantamweight division, as well as popular Chicago up-and-comer Jose F. Quezada (4-0, 3 KOs) in a lightweight six-rounder; Warsaw, Poland’s Patryk Szymanski (11-0, 6 KOs) in a junior middleweight eight-rounder; and Aurora, Illinois super lightweight Eddie Ramirez (6-0, 4 KOs) in a six-rounder.
Also on the undercard will be a number of undefeated Midwest-based contenders, including a four-round welterweight bout featuring Cincinnati, Ohio’s Jamotay Clark (3-0, 3 KOs); a six-round lightweight bout featuring Cleveland, Ohio’s Raynell Williams (5-0, 3 KOs); an eight-round lightweight bout featuring Cincinnati’s Jamel Herring (9-0, 6 KOs); and an eight-round junior middleweight bout featuring Minneapolis’s Javontae Starks (10-0, 7 KOs).
35-year-old Ronald Hearns was forbidden from the boxing ring until completing his education, a degree in Criminal Justice from American University. Once completed, however, “The Hitman” got behind his son’s boxing aspirations. The younger Hearns went 9-1 as an amateur and managed to win the 2004 National Middleweight Championship before turning pro. Hearns won his first 21 consecutive fights and challenged, unsuccessfully, for the WBA Super World Middleweight title against Felix Sturm in 2011.
26-year-old Jordan Shimmell, born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, started boxing at 8 years old and enjoyed a heavily decorated amateur career. Among many junior and senior titles, Shimmell won the World Golden Gloves Championships in 2007 and was the runner-up in the 2006 National Golden Gloves, as well as the 201-pound champion in the 2007 Midwestern Trials. In 2009, he became the first heavyweight in Michigan Golden Gloves history to win four titles. He is only the sixth heavyweight to ever win both the National Golden Gloves and USA Boxing National Championships in the same year. As a professional, Shimmell has been flawless, thus far, chopping down all but three of his first 17 opponents.
27-year-old Thomas Williams Jr. is from Ft. Washington, Maryland. He turned professional in 2010 after a strong amateur career. He is the son of former heavyweight contender Thomas “Top Dawg” Williams Sr. In 2014, Wililams won the NABO Light Heavyweight Title with a wild first-round stoppage over Cornelius White.
As an amateur, 23-year-old Robert Easter was a 2012 U.S. Olympic Team alternate and 2012 Final Qualifier for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. He was also the 2010 and 2011 National Golden Gloves Bronze Medalist. In the pro ranks, Easter, who is co-trained by his father, has stopped nine of his first 11 opponents.
Opponents for all will be announced shortly.
