Tonight, DiBella Entertainment (DBE) will kick off its 2012 boxing year with the season opener of ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” from Mallory Square in beautiful Key West, FL. Headlining the card will be DiBella Entertainment’s world-rated super middleweight contender (WBA #9, WBC #10) Dyah Davis (20-2-1, 9KO’s) taking on Alfonso Lopez (22-1, 17KO’s) in a 10-round showdown.
Opening up the live televised portion of the card will be an intriguing eight-round junior middleweight match-up between a pair of 2008 National Golden Gloves champions, Steven Martinez (11-0, 9KO’s) and Denis Douglin (13-1, 8KO’s). ESPN2/ESPN3 will begin live coverage at 9PM ET.
Scheduled to see action on the untelevised undercard are three very promising fighters on the DBE roster, world-rated lightweight contender (WBC #11) Dannie Williams (20-1, 16KO’s), undefeated up-and-coming middleweight prospect J’Leon Love (9-0, 6KO’s), and Cleveland, Ohio’s Willie Nelson (16-1-1, 10KO’s).
Williams, who, like Nelson, is co-promoted by Rumble Time Promotions, is two fights removed from his one-punch, highlight reel knockout over Antonio Cervantes on ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” last August. The 27-year-old Williams is looking forward to a big 2012 and hoping to lock in a title shot by the end of the year. But he must first take care of business against Fernando Trejo (33-17-6, 19KO’s) in their eight-round lightweight match-up.
The Detroit-native Love, who now lives and trains in the boxing hotbed of Las Vegas, NV, has thus far steamrolled through the competition. All six of his knockouts have come in two rounds or less and, in his most recent victory, Love pitched a shutout decision in his first scheduled six-rounder last October on the undercard of Middleweight Champion Sergio Martinez’ defense against Darren Barker at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ. Love also recently served as one of the lead sparring partners for Antonio Margartio before Margarito’s rematch against Miguel Cotto back on December 3, 2011. Love is set to square off against Eli Augustama (5-3, 3KO’s). The bout is scheduled for six rounds in the middleweight division.
Nelson is looking to get back in the win column after suffering his first defeat as a pro via eight-round majority decision loss to Vincent Arroyo on Showtime in April of last year. Nelson will take on Brad Jackson (13-7-1, 7KO’s) in a six-round welterweight match-up.
