This Friday night, boxing returns to the Ballroom at Bally’s Atlantic City on Friday, Aug. 7, with an exciting ShoBox: The New Generation triple-header featuring the return to the series of Ukrainian blue-chip middleweight prospect Sergiy Derevyanchenko (5-0, 4 KOs, WSOB: 23-1, 7 KOs) as he faces his toughest test to date, former world title challenger Elvin Ayala (28-6-1, 12 KOs) of Reading, Pa.
In the co-feature, Derevyanchenko’s stable-mate, red-hot prospect Ievgen Khytrov (10-0, 9 KOs), of Krivoy Rih, Ukraine, squares off against upset-minded Nick Brinson (17-3-2, 7 KOs), of Rochester, N.Y., in an eight-round middleweight matchup.
Opening the ShoBox telecast, undefeated knockout artists Regis Prograis (14-0, 12 KOs), of New Orleans, La., and Amos Cowart (11-0-1, 9 KOs), of Leesburg, Fla., will clash in an eight-round junior welterweight showdown.
Returning to the friendly confines of Atlantic City will be nearby Millville, New Jersey’s favorite son, middleweight prospect Thomas LaManna (16-1, 7KO’s) as he is set to square off against Virginia’s Joshua Robertson, in an eight-round middleweight matchup. The bout on Friday will be LaManna’s 10th appearance in Atlantic City, and his seventh at Bally’s since turning pro in February of 2011. The popular LaManna is coming off the first hiccup of his professional career, a 6th-round TKO loss at the hands of highly regarded and world-rated contender Antoine Douglas on the ShoBox series in March of this year. With a strong contingent of hometown fans expected to be on hand, LaManna will look to get back to his winning ways in impressive fashion.
Also looking to get himself back into the win column will be Philadelphia’s popular heavyweight contender Joey Dawejko (14-4-2, 7KO’s) as he squares off against Delaware’s Robert Dunton in their eight-round scheduled matchup. Dawejko was an outstanding amateur, capturing 14 United States Amateur championships, and winning Gold at the 2008 World Youth Championship. Dawejko is also the youngest fighter ever to win the Eastern Olympic Trials at just 16 years of age. Dawejko is 6-1 in his last seven bouts, with the lone loss coming in his most recent outing against fellow contender Amir Mansour. Dawejko’s four career losses have come against opponents with a combined record of 44-1-1. Prior to the defeat against Mansour, Dawejko had scored four consecutive highlight reel first-round knockouts. Dawejko has promised to begin a new knockout streak when he squares off against the upset-minded Dunton.
Also seeing action on the card will be DiBella Entertainment’s undefeated Noel Murphy (2-0, 1KO) as he squares off against Stacey Anderson in their four-round welterweight matchup. Murphy, originally hailing from Cork County, Ireland, but now living and training in Yonkers, NY, is an exciting young prospect, with a seek-and-destroy style and good power in both hands. The Irishman has already begun to gain a strong following amongst the large Irish fan-base in New York, with hundreds of fans cheering him on at his most recent victory in May at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, on the undercard of Amir Khan’s title defense over Chris Algieri. Murphy will be looking to put on another show when he squares off against Anderson Friday night.
Rounding out the card will be Philadelphia’s once-beaten Anthony Burgin (8-1, 1KO) as he takes on Pittsburgh’s Justin Johnson in a six-round lightweight matchup.
