New York-based Uprising Promotions is announcing the addition of three highly skilled fighters to its talented roster. Officially joining the stable is undefeated Brooklyn lightweight Wesley Ferrer (4-0, 3 KOs), unbeaten Dominican super featherweight Angel Luna (9-0, 6 KOs) and highly sought-after Irish junior welterweight Darren Mangan.
“I am very excited. I believe in these guys, and I am a great judge of boxing talent,” said Ronson Frank, President of Uprising Promotions. “I think all three of these guys have the ability to take not only themselves, but also us as a promotion, to the next level where we can compete with all of the big name promoters out there.”
Under the guidance of his father, Mateo De La Cruz, Wesley Ferrer had a very accomplished amateur career, winning his first NY Daily News Golden Gloves Championship in 2009 when he was merely 17-years-old. He continued on that same successful path until deciding to turn in his amateur card for the professional ranks in September of 2013. His pro debut lasted just 31 seconds when he scored a TKO victory over Masaki Aida on a card hosted by Uprising Promotions. The Brooklyn native has since recorded three more wins, two by early stoppage, with two of those outings under the Uprising Promotions banner.
After eight bouts in his home of the Dominican Republic, Angel Luna made his American debut on May 21st when he fought on an Uprising Promotions card, defeating Joey Arroyo by second round TKO. Of his nine professional contests, Luna has earned six victories inside the allotted timeframe, and he now looks to make an impression on the New York fight scene under the guidance of Uprising Promotions.
“These fighters are great character guys who work very hard in the gym,” Frank continued. “Wesley Ferrer is a very intelligent guy who is currently a college student. Angel Luna is a very dedicated guy in the gym. His trainer tells me all the time that he has to tell him to tone it down.”
The final signing by Uprising Promotions is highly regarded junior welterweight Darren Mangan, who moved to New York from his native Ireland just a few weeks ago. Fighting out of Gotham Boxing, which is located at 600 Washington Street in the West Village, he looks to make his professional debut under the Uprising Promotions banner later this year.
“Darren is so excited, and he calls me every day to let me know what type of progress he is making,” Frank laughed. “He is a 19-year-old kid who is very excited about the opportunity to be here and looks forward to performing on the biggest stage in boxing.”
Growing up in Castlebar before spending the last seven years of his life in Letterkenny, Ireland, Mangan arrives in New York with nearly 100 amateur bouts on his resume. The extremely personable fighter was highly sought after by a number of promoters but decided Uprising Promotions was the best place for him. As he begins the preparation for his professional debut, the 19-year-old Irishman will be working with internationally renowned trainer Colin Morgan, who has trained the likes of current WBO Middleweight Champion Peter Quillin, former WBA Cruiserweight Champion Guillermo Jones, former WBC Featherweight Champion Elio Rojas, as well as undefeated heavyweight contender Mike Perez.
“I am delighted and over the moon to sign with Uprising Promotions,” Mangan emphatically stated. “If you told me a couple of years ago that I would be fighting in New York City at 20 years of age, I don’t think that I would have believed you. I’ve been here for more than two weeks now, and I’m settling in well. I can’t wait to start working with a world renowned trainer in Colin Morgan. We have a really good team around me, and I am seriously excited to hook up with Ronson and Uprising Promotions. There were a few offers on the table, especially since I am a young fighter with a lot of amateur experience, but this was the best fit for me.”
As he engulfs on his professional career, Mangan hopes to follow in the footsteps of another Irish fighter who was able to win over the entire City of New York.
“A fight town like New York needs another Irish fighter! It has really been since John Duddy retired that an Irish fighter was at the top here, and I think Ronson is the right guy to get me there. He is hungry to expand my career and Uprising Promotions, and we have the right people around us to make that happen.”
The date for the next Uprising Promotions fight card has already been set, with the promotion returning to action on September 13th. Negotiations are underway with a few different venues in New York for the event, and the location announcement will be made in the very near future.
