On Saturday, October 4th, a Showtime Boxing Special Edition is headlined by undefeated Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy (20-0-0-1NC, 12KO’s) vs. Fernando Saucedo (52-5-3, 8KO’s). The event will air live beginning at 9 pm ET/PT from the Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino, in Mashantucket, Conn.
Appearing on the non-televised portion of the undercard will be popular Brooklynite and touted amateur Earl Newman making his highly anticipated pro debut. After culminating his amateur career with a 55-7 record, the powerful 23-year-old Newman, from Flatbush, is eager to begin his journey in the paid ranks.
“I’m excited to make my pro debut in a few weeks,” said Newman. “I’m training hard and I’m looking forward to showcasing my skills and making a good impression for the fans at Foxwoods. As an amateur, I competed in the 201lb. weight class, and I’ll be debuting at cruiserweight, but I’m looking to eventually work my way down to light heavyweight.”
Now trained by Aureliano Sosa out of the Flatbush Cops and Kids boxing gym, the 6’3″ Newman began boxing in 2010, initially to simply lose weight. His father took him to MMA and kickboxing gyms at first, but then it became apparent that Earl was better skilled at striking rather than wrestling, so he decided to strictly focus on boxing.
“In 2013, I really made my mark as an amateur, winning the New York Golden Gloves, the National Golden Gloves in Utah, the National PAL tournament in Oxnard, CA, and the World Golden Gloves in Waldorf, MD,” Newman stated. “I participated in the World Series of Boxing in Germany and I also made it to the finals of the European Championships in 2013 and again this year. After winning the New York Golden Gloves for the second time this past April, I made the decision to turn pro.”
It was while winning the 2014 New York Golden Gloves tournament, held at the Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, NY, that Newman caught the eye of promoter Lou DiBella.
“I covered Earl Newman as a commentator at this year’s New York Golden Gloves finals and was incredibly impressed,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “The fans in attendance at Foxwoods on October 4th will get to see the pro debut of a young man with star potential.”
“I’m thrilled that DiBella Entertainment has given me the opportunity to make my pro debut on their card. Lou noticed me while commentating at the Golden Gloves finals. He introduced himself and said he was real impressed with the way I fought. I look forward to great things ahead. I’d like to stay active and steadily improve the level of my opposition. I truly believe that I will prove myself to be one of the top tier light heavyweights. I’ll do my part as a fighter and hope everything else falls into place.”
