Promoter Dmitriy Salita proudly announces the signing of top bantamweight contender and hometown favorite, Antonio “Carita” Nieves, of Cleveland to a promotional contract. Rated WBO #5 and the current WBO NABO Bantamweight Champion, Nieves (16-0-2, 8 KOs) has already appeared on Showtime and BET and is eager to follow in the footsteps of NBA Champ Cleveland Cavaliers and win a world championship.
“It feels good having a promoter who has been in the fight game and knows what’s best to get me where I need to be,” said Nieves. “I feel that we can work together to get me quickly to my dream of fighting for a world title.”
29-year-old Nieves, who lives in Cleveland, is a banker for the PNC Bank in Cleveland, Ohio. As an amateur, Nieves was the 2011 National Golden Gloves Runner-Up and the 2011 US Nationals Bronze Medalist, as well as a five-time Cleveland Metro Golden Gloves Champion.
He connected with Salita through his manager, David McWater.
“I’m thrilled to be working with Salita Promotions. It’s a great match for Team Nieves,” said McWater. “Nobody works harder than Antonio Nieves, so we were looking for a promoter with the same kind of drive and determination. We’ve found that with Dmitry Salita! The same qualities that made him a champion in the ring make him an outstanding no-nonsense promoter.”
Salita says Nieves is close to a world-title shot and to his ultimate dream.
“I would love to do a big televised fight between (fellow Ohio resident) WBA Super World Bantamweight Champion Rau’shee Warren and Antonio in Cleveland,” said Salita. “Antonio and Rasheed are a natural cross-state world title rivalry. I’m happy to be working with such an honest and hard-working fighter like Antonio and his team. I see big fights on his near horizon.”
Previous Signing by Salita:
Promoter Dmitriy Salita proudly announces the signing of promising junior welterweight slugger Shohjahon “Shoh” Ergashev to a promotional contract.
Known as an extreme power puncher in Russian boxing circles, 25-year-old Ergashev (6-0, 6 KOs) is considered one of the best current prospects coming out of Uzbekistan.
Egashev now lives in Moscow and trains in Chelyabinsk, Russia, with Sergey Novikov, trainer of light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev in the amateurs. He is managed by well-known Russian based manager Oleg Bogdanov.
Southpaw Ergashev started boxing in 2003 and won the Uzbekistan Nationals four times, starting in 2005. He won 202 of his 216 amateur bouts, holds a victory over Uzbek Olympic Silver Medalist Shahram Gayasov and went undefeated the last three years of his amateur career, winning every fight by knockout against stiff competition.
Having never fought outside Russia as a professional, Ergashev says he’s eager to work with Salita, who can help him bring his talents to the Western world. “I can’t wait to fight for a world audience and show them what my punching power can do to my opponent,” said Ergashev.
Not one to waste time, Ergashev KO’d his last opponent in 16 seconds
“Shoh definitely has potential to be a champion,” said trainer Novikov. “I like his positive, serious attitude towards training and his mindset of destroying his opponents.”
“Shoh is the best prospect I have seen in a long time. He has the potential and power like fellow Kovalev and Golovkin,” said Bogdanov. “I am excited about the opportunity for him to sign with Salita Promotions and come to the US soon to take over the junior welterweight and welterweight divisions.”
“I am very happy to add Shoh to our talent roster,” said Dmitriy Salita. “He has the skills and power to be an exciting and dominant force in the future of boxing.”
Salita says he plans to bring Ergashev to Detroit soon, for an appearance on one of his wildly popular “Detroit Brawl” shows.
