Over the years, DiBella Entertainment has experienced its biggest success in the middleweight division. Looking to keep that trend going in the coming years, DiBella continues loading up on young, talented 160lb. fighters. After the recent signings of highly touted Ukrainian amateur champions Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Ivan Golub, DiBella has now added fellow amateur standouts, and now undefeated pros, Eduardo Alicea (6-0, 3KO’s) and Paul Littleton (8-0-1, 5KO’s) to his ever-growing middleweight factory.
“The middleweight division has always been one of boxing’s elite weight classes, and it is once again today. We just recently added two of the best amateur boxers in the world to the DBE roster and we are now adding these two undefeated prospects to our growing stable. We truly feel that these talented fighters, in addition to fellow DBE middleweight prospect Lamar Russ, make up the best young group of middleweights in all of boxing. We are excited to be working with each and every one of them,” said DiBella.
DiBella has previously worked with and promoted such middleweight kingpins as Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor and Sergio Martinez. DiBella has also worked, and continues to work with, a slew of other top-rated middleweight contenders and world title challengers, including Andy Lee and Sergio Mora, who are both coming off sensational knockout victories.
Alicea was an outstanding amateur, amassing a 143-16 record and becoming the #1-rated U.S. amateur as a Junior Olympian in 2007 as well as winning the 2007 National Junior Olympics. The 23-year-old turned pro in 2011 but went through some promotional and managerial issues, which kept him somewhat inactive through 2013. Earlier this year, DiBella put Alicea, who is now working with esteemed trainer Robert Garcia, on one of his Broadway Boxing cards in New York and immediately liked what he saw.
DiBella quickly moved to sign the promising young prospect, and just recently finalized a deal to co-promote him with Steve Smith’s Rumble Time Promotions, who also co-promotes world-rated junior middleweight contender Willie Nelson with DBE. Alicea will officially make his DBE and Rumble Time Promotions debut on their upcoming ESPN Friday Night Fights card on June 27, at the Ameristar Casino in St. Charles, MO. In addition to the Alicea bout, the newly signed Golub will be making his long-awaited pro debut.
The Chicago Golden Gloves champion Littleton has quickly become one of the most popular fighters on the Chicago fight scene, thanks to his aggressive style and willingness to take on all comers. Littleton’s last five opponents have had a combined 33-4-2 record, with three of those fighters coming in previously undefeated. The lone blemish on Littleton’s record came in a highly disputed six-round split decision draw to 9-1-2 Darnell Wilson. Littleton and Derevyanchenko are expected to make their much-anticipated DBE debuts on DiBella’s upcoming Broadway Boxing cards this summer.
