With super middleweight supremacy on the line when WBA Super Middleweight Champion Andre Ward takes on WBC titleholder Carl Froch in the Super Six Finals on Saturday Night, December 17 in Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall, the promoters have put together an explosive undercard featuring several members of their talented stable against boxers with impressive records and high knockout ratios. Some of the big names on the card include U.K. welterweight prospect Kell Brook, Edison Miranda and Yordanis Despaigne in separate fights, heavyweight Bowie Tupou, and more.
The night starts with the big boys of boxing, the Heavyweights.
Bowie Tupou (21-1, 16 KOs) of Los Angeles, takes on Donnell “The Real Touch of Sleep” Holmes, who hails from Ivanhoe, NC, in a scheduled ten-rounder of hard-hitting heavyweights with only one loss each and 45 knockouts on their records.
In his most recent outing back in May, Tupou known as “Bo” scored a devastating knockout win over top ten-ranked contender, Manny Quezada. Holmes (33-1-2, 29 KOs) is coming off consecutive second-round stoppages following his only loss – a controversial technical decision to Brian Minto in a WBO-NABO Heavyweight title bout.
Light heavyweights take center stage with Edison Miranda (34-6, 29 KOs) and Cornelius White (17-1-1, 15 KOs) take on separate challenges.
Once-beaten White, a Houston, TX native is in his toughest test to date since his only loss when he goes against Cuban sensation Yordanis Despaigne (9-1, 4 KOs), of Coral Gables, FL.
White, dubbed “Da Beast,” rebounded from his only setback in a nationally televised loss by earning a split-decision victory over tough veteran Dhafir Smith back in July in the same Atlantic City venue in which he will meet Despaigne. Born in Cuba, Despaigne had a distinguished amateur career which included wins in international competition over current top pros Andre Dirrell and Jean Pascal. Despaigne won by a controversial disqualification over Edison Miranda in his last outing back in July.
Miranda, the Colombia native known as “Pantera” and a former middleweight and super middleweight world title challenger, will attempt to attract the ratings organizations as he makes his third straight outing as a light heavyweight in a scheduled 8-rounder against Kariz Kariuki of Tampa, FL.
The Kenyan native, Kariuki (24-9-2, 19 KOs) is on a 3-fight win streak, having most recently scored an impressive first round knockout in May of this year.
Light middleweight Boyd Melson (6-0, 3 KOs) will look to continue making a name for himself in a scheduled 6-round outing against Daniel Lugo (9-1, 4 KOs). Currently a Captain in the Army Reserve, the “Rainmaker” Melson uses boxing for much more than himself, donating his earnings to teamfighttowalk.com and justadollarplease.org.
Hometown heavyweights John Lennox (7-1, 3 KOs) and Jeremiah Witherspoon (2-1, 1 KO) will showcase their boxing prowess in a scheduled four-round attraction.
In a special welterweight attraction Great Britan’s rising star Kell “Special K” Brook (25-0, 17 KOs) takes on Tennessee native, Luis Galarza (18-2, 14 KOs) in a 10-round bout promoted by Matchroom Sport.
Kell holds the WBO and WBA Intercontinental welterweight titles and is coming off a 6-round TKO victory over Rafal Jackiewicz this past October.
