DUVA BOXING’S RECENTLY-SIGNED CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION OLA AFOLABI TO

Posted on | August 1, 2008 | No Comments

Cruiserweight to MAKE LONG-AWAITED NATIONAL TELEVISION DEBUT ON ESPN2’S FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS ON AUGUST 15

***Los Angeles-based standout in co-featured attraction headlined by Anthony Thompson vs. Ishmail Arvin at Ibiza Fight Club in Washington, DC***

New York, July 31—Dino Duva’s cruiserweight champion Ola Afolabi, the NABO titlist, will make his long-awaited national television debut on Friday night, August 15, in an eight-round affair on ESPN2s Friday Night Fights from Ibiza Night Club in the nation’s capital, Washington, DC. The card will be presented by Duva Boxing and Major Boxing Promotions.

Afolabi will make his first appearance under the Duva banner. The main event will pit Anthony Thompson (23-2, 17 KO’s) of Philadelphia against local product Ishmail Arvin ( 14-1-4, 6 KO’s) of Baltimore, MD, in the IBO/USBO. Junior middleweight title bout, a 10-round contest.

Afolabi, like Duva Boxing stablemate WBC heavyweight champ Samuel Peter, is a native of Nigeria with a big knockout punch. Afolabi gives Duva a powerful punching duo in his stable of fighters. Duva continued to tap into the extraordinary Nigerian talent pool when he signed Afolabi on May 1.

Afolabi was born in Nigeria , but his parents moved to London , where the heavy-puncher was raised. He now lives in Los Angeles . The 28-year-old cruiserweight has a 12-1-3 ring record with 5 victories coming by way of knockout.

In his last fight in April, Afolabi destroyed one of the most tal ked-about prospects in the world, Eric Fields, to win the NABO Cruiserweight title. Despite taking the bout with only a month’s notice, and fighting for the first time in over two years, Afolabi scored a convincing triumph.

“The most amazing thing about him is that for a man of his obvious tremendous skills, he never had an amateur fight!” says Duva. “I’ve never seen a fighter with incredible skills despite having no amateur background. This is the most excited I’ve been about signing up a fighter since my last Nigerian signup, Sam Peter, and that was seven years ago.”

“It’s a delight to work with Major Promotions on an ESPN Friday Night Fights show of this caliber,” said Duva. “Both the fans in attendance at this unique venue, and the television audience will get a real charge out of this fight card.’

“Our mandate is to bring championship boxing back to dc in a monthly series, and our main event of Arvin and Thompson will give our fans an idea of what we plan to deliver. To start this series on ESPN in a co-promotion with Duva Boxing is one hell of a way to kick things off!,” said Rico Major, Major Boxing Promotions.