Undefeated junior welterweight Wayland Willingham (8-0, 4 KOs), a native of Albany, N.Y. boxing out Atlanta, Ga., will step up in competition when he faces Shad Howard (12-6-3, 6 KOs) in an undercard feature bout Friday, May 19th at the Washington Avenue Armory in Albany. “Wayland has a tremendous amount of potential and is one of the best up and coming fighters in his weight class right now,” said promoter Lisa Elovich, Pugnacious Promotions. “He is really excited about fighting in his home town again in front of his friends and family.”

The 26 year-old southpaw will challenge Howard, a veteran of 21 pro fights, at “Friday Night Fights: Springtime Spectacle,” Lisa Elovich and Pugnacious Promotions Spring event featuring pro boxing, entertainment and special events to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northeast New York. Troy heavyweight Shannon Miller (12-1, 6 KOs) will brawl with Ralph “Wild, Wild” West (16-7, 13 KOs) in the card’s eight-round headline bout.

Willingham will fight for just the second time in Albany, where he was born and raised. He returned to fight for the first time at the Washington Avenue Armory on Friday, March 17th, a six-round unanimous decision win over veteran Jose Angel Roman.

Willingham has strong ties to New York’s Capital city. His mother, Wanda Willingham, is a long-time community activist currently serving her second term in the Albany County Legislature. He began his pro boxing career in Atlanta, Ga. where he attends college.

Also, appearing on the card are Kingston middleweight Brandon Mitchem (23-4, 8 KOs) and other regional fighters.

Tickets are on sale at the Armory box office, 518-694-7160, or through Ticketmaster by phone, 518-476-1000, any outlet or online at www.ticketmaster.com. General Admission tickets are $25; Reserved, $40, Ringside, $75 and first two rows, $100.

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