TKO and Ballroom Boxing Team Up For Hometown Heroes Concept

Scott Wagner’s Ballroom Boxing and Chet Koerner’s TKO Boxing Promotions, have teamed up for 2009 to present six world class professional boxing events this year at Baltimore’s Michael’s Eighth Avenue as part of the nationally known “Hometown Heroes to World Champions” series.

Ballroom Boxing is one of the longest running professional boxing series in North America . The upcoming card on April 2 will be its 93rd, spanning thirteen years.

Wagner has created and masterminded the highly successful series since its first show on February 15, 1996.

Said Wagner, “We have three exciting shows planned for this spring and if all goes according to plan Ballroom Boxing and TKO Boxing Promotions will really make its mark in this area at the same time as it establishes itself as one of the home bases for TKO.”

“My father and I have always believed in promoting our "Hometown Heroes", so it will be exciting to work with TKO and their concept. It’s a great fit for both sides.”

Ballroom Boxing has featured world champions Hasim Rahman, Kermit Cintron, Nate Campbell, Wayne Braithwaite, Vincent Pettway, Luis Collazo and has been an important part of the development of local standouts Lamont Pearson, heavyweight Tony Thompson, Darnell "The Ding A Ling Man" Wilson, and Teddy Reid, as well as featuring rising stars on their way up such as Yuri Foreman, Mike Arnaoutis, Mario Santiago, Roman Martinez and Andre Dirrell.

Said Koerner, “We’re thrilled to work with the Ballroom Boxing team as we move into the Baltimore area with our hometown heroes series. Boxing fans across the country are packing venues to see their favorite local fighters in world class action and that’s our commitment to Baltimore fight fans.”

Ballroom Boxing and TKO Boxing Promotions first worked together on the annual Jonathan Ogden Foundation benefit boxing show this past October 30 and followed that up with an outstanding card on November 20 at Michael’s Eighth Avenue with the relationship now turning into a strategic alliance.

The promoters will work together to continue to showcase the best area talent in the context of the world class professional fighters that are being promoted by TKO.

Said Koerner, “We had a packed house on November 20th and the passion the fans had for the fighters really drew me to making this deal with Scott.

"Working with the legacy of great fights in the Ballroom Boxing series over the last thirteen years, starting with these six shows we will continue the standard of terrific events they’ve had over the years.”

Through the years, Wagner and Ballroom Boxing have stayed away from signing fighters. Scott Wagner realized early on that if he signed a fighter and they developed into a world class prospect that in order to take the fighter to the next level that he would have to sign the fighter over to a promoter with national visibility.

Said Wagner, "With this strategic alliance with TKO, I can now sign a fighter, develop him together with TKO, and if he really becomes a top pro, with TKO's cross country reach, we can promote him nationally.

"This will be a very exciting year for Ballroom Boxing, and working with TKO will allow my firm to have greater reach and greater strength going forward."

Long time matchmaker for Ballroom Boxing, Chris Middendorf, is also a partner and the matchmaker for TKO.

“Chris knows how the shows work here and what sort of quality that our fans demand. With him already working for both Ballroom and TKO, this will be a seamless transition” continued Wagner.