Boxing Preview: Luck of the Irish

Pugnacious Kicks Off Their 2006 Season on St. Patrick’s Day!

Pugnacious Promotions is kicking off their 2006 boxing season at the Armory in Albany, NY on March 17th with a quality fightcard they’re calling “St. Patrick’s Day Showdown.” After an impressive 2005, the upstate New York based company is hoping to do more of the same this year.Many of you may remember seeing Pugnacious’ heavyweight Shannon Miller square off with Vinny Maddalone

on ESPN2 last year on a card that was co-promoted with Joe DeGuardia. The fight was an all out toe-to-toe brawl that was voted one of the networks top 10 fights of 2005.

The company can be credited with bringing boxing back to the mainstream in New York’s Capital District Area. Once known for the quality and quantity of its local shows, boxing has faded over the years in the area. The region is where Mike Tyson made his pro debut and has given us such fighters as Kevin Pompey and two time world champion Verno Phillips. Now with Pugnacious starting to help make some noise, upstate New York is making a big comeback.

Lisa Elovich, Pugnacious’ founder and CEO, told me last year that they had some big things coming up in 2006 and so far it looks as though she’s right. Besides a title fight, the promoter will also showcase two of its newest fighters, just recently signed. The card will feature an IBC Welterweight title fight between Champion Frank Houghtaling, 19-9 (5), against the rugged Former Canadian welterweight champion Hercules Kyevelos, 22-2 (11). A truly tough fighter, Houghtaling is looking to make an impressive defence of the title in front of his hometown. Kyevelos, though, is not planning on being an “opponent” and knows what its like to have a belt around his waist, and I’m sure he would like nothing more than to go home as the IBC Champ, hopefully to make a run at the top 10 soon. This should be all action from bell to bell.

Shannon Miller, 12-1 (6), is returning to the ring against David Chappell, 7-5 (3). Miller, who won his most recent fight against Harold Rodriguez, is looking to have a few tune-up bouts and hopes to set up another bout with Vinny Maddalone later this year. If Miller is successful on March 17th and the Maddalone rematch takes place, there is a good chance he can avenge his only loss. If it’s on ESPN2 again, who knows, it might end up the network’s fight of the year. Their first encounter was PPV worthy and when I spoke to Miller late last year he said he wants nothing more than to even things up between the two.

Brandon Mitchem, 22-4 (8), is making his debut as an exclusive Pugnacious Promotions

fighter. Many of you may remember the young middleweight from NBC’s Contender series as a finalist last year. Also making his debut as an exclusive Pugnacious fighter is Wayland Willingham, 7-0 (4), the undefeated light welterweight who hails from the Capital District and now lives in Atlanta, GA. He has fought on Pugnacious cards before but has just recently signed with the company and is looking to keep his unblemished record intact when he makes his return to Albany.

Also on the card is women’s action. Liz Mooney, 3-2 (1), from Albany goes after another victory against world ranked Christy Nickel, 7-4, of Augusta, GA. The two will meet at a catchweight of 150 lbs.

“St. Patrick’s Day Showdown” on March 17th looks to be shaping up into a night of good fights and another quality show. Add that to the fact that the company seems to get better with every card and 2006 may be the best year yet for Pugnacious Promotions. Tickets to the show can be purchased by logging onto to www.ticketmaster.com