Boxing Info: Saturday Night At The Fights

ByBoxing Press

After the success of their May 12th fight card, King’s Promotions returns to the Reading Eagle Theater at the Sovereign Center in Reading, PA on September 9, 2006 with a special installment of Saturday Night at the Fights. The nine bout fight card will feature local favorites and rising prospects Travis Kauffman, Keenan Collins, Jason Cintron and Jeremy Stauffer, as well as popular Scranton area fighters Anthony Cusamano and Chris Mills.

The night’s main event will feature Reading’s own rising young heavyweight prospect Travis Kauffman (6-0, 4 KOs). The undefeated 6’3″ “power punching” heavyweight had a highly successful amateur career and had been the number one ranked amateur heavyweight in the country before turning pro in January. In his last fight on May 12th at the Sovereign Center, Kauffman scored a six round unanimous decision over tough ring veteran Davis Cleage.

Since then, the twenty year old prospect was in Las Vegas and California gaining much experience as a sparring partner for then WBC heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman, who was preparing for his August 12th fight with Oleg Maskaev in Las Vegas. Kauffman also fought on the August 12th undercard of Rahman-Maskaev, destroying opponent James McCloskey with an early first round TKO.

The co-main event will feature Reading’s welterweight prospect Keenan Collins (10-1-1, 8 KOs). Collins last fought on May 12th at the Sovereign Center, winning a close, controversial decision over tough Yugoslavian Kemal Kolenovic in an exciting eight round battle. Kolenovic is also expected to return to Reading to fight another opponent on the Sept. 9th undercard.

Shortly after that fight, Collins headed for Florida where he was tapped as a sparring partner for WBO junior welterweight champion Miguel Cotto who was preparing for his highly anticipated, and ultimately victorious, fight with challenger Paulie Malignaggi at Madison Square Garden on June 10th.

Also featured will be exciting local fan favorite Jeremy Stauffer (5-1-1, 5 KOs) who continues his return to the ring in a six round light heavyweight bout. Light welterweight Jason Cintron (2-0, 1 KO), brother of welterweight contender Kermit Cintron, will also be appearing on the undercard. He recently scored a second round knockout July 20th in Scranton.

The undercard will also include two popular Scranton area fighters: Anthony Cusamano (1-1-1) and Chris Mills (26-2, 22 KOs), who both recently fought at the sold-out Gennetti’s Manor in Dickson City, PA.

Over 1400 enthusiastic fight fans enjoyed the last Friday Night Fight card put on by King’s Promotions at the modern and spacious Sovereign Center on May 12th. The crowd was also treated to a special guest appearance by WBC heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman, who was there to show his support for Travis Kauffman.

In its short existence, the Sovereign Center has played host to several exciting fight cards including Bernard Hopkin’s historic middleweight title defense against Carl Daniels in 2002, the WBA welterweight championship between Andrew “Six Heads” Lewis and Ricardo Mayorga in 2002, the Pennsylvania state heavyweight championship between Bert Cooper and Craig “CT” Thomlinson also in 2002, and the Telefutura televised fight between Kermit Cintron and Jesus Valverde in 2003.

King’s Promotions and the Sovereign Center are hoping to make boxing a regular event in the Reading area and are looking to work with Top Rank, Inc. and others in bringing big boxing events to the city. They hope to continue and expand on Reading’s rich boxing history, which dates back to the early part of the last century.

Tickets are priced at $65, $50, $35 and $25 and are available at the Sovereign Center Box Office (610-898-7200) at 700 Penn Street in Reading or at all Ticketmaster outlets (phone: 215-336-2000 or ticketmaster.com).