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Hard Knocks at the Hard Rock.

ByBoxing Press

Veteran IBF #12 ranked powerhouse Ricky Quiles and IBF #9 ranked Edner Cherry battle to improve their world ranking and for a future shot at the
world lightweight title.

IBF/WBC/WBO #2 ranked contender “Cowboy” Dale Brown defends his ranking and takes on up and coming prospect Shelby Gross in a clash of cruiserweights.

World class boxing at its finest returns to The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. This Hard Knocks at The Hard Rock event will consist of six scheduled bouts, beginning at 8:15 PM. The event will be broadcast live on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights and features two main events, Puerto Rican Powerhouse, Ricky “Showtime” Quiles, takes on Edner Cherry and Canadian Warrior – “Cowboy” Dale Brown, battles, up and coming prospect Shelby Gross.

The main event features, Veteran IBF #12 ranked fighter, Ricky “Showtime” Quiles [36-6-3 (8 KO’s)] versus up and coming IBF #9 ranked contender Edner Cherry [17-2-2 (7 KO’s)], as they battle to improve their world rankings, with hopes of a future shot at the world lightweight title. NABA lightweight champion, Ricky Quiles (Ohio), fought Vince Phillips (former IBF world lightweight champion) to a draw, and defeated former WBA featherweight world champion Eloy Rojas in an exciting lightweight bout at The Seminole Coconut Creek Casino in December of 2003. With a win against Cherry, Quiles will return to the ranks of the top contenders in the lightweight division. At this stage in his career Quiles is looking to fight only the best and Cherry is among the best young lightweights. Edner Cherry, a Florida Gold Coast prospect, is a crowd favorite who is looking for his first shot at a world title. Cherry hopes, by defeating Quiles, he will be able to take the next step in his four-year career and be recognized among the best in the lightweight division.

The co-main event features IBFWBCWBO #2 world ranked cruiserweight “Cowboy” Dale Brown [32-3-1(20 KO’s)] as he takes on, up and coming prospect Shelby Gross [15-1 (12 KO’s)] in a clash of cruiserweights. Dale Brown (Calgary, Alberta) is ready willing and able to take on any opponent at any time. Last year Brown took on former WBA world cruiserweight champion Robert Daniels and beat him convincingly. Next, he took on the slick and crafty former NABO cruiserweight champion Jermell Barnes and handily defeated him also. Despite being in the position for a title shot, Dale Brown has chosen to risk it all by taking on hard punching prospect Shelby Gross. True to his nickname, “Cowboy” Dale Brown never backs down from a challenge. South Carolinian, Shelby Gross (Fort Jackson) took on a very tough assignment in his fifth fight by challenging the 1996 Olympic light heavyweight bronze medalist, Antonio Tarver. Although he was unsuccessful, he has never looked back. Undeterred, Gross went on to knockout his next six opponents and has eleven straight victories since. Gross, the “Bonetown Brawler,” hopes to cause a stampede in the Cowboy’s plans to take on one of the cruiserweight world champions, while, Brown intends on corralling Gross’ march toward the top of the cruiserweight division.

This exciting evening of boxing begins with a very special heavyweight attraction featuring Chicago Native, Thomas Hayes [18-1 (12 KOs)] against local hard-hitting challenger Joe Johnson (Miami) [6-5(4 KOs)]. Hayes is sure he is ready for the next step in the competitive heavyweight division, but he must first get by the hard punching slugger in Johnson. The under card also features a battle of undefeated junior middleweight prospects with Hollywood, Fla. favorite Ed Parades [1-0 (1 KOs)] against New Yorker Roberto Irrizarry (1-0). In the evening’s junior welterweight action, Philadelphia slugger Johnny Pawlowski [1-1-1 (1 KOs)] takes on the Dominican Republic’s Agino Perez (0-1) and at welterweight, Jorge Hernandez, in his pro debut, challenges Joseph “Spiderman” Benjamin [1-7-1 (1 KOs)].