Boxing Promoters Banner/Golden Gloves Pair Up For IBF Featherweight Title Fight October 23

ByBoxing Press

Banner Promotions president Arthur Pelullo and Golden Gloves president Rodney Berman will present a sensational world championship fight card on Thursday, October 23, 2008, in the Pend O’reille Pavillion at Northern Quest Casino, located at North 100 Hayford Road in Airway Heights, Washington. The main event and co-featured bouts will be televised live on the Versus network.

In the main event scheduled for 12 rounds, Cristobal Cruz, 36-11-1 with 23 knockouts, of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, will battle Orlando Salido, 31-9-2 with 20 knockouts, of Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico, for the vacant International Boxing Federation featherweight world championship. Salido and Cruz are the IBF’s two top-rated contenders.

The 31 year-old Cruz is coming off a sensational performance in his last fight on March 7 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut. Fightwriter.com’s Graham Houston reported: “Toughness, tenacity and a CompuBox punch record for a 12-round fight carried Tijuana veteran Cristobal Cruz to a bitterly hard-fought majority decision win over highly regarded South African Thomas Mashaba in an upset.

“This was a terrific fight, almost non-stop action…. With the fight in the balance, it was Cruz who finished the stronger in the last two rounds. A clear underdog, Cruz fought with a winner’s attitude, going right at Mashaba and throwing punch after punch from all directions, body and head, around the sides and up through the middle. Among the 1,580 punches thrown by Cruz was a jarring left that had Mashaba’s legs going in the last round.

“Fights such as this are great for boxing – 12 intense and exciting rounds, the issue in doubt to the very end….”

Salido, 27, is a 12-year professional veteran – he made his debut at 15. He is undefeated – 8-0, 1 ND – in his last nine fights. He is experienced against top opposition, and always gives strong performances. He has fought former world champions Robert Guerrero (ND12), Cesar Soto (W10), Juan Manuel Marquez (L12), Alfred Kotey (W10), Alejandro Gonzalez (L10), and Regilio Tuur (W8), as well as a number of contenders.

2008 U.S. Olympian Demetrius Andrade of Providence, Rhode Island, who is co-promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Banner Promotions, will make his pro debut on the card and open the Versus telecast. Only 20 years old, he is a sensational prospect at 154 pounds and a former international amateur standout.

Dan Rafael wrote on ESPN.com: “Demetrius Andrade, the 2008 U.S. Olympic boxer widely regarded as the No. 1 professional prospect from Team USA, is turning pro. Andrade entered the Olympics as the reigning world amateur welterweight champion. He also was a two-time U.S. National champion and two-time national Golden Gloves champion.

“Although Andrade won a pair of Olympic bouts in Beijing to advance to the quarterfinals, he lost a controversial 11-9 decision to South Korea’s Kim Jung-Joo in one of the most questionable results in a tournament littered with debate over the inconsistent scoring.”

More exciting fights will complete the card. All bouts are subject to change without notice.

Doors open at 4:00 P.M., first fight at 5:00 P.M. (Pacific Time)

Ticket prices: $25, $45, $60, $75.

Tickets are available at Northern Quest Casino Box Office – 509-481-6700, and Ticketswest – 800-325-SEAT, and www.ticketswest.com.