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Polish power puncher Pawel “Raging Bull” Wolak has added veteran trainer Tommy Brooks to his team as they prepare for his November 21 fight against Christian Lloyd Joseph on “The Grande Event” card, promoted by Cedric Kushner’s Gotham Boxing, at the famed Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan.
Born in Poland and now residing in Brooklyn, the New York State middleweight and Polish National light middleweight champion Wolak, 22-1 (15), is a graduate of Berkley College of Manhattan with a degree in business.
A ferocious fighter with a large, passionate Polish following, Wolak bounced back from his lone defeat last August to Ishe Smith with stopping Chad Greenleaf in the third round of their September match.
“I’ve changed some things since the Smith fight,” Wolak explained. “I’m smarter and use the right punches coming in. I haven’t really changed my style, just added a few things like coming behind my jab, throwing the right punches, and moving my head even more.”
Brooks has helped train Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, Pernell Whitaker, Hasim Rahman, Mike McCallum, Junior Jones and many other world champions.
“We’ve been working on some small things, breaking old habits by moving more and using angles,” Pawel continued. “Tommy has me throwing more body punches and slipping more punches. I always come into a fight in my best shape. Now, I’m training, resting and eating better. Working with Tommy has been great. Ishe never hurt me and I would have won if I had changed some small things. I have a new bag of tricks. I’ve always been good, physically and mentally, and now we’re fine tuning everything.”
Joseph’s 12-7-3 (5) pro record is somewhat mid-leading. He extended present IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey the full 10 rounds in a losing effort, fought current IBF light middleweight Verno Phillips, upset Jeffrey Hill and Keith Mullings, and fought draws with Emmett Linton and Aaron Mitchell.
“I know he’s a strong, tough kid that took one of the best fighters in the world the distance, Joshua Clottey,” Wolak concluded. “And he’s left-handed, too.”
The main event pits “Ireland’s” John Duddy (25-0, 17 KOs), fighting out Queens (NY) by way of Derry, Northern Ireland, against veteran Sam “The Punching Policeman” Hill (17-9-1, 10 KOs). Duddy is rated No. 2 by the World Boxing Organization, No. 4 by the World Boxing Council, and No. 7 by the International Boxing Federation.
NABO lightweight champion Jorge Luis Teron (22-0-1, 15 KOs), fighting out of the Bronx and rated No. 4 by the WBO, fights Aldo “El Pato” Valtierra (24-10, 13 KOs) in a 10-round bout. Teron is trained by former Olympic gold medalist and world champion Mark Breland.
Also scheduled to fight in separate four-round bouts are Queens light middleweight Lambrose “Lionheart” Karaolides (1-0) vs. TBA, Bronx super middleweight Hajro Sujak (3-0, 2 KOs) vs. Eric Clinton (0-4-1), Brooklyn welterweight Luis “El Mero Mero” Ruiz (3-0, 1 KO) vs. Asanti “Volcano” Hendrickson (1-2, 0 KOs), Brooklyn light middleweight Romain Oliveri pro debuting vs. Eluid Torres (0-0-1), and light welterweight Jonathan Gonzalez, a 2008 Puerto Rican Olympian makes his pro debut.
Tickets, priced at $50.00, $80.00, $100.00, $150.00 and $200.00, are on sale and available to purchase by calling Gotham Boxing (212.755.1944), any TicketMaster outlet, or at the Roseland Ballroom box office. Doors will open at 6:30 PM/ET, first bout at 7:00 PM/ET.
For more information call Gotham Boxing or go on line to www.gothamboxing.com.
