Star Boxing: Former Boxer DeGuardia Celebrates Success As Promoter

In 1988, a young Morris Park boxer by the name of Joe DeGuardia won the New York State Golden Gloves open 147 lb championship by defeating fellow New Yorker, Larry Barnes.

While DeGuardia would hang up the gloves and choose to pursue a career in law before later forming the world renown boxing promotional company, Star Boxing, Barnes turned pro, compiling an outstanding professional record of 44-3 (17).

Barnes went onto win the NABF and New York State welterweight championship, as well as challenging for the IBF world welterweight and light middleweight championships.

While DeGuardia and Barnes never met again inside the ring as combatants the two did work together as companions with DeGuardia in the role of promoter and Barnes as boxer.

While DeGuardia exclusively promotes professional fighters on a world wide basis now, he is still very active in amateur boxing and the Golden Gloves.

DeGuardia is an intricate part of the Morris Park Boxing club, a gym started by his father that has been producing some of New York City’s top boxing talent for the last 30 years.

This year, which marks the 82nd annual New York City Daily News Golden Gloves, the club sent an astonishing 15 fighters to the tournament.

The Daily News Golden Gloves, the oldest and largest amateur boxing tournament in the world, will hold fights throughout the city over the next three months, with champions being crowned at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on April 16-17.

“Winning the New York Golden Gloves was one of the proudest moments of my entire boxing career,” says DeGuardia, CEO of Star Boxing.

“Growing up in the Bronx, it was something that I always wanted and always strived for. Being a Golden Glove Champ, I always take pride in giving other champions a chance to perform and showcase their skills in the pro’s on one of my shows.

“We have a show coming up this Friday the 13th at Roseland Ballroom in New York City and with this year’s Gloves just getting under way we thought it would only be fitting to load the card with past champions.

“Past New York Golden Glove champions that are on the card include Eddie Irizarry, Darnell Jiles, and Denis Douglin, who is making his pro-debut. We also have our junior welterweight ‘The New’ Ray Robinson fighting against Jiles in the co-feature.

“Just like his idol, the real Sugar Ray Robinson, ‘The New’ Ray Robinson also fought and won the Golden Gloves as an amateur. Last but not least we have our exciting light heavyweight Yathomas Riley who was the 2006 National Golden Gloves Champion also on the card.

“Having all of these Golden Gloves Champion’s on the card I feel very strongly it’s a testament to the fact that boxing is still alive and still prospering, especially in New York and the surrounding tri- state areas.

“We are expecting to have a very exciting night of boxing in New York City on the 13th, we are hoping that everyone has a chance to come out and see it.”

The show is promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, in association with The Hustler Club.

Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased through all livenation outlets or by going online to www.livenation.com or www.starboxing.com.

Tickets can be purchased for $200, $100, $75, or $40. V.I.P tables are also available for purchase, for details call Star Boxing at (718) 823-2000.

Roseland Ballroom is located in New York City at 239 W. 52 Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue. Doors open at 6:30 PM with the first bout scheduled for 7:30.