Godfrey-Namauu Headlines Battle at the Boat 85!

Tacoma, WA (January 11, 2012) – Cruiserweight hopefuls Joell Godfrey and Henry Namauu will square off Saturday, January 21 in the ten round main event of Halquist Productions’ “Battle at the Boat 85” from the Emerald Queen Casino.

Tickets to “Battle at the Boat 85” start at $25 and are available on ticketmaster.com or by calling the Emerald box office at 1-888-831-7655.

The East St. Louis, IL based Godfrey received international attention as a participant on the fourth season of “The Contender,” although he was eliminated by Felix Cora Jr. in the opening round. He later returned as an injury replacement, but came up short against former title challenger Rico Hoye. Since appearing on “The Contender,” Godfrey, 13-5-1 (6 KO’s), continued to face stiff opposition, battling world rated heavyweight Chauncey Welliver, unbeaten prospect Daniel Kooij and cruiserweight standout Francisco Palacios.

A winner in five of his last six bouts, the 6’3 Godfrey has never been knocked out and owns a victory over then-unbeaten DeLeon Tinsley.

Namauu, 9-4 (5 KO’s), came through the paid ranks the hard way. Within his first six bouts, the Las Vegas native faced future Contender participant Erick Vega, highly touted Seth Mitchell and renowned spoiler Victor Barragan. After dropping a decision to Barragan, Namauu went on a six bout winning streak, including victories over Patrick Liles (7-1-1), Jason Douglas (8-2) and Vega in a rematch.

“This is going to be one heck of a fight,” exclaimed Brian Halquist, CEO of Halquist Productions. “Both men are battle tested, come to fight and recognize the importance of a victory. I’m really looking forward to this one.”

In the six round co-feature, unbeaten welterweight prospect Nate Serrano, 3-0 (2 KO’s) of Yakima, WA takes on California’s Roberto Crespo, 2-1. Serrano, who’s fought all three of his pro bouts at the Emerald Queen Casino, is quickly becoming a crowd favorite.

Also appearing in undercard bouts are local favorites Randell Corpus, Olanrewaju Duradolan, Adrian Hermann, Jose Rico and MMA-standout-turned-boxer Len “The Tiger” Bentley.

Renowned ring announcer Amy Hayes will serve as the master of ceremonies throughout the evening. Doors open at 6 pm and the opening bell is scheduled for 7.

During the last 23 years, Halquist Productions built a reputation in the boxing world for their loyalty, honesty and integrity. In 1997, Halquist Productions ran their inaugural “Battle at the Boat” series, which remains successful to this day. Halquist Productions promoted many world title bouts and their fight cards have been seen on ESPN, HBO and Showtime.