ESPN2 Wednesday Night Fights

Raymond Joval vs. Willie Gibbs

April 11, 2007

Paradise Theater

New York City, New York

 

 

Featured Bouts:

Middleweight Bout

Raymond Joval (35-4, 16 KOs) vs. Willie Gibbs (20-2, 16 KOs)

 

NABF Super Welterweight Title Bout

Champion Andrey Tsurkan (24-2, 15 KOs) vs. Sammy Sparkman (19-5-1, 8 KOs)

 

 

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Wednesday Night Just Got Hotter!

 

Andrey Tsurkan defends his NABF Super Welterweight Title April 11th against Sammy Sparkman

 

New York- On April 11th Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing returns to the Paradise Theatre (Bronx, NY) for a

special edition of “Punchin’ at the Paradise 3” to be televised on ESPN2’s Wednesday Night Fights.

 

NABF Super-Welterweight Champion Andrey Tsurkan (24-2, 15KO’s), a Ukrainian born Bronxite, defends

his title against Sammy Sparkman (19-5-1, 8KO’s) of Columbia TN in a special 10-round co-feature

attraction.

 

“Tsurkan is a rugged, come-forward fighter who has an unbending will and dedication to the sport” said Star

Boxing CEO Joe DeGuardia. “Tsurkan-Sparkman will be a barn-burner”

 

The main event will feature former Olympian, and the two-time IBO Middleweight Champion Raymond

Hallelujah Joval (35-4, 16KO’s) against the rugged WillieThe Gladiator Gibbs (20-2, 16KO’s).

 

Andrey Tsurkan, a native of Mogansk, Russia, now living in the Bronx NY, started boxing when he was 12

years old. He fought in nearly 200 amateur bouts, was a four-time Ukraine National amateur champion, and

won a silver medal in the European Junior championships.

 

In 2006 he upset Hector Camacho Jr., son of three- time World Champion Hector Camacho, in an

electrifying fight of the year slugfest. Although Camacho Jr. stunned Tsurkan with a series of left hands in

the 7th, Tsurkan rallied back in the 8th unloading a series of unanswered shots that forced referee Randy

Neumann to halt bout. All three judges had Tsurkan ahead at the time of the stoppage by the scores of

68-65 (twice) and 67-66. On April 11th Tsurkan is looking to make a statement with an impressive

performance over Sparkman.

 

Sammy Sparkman, a native of Tennessee, has faced some of today’s top talent including Jimmy Lange,

Yuri Foreman, Miguel Angel Cotto, Marteze Logan, CorneliusK-9 Bundradge, Cory Spinks, Paul

The Punisher Williams, and that’s just to name a few. On March 31, 2006 he won a hard-fought battle

against Marteze Logan in a Tennessee Turf War. Sparkman capped 2006 by besting the crafty Hercules

Kyvelos via unanimous decision in Hercules' hometown.

 

It’s Andrey Tsurkan vs. Sammy Sparkman live Wednesday April 11th at the Bronx Paradise Theater. This

event will feature eight action-packed bouts with talent from around the world.

 

For more information on Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, For tickets call (718) 823-2000, visit

www.starboxing.com, or e-mail contact Dottie Raven at draven@starboxing.com.

Ticket Information

Tickets are reasonably priced $100, $50 and $30 and can be purchased at the Paradise Theater box office

1- 800-353-8040 (tel.).

 

 

- Press Release issued by Star Boxing with a little editing from us (color, etc...)

 

 

Subject to change


 

(4/10/07)