BROOKLYN’S BARCLAYS CENTER IN BROOKLYN TO HOST HBO BOXING AFTER DARK® TRIPLEHEADER ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6
DAVID LEMIEUX VS. GABRIEL ROSADO
HUGO CENTENO JR. VS. JAMES DE LA ROSA
THOMAS DULORME VS. HANK LUNDY
PLUS TOP NEW YORK PROSPECTS EDDIE GOMEZ AND ZACHARY OCHOA TO BE FEATURED IN SEPARATE NON-TELEVISED BOUTS
Tickets On Sale Today!
BROOKLYN (October 29) – Golden Boy Promotions returns to its East Coast home – Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on Saturday, December 6 with a special HBO Boxing After Dark tripleheader. In the 12-round main event, rising Canadian star David Lemieux will defend his NABF Middleweight Title against the no nonsense Philadelphian warrior “King” Gabriel Rosado. Plus, unbeaten Californian Hugo “The Boss” Centeno Jr. takes on his toughest challenge yet in the form of Texas’ James “The King” De La Rosa. Rounding out the televised card is a pair of junior welterweight sluggers as Thomas “El Frances” Dulorme takes on “Hammerin” Hank Lundy in junior welterweight action.
In non-televised action, two hot prospects out of New York City, Eddie “E-Boy” Gomez and Zachary “Zungry” Ochoa, will enter the ring in separate bouts to entertain the hometown fans and continue their rise to the top of the boxing world.
Tickets priced at $150, $80, $50, $25 and $15, plus applicable taxes and service charges go on sale Wednesday, October 29 at noon ET and are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 800-745-3000 and at the American Express Box Office starting on Thursday, Oct. 30 at noon. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.
“I’m really looking forward to this fight,” said Lemieux. “My training camp has already started and I am in great shape. I want to take this opportunity to prove that I represent a real threat to the middleweight division. Gabriel Rosado is a tough fighter and he has fought a lot of talented boxers and has established his credibility. This will be a good test for me and I’m working really hard to deliver an amazing performance.”
“A fight like me against David Lemieux is what HBO is all about, and the type of fight the boxing world craves,” said Rosado. “I’m both excited and motivated to fight again on the East Coast. I’m from Philly and I know my fans will be in Brooklyn to represent [Philadelphia] alongside my New York fans. Records can be deceiving and I believe David Lemieux will learn that first hand, and I’m hungry to get back in the mix with the best in the middleweight division.”
“I’m really excited about this great opportunity, I will take complete advantage of it and showcase my talent,” said Centeno Jr. “I want to thank Golden Boy and HBO for this opportunity.”
“Here I am again on the big stage this time against Hugo Centeno Jr. on HBO,” said De La Rosa. “I’m dedicating this fight to my mentor Emanuel Augustus who I’d been sparring against since I was 14 years old. People know he came to put on a show and I’m coming to do the same December 6 in Brooklyn.”
“I’m very grateful to my promoter Gary Shaw for getting me this fight with Hank Lundy,” said Dulorme. “I’m really looking forward to putting on a great show for all of the fans watching on HBO. This is a great opportunity for me to showcase my talent against a very good opponent. I know a victory against Lundy will open up many doors for my career. I’m coming to win and win convincingly for my fans back home in Puerto Rico.”
“This is what we’ve been waiting for – to fight on a big stage – HBO,” said Lundy. “This is a great opportunity to show the world ‘Hammerin’ Hank is the best-kept secret in the 140-pound weight class. On December 6, I’m coming to New York to put on a hell of a show. As a Philadelphia kid, everyone knows that I’ve fought hard. Nothing comes easy. The fans know I’m going to bring it.
“The winners of these two fights will find themselves positioned for huge match-ups in their next bouts, while the losers will experience a major setback,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions. “With so much on the line, fans are in for a huge show to close out the 2014 boxing season at Barclays Center.”
“I’m extremely happy for David to get this opportunity on the big stage in the U.S. against a very well respected Gabriel Rosado,” said Camille Estephan of Eye of the Tiger Management. “We are not looking past this fight nonetheless, we believe David is capable of competing with the cream of the crop in his division. We couldn’t be happier with David’s preparation so far for this fight. We want to seize this opportunity and we will.”
“Dulorme has looked sensational since moving down to 140 pounds,” said Gary Shaw, Dulorme’s promoter. “Right now he’s riding a five-fight winning streak and momentum is on his side. Lundy is a good fighter, but I believe Dulorme is on another level. I want to thank Ken Hershman, Peter Nelson and everyone at HBO for all of their supports in making this fight a reality. Also I’m glad to be working with Cameron Dunkin again. This is going to be a great fight for the fans, one they deserve.”
“We want to thank HBO, Golden Boy Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions for this opportunity. We’re very excited to fight at the beautiful Barclays Center in Brooklyn,” said Jimmy Burchfield Sr., CES Boxing President and CEO. “Hank is a throwback fighter. He fights in the center of the ring and brings the fight to his opponent. This is why he gets the highest ratings when he fights worldwide and on national television. This is a fight we’ve wanted for a long time. We know Thomas Dulorme is a worthy opponent, but these are the kind of fights that bring out the best in ‘Hammerin’ Hank.”
“I am excited to welcome new boxing talent to Barclays Center,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Barclays Center. “We expect a great fight from Lemieux and Rosado, which the boxing fans of Brooklyn have come to expect at Barclays Center. We are also delighted that Zachary Ochoa and Eddie Gomez are returning to the center of boxing on the East Coast.”
“The commitment to boxing from the people at Barclays Center is gratifying and we are delighted to return to Brooklyn for an action packed night of tough fights on our late night boxing franchise,” said Peter Nelson, vice president, programming, HBO Sports. “Fight fans will get their money’s worth from three stellar matchups and we know that David, Gabriel, Hugo, James, Thomas and Hank will be prepared to seize the night.”
Canada’s latest hope for world championship honors, 25-year-old Montreal native David Lemieux (32-2, 30 KOs) has all of the tools to become an international superstar, and his first HBO headliner against Rosado will certainly prove if he’s ready for primetime. Currently ranked second in the world at 160 pounds by the WBC, fifth by the IBF and eighth by the WBO, Lemieux is coming off of a blistering third-round knockout over Fernando Guerrero in May and many believe a win over Rosado will be his ticket to a title shot.
One of the most respected and popular middleweights in the world, Philadelphia’s “King” Gabriel Rosado (21-8, 13 KOs) is a fearless warrior who lives up to his claim to be willing to fight anyone, anytime at any place. A knockout victor over the likes of Jesus Soto Karass, Sechew Powell and Charles Whittaker, Rosado has also shared the ring with world champions Gennady Golovkin and Peter Quillin. Eager to get another opportunity to challenge for a world title, the 28-year-old Rosado will enter the ring with a vengeance December 6.
Ready to make his move on the middleweight elite, Oxnard’s Hugo “The Boss” Centeno Jr. (21-0, 11 KOs) has long been one of boxing’s top prospects, but since the 23-year-old put together wins over Ayi Bruce, Keandre Leatherwood, Angel Osuna and Gerardo Ibarra, he has made himself known as a legitimate contender. On December 6, he will introduce himself to the world on the HBO airwaves.
A native of Harlingen, Texas, 26-year-old James “The King” De La Rosa (23-2, 13 KOs) fought under the radar for much of his nearly decade-long career, even though he defeated Tim Coleman, Tyrone Brunson and James Webb. But in September, De La Rosa broke out on the world stage with his dominant 10-round decision win over Alfredo Angulo in Las Vegas, setting up another big fight in December against the unbeaten Centeno Jr.
Fighting in New York for the fourth time, Puerto Rico’s Thomas Dulorme (21-1, 14 KOs) is currently on a five-fight winning streak in which he’s dispatched Francisco Figueroa and outpointed previously unbeaten Karim Mayfield, putting him among the top contenders at 140 pounds. Currently ranked second in the world by the WBA, fourth by the WBC and IBF and fifth by the WBO, the 24-year-old Dulorme is taking on a risky test in Lundy, but with a win, he will move a step closer to a title shot.
Bouncing back in style after a 2013 decision loss to Viktor Postol, 30-year-old Philadelphia native Hank Lundy (25-3-1, 12 KOs) has barely lost a round since defeating Olusegun Ajose, Angelo Santana and Gerardo Cuevas in successive fights, showing that despite his previous success at 135 pounds, his true home is now in the junior welterweight division, where he is ranked sixth in the world heading into this pivotal showdown with Dulorme on December 6.
Hailing from the Bronx, Eddie Gomez (16-1, 10 KOs) has done a lot in a short time thus far as a professional, following up a stellar amateur career with dominant victories over a high level of competition. Now, he looks to avenge the first loss of his career, an upset defeat in June at the hands of Francisco Santana. Gomez had been hot before the loss as the skilled boxer-puncher had defeated Luis Hernandez, Steve Upsher Chambers and Daquan Arnett previously. Next he will face an opponent to be named on December 6.
Proudly representing his borough of Brooklyn will be junior welterweight prospect Zachary Ochoa (8-0, 4 KOs). Appearing at Barclays Center for the fourth time, the 22-year-old Ochoa has shown style and savvy throughout his young career and in his next test, against an opponent to be determined he will look to keep his hometown fans happy.
Lemieux vs. Rosado is a 12 round NABF middleweight bout which is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye Of The Tiger Management and sponsored by Corona Extra, AT&T and Mexico – Live It To Believe It!. Dulorme vs. Lundy is a 10-round junior welterweight bout promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, Gary Shaw Productions and CES Boxing. The HBO Boxing After Dark telecast begins at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
As in September, I once again ran out of gas in the 10th & 11th championship rounds of October & November with this column, but I recovered to complete them and will unleash a few more flurries to close out the 12th and final round.
In the first week of October, Hassan N’Dam won a UD over Curtis Stevens in an eliminator for the right to challenge Jermaine Taylor who defeated aging Sam Soliman to regain the IBF Middleweight title. How Taylor even earned this title shot is another story altogether, but it is all irrelevant as he is now the champion. However he will not have too much time to savor his victory as he has assault and battery charges pending against him and an upcoming court fight that may turn out to be the toughest fight of his life, just when things started to look up for him in boxing, we wish him luck.
