FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO HOSTS NATIONALLY TELEVISED SHOBOX DOUBLEHEADER RODRIGUEZ-ROSINSKY FACE OFF OCTOBER 21ST LIVE ON SHOWTIME
Mashantucket, CT/New York, NY – (9/26/2011) – DiBella Entertainment returns to Foxwoods Resort Casino with ShoBox: The New Generation doubleheader on Friday, October 21. To be broadcast live on Showtime, the fight will be co-headlined by a sizzling super middleweight showdowns between Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez (19-0, 14KO’s) and Will “Power” Rosinsky (14-0, 8KO’s) and rising junior welterweight contender Gabriel “Tito” Bracero (17-0, 3KO’s) takes on Daniel Sostre (11-4-1, 4KO’s) for the vacant NABF title. Both bouts are scheduled for 10 rounds.
Tickets are priced at $125, $85 and $50 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.foxwoods.com or www.ticketmaster.com and by calling (800) 200-2882. Doors open at 7PM, with the first bout scheduled for 8PM. Showtime will begin live coverage at 11PM ET.
“We’re very excited to host this ShoBox doubleheader featuring Edwin Rodriguez and Will Rosinsky, two undefeated, world-class fighters,” said Scott Butera, President & CEO of Foxwoods Resort Casino. “This fight is a unique addition to our October entertainment line-up, and we always welcome the opportunity to showcase Foxwoods in front of a national audience.”
Rodriguez and Rosinsky were both decorated amateurs winning 2005 middleweight and light heavyweight US Amateur Champions respectively. Rodriguez was also the 2006 National Golden Gloves Champion, while Rosinsky won the New York Golden Gloves Championship four times.
“This is going to be an all-around tremendous card on October 21st,” said Lou DiBella, founder and President of DiBella Entertainment (DBE), the promoter of Rodriguez. “The main event will feature Edwin, one of hottest up-and-coming stars in all of boxing, facing his toughest opponent to date in Will. Both of these guys were stellar amateurs and now are undefeated up-and-coming prospects set to go toe-to-toe in what is going to be a can’t-miss fight.”
Rodriguez, who is already rated in all four major sanctioning bodies in the super middleweight division (IBF #5, WBC #6, WBA #8, WBO #12), burst onto the professional scene in early 2008, scoring a first-round TKO over Samuel Ortiz Gomez. The Worcester, MA native has lost only a handful of rounds and earned 19 victories, picking up the WBC USNBC title in the process. In his first fight after shoulder surgery in August 2010, Rodriguez looked sensational, stopping Chris Traietti in the second round.
“I am thrilled to be fighting on Showtime again as the main event. I am looking forward to showcasing my skills and letting the world know that I have arrived and am ready to take on the best fighters in the world,” said Rodriguez.
Rosinsky turned pro in August 2008 with a first-round knockout over Valetine Fortanelly on another DBE-promoted show. Rosinsky has fought a number of times on DBE’s popular Broadway Boxing series, but the bout on October 21st will be his first in the national spotlight.
“At this point in my career, I felt that accepting this fight was the perfect decision,” said Rosinsky. “I feel that I will really be able to showcase my skills as a professional fighter, and what better than to do it on Showtime. Edwin is a talented boxer and an up-and-coming super middleweight prospect like myself. A lot of people, especially fans of the sport, will be eager to see us go toe-to-toe. I have no doubt that this fight will be a great one to see. I’m thankful to Lou for giving me this opportunity and I know that this will be a huge stepping stone in my career.”
This is not the first nationally televised, world-class fight to take place at Foxwoods Resort Casino. Earlier this year, Foxwoods hosted the World Boxing Council (WBC) Welterweight title fight between then undefeated champion Andre Berto and challenger “Vicious” Victor Ortiz, which was broadcast live on HBO. Hailed by many industry experts as fight of the year, 24 year-old underdog Ortiz won the welterweight by unanimous decision.
“Edwin Rodriguez is inarguably the best super middleweight prospect in America,” said SHOWTIME boxing analyst Steve Farhood. “He’s at a sensitive point; he’s on the verge of becoming a legitimate contender. His next couple of fights are crucial, and he needs not just to win, but to look like a future world titlist.”
The undercard will feature some of the New England area’s most promising and exciting fighters including Quincy, MA’s undefeated super featherweight Ryan Kielczewski (11-0), and Framingham, MA’s light welterweight prospect Danny O’Connor (15-1). The complete undercard will be announced shortly.
Tickets are priced at $125, $85 and $50 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.foxwoods.com or www.ticketmaster.com and by calling (800) 200-2882. Doors open at 7PM, with the first bout scheduled for 8PM. Showtime will begin live coverage at 11PM ET.
DIBELLA ENTERTAINMENT
DiBella Entertainment builds upon the unique insights Lou DiBella developed as a television executive and matchmaker to combat the contractual exploitation of professional boxers. DiBella Entertainment creates a business model that shifts the balance of power from promoters to boxers; and establishes a legacy of matchmaking excellence, both in an effort to improve the health of the boxing industry. DiBella Entertainment represent its athletes with honesty and integrity all while making the best and fairest financial deals for its clients.
For more information visit us at www.dbe1.com, follow us at twitter/loudibella or check us out at facebook/lou.dibella
FOXWOODS AND MGM GRAND AT FOXWOODS
North America’s largest casino, Foxwoods Resort Casino® is located at the Mashantucket Pequot Indian reservation in the midst of the rolling hills of southeastern Connecticut, easily accessible from Boston, New York, Hartford, and Providence. Owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, Foxwoods has something for everyone as the East Coast’s premier entertainment destination. Four award-winning hotels offer accommodations to suit every budget, along with luxury butler-serviced villas, extensive retail offerings, and more than 30 dining establishments featuring everything from world-class gourmet cuisine to casual fare. Six casinos offer non-stop gaming excitement with more than 6,400 slots and 350 table games; 97 poker tables in the only WPT World Poker Room™ on the East Coast; a High Stakes Bingo hall; and Ultimate Race Book. The renowned Norwich Spa at Foxwoods and the tranquil oasis of G-Spa provide the perfect escape to recharge the mind, body, and soul. Meetings and convention goers will find more than 115,000 square feet of meeting space, including the largest column-free ballroom in the northeast, MGM’s 50,000 square foot Premiere Ballroom. Two acoustically-perfected theaters offer weekly entertainment for all ages. The original state-of-the-art Fox Theater, seating 1,400, was opened in 1993 by the legendary Frank Sinatra. The majestic 4,000-seat MGM Grand Theater hosts an impressive variety of weekly headline entertainment. Conveniently located adjacent to Foxwoods is Lake of Isles™, featuring two 18-hole championship golf courses designed by Rees Jones and a state-of-the-art Golf Academy. Foxwoods supports responsible gaming, and plays a leadership role in the Connecticut Council of Problem Gambling, of which it was a founding entity. For more information, call 800-FOXWOODS or visit www.foxwoods.com.
# # #
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.
