USA Boxing Events

(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Team USA will return to international boxing action on October 1 in “Empires Collide”, a dual match with China, on October 1, at Capitale in New York, N.Y. The 13-bout event will feature all the Olympic boxing weight classes, with 10 men’s matches and three women’s contests in a potential preview of the competitors who will box in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

 

2009 Light flyweight National Champion Miguel Cartagena (Philadelphia, Pa.) will return to international action less than a month after his bout at the USA vs. Italy Dual in Rome on September 8. Cartagena claimed a silver medal at the recent USA Boxing National Championships in his new flyweight division. 2010 USA Boxing National Championships silver medalist Alex Martin (Crest Hill, Ill.) joined Cartagena in Italy and will look for his second win in international dual action, when he vies for a welterweight win in the Big Apple.

 

Five more USA Boxing National Championships men’s silver medalists will take on China in New York as well with bantamweight Ricky Rodriguez (Greeley, Colo.), lightweight Eric Flores (Ingle, Calif.), light welterweight Michael Reed (Waldorf, Md.), middleweight Jesse Hart (Philadelphia, Pa.), and super heavyweight Danny Kelly all competing in Empires Collide. Youth Olympic Games heavyweight representative Joshua Temple (St. Louis, Mo.) will look to build on the international experience he gained at the inaugural event in Singapore in his USA vs. China bout. 2010 USA Boxing National Championships bronze medalists Santos Vasquez (Reno, Nev.) and Marquice Weston (Tacoma, Wash.) will round out the men’s squad, competing at the light flyweight and light heavyweight divisions respectively.

 

On the women’s side, two former USA Boxing National Champions and a 2010 USA Boxing National Championships flyweight silver medalist will represent the United States in the three new Olympic weight divisions. 2009 National Champions, lightweight Patricia Manuel (Commerce, Calif.) and middleweight Alyssa DeFazio (Phoenix, Ariz.) will look to extend their success to the international playing field with victories in New York. Manuel and DeFazio will take on China’s top women, fresh off their silver medals at the 2010 Women’s World Championships. Manuel will battle Cheng Dong while DeFazio faces 2008 World Champion Jinzi Li. 2010 flyweight silver medalist Tyrieshia Douglas (Baltimore, Md.) will face a stern test in her bout as well, as she challenges two-time World Champion Cancan Ren of China.

The U.S. coaches for “Empires Collide” will be New York’s own Joe Higgins, Don Givens (Linden, N.J.), and Gloria Peek (Norfolk, Va.). Mike Rosario (New York, N.Y.) and David Lllaurado (New York, N.Y.) will serve as the AIBA officials with Angel Franklin (McDonough, Ga.) working as the computer technician for the dual event. Dr. Armando Sanchez (Milwaukee, Wis.) will join the squad as Team Physician.

The Chinese team displaying their talents in New York, boasts two Olympic medalists. 2008 Olympic gold medalist Zou Chiming will showcase the skills and awkward style that led him to Olympic gold on home soil in Beijing with super heavyweight Olympic silver medalist Zhilei Zhang joining Shiming in action.. Flyweight Chao Li, bantamweight Jiawei Zhang, lightweight Qing Hu, light welterweight Bilige Huricha, welterweight Qiong Maimaitit, middleweight Jianting Zhang, light heavyweight Fanlong Meng, and heavyweight Maimaiti Zaifula will compete the men’s team of Chinese athletes.  Two legendary American coaches, Hall of Famer Lou Duva and 1996 U.S. Olympic Head Coach Al Mitchell, have been working with the Chinese team and they will partner up in the corner at the event.

The United States team will convene in Bushkill, Pa., on September 24 for a short preparatory training camp before heading to Manhattan on Thursday, September 30 for an open workout at Mendez Boxing Gym.

Tickets for "Empires Collide" are priced at $120 for Ringside, $70 for Reserved and $25 for standing room/general admission. The Reserved and Ringside seats include two complimentary beverages. They may be ordered by calling 973-291-4529 or by email at tickets@empirescollide.com. For more information, fans can go to EmpiresCollide.com. Special VIP and sponsor packages are also available.

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