Battle-tested veteran boxer Frankie Archuleta figures to be a significant test for undefeated Irish super featherweight prospect Patrick “The Punisher” Hyland, headlining the “Irish Invasion” card, May 12 at Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York. While Archuleta has been in there with a who’s who in and around the division, he’s lost four of his last six fights, and all of those losses were by stoppage.
Hyland (25-0, 11 KOs) and Archuleta (27-9-1, 14 KOs) square-off in the eight-round main event. The 28-year-old Hyland, a Dubliner now living in nearby Marlboro (NY), is rated No. 12 by the North American Boxing Association (“NABA”). Trained by two-division world champion Tracy Harris Patterson, Patrick is the reigning World Boxing Federation (“WBF”) super featherweight champion.
Upset-minded Archuleta has a history in terms of pulling off surprises in the ring. The highlight of his career is a split-decision win over five-time world champion Johnny Tapia. A former New Mexico and Texas State champion, Frankie extended former world champion Alejandro Berrio and world title challenger Emmanuel Lucero the full 12-round distance in their respective fights.
The vastly experienced Archuleta has also fought world champion Kevin Kelley and world title challengers Juan Carlos Burgos, Rocky Juarez and Daud Cino Yordan, as well as the International Boxing Federation’s (“IBF”) currently top-rated lightweight, John Molina, and No. 1 junior lightweight contender Martin Honorio.
Yonkers (NY) super featherweight Chazz McDowell (5-1, 1 KOs) faces Joseliz Cepeda (5-2) in the six-round co-feature. Canadian light welterweight Natasha Spencer (3-0-1, 2 KOs) meets Racquel Bailey (1-1-1) in a six-round female match.
Also fighting on the undercard in separate four-round bouts are undefeated Newburgh light welterweight favorite Treysean Wiggins (3-0, 3 KOs), New York City light middleweight Valdrin Muriqi (2-1), and Waterbury (CT) light welterweight Jair Ramos (2-0, 1 KO); former USA Mid-American middleweight champion Bryant “The Spartan” Pappas (13-0-1, 13 KOs) tangles with Josh Williams (5-4, 4 KOs), while unbeaten Poughkeepsie heavyweight Detroy Jones (5-0-1, 2 KOs) fights Kimani “King Kong” Cunningham (0-5) in a rematch from a year ago..
Pappas, a sergeant in the Yonkers Police Department, is a cancer survivor who is donating his purse to cancer research. Team Snooki Boxing is donating $1.00 from each sold ticket to Rolling Thunder, Chapter III New York to support needy U.S. military veterans.
Tickets, reasonably priced at $35.00, $50.00 and $100 (Gold Ringside), are available to purchase at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center and through all Ticketmaster outlets.
Doors open at 6:30 PM/ET with the first bout scheduled for 7:30 PM/ET. Go to www.finalroundpromotions.com for additional information.
The “Irish Invasion” card is being presented by Final Round Promotions, in association with Team Snooki Boxing and Bob Duffy’s Ring Promotions, and sponsored in part by Title Boxing.
