Next Friday, January 31st, on the eve of Super Bowl weekend, that week’s edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights from the Richard J. Codey Arena, in West Orange, NJ.
As previously announced, the special-edition Friday Night Fights triple-header will be headlined by highly regarded light heavyweight contender Blake Caparello (18-0-1, 6KO’s) making his much anticipated U.S. debut when he takes on the always-exciting Elvir Muriqi (40-5, 21KO’s) in a 10-round light heavyweight showdown.
Junior featherweights Luis Rosa (15-0, 7KO’s) and Jorge Diaz (17-2, 10KO’s) meet in the eight-round co-feature, which is guaranteed to be a barnburner, and opening up the telecast will be 19-year-old sensation Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (19-0, 11KO’s) in his national T.V. debut when he squares off against Tim Witherspoon Jr. (10-3-1, 2KO’s) in an eight-round welterweight contest.
The remainder of the card features an array of up-and-coming talent and top prospects, with eight of the participants entering their bouts with undefeated records.
Looking to get his promising career back underway in 2014 will be former amateur standout Mikey Faragon (18-0, 8KO’s) taking on Joaquin Chavez in an six-round lightweight matchup. Faragon was forced to sit out all of 2013 due to some lingering injuries, but is now ready to pick up where he left off in 2012 and begin his climb up the lightweight world-ratings.
Fighting in separate bouts will be three of the brightest and most promising young stars on the DBE roster, when Junior Younan (2-0, 2KO’s), Patrick Day (5-0-1, 2KO’s) and Louis Cruz (5-0, 3KO’s) all see action on the card.
The 18-year-old phenom Younan, nicknamed Sugar Boy, had an astounding amateur career, which saw him first pick up a pair of gloves at just two years old and go on to win nine national titles, as well as a slew of other regional titles and championships. Rather than hold out for the 2016 Olympics, Younan opted to turn pro, and has thus far looked sensational in his two bouts. Younan has yet to see the two-minute mark of the first round, and needed just 0:23 to finish off his last opponent in December. His career, being guided by the same management team as top pound-for-pound boxer Andre Ward, Younan is set to take on Thomas Allen (1-3, 1KO) in four-round super middleweight matchup.
Former NY Golden Gloves champions Day and Cruz will both compete in six-round bouts, with Day taking on Guillermo Ibarra (10-4, 6KO’s) in their junior middleweight matchup and Cruz squaring off against Jose Santiago (3-4, 3KO’s) in their lightweight contest.
Jersey City’s fan-favorite Patrick “Paddy Boy” Farrell (8-2-1, 4KO’s) will also be seeing action on the card when he takes on an opponent TBA in a six-round cruiserweight matchup. A graduate of La Salle University, the Jersey City fireman has continuously excited crowds with his aggressive fan-friendly style since turning pro in 2009.
Joining the Jersey-native Farrell on the card will be local undefeated products Wanzell Ellison (9-0-1, 5KO’s) of Newark, NJ, and Rickey Edwards (3-0, 2KO’s), of Paterson, NJ. Ellison will put his undefeated record on the line when he takes on Dominick Coca (8-6, 2KO’s) in a six-round junior lightweight matchup, while Edwards squares off against Justin Robbins (2-4, 1KO) in a four-round junior welterweight contest.
Rounding out the card will be promising undefeated welterweight Cecil McCalla (16-0, 6KO’s), out of Randallstown, MD, taking on an opponent TBA in a six-round welterweight matchup, and Philly’s Samuel Teah (1-0, 1KO) competing against Jersey City’s Andrew Bentley (1-1).
