[NEF Press Release]
Lewiston, Maine (September 22, 2014) –New England Fights (NEF), America's number-one regional fight promotion, will present its inaugural boxing event on October 11, 2014 at the historic Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine. It will be the first professional boxing event in Lewiston in more than ten years and the first in the building, famous for the Muhammad Ali-Sonny Liston World Heavyweight Title rematch of May 1965, in close to twenty years. Today, NEF announced the full fight card for the event, consisting of eight professional bouts.
"This isn't some amateur boxing card with a few pro fights thrown on top," said NEF co-owner and promoter Nick DiSalvo when reached for comment. "This is an all-pro card with several really well-matched fights. Our matchmakers have put a lot of thought into the bouts on this card. This will be exciting boxing like only NEF can deliver. Expect a lot of wars and a lot of upsets on the 11th. The fight fans of Maine deserve this. A solid pro boxing event in Lewiston is long overdue."
In the main event of the evening, undefeated West Forks, Maine competitor Brandon "The Cannon" Berry (7-0) will face his toughest test to date in the form of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania boxer Eric Palmer (4-3-3). The bout will be a six-rounder for the Northeast Junior Welterweight Title. Palmer is the 2012 Toughman Lightweight Champion of West Virginia. He is more experienced and has more wins than all of Berry's previous opponents combined. Palmer truly represents a step up in level of opposition. Berry is coming off a first-round technical knockout (TKO) victory over Theo Desjardin in Manchester, New Hampshire last week.
The co-main event of the night will see undefeated Lewiston, Maine junior middleweight Stevie Gamache (4-0) fighting as a professional for the first time ever in his hometown against Akron, Ohio veteran Damon Antoine in a four-round matchup. Stevie Gamache is the son of former WBA Super Featherweight and WBA Lightweight World Champion Joey Gamache.
Canadian Professional Boxing Council (CPBC) Light Middleweight Champion Brandon "L-Jack" Brewer (11-0-1) will be in non-title action when he steps into the ring opposite Saul Almeida in another six-round contest. Brewer is currently ranked by CPBC as the number-one middleweight boxer in Canada. Almeida is the number-one ranked professional mixed martial arts (MMA) featherweight in the Northeast with a 16-5 record.
The heavyweights will be featured when Quincy, Massachusetts' Nick Cyr (2-1) meets Antonio Assermelly (0-2). Both big men are known for throwing the heavy lumber. MMA strikers Bruce "Pretty Boy" Boyington, current NEF MMA Lightweight Champion, and Nate Charles will square off in what will be both athletes' professional boxing debut. Lisbon, Maine's James "Boxcar Willie" Carville will also make his professional boxing debut against tough veteran Johnny Frazier of Atlanta, Georgia. Frazier made international headlines this past weekend with a major upset victory in Salt Lake City, Utah over Cesar Olmedo. In a light heavyweight bout, 46-year old Portland, Maine-native John "Rumble" Webster (8-6-1) battles John Downey. Webster competed on the last pro boxing card held in Lewiston in September of 2004. It will be Webster's first boxing match in a decade. In another double-pro boxing debut, MMA standout, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) black belt, Jarod "Last Minute" Lawton rounds-out the card against Joel Bishop.
The full fight card (subject to change):
Junior Welterweight*TITLE: Brandon Berry vs. Eric Palmer (6 rounds)
Junior Middleweight: Brandon Brewer vs. Saul Almeida (6 rounds)
Junior Middleweight: Stevie Gamache vs. Damon Antoine (4 rounds)
Junior Middleweight: Bruce Boyington vs. Nate Charles (4 rounds)
Super Middleweight: Joel Bishop vs. Jarod Lawton (4 rounds)
Light Heavyweight: John Webster vs. John Downey (4 rounds)
Heavyweight: Nick Cyr vs. Antonio Assermelly (4 rounds)
Lightweight: James Carville vs. Johnny Frazier (4 rounds)
"NEF BOXING" takes place on October 11, 2014 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisee box office at 207.783.2009 x 525. For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. In addition, you can watch NEF fight videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow the promotion on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”