Rockin’ Fights returns for the 52nd edition. After the raucous events of Rockin’ Fights 51, this show will have a tough act to follow. Star Boxing stacked Rockin’ Fights 52 with familiar crowd favorites, including the comeback of Tyrone “Pretty Boy” James, aka “The Jackpot,” the one-time top prospect in the series.
James has been sidelined for nearly three years due to injury and is looking to get back on track. He will be fighting for the NBA Continental Middleweight title against the tough veteran Braulio Ferreira.
Harley Burke returns to The Paramount in a step-up fight against former WBO Interim Champion, Avtandil Khurtsidze, in a clash at Super Middleweight.
Ireland’s Ryan O’Rourke returns against the formidable Pittsburgh fighter Jerome Baxter in a battle of unbeaten prospects.
With November being a salute to service month, Rockin’ Fights 52 returns two Paramount favorites, who fight for their communities as well as fight in the ring: The fighting fireman, Lou “Il Martello” Maietta, and former NYPD Officer, Emmanuel Etienne.
Maietta, a crowd favorite, will be taking on Caleb Hall, the US Army veteran and former MMA standout.
Former NYPD Officer Emmanuel Etienne (10-1, 5 KOs) faces Canada’s Hassan Oseni, a Muay Thai veteran.
“We are excited to be back at our home, The Paramount. This will bring five exciting 50/50 matchups; anyone who saw our last show knows anything can happen at Rockin’ Fights,” said Joe DeGuardia, CEO and President of Star Boxing.
Star Boxing Rockin’ Fights 52 Lineup On Saturday
Tyrone “Pretty Boy” James, Elmont, NY (13-0 10 KOs) vs Braulio Matias Ferreira, Colonia, Uruguay (7-1, 2 KOs)
Eight Rounds in the Middleweight Division for the NBA Continental Middleweight Championship
The long road back to title contention for Tyrone James starts again on Saturday at a place and a series that he helped build, this time in pursuit of the NBA Middleweight Title. He is a member of the elite Star Boxing “Deca Club” which consists of fighters who have over 10 wins in the series. James has won all of his appearances at Rockin’ Fights and in mostly spectacular fashion. After several injuries, he now finds himself trying to reclaim his spot and once again begin transforming from local favorite to ranked contender.
“We back, baby. It feels good to return and headline at the Paramount,” said an excited James.
He will be battling a very tough opponent in Braulio Ferreira. Ferreira is a tough, all-action opponent who is expected to push James. He has never been knocked out, something that James is keenly aware of.
“We got a good solid fighter. Might be my toughest opponent to date, never been stopped. And honestly, the one loss he has, I saw the fight. I thought he won it ,so in my eyes it’s 13-0 vs 8-0,” said James.
“This is what you expect from Rockin’ Fights, no pushover fights here. This is very tough step-up fight for Tyrone, especially coming off his layoff,” said DeGuardia. “We still have very high hopes for him.”
James, while cautious, is still very confident, “I’m the jackpot, the Paramount is my casino, and once again we got an opponent trying to hit the ‘Jackpot’, but you know the house always wins. I’m the 154 ABO champ, and on November 22nd, I’m coming for my second title. This is a fight you don’t wanna miss. Cha-ching.”
Ryan O’Rourke, Dublin, Ireland (13-0, 3 KOs) vs. Jerome Baxter, Pittsburgh, Pa. (7-0, 3 KOs), eight rounds in the middleweight division for the NBA Continental Middleweight Championship
In a high-stakes showdown of unbeaten prospects, Ryan O’Rourke returns to The Paramount for the third time. He will face Pittsburgh’s unbeaten contender Jerome “Thoroughbred” Baxter.
O’Rourke brings his non-stop work rate against the hard-punching Pittsburgh Native. In his last outing, O’Rourke dominated the always tough Boubacar Sylla.
Baxter, a decorated amateur, is a three-time state champion, five-time regional champion, and former team Pennsylvania standout. He had a big win over Ivan Dancha after he was trailing on the cards. He clipped Dancha and pulled the upset.
“This is going to be a very strong technical fight. It is an undefeated vs. undefeated matchup that promises high-level skill and intensity,” said DeGuardia.
Harley Burke, Yonkers, NY by way of Galway, Ireland, (10-0, 7 KOs) v. Avtandil Khurtsidze, Brooklyn, NY by way of Kutaisi, Georgia, (34-2-3, 23 KOs), six rounds, middleweight division
In another intriguing matchup, Harley Burke will battle Avtandil Khurtsidze in the classic crossroads fight Rockin’ Fights is known for.
Burke is a former Star Boxing intern. Burke will be going for his third win in the Rockin’ Fight series. Coming off his biggest win, an old-school Bronx vs Yonkers rivalry fight against Louis Maietta. They waged a tough fight, which saw Burke win convincingly. While Maietta is tough, this is clearly a step-up fight against the battle-tested veteran Avtandil “Mini-Tyson” Khurtsidze.
Khurtsidze got the nickname for his come-forward style. He held the interim WBO Middleweight Title and the lightly regarded IBO Middleweight championship, he was on the path to become a force in the division, until he was involved and indicted on a RICO case. He was away from the ring for over seven years and is looking to get back into the title picture.
“You have the hard punching fast rising prospect versus the old school banger. There will be fireworks,” promised DeGuardia.
Emmanuel Etienne, Uniondale, NY, (10-1, 5 KOs) v. Hassan Oseni, Oshawa, Canada, (2-1, 1 KO, six rounds in the cruiserweight division
Emmanuel Etienne is a former NYPD officer who returns to The Paramount for the third time. He has won all three of his previous Paramount appearances by knockout. He has a crowd-pleasing, wrecking-ball style and will be in a straight-up “fire fight” with Hassan Oseni.
Oseni is a battle-tested striker with a Muay Thai background and a long résumé of kickboxing experience.
Etienne once fought on a Star Boxing card at St. John’s University, won the decision, and then did a tour with the NYPD.
“Local favorite and former NYPD Emmanuel Etienne steps back into the ring to face Canada’s Hassen Oseni, a Muay Thai veteran with significant MMA experience and service in the Canadian military,” said DeGuardia.
Lou Maietta, Bronx, NY, (6-5-2, 2 KOs) v. Caleb Hall, Englewood, Colorado, (5-1-1, 4 KOs), six rounds in the super middleweight division
The Fighting Fireman Lou Maietta is a Rockin’ Fights staple and one of its top attractions. He brings a raucous crowd and embodies the series’ fighting spirit.
“I’m excited to be back at The Paramount on yet another great card. I’m starting to consider it my home away from home,” said Maietta.
Maietta, arguably, was part of the fight of the night in his last outing, a tough but decisive loss to Harley Burke in Westchester. He takes on all comers and will once again have his hands full.
This time, battling the hard-hitting Caleb Hall. Hall had a draw in his first fight, then took a tough TKO. Since the loss, he has pulled off five wins in a row with four of them coming by knockout.
“As for my opponent, we don’t believe he’s been brought into deep waters yet. He has an 80% knockout rate. That’s great, but I can’t wait to find out what’s behind those punches,” said Maietta.
“Sometimes he is too tough for his own good,” joked DeGuardia. “He wants the tough fights, and he doesn’t back down from a challenge. That is one of the reasons he has fought for us so many times.”
Maietta fights out of the legendary Morris Park Boxing Club and is trained by former world champion Aaron “Superman” Davis.
There are seats still available. The Paramount, located in Huntington, was voted the #1 Pollstar venue in the country. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Fans can watch on the StarBoxing live stream PPV at $19.99. NOTE: StarBoxing.TV is temporarily unavailable.