EVERETT — The venue was set, the fans showed up, and the fighters showed out Saturday night, as CES Boxing and Granite Chin Promotions presented Boston Harbor Fight Night, a scintillating eight-fight card featuring rising prospects, competitive matchups, and a new North American Boxing Federation (NABF) middleweight champion.
The event marked just the third pro boxing card to take place at the sold-out Encore Boston Harbor Casino, the first since Aug. 23, 2019. All the action was streamed live on www.BXNGTV.com and will be replayed on NESN Nov. 25 at 9 p.m. and on NESN+ Nov. 28 at 7 p.m.
“None of this would have been possible without the tremendous support from the Encore staff, my staff, and the surprising partnership with CES,” Granite Chin President Chris Traietti said. “We’re looking forward to having an encore at Encore.”
“This is what New England boxing is all about — two promotions working together, a sold-out crowd at a world-class venue, and fighters who leave every ounce of themselves in the ring,” CES Boxing founder Jimmy Burchfield Sr. said. “Our goal has always been to elevate the sport and the athletes who represent it, and nights like this show exactly why boxing is alive and thriving in this region. We’re proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Granite Chin and Encore to keep delivering moments fans will never forget.”
WBC U.S. Super Middleweight Champion James “Pitbull” Perkins (15-3-1, 9 KOs) pounded a six-round unanimous decision against Ryan Clark (5-8-1, 2 KOs). Perkins, a gravedigger from Lynn who played hockey at St. Mary’s, threw and landed the more effective punches throughout, bloodying and rocking Clark several times to win by scores of 60-54 (3x).
In the main event, undefeated middleweight prospect Francis “Frank the Tank” Hogan (21-0, 17 KOs) produced the most comprehensive performance of his career, mixing offense and defense to drop tough-as-nails Antonio “Primo” Todd (17-14, 9 KOs) once in round seven and win an eight-round unanimous decision to capture the vacant NABF Middleweight Championship.
CES Boxing is one of the top promotions on the East Coast. Founded in 1992 by Burchfield, CES Boxing has promoted many world class fighters, including Jamaine Ortiz, Juiseppe Cusumano, Hank Lundy, Vinny Paz, Peter Manfredo, Mariusz Wach, Jason Estrada, Matt Godfrey, Chad Dawson, and Ray Oliveira. CES Boxing has promoted such super fights as “The Thriller on Triller: Tyson v Jones Jr.,” “Mayweather vs. Gotti III,” and “The Contender: Manfredo v Pemberton.”
