PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Oct. 6, 2011) – The surroundings will look familiar Friday night once Vladine Biosse steps inside Twin River, the backdrop for some of his most impressive victories.
The only difference will be the circumstances. For the first time in his career, Biosse will enter the ring coming off a loss when he faces John Mackey (13-6, 6 KOs) of Montgomery, Ala., in the eight-round super middleweight main event of Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports’ “Rhode Warriors” professional boxing event at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, R.I.
Biosse (11-1, 6 KOs) has waited five months to avenge his knockout loss to Denis Grachev in May, and he promises to bring a new look – and a new attitude – to the ring Friday, October 7th, 2011 despite all the familiarities of fighting in his own backyard.
“Tomorrow night, you will see a different me,” Biosse said. “I had to tighten my team up and get a new and better team – the best team I can get. I feel I’ve done that. I had to be smart in my training, and I feel I’ve done that, too.
“Tomorrow night will be all me. No excuses. No blaming the next guy, or the next guy after him. All the tools have been given to me. Now I have to perform. I’m hungry. I’m ready. Where I’m from, we use the phrase, ‘Top of the game.’ That’s where I want to be. I will give you my all. I will be victorious.”
Mackey has won two of his last three fights with his only loss coming via unanimous decision to Tarvis Simms (26-1-1) at the Prudential Center in March.
“I’ve learned you never do anything unless you’re going to put your best foot forward,” Mackey said. “You’ll see that tomorrow night.”
Biosse will headline a dynamic card featuring the long-awaited returns of Benny Costantino (6-0, 4 KOs) of Warwick, R.I., and Providence native Richard “Bobo” Starnino (9-5-2, 2 KOs), along with the CES debuts of Providence’s Alex Amparo (1-0, 1 KO) and Kevin Cobbs (1-0, 1 KO) of Burlington, Vt.
The 39-year-old Starnino, a longtime fan favorite at Twin River, will return for the first time since February of 2009 when he faces Reynaldo Rodriguez (5-2-1, 2 KOs) of Woonsocket, R.I., in a six-round super middleweight bout.
“I give you credit for taking the fight,” Starnino said at Thursday’s weigh-in as he stared at Rodriguez from across the room. “I don’t know what you were thinking, but I give you credit.”
Rodriguez’s last bout ended in a four-round majority draw to Keith Kozlin on July 29th.
“You ain’t getting no draw this time,” Starnino said. “You’ve caught me in a bad spot.”
“I don’t really have a lot to say,” countered Rodriguez. “I’m in great shape and I’m ready to fight. We’ll see what happens.”
Amparo will face light heavyweight Nicholas Lavin (2-1, 2 KOs) of Shelton, Conn., in a four-round bout while Cobbs will battle Steven Chadwick (0-1) of Jacksonville, Fla., in a four-round light heavyweight bout. Fighting for the first time since 2001, Costantino will face super middleweight Odias Dumezil (3-6, 1 KO) of Winter Haven, Fla., who now trains in Cranston, R.I., in a six-round bout.
Thomas Falowo (4-0, 4 KOs) of nearby Pawtucket will face Borngod Washington (2-8) of Queens, N.Y., in a four-round super middleweight bout, and Johnathan Vazquez (4-0-1, 3 KOs) of New Bedford, Mass., will put his unbeaten record on the line against welterweight Bryan Abraham (4-7, 4 KOs) of Schenectady, N.Y., in a six-round bout. Red-hot prospect Chris Chatman (9-1-1, 4 KOs) of San Diego, Calif., who battled former U.S. Olympian Demetrius Andrade of Providence at Twin River in October of 2009 in a controversial loss, will take part in a special six-round light middleweight attraction against Rahman Yusubov (11-4, 9 KOs) of Dallas, while bantamweight Shelito Vincent of Providence will make her debut against veteran Karen Dulin (2-9, 1 KO) of Mystic, Conn., in a four-round bout.
Lightweight Agustine Maurus (1-0-1, 1 KO) of Lawrence, Mass., who fought Vazquez to a draw in July, will battle newcomer Christian Rivera of Gloucester in a four-round intrastate bout.
Tickets for “Rhode Warriors” are $35.00, $50.00, $75.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254, online at www.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com, at the Players Club booth at Twin River, or through any TicketMaster location. Doors open 6 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 7.
(Twin River has waived its 18+ rule for “Rhode Warriors.” Anybody under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult and must enter through the West entrance.)
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