The April 16th 10-round main event between Canadian welterweight Steve “The Dragon” Claggett and South Africa-native Chris “The Heat” Van Heerden embodies the “Knockout Night at the D” philosophy in terms of featuring action fighters in evenly matched, entertaining bouts.
The “Knockout Night at the D” series, presented by the D Las Vegas and Downtown Las Vegas Events Center (DLVEC), is promoted by Roy Jones Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions.
The Apr. 16th “Knockout Night at the D” event will air Saturday night, April 16 (8 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. ET), live on CBS Sports Network from under the neon lights at the DLVEC outdoor venue.
The broadcast team includes Jim “JR” Ross, Sean Wheelock and former world champion Kevin “The Flushing Flash” Kelley. Joe Martinez is the ring announcer.
Claggett vs. Van Heerden is a crossroads fight for both boxers with critical consequences, especially for the winner who will use it as an invaluable springboard for his boxing career.
The 26-year-old Claggett (23-3-1, 16 KOs), who is the reigning Canadian Professional Boxing Council and Canadian welterweight champion, is thrilled to be fighting in Las Vegas for the first time. “It’s a dream come true,” he explained. “I’ve trained in Las Vegas often but now it’s time to show what I can do there in a fight. A win will open many doors for me and could potentially lead to a path that will set up the rest of my boxing life. Needless to say, I am focused and prepared for the opportunity.”
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Claggett, as well as Van Heerden, are known as high-action fighters, throwing punches in bunches, and something eventually has to give. Van Heerden (23-1-1, 12 KOs), fighting out of Santa Monica (CA), is a former International Boxing Organization (IBO) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight champion.
“Van Heerden is a rangy, quick and active fighter,” Claggett said. “I have an action style but, for many years, I was strictly a pressure fighter with a good body shot. Nowadays, though, I have a couple of more tricks up my sleeve. His heart and durability have been shown and is to be respected. This match-up is sure to produce some good exchanges. I expect this to be a high-action fight between two hungry fighters with him coming off a loss (to unbeaten rising star Errol Spence Jr. last September) and me coming off more than one fight falling through. This is a great match up. He is similar to the style of (Konstantin) Ponomarev (who Claggett lost an 8-round decision to last year) with range and movement. And that motivates me!”
Undefeated Lancaster, California welterweight Neeco “Rooster” Macias (11-0, 4 KOs) meets Limberth “Lightning” Ponce, Jr. (10-2, 8 KOs), of Rock Island, Illinois, in the 8-round co-feature. Unbeaten Baltimore welterweight prospect Malik “Iceman” Hawkins (6-0, 5 KOs) faces Errol Sidney (6-1-2, 2 KOs), of New Orleans, in a 6-round bout to open the television broadcast.
The undercard also features promising Las Vegas-based prospects in four-round bouts: welterweight Jeremy “J Flash” Nichols (2-0, 2 KOs), featherweight Sal Lopez (2-0) and junior featherweight Randy Moreno (1-0, 1 KO).
All fights and fighters are subject to change.
Tickets, priced at $149.99 VIP ringside, $119.00 ringside, $74.99 seated and $29.99 rear seated, are on sale at www.Ticketmaster.com or www.DLVEC.com. Taxes and fees apply to all sold tickets.
Doors open at 5:00 p.m. PT with the opening bout scheduled at 6:00 p.m. PT.
The “Knockout Night at the D” series was developed in partnership with DLVEC and Neon Star Media.
CBS Sports Network is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 221 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information, including a full programming schedule and how to get CBS Sports Network, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.
TITLE Boxing is the official apparel and gloves partner for the “Knockout Night at the D” series.
About the D Las Vegas: the D Las Vegas delivers the fresh, energetic attitude and fun atmosphere synonymous with downtown Las Vegas. The new casino hotel boasts 629 remodeled rooms and suites and a unique two-level casino featuring modern and vintage floors. Cocktails, beer and frozen beverages abound inside the casino at LONGBAR and on the Fremont Street Experience at D Bar. the D offers contemporary American fare at D Grill, Detroit’s legendary Coney Dogs at American Coney Island and premium steaks and authentic Italian dishes at Joe Vicari’s Andiamo Italian Steakhouse. The Showroom at the D Las Vegas features outstanding entertainment ranging from award-winning dinner theater and Broadway productions to music, comedy and more. Follow the D on Facebook and Twitter.
About Downtown Las Vegas Events Center: Located at the corner of Third St. and Carson Ave. across from the D Las Vegas, the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center can accommodate up to 11,000 guests and features state-of-the-art stage, sound and lighting. The open-air design is inviting to both tourists and locals and offers the perfect spot for concerts, conventions and other large-scale events. Embracing the uninhibited spirit of Downtown Las Vegas, the new venue plays host to a line-up of curated events including premier concerts, food festivals and more. The venue is also the first entertainment arena in Las Vegas to accept Bitcoin as currency. For more information, visit www.dlvec.com or follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @DLVEC.
About Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions: Co-founded in 2013 by 10-times world champion Roy Jones, Jr. and Keith Veltre, Roy Jones, Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions is on its way to reinventing boxing. Based in Las Vegas, Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions is climbing to the top at a fast pace, adding young talent to its growing stable such as undefeated super welterweight John Vera, super bantamweight’s Joseph Agebeko and Hanzel Martinez, lightweight Demond Brock and super featherweight Tandy Moreno.
About Neon Star Media LLC: Neon Star Media is a marketing and content company that creates highly effective brand-integration experiences for our clients, executed through a unique “story-telling” approach that empowers client’s product messaging to soar while delivering results. At Neon Star Media, we maximize client media spends by leveraging our relationships with various sporting events, cable channels, digital platforms and other social media outlets. We work with our clients to engage, endorse and advance their message with audiences on all platforms 24/7. Visit is on Twitter @Neonstarmedia or Facebook
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