It’s another big week for Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing with Joe Smith, Jr. hoping to stay on the fast track in his accelerated climb up the light heavyweight ranks as the headliner on Saturday’s Rockin’ Fights 23 at The Paramount. But the Bronx-based promoter also took a look back on last week’s Chris Algieri and Constantin Bejenaru performances and the move forward for the two fighters.
Cruiserweight prospect Bejenaru (11-0, 4 KOs) remained undefeated, winning a unanimous decision over Alexey Zubov (10-1, 6 KOs) in an 8-round contest which was the co-featured bout on the SHOWTIME series ShoBox: The New Generation at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.
“Constantin Bejenaru did a fabulous job in his fight this past Friday on ShoBox against an undefeated Zubov who many picked to beat Constantin,” said DeGuardia. “He is improving with each fight and passed his first big test with flying colors”
The former champion Chris Algieri (21-3, 8 KOs) fell to the highly-touted undefeated former U.S. Olympian Errol Spence, Jr., (20-0, 17 KOs) on the Premier Boxing Champions main event at the Barclays Center, televised on primetime nationally by NBC. Referee Benjy Esteves put a halt to the bout at 48 seconds in the fifth round.
“Chris Algieri stepped in with a guy who has future superstar written all over him,” said DeGuardia. “Errol Spence, Jr. did what no one else was able to do, stop Chris. I expect Chris will take a few weeks off, and we will then gather the team and evaluate his options for future fights”.
Algieri, the former WBO World super lightweight titlist, was coming off a unanimous decision victory over Erick Bone on December 5 at Barclays Center, which was the scene of the his greatest triumph to date when he rose to prominence in June 2014, upsetting Ruslan Provodnikov for the super lightweight world title, thus earning a title shot at Manny Pacquiao in November, 2014.
Back to Joe Smith, Jr. (20-1, 16 KOs), who is set to continue his rise up the light heavyweight ladder. The Long Island native faces tough and dangerous Brazilian Fabiano Pena (16-4-1, 12 KOs) in the main event in the 23rd installment of Star Boxing’s Rockin’ Fights series on Saturday night, April 23, at the Paramount in Huntington, New York.
Dubbed the “Irish Bomber” for his knockout power, Smith is highly-regarded among the light heavyweight prospects guided by promoter Joe DeGuardia. The local hero fighting out of Mastic will be making his fourth appearance on his home turf at The Paramount.
Smith, Jr. has reeled off 14 straight triumphs, including nine by way of KO. In his latest win, the Irish Bomber put the 175 lb landscape on notice, scoring a thrilling, unanimous 10-round decision over Will Rosinsky in the Barclays Center ring on December 5.
The native of Mastic is a Union 66 laborer (concrete) in between fights. Smith is trained by Gerard Capobianco, a former light heavyweight contender himself.
“Joe has all of the tools to be a top light heavyweight,” says DeGuardia. “His power and strength, combined with boxing skills and stamina have him earmarked for a big fight.”
The co-featured attraction is a “Long Island Showdown” when two popular Paramount regulars – Alan Gotay (8-2, 4 KOs) and Anthony Karperis (11-2, 4 KOs) – clash for the New York State Junior Welterweight Championship. Gotay hails from Huntington, while Karperis is a product of Hicksville, so it will be a true “Battle for Backyard Bragging Rights.”
Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island and New Jersey fighters will enter the ring in four other bouts to complete the action-packed card. In an eight-round junior welterweight contest, Daniel Gonzalez (10-0-1, 4 KOs) of Woodhaven faces Carlos Aguilera (10-16, 4 KOs) of Nicaragua.
Brooklyn’s Courtney Pennington (8-3-1, 4 KOs) will face Patrick Day (11-2-1, 6 KOs) of Freeport, NY in a six-round junior middleweight bout.
Two four-round fights complete the card: Elmont’s Terrell Bostic (1-0, 1 KO) squares off against Abdel Vera (0-2) of Patterson, NJ, in a junior welterweight bout, while Michael Stoute (1-0), fighting out of Coram, New York, takes on Newark, NJ’s Jonel Lorenzo in his pro debut in a junior featherweight contest.
Doors open at 7:00 PM; and first bout at 7:30 PM.
