June 6, 2008 - 'Tuesday Night Boxing' Comes to LVH

TITLE BOUT WITH EX-WORLD CHAMP KELLEY, PRYOR JR., FORMER UFC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION RODRIGUEZ HEADLINE INAUGURAL ‘TUESDAY NIGHT BOXING’ CARD JULY 8 AT LAS VEGAS HILTON

Co-main events, featuring former World Boxing Council featherweight champion Kevin Kelley of Las Vegas, who vies for the Boxing Illustrated lightweight championship, and undefeated super middleweight Aaron Pryor Jr., headline the inaugural, nationally televised “Tuesday Night Boxing Live from the Las Vegas Hilton” card July 8

Ricco Rodriguez of Phoenix, who stopped Randy Couture for the UFC heavyweight championship, and unbeaten, 6-foot-9-inch, Las Vegas heavyweight Kaspars Kambala, who played basketball for UNLV, highlight the undercard.

“Boxing has been part of the history of the Las Vegas Hilton,” said Ken Ciancimino, executive vice president. “We’re delighted to be bringing it back and making it part of the mix of entertainment and special events here.”

Pryor faces Arturo Ortega of Phoenix in a 10-round bout while Rodriguez meets Emile Whiterock of North Las Vegas in a four-round fight.
Opponents for Kelley and Kambala will be determined.

Other bouts include undefeated bantamweight Joey Silva of Denver in a six-round fight and super welterweight Lionel Smith of Denver against Mario Evangelista of Los Angeles in a four-round contest. An opponent for Silva also will be determined.

Kelley, a southpaw who has a record of 59-8-2 with 39 knockouts and has won eight of his past 11 bouts, was scheduled to fight on the Shane Mosley-Zab Judah card May 31. However, when an injury to Judah caused the cancellation of that card, Kelley became available to fight at the Las Vegas Hilton July 8.

Tickets for the card presented by Sterling Promotions of Las Vegas are priced at $25, $40, $60 and $75 and are on sale on-line at lvhilton.com, through Ticketmaster outlets and at the Las Vegas Hilton box office daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Pacific) or by calling 702-732-5755 or 800-222-5361 during those hours.

Doors to the Hilton Theater open at 5:30 p.m. with the first bout starting at 6:30.

This will be the first boxing card at the Las Vegas Hilton in six and one-half years, since February of 2002.

The Las Vegas Hilton has a long and storied history in boxing. The list of legends and luminaries who have competed at the Las Vegas Hilton starts with Muhammad Ali, who fought there in 1978.

Former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes also fought at the Las Vegas Hilton during the 1970s and 1980s.

The biggest attraction at the Las Vegas Hilton during the 1980s was Mike Tyson, who fought there six times and in 1986 won his first title to become at age 20 the youngest heavyweight champion ever.

Also fighting at the Las Vegas Hilton was Julio Cesar Chavez during the 1980s and 1990s and Thomas Hearns during the 1980s.

The 6-foot-4-inch Pryor Jr., son of former World Boxing Association super lightweight and International Boxing Federation junior welterweight champion Aaron Pryor, has a record of 10-0 with seven knockouts. Ortega has a mark of 12-7-3 with seven knockouts and twice last year fought Miguel Angel Espino, ranked No. 10 among middleweights by the WBC.

Rodriguez has a record of 1-0 with one knockout after leaving mixed martial arts for boxing. Whiterock has a record of 0-1.
Kambala has a record of 2-0-1 with one knockout.

Silva, a southpaw, has a record of 8-0 with four knockouts.

Smith, who’s making his pro debut, is the second boxer on the card who has a former world champion for a father. He’s the son of Las Vegan Lonnie Smith, who was the WBC super lightweight champion. Evangelista has a record of 1-1 with one knockout.

In addition to Kelley in the 10-round Boxing Illustrated lightweight championship, Pryor-Ortega and Silva are in Boxing Illustrated Showcase bouts. These showcase bouts are fights which spotlight boxers who well may be destined for world championship status later in their careers.

Boxing Illustrated, which resumes publication this year, was one of the two most influential boxing magazines for almost 40 years, from the late 1950s through the mid- 1990s, and was renown for featuring the best boxing writers of the day.

Since 2004, the Hilton has spent more than $100 million in construction and renovation projects, creating a stunning new lobby; remodeled porte-cochere; enhanced and modernized casino; completely renovated and refurbished rooms; 221 executive level “Resort Club” rooms and “Resort Club” lounge; Tempo lounge; Fortuna, a coffee and wine experience; and an expansion of its legendary SuperBook. The property also introduced a strong entertainment schedule led by superstar Barry Manilow in the Hilton Theater, the popular production show “Menopause the Musical” and The Scintas in the Shimmer Cabaret.

TO REQUEST BOXER OR LAS VEGAS HILTON INTERVIEWSOR TO APPLY FOR MEDIA CREDENTIALS CONTACT:

Ira David Sternberg
Vice President Communications & Community Relations
Las Vegas Hilton
702-732-5683
sternbergi@lvhilton.com
Jim Hunter
702-880-5500
jhunterlv@cox.net