WBOB Original Reads

Gray Faces Red-Hot Vendetti For 154-Pound Supremacy

5/23/2017

Four months since being forced to hand over two of his most coveted titles following a tough-luck loss at Twin River Casino, junior middleweight prospect Khiary Gray returns to the scene of the crime next month hoping to add new hardware to the mantle.

The resilient Gray (14-2, 11 KOs) headlines CES Boxing’s Friday, June 9th, 2017 summertime showcase at Twin River in a long-awaited main event showdown against reigning New England Junior Middleweight Champion Greg Vendetti (14-2-1, 10 KOs) of Stoneham, Mass., an eight-round bout promoted in association with Boston-based outfit Murphys Boxing.

The entire 10-fight card also airs live in its entirety on FITE TV Pay Per View for $14.99 beginning at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. June 9th is CES Boxing’s third event of 2017 as the region’s longest-running promotion continues its year-long 25th anniversary celebration.

The red-hot Vendetti enters June 9th on the longest win streak of his career, 10 consecutive victories dating back to January of 2015. The carnage – he’s knocked out eight of his last 10 victims – includes an impressive, first-round knockout win this past Saturday in Melrose, Mass., against 45-fight veteran Ryan Davis.

Gray seeks his first win since October. He’s lost two of his last three, including a back-and-forth tug-of-war against Brooklyn native Courtney Pennington in February in which Pennington won by unanimous decision to capture Gray’s Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) International and Northeast Junior Middleweight Titles.

The June 9th card features an additional CES vs. Murphys Boxing showdown with undefeated Quincy, Mass., junior middleweight Mark DeLuca (18-0, 12 KOs), also making his Twin River and Rhode Island debut, facing fan-favorite Chris Chatman (14-6-1, 5 KOs) in an eight-round co-feature bout.

The 29-year-old DeLuca last fought in March, stopping veteran Travis Scott in the eighth round of a scheduled 10-round bout at the House of Blues in Boston. Chatman last fought in October and was stopped by Gray in the seventh round of their eight-round main event showdown at Twin River, only his third loss at Twin River in eight career bouts. The well-traveled Chatman boasts wins over Vladine Biosse and Grady Brewer in Rhode Island, in addition to two wins over rival Thomas Falowo.

Fighting for the ninth time since making his professional debut last May, unbeaten middleweight Kendrick Ball Jr. (6-0-2, 5 KOs) faces his toughest test to date against fellow undefeated middleweight Godson Noel (6-0-1, 4 KOs), who boasts a nearly identical record. Ball Jr. last fought in April against determined underdog Zach Christy, who gave him everything he could handle until ended the fight in the fifth round with a trio of thunderous left hooks.

Also returning to Twin River is New Bedford, Mass., junior middleweight Ray Oliveira Jr. (7-1, 1 KO), aiming to rebound from his first career loss in April to Casey Kramlich in a six-round rematch against dangerous Hartford, Conn., slugger Jose Rivera (3-1, 3 KOs).

The two fought in February, with Oliveira earning a narrow majority decision win, 59-55, 58-56, 57-57. Rivera bounced back earlier this month, knockout out Marcus Beckford in the fourth round of a scheduled six-round bout in Connecticut.

In another hotly-contested regional showdown, New London, Conn., junior welterweight Cristobal Marrero (4-0, 2 KOs) faces fellow unbeaten Miguel Ortiz (2-0, 2 KOs) of Springfield, Mass., in a four-round bout. Both fought in April with Marrero edging Sidney Maccow by majority decision and Ortiz upending previously unbeaten prospect Jonathan Figueroa on the scorecards by unanimous decision.

Fan-favorite Anthony Marsella Jr. (4-0, 2 KOs) returns for the first time since February, stepping up to face Dallas, Tex., lightweight Abraham Torres (3-1, 1 KO) in his first career six-round bout. Marsella scored an impressive unanimous decision win in February over 17-fight vet Francisco Medel, his third career win at Twin River.

The June 9th card also features the Rhode Island and Twin River debut of CES’ newest protégé, 6-foot-5 Italian heavyweight Juiseppe Cusumano (10-1, 8 KOs) of Norfolk, Va. The 29-year-old Cusumano will face Wilmington, Del., native Dan Biddle (9-6, 5 KOs) in a six-round bout. Providence, R.I., super featherweight Michael Valentin makes his professional debut in a separate four-round bout.

Salem, Mass., junior welterweight Matt Doherty (6-3-1, 4 KOs), fresh off a big knockout win over Julio Perez in February, faces Providence’s Cido Hoff (1-1-1) in a four-round bout, and Pawtucket, R.I, featherweight Ricky Delossantos (1-0) battles Orange, N.J., native Malcolm Simms (0-0-1), also in a four-round bout.

Fight fans can stream the event live on their television by downloading the FITE app free from iTunes or Google Play and using the instant stream-to-TV function for full-screen viewing, or watch online from any device at www.fite.tv. The FITE app also works with any Wi-Fi connected TV, iOS and Android devices, as well as streaming devices such as Roku, Chromecast and more. Replays will be available for those unable to watch live.

Visit www.cesboxing.com, www.twitter.com/cesboxing or www.facebook.com/cesboxing for more information, or follow CES Boxing on Instagram at @CESBOXING.