Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! Buddy Diaz had too much tryptophan early, so Aristotle is stepping into the ring to take on all comers for him.
NEW YORK, NY – Leave it to boxing promoter Lou DiBella Jr. to make Tuesday nights fun again. His Broadway Boxing event took place recently at the Edison Ballroom in Midtown Manhattan. Lou packed them all in as his generosity was in full effect.
He had a free buffet and open bar to all who attended, with the intention of letting it be known that he’s back in business. After a three year hiatus he hopes to resume what was once a great thing for boxing aficionados.
DiBella provides a platform for up and coming boxers to display their skills in front of a hip New York crowd. DiBella’s clientele over the years has been average folks, mixed in with ladies and gentlemen of leisure, all rubbing shoulders with celebrities. Two names that stood out that night at the Edison were The Sopranos’ Federico Castelluccio, and The Godfather actor Gianni Russo.
Over the past few years DiBella’s Broadway Boxing events have drawn the likes of singer Ashanti, rapper Cameron, New York sports figures, and local boxers who held major titles. They all witnessed bouts which included an up and coming Paulie Malignaggi, Curtis Stevens, Gary Stark Jr. among others.
The reborn event was a six fight card. The main event between Mykquan Williams (18-0-1 8 KO’s) of East Hartford, CT, vs Clarence Booth
(21-5 13 KO’s) of St. Petersburg, FL, left the fans wanting more. The bout displayed great footwork and defense from the junior welterweights. There was one knockdown as Booth hit the canvas, and eventually went back to Florida with an I Love NY t-shirt, after a unanimous loss. In another bout Junior Featherweights Mikiah Kreps (4-0 2KO’s) of Niagara Falls, NY, vs Indeya Smith(5-5-2 1 KO’s) of New Orleans, LA, showed the ruggedness of these two females. They performed a rock em’ sock em’ exchange to the audience’s delight with Kreps remaining undefeated.
DiBella has so much on his plate. He also owns stakes in two minor league baseball teams, the Montgomery Biscuits, who are affiliated with the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Richmond Flying Squirrels, whose poppa is the San Francisco Giants.His past boxing events have been held at Hammerstein Ballroom, B.B. Kings, and anywhere he can fit a boxing ring. Lou would hold a fight fest in St. Patrick’s Cathedral if he was allowed to. The venues are up close and a great place for entertainment and socializing, with a lot of love in the room. As the city’s nightlife has gone through major changes, due to the pandemic, DiBella took the bull by the horns. On this night he showed we can relive the way it used to be. He is hoping to get the ball rolling again with his Broadway Boxing events continuing after the holiday season.
