Matches announced for Saturday night’s WSB: USA vs. Cuba in Salem, NH

SALEM, N.H. (April 9, 2014) – All of the matches have been announced for this Saturday night’s (Apr. 12) first International Boxing Association (AIBA)-sanctioned amateur boxing event on American soil between Cuba and the United States.

The New England debut of the World Series of Boxing (WSB), featuring an upset-minded USA Knockouts against the loaded Cuba Domadores, will be held at Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire.

The most competitive matches, on paper, are in the light flyweight and lightweight divisions.  Undefeated, WSB No. 1-rated light flyweight, Cuba’s Yosbany Veitia (5-0), faces unbeaten USA 108-pound Anthony Chacon (2-0, 1 KO), the WSB No. 5-rated boxer from Puerto Rico.  In the lightweight match, 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Yasner Toledo (3-1), the WSB No. 2-rated Cuban, meets USA 132-pound and WSB No. 5 ranked Carlos Adames, of Dominican Republic. Toledo captured a gold medal at the 2011 Pan-Am champion and also was a two-time silver medalist at the World Championships

American heavyweight Joshua Temple (0-2) will take on the undefeated, WSB No. 1 201-pound Erislandy Savon (5-0, 2 KOs).  The 6′ 4″ Temple, boxing out of St. Louis, was a 2014 USA Boxing National champion. Savon’s uncle is three-time Olympic gold medalist Felix Savon, who was also a Cuban heavyweight.  The 23-year-old left-handed Savon took a gold medal home to Cuba from the 2008 World Youth Amateur Boxing Championships and 2009 Pan-American Games.

USA bantamweight Ramon Cardenas, fighting out of San Antonio, makes his WSB season debut against unbeaten WSB #3-rated Cuban 123-pound Marcos Forestal(3-0), while USA middleweight Mario Delgado (1-2), of Ecuador, is a major underdog versus WSB #2-rated 132-pound Cuban Arisnoide Despaigne (3-1).

Developed by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) in 2010, the World Series of Boxing is one of the most exciting emerging sport leagues in the world.  Bringing together the best boxers on the planet to compete in a team format across ten weight categories, the WSB represents a whole new way of thinking about boxing.

Being the world’s first truly global boxing league with franchises from four continents – Africa, America, Asia and Europe – the WSB promotes a transparent scoring system, bringing with it a much needed world-leading governance and commercial guidance to international boxing.

This unique team-versus-team approach has resulted in some of the most exciting clashes imaginable between the world’s top fighters on an International scale.  USA vs. Mexico, Germany vs. Italy, and Ukraine vs. Russia rank are amongst the major matches that boxing fans have been given the chance to enjoy through the past four seasons of WSB competition.

Team scoring is conducted, based on the outcome of five three-minute bouts, and WSB teams are in two groups, A and B.  Cuba qualified for the WSB Playoffs on top of Group B with a 9-1 record, while USA came in fourth in Group B at 4-6.  Cuba defeated the USA, 5-0, last Friday night in Havana in the opening round of the WSB playoffs.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET.  Three USA/New England boxing matches start at 8 p.m.:  open class light heavyweights Manny Teo (Framingham, MA) vs. John Worley (Westford, MA), open middleweights John Xafaris (Nashua, NH) vs. Brian Paulino (Providence, RI), novice class bantamweights Danny Pang (Portland, ME) vs. Jose Rivera (Lawrence, MA).

The action picks up from 9-11 p.m. as the USA Knockouts take on the Cuba Domadores,   airing on Univision in addition to being viewed around the world in 80 different countries.

All boxers and matches are subject to change.

Tickets prices are $50.00 for VIP reserved ringside (first two rows), $20 general admission, and are on sale at the Rockingham Park box office.

Please visit www.worldseriesboxing.com or www.rockinghampark.com for more information.