SENSATIONAL UNDERCARD FOR THIS WEEK’S ESPN FNF ROCKIN’ FIGHTS 12

NEW YORK:(February 12, 2014) Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing has announced a sensational undercard for this week’s ESPN Friday Night Fights/Rockin’ Fights 12 live at The Paramount in Huntington, New York.

Headlining the special Valentine’s Day/February 14 card is an outstanding 10-round junior welterweight clash between “The Fighting Pride of Huntington” Chris Algieri and world ranked Emmanuel Taylor of Baltimore, Maryland.

“The main event is a true 50/50 fight with great risk and reward for both Algieri and Taylor,” said Joe DeGuardia, Founder and President of Star Boxing. “We’ve also complimented the headliner with a fantastic undercard featuring a very strong co-featured bout and three excellent Huntington prospects returning to The Paramount in separate bouts.”

Fighting for the third time at The Paramount, Bronx resident Issouf Kinda will face off against Paterson, New Jersey’s Jeremy Bryan in the eight round chief supporting bout which will open the ESPN Friday Night Fights telecast at 9:00 p.m. ET.

The 26-year-old Kinda, a native of the West African country of Burkina Faso, is looking to bounce back from his first loss of his career.

On May 24, 2013, Kinda, now 16-1-0 (6KO’s), battled evenly with Chris Howard in a bout telecast on ESPN Friday Night Fights.  With Howard suffering a cut over his left eye from an accidental head-butt, the ringside physician stopped the bout with the judges awarding the Tennessee native a technical decision.

Prior to the loss against Howard, Kinda had put together two outstanding performances against former world title challenger Mike Arnaoutis (UD-10) and hot prospect Javier Loya (KO-2).

Known as “Hollywood”, the 27-year-old Bryan, 16-3-0 (7KO’s) is also looking to re-enter the win column. On April 12, 2013, the former national amateur standout was stopped by highly regarded and undefeated prospect Amir Imam in Las Vegas.

Also on the undercard, two hot Huntington based prospects will see action in separate six round lightweight bouts.

Impressing with each appearance, Alan Gotay, 7-0-0 (3KO’s), will be looking to jumpstart his 2014 campaign facing off against tough Chicago based veteranCarl McNickles, 8-4-0 (6KO’s).

The 23-year-old Gotay stayed busy in 2013, winning all five of his starts, each of which took place in front of standing room only crowds at The Paramount.

Anthony Karperis, 5-2-0 (3KO’s), will look to stay in the win column challenging Calvin Smith, 2-6-0, of Prichard, Alabama.

Karperis returns to battle following a hard fought fifth round stoppage ofMichael Doyle on November 22 at The Paramount.

The 23-year-old Smith also returns to The Paramount seeking victory after losing a very close majority decision to Alan Gotay on November 22.

Huntington junior middleweight Wendy Toussaint, 3-0-0, will look to stay undefeated; clashing with Mine Hill, New Jersey’s Anthony Gangemi, 4-1-0 (3KO’s) in a four round tilt.

Toussaint returns following a four round decision over Ahmed Tuba onNovember 22 at The Paramount.  Gangemi had won his first four pro bouts prior to losing a six round decision to Justin Johnson on July 27, 2013.

Rounding out the undercard on the ESPN Friday Night Fights/Rockin’ Fights 12 card is a six round middleweight clash between Jason “Monstruo” Escalera, 13-1-1 (12KO’s) of Union City, New Jersey andLekan Byfield, 4-5-2, of Atlanta, Georgia.

Escalera makes his first start since the initial loss of his career, an eighth round stoppage by world title challenger Edwin Rodriguez on September 29, 2012, in a bout telecast on HBO.

In 2013, “Road Warrior” Byfield took home two victories over highly regarded prospects, undefeated Isiah Seldon and Justin Verdin, both of which took place in the opponents hometown.

Remaining tickets (ONLY 10 TICKETS LEFT), priced at $200, $150, $100, $60 and $50, for ESPN Friday Night Fights/Rockin Fights’ 12 are availablethrough Ticketmaster, (www.Ticketmaster.com, 800-745-3000). Tickets are also available by calling Star Boxing at (718) 823-2000 or on their websitewww.starboxing.com and through The Paramount Box Office, (631) 673-7300.

The Paramount is located at 370 New York Avenue in Huntington, New York, 11743. Doors on the night of the event will open at 7:00 p.m. with the first bell at 7:30 p.m.