Knockout Night at the D series returns to downtown
Despite a few setbacks, the Knockout Night at the D series returns Friday to the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center.
The card originally featured junior featherweight Emmanuel Quartey against Hanzel Martinez in the main event, but Quartey was unable to secure a visa. Erik Ruiz got the nod to replace Quartey, a native of Ghana.
“We knew there were some issues with Quartey’s visa situation,” said Keith Veltre of Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions. “So we had Erik Ruiz on hold. It’s unfortunate, but things like this happen in boxing, and we’re fortunate to have such a quality opponent like Erik as a late replacement.
“In fact, he’s fought much tougher opponents than Quartey. Hanzel has 18 knockouts in his 23 wins, but Ruiz has never been stopped as a professional. We’re confident that the main event will be equally competitive.”
The first fight at the outdoor venue begins at 6 p.m., with the CBS Sports Network-televised bouts starting at 8. Hall of Fame announcers Jim Ross and Al Bernstein will call the action. Tickets can be found on ticketmaster.com starting at $15.
In the co-main event, Tony Lopez Jr. faces Stephon Young in a bantamweight matchup. John Vera battles Milorad Zizic in a junior middleweight bout to open the televised portion of the card. Zizic is a Las Vegas resident from Montenegro.
Zizic isn’t the only Las Vegan on the card. Locals Jeremy Nicholas, Max Ornelas, Sal Lopez and Randy Moreno will be in the ring.
Nichols faces Marquis Hawthorn in a welterweight match. Ornelas goes up against Mulapi Enjani in a bantamweight fight. In junior lightweight action, Lopez battles Kenneth Taylor, and Moreno meets Fabian Alaniz.
Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0492. Follow @gmanzano24 on Twitter.
