MIAMI, Okla. —
Just over two years ago Donovan “Da Bomb” George brought an unblemished record to the Peoria Showplace inside Buffalo Run Casino.
But he lost a technical decision to Francisco Sierra for the North American Boxing Organization’s super middleweight title.
“I had a bad night,” George said Thursday afternoon. “I’m man enough to admit that. I’m still relatively young (27). ... I owe this place one. I get a chance at redemption here, so I can’t wait.”
George’s shot at redemption comes tonight at 9 when he faces Dionisio Miranda in a 10-round super middleweight bout to start Friday Night Fights on ESPN2.
The main event pairs “King” Carlos Molina against Damian Frias in a 10-round junior middleweight contest.
“We’re back again,” said Tony Holder of Miami, who claims he has retired but is promoting the card along with Warriors Boxing and GYM. “We’ve had several ESPN shows but let me tell you the difference in this one. The cream of the crop, the ESPN show that everybody wants is the season finale. It’s usually your highest rated show on ESPN.
“And Buffalo Run is becoming world famous for boxing. I can’t say enough for this little town of Miami and the type of caliber of shows we’ve had in, not only ESPN but Showtime and several title fights. I can’t even count them all.”
Gates open at 7:30 tonight, and the undercard starts at 8. Tickets priced at $35, $45 and $65 can be bought at the ticket office or purchased online at www.buffalorun.com.
George, 22-2-1 with 19 knockouts, was originally scheduled to fight Adonis Stevenson, with the winner receiving a shot at champion Carl Froch of England. But Stevenson injured his left hand while sparring one week ago, and Miranda (21-7-2, 18 KOs) agreed to take the fight.
Through a translator, Miranda said he is a fighter who stays in the gym, and when he was called for this fight, he had been training. He said he’s happy to be here and will do a great job.
“I appreciate him taking the fight on short notice,” George said. “Most people would not have done that in this situation. I give him a lot of credit. He has a lot of (guts) to take the fight.
“I trained 140 rounds to fight a southpaw, and now all of a sudden I’m fighting a tall, orthodox fighter who fights completely different,” George said. “But I’m a professional. I’ve been around a long time. I can make the adjustment right away. My preference is to fight an orthodox fighter, so this is going to work out for me.”
George has been on television for his last six fights.
“I’ve never been in a boring fight in my life,” George said. “I come to fight every fight. I’m in great shape. I’m handsome, and I can punch. You’re not going to see a boring night.”
Molina (19-5-2, 6 KOs) also has several television fights.
“ESPN has helped me out a lot in my career,” Molina said. “They have given me a lot of TV exposure. Every time I got a fight with them, I ended up getting a fight on Showtime or HBO, which has opened a lot of doors for me. I hope it does the same this time.”
By contrast, Frias (19-4-1, 10 KOs) is making his first appearance on ESPN.
“It means a lot, and I take it as a blessing and I appreciate it,” Frias said. “Any time you get on television, there is always a chance. You never know who is watching you. You never know what the next fight is waiting for you.”
Frias hopes the fight lasts most of the scheduled 10 rounds.
“I have to stay calm and get the jab established,” he said. “Get the jab working and the fight will fall in place. He must be tough because he’s been in (the ring) with punchers and they haven’t gotten him out of there. I’m not coming in there with a knockout on my mind. I’m coming in to work off the jab and let the fight come to me.”
Boxing card
ESPN Friday Night Fights
At Peoria Showplace, Buffalo Run Casino
Tonight’s Card (First Bout at 8)
Middleweights, 4 rounds — Joe Strong, Midwest City, Okla. (3-1, 1 KO), vs. Mike Russell, Shattuck, Okla. (1-0, 1 KO)
Lightweights, 4 rounds — Shiwone Gortman, Del City, Okla. (2-0, 1 KO), vs. Octavio Gray, Oklahoma City (0-2)
Junior lightweights, 6 rounds — Tyler Asselstine, Ottawa, Canada (9-0, 5 KOs), vs. Roberto Bonilla, Ciudad Sandino, NIC (22-12, 13 KOs)
Super middleweights, 6 rounds — Viliar Quinones, Miami, Fla. (4-0, 3 KOs), vs. Eddie Tigs, Schertz, Texas (1-2-2)
Super middleweights, 10 rounds — Donovan George, Chicago (22-2-1, 19 KOs), vs. Dionisio Miranda, Miami, Fla. (21-7-2, 18 KOs)
Junior middleweights, 10 rounds — Carlos Molina, Chicago (19-5-2, 6 KOs), vs. Damian Frias, Miami, Fla. (19-4-1, 10 KOs)
Sports
August 16, 2012
'Da Bomb' George seeks boxing redemption at Buffalo Run Casino
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