CES Boxing’s best and brightest are taking over the Bay State this week for an unforgettable St. Patrick’s Day weekend extravaganza.
Teammates Jimmy “Quiet Storm” Williams and Francis “Frank The Tank” Hogan square off in a highly anticipated eight-round middleweight bout on the undercard of Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions Hollywood Fight Nights show in Boston on Thursday, March 16 at Agganis Arena live on UFC FIGHT PASS®.
The card is headlined by undefeated Irish super welterweight ‘King’ Callum Walsh, who puts his perfect 5-0 record on the line in a 10-round bout against Spanish challenger Leonardo di Stefano Ruiz. Williams and Hogan are two of three CES boxing fighters on the undercard; Undefeated super featherweight Kevin Walsh of nearby Brockton returns fresh from a decisive win in January to take on New Jersey’s Andrew Bentley in a six-round bout.
Tickets are available through TicketMaster, online at AgganisArena.com or at the Agganis Arena box office. Fight fans can also stream the action live starting at 7 p.m. ET with a monthly or yearly subscription to FIGHT PASS.
The Williams-Hogan showdown pits one of CES’ longest-serving fighters against one of its newest acquisitions and most touted prospects.
A former college football player born in Plainfield, NJ, and raised in New Haven, CT, Williams (18-10-2, 6 KOs) joined the CES family in 2013 when he made his professional debut at the age of 26 years.
He started boxing at age 8, but pursued football most of his life. Injuries derailed his football career after several tries with the NFL team, so he returned to boxing in his mid-twenties. More than a decade later, Williams, now 36, continues to answer the bell against elite competition.
Since picking up an upset victory over former world champion Yuri Foreman in 2021, Williams has faced the highly talented Greg Vendetti, Tyrone James, Vito Mielnicki Jr., Luis Arias and now undefeated southpaw Hogan, who boasts a impressive 13-0 record with 12 knockouts coming in on March 16.
22-year-old Weymouth, MA native Hogan signed a promotional deal with CES in the summer of 2022, bringing his impressive power and elite skills to the region’s most sought-after promotion.
A third-year apprentice with the Iron Workers Local 7 Union, Hogan made his professional debut at 19 after more than 200 amateur fights under the lights of Barclays Center in Brooklyn, scoring a knockout victory to kick off a 10-game winning streak. consecutive by KO to start his professional career.
The 6ft 2in Hogan is a unique blend of height and power, a lanky adversary with a quick kick and an even quicker wit whose eccentric weigh-in outfits have become folklore amid pre-season hysteria. fight. Thursday is his chance to prove he’s ready for the next level of competition while canny veteran Williams hopes he has enough in the tank for one last run at Championship glory.
The fast-rising Walsh (7-0, 4 KOs) returns Thursday after the biggest win of his career on Jan. 21 at Mohegan Sun Arena. Originally slated to face Rhode Island rival Mike Valentin, Walsh was forced to pivot on short notice and face New York’s taller and tidier Christian Otero. The Brockton native passed the test with flying colors, knocking Otero to the canvas in the first round and holding on for a split decision win to win the vacant New England super featherweight title.
Walsh, 30, who fights at Cappiello Boxing and Fitness Gym in downtown Brockton, turned pro in 2021 after a short but successful amateur career and continues to rise through the ranks among his peers in the 130-pound weight class. after fighting at various weights early in his career. On Thursday, he’ll take on 37-year-old southpaw Bentley, a dangerous and skilled contender who has faced some of the best 126 and 130-pounders in recent years, including Pennsylvania’s Joshafat Ortiz and the undefeated Raymond Cuadrado.
