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Hard Hitting Promotions Brings Boxing to SugarHouse’s Event Center


  One of the worst phrases used to describe SugarHouse Casino when it first opened was that it was the “Wal-Mart of casinos.” In it’s infancy, SugarHouse was essentially a gaming floor that didn’t even serve drinks 24/7. You could drop $20 on black at a roulette table, but food, drink and nightlife were lacking. Gambling was the sole purpose at the time.

  The allure of a good casino goes much deeper than the sound of slot machines jingling and beeping. Good casinos offer you a place to spend your hard-earned winnings. The addition of the SugarHouse Event Center and some expansions to the game floor are propelling SugarHouse into legitimate casino status. Furthering these additions, SugarHouse is allowing visitors the chance to enjoy one of the greatest sports historically tied to casinos.

Ray Robinson and Santos Benevidez/Ptah Gabrie

Ray Robinson and Santos Benevidez/Ptah Gabrie

  Boxing is perhaps the only sport that has deep roots in casinos, especially in Las Vegas. The SugarHouse Event Center is now hosting pro boxing fight nights and giving many local and international fighters the chance to box at a high level. Spirit News was there to check out Hard Hitting Promotions Fight Night and watch six boxing matches.

  We had a chance to hear from some of the fighters before their matches. Many of the boxers have a few fights under their belts and two fighters were making their pro debut. One of those fighters was Jeremy Cuevas from Philadelphia. He has a 45-5 record as an amateur and hoped to win his first pro fight.

Santos Benavidez and Ray Robinson/Ptah Gabrie

Santos Benavidez and Ray Robinson/Ptah Gabrie

  “Being able to fight in front of people who support you the whole way through, for me, there’s no better feeling than that,” Cuevas said.

  Angel Pizarro was appearing in his second bout. His brother Branden Pizarro was also making his pro debut. Angel spoke on the feeling of having his brother on the same card.

  “It’s unexplainable. As kids we always dreamed of this opportunity,” Pizarro said. “To finally be able to achieve this goal is unbelievable.” Angel’s debut fight was also at SugarHouse Casino. “It felt like I was at home, It felt like I belong here,” Pizarro said.

Angel Pizarro/Ptah Gabrie

Angel Pizarro/Ptah Gabrie

  The boxing ring was placed in the center of the ballroom, and almost every seat surrounding it was filled. Fighters made triumphant entrances to cheers and boos depending upon which fighter they hoped to win.

  Five bouts were listed on the undercard, however David Murray’s opponent Edgar Perez did not make weight for the match. First was Jeremy Cuevas v. Luis Ramos. Cuevas won with a TKO in round two. Next was Angel Pizarro v. Maurice Adams Jr. Pizarro came in with a 1-0 record and remains undefeated with a first round TKO.

  The third fight was Christian Carto v. Angel Carvajal. Carto took the win with a round two TKO. The quickest bout was between Branden Pizzaro, brother of Angel Pizarro, and Ezequiel Ocasio. Pizarro, in his pro debut, won by TKO in 39 seconds of the first round.

Christian Carto and Angel Carvajal/Ptah Gabrie

Christian Carto and Angel Carvajal/Ptah Gabrie

  The first main event fight was Steven Martinez v. Jeremy Ramos. The bout went a full eight rounds with each fighter giving it their all. Martinez won by unanimous decision. The final fight was between Ray Robinson and Santos Benavidez. Robinson took down Benavidez near the end of round four with a TKO.

  Hard Hitting Promotions will hold another fight night on December 16th and hopes to continue having these on a regular basis.

Ray and Santos/Ptah Gabrie

Ray and Santos/Ptah Gabrie

  “I think SugarHouse is the perfect place to bring the community together,” Wilberto Ruiz, co-owner of Hard Hitting Promotions said. “If you look at the audience, we’ve got all cultures together here without arguments, without racism. This is a great thing not just for boxing, but for the community in Philadelphia.”

  It’s no secret that Philly is a boxing town and there’s many small boxing gyms and aspiring fighters throughout the city. Fight Nights like this will set goals for young boxers and continue Philly’s rich heritage as a boxing town.

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