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03/11/2004 Archived Entry: "Amateur boxing fundraiser to send Team N.E. to London"
Amateur boxing fundraiser to send Team N.E. to London
“The Battle of Boston” April 2 at Bayside Expo
BOSTON MA – “The Battle of Boston/Journey to London” amateur boxing show, in association with USA Boxing/New England, will be held Friday night, April 2 at the Bayside Expo (north entrance), Teacher’s Union Building, in South Boston. Proceeds will benefit Team New England, which will travel to London this spring to compete in the second annual Pender-Downes Challenge Cup Tournament.
Recently retired pro boxer “Irish” Micky Ward, former WBU light welterweight title-holder, will make a special appearance at “The Battle of Boston/Journey to London.” He also will serve as a coach for Team New England, along with Chick Rose, at the Pender-Downes Challenge Cup Tournament, May 14-22.
Costs to send the 20-member (boxers, coaches and administrators) Team New England to London are expected to exceed $25,000. Ticket sales for “The Battle of Boston/Journey to London,” as well as Pender-Downes Challenge Cup Tournament sponsorships and donations will be used to subsidize the trip in May.
The Pender-Downes Challenge Cup Tournament is named in honor of former world middleweight champions -- the late Paul Pender (40-6-2, 20 KOs), of Brookline (MA), and Terry Downes (35-9, 28 KOs), of Paddington (England) -- who ffought each other three times as professionals for the world middleweight title in the early sixties with Pender winning twice.
The English boxers in the tournament will represent the nearly 100-year-old Fisher Club of London, which has produced pro world champions such as Downes and Lloyd Honeyghan. The squad is under the direction of famed British boxing trainer Steve Hiser.
The Pender-Downes Challenge Cup Tournament is the brainchild of former Fisher Club administrator, Ed Dipple, and Gregory Leschishin, USA Boxing/New England, secretary. “We want this to become boxing’s version of the Ryder Cup,” Dipple explained, “It’s also a great way to pay tribute to Paul Pender and Terry Downes. The English boxers all had a memorable visit to Boston last year and now it’s their turn to host the boys from New England. It’s a wonderful opportunity that transcends amateur boxing, providing a historical and social tour of London. We hope that this tournament will continue yearly on an ongoing basis, returning to New England next year.”
For more information about sponsorships and advertising opportunities contact Gregory Leschishin at 617. 972.1711 or email him at coachGreg@bostonboxing.com. Tickets for “The Battle of Boston/Journey to London,” priced at $25.00, may be purchased at most boxing clubs in Greater Boston and also will be available at the door.
