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06/14/2004 Archived Entry: "ESPN2’s TUESDAY NIGHT FIGHTS- June 15th"
ESPN2’s TUESDAY NIGHT FIGHTS- June 15th
Featuring Chicago’s Chris Thomas and 3x UFC Champion Jens Pulver
CHICAGO (June 10, 2004) – ESPN2 returns to Chicagoland on June 15th for a live broadcast of “Tuesday Night Fights” from The Belvedere located at 1170 W. Devon in west suburban Elk Grove Village. Just the second TNF of the summer, this edition includes the pro boxing debut of 3x UFC Superstar Jens “Little Evil” Pulver.
The 10 round televised co-main event, Chicago’s Chris “Cold Steel” Thomas (14-3, 13 KOs) faces Rich “The Mountain” LaMontagne 28-5, 23 KOs) in what is expected to be a battle of Cruiserweight power punching. The 6’3” Thomas was born and raised on Chicago’s southeast side and is a former Chicago Golden Gloves Champion. LaMontagne, of Everett, Massachusetts, is best known for his brutal knockout of Chicago’s Michael Bennett in August of 2002 on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights.
“This is a very intriguing fight between a guy who has been there in Lamontagne and a guy who is trying to get there in Thomas. These two make for a lethal combination,” said Bobby Hitz.
In the main event, former world title challenger and world ranked contender Omar Sheika (24-6, 17 KOs) of Patterson, New Jersey, will square off against Manu Ntoh (15-7, 9 KOs) of Atlanta, Georgia. Scheduled for 10 rounds, this fight is guaranteed to be an all out slugfest from bell to bell. Sheika, of Palestinian decent, expects a large turn out from Chicago’s huge Palestinian community.
In a special non-televised event, 3-time Ultimate Fighting Lightweight Champion Jens “Little Evil” Pulver will make his boxing debut. A huge star in the world of mixed martial arts, Pulver expects a tremendous amount of support from those fans who now have the opportunity to see him fight in Chicagoland. Legal in the states of Nevada and New Jersey, UFC/MMA is illegal in Illinois. A fan favorite, Pulver has fought in front of sold out crowds at The Mandalay Bay and The Meadowlands.
Pulver’s life story has been told in “Little Evil: One Ultimate Fighter's Rise to the Top” available on amazon.com. In the book, Pulver tells of the daily horrific abuse by his alcoholic father including an incident where his father puts a shotgun into the mouth of 10-year-old Jens and threatens to blow his head off. “Fear taught me to fight with my fists. Fighting helped me to deal with the demons. I fought for my life and became a World Champion and one of the most feared cage fighters in the world.”
Other bouts on this packed card include the return of Canadian Olympian Heavyweight Art “The Polish Warrior” Binkowski, Mike Mollo and Jimmy "Superfly" Sandoval.
All bouts are subject to change without notice.
Doors open at 7:30 P.M. First bout at 8:00 P.M cst. Ticket prices: $35 - general admission, $50 - reserved ringside, and $100 - VIP reserved ringside. To Purchase: 630/295-9800 or at HitzBoxing.com
