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Los Angeles, CA
(May 24, 2017) – Hollywood came out in full force to catch
a night filled with action-packed boxing matches, live
performances and more at the B.
Riley &
Co. 8th Annual
“Big Fighters, Big Cause” Charity Boxing Night at
the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel in Santa Monica, CA. The
star-studded evening of boxing presented by Oscar De La
Hoya’s Golden
Boy Promotions benefitted
the Sugar
Ray Leonard Foundation and
its mission to fund life-changing research, care and
awareness for pediatric type 1 & 2 diabetes and to help
children live healthier lives through diet and exercise.
Hosted by actor and comedian Bill
Bellamy, the night also featured a national anthem
performance by En
Vogue, as well as a live & silent auction display, which
included iconic memorabilia and other one-of-a-kind items
and experiences to benefit the foundation. Additionally, the
evening honored nine-year-old Jackson
Blair with
the 2017
Golden Glove Award for
his extraordinary dedication and hard work to raise money
and awareness for type 1 (T1D) diabetes.
Celebrities, VIP guests and Sugar Ray Leonard
Foundation supporters in attendance included Usher (Actor/Recording
Artist), Cindy
Crawford and Rande
Gerber, Luke
Wilson (Actor), Oscar
De La Hoya (Golden
Boy Promotions Chairman and CEO), Magic
Johnson and Cookie
Johnson, En
Vogue (R&B/Pop
Vocal Group), Tina
Knowles Lawson and Richard
Lawson, Bo
Jackson (Former
NFL/MLB Athlete), Chris
Spencer (Actor, Black-ish), Johnny
Gill (Recording
Artist), Laila
Ali Conway (Former
Professional Boxer), Mia
St. John (Boxer), Rodney
Peete (Former
NFL Athlete), Sergio
Mora (Professional
Boxer), Terry
Norris (Former
Boxer), Tommy
Davidson (Actor/Comedian), Jeffrey
Osborne (Recording
Artist), and more.
Main event to the exclusive charity boxing
soiree, Kevin
“K-Smoove” Rivers, Jr. (14-1, 10 KOs) took on Mexico
City’s rugged Roberto
“Escorpión” Pucheta (10-11-1,
6 KOs) in a six round lightweight bout. Rivers, Jr.,
returning to the ring after a 16 month absence, turned up
the heat in the third round throwing combinations, giving
his opponent a bloody nose late in the round. “K-Smoove”
found his groove as the rounds progressed, landing with
accuracy. The judges scored the bout all in favor of the
East Coast fighter, awarding Rivers, Jr. the unanimous
decision win with scores of 60-54, 58-56, and 59-55.
“It’s an honor to be a part of such an event,
for such an important cause, especially for my man Sugar
Ray,” said Kevin Rivers, Jr. “It was a tough, competitive
bout and it was a great way to jump back into the game after
16 months of being out of the ring.”
Rising star Luis
“King Louie” Coria (4-0,
3 KOs) took a step up, going toe to toe with the more
experienced Antonio
“Chore” Martinez (7-10,
5 KOs) in a four round super featherweight bout also part of
the star-studded event. It was the first time Coria has gone
the distance in his professional career, displaying
generalship of the ring. A strong right hand stunned
Martinez in the first and third rounds – with Coria even
catching “Chore” on the ropes several times. In the end, all
three judges scored the bout unanimously 40-36, in favor of
Coria.
“My grandpa passed away from diabetes, so
this means a lot to me to be able to be a part of helping
find a cure for this disease,” said Luis Coria. “I feel good
about my performance as I got the win.”
In round five of the scheduled six round
middleweight bout, LA’s Marvin
Cabrera (4-0,
4 KOs) knocked out Shreveport, Louisiana’s Quantavious
“King Tulu” Green (1-1,
1 KO). At the start of the fight, Cabrera and Green traded
heavy punches, however after two rounds, Green became
exhausted and dropped his defense. Cabrera, taking hold of
the opportunity, went forward and bombarded Green with a
powerful body shot and overhand combinations. The referee
stopped the fight before the fifth round could start due to
a left eye injury sustained by Green, awarding Cabrera the
technical knockout.
“I’m happy I got to add another knockout to
my record at an event like this,” said Marvin Cabrera. “I’m
looking forward to tougher fights where I can continue to
show off what I have.”
Opening up the 8th annual
charity event was Indio’s Alfredo
Escarcega (2-0)
going the distance in a scheduled four round super
lightweight bout against LA’s Rolando
Padilla (0-2).
Escarcega sent Padilla to the mat twice in the fight, in the
first and third rounds, with the same powerful left hook.
Escarcega won the fight via unanimous decision with all
three judges scoring the fight 40-34.
“I was so excited to be a part of such an
event, I just couldn’t say no. It’s a great cause, and I’m
glad that I got to be featured on it,” said Alfredo
Escarcega. “My opponent kept leaning in, and most of the
time I was trying to avoid his head butts, but overall I am
satisfied with my performance.
About
Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation
The Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation was
established in 2009 by boxing legend and six-time world
champion Sugar Ray Leonard and his wife, Bernadette. The
Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation funds life-changing care &
research for pediatric type 1 & type 2 diabetes. The
Foundation is also committed to helping children lead
healthier lives through diet and exercise.
Throughout Leonard’s boxing career, he
watched his dad and friends struggle with the many
complications of diabetes and how it has affected every
aspect of their life. Type 1 diabetes strikes both children
and adults at any age. It comes on suddenly, causes
dependence on injected or pumped insulin for life, and
carries the constant threat of devastating complications.
Type 2 diabetes in children is on the rise, fueled largely
by the obesity epidemic. Leonard draws from his personal
experience and boxing career to provide inspiration for
funding research to combat the disease.
For more information, visit www.sugarrayleonardfdn.org,
like and follow on twitter at @SugarRayLeonard and
Facebook at www.facebook.com/SugarRayLeonard6.
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