Tuesday, February 27, 2001
Williams, Craig reviving city's rich fight history
Long-awaited pro card set for Cintas Center
By John Erardi
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Ricardo Williams Jr. and Dante Craig have big shoes to fill in their local pro boxing debuts April 20 at Xavier's Cintas Center, judging by the number of times the names Ezzard Charles and Aaron Pryor were invoked Monday at a press conference promoting the card.
Charles and Pryor were heavyweight and junior welterweight world champions, respectively, who earned Cincinnati the label in the 1950s and 1970s/80s as a “good fight town.“
But event co-promoter Lou DiBella of New York articulated the challenge for the card, which will be nationally televised on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights.
“Cincinnati has great his tory as a boxing town, but it doesn't have very good recent history,” he said. “We have to create our own recent history.”
DiBella, formerly of HBO, said he was “confident” of the card's success, “but we're all aware this is the first building block.”
“We're going to be back in Cincinnati (for future cards); there's no issue about that,” he said. “But if the public supports it and gets behind these young men, the likelihood that you'll see us back more often is even greater.”
Buddy LaRosa, who along with Ricardo Williams Sr. co-manages Williams, said the biggest crowd he recalls for a Pryor fight was about 8,000 vs. Antonio Cervantes. That was two decades ago, at what is now Firstar Center. Pryor won the junior welterweight title.
Can Williams/Craig top 8,000? “I hope so,” LaRosa said. “There's a lot of interest.”
He called it the first Greater Cincinnati boxing card assembled by nationally known top-flight promoters “in 30 years.”
When local event promoter Steve Reece was asked to predict a fight gate, he said “6,500.”
Cintas, on-campus home of Xavier basketball, seats 10,250. This is its inaugural boxing event. Ticket prices are $100 ringside, $60, $40 and $20. There is a $10 discount for college students. Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster outlets.
“I stood out on the court where the ring will be and looked up at all the seats and thought, “Man, if we come even close to filling this place it's going to be an unbelievable night,'” Craig said.
“These hometown cards are the best,” said co-promoter Dino Duva. “It's not fun going to casinos to do shows. They're boring. We hope this is the start of many shows we can do here.”
Reece is organizing a community and business reception for March 18 at Integrity Hall, 2081 Seymour Ave., to be attended by Craig and Williams, who may be in the Findlay Market Opening Day parade and throw out a first pitch before a Reds game.
“We have such a rich fight history in the Cincinnati area,” said Cincinnati mayor Charles Luken. “To welcome these two home-grown guys back to Cincinnati at a card at the new, beautiful Cintas Center is a perfect match.”
Williams Jr., who was the Olympic silver medalist at 139 pounds, and his buddy, Craig, a fellow Olympian who competed at 147 pounds, both grinned.
“I've represented my country in Sydney, Australia, and made my pro debut at Madison Square Garden, but there's nothing like fighting at home,” Craig said.
“People have seen what Dante and I can do,” Williams said, “and now they're going to see what Ravea Springs can do, too.”
Springs, a 175-pounder, is Williams' idol. Other local fighters on the card: Dale Crowe and Cornell Shinholster.
Williams and Craig will both fight six-round bouts. The 10-round event is between former world junior welterweight champion Bronco McKart (42-3, 29 KOs) and Michael Lerma (24-4-1, 18 KOs).
Opponents for Williams (1-0) and Craig (2-0) haven't yet been chosen. Craig scored a second straight first-round knockout Satur day on the Roy Jones undercard; Williams' next fight is March 24 in Las Vegas against Joey Bullock (4-0), Youngstown. Lou Duva, who manages Craig, predicted the fights will get “bigger and better” in Cincinnati.
“The attitude (in the boxing community) is going to be: "Hey, you're putting on another fight in Cincinnati? We wanna see those two Cincinnati kids again.'”
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Williams, Craig reviving city's rich fight history
