MAIN EVENT FIGHTER STARE-DOWN — (L-R) Alexei Collado, IMP president Mike Tyson and Rod Salka
Photo Credit: Stephanie Trapp / SHOWTIME
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Legendary former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson took a break from his promotional duties for Friday’s ShoBox The New Generation triple header to enjoy arcade games with two of his children at Latitude 40 in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Tyson’s Iron Mike Productions will make its promotional debut on SHOWTIME®, home of 16 of Tyson’s last 18 fights, live at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) from the Monroeville Convention Center in Monroeville, Pa., located outside of the Steel City.
Joining Tyson at Latitude 40 prior to a press conference and meet-and-greet with fans was his daughter, Milan, and his son, Morocco.
In the 10-round main event, heavy-hitting Cuban lightweight Alexei “The Hurricane” Collado (18-0, 16 KOs), of Miami, Fla., by way Cork, Ireland, and Havana, Cuba, will be opposed by his toughest opponent to-date, Pittsburgh-area crowd favorite “Lightning” Rod Salka (18-3, 3 KOs), of Bunola, Pa.
In the co-feature, undefeated southpaw and Olympic gold medalist Felix Diaz (14-0, 8 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif., by way of Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic will boxEmmanuel Lartey (15-1-1, 7 KOs), of Brooklyn by way of Ghana, in an eight-round welterweight bout.
In the opening bout of the telecast, local favorite and war veteran Sammy Vasquez, Jr. (13-0, 9 KOs), of Monesson, Pa., will meet fellow unbeaten Juan “The Beast” Rodriguez, Jr.(11-0, 5 KOs), of Union City, N.J., in an eight-round welterweight bout.
Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer isGordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
For more information visit www.IronMikeProductions.com, www.sho.com/sports, follow on twitter at @IronMikeProd, @shosports, follow the conversation using #ShoBox or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/
