A HISTORIC NIGHT ON DECK - Boxeo Mundial

Author: MICHAEL PARENTE / CES
Date: 8/23/2012
Excitement on tap

CES MMA invades historic Resorts Casino for its Atlantic City debut Saturday night

Kris “Savage” McCray

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – As it prepares for its Atlantic City debut Saturday night, Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports’ mixed martial arts division is going back to the future, bringing one of the sport’s most exciting showcases to the place where the “World’s Favorite Playground” earned its nickname.

The renowned Resorts Casino Hotel – the first of its kind to open on the Boardwalk in 1978 following the legalization of gambling in Atlantic City and the first legal casino hotel outside of Nevada – will host “War On The Shore” on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012, CES’ first mixed martial arts show in Atlantic City following the successful Boardwalk launch of its boxing and entertainment divisions earlier this year.

“War On The Shore” is highlighted by the dynamic main event between former Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) welterweight Kris “Savage” McCray (8-3, 1 KO), who lives less than an hour from Atlantic City in nearby Toms River, and rising star Chris Curtis (7-2, 4 KOs) of Cincinnati, who is looking to punch his own ticket to the UFC with his third consecutive win.

The undercard also features an intriguing battle between Brazilian Gil de Freitas (13-5, 4 KOs), who now lives and trains in Ludlow, Mass., and Philadelphia’s diminutive, 5-foot-10 Gemiyale “Baby Hercules” Adkins (7-3 3 KOs), who will end his nine-month layoff in arguably the toughest fight of his career. Both fighters are former welterweights dropping down to the lightweight division (155 pounds), but will face one another at a catch weight of 160 on Saturday.

“War On The Shore” will get another dose of regional flair from the return of monstrous light heavyweight Mike Stewart (8-3, 3 KOs), who has won three consecutive fights and is now ranked No. 1 in his weight class in the northeast. Stewart, who is also closing in on a possible invite to the UFC, will face Slidell, La., native Eric Thompson (7-16, 4 KOs).

Bricktown, N.J., lightweight Kevin Roddy (12-14-1) will face Brazilian Fabio Serrao (4-2) – fighting out of the city of Manaus – with Roddy seeking three consecutive wins for the first time since 2006; welterweight Joe McGann (3-1, 1 KO) of Franklin, Mass., will battle Lester Caslow (8-7, 3 KOs) of Belmar, N.J.; Philadelphia’s Rami Ibrahim (1-1) will take on fellow bantamweight Keyon Wilkins (0-2) of South Hill, Va.; and featherweight Jason McLean (6-5, 2 KOs) of Perthamboy, N.J., will face Corey Simmons (1-1) of Defiance, Ohio.

As the inspiration for the original Monopoly board game, Atlantic City is the perfect backdrop for CES MMA as it continues to monopolize regional mixed martial arts. Since debuting in 2010, CES MMA has successfully promoted 12 shows in just under two years with four more scheduled before the end of December, including Saturday’s groundbreaking debut at Resorts.

With its Roaring Twenties theme – part of a 2011 renovation designed to capitalize off the success of HBO’s hit series Boardwalk Empire – Resorts provides a dramatic, yet fitting, contrast as the future stars of mixed martial arts, both regionally and nationally, prepare to enter the cage Saturday night in front of what is expected to be a sold-out crowd at the Superstar Theater.

Tickets for “War On The Shore” are on sale now at $45, $65, $75 and $125 and can be purchased by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254, online at www.cesboxing.com and www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Resorts Casino Hotel Box Office. Showtime is 8 p.m. (EST) with doors opening at 7.