Preview: Spivey-Antoine

Preview & photos by Chris Perry

Dee Lee Promotions, LLC returns to Hampton Roads August 20 with Beach Brawl II featuring lightweight “Dangerous” Dorin Spivey continuing his world title quest in the main event of a nine-bout card at the Virginia Beach Fieldhouse in Virginia Beach, Virginia. This will be New Jersey-based promoter Diane Fischer’s second Virginia event in two months.

Following an intense unanimous decision victory, and a pulled left bicep muscle, in his last bout almost a year ago, Spivey (38-6-0, 29 KOs) returns to the ring healthy and ready to challenge Akron, Ohio based fighter Damon Antoine (9-31-2, 4 KOs). Although Antoine’s ring record is off-balance with losses, Fischer knows Saturday’s fight will test Spivey.

“Antoine’s record may not be good, but if you’re a real boxing fan, what you do is you look and see who this kid has fought,” said the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame promoter. “I mean, he has fought some good guys. If he was a slouch and didn’t fight anybody, then it would be a different story. Antoine’s gone the distance with many of his opponents so that makes a big difference.”

Spivey knows a win Saturday takes him one step closer to a world title. “This is like the title fight for me because it’s going to lead to bigger things,” the former NABA Lightweight Champion told Fightnews. “Every fight at this point is the most important fight of my life. At my age, at 38, I can’t afford to be set back. I’ve got to keep moving forward. This is going to be a good challenge. It will be a good test for me and I’m looking to be victorious in the fight.”

Fischer signed Spivey to a promotional contract with Dee Lee Promotions, LLC earlier this year. This is their first bout together. She thinks highly of Spivey and sees a bright future ahead for the 18-year ring veteran from Portsmouth, Virginia.

“I think he’s great,” Fischer told Fightnews. “If I had a son, I would want him to be exactly like him. Trust me. He’s a real good kid. He deserves a chance. He’s going to be world champion. He should of been by now, but we’re going to make it happen.”

The co-main event of the evening features rising Reading, Pennsylvania heavyweight Travis “GW Hope” Kauffman (21-1-0, 16 KOs) in action. Supporting bouts include exciting Norfolk, Virginia based middleweight Frankie “The Freight Train” Filippone (7-2-0, 2 KOs), heavy-handed Norfolk heavyweight Dorsett “Bullet” Barnwell (4-0-0, 3 KOs), Newark, Delaware based lightweight Joey “Joltin” Tiberi (5-1-0, 4 KOs) and Virginia Beach middleweight Kenny Moody, Jr. (2-2-1, 1 KO).

Fischer is excited about her second “Beach Brawl” event in Virginia Beach and the future of boxing in the Commonwealth. “I like the boxing fans here,” Fischer told Fightnews. ”The true boxing fans came out last time. And, I know I had to prove myself last time, that’s why I took the broom out (at the “Beach Brawl I” press conference in June) to wipe up all the stuff from the last event here. I think I proved myself. I put good fights on. I wouldn’t have been in the business for 15-years if I didn’t put good matches on. I have a great matchmaker, Nick Tiberi, and we’re doing good. And, we’ll be back here again. I just have to keep proving myself.”

The Virginia Beach Fieldhouse is located at 2157 Landstown Road in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Tickets priced at $30 and $50 will be available at the door or by calling Kenny Miller (757-646-4145), Frankie Filippone (757-537-6210) or the 757 Boxing Gym (757-717-5291). Doors open at 7:00 PM with the first bout scheduled for 7:30 PM.

(From left to right) Dorin Spivey’s head trainer John Hunter, Dorin, promoter Diane Fischer and Dorin’s co-manager and co-advisor Floyd Kuriloff

August 19th, 2011

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