Marblehead, MA (June 8, 2023) – Heavyweight contender Michael “The Bounty” Hunter makes his highly anticipated return to the ring when he faces local favorite Donnie Palmer in the ten-round main event of Reyes Fire Fist Boxing’s “Down and Dirty 6” June 24 at the Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, MA.
Fighting out of Las Vegas, NV, Hunter’s outstanding professional record is 20-1-2 with 14 wins by knockout. The 34-year-old holds impressive victories over Jerry Forrest, Isiah Thomas, Iago Kiladze, Martin Bakole, Aleksandr Ustinov, Sergey Kuzmin, and Mike Wilson. He also battled former world champion Alexander Povetkin to a draw in one of the most entertaining heavyweight fights in recent memory. His lone setback came in a world title fight against pound-for-pound great Oleksander Usyk.
Representing Dorchester, MA, Palmer’s 12-3-1 with 10 KO’s. The 6’10” Palmer’s fought most of his career in the New England region and most recently dropped a unanimous decision against Steve Vukosa in January. A victory against Hunter would immediately earn Palmer a spot among the current heavyweight contenders.
Tickets are on sale at https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/2167644/down-dirty-boxing-6-lowell-lowell-memorial-auditorium.
In the ten-round co-feature, Brazilian lightweight standout Willian “Babyface” Silva challenges veteran Raul Chirino of Miami, FL. On April 29, Silva, 30-4 (18 KOs), destroyed Diego Gonzalo Luque in less than a round and has been fighting with a serious mean streak since returning to the 135-pound division. Chirino, 22-16 (13 KO’s), faced a number of top fighters and is currently riding a three-fight win streak.
2016 Kenyan Olympian Rayton “Boom Boom” Okwiri challenges undefeated Erick Kedar Gianous in an intriguing eight-round middleweight bout. Okwiri, who was also a standout in the World Series of Boxing, is 8-1-1 with 6 KOs as a professional. Okwiri is coming off a victory against previously unbeaten Shabani Ally Ndaro (5-0) in January. Fighting out of Denver, CO, Gianous is a perfect 6-0 with 4 KOs. The 23-year-old Gianous impressed thus far but is taking a significant step up in competition against Okwiri.
Lightweight prospect Gabriel Morales of Lowell, MA puts his 7-0 record on the line when he faces unbeaten Mexican Alfredo Jimenez Espino (5-0-1) in a six-rounder. Both fighters are coming off knockout victories and are confident they’ll remain unbeaten on June 24.
Popular junior middleweight Luke Iannuccilli challenges Moises Rivera in a six-round contest. Iannuccilli, 6-0 (3 KO’s), is fresh off a second-round knockout in April and the Methuen, MA native is seeking his third win this year.
“This is a huge event for us and the fans are in for a great event,” said Michael Reyes of Reyes Fire Fist Boxing. “Michael Hunter is a top-tier heavyweight, we’ve got a battle of the unbeaten between Gabriel Morales and Alfredo Jimenez Espino plus a really interesting fight with Eric Kedar Gianous risking his undefeated record and taking a really tough fight against an Oympian in Rayton Okwiri. I look forward to seeing everybody on June 24 and make sure to get your tickets early because we’re expecting a big turnout.”
The undercard will feature top talents such as Tahmir Smalls, Chris Thompson, Raheem Davis, Richard Reyes Diaz, and Tracey Johnson in separate bouts.
For more information, visit Reyesboxingclub.com.