Lack of time to obtain proper visas has forced the necessity for two of Greg Cohen Promotions’ (GCP) fighters to switch places on short notice for this weekend.
On Saturday, April 18, Cornwall, Ontario’s Tony “Lightning” Luis (19-2, 7 KOs) will now face UK veteran Derry Matthews (37-9-2, 20 KOs) for the Interim WBA Lightweight Championship at the Echo Arena in Matthews’ hometown of Liverpool, England, as the main event of a night of boxing presented by Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions.
Luis was originally scheduled to face Memphis, Tennessee, veteran Ira Terry (26-13, 16 KOs) in the televised co-feature of the “Championship Boxing on CBS Sports Network” event, presented by Greg Cohen Promotions in association with Adam Wilcock’s Fight Card Promotions and produced by David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions on Friday, April 17, from the Grand Casino Hinckley in Hinckley, Minnesota.
Unbeaten Venezuelan slugger Ismael Barroso (17-0-2, 16 KOs), who was originally scheduled to face Matthews, was unable to obtain the proper visas in time to fight on such short notice in England. He will now take Luis’ place in Hinckley and will take on Terry in an eight-round attraction this Friday.
“It worked out well for everyone,” said Greg Cohen. “Tony Luis was high enough in the ratings and ready to fight, so he’s one of the few fighters in the world who could have stepped into this important fight on such short notice. And fortunately, he is a GCP fighter as well, so we made it happen quickly and he is on his way to the UK as we speak. Tony gets his dream shot at a world championship and the fans in Hinckley, and on CBS Sports Network, will get their first look at one of the most fearsome punchers in boxing, Ismael Barroso. So it seems that everyone wins in this unique situation.”
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About Greg Cohen Promotions
One of boxing’s premier promotional outfits, Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) is a well-respected name for staging world-class professional boxing events and promoting elite professional fighters throughout the world.
Founder and CEO Greg Cohen has been involved with professional boxing in various capacities since the late 1980s, honing his craft and establishing himself as a shrewd international boxing businessman.
Distinguished by his ability to spot and develop raw talent, Cohen made headlines for his expert guidance of, among many others, former WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout, who Cohen helped guide from unknown New Mexico prospect to elite pay-per-view level superstar.
In addition to Trout, Greg Cohen Promotions has worked with established names such as former unified and two-time heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman (50-8-2, 41 KOs); and all-time-great multiple-weight class world champion James “Lights Out” Toney (74-7-3, 45 KOs).
Current world-rated contenders in the GCP roster include Arash Usmanee, universally recognized as a top-10 super featherweight; former WBA International Middleweight Champion and world-rated middleweight contender Jarrod Fletcher; top-rated featherweight Joel Brunker; cruiserweight Lateef Kayode; Canadian lightweight and TV action hero Tony Luis, and WBA and five-time Irish National Amateur Champion, Dennis Hogan; and Rising Welterweight sensation Cecil McCalla.
Greg Cohen Promotions has hosted world-class boxing events in the finest venues throughout the United States and the world and has also proudly provided talent and/or content for several television networks including HBO, Showtime, ESPN, NBC Sports Network, MSG and FOX Sports Net.
