PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Feb. 14th , 2019) — As a young up-and-comer, the heavy-handed Sicilian who breezed through his amateur career undefeated, Juiseppe Cusumano promised his coach and mentor, Robert Matney, he’d one day win a world title.

When Matney, a former Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy, died unexpectedly in 2014, Cusumano’s career took a turn for the worse. The promising heavyweight struggled with alcohol abuse and sat on the shelf for more than two years, the victim of a shady manager who robbed him of most of his earnings without booking him any fights.

There were days Cusumano struggled to get out of bed. Friends and family urged him to give up boxing a find another career. But Cusumano refused to throw in the towel. He had a promise to keep.

Next Saturday at Twin River Casino Hotel, Cusumano (17-2, 15 KOs) finally has the opportunity to cash in when he faces Brendan Barrett (7-1-2, 5 KOs) of Ventura, Calif., in an eight-round showcase for the vacant National Boxing Association (NBA) World Heavyweight Title, one of three title bouts at CES Boxing’s 2019 season opener.

The NBA, dormant for more than six decades after it changed its name to the World Boxing Association (WBA) in 1962, has returned under the direction of its new president, Damon Gonzalez. The Feb. 23rd Cusumano-Barrett showdown is the first NBA heavyweight championship bout since 1951 when the legendary Jersey Joe Walcott knocked out fellow Hall of Famer Ezzard Charles at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.

The list of former NBA heavyweight champions includes 11 Hall of Famers, among themJack Dempsey, who won the inaugural title in 1921; Gene Tunney; Max Schmeling; Jack Sharkey; Max Baer; Jim Braddock; Joe Louis; Floyd Patterson and the iconic Rocky Marciano, Cusumano’s idol as a young fighter. Marciano won the World Heavyweight Title in 1952, stopping Walcott in the 13th round of their scheduled 15-round fight in Philadelphia. He defended it six times before retiring at 49-0 in 1955.

Other sanctioning bodies existed at the time, including the New York State Athletic Commission, which dissipated in the early 1960s with the formation of the WBC, and the European Boxing Union, but the NBA was the first of today’s major sanctioning bodies to recognize world champions and its history is indisputable. The opportunity to wear that belt and join a list of champions that includes names such as Schmeling, Louis, Patterson and Marciano is a dream come true for Cusumano.

“It’s something I really need to get,” Cusumano said.

Reunited with trainer Marcus Luck, Cusumano continues to get stronger and leaner with each fight camp, shedding the excess weight from his year-long layoff between 2016 and 2017. He has implemented new techniques into his training regimen and enters next weekend in the best shape of his life as he aims for his 16thwin in his last 17 fights.

“With CES signing me [in 2017] it’s really helped me out because they have watched the process of me growing back into the fighter I should be,” said Cusumano, who has fight eight times in the last 17 months since joining forces with CES Boxing president Jimmy Burchfield Sr. “Even though I’m not 100 percent there yet, you can see the process. Each time, I’m getting better and better and my body is getting better.

“I’m learning things, too, because I’m older. I’m 30 years old, so I can’t train like I was when I was 20, but I had to learn that after a few fights because I did feel a little heavy in the [2018] fight with Bernardo Marquez, so I was like, ‘OK, I did something a little wrong here,’ because I shouldn’t have felt that heavy. Now it’s more about being in fight shape already. I should be in shape weeks before the fight. Not work harder, but work smarter, like Floyd [Mayweather] says.”

Cusumano struggled early in that fight with the southpaw Marquez before extending his then 12-fight win streak with a fourth-round knockout, but his run came to an unexpected halt less than a month later when he lost to the slick and surprisingly-elusive Robert Simms by unanimous decision. Cusumano still feels he won that fight, but admits the awkward 5-foot-11 Simms frustrated him by landing quick shots to the body, then holding on for dear life, not allowing the 6-foot-4 Sicilian to use his height and reach to his advantage.

His opponent next weekend is the same height as Simms, which may initially raise eyebrows, but Cusumano insists there are several differences between Barrett and Simms, many of which may play into his favor on the 23rd.

“Simms was a little slicker. He was very flexible for his weight,” Cusumano said. “With Barrett, he’s a little more stiff and more hard-headed. He’s a hard-headed guy that likes to throw bombs and likes to keep his head and come forward. That’s not going to be a very smart thing to do with me, especially with the shape I’m in.”

Cusumano and Barrett have combined for 20 knockouts in their careers, 15 for Cusumano and five for his opponent. Neither have been knocked out. Cusumano is confident he can use his jab more effectively than he did against Simms and use it to set up his knockout punch — the “bang-bang, night-night,” as he calls it — similar to the way he finished Marquez in May after three sluggish rounds.

“If he doesn’t get knocked out,” Cusumano said, “he’s going to have a serious headache the very next day.”

Twenty-two-year-old Worcester, Mass., prospect Jamaine Ortiz (9-0, 4 KOs) faces 21-year-old Oxnard, Calif., standout Ricardo Quiroz (10-0, 5 KOs) in an eight-round bout on the main card of CES Boxing’s 2019 season opener for the vacant WBC World Youth Lightweight Title. Headlining is female featherweight sensation Shelly Vincent (23-2, 1 KO) of Providence, R.I., by way of New London, Conn., who faces Budapest veteran Edina Kiss (15-9, 9 KOs) in an eight-round rematch of their 2015 bout, won by Vincent by majority decision.

Tickets for the event start at $47 and are available online at www.cesboxing.com or www.showclix.com or by phone at 401-724-2253/2254. Next weekend’s event also makes history as part of the world’s first ultra-high definition, high dynamic range — also known as 4K — event streaming live via VIVE Network TV. The VIVE app is available on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Play (Android TV), iOS, Roku and all smart TVs. Visit https://tickets.vivetv.network to purchase.

Doors open at 6 p.m. ET and the first preliminary bout begins at 6:30. VIVE will stream two bouts for free on Facebook beginning at 8 before the 4K televised pay-per-view main card kicks off at 9. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Also on the main card, female super bantamweights Marcia Agripino (3-1-1) of Ledyard, Conn., and Boston’s Amanda Pavone (6-0, 2 KOs) face one another in an eight-round bout for the vacant New England Championship. Taunton, Mass., welterweight Marqus Bates (5-2, 3 KOs) faces Jair Ramos (5-2-2, 2 KOs) of Waterbury, Conn., in a six-round bout and super lightweight Nicholas Briggs (2-0, 2 KOs) of Worcester puts his unbeaten record on the line against Andy Aiello (1-1-1) of Bridgewater, Mass., in a four-round bout. Unbeaten Pawtucket, R.I., super featherweight Ricky Delossantos (6-0, 1 KO) returns in his toughest test to date against U.S. Army National Guardsman Javar Jones (7-1, 2 KOs) of Indianapolis.

Providence junior middleweights Victor Reynoso (2-0, 2 KOs) battles 1-0 John Williams of Baton Rouge, La., who scored a knockout win in his pro debut in August, while fellow unbeaten junior middleweight Lamont Powell (2-0, 1 KO) of Providence faces 29-year-old Kenneth Chery (1-1, 1 KO) of Montreal Quebec. Likewise, Providence lightweight Michael “Bling Bling” Valentin( 4-0, 1 KO) returns from a one-year layoff to face Philadelphia’s Christopher Burgos (1-3-1, 1 KO) in a four-round bout and decorated New York City amateur Arnold Gonzalez makes his long-awaited professional debut in a four-round super lightweight bout against Falls Church, Va., veteran Stacey Anderson (0-4).

Visit www.cesboxing.com, www.twitter.com/cesboxing or www.facebook.com/cesboxing for more information, or follow CES Boxing on Instagram at @CESBOXING.

Demetrius Andrade became a three-time, and now two-division world champion as he won the WBO Middleweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated and unheralded Walter Kautondokwa at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

In round one, Andrade landed a grazing left at the same time the feet got tangled and Kautondokwa fell to the canvas. Andrade landed a left while Kautondowkwa was on the ground but it was ruled a clean knockdown by referee Steve Willis. n round three, Andrade drilled Kautondokwa with a perfect left hand that sent him to the canvas for a 2nd time. In round four, both fighters landed hard shots, but it was Kautondokwa who hit the canvas. Moments later it was an inside right hook that put Kautondokwa down again.

Andrade cruised home to the victory by scores of 120-104 twice and 119-105 to raise his mark to 26-0. Kautondokwa of Namibia is 17-1.

Katie Taylor remained undefeated as she defended the IBF/WBA Lightweight titles with a 10-round unanimous decision over Cindy Serrano.

Taylor of Ireland won by scores of 100-90 on all cards, and is now 11-0. Serrano of Brooklyn, NY is 27-6-3.

Tevin Farmer retained the IBF Junior Lightweight title with a dominating 5th round stoppage over James Tennyson.

In round four, Farmer dropped Tennyson with a hard left to the body. Farmer ended things in the next round when he landed a hard left that sent Tennyson to the canvas, and the fight was stopped at 1:44.

Farmer of Philadelphia is now 27-4-1 with six knockouts. Tennyson of Ireland is 22-3.

Kid Galahad won a 12-round unanimous decision over Toka Khan Clary in a featherweight bout.

Galahad of Sheffield, England won by scores of 118-110 twice and 115-113 to raise his perfect mark to 26-0. Clary of Providence, RI is 25-2.

Tommy Coyle won a 10-round unanimous decision over Ryan Kielczewski in a lightweight bout.

In round five, Kielczewski started to bleed from his nostrils.

In round seven, Coyle scored a knockdown with a right hand.

Coyle, 136.4 lbs of Hull, UK won by scores of 99-90 98-91 and 96-93, and is now 25-4. Kielczewski, 138 lbs of Quincy MA is 29-4.

Former world champion Scott Quigg stopped Mario Briones in round two of their scheduled eight-round junior lightweight bout.

Quigg unloaded with a hard combination on the ropes and the fight was stopped at 1:12 of round two.

Quigg, 129.4 lbs of Bury, UK 35-2-2 with 26 knockouts. Briones, 130 lbs of Mexico 29-8-2.

Mark DeLuca avenged his only professional defeat by winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Walter Wright in a junior middleweight fight.

DeLuca, 153 3/4 lbs of Whittam, MA won by scores of 97-93 and 96-94 twice.

DeLuca is 22-1. Wright, 154 lbs of Seattle is 17-4.

Daniyar Yeleussinov stopped Matt Doherty in the 1st round of their scheduled six-round welterweight bout.

Yeleussinov landed several hard body shots that was followed by an explosive combination to the head and referee Arthur Mercante stopped the bout at 2:33

Yeleussinov, 148 lbs of Kazakhstan is 4-0 with two knockouts. Doherty, 146.8 lbs of Salem, MA is 8-6-1.

Niall Kennedy remained undfeated with a six-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Brendan Barrett in a heavyweight bout.

In round four, Kennedy was cut around the left eye. In round five, Kennedy landed a hard right that staggered Barrett into the ropes and then to the canvas fir a knockdown. Barrett got to his feet with a mouse under his right eye.

Kennedy, 221 lbs of Ireland won by scores of 60-53 twice and 58-55, and is now 12-0-1. Barrett, 238 lbs of Little Egg Harbor, NJ is 7-1-2.