Philadelphia, PA (March 16, 2021) -Heavyweight favorite Joey Dawejko will take on veteran Brandon Spencer in the headline bout of big night of boxing on Saturday, April 3rd at The 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pa.

The card is promoted by RDR Promotions.

Dawejko of Philadelphia, has a record of 20-8-4 with 11 knockouts.

The 30 year-old Dawejko is a former Junior World Amateur champion, and is now a 12 year-professional who has wins over Ricardo Johnson (1-0), John Lennox (6-0), Derric Rossy (28-7), Mark Rideout (4-0-2), Enobong Umolhette (9-2), Natu Visinia (11-1), Demetrius Banks (9-1) and Kelvin Nunez (15-0).

Dawejko is looking to get back in the win column as he is coming off a loss to undefeated contender Frank Sanchez on March 7, 2020 in Brooklyn.

Spencer of Augusta, Georgia has a record of 9-18-3 with six knockouts.

The 11 year-veteran has two wins over Dylan Courson (1-0) & (5-1).

In six-round bouts:

Nahir Albright (10-1, 4 KOs) of Sicklerville, NJ battles Dante Cox (6-1, 4 KOs) of Elkridge, MD in a lightweight out.

New RDR Promotions signee Mark Dawson (7-0-1, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia will take on an opponent to be named shortly in a welterweight bout.

Benny Sinakin (6-0, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia battles Afumwa King (2-1, 1 KO) of Bronx, NY in a light heavyweight affair.

Rasheen Brown (6-0, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia takes on an opponent to be named in a featherweight contest.

Mike Hilton (10-0, 7 KOs) of Trenton, NJ battles Twon Smith (3-4, 2 KOs) of Oklahoma City in cruiserweight fight.

Matthew Gonzalez (11-0, 7 KOs) of Ridgewood, New York will take Luis Eduardo Florez (25-18, 21 KOs) of Colombia in a welterweight fight.

In four-round bouts:

Tahmir Smalls (2-0, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia will take on an opponent to be named in a welterweight fight.

Jahdon Ervin of St. Clair, PA will make his pro debut against Kareem Gladney (0-3) in a middleweight bout.

Tickets are $250 for VIP (Includes three hours of Food & Drink) $150 for Front Row; $100 for Ringside and $75 for General Admission and can be purchased from the fighters or emailing rricerivew@yahoo.com

BROOKLYN, NY — In a crowd-silencing upset, heavyweight stalwart Robert “The Nordic Nightmare” Helenius (30-3, 19KO) stopped previously unbeaten fan favorite Adam “Babyface” Kownacki (21-15KO) in the main event of a PBC on FOX card from the Barclays Center.  

In the opening round, the fight looked like it would be a classic Kownacki display, as the Polish-born Brooklynite immediately greeted Finland’s Helenius with fists of fury from the opening bell.  

But in the second, Helenius fought fire with fire and stood toe-to-toe with Kownacki, trading wild blows.  Kownacki bested Helenius in their exchanges, but proved vulnerable to Helenius’s right hand.

Everything changed midway through the fourth when Kownacki, who had banked all three rounds to that point, exchanged right hands with Helenius.  The 30 year-old Kownacki landed a heavy right cross at the same time the 36 year-old Helenius clipped him with a right hook on the chin, which sent him dazed and to the mat.  Referee David Fields incorrectly ruled a slip, but Kownacki was all out of sorts when the fight resumed. Hazy-eyed and woozy, Kownacki struggled to steady his 265.2lb frame. Helenius continued to batter Kownacki, who displayed zero survival skills, and scored a knockdown with a straight left.  The barrage of punches continued to rein on Kownacki until Fields stepped in to stop the contest at the 1:07 mark of the fourth round, silencing the 8,811 fans in attendance, most of whom were decked out in Polish red and white.

It was as great a night as it could have been for Helenius, who was knocked out cold by Gerald Washington in his only other fight on US soil.  The Finland-native, who holds wins over former world champions Sam Peter and Lamon Brewster, has now won two in a row since the Washington bout.  

Tonight marked Kownacki’s first defeat and tenth fight at the Barclays Center.  It was also the first time he was back in the ring since his historic twelve round brawl against former world title challenger Chris Arreola, a bout that set the CompuBox record for most punches thrown (2,172) and landed (667) in a heavyweight contest.  

“Kownack is a tough fighter,” Helenius said.  “I worked hard in training camp and it paid off.

“I knew that I hit him hard and I knew I just had to continue. I knew he was still hurt after that punch. 

Kownacki also spoke after the fight, stating, “”It wasn’t my night. It’s boxing. It’s a tough sport and things just didn’t go my way tonight. It was a learning experience and I’m going to go back to the drawing board and get back to work.

“He hit me with a good shot. I knew what was going on, but I’m just upset with myself. It is what it is.”

Ajagba Batters Cojanu En Route To 9th Round TKO

Heavyweight prospect Efe Ajagba (13-0, 11KO) battered and broke down Romania’s Razvan Cojanu (17-7, 9KO) en route to a ninth round TKO victory.  

Ajagba, 25, started slow, perhaps a bit gun-shy as this was his first time back in the ring since his fight against Iago Kiladze — a fight in which both men traded early knockdowns before Ajagba landed a fight-ending right in the fifth.  Tonight, the former Nigerian Olympian, needed a few rounds to find a rhythm, and while he slowly eased his way into the contest, his Romanian counterpart was letting his hands fly.  

After enduring a rocky start, one in which Ajagba would likely admit he was on the receiving end of too many clean shots, the Nigerian started to ramp things up in the late-middle rounds.  

By the seventh round, Ajagba was beginning to wear down Cojanu, and every backwards step Cojanu took, Ajagba matched with a step forward.  Roughly two minutes into the eight round Ajagba landed an explosive right cross that halted Cojanu in his tracks. Ajagba, who trains out of Houston, TX with Ronnie Shields, quickly followed up with a flurry of punches that sent the Romanian to the mat.  The Romanian barely beat referee Ron Lipton’s 10-count and convinced him he was fit to continue. 

In the next round, Ajagba would finish off Cojanu for good, punishing him for the majority of the round until the Romanian willingly took a knee near Ajabga’s blue corner.  Lipton stepped in to wave off the bout at the 2:46 mark of round nine.  

“Cojanu has a lot of experience,” Ajagba said post-fight. “When I threw my jab, he used his right hand to block my vision, so I couldn’t throw as many combinations as I wanted. It was a good challenge. 

“Ronnie told me to attack the body behind the jab. It was very effective and it started to slow him down. When he got close to me, I knew to throw more and punish him. 

Frank Sanchez Easily Outpoints Joey Dawejko In Ten Round Clash

In the opening bout of the televised portion of the PBC on FOX card, 27 year-old Cuban heavyweight Frank “The Cuban Flash” Sanchez (15-0, 11KO) turned back the always-game Joey “Tank” Dawejko (20-8-4, 11KO) to earn a ten round unanimous decision (100-90×2, 98-92).

It was a relatively clean performance from the 6’4” 222lbs Sanchez, who didn’t allow for the shorter, stockier Dawejko (5’10”, 247lbs) to get into an offensive rhythm.  The rising heavyweight prospect did well in the early onset to keep Dawejko out of range, employing a weighted mixture of jabs and defensive footwork to muffle any Dawejko offense.  

By the early-middle rounds, Sanchez was scoring regularly with jabs, and more devastatingly with straight rights that were landing without resistance.  By the time the fifth round came to a close, Dawejko was sporting a nasty cut over his left eye.  

After being dominated the previous round, the stout Polish-American dug deep in the sixth though and had his best round of the fight, landing two beautiful lefts – one upstairs, one downstairs – during the frame.  Any minor success was short-lived, however, as the Cuban came back with two big rights to bookend a clear-cut Sanchez seventh round. 

Credit is deserved for the game Philadelphian though, who never stopped trying to close the distance between him and Sanchez.  Dawejko various ways to jumpstart his offense — at times lunging into range while throwing looping left hooks and windmilling rights.  Other times, the 29 year-old Polish-American shuffled into range behind a double jab. Unfortunately, when Dawejko did close the gap, Sanchez punished him for it.  

At the end of ten, all three judges scored the contest wide for Sanchez, 100-90, twice and 98-94.  

“I was well prepared and I thought I fought very well tonight,” Sanchez said afterward. “I dominated the fight. I showed good footwork and movement and did exactly what we worked on.

“I didn’t want to fight Dawejko’s fight, and he realized that and it frustrated him. He might have thought he’s faced guys like me, but there’s no other heavyweight like me.”

Dawejko shared his thoughts post-fight, too, saying, “I knew he was going to fight on the outside and he stayed on the outside. Not much to say, he just did what he had to do. 

“He was scared that’s why he was running around. He kept jumping back and staying away, so I guess he made it easy on the judges.”

Carlos Negron Takes Robert Alfonso’s “O”, Stops Him In One

Puerto Rican heavyweight Carlos Negron (21-3, 16KO) dropped previously unbeaten Cuban Robert Alfonso (19-1-1, 9KO) twice in the first round to score a TKO victory in a contest initially slated for eight rounds.  

Negron, 33, caught Alfonso early with a left hook that the former 2008 Cuban Olympian never recovered from.  The 6’6” Puerto Rican kept the pressure on and battered Alfonso around the ring until Alfonso collapsed to the mat where referee Mark Ortega immediately stopped the contest at the 2:03 mark of the first round.  

The win stops a two-fight skid for Negron, who had been KO’d in both.  

For the 33 year-old Alfonso, tonight marks his first pro defeat.

Steven Torres Knocks Out Ajabor In 2

Heavyweight prospect Steven Torres (3-0, KO) kept his win and KO percentage perfect, stopping previously unbeaten Alex Ajabor (2-1, KO) in the second of a scheduled four round contest. 

Midway through the round’s opening frame, Ajabor landed a clean shot on Torres and got overly excited.  The 34 year-old Ajabor carelessly flung punches at Torres, who countered with a clipping right that dropped Ajabor hard to the mat.  

In the next round, Reading, PA’s Torres emphatically ended the fight with a straight right that landed on the button and turned off Ajabor’s lights.  The referee immediately waved off the fight at the 2:32 mark of the second round.  

The 6’7” Torres, who is trained by Anibal Adorno (father of Top Rank prospects Joseph and Jeremy), has fought all of his pro contests at the Barclays Center.  

Zachary Ochoa Earns Hard-Fought UD Over Angel Sarinana

In his Barclays Center debut, Brooklyn native Zachary “Zungry” Ochoa (21-1, 7KO) scored a hard-earned unanimous decision (77-73×2, 76-74) over fellow junior welterweight Angel “Pescado” Sarinana (10-10-3, 4KO) in a eight round affair. 

It was a back and forth affair that initially saw Ochoa wanting to box on the outside, sticking and moving.  But the Mexican in Sarinana wanted action, and insisted on bringing the fight to Ochoa, constantly walking himself into range where the two were more than happy to eat a shot to a land a few of their own.  

In the seventh round, referee Mike Ortega deducted a point from 27 year-old Sarinana for headbutting.  Early in the following round Ortega evened the score, deducting a point from Ochoa for holding.  

It was only once the fight resumed after the holding deduction did Sarinina throw all caution to the wind, bull-rushing his way towards Ochoa throwing fists from all angles, scoring most notably with left hooks.  Ochoa dealt with Sarinana’s explosive aggression well enough to pepper in his own hooks and crosses that made for electrifying exchanges as the fight came to a close.  

But in the end, it was the 27 year-old Ochoa, who got the nod from all three judges.  The win runs his unbeaten streak to five — all via decision. He was retired by Yves Ulysses, Jr. in 2017, which remains the lone blemish on his record.  

Conversely, the loss drops Sarinana’s record on US soil to 1-6.  His only win in the US came against previously unbeaten Kazakh, Dimash Niyazov at the Barclays Center in 2018.   

Gonzalez Notches First Stoppage Win Over Labby 

In a welterweight contest initially slated for six rounds, New York City’s Arnold Gonzalez (4-0, 1KO) scored a third round TKO over Illinois’ Traye Labby (4-5-4, 3KO). 

It was undoubtedly the most impressive the 25 year-old Gonzalez has looked in his young career.  The Ecuadorean-American found a home for his right hand early and often and strategically applied pressure that Labby struggled to deal with.  Early in the third round, Gonzalez walked a wounded Labby into a neutral corner and unloaded a barrage of shots that whipped a defenseless Labby’s head in every direction until the referee stepped in to stop the contest at the :53 second mark.  

It was the first loss in eight fights for the 24 year-old Labby, who last tasted defeat in April 2017.  

For Gonzalez, who trains with Julian Chua out of the famed Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles, tonight marked the third consecutive fight at the Barclays Center.  

Boston’s Hogan Scores Impressive KO Win In Debut

In his pro debut, Boston’s Francis “The Tank” Hogan (1-0, 1KO) scored a fourth round KO over fellow middleweight southpaw Brent Oren (2-4) to kick off an eight bout fight card from the Barclays Center. 

Hogan, 19, fought a calculated and at times reserved fight, but displayed bursts of offense that left Lynchburg, VA’s Oren with no answers.  

Roughly two-thirds into the fourth round, Hogan planted a meaty left hook to the liver that immediately shut down Oren’s system, leaving him crumpled in a ball near the red corner where he was counted out.  The end officially came at the 2:11 mark of round 4.    

Hogan, who racked up various amateur titles over the last few years, made the decision to turn pro after dropping two close contests at the US Olympic qualifying tournament in December.  He’ll look to go 2-for-2 as a pro on April 9 when he makes his hometown debut in Boston. 

Murat Gassiev will make his long-awaited Heavyweight debut against Joey Dawejko on Saturday July 29 at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.

Gassiev has made the move up to join the big guns following an impressive run at Cruiserweight where his reign as IBF champion began when he ripped the title from Denis Lebedev in December 2012 and then stopping Krzystof Wlodarczyk and WBA champion Yuniel Dorticos in thrilling fashion to reach the final of the World Boxing Super Series.

The former unified champion 25 year old met Oleksandr Usyk in the finale to the WBSS in an blockbuster clash for the undisputed title in July where the Ukrainian travelled to Gassiev’s Moscow backyard and beat the hometown favorite. The California based Russian follows Usyk to Heavyweight after signing a co-promotional agreement with Matchroom Boxing USA, Ural Boxing Promotion and Warriors Boxing.

Dawejko promises to provide a stiff examination of Gassiev’s credentials at Heavyweight, with the Philly man coming into the bout having nearly shocked Gassiev’s fellow countryman Sergiy Kuzmin in Verona, New York in March. Dawejko – who turns 29 tomorrow (June 11) – faces his third Russian foe in a row having taken Andrey Fedesov the ten round distance in October in Ekaterinburg, and Gassiev is eager to impress when he steps back into the ring after a year’s absence.

“I just want to fight – I need big fights,” said Gassiev. “I haven’t boxed for a year. I am only 25 years old so I have time but I want to be in big fights.

“The most important thing for me is to be in shape and fit. I feel good up at Heavyweight in the gym, I don’t feel heavy, so I am excited to settle into the weight.

“I sparred with Heavyweights all through my time at Cruiserweight and it was good for me, but sparring is different. I think that the time is right to move up though and I’m very motivated.”

“This is a very solid Heavyweight debut for Murat and a big risk as his first fight,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Joey is always competitor against the top Heavyweights, most recently against Russia’s Sergei Kuzmin in a fight that could have gone either way. This is an intriguing fight on what will be an outstanding night of boxing headlined by a potential fight of the year contender in Hooker vs Ramirez.”

Gassiev’s Heavyweight debut against Dawejko is part of a huge night of World championship action in Texas, headlined by the mouthwatering Super-Lightweight unification battle between Dallas’ WBO king Maurice Hooker and California’s WBC ruler Jose Ramirez.

Tickets go on pre-sale on Wednesday, with general sale starting on Friday.

Sergey Kuzmin remained undefeated with a 10-round majority decision over Joey Dawejko in a heavyweight bout.

In round five, Dawejko began to swell under his right eye.

Huzmin, 248 1/2 lbs of St. Petersbug, RUS on by scores of 96-94 twice and 95-95 to raise his mark to 15-0-1. Dawejko, 250 lbs of Philadelphia is 19-7-4.

Isail Madrimov scored a vicious 2nd round stoppage over Frank Rojas in a scheduled 10-round super welterweight bout.

In round two, Madrimov landed a hard body shot that was followed up by a hard head shot that sent Rojas to the canvas. Rojas got to his feet, but ate some more hard shots, and the fight ended when Madrimov landed an an uppercut that punctuated by a nasty left hook that sent Rojas head bouncing off the canvas, and the fight was stopped immediately at 1:56.

Rojas was down for several minutes, and removed from the ring on a stretcher.

Madrimov, 151 1/2 lbs of Indio, CA is 2-0 with two knockouts. Rojas, 152 1/2 lbs of Caracas, VEN is 24-3.

In a tough pro debut, 21-time National Amateur champion, Otha Jones III won a six-round unanimous decision over Giorgi Geleashvili in a lightweight bout.

In round four, Jones was credited with a knockdown when he landed a right hand. Replays showed that Jones may have stepped on Geleashvili’s foot.

Jones, 132 1/2 lbs of Toledo, OH won by scores of 59-53 and 58-55 twice, and is now 1-0. Gelashvili, 134 1/4 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 5-2.

Los Angeles, CA (February 27, 2019) Undefeated and world ranked heavyweight contender Sergey Kuzmin, (14-0, 11 KO’s), of St. Petersburg, Russia will battle Philadelphia based veteran Joey Dawejko, (19-6-4, 11 KO’s) in a scheduled ten-round bout on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York and live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.

Kuzmin vs. Dawejko, presented by Matchroom Boxing USA in association with World of Boxing and Greg Cohen Promotions tops the undercard to the World Title Double-Header between WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol, (15-0, 11 KOs), and challenger Joe Smith Jr., (24-2, 20 KOs) in addition to the WBO Super Lightweight World Title clash between Champion Maurice Hooker, (25-0-3, 17 KOs), and challenger Mikkel LesPierre, (21-0-1, 10 KOs).

About this return to the ring, Kuzmin said, “My fight with Joey Dawejko is another step on my road to a world championship. Watch my fight and I will demonstrate my boxing skills and the great training camp we had for this fight!”

Said Dawejko about the matchup, “I think Sergey Kuzmin is a good fighter, and we were already supposed to fight before. But it gave me more time to prepare for him and show him that he’s not on my level. He’s never fought anyone like me. And on March 9th I will prove that he doesn’t belong in the ring with me!”

“The Heavyweight division is on fire right now – and Sergey Kuzmin is one of those guys that can make a massive impact this year,” stated Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing USA. “Sergey has both the skills and that big punch that can catapult him into major fights, and an impressive showing at Turning Stone against Joey Dawejko will see Sergey knocking on the door for big fights in the coming months.”

“We’re very happy to have Sergey added to this card and against such a tough opponent as Joey Dawejko,” said Andrei Ryabinskiy of World of Boxing. “Sergey is one of the top contenders in the heavyweight division and we look forward to him proving that again on March 9.”

Said Vadim Kornilov, manager of Kuzmin, “Sergey Kuzmin is a top Russian heavyweight contender waiting for his chance to face one of the stars of the heavyweight division. Joey Dawejko is a tough opponent who will test Sergey’s will and power with the persistence and aggressiveness that he is known for, should be a great match up on March 9th!”

Stated Greg Cohen, promoter of Dawejko, “I have been speaking with both Vadim Kornilov and Matchroom Boxing regarding this fight for well over a year. I’m glad we were able to get it done and I look forward to Joey delivering a knockout victory which will propel him into the top echelon of heavyweight contenders!”

Standing 6’4”, the heavy-handed Kuzmin scored three stoppages in 2018, most recently knocking out the highly regarded LaRon Mitchell in stunning fashion during the sixth stanza on November 24, 2018 in Atlantic City, NJ. Just two months earlier the 31-year-old scored the biggest win of his four years as a professional stopping David Price in the fourth round at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

Kuzmin is currently world ranked #8 by the WBA, #11 by the IBF and #15 by the WBC.

The 28-year-old Dawejko has faced numerous top heavyweights including Jarrell Miller, Charles Martin, Bryant Jennings, Amir Mansour, Derric Rossy and Demetrius Banks over the course of his ten-year professional career. In his last start, Dawejko challenged Andrey Fedesov, losing a hard-fought ten-round decision in Ekaterinburg, Russia on October 13, 2018.

Accreditation applications are open for the event – please click here to apply, reading the instructions carefully – accreditation closes at 5pm on Friday March 1.

PHILADELPHIA, PENN / CHICAGO, ILL. (October 17, 2018)-After a 10-round unanimous decision over tough Joey Dawejko this past Saturday in Ekaterinburg, Russia, 2015 Boxcino Heavyweight champion Andrey Fedosov is back on track in his effort to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world.

Fedosov, who made his first start in his home country in over 10 years, defeated the former world amateur champion by shutout scores of 100-90 on two scorecards, and 98-92 on a the third card.

Fedosov registered his 2nd win in less than four months.

With the win, the 32 year-old Fedosov improved to 31-3 with 25 knockouts, and now will will look for marquee bouts against the best in the division.

“I am very excited about the future,” said Fedosov. “I have a brand new team with Journeyman Management with Andrew Zak and Alex Vaysfeld. We are looking to go to the top. I am already back in the gym training for the next fight, and I am willing to fight anyone.”

“We are very proud of Andrey for his win on Saturday. We are looking towards the future with big fights,” said Manager, Andrew Zak.

“Andrey is definitely one of the best heavyweights in the world, and to beat a tough competitor like Dawejko shows that he is now ready to take on the elite of the heavyweight division. I will sit down with my partner Bobby Hitz and Andrey’s manager, Andrew Zak, and seek out the best and biggest fights for him,” said Arthur Pelullo , President of Banner Promotions.

“It was a great win against a very capable and durable heavyweight. If you are not on top of your game, Dawejko can beat anyone out there. We look forward to bigger opportunities for Andrey,” said Bobby Hitz of Hitz Boxing.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check Banner Promotions Facebook Page , and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing

PHILADELPHIA, PENN / CHICAGO, ILL. (October 11, 2018)-This Saturday, 2015 Boxcino Heavyweight champion, Andrey Fedosov (30-3, 25 KOs) will take on tough Joey Dawejko in a 10-round bout in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

This will be Fedosov’s 2nd bout in the past four months after he defeated Francisco Mireles in the 1st round on June 30th in Phoenix, Arizona.

“I have been hearing that Joey has been talking a lot on social media that he was going to knock me out, but on Saturday, he will find out that he is barking up the wrong tree,” said Fedosov.

The 32 year-old Fedosov will return to his home country of Russia for the 1st time in 10 years when he steps into the ring at the Ekaterinburg Expo.

“I am very excited to be once-again fighting in Russia. It has been a while. I have a lot of family and friends who will be there and have not seen me fight in person for a long time, so I know that I can not fail them.”

With a win over the tough Dawejko, who was a former world amateur champion himself, Fedosov will once-again establish himself as one of the top heavyweights in the world, and will look for the biggest names in the division.

“I believe that I am one of the top heavyweights in the world right now. I just need that opportunity to fight one of the top guys to prove that I belong there. After this fight, I feel that I will get that opportunity.”

“This is a good step up for Andrey in his comeback, This is a big deal for him to be fighting in Russia on Match TV. After this fight, there will be big opportunities for Andrey,” said Matthew Rowland, Vice-President of Banner Promotions, who along with Hitz Boxing, co-promotes Fedosov.

“We look forward to seeing Andrey fight on Saturday,” Said Bobny Hitz, President of Hitz Boxing. “He is in there with a good opponent in Dawejko, who is battle tested, so when Andrey wins on Saturday, it will serve notice to the rest of the heavyweight division that he is a contender for big fights.”

“It’s a great fight for Andrey. Dawejko believes that he will win the fight. Andrey can’t wait to meet him in the center of the ring. It will be a real exciting fight,” said Fedosov’s manager, Andrew Zak.

The fight will be aired live in Russia on Match TV.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check Banner Promotions Facebook Page , and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing