Both of Salita Promotions undefeated Detroit-based welterweights, twin brothers Joseph and Jacob Bonas, and Russian heavyweight destroyer Apti Davtaev, remained undefeated with impressive victories last Friday night.

Fighting on the untelevised undercard of the Claressa Shields vs. Ivana Habazin showdown at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J., Joseph “Detroit Bad Boy” Bonas moved his record to 7-0, 6 KOs by stopping Steubenville, Ohio’s Glenn Mitchell (3-5, 3 KOs) via TKO 2. Meanwhile, brother Jacob Bonas (now 5-0-1, 2 KOs) had to work a bit harder to gain a unanimous four-round decision over Highwood, Illinois’ Christian Rivera (1-1-1).

Showing marked improvement from his work in Detroit with SugarHill Steward, heavyweight crusher Apti Davtaev (19-0-1, 18 KOs) from Kurchaloi, Russia, overpowered Glenville, West Virginia’s Keith Barr (20-13-1, 8 KOs) in three brutal rounds.

Joseph Bonas showed some newfound patience in waiting for the right moment to pounce on the long-limbed Mitchell. And when the opening finally presented itself, he lowered the boom with a three-punch combination that brought things to a decisive end at 1:55 of round two.

Jacob Bonas survived a momentary scare when a surprise right hand from opponent Rivera got his attention quickly in round one. Showing his extensive amateur pedigree, however, Bonas made adjustments and eventually cruised to a comfortable four-round decision (scores 39-37 x 3).

Early on, Barr looked ready to rumble with his big Russian foe until a few punches from the Eastern Bloc strongman had him in full survival mode. 38 seconds into round three, the super naturally powerful Davtaev had his most impressive victory to date.

“All our fighters had terrific nights on Friday,” said Dmitriy Salita. “The Bonas brothers look to be turning into excellent professional fighters. They did what they are supposed to do with their early opponents by dominating. And Apti Davtaev is clearly getting stronger and stronger as his career advances. He is ready for a step-up fight against another up-and-coming heavyweight. His power is something the boxing world should have a look at soon.”

ABOUT SALITA PROMOTIONS

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including Showtime, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Dmitriy Salita proudly announces the signing of undefeated Detroit-based welterweight Joseph Bonas to a co-promotional contract.

Bonas (6-0, 5 KOs), a four-time national champion as an amateur and twin brother of also undefeated welterweight Jacob Bonas, is an immensely popular Romanian American with star potential.

The 26-year-old puncher trains with top-tier chief second Javan “Sugarhill” Steward at the new Kronk Gym and says he’s got big plans now that he’s inked a contract with the up-and-coming Salita.

“I feel great about singing with Dmitriy Salita,” said Bonas. “Me and (now co-promoter) Cameron Dunkin (of Now Promotions) knew it was going to be a great decision. He is making a lot of big moves and putting fighters in great positions and his shows are on a big level. He’s based in Detroit, close to me and is making real noise as a promoter. His work speaks for itself. I know where Salita can get me and it’s the very top.”

The confident Bonas revealed some ambitious plans for his fistic future.

I want to fight as much as I can this year and work on dropping my weight to 140 while racking up wins. I’m currently fighting at a catch weight from 147 to 152. My overall goal in boxing is to, of course, become a world champion and make as much money as I can and put my family in a better place. I also want to show people that I am the next Detroit great. I will take this sport over and win titles in more than one weight class

Bonas will have his first fight as a Salita Promotions fighter this Friday, January 10, a four-rounder against Steubenville, Ohio’s Glenn Mitchell (3-4, 3 KOs) on the untelevised undercard of undisputed middleweight champion Claressa Shields’ 10-round main-event showdown for the vacant WBC and WBO 154-pound titles against Croatia’s Ivana Habazin (20-3, 7 KOs) at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. and live on SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).

“Joseph Bonas is one of the best prospects in boxing and I am very excited about working with him,” said Dmitriy Salita. “He comes from the old Kronk Gym and is the connection between the rich history of the past and the future. I believe that he, along with his brother Jacob, will bring big championship fights to the city of Detroit.”

Brother Jacob Bonas (4-0-1, 2 KOs) will also appear this Friday in a four-rounder against Highwood, Illinois’ Christian Rivera (1-0-1).

In the night’s other televised bouts, undefeated welterweight Jaron Ennis (24-0, 22 KOs) will take on hard-punching Bakhtiyar Eyubov (14-1-1, 12 KOs) in the 10-round co-main event and in the telecast opener, WBA Super Middleweight Champion Alicia Napoleon Espinosa (12-1, 7 KOs) meets IBF Champion Elin Cederroos (7-0, 4 KOs) in a 168-pound world title unification.

The event is promoted by Salita Promotions in association with T-REX BOXING PROMOTIONS. The Napoleon-Espinosa vs Cederroos fight is promoted by Salita Promotions in association with DiBella Entertainment.

ABOUT SALITA PROMOTIONS
Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including Showtime, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.