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Home » Rhode Wars 3 features host of talent on March 25 at Park Theatre

Rhode Wars 3 features host of talent on March 25 at Park Theatre

The stars come out March 25 as Rhode Wars 3 invades the Historic Park Theatre & Event Center.

Four-time world champion and International Women’s Boxing Hall of Famer Jaime “Hurricane” Clampitt headlines CES Boxing’s Park Theatre debut in an eight-round lightweight showdown against Brazilian Taynna Cardoso and unbeaten super featherweight prospect Alejandro Paulino returns in the six-round co-main event against dangerous veteran Derrick Murray, highlighting a full day of boxing that also features the Jimmy Burchfield Classic Invitational VII matinee amateur boxing showcase.

Rhode Wars 3 and the Jimmy Burchfield Classic Invitational VII are separate admission events with tickets for available online at CESFights.com or TheParkRI.com.

Full fight card details for Rhode Wars 3 were announced yesterday at the Park Theatre’s newly-launched Comedy Park, part of a highly-publicized series of renovations under the Theatre’s new ownership.

The venue’s first combat sports event features a handful of household names, highlighted by the iconic Clampitt (23-6-2, 7 KOs), who aims for her first victory in 13 months amidst her second comeback following an eight-year layoff between 2013 and 2021. The 34-year-old Cardoso boasts a lengthy amateur career before making her professional debut in 2017 and is just three weeks removed from a back-and-forth showdown with 31-fight legend Heather Hardy.

The 24-year-old prodigy Paulino (11-0, 10 KOs) last fought in January against Ryizeemmion Ford in a bout originally scored a fifth-round knockout win for Paulino and later ruled a no contest. The New London, CT, native tries again for win No. 12 against the durable Murray (17-7-1, 6 KOs), whose gone the distance in 17 of his 25 pro bouts. Murray has fought everywhere from 126 to 140 pounds, but has historically been at his best between super featherweight and lightweight, most recently scoring key victories over previously-unbeaten prospect Angel Flores and 87-fight vet DeMarcus Corley.

Fighting for the first time under the CES banner, newly-signed, undefeated junior middleweight prospect Anthony Velazquez (11-0, 10 KOs) of Springfield, MA, faces hard-charging Brazilian Rodrigo Lopes Rodrigues (8-4, 7 KOs) in a six-round bout. Velazquez competed in the Junior Olympics as a 16-year-old amateur before embarking on his pro career with four fights in 2018.

The 26-year-old rising star won his first nine fights by knockout and figures to face his toughest test March 25 against the pesky Rodrigues, who went six hard rounds with Francis Hogan with CES in June and remains the only fighter to go the distance with the lanky left-hander.

Also at Rhode Wars 3, Cranston’s own Gary Balletto III (3-0, 2 KOs) steps back into the ring against 23-year-old Marlborough, MA, native Raphael Torres (2-0, 2 KOs) with both fighters putting their unbeaten records on the line in an intriguing six-round cruiserweight bout. A two-sport star who also excels in mixed martial arts, Balletto fights for the second time in his hometown, following in the footsteps of his father, Gary “Tiger” Balletto, who fought seven times in Cranston during his decade-long career.

Johnston, RI, super middleweight James Maner (2-0, 2 KOs) aims for his third career win in a four-round bout against debut Garrett Desilets of Fall River, MA, and welterweight Jesus Salas (1-1, 1 KO) of New Bedford, MA, makes his CES debut in a four-round bout against Bronx native Jeff Gonzalez (1-0).