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By John D’Onofrio
LOCKPORT — Lockport professional kickboxer Amer Abdallah will return to the ring for the first time in three years on April 25 when he takes on fellow light heavyweight Jessie Colone of Cleveland at the Kenan Center Arena.
Sanctioned by the World Kickboxing Association, “Back with a Vengeance” will feature Abdallah (6-0) and Colone (13-2) in the main event, along with seven other fights that will include fellow Lockportians Corey Webster, Mike Moyer, Richard Zang and Eric Plumeri.
Tickets, which go on sale to the general public in less than two weeks, are $15 general admission, $25 ringside, $35 golden ringside and $75 VIP.
“I’ve never put so much into a camp in terms of personal feelings, as I have this one,” Abdallah said.
“This is everything to me. It’s what my career will be built on and my future based on. I’ve been down and have always picked myself up. I’m not running for office, so I don’t need anyone’s approval. I’ve done what I had to — period. Now, it’s my time.”
The Talking Phone Book is the main sponsor of the Kenan fight card, and there are several other local sponsors involved, including Mulvey Construction, Wittlin, Cain & Dry Accounting, Pap Leo’s and the Fieldstone Restaurant.
For the past six months, Abdallah, who owns and operates the Lockport Athletic & Fitness Center on South Transit Road in the Town of Lockport, has been speaking to youth groups and other local organizations about the importance of sound decision making and the repercussions of such decisions.
“At this point in my life, working with community children tops my priority list. I’ve been there — done that. I’s time to go back to where I began — the kids,” said the former state light heavyweight champion Abdallah, who has trained dozens of Lockport youths in boxing and kickboxing.
Among those in the Abdallah stable for years is Webster, a former United States Boxing National Silver Medalist Webster. The 24-year-old middleweight works today as a Western New York Mixed Martial Arts Association head instructor.
“Hands of War” Moyer and Zang will fight as a super middleweights and Plumeri a middleweight, rounding out Lockportians on the fight card.
“Amer’s an amazing individual. He’s very serious and very confident. It’s the beginning of his pursuit for the world championship,” said Abdallah’s trainer and long time friend Team Abdallah Head Trainer Andrew Heron of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
“Amer hasn’t been in the ring for three years and has a lot of fire built up that has been brewing over the years. April 25 will be an explosive and ferocious night.”
Tickets for the April 25 fight card will be made available to Lockport Athletic & Fitness club members only beginning at 10 a.m. this Saturday. Tickets will be made available to the general public a week later, beginning at 10 a.m. on March 21 through Ticketmaster.com (1-800-745-3000). Those purchasing tickets through Ticketmaster.com will automatically be entered into a contest to win one of four local prizes — a 12-month membership to the Lockport Athletic & Fitness Center, free pizza for a year from Papa Leo’s, dinner for two at the Fieldstone Restaurant and a men’s Movado watch.
