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It’s Abdallah Versus Hughes Saturday Night for the WKA World Championship

By John D’Onofrio
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

Ventura. Hicks. Hackmer. Cuillo. Taylor. Gill. Esposito. Ford.

All had tremendous ring careers, making a name for themselves not only their hometown of Lockport, N.Y., but at venues, big and small, throughout the United States and for some, the world.

One, Newfane’s beloved “Fighting Schoolteacher” light heavyweight boxer Tommy Hicks, fought for a world championship — and that was in Scranton, Pa. in the fall of 1971.

The great heavyweight boxer Tony Ventura of Lockport was trained at Miami’s historic 5th Street Gym by Muhammad Ali’s immortal cornerman Angelo Dundee. His power-punching career took him to large venues that included stadiums in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and London.

The popular stick of dynamite Billy “Little Red Hackmer,” under the late great trainer Rob D’Angelo, became a Buffalo’s Ring 44 Boxing Hall of Famer, three-time New York State Golden Gloves champ, Empire State Games gold medalist, a National PAL champion and was a proud member of the United States Boxing Team in international competition.

And professional heavyweight Cuillo, 24-9 with nine knockouts, stands alone, having fought five world champions.

None of these former Lockport greats ever had an opportunity to fight for a world title in their hometown.

Amer Abdallah, Lockport’s long-time gym owner, fitness and mixed martial arts trainer and professional champion, will add to this city’s long, distinguished ring history this Saturday night when he takes on England’s Dan Hughes for the World Kickboxing Association Cruiserweight Championship at the Kenan Arena.

A large and raucous crowd is expected when the undefeated Abdallah (16-0), 38, takes to the familiar ring local fight fans have grown accustomed to.

The Lockport native, now residing in the fighting capital of the world, Las Vegas, Abdallah arrived in Lockport last week, as he prepares for this weekend’s WKA-sanctioned main event against the Englishman and British Champion Hughes. It’s the first professional world title fight ever that features a Western New York native.

“I’m the longest active fighter in this area” Abdallah said. “I took time away from my own personal career to build and develop my promotions company and to work on other business ventures. If I ever find myself a step behind these younger, faster guys, I’ll walk away. But that hasn’t happened yet.”

Abdallah will fight for the vacant WKA Cruiserweight title. Last November, a WKA title bout at the Kenan between Wales native Gareth Richards and Abdallah was scheduled to take place, but Richards never boarded his flight.

“We worked hard to put another fight together and it wasn’t an easy emotional step for me,” Abdallah said of last fall’s setback, adding optimistically, “but the time is now and I’m hungrier than ever.”

Also on Saturday’s international mixed martial arts fight card will be the long-awaited professional debut of Lockport superstar and amateur champion, “Son of a legend” Joe Taylor. The heavy-handed knock-out artist has compiled an astounding amateur career consisting of an IKF Classic national title, WKA national title, two-time Golden Glove champion, an MMA championship and an amateur world tournament gold medal.

“Joe is the future of Lockport kickboxing, boxing and MMA,” Abdallah said. Taylor will take on Rodolfo Barcello of Syracuse, who already has a six bouts in his professional career (4-2).

Popular local middleweight Eric “The Candyman” Plumeri will also make his professional debut against Syracuse MMA fighter Evander Russ.

Other exciting fights on the card include the two highest-ranked Lace Up Promotions middleweights, “Superfly” Sean Felton and Corey Vail doing battle for the title. Kenmore schoolteacher Ayanna Tramont will get her chance to claim the women’s middleweight title as she battles Canadian Mindy Hall.

VIP tables, VIP seating and ringside seating is sold out for the event. General admission tickets are still available, either in person at the Lockport Athletic Club or online at Ticketfly.com. Tickets will also be available at the door at 5 p.m. Saturday.

Among the many local sponsors of the event are Seneca Poker, Mulvey Construction, All Metal Works, Executive Landscaping, Papa Leos, BLING!, C&M Plumbing, Aquaholicks, Scott Cain – Cain, Witlin, Dry, Lockport Athletic Club and Collins Accounting.

Weigh-ins are scheduled at 6 p.m. Friday at the Seneca Poker room and are open and free to the public.

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Photo Above
Amer Abdallah’s historic kickboxing comeback began in April, 2009, when the Lockport gym owner, left, pummeled Cleveland’s Jesse Colone at the Kenan Arena with a fifth-round, light-heavyweight knockout win. Abdallah will take on England’s Daniel Hughes for the WKA World Cruiserweight Championship this Saturday night at the Kenan Arena.

Amer Abdallah Interviewed on Sports Talk Saturday by Sal Capaccio

Listen to the interview on the WGR 550 website >

Lockport’s “Son of a Legend” Joe Taylor Signs Professional MMA Contract

Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

Ever since his unprecedented start in combat sports three years ago, Lockport’s Joe Taylor has always been devoted to his hometown and community.

The son of the late local boxing legend Johnny Taylor, Joe never followed in his father’s footsteps during his lifetime, although the elder Taylor always dreamed of having his son compete.

Johnny Taylor made a comeback in the late 1990s as a boxing coach at the famous downtown Abdallah’s KO Kickboxing and Boxing Club, owned by Amer Abdallah.

“I remember back in 1998 when Johnny was one of our coaches, he would always tell me how he wished Joe would fight. But Joe, being as independent as he was, had a different lifestyle back then,” Abdallah said.

“Joe doesn’t remember this, but the first time he came into the gym, Johnny introduced him to me. I shook his hand and was amazed at the brute strength and grip of his handshake, being so young. I’ve had my eyes on him ever since that day.”

That day is now, as we fast forward 15 years, as Joe decided has to fulfill the hopes and dreams his late father had for him.

Taylor made it official recently when he flew out to the Lace Up Promotions head office in Las Vegas to meet with his longtime friend and advisor Abdallah. Taylor will compete for the first time as a professional on May 14 at the Kenan Center Arena on a fight card that features Abdallah’s WKA Cruiserweight World Championship bout against England’s Daniel Hughes as the main event.

“I always knew one day, I would sign with Lace Up Promotions,” Taylor said. “When it comes to trusting someone, you either do or you don’t. I just want to fight, make money and become a world champion. I’m honored to be on the team and thank everyone that supports my dream.”

While in Las Vegas, Taylor was welcomed to the Lace-Up team and congratulated at the Mayweather Boxing Club by Dewey Cooper and other members of Abdallah’s impressive team.

“Joe had gone through a period in time in his adolescent years of frequent run ins with the law and a troubled upbringing,” Abdallah said.

“He decided never to go back to that life again. We sat in my office at the Lockport Athletic Club and talked. I didn’t know how serious he was, so I put him through a training regimen, which he aced. I pushed him a bit further and he trumped that as well. The more I pushed him, the more he rose to the occasion. I always knew we had something special with Joe.”

By the time Taylor first began training at the Lockport Athletic Club, Abdallah had stopped coaching fighters and resumed his own professional career.

Abdallah called upon one of his star pupils, Lockport’s Corey Webster, who was running Western New York MMA in Buffalo, to begin coaching Taylor. Webster gladly opened his doors and began working with Joe. Taylor also used his father’s former student and now friend, Kendrick Huston, to help train him and fill in the times he couldn’t make it to the gym.

Since that day, Joe Taylor has captured the WKA Amateur National Tournament Championship, the IKF Classic Tournament Championship, the New York State Golden Gloves title back-to-back and most recently, won a gold medal in the WKA Amateur World Championships in Spain.

The only logical next step was to turn to the professional ranks. Abdallah said it didn’t take long for Taylor and Lace-Up to agree to contract terms.

“What most people don’t understand is this is a business disguised as a sport. Often, fighters and people around them forget that,” Abdallah said. “My job isn’t just to get Joe fights, but to ensure he’s financially comfortable.”

Tickets for Lockport’s historic May 14 international fight card at the Kenan Center Arena are available at Ticketfly.com or in person at the Lockport Athletic & Fitness Club on South Transit Road.

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Photo Above
Lockport’s Joe Taylor, right, recently traveled to the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas to sign a professional MMA contract with Lock City native Amer Abdallah, left, and Lace Up Promotions. Taylor will appear on a historic city international fight card on May 14 at the Kenan Center Arena. The main event of that card features the city’s first-ever world title fight as Abdallah takes on England’s Dan Hughes for the WKA Cruiserweight World Championship.

Lockport Native Versus England’s Daniel Hughes for the Vacant WKA Cruiserweight Championship

By John D’Onofrio
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

World Kickboxing Association United States Light Heavyweight Champion Amer Abdallah will make Lockport and Western New York history on May 14, when he takes on Daniel Hughes of Swindon, England, for the WKA’s cruiserweight world championship at the Kenan Center Arena.

The event would mark the first ever world title fight in the Lock City’s already historic boxing history.

Tickets for the event will be available beginning April 1 at the Lockport Athletic & Fitness Club on South Transit Road as well as online at Ticketfly.com.

By rights, the undefeated Abdallah, 38, should have already fought for the WKA world title. Last November, in a Kenan Arena international MMA fight card dubbed, “The Final Chapter,” WKA cruiserweight champion Gareth Richards of Wales, UK was scheduled to defend his belt against Abdallah at the Kenan Arena.

But Richards emailed Lace Up Promotions matchmakers just days before the event stating a visa issue had prevented him from leaving the United Kingdom. He was subsequently stripped of his title and Abdallah immediately garnered another title fight opportunity.

The news of Richards’ no-show was devastating on a boxing community eager to witness its first ever world title fight, but no more than on the resilient Lockport-native Abdallah, who has trained and fought literally his entire life for this rare opportunity.

“My team and his team know why he didn’t get on that plane,” Abdallah said this week.

“I’m not going to get into any details about it, but I will say that it was an outright cowardly move. Whatever he’s going through internally, I hope he musters the strength to overcome it and I wish him and his family all the best.”

With the WKA title now vacant, Abdallah (16-0) faces Hughes, the British champion and ISKA & WKA No. 2-ranked contender.

The May 14 undercard will be stacked with popular local talent and will feature not one, but two professional debuts. Popular amateur world champion “Son of a Legend” Joe Taylor will compete for the first time as a professional as will Lockport’s “Candyman” Eric Plumeri.

Abdallah’s company, Lace Up Promotions, is promoting the world title fight.

“Putting together and being granted rights to such a high profile fight wasn’t an easy task” said event coordinator Andre Hahn of Lace Up Promotions.

“We have our wonderful sponsors Seneca Poker, Mulvey Construction, All Metal Works, Darren Sparks and Scott Cain, as well as our amazing Western New York fans to thank for being so supportive of our events. And as always, we thank the World Kickboxing Association for entrusting us with this fight.”

Lockport has produced many national boxing greats over the years, including heavyweight Tony Ventura, who was trained by Angelo Dundee of Muhammad Ali fame; “The Fighting Schoolteacher” Tommy Hicks, who lost to Hall of Famer Bob Foster in his world light heavyweight title fight in the early 1970s; Pat Cuillo, who fought five world champions; Billy “Little Red” Hackmer, who was an U.S. Olympic Team finalist; and the “Duke of Lockport,” Jimmy Duffy, who fought as a lightweight and welterweight from 1908-1921.

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Photo Above
Lockport native Amer Abdallah will take on England’s Daniel Hughes for the vacant WKA World Cruiserweight Championship on May 14 at the Kenan Center. Photo by J Stoos Photography

New York featherweight Kevin VanNostrand (11-0, 9 KO’s) has been handed the biggest opportunity of his career three weeks out from GLORY 27 CHICAGO.

He has agreed to step in and face Giga Chikadze (33-4, 20 KO’s), a training partner of UFC lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos, after Chikadze’s originally-scheduled opponent was forced out of the match due to injury.

VanNostrand fights out of Team Andrello in Syracuse, New York under head coach Jim Andrello. He has already competed on two GLORY undercards to date – GLORY 19 VIRGINIA and GLORY 24 DENVER – and was successful in both outings. Now, chance propels him to the main card in a bout which will air in the US on ESPN.

“This is an opportunity that isn’t given to everyone so I am going to make the most of this experience and make my mark for history,” he says.

VanNostrand went 18-1 as an amateur with 15 wins inside the distance. His sole loss was to Canada’s Chris ‘The Polish Hammer’ Horodecki, who subsequently moved into Mixed Martial Arts and fought for the IFL, WEC and Bellator.

As a professional VanNostrand has stopped nearly 90% of his opponents. His manager describes him as “a silent killer… humble and quiet outside the ring but absolutely ferocious inside of it”. True to form, VanNostrand’s GLORY debut in Virginia ended with his opponent flat on the canvas in just two minutes.

His amateur credits include the WKA North-East, United States and World titles, all of which were accrued inside just 24 months. Now he is looking to get on track for a shot at the GLORY World Featherweight Championship.

Chikadze also debuted with a knockout, finishing Ken Tran at GLORY 21 SAN DIEGO with a brutal body kick. The finish put the final seal on a standout performance from Chikadze, who won the crowd over with a dazzling array of kicks.

In his second outing, Chikadze dropped to featherweight and lost a split-decision to Boynazarov at GLORY 23 LAS VEGAS. He blames the loss on a hard weight cut and wants to score a decisive victory in Chicago to form the basis of his own title shot campaign.

GLORY 27 CHICAGO takes place Friday, February 26 at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates, Chicago, Illinois. The headline fight sees Artem ‘The Lion’ Levin defend the world middleweight championship against Simon ‘Bad Bwoy’ Marcus for a second time in a bitter grudge rematch.

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