Fellow Lockportian Plumeri Also on May 13 Kenan Arena Fight Card
By John D’Onofrio
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal
Lockport’s undefeated professional MMA kickboxer and electrifying knockout specialist Joe Taylor will take to the Kenan Arena ring on May 13 for the biggest fight of his professional career.
“The Son of a Legend” Taylor will take on Canadian National Champion Joe George of Kitchener, Ontario, for the World Kickboxing Association Eastern Regional Championship. Tickets are available on-line at ticketfly.com or in person at the Lockport Athletic & Fitness Club on South Transit Road.
According to Lace-Up Promotions CEO Lockport native Amer Abdallah, Taylor’s title opportunity speaks volumes about where Taylor is headed.
“Joe has such a vast amount of opportunities ahead of him,” said Abdallah, the WKA’s current world Cruiserweight champion.
George trains at the infamous TKO Fighting Arts gym in Kitchener. Taylor said he knows next weekend’s fight won’t be any “walk in the park.”
“It doesn’t matter who they put in front of me. My job is to win — and win big,” Taylor said. “Fighting in front of my family, friends and supporters is all the motivation I need to capture my first professional title.”
Taylor is trained by Lockport native Corey Webster of Western New York MMA in Buffalo. Webster, a former undefeated middleweight, has been in Taylor’s corner since his debut as an amateur and is happy with his fighter’s progress.
“He’s so athletic and picks things up so fast,” Webster said. “Joe is a different fighter today than he was last time around. I’m looking forward to adding a professional title to our collection.”
Also on the May 13 Kenan card is local favorite Eric “The Candyman” Plumeri. In his last scheduled fight back in November, Plumeri’s opponent had a medical emergency and could not get cleared to compete.
“It was definitely disappointing for us to bring in an opponent for a local fighter and have it cancel literally at the last minute,” Abdallah said. “Eric’s just that much hungrier for this fight.”
Plumeri will take on kickboxing veteran Jonathan “JR” Hines (24-6), a former world champion. “Is it a step up in competition for Eric? Absolutely. Is he ready for it? Absolutely,” Abdallah said.
Martial arts phenom Brandon Mindoro will return and attempt to retain his undefeated record when he faces Ernest Johnson of Southtowns MMA.
“We’re going to see how good Brandon really is on the 13th,” Abdallah said about Mindoro, who is a well known martial arts purist who is coaching several local athletes.
Major sponsors of the event include Mulvey Construction, All Metal Works and Lockport’s popular Molinaro’s Ristorante.
