Championship boxing returns to Memphis with ABF bouts.
Memphis to host ABF bouts tonight at FedEx Forum
“Forty is the new 20!” publicist Sherri Neely brightly replied when asked about the rematch that tops the first championship boxing card in Memphis in a decade Saturday at 7 p.m. in FedEx Forum.
For the second time in 14 months, DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley, a 44-yearold southpaw from Washington D.C. will take on Vivian Harris, a Guyana native living in the Bronx – who just turned 40. Their 12-round bout will be for the American Boxing Federation’s Continental Americas’ 145-pound belt.
The ABF launched as a title-sanctioning group earlier this year and is scheduled to hand out belts to four of the six winners on this card. It’s the first promoted by 33-year-old Langston Hampton Jr., an Overton High School graduate who said he got his experience in a decade working for Don King.
“It’s been a long five years putting this together, but we’re here,” Hampton said at Friday’s weigh-in for a show billed as “The Big Payback.”
Harris, who has a 3-inch height and 4-inch reach advantage on Corley, dropped him with an early right in their May 2017 bout in Raleigh, N.C.
“He got me with a good right hand but
I started working angles on him and was able to take over, and I’ll work those angles earlier this time,” said Corley, who has fought three times this year, including a 12-round loss in Russia six weeks ago.
This will be Harris’ first fight since Raleigh.
“I want to make sure my body is right, and I’m just thankful for the second chance against Corley,” said Harris.
Hampton has worked with the promotional organization headed by undefeated champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. to put together this show. Three of the undercard fights will feature members of Mayweather’s “The Money Team” stable. Lanelle Bellows of Las Vegas (17-2-2) meets Lamary Harris of St. Louis (9-15-4) for the ABF USA Super Middleweight title. Charivs Holifield of Ohio (7-2-1) takes the TMT colors into the ring against Donald Ward of West Memphis (9-7-1) for the ABFUSA Mid American welterweight belt. And Ava Knight (14-2-4) of Chico, Calif. returns to the ring for the first time in two years, fighting Leesa Daniels (1-2) of Austin, Texas for the ABFUSA female bantamweight title.
Two four-rounders match heavyweights Javonta Charles (4-0) of North Las Vegas against Memphian Grover Young (12-25-3) and weltwerights Demario Brent (1-0) of Washington against Memphian Macro Hall Jr., making his pro debut.
Mayweather reportedly will make an appearance in the arena for the fights and will host a post-fight after party at the Memphis Cook Convention Center. Tickets for the fights, starting at $25 and $15 for children, are available at the box office or through Ticketmaster. Information on afterparty tickets can be found on Hampton’s website lanktheking.com.
This is the first title fight in Memphis since May 2007 when Jermain Taylor won a split decision over Cory Spinks at FedEx Forum to return the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization’s world middleweight titles.