Kauffman to face Castillo on boxing/MMA card
Published May 2, 2009 by Martin Bean
The King’s Promotions boxing/mixed martial arts hybrid show scheduled for May 30 at the Sovereign Center in Reading, PA is beginning to take form with the announcement of the competitively matched lineup.
In the main event, undefeated heavyweight prospect Travis Kauffman will face battle-tested Ecuadorian banger Livin Castillo in an eight-round bout. Kauffman, 16-0 (13 KO), is looking to extend his knockout streak to seven straight fights but will be doing so against his most experienced foe in Castillo, who carries a record of 14-6 (9 KO).
Castillo has faced world champions Oleg Maskaev, Jean-Marc Mormeck, Bruce Seldon and Jorge Castro. He will also be the first southpaw that Kauffman has faced in his young career.
"This fight allows us to see how Travis measures up to the other top heavyweights," says Marshall Kauffman, head of King’s Promotions, who is also Travis' father and trainer. "I believe he is the best young heavyweight in the world right now. This is an important fight in his progression towards becoming world class."
In the co-main event, unbeaten cruiserweight Julio Cesar Matthews will face Kamarah Pasley of Philadelphia in a six-round battle of lefties. Matthews, 7-0 (5 KO), is on an accelerated schedule due to his advanced age of 39. Pasley, 4-3 (2 KO), has won four straight contests.
Keenan Collins of York, PA will face George Rivera of Charlottesville, VA in a six-round junior middleweight contest. Collins, 12-5-2 (8 KO), has faced tough opposition in his career, learning tough lessons along the way. Rivera, 10-4 (3 KO), is no pushover, as evidenced by his victory over 19-0 Jessie Nicklow last year.
In a rematch of a highly entertaining bout this past September, Esteban Rodriguez of Lebanon, PA intends to show his split-decision win over Pottstown’s Travis Thompson was no fluke. Their first bout was fought at a fierce pace and left the fans wanting more. They will get their wish in this four-round lightweight fight.
Rounding out the boxing portion of the card is local heavyweight favorite Craig Tomlinson making his first appearance in the ring in five years. Tomlinson, 23-15-1 (13 KO), has no shortage of courage which endears him to any impartial audience.
The MMA action will consist of local amateurs from The Cage MMA Academy, based out of Temple, PA. Ten MMA contests will be displayed in total.
"We're not in the business of mismatches," says Marshall Kauffman. "Our goal is to make competitive bouts that bring the crowd to it’s feet. Those who want to see action and knockouts should get their tickets now."
As part of a special promotion, the first 500 ticket buyers will receive another free of equal value. Approximately 100 are currently available in this promotion.
Tickets, priced at $65, $50, $3 and $25, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Sovereign Center Box Office at 700 Penn Street in Reading (610-898-7200) or at all Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com).
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