WORCESTER — The inaugural Punch-Out at Polar Park was, by all accounts, considered to be an unmitigated success.
So much so that the ring had barely been disassembled last August when talk of running it back became the primary topic of discussion among fans, boxers, support staff, and, most importantly, organizers of the outdoor boxing show at the home of the Worcester Red Sox.
“I think we were pretty sure after last year that it was going to happen again,” Chuck Shearns, who oversees family-run Shearns Boxing Promotions, and put on the event in conjunction with Camp Get Right owner Kendrick Ball Sr., said Friday.
“Met with Polar Park, and they were more than happy to ask us to come back. So, yeah, I think it's a no-brainer to come back and do it again.”
Punch-Out at Polar Park II is scheduled to take place Friday, Aug. 9. (Aug. 10 is reserved as a rain date.)
The eight-fight card, which oozes talent and is stuffed with competitive matchups, includes four boxers with local ties who will be competing in four-round bouts.
Worcester junior middleweight Keno Luna, a former New England Golden Gloves standout who is 2-0 as a pro, will meet Izaiah Vargas (1-10) of Seattle. The trio of Millbury welterweight Justin Laporte, Worcester junior middleweight Jhon Devers and 39-year-old Worcester welterweight Daniel Docimo — a surefire fan favorite — will all make their pro debuts.
“Those pro debuts should be fun,” Shearns said. “And then you have Keno Luna, who is very, very good. Last year we had a little bit more of New England versus New England. This one is probably a little bit more, dare I say, Worcester based.”
Laporte was part of the amateur card at Punch-Out last year, while Josniel “TG” Castro, a native of Puerto Rico who currently resides in Florida by way of Lawrence, posted a second-round knockout on the pro card.
Castro (12-1, 8 KOs) will face Jerry Bradford (9-2, 5 KOs) of California in the 10-round main event for the WBC USA super welterweight belt at Punch-Out II.
Undefeated foes Denzel “Double Impact” Whitley (14-0, 8 KOs) of Holyoke and Anthony “Vicious” Viera (5-0, 4 KOs) of Fall River will square off in an eight-rounder for Whitley’s Junior North American Boxing Federation welterweight title.
“Those are two guys who are really stepping up,” Shearns said of Whitley and Viera. “And, again, Castro is a true, legitimate title belt (fight).”
Two-time, two-division world champion Maureen “The Real Million Dollar Baby” Shea (30-2-1, 13 KOs) of Florida will meet a junior featherweight opponent to be determined, and completing the card is 40-year-old Scituate heavyweight Kevin Nagle (8-0, 7 KOs), who’ll face Mexican Jose Humberto Corral, a veteran of 53 bouts in his 22-year pro career.
As far as organizing Punch-Out II, the learning curve has flattened significantly.
“A lot smoother for us and for Polar Park,” Shearns said. “We both learned a lot. Polar Park had never done anything like this. We had never done anything like this. So yeah, much, much, much smoother.”
There have been a couple of changes this year, which will benefit attendees during the show and others afterward.
The DCU level, with its prime seating and suites, will be open this year. And Shearns and Ball have teamed with the Greg Hill Foundation, which will receive a portion of the proceeds to help continue its mission of responding “to immediate requests for assistance, to improve the lives of local families touched by tragedy.”
Hill, who was raised in Stow and attended Nashoba Regional, is a former longtime WAAF radio personality who currently heads the popular morning show on WEEI.
“We got connected with Greg’s foundation, and they do really, really great work,” Shearns said. “So there will be a much bigger charity element to this one than there was last year.”
Tickets can be purchased at the Polar Park box office, by calling (508) 500-8888 or online at polarpark.com/boxing.
They’re priced at $205 for field level VIP, $125 for DCU Club VIP, $105 for the first four rows in sections 6-11, $75 for home plate reserved, and $55 for reserved seating and $165 for family four-packs down the first and third base lines.
—Contact Rich Garven at rgarven@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @RichGarvenTG.
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