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Revolution Championship Boxing To Take Over Wheeling Island

Nine fights scheduled for Friday night

By KIM NORTH

For The Intelligencer

WHEELING — Professional boxing. Professional kickboxing. Amateur boxing. Amateur MMA.

Four sports. One card.

Jim Frio Promotions will make its debut Friday when Revolution Championship Boxing takes over the ballroom at Wheeling Island Racetrack and Casino. Nine fights are scheduled, including the 8-round main event between Travis “The Terror” Clark and Keith “No Holds” Barr (17-9-1, 7KOs) for Clark’s W.Va. state heavyweight championship belt.

Bell time is 7 p.m. Doors open an hour earlier.

“It’s rare to have a card this diverse. Not many promoters try and do it because most fighters like to fight in a cage,” matchmaker Tommy Wilson explained. “But with a five-rope ring like we’ve got, we can do anything in it. We can do boxing. We can do kickboxing. We can do MMA.”

The only difference in the ring is a five-rope ring has a rope between the bottom one and the mat so that competitors don’t fall out.

Clark (9-0, 7KOs) will defend his title for the second time after taking out William “Wild Bill” Shahan in January.

“I’ve known him for years,” Clark said of his opponent, who hails from the Clarksburg area. “We’re friends, but he kept asking me for this fight. Sometimes you’ve got to be careful what you ask for.

“I’m feeling good and I’m planning on taking care of business.”

Clark has barely been tested since making the move from MMA to professional boxing.

“I’m right around 225 pounds right now and training is going well,” he said. “In fact, this is the best camp training-wise that I’ve ever had. I feel good.”

He trains out of Pittsburgh’s Conn-Greb Boxing Club.

Barr, meanwhile, started out 8-0 but has fallen upon some hard times of late. However, he did win his last bout with a TKO of Corey Budd on April 22 in Fairmont. He has lost three of his last five fights, including a unanimous decision to “Fast” Fred Latham, of Pittsburgh, for the WBC USNBA heavyweight title on Nov. 28 of last year.

In fact, Barr has lost all three title fights he’s been involved in by TKO. He was beaten on April 19, 2014 by Al Sands for the vacant WBA NABA USA cruiserweight belt. He also lost to Bobby Thomas Jr. on Nov. 4, 2011 for the vacant W.Va. state heavyweight title.

Clark, who still has ties to the Bull Pen Fight Club in East Wheeling’s Nelson Jordan Center, is among a handful of BPFC participants.

Bridgeport’s Josh Baker, who has enjoyed a superb amateur kickboxing career, will make his professional debut in a 3-round matchup against Charleston’s Rick Caruso, who will also be making his pro debut.

Jacobsburg’s Alex Quinn, a two-time Ohio Valley Toughman lightweight champion and former Ohio state wrestling titlist at Shadyside, will put his 2-0 amateur MMA record on the line against Ripley’s Adrean Walker (3-1).

Finally, Cameron’s Hunter Haines (4-0) will look to stay unbeaten when he faces Jake Wickline (4-1) in a 3-round amateur boxing match.

Two other local fighters won’t be entering the ring as co-main event combatant Ronell “Super Mean” Green suffered a work-related injury and was forced to pull out. However, he has been given the okay to fight on the next card in the fall.

“It’s a shame about Ronell because he’s an exciting boxer,” Clark noted. “That means I’ve just got to step it up a little more.”

Wilson echoed Clark’s sentiments.

“I’m very sad for Ronell. He was really looking forward to this fight since it was in his hometown,” Wilson said. “He will be on our next card with the same opponent.”

Wilson also gave credit to Steubenville/Weirton promoter Angelo Magnone of Made Men promotions for his help in securing fighters.

“We’ve been working with him. he’s actually helped bring boxing back to the area and deserves credit for creating a bigger awareness in the sport, locally.”

Eric Bledsoe, another Wheeling fighter, saw his opponent back out of his fight.

Two other BPFC fighters — Bellaire’s Josh Fisher and Bridgeport’s Todd Bevan — are set to fight on the fall card.

In addition to the aforementioned bouts, there will also be a pair of 8-round heavyweight fights between Jason Bergman (25-12-2) and Arthur Saribekian (23-11-1) and Devin Vargas (18-4) matching up with Daniel Martz (14-4-1). Also, Pittsburgh karate expert Tom Doyle will meet Josh Fowler, of Ground Zero Fighting System in Morgantown, in a 3-round amateur boxing match.

All bouts are sanctioned and subject to change without notice, pending approval by the W.Va. State Athletic Commission.

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