| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: Friday, July 6, 2001 |
Release #240-01 |
| Contact: | Sunny Mindel / Sid Dinsay | (212) 788-2958 |
"Boxing, just like baseball, has come back to Brooklyn," said Mayor Giuliani. "Not since Sugar Ray Robinson won a decision 50 years ago has a big-time boxing match taken place in Coney Island. This Saturday, we will show the world that Brooklyn can still host a world-class fight -- and that sporting events like boxing will bolster Coney Island's reputation as a main attraction in itself."
Camacho Jr. (32-0, 18 KO's) and Leija (42-5-2, 17 KO's) will compete in the main event, a ten-round, super lightweight bout. The undercard will feature seven fights, including a bout between Kirk Johnson vs. Larry Donald, who are competing to be the mandatory challenger for the heavyweight title. Camacho vs. Leija and Johnson vs. Donald will be broadcast live nationally by HBO as part of its successful "Boxing After Dark" series.
Doors will open for the "Brooklyn Brawlers" event at 7:30 P.M., with the bouts beginning at 8 P.M. The televised matches will begin at 11 P.M. About 4,000 tickets for this match have already been sold, but tickets are still available at the KeySpan Park box office. Ticket prices start at $25. Those interested can call Ticketmaster (212-307-7171) or the KeySpan Park box office (718-449-8497) for more information.
The 6,500-seat KeySpan
Park, which opened in June, is home to the minor league Brooklyn Cyclones
and was the first major project in the revitalization of Coney Island. In
addition to baseball, KeySpan Park will host other events, such as concerts
and high school sports. The City further plans to assist with the renovation
of the Coney Island Museum and will oversee construction of the New York Sports
Museum.
www.nyc.gov