(MAY 12) Bronx, NY  - Maureen Shea will make her return to the ring this Friday, May 14 against Norma Faris at the Paradise Theater in The Bronx. The six-round scheduled bout will be Shea's first since last August.

The Shea vs. Faris super-featherweight bout will be part of "Punchin at the Paradise 10", which is promoted by Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions. Prospects Mike Perez and Adrien Broner will appear in separate bouts on the televised portion of Telefutura's "Solo Boxeo Tecate".

The 29-year-old Shea, who holds a record of 13-2 (7 KO), has undergone significant changes to her career since last stepping in the ring. Shea is now working with head trainer Pedro Saiz of Brooklyn, a former world title challenger that has worked with world champions Joan Guzman and Yuri Foreman, as well as co-trainer Aroz "Terrific" Gist. Even her surroundings are different; Shea has relocated from the Hackensack PAL to the brand new Global Boxing Gym in North Bergen, NJ.

"Everything happens for a reason but my faith is unshakable," says Shea. who was Hillary Swank's main sparring partner as she prepared for her Oscar-winning performance in "Million Dollar Baby."

"So many things have changed within my team, within myself, my training location. This is the first time in my professional career that I feel I have a home gym. I feel that God has put me in the best possible situation to prepare me for what's ahead."

Shea's opponent Faris brings a record of 3-2 to the ring and is a native of Puerto Rico.

"I'm very excited to be fighting in The Bronx again," said Shea, who grew up five miles from the Paradise Theater. "I love the Bronx and I'm excited to perform in front of my fans. It's great that I'll be fighting on the card with other Jersey people like Mikey Perez, a teammate of mine. I fought at the Paradise Theater in 2007, it's a beautiful venue and the energy is great."

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