(OCT 12) ATLANTIC CITY, NJ –
After traveling over 2,500 miles across the country by car,
boxer Christina Kwan arrived late Sunday in Atlantic City, New
Jersey with a full itinerary that was to culminate with her
first fight back in six years on Dee Lee Promotions’ card
tonight at the Tropicana Atlantic City Casino
and Resort.
Officially weighing in at 99 pounds, Kwan proved to
be back in peak form and ready for her comeback debut against
Kendra Lucas. However, at the weigh-in, Lucas failed to make the
proper weight for the fight and Kwan was given the news on-site
approximately a half hour after the weigh-in from the New Jersey
State Athletic Commission that her fight would not go on. “Kwan
did nothing wrong. She did everything that was asked of her and
came in at 99 pounds. We know she can fight. Kendra Lucas barely
made 90 pounds and we have an obligation to protect the safety
of the fighters,” said New Jersey State Athletic Commissioner
Aaron Davis.
Kwan, a former United States National and World Amateur Champion
at 95 pounds, had expanded her repertoire during her six years
away from the sport. She had founded a marketing and media
company, Kwan International, which resides at the Las Vegas
Motor Speedway. She has built a 1,300 horsepower drag boat that
she will be racing next spring and has become an avid poker
player, becoming the first boxing titlist to cash in a World
Series of Poker (WSOP) event.
Hosting the “Knockout Bounty Poker Tournament” on Wednesday
night at the Tropicana Poker Room, Kwan and her team members
which included Lisa Pickell, the first woman to win a WSOP
Circuit Ring, were the tournament’s official bounties.
Players
who eliminated any of the designated bounties won tickets to the
fight, room accommodations from the Tropicana and giveaways from
the Kwan team. The event was a success with the tournament
yielding over double the entrants of a typical Wednesday night
tournament. “The support from all of the participants was
amazing.
As a bounty, I widened my range of cards so that there
would be greater opportunities for players to win my bounty
prize. However, our team was definitely represented well as Lisa
won the tournament,” said Kwan. “From strenuous boxing training
to battling it out at the poker table, it was truly one of the
highlights of my trip to Atlantic City. Everyone that we’ve met
here has been so supportive and it’s been a pleasure to spend
this time on the east coast.”
While there is tremendous disappointment for Kwan, she is
eagerly looking forward to her next opportunity for a comeback
debut, “I’ve worked tremendously hard in preparation for this
fight and while I have fully satisfied my contract for this
fight, I can’t help that my opponent did not do the same. The
New Jersey State Athletic Commission will not allow the fight to
go on under the circumstances. This is more than just a fight. I
am coming back to boxing for a professional world title and I
welcome any 99 or 100 pound opponents to seek me out.”
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