(APR 2)  Pro Boxing returns to the Coast Convention Center in Downtown Langley, British Columbia Canada. Friday April 7, with Langley’s Sarah Pucek headlining the card. This will be the third time in a year Pucek has been the Main Event at the Coast Convention Center.

Pucek is the current Canadian and Commonwealth Champion and is set to fight for the iconic NABF Title (North American Boxing Federation). Some of boxing’s outstanding fights have been for this title. The second fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier was for a NABF title fight as was the Nationally Televised Tilt between Ron Lyle and George Foremansome years ago.

Boxing legends such as Muhammad Ali, Thomas Hearn’s, George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard and Claressa Shields have all won this title. If the name Claressa Shields seems out of place with the other historic boxers it is something to get used to.

Shields won Gold at the Olympics twice and was not only the first American woman boxer to win gold at the Olympics. She is the first American boxer, man or woman to win the gold twice. Shields became the first woman to win the NABF Championship on March 10 in Detroit on a Showtime Boxing show. Sarah Pucek will look to join Shields who won the title at 160 lbs. Pucek will challenge Marquita Lee of San Francisco for the vacant NABF Championship at 130 lbs.

Marquita Lee has been plagued by inactivity however her camp got the ball rolling again when she fought Shelly Vincent last December. Lee lost an eight round decision against the 19-1-0 Vincent in a competitive fight.

Women’s Boxing is becoming more significant, especially in the past five years since they started to have women boxing at the Olympic Games. Pucek turned pro in 2008 after a 2-year amateur career spanning 16 fights that included a Bronze Medal at the Canadian Nationals.

Pucek who just turned 30 had a three-and-a-half-year layoff allowing her to complete collage courses.The lean blue eyed blonde who looks like she belongs on The Catwalk more so than in a boxing ringreturned to boxing a year ago with a win over southpaw Stephanie Essensa.Trainer Dave Allison feels his fighter is just now finding her timing and is still upwardly mobile. She has really come into her own and is ready to challenge the best out there says Allison.

This will be the third time Pucek has headlined at the Coast Convention Center and the 5th time she has been billed in a Main Event in a boxing show. The April 7 show is a Pro-AM and will feature another pro fight with Julian Kim of Surrey BC taking on Ted Reno of Calgary Alberta in a four round contest. Kim, a BC amateur champion will be making his pro debut in the middleweight contest.
This will be the 47th Clash at the Cascades taking place at the Coast Convention Center, BC’s premier boxing venue. The amateurs on the undercard are all part of the World Boxing Council Amateur System. Kim is a graduate of the WBC amateur system in British Columbia that has developed 10 boxers to the paid ranks within the last 2 years.

The Pucek camp are on track to defend the Commonwealth and Canadian Championships against Olivia Gerula later this summer. We believe this is a very important fight since Gerula is a former WBC World Champion and has been ranked in the top ten for the last few years. Allison says we expect this fight to happen in Langley and it will be our focus very soon.