PHILADELPHIA, PA — Undefeated bantamweight prospect Christian Carto, of South Philadelphia, faces veteran southpaw Victor Ruiz, of San Diego, CA in the eight-round main event Friday evening, Feb. 8, at the 2300 Arena.

The Carto-Ruiz fight tops an eight-fight card, dubbed the “Philly Special” by promoter Michelle Rosado, of Raging Babe, in her first solo promotion in Philadelphia.

Carto, 22, has won all 17 of his pro fights, 11 by knockout. A pro since mid-2016, Carto has developed into one of the most popular fighters in the Philadelphia/Atlantic City area. In his last fight Nov. 9, Carto earned a six-round decision over Antonio Rodriguez, of Durango, Mexico.

Ruiz, 27, comes into the fight the more experienced of the two. He turned pro in 2011 and has boxed some of the best “little men” in the world. In 2015, in Corpus Christi, TX, he got off the canvas in the second round and went on to win an eight-round split decision over former IBF world super flyweight champion Daiki Kameda, of Tokyo, Japan.

Ruiz also boxed former WBC world-title challenger and current NABF bantamweight champion Oscar Negrete, of Rosemead, CA, losing their 2017 fight in Las Vegas, NV, via an eight-round decision. Overall, Ruiz is 22-10, 15 KOs.

“I’m eager to test my skills against (Victor) Ruiz,” said Carto. “We’ve watched tape and he’s got plenty of experience. Ruiz has fought some great fighters: McWilliams Arroyo, Oscar Negrete and current WBO Bantamweight Champion Zolani Tete. As for 2019, I’m ready to start the year strong and I’m happy to be back in South Philly at the 2300 Arena. Training camp is going great. Billy (trainer Briscoe) and I will leave no stone unturned and we’ll be ready for Ruiz.”

Promoter Michelle Rosado: “This is no walk-in-the-park fight for Christian. If he wants to crack the world ratings, this is the kind of guy he needs to fight and this is the kind of guy he needs to beat. Ruiz has been in with some of the best at flyweight, super fly and bantamweight.”

Heavyweight Darmani Rock will fight in the card’s co-feature, with welterweight Marcel Rivers, of North Philadelphia, heavyweight Sonny Conto, of South Philadelphia, bantamweight Alejandro Jimenez, of New Hope, PA, lightweight Gerardo Martinez of Coatesville, PA, bantamweight Jonathan Torres, of Bethlehem, PA, and bantamweight Jeremy Adorno of Allentown, PA rounding out the card.

ABOUT FEB. 8:
The Feb. 8 card consists of eight fights. Doors open at 6:30 pm and first bout is at 7:30 pm. This event is all ages.

TICKETS:
Tickets are priced $50, $75 and $125. They can be purchased online at www.2300arena.com or by calling 215-765-0922.

PHILADELPHIA, PA- -Christian Carto hopes to continue his rise through the bantamweight ranks when he headlines an eight-fight card Friday evening, Feb. 8, at the 2300 Arena.

Michelle Rosado, whose Raging Babe company makes its promotional debut in the Philadelphia market that night, has dubbed the Feb. 8 event the “Philly Special.” If Carto keeps winning, Philly and more importantly South Philly will have something special on its hands.

Hall-of-Fame bantamweight Joltin’ Jeff Chandler was the last world champion from South Philadelphia. He won the WBA world title in 1980 and held it until 1984 after nine successful title defenses.

The 22-year-old Carto enjoys a huge following from his South Philly backyard. He brings back memories of another Hall-of-Famer, Joey Giardello, who was the last great Italian fighter from South Philadelphia. Giardello boxed from 1948 to 1967, compiled a record of 98-26-8 with 31 knockouts and was the undisputed middleweight champion from 1963 to 1965.

Carto has a record of 17-0, 11 KOs, since turning pro midway through 2016. He comes from a family rich in boxing tradition. His grandfather and two uncles were pros: Nunzio Carto, Frankie Carto, Joe Carto. All three fought in the lighter weight divisions in the 1930s and 1940s and Frankie was world-rated at once time at 126 pounds.

“This is going to be a special night for me,” Carto said. “It’s only my second time fighting at the 2300 Arena as pro and I enjoy the atmosphere even when I’m just there to support other fighters. A big ‘Thank You’ to Michelle Rosado for including me on her first card in Philly.”

Once he gets into the world rankings, Carto could remind South Philly fans of some of their best Italian boxers of days gone by: heavyweights Joe Grim (Saverio Giannone), Gus Dorazio and Dan Bucceroni; light-heavyweight Mike Rossman (Michael DePiano); welterweight Eddie Giosa; junior welterweight Tony Falco; featherweights Lew Massey (Louis Massucci) and Eddie Lenny (Edward Setaro); bantamweights Tommy Forte and Bobby Wolgast (Anthony Giordano); Hall-of-Fame flyweight champion Midget Wolgast (Joseph Robert Loscalzo).

“I look to forward to having a strong start to 2019 and continue building my career,” Carto said. ” My sponsors and my fans show unwavering support every fight and I am indebted to them. A lot of people are behind me and I want to make them proud not only of me, but also of South Philly boxing. There’s been a lot of great fighters from South Philly and I hope to uphold that tradition.”

Growing up in South Philly, Carto played hockey. He was small compared to the other kids his age, but it was on the ice that he began to exhibit the tenacity that would carry him through tough fights as a boxer. He never allowed his size to slow him down. In high school, Carto missed class trips, dances and social activities to pursue his boxing career, and the sacrifices paid off when he won the 2014 National Golden Gloves at 108 pounds in Las Vegas, NV.

In subsequent years. Carto moved up to 114 pounds and finished third in the 2015 National Golden Gloves and won a bronze at the U.S. Olympic Trials at that weight that same year.

“This show is for South Philly,” said Michelle Rosado. “The 2300 Arena is in South Philly and it’s headlined by Christian Carto, the hottest fighter to come out of South Philly in years. I look forward to getting him the recognition he deserves locally and nationally through this “Philly Special” card. He is the Philly Special!”

Tickets to “Philly Special” are priced $50, $75 and $125. They can be purchased online at www.2300arena.com or by calling 215-765-0922. Doors open at 6:30 pm and first bout is at 7:30 pm.

PHILADELPHIA, PA–Michelle Rosado, who has been promoting her own boxing cards in Arizona and working behind the scenes on other shows in Pennsylvania, is taking the next step by staging her first card in Philadelphia on Friday evening, Feb. 8, at the 2300 Arena.

Rosado’s Raging Babe company has been a trend-setter, and her Feb. 8 card, dubbed “Philly Special,” will add to her resume.

Coming to Philadelphia with a solid promotional background and a reputation for selling out venues, Rosado is no stranger to the area. She was born in Bristol Borough, attended Temple University, and she cut her teeth working with Hall-of-Fame promoter J Russell Peltz since 2014. Peltz will handle matchmaking duties.

While promoting her first card in 2011 in Phoenix, AZ, Rosado was dubbed “Raging Babe” by Phoenix New Times. The New Times and many in the boxing community credited her with re-energizing the professional boxing scene in Arizona. She promoted several events in Phoenix and Tucson before branching out and promoting shows in North Carolina, and assisting with several large promotions with Top Rank Boxing.

A master at making connections, Rosado brought together the women of boxing for the first Raging Babe Brunch in 2012, and has hosted several since to honor these women. She also co-founded and hosted “The Morning Punch-in Show with RB and Jae,” a drive-time boxing radio show that was acclaimed throughout the industry for its unique format, sense of humor, and down-to-earth interviews. She even boasts her own line of boxing apparel for men and women.

Of all the projects Rosado has taken on, promoting boxing shows most complements her work ethic and dedication to the old school methods taught to her by Peltz, and practiced by boxing promotional legends. She plans to combine those old-school methods with her new-school ways. Taking a page from the 2018 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles, Rosado has dubbed her first event “Philly Special.” The event promises to showcase some of Philly’s top talent in competitive fights, while honoring the rich history of Philadelphia boxing.

The main event and ticket information will be announced soon.

Tucson, AZ – Oct. 23 – When Tucson’s Jensen Ramirez (6-2-3, 1KO) squares off with Nogales’ Thomas Valdez (16-4-2, 6KO) at the Casino Del Sol’s AVA Amphitheater, it will be the first seven-round bout in Arizona’s history. The featherweight bout headlines the Nov. 17 event, dubbed Guerra De Gallos.

Raging Babe’s Michelle Rosado had to think outside the box when negotiating the card’s main event. One camp wanted an eight-round fight and one wanted a six. Rosado, consulting with her mentor, Hall-of-Fame Promoter J Russell Peltz, lamented the potential loss of a solid, local main event. Peltz had a solution. “Why not meet in the middle and make it seven rounds?” Rosado was skeptical. “I told him to get outta here,” Rosado said. “I was laughing, but Peltz wasn’t joking. School was in session.”

There was a precedent. Peltz told the story of “The Long-Haired Boxer” Edwin “Chu Chu” Malave vs. Harold Weston, Jr. in a welterweight bout that took place in August of 1971 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Malave wanted the bout to be eight rounds, and Weston wanted 10. The New York State Athletic Commission proposed that the bout be nine rounds. Malave went on to win a split decision, with two judges scoring the fight 5-4 in his favor, and the third scoring it 5-4 for Weston.

Rosado had her fight.

“I bought right into it when Russell told me about the Malave-Weston bout,” she said. “I knew we had a good fight, and there was something special about having a seven-round main event.” Both Ramirez and Valdez’s teams agreed, and the Pascua Yacqui Commission sanctioned the seven-round bout. On Nov. 17, Tucson boxing fans will see Arizona’s first seven-round bout between two local “gallos.”

Raging Babe will host a press conference this Thursday, October 25 at Casino Del Sol’s Paradiso Lounge at 2 p.m. The presser will be open to the public and will include a tribute to promoter Don Chargin.

Tucson, Arizona – October 16, 2018 – On the heels of her sold out July 17th event at the award-winning Casino Del Sol Resort & Casino, Michelle Rosado’s Raging Babe returns to the same venue on Saturday, November 17th, when super featherweights Jensen Ramirez of Tucson, and Thomas Valdez of Nogales collide in the main event, outdoors at the AVA Amphitheater. Tucson’s Alfonso Olvera returns ahead of his anticipated rematch of his sensational bout with Wilberth Lopez on July’s card, and Tucson’s Christopher Gonzalez faces Nogales’ Judas Estrada in a four-round welterweight contest.

Main event fighters Jensen Ramirez (6-2-3, 1KO) and Thomas Valdez (16-4-2, 6KO), have both called Tucson home, but the similarities between the two end there.

Ramirez, 26, is an award-winning tattoo artist when he is not fighting. He defeated Sierra Vista’s Jesus Arevalo at Raging Babe’s July event, after a two-year layoff, earning a 6-round majority decision over the often-avoided Arevalo. If his bout with Arevalo was about redemption, his upcoming bout with Valdez is about showing Tucson, and all of Arizona, that he belongs in the mix with the top super featherweights in the state.

Valdez, 29, last fought December 1, 2017, when he scored a wide unanimous decision in an 8-round bout versus a far more experienced Daniel Valenzuela of Mexico. A hand injury has kept him on the shelf. Coming from a fighting family, Valdez is trained and managed by his uncle, Oscar Valdez, Sr., who also happens to be the father of WBO Featherweight Champion Oscar Valdez, Jr. Thomas Valdez will be fighting in Arizona for the first time since a 2013 six-round decision loss to undefeated prospect Victor Castro, of Phoenix, Arizona.

Both Valdez and Ramirez will walk into the ring on November 17th with something to prove – to Tucson boxing fans, and to themselves.

Tucson favorite Alfonso Olvera (10-5-1, 4KO) will make his return on November 17. Olvera has his sights set on an eventual rematch with Wilberth Lopez (23-9,15KO), but cannot afford to stumble along the way. The two thrilled the Guerro De Gallo crowd in the card’s main event in July, ending in a split decision that favored Lopez. The decision pleased some and disappointed others in the sold out crowd, and since the bout, both camps and fans who were in attendance that night have called for a rematch. For his part, Olvera has no intentions of looking past his November 17th opponent.

The Gonzalez-Estrada contest features two local prospects who had the fans on their feet during their separate July bouts at Guerra De Gallos. Estrada (1-1, 1 KO) lost that night to Jose Barrera, of Phoenix, but the split decision had the crowd in an uproar. Gonzalez also was in a tight one that night, earning a majority decision over Sergio Lopez.

“When fighters fight – when local fighters fight, and aren’t afraid to step into the ring with a friend, former sparring partner or a tough guy, you’re going to get great fights,” said Raging Babe President and Promoter Michelle Rosado. “That’s what I’m about and that’s what my events are about. Boxing is at its best when the fights are 50-50 fights, and when fans get their money’s worth, and they definitely did that on July card. This event is no different. Hats off to these guys for all being willing to step up and fight in their hometowns. Tucson, if you’re thirsty for good, live boxing, get ready for a tall drink of water on November 17th.”

Heavyweight Edgar Medina makes his professional debut, Manny Guajardo, Nick Rhoads, and Mike Martinez return, and Arturo Resendiz makes his US debut.

Tickets for Guerra De Gallos start at $25, and go on sale Thursday, October 18 at 10:00 a.m. Tickets may be purchased at the Casino Del Sol gift shop, online at www.casinodelsol.com, or by calling 520-333-5150.

Raging Babe and Casino Del Sol will be hosting a press conference on at 2:00 p.m. on October 25, 2018. Press should apply now for credentials at www.ragingbabe.com/credentials.

TUCSON, Ariz. (June 12, 2018) – Michelle Rosado’s Raging Babe has built a reputation for quality, sold out events across the country, and she returns to Tucson’s Casino Del Sol on Saturday evening, July 21, with Guerra De Gallos, a fight card that is quickly living up to its name.

The scheduled eight-round main event features a hometown battle between two fighters who have earned their stripes fighting tough competition on the road. After competing in other fighters’ backyards and dealing with their opponents’ home crowds and officials, junior welterweights Alfonso Olvera (10-4-1, 4 KOs) and Wilberth Lopez (21-9, 15 KOs) will have a chance to showcase their incredible tenacity and talent in front of their own families, friends and Tucson fans.

Olvera, who has had trouble finding opponents, has faced top competition since turning pro. In his second fight, he went the distance with Ivan Baranchyk, currently unbeaten at 19-0. Olvera’s trail of upsets includes a 2005 unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Ryan “Cowboy” Karl and another over Chicago’s Genaro Mendez.

Lopez, who knocked out Phoenix’s Keenan Carbajal in his professional debut in 2013, has gone on to fight stiff competition across the country. He was the first to take World Super Bantamweight Champion Isaac Dogboe the distance when they met in 2014. Three years later, Lopez upset Jose Roman (24-2-1, 16 KOs), via unanimous decision in Roman’s backyard. Lopez’s southpaw style and reach kept Roman at bay and earned him the win.

“This is a fight between two highly skilled, local fighters who have never had the benefit of hand-picked opponents and hometown decisions,” said Rosado. “This fight will be one of the best Arizona has seen in years. I’m excited to give Tucson fans what could be Fight of the Year, and to bring back the pride that comes with competing to be the best in the state.”

The card is stacked with Tucson talent. Junior lightweight Jensen Ramirez (5-2-3, 1 KO) makes returns against Jesus Arevalo (2-3), and Tucson junior welterweight Christopher Gonzalez (2-0) will make his return to the Old Pueblo after securing his second win in Phoenix earlier this year. Mike Martinez, Emmanuel Guajardo, Nicholas Rhoads, Judas Estrada and Breenan Macias round out the eight-bout card.

Casino Del Sol has hosted boxing events since 2003, and has become a premier destination for boxing in Southern Arizona. Fernando Vargas, Mia St. John and Yori Boy Campas are just a few boxing legends to have graced the casino’s ring. “We are excited to bring boxing back to Tucson once again,” said Kimberly Van Amburg, CEO of Casino Del Sol. “Our goal is always to provide the best entertainment in Southern Arizona, and Guerra De Gallos will definitely deliver.”

Tickets for “Guerra De Gallos” start at $25, and will be available online at www.casinodelsol.com, by phone at (520) 333-5150 or at the Casino Del Sol Gift Shop beginning Friday, June 15. A press conference is scheduled for Thursday, June 21 at 2 p.m. at the Paradiso Lounge inside Casino Del Sol. The public is invited.

The July 21 card begins at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. The card is promoted by Raging Babe and Peltz Boxing. For more information, visit www.RagingBabe.com.

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA – August 25, 2017 – Raging Babe and Hall of Fame Matchmaker Russell Peltz have assembled what could be the best card North Carolina has seen this year. When “Raging Babe” Michelle Rosado first stepped foot into North Carolina, she did so with intent and purpose. North Carolina has, for too long, been seen as a place where fighters can go pad their records. Rosado was committed to changing that, and the newly minted Promoter plans on delivering on that commitment when she presents Thursday Night Fights on October 19th at the Durham Armory.

The main event is a local match-up, thick with bad blood. Marko “The Bull City Bully” Bailey (5-0, 3KO) faces off against Charlotte’s Stevie “The Answer” Massey (4-1, 4KO). in a six-round bout that has been brewing since both fighters were in the amateur ranks. The behind-closed-doors trash talk that both fighters have partaken in over the past few years has spilled over onto social media, and will now culminate in North Carolina State Championship bout on October 19th. “He runs his mouth too much,” said Bailey of his opponent. “This is personal. I want to beat the s— out of him. I have waited a long time to get my hands on this guy, and I’m going to break him down over six rounds. I’m going to make him look bad.” This is Bailey’s first six round bout, and he enters camp with the words of Undisputed Super Lightweight Champion Terence Crawford in his mind. “I spent some time with Bud last weekend. He told me that even when you’re struggling, and times get hard, you gotta fight through it no matter what. No excuses.” Bailey is training three hours from home with his head coach Don Turner. “It’s not easy work, training hours each day on a farm with only work, rest and corn.” Said Rosado of Bailey’s camp. Bailey isn’t deterred. “You gotta fight through adversity. That’s what makes champions. That’s what shows what you’re made of,” said the young fighter.

Massey plans on letting his fists do the talking. “I don’t back down from nobody,” said Massey of the match-up. “We should have fought in the amateurs, but it didn’t happen, and now it’s time.” The 24-year old featherweight is moving up in weight to fight Bailey, and Bailey is moving down. They are meeting in the middle at 132 lbs. Massey is coming off his first loss, a tough unanimous decision to Reggie Barnett Jr. Many fighters would take an easier touch after a loss, but that’s not the way Massey is built. “The loss gave me that hunger back. He better strap up because October 19th, I’m coming.”

It is the kind of matchup that Rosado and Peltz like best. “Listen, Michelle is a go- getter, she’s aggressive,” said Peltz. “She buys into the local match-ups theory. There’s nothing wrong with boxing that good fights won’t help. Michelle understands that. You have to make competitive fights. If you can make them at the local level without TV, it’s only going to help boxing in the long run. We’re trying change culture in NC. Anytime you get two local kids to fight each other in the 21st century, it’s a big deal.”

In the co-main event, two undefeated, local Durham fighters step up to face each other in a six round bout at Junior Middleweight. Joseph Jackson (8-0, 6KO) squares off against Monreco “King Reek” Goldston (5-0-1, 3KO), with both fighters putting their ‘O’ on the line. It will be Goldston’s first bout in over a year, after having scored a majority draw with Virginia’s Robert Sweeney in May 2016. The bout will be Jackson’s fourth this year. He is coming off a knockout win over Darryol Humphrey last Saturday, August 19th.

Also on the card, Carlos Olmeda (2-0, 2KO) faces a very tough opponent in New York brawler Vinnie Denierio (1-2, 1KO). It isn’t the first time the 5’10” Southpaw Denierio has fought in the Bull City. He faced Marko Bailey there in April, before rematching him in June in Philadelphia. Both bouts earned standing ovations from the crowd. Olmeda isn’t the type to back down, despite being the smaller of the two fighters, plans to give the New Yorker all he can handle.

The remainder of the card is stacked with some of North Carolina’s most promising talent. Undefeated Junior Middleweight Donnie Marshall (5-0, 4KO) makes an appearance on the card, alongside Super Middleweight prospect Blake “The KO King” Mansfield (4-1-1, 2KO) , and Raleigh Heavyweight Nate Williams (1-0, 1KO). Also on the card, Hasim Rahman, Jr. makes his North Carolina debut. The heavyweight is following in his father’s footsteps, and has earned two wins, both by knockout, since his April debut.

The fight card fulfills Rosado’s promise to the fans of North Carolina. “These fighters are not messing around,” said Rosado. “It’s refreshing to work with guys that want to fight.” Rosado noted that, to the fighters’ credit, the aforementioned match-ups were an easy sell. “They wanted to come and fight for the fans. No outlandish press tours, no pay-per-view, no circus acts, no embarrassing match-ups. Just real boxers fighting real fights, Durham style.”

Thursday Night Fights is sponsored by Corona Extra. Tickets are on sale now ($75, 50, 40), and available at RagingBabe.com or by calling 919-584-4849.

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA – August 15, 2017 -This time last year, “Raging Babe” Michelle Rosado touched down in Raleigh for the first time, determined to help a local boxing promoter make his mark in North Carolina. Rosado and her company, Raging Babe, did just that, and have now emerged as North Carolina’s newest boxing promoter. On October 19th, Raging Babe promotes its own event at the Durham Armory, aptly named The Return. The card will feature some of the best young talent from across North Carolina in competitive fights, matched by Hall of Fame Matchmaker and mentor to Rosado, Russell Peltz.

With a combined 50+ years of experience in the rough and tumble world of boxing, Rosado and Peltz brought a well-tested formula to Wilson in their first North Carolina endeavor in February. The sell-out event was followed up by the debut of Thursday Night Fights in Durham. Throwing a boxing event on a Thursday night was a hard sell for Rosado. “I had to really work on the promoter to get them to give Thursday Night Fights a shot. Durham is a fight town. I knew that if we threw a solid, quality card, with good fights, that fans would come out on a Thursday night, and they did.” When planning The Return, Rosado opted to bring back Thursday Night Fights, and return to the Durham Armory.

After two wildly successful events, followed by a dramatic falling out with the now defunct promotional company, Rosado was reluctant to return to the Tar Heel State. She realized, though, after so many months of putting her sweat and passion into boxing in North Carolina, she owed to herself and the gyms, fighters and fans she met there to return, and fulfill the commitments she made to them to deliver quality fights, while treating the fighters ethically and with respect.

“It took a while to get to know the personalities, the gyms, the fighters and their stories,” said Rosado. “For a long time, North Carolina was a place that managers and promoters brought their fighters to rack up wins. The fighters here deserve so much more than that, as do the fans. I made it a point to let everyone I met in North Carolina know that we were here to work on changing that.”

In planning The Return, Rosado has felt that she could fully put her passions and ideas to work for North Carolina boxing. “I’m excited for the opportunity to do it my way,” said Rosado, who has put on events in Phoenix, Tucson, Philadelphia and Danbury, Connecticut. “I’m happy to work with any fighter that wants to step up and fight. There are no easy touches on my cards. We want to pack the venue and give fans a night to remember. Russell is putting together a phenomenal fight card. The main and co-main events are going to have people so excited – I get goosebumps thinking about it. These guys are really stepping up to give the fans some of the best fights Durham has seen in a while. I wasn’t even sure we could put these fights together, and all of these fighters signed on the dotted line with no hesitation. They are daring to be great, and putting their undefeated records on the line, and I can’t wait to formally announce what we’ve been working on these last few weeks.”

Rosado is also planning to work with the fighters to help the community in and around Durham. “I want to bring positivity to Durham, and to North Carolina boxing. These guys are given a stage to showcase their talent, and we want to use that platform to give back to the community in any way we can.”

The complete fight card will be announced August 24th, and tickets for The Return go on sale that morning. Tickets can be purchased through the fighters or at ragingbabe.com.

LAS VEGAS – August 8, 2017 – On September 16th, on the morning of boxing’s next mega-fight, Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin, boxing’s “Raging Babes” will gather at Mandalay Bay to celebrate and honor WBC Cares Chair and Journalist Jill Diamond at the Raging Babe Brunch, dubbed “Shine Bright.” Diamond joins an exclusive group of women who have received the award – a group that includes promoters, journalists and executives who blazed the trail for other women in the boxing industry.

A WBC/NABF Official and Supervisor, Diamond has devoted her life to boxing, a passion that was ignited by her father-in-law, Clyde “The Texas Tornado” Chastain, and cultivated over years of service and volunteerism. Diamond is the International Chair of WBC Cares, a program that assists impoverished children in 165 countries around the world. She is also the Director of World Champions for Hope, an organization that encourages professional athletes to mentor young talent, and awards scholarships. Earlier this year, the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame honored Diamond with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Diamond has championed women in boxing since she first walked into a boxing gym in 2005. She originally joined the gym to raise her spirts after her husband’s passing, but it quickly became clear she’s found her calling in elevating women in and outside the ring, in a sport long-dominated by men. After realizing she rarely heard of female boxers competing, Diamond reached out to then WBC President, Jose Suliaman, asking why there were no female boxing champions. Diamond was surprised to receive an invitation from Suliaman to that year’s WBC Convention in Spain, and was even more surprised to learn, on her arrival, that she was named in the Convention program as a member of the Women’s Championship Committee. In that same year, WBC’s profile began to elevate, and it sanctioned the very first Women’s Championship bout. Other sanctioning bodies followed suit. It was just the beginning of what’s been more than a 20 year tenure in the sport for Diamond.

“It’s a terrific honor,” said Diamond of being slated to receive the Raging Babe Luminary Award. “It’s also a real giggle, because events like this one show how far women in boxing have come. When I began working in boxing in 2005, there weren’t many women in the business. In any industry, when the pie is so small, people fight for crumbs. The fact that events like this exist, and that women are now supporting and opening doors for each other, shows how much women’s roles in boxing have evolved.” Diamond continued, “To be honored by other women means the world to me. It warms my heart.”

“It’s such an honor that Jill agreed to be honored at this year’s brunch,” said Raging Babe founder Michelle Rosado. “She has dedicated her life to boxing, and specifically furthering the interests of women in boxing, and has devoted herself to service of others. She truly thrives on her passion, and all of boxing is better for it. She sets such a great example for women and men entering the business. I’m very excited to honor her on September 16th.”

Proceeds from the brunch, which will be held at Mandalay Bay’s Border Grill, will benefit the Prichard Colon Foundation, which helps cover the exorbitant medical and insurance costs for the young fighter who suffered a brain injury in 2015. For those interested in donating directly to the Prichard Colon Foundation, donations may be deposited in Scotia Bank account directed to Fundación Puerto Rico Unido por Prichard Colon, account number 92100011708.

The Raging Babe Brunch is a labor of love for Rosado, and relies solely on the support of donations and sponsor contributions. Thank you Golden Boy Promotions, Champs Boxing Club, John Francis Agency, WAR TAPE, World Champions for Hope, Boxing Insider, Big Berns Boxing Promotions, Porter Hy-Performance Center and Red Beach Advisors for making this event possible.

For information on sponsoring or attending “Shine Bright,” please contact Michelle Rosado at michelle@ragingbabe.com.