Phil Lo Greco-Joseph Elegele set for June 12
A battle between exciting welterweights Phil Lo Greco (27-2, 15 KOs) and Joseph Elegele (15-2, 11 KOs) will serve as the 10-round main event of Premier Boxing Champions: The Next Round on Bounce TV and BounceTV.com Sunday, June 12 from The Lakeland Center in Lakeland, FL.
Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/PT and will feature unbeaten Australian prospect Steve Lovett (15-0, 12 KOs) and tough contender Craig Baker (16-1, 12 KOs) in a 10-round light heavyweight showdown. The full night of action will be streamed on BounceTV.com
“I don’t know much about Elegele but I will not take him lightly,” said Lo Greco. “I am always in the gym. I enjoy fighting. This is what it’s all about, fighting on television and making a name for yourself. A win here will get me one step closer to the bigger fights.”
“People should watch me, because after this fight, I am ready to show the world that I am ready for the big fights,” said Elegele. “This win will put me towards the top and in a position to fight top fighters. This is the best I have felt in my whole career. Lo Greco is a game fighter. This is my hometown and I will have a lot of people coming out to support me and I can’t wait.”
“A win here will get me in the mix with the top contenders,” said Lovett. “I expect an entertaining fight and I am ready to go. Training camp is always good and I will be in the best shape possible on June 12. I helped Edwin Rodriguez prepare for his fight against Baker so I know him well. I am at the stage to step up to the next level”
“I’m excited about this opportunity to take on a fighter like Steve Lovett,” said Baker. “He’s highly regarded but I know that I have the skills and experience to beat him. I’m leaving it all in the ring. A win here puts me in position to get big fights so I plan on being impressive.”
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $75, $50 and $35, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.thelakelandcenter.com or by calling 888-397-0100 and from the Lakeland Center Box Office by calling 863-834-8111 or visiting between 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“This will be a great night of boxing,” said Marshall Kauffman of King’s Promotions. “Elegele and Lo Greco is a real 50/50 fight with each guy needing a win to get to the next level. The last show at Lakeland was action packed and June 12 will be no different.”
A four-time amateur national Canadian champion, the Toronto-born Lo Greco turned pro in 2006 and quickly made a name for himself as one of the top fighters from Canada. The veteran fighter has also fought in Germany, Italy and Hungary before making his U.S. debut in 2012 by defeating Hector Orozco in Atlantic City. He racked up a 25-0 record to begin his career and his lone defeats have come to top welterweights Shawn Porter and Errol Spence Jr. In his last bout, Lo Greco stopped Pablo Munguia in the fifth-round.
After piling up an amateur record of 69-8, Elegele turned pro in 2009 and reeled off 12 victories to start his career. One of nine siblings, Elegele worked as a sparring partner for Floyd Mayweather in 2013 and has also spent time in the training camps of Adrien Broner and fellow New Haven, FL native Andre Berto, who he has known since he was 12-years-old. He owns victories over Manuel Aguilar, Angel Hernandez and Lanard Lane and most recently stopped Alex De Jesus in the sixth-round of their Bounce TV clash in January.
Born in Australia but now training in Houston with Ronnie Shields, Lovett looks to build on the momentum he has gained in 2015 with four knockouts in his five wins. The New South Wales-native has taken down veterans Kevin Engel and Samuel Miller in his last two fights as he heads into his toughest challenge in Baker.