Whitaker eyes a world title to headline seven-bout card

The IBC showdown at the Maronite Center will be the first recognized world championship fight in the Valley since 1984.
By BOB ROTH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
AUSTINTOWN -- With co-promoters Pat Nelson and Lou Schiavoni, Warren light-heavyweight Etianne "E.T." Whitaker and his trainer, Frank West of the Buckeye Elks, announced a fight for an IBC world title next Friday at the Maronite Center on Meridian Road. The announcement was made at Gatsby Restaurant.
Whitaker, a five-time Youngstown Golden Gloves champion with three Cleveland titles, is 24-5-2 with 14 knockouts since turning professional three years ago. He will fight Glen Thomas (30-7, 10 KOs) of Louisville, Ky., in a 12-round bout, the highlight of a seven-fight card, tabbed "Season's Beatings" by Nelson.
It will be the first recognized world championship fight in the Valley since September 1984 at the Struthers Fieldhouse, when Harry Arroyo stopped Charlie "White Lightning" Brown in the 8th round.
Seasoned fighter: Thomas has been in the ring with some of the world's best at his weight. He escalated from the middleweight ranks, and he went the distance with former champions Michael Nunn and James Toney.
Thomas also went into the eighth round before being stopped by current light-heavyweight champion Roy Jones Jr.
For Whitaker, this will be his 32nd fight in 30 months and the 13th for him this year.
"It is a great opportunity for me and my career and I hope to take full advantage of it," said Whitaker. "I know this guy [Thomas] is tough and a smart fighter, but I have never trained harder for a fight and I will not let the people here down."
The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. with the first bout at 8, which will be a featherweight four-rounder between Erie's Ernie Bizzaro and Margaro Senquiz of Detroit.
There will be two four-round lightweight bouts, one between Jadashi Green from Patterson, N.J., and Abdul Malik Rashid from Cleveland, the other between Brian Anderson of Detroit and Videl Middlebrook of Cincinnati.
Women's bout: A women's four-round welterweight bout between Bonny Wherry of Cleveland and Cincinnati's Leanna Owens will be followed by a super-middleweight and a middleweight bout, both of which will be six-rounders.
Brian Barbosa (28-5, 20 KOs), a New Jersey belter, is in one bout and Robert Dula (13-0) from Cincinnati is in the other bout.
Admission will be $20 for general seating, $50 for a ringside table seat and $400 for the entire ringside table.
For tickets call (330) 270-9443 or (330) 509-4099 or the Maronite Center at (330) 792-7671.