BOXING Whitaker's loss means he must sit out show

The Warren native had to be cut from the Aug. 17 event at the Eastwood Expo Center.
By SAL MARINO
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NILES -- Warren native E.T. Whitaker, scheduled to fight the upcoming boxing event "Star Wars," was knocked off the Aug. 17 card last Friday night. Literally.
Whitaker suffered a technical knockout in the third round of an ESPN-televised bout against Damon McCreary in Michigan. The three-knockdown rule was in effect.
"I hated to see that," said Gregg Augustine, match maker for "Star Wars."
Whitaker now must wait 30 days before his next match, and Augustine said he will replace him for the seven-bout event at the Eastwood Expo Center.
This is the second boxing event held in the area in the last two months -- Eastwood held an event on June 24. Doors open at 6 p.m. with a 7:30 p.m. fight time.
The matches: Sam Hawkins (1-1), originally from Toledo and now of Youngstown, will fight Micah Acord (2-1-1) in a four-round match. Other four-round matches include: lightweights Dan Maldonado (4-0, 4 KOs) of Owensboro, Ky., vs. Parkersburg, W.Va., native Donnie Miller (1-1); welterweights Warren's P.C. Torres vs. Kevin Underwood in each's pro debut.
Junior middleweight Charlie Howe (11-3) of Grelton, Ohio, will face Tyrus Armstead of Evansville, Ind., in a six-round match.
Cleveland native Joey Bullock, a junior welterweight who now lives in Youngstown, is also on the card and said he's anxious to fight in his hometown.
"I want to be impressive," Bullock said. "I know the boxing history here. My trainer, Earl Charity, comes from a fighting family and he really has taught me a lot."
Lou Bizarro, Jr. (14-1), son of the former lightweight contender, will fight Raphael Rodriques (9-9) of New York. Bizzaro won at the event in June.
"Our main goal is to give the fans a good show money-wise, with the hopes of bringing someone big to the area," Augustine said.
General admission tickets are $20 and ringside tickets are $30.