Y-town’s Giuriceo, Salser earn spots on Pavlik undercard

Six fights will precede the main event on Feb. 21.

Vindicator staff report

YOUNGSTOWN — Kelly Pavlik won’t be the only Youngstown boxer fighting at the Chevrolet Centre next week.

Youngstown’s Jake Giuriceo will make his pro debut in the second bout of a six-fight undercard before the WBC/WBO middleweight title bout between Pavlik and Mexican Marco Antonio Rubio on Feb. 21.

Giuriceo’s opponent, Michael Suarez of Cleveland, also will be making his pro debut.

The third bout features promising lightweight Mark Salser (8-0, 8 KOs) of Youngstown, who will fight a four-round bout against Leroy Newton (6-13, 3 KOs) of Michigan City, Ind.

Doors open at 7 p.m. and card begins at 7:30 p.m. The undercard will end before 10 so the arena can show the WBO welterweight title fight between Miguel Cotto and Michael Jennings live via satellite from Madison Square Garden in New York.

VIP package

The Mahoning Valley Phantoms are offering a special fight weekend package.

For $550 per person, fans can get one of the final ring-side seats, premier seats for Friday’s hydration weigh-in at 6:45 p.m., premier seats to Friday’s pre-fight rally and the Phantoms hockey game against Detroit’s Motor City Machine at the Centre, passes to Saturday’s VIP pre-fight celebration and exclusive access to Saturday’s after-fight party.

There are only 100 packages and they are available on a first come, first served basis.

The doors open for Friday’s pre-fight rally at 6 p.m., culminating in the hydration weigh-in. (Since fighters are typically dehydrated for the official weigh-in, they are weighed again later in the evening after eating a large meal and rehydrating.) The Phantoms game will then start at 7:35.

Saturday’s pre-fight celebration will take place at the mezzanine level of the Chevy Centre with a bar and “hospitality foods.” The party will include celebrities Jim Brown and Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini as well members of the Cleveland Browns and Cavaliers teams and staff.

Details on the post-fight party will be released later. The party would be canceled in the case of a Pavlik loss.

To purchase the package or for more information, call (330) 746-1064, ext. 228.