Liguori Shines, Powell Detonates

At Rhode Wars 5 In Cranston!

(March 1st) Boxing delivered a memorable night of action and entertainment on Saturday, February 28 at The Historic Park Theater, as "Rhode Wars 5" showcased New England’s rising stars in front of a near sellout crowd.

Comedian Lil Mo Mozzarella brought laughter between bouts, keeping the atmosphere lively throughout the evening. The night also featured a heartfelt tribute to Providence native and lifelong boxing fan Nicky Cardillo, who passed away unexpectedly at age 58 on December 21, 2025, leaving behind his beloved daughter Anjali. The ceremony was emotional and fitting — a reminder that boxing, at its best, is about community.

Liguori Stops Williamson In Statement Performance

Gianni “The Ghost” Liguori (5-0-1, 4 KOs) passed the most important test of his young career. The 21-year-old Branford, Connecticut native showcased sharp technique and poise beyond his years, stopping St. Louis puncher Deonta Williamson (3-7, 3 KOs) after three completed rounds.

Under the tutelage of world-class trainer Stacey McKinley, Liguori started fast, firing with both hands to immediately establish command.  Williamson, whose three wins have all come by knockout, crouched low and looked to counter with big left hooks.

While the fighters had similar hand speed, Liguori’s superior fundamentals controlled most of the exchanges.  A stiff jab set the tone. Clean right hands, uppercuts and hooks followed. By round three, Williamson was visibly fatigued. He took a knee in round two and, at the end of round three, his corner halted the contest — much to Liguori’s disappointment.

“I needed a tough test for my experience,” Liguori said. “I did my best and he was durable up until his corner stopped it.”

New England boxing’s future is bright with rising prospects like Liguori, who turned professional in 2024 and signed with CES Boxing in July 2025.

Lamont Powell Puts all Middleweights on Notice with Explosive First-Round Finish

After 3 long years away from the ring, Lamont Powell (7-0, 3 KOs) wasted little time in getting back to his winning ways, detonating a right-hand flush on Colombia’s Rodolfo Puentes’ (21-14-2, 16 KOs) chin just seconds into the bout.  The Barranquilla native crashed with a thud, causing referee Joey Lupino to immediately waive off the contest at 23 seconds of the first round.

“Anyone at 160 can get it,” declared the 32-year-old Powell afterwards. “This year, we want all the smoke, and I want to win a title.”

An active Powell has plenty of opposition to choose from, as CES also promotes fellow undefeated middleweight prospects Douglas Marroquin (9-0, 5 KOs) of Stamford, CT and Johnston, RI’s James Maner (6-0, 2 KOs).

Captain America Delivers: Evans Outworks Young in Pro Debut Win

At 38 years old, Tom Evans (1-0) proved that conditioning and determination matter.

The North Providence patrolman — who hadn’t competed since May 2020 — outworked the younger Katriel Young (1-6, 1 KO) en route to a shutout unanimous decision (40-36 x3).

Despite being 12 years older than the 26-year-old Michigan native, Evans set the faster pace, pressed forward and never let his hands stop.

Trained by Peter Manfredo Sr., Evans came out blazing in round one, firing hooks and right hands that forced Young back. A thudding right hand to the body late in the opening frame drew a loud reaction from the crowd, and tensions briefly flared at the bell as Evans continued pressing forward before the referee intervened.

Young had moments, but Evans mixed in steady body work and maintained a pace that the younger fighter struggled to match.

Evans was warned in round three for holding and hitting, but it did nothing to shift momentum. He closed strong, hurting Young late with a final surge of combinations.

After four rounds, Evans was declared the winner with scores of 40-36 on all judges’ scorecards.

The married father of three donated his entire purse to the Central Falls Youth Baseball Program, which he founded in 2020 with proceeds from his last CES MMA fight. The program expects 150 boys and girls to register later this month for the spring baseball and softball seasons.

Some wins are bigger than boxing. This was one of them.

Duggan Stays Red Hot, Secures Sixth Win in Six Months

Ireland’s Cian Duggan (6-0, 5 KOs) continues to stay busy — and dangerous.

The 23-year-old Dubliner recorded his sixth win in six months, stopping veteran David Minter (4-9, 3 KOs) at 2:52 of round three.

It took Duggan two rounds to figure out the unorthodox Californian, but once he did, Minter was in trouble.  A stiff jab in round three stunned Minter, and a sharp uppercut followed by a right hookdropped the 43-year-old for the count.

Other Action

Nicholas “Bricks” Pecora (1-1, 1 KO) earned redemption in emphatic fashion.

After being stopped in two rounds in his pro debut last November, the 25-year-old Fairfield, Connecticut cruiserweight entered Saturday seeking his first professional win.

He found it quickly.

Jacob Fawley (0-1), a 6’2” southpaw from Portage, Michigan, came out aggressively but suffered a shoulder injury during an exchange. Pecora capitalized immediately, landing two right hands to the head that dropped Fawley to a knee. The bout was stopped at 0:57 of round one.

Axel “Smooth” Lopez (4-0, 3 KOs) opened the evening with a disciplined performance, earning a four-round unanimous shutout (40-36 x3) over durable veteran Stephen Davis (1-9-1, 1 KO).

The 27-year-old Fall River native, who trains at Bernardo Boxing under Aaron Bernardo, controlled the action against the switch hitting Davis with a steady jab and consistent body work to keep his perfect record intact.

About CES Boxing

CES Boxing is one of the top promotions on the East Coast.  Founded in 1992 by Jimmy Burchfield Sr., CES Boxing has promoted many world class fighters, including Jamaine Ortiz, Juiseppe Cusumano, Hank Lundy, Vinny Paz, Peter Manfredo, Mariusz Wach, Jason Estrada, Matt Godfrey, Chad Dawson and Ray Oliveira. CES Boxing has promoted such super fights as "The Thriller on Triller: Tyson v Jones Jr.", "Mayweather vs. Gotti III" and "The Contender: Manfredo v Pemberton".