In one week, DiBella Entertainment (DBE) will debut its Broadway Boxing series in Philadelphia, PA, on Thursday, April 18th. The stacked card will be the 121st edition of the longest-running grassroots boxing series to the 2300 Arena. Tickets for Broadway Boxing are on sale now and can be purchased via www.2300arena.com. The 2300 Arena is located at 2300 S Swanson Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148. Doors will open on the night of the event at 6:00 PM ET, with the first bout scheduled for 7:30 PM ET. Junior featherweight Romuel “Cuco” Cruz (10-0-1, 4 KOs) will take on Robin Ellis (6-3, 5 KOs), of Las Vegasin a six-rou nd bout.
Cruz, 30, was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, but moved to Philadelphia, PA, as a toddler. He began boxing as a teenager and has been under the tutelage of world championship trainer Stephen "Breadman" Edwards since his pro debut in December 2017. He is promoted by Hard Hitting Promotions.
Edwards will also be in the corner of six-foot-tall middleweight southpaw Erron “JYD” Peterson (5-0-1, 4 KOs). The 28 year-old Peterson will take on Raheem Davis (1-2), of Morgantown, West Virginia, in a four-round bout. Peterson was an All-City linebacker in high school before turning his full attention to boxing at the age of 21. Following a brief-but-successful amateur campaign, Peterson, managed by his father Salah, turned pro in July 2022.
Previously announced, heavyweight “Gentleman” George Arias (18-1, 7 KOs), of Bronx, New York, battles unbeaten Skylar Lacy (8-0-1, 6 KOs), of Indianapolis in an eight-round bout. The 32-year-old Arias has already defeated seven previously unbeaten opponents, including world-ranked Cassius Chaney and Alante Green. Arias suffered his lone blemish at the hands of highly regarded Jared Anderson on April 8, 2023, in Newark, New Jersey.
Lacy, age 29, fought to a spirited draw with former National amateur champion, six-foot-nine Antonio Mireles. In his last outing, Lacy stopped Hector Conrado in two rounds on March 16th, in Mexico.
The card will also feature a heavyweight clash between Cleveland’s Roney Hines and Johnson City, Tennessee, native Robert Hall Jr., scheduled for eight rounds. The fight is a step-up for Hines (13-0-1, 8 KOs), who trains with veteran trainer Eric Brown in Los Angeles and is co-managed by Robert Diaz and Sheer Sports. He is coming off of a unanimous decision win against Jonathan Gruber last November. The 28-year-old Hines had an extensive amateur career that included over 90 fights and a win at the National Golden Gloves, before making his professional debut in July 2018. Hall Jr. (14-2, 11 KOs) last entered the ring in September when he faced contender Jerry Forrest, losing a unanimous decision over eight rounds.
Jamaican junior middleweight southpaw Kestna “Hardball” Davis (5-0), based out of Vauxhall, New Jersey, will box in a four-round bout facing Abdalla Nagy (1-0). He is advised by former heavyweight world champion Lennox Lewis. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Davis moved to the U.S. in 2018. Davis has been mentored by the former world champion since they met in July 2016 through the Lennox Lewis League of Champions Foundation. Nagy, born in Egypt and now based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, made his pro debut last December, earning a four-round unanimous decision against Kijonti Davis.
Also seeing action in an eight-round bout will be undefeated bantamweight Wilver Hernandez. From Kansas City, Hernandez is 8-0, with two knockouts. The 21-year old will take on Filipino Merlito Sabillo (27-10-1), who is based out of Los Angeles.
