THE STINGRAY KICKS OFF NEW SEASON OF ESPN's WNF!
FROM AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 9 (3/26/08)
Press Release


Memphis-TN-March 26, 2008. For sport fans, it doesn't get much better than this. The NCAA holds their basketball championships, the PGA holds the classic Master's golf tournament, and ESPN returns with their exciting installment of Wednesday Night Fights.

For the third year in row, ESPN2 will feature the electrifying and UNDEFEATED flyweight Rayonta “The Stingray” Whitfield (20-0, 10 KO's) as he continues to climb his way to superstardom in a 12-round IBF and WBO title eliminator. The #2 ranked flyweight in the world and Augusta native will take on top-ten flyweight contender Manuel Vargas (24-2, 10 KO's) Wednesday, April 9th at the Bell Auditorium in Augusta, Georgia to kick off the new season of ESPN2's Wednesday Night Fights.

2007 was a stellar year for “the Stingray” and his promoter Prize Fight Boxing as Whitfield scored two impressive knockouts before the second round drew to a close. “The Stingray” also made a statement last year when he took three rugged and determined veteran fighters into deep waters winning each of those fights on all three judges' scorecards.

However, Vargas is in no stretch of the imagination a pushover, and is certain to give “the Stingray” and the fight fans their money's worth. With the Mexican native on a seven year, twenty-three fight win streak, and with many of Vargas' knockout victims never making it past the third round, this be a grueling test of power and will for both warriors. The very same week in Augusta when Tiger Woods and golf's greatest players will be competing for one of golf's greatest prize, the legendary green jacket at the Master's, both Whitfield and Vargas will be battling it out, knowing a victory on April 9th will propel them to the number one spot and earn them a well-deserved mandatory shot at the IBF and WBO Flyweight Titles.

In classic Prize Fight Boxing fashion, this exciting fight card is stacked from top to bottom with undefeated fighters willing to put their perfect records on the line to prove that they are one to be reckoned with in the fight game. UNDEFEATED junior welterweight prospect Ty Barnett (13-0, 9 KO's), having just come off an amazing year by knocking out all but one of his opponents in '07 will be facing Christopher Fernandez (15-4, 9 KO's) in an 8-round co-feature bout. Both of Fernandez's wins last year ended with an impressive stoppage, and he is eager to take Barnett's “O” in a knock down drag out barn burner if need be.

Also on the card, exciting stand out Mark Davis (5-0, 3 KO's) and Sadat Vazquez (3-1, 1 KO) are set to duke it out in a junior lightweight match-up as well as white hot prospect Fernando Guerrero (3-0, 3 KO's), who will be placing his eye-catching and undefeated record on the line against unpredictable Valentino Jalomo (2-2, 1 KO).

Two fights on the card will pin undefeated versus undefeated where someone's “O” has to go. In a six round lightweight battle, Chris Howard (5-0, 2 KO's) will face Anthony Smith 3-0 (1 KO), while Demarcus Young (2-0, 2 KO's), the promising cruiserweight prospect who shares his birthplace of Aiken, South Carolina with former 147-pound champ Paul Williams will be taking on Mark Johnson (1-0) in a four round slugfest to open the show.

With this amazing fight card taking place in Augusta the same week as the Master's, tickets are already moving fast with some of today's biggest sport celebrities and wildest sport fans in town for the golf classic. Do not miss this opportunity to see an incredible night of action both in and out of the ring!