TACOMA, Wash. – Brian Halquist Productions will kick off its 2018 season with a special Friday night boxing event on Friday, Jan. 12 with Battle at the Boat 114 at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash.
The six-bout card will feature a 10-round main event between welterweights John Jackson and Manuel Perez and the return of Walter “2 Guns” Wright.
Jackson (17-3-2, 13 KOs) is coming off a victory over former USBA lightweight champion Tyrone Harris on May 13 in his hometown of Detroit. Jackson also holds wins over Reynaldo Hurtado, who once fought for the IBF world bantamweight championship, and former NABF super bantamweight champion Ricardo Hurtado.
“I’m really looking forward to fighting at the Emerald Queen, one of the premier boxing venues in North America, and in front of their enthusiastic fans,” Jackson said. “Manny Perez is a tough hard-nosed fighter, and the fans will get the same in me, as I always come to rumble and give every bit of myself. I’m training hard, and I’m even going to train Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day, as this opportunity means so much to me.”
Perez (28-12-1, 7 KOs) has won six out of his last seven fights and three consecutive with his only setback coming in a decision loss to undefeated Jose Carlos Ramirez in a bout for the WBC Continental Americas super lightweight title.
Perez’s most recent victory came against Behzod Nabiev, a former World Boxing Union interim welterweight champion on July 9. He also defeated Edgar Santana, who fought Lamont Peterson for the IBF world super lightweight title in 2014, to win the WBA-NABA super lightweight championship in 2012.
Perez followed up his title win over Santana by making a successful defense against Jose Miguel Cotto (the brother of Miguel Cotto), who once fought Pantan Narongwet to a draw in a bout for Narongwet’s WBA world lightweight title.
“I know Manny Perez is a known tough guy, and so am I,” Jackson said. “I got the edge in power, but Manny Perez can take it. This will be a good one for the fans to watch”
Seattle’s Walter Wright, a former four-time Tacoma Golden Gloves champion and 2001 U.S. amateur championship finalist, returns to the ring following a near five-year hiatus.
Wright won 11 consecutive fights between 2003 and 2006, leading to his appearance on the ESPN reality show “Contender Season 2” where he participated in the welterweight tournament and became one of the show’s stars.
Wright defeated Andre Eason in the first round before losing to future two-time IBF world super welterweight champion Cornelius Bundrage by decision in the semifinals.
This will mark Wright’s 12th career fight at the Emerald Queen Casino. He has an all-time record of 10-1-0 with 6 knockouts at the Tacoma venue.
Highlighting the undercard will be a pair of undefeated fighters in Jorge Linares (2-0-0) and Fatlum Zhuta (4-0-1, 3 KOs).
Linares will face the debuting Journey Newson in a four-round 140-pound bout, while Zhuta squares off against Kian Heidari (1-0-2) in a clash of super middleweights.
