Ulrich Center downtown will host city’s biggest fight card ever, outdoors, on Aug. 1
LOCKPORT — If “The Duke of Lockport” were alive today, he’d probably be the first in line to buy tickets for the largest outdoor boxing card in Western New York history on Aug. 1 at the Ulrich City Centre, downtown. Then again, he’d probably be interested in climbing back in the ring and being a part of it all.
After all, Jimmy Duffy, a former Niagara County sheriff’s deputy, was the first Lock City pugilist — and certainly not the last — to garner national attention in the sport known as “The Sweet Science.”
Over the years, Duffy, a Buffalo Boxing Hall of Famer, has been followed in this community by several other boxing greats who reached the pinnacle of their sport and helped earn this community the nickname of “The Boxing City” in many national circles.
Legends such as Duffy, Tommy Hicks, Tony Ventura, Johnny Taylor and Pat Cuillo paved the way for today’s premier Lockport professional kickboxer and promoter, Amer Abdallah, whose local fight cards have attracted thousands to the Kenan Center Arena.
Abdallah, a former national champion who resumed his light heavyweight kickboxing career with a knockout victory last April, will compete in the main event of “The Downtown Throwdown,” along with more than a half dozen other Lockport kickboxers competing in the undercards.
“Aside from this being the first outdoor event, we’re also taking a new approach in having a Lockport fighter in every bout,” said Abdallah’s wife and business manager Liz Bouchard. “It will be a huge night for Lockport.”
Lockport developer Dave Ulrich, who was joined at Monday’s press conference by Abdallah, prominent Lockport attorney George V.C. Muscato and Lockport Mayor Michael Tucker, said the outdoor fight card is the first of its kind in this area.
“After attending the last fight card and witnessing what a great job Amer and Liz did, both promoting and putting on a premier event in our city, it inspired me to try and contribute to an even larger event,” said Ulrich, one of Lockport’s most successful businessmen whose downtown City Centre is the sight of numerous community events, including the summer-long Molson Concert Series.