UNCASVILLE, CONN (April 8, 2024)–World-ranked light heavyweight Richie “Popeye” Rivera won an entertaining 10-round unanimous over Devaun Lee in the main event in front of over 4,000 fans at Mohegan Sun Casino on Saturday night.

The bout headlined an entertaining “Slugfest at the Sun” promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing.

Rivera showed his whole arsenal against Lee by fighting aggressively, and also entertaining fans with his occasional ‘Popeye the Sailor Man’ fighting moves. Devaun Lee, an experienced 24 fight veteran from Queens, NY, is known as being a tough and dangerous opponent, and, to his credit, Lee took it all and fired back at Rivera throughout the crowd pleasing contest.

Rivera of Hartford, Connecticut, improved to 26-2 19KOs, with the unanimous decision win (scores of 100-90, 97-93 and 97-93).

In the co-feature battle of two extremely skilled undefeated Super Bantamweights, Travon Lawson (6-0, 3KO’s) of Tuscaloosa, Alabama edged out a controversial and minor upset split decision over Rajon Chance (8-1-1, 6 KOs) of East Orange, New Jersey. The scores were 78-73 Chance, 77-75 twice for Lawson.

UNDERCARD RESULTS:

Heavyweights Demek Edmonds and Luis Miguel Valera had the crowd howling in a wildly entertaining six round bout. Edmonds of Worcester, Mass. prevailed with a split decision win improving to 9-0 7KOs. Valera, a very tough Cuban now residing in Houston, Texas dropped to 4-3-2 1KO.

Sharif Rahman (son of former Heavyweight World Champ) returned to the ring with a tough four-round decision win over Kijonti Davis in a crowd pleasing Middleweight bout. Rahman of Las Vegas improves to 8-0 3KO.

Undefeated Lightweight Jacob Marrerostopped Ryan Venable in the second- round of their scheduled four-round bout. Marrero of Bridgeport, Conn.is now 6-0 5KOs.

Louis Maietta of Bronx, New York a NYC Fireman,scored his first stoppage win in his 9 bout pro career by stopping Erick Alves also in the second round of a scheduled four-round Super Middleweight fight.