PRESS RELEASE: Former IBF champion Vassiliy “The Tiger” Jirov puts his potential world title fight against WBA title-holder Vigil “Quicksilver” Hill, or any of the other cruiserweight kings, on the line July 14 when he headlines “Thriller On The River,” launching the “Pinnacle FiteNite” pro boxing series, at 4 Bears Casino and Lodge in New Town, North Dakota.

 

Jirov (36-3-1, 30 KOs), 1996 Olympic gold medal winner and Outstanding Boxer, was born in Kazakhstan and now fights out of Scottsdale, Arizona. The rugged southpaw, presently ranked No. 14 by the WBA, captured the IBF cruiserweight title in 1999 by  seventh-round stoppage of “King” Arthur Williams. Jirov successfully defended his title belt six times against Dale Brown (KO10), Saul Montana (TKO9), Alex Gonzales (KO1), Terry McGroom (KO1), Julian Letterlough (TKO8) and Jorge Fernando Castro (DEC12).

 

Jirov’s opponent in the 10-round main event on July 14 is veteran Kenny “The Raven” Craven (28-18, 23 KOs). The battle-tested Craven, who has been in with world champions such as Michael Nunn, Vaughn Bean, Oliver McCall and Henry Akinwande, as well as leading contenders Calvin Brock, Timor Ibragomov and Clifford Etienne, won two of four fights with fabled Eric “Butterbean” Esch.

 

“This is the fight to put me back in line for a world title fight,” Jirov said. “People will know I’m back after this fight. It’s a new stage in my life. Past is past; now is kind of going from zero to a new beginning. I’m excited about this fight and I will be bringing my best to prove that I’m still one of the top cruiserweights in the world.”

 


“Thriller On The River,” presented by 4 Bears Casino & Lodge in association with Sports and Entertainment Media, Inc., which launches the “Pinnacle FiteNite” monthly series to be broadcast from a wide variety of venues, will air worldwide on a taped delay basis for free.

 

Unbeaten 23-year-old Native American cruiserweight prospect Shawn “The Sioux Warrior” Hawk (14-0-1, 12 KOs), representing the Crow Creek Reservation in South Dakota, takes on Sam “Slam Bam” Tillman (13-10-1, 2 KOs) in the eight-round co-feature.

 

Providing chief support on the undercard is undefeated New Jersey light heavyweight Chuck “The Professor” Mussachio (10, 5 KOs), the former two-time National Collegiate Boxing Association boxing champion from Lock Haven University and currently a teacher, in a six-round bout.

 

Las Vegas high-profile defense attorney Marc Saggese (1-0, 1 KO) is in action against pro debuting Christian Bendickson in a four-round cruiserweight match. Also on the undercard, in four rounds bouts, is Bismarck (ND) light middleweight Nick Runningbear (1-0, 0 KOs) versus Cheyenne Ziegler (1-0, 1 KO), North Dakota (Mandan) heavyweight Archie Hopkins makes his pro debut against Bill “The Kid” Johnson (6-6, 3 KOs), cruiserweight Lyle Kruger, of Grand Forks (ND), and Bismarck’s Chris Hugh will both be making their pro debuts. All bouts and fighters are subject to change.

 

Tickets, priced at $20.00 (bleachers), $30.00 (floor) and $40.00 (VIP ringside), are on sale and available exclusively at the 4 Bears Box Office. Call 800.294.5454 or go on line at www.4bearscasino.com. Doors open at 6 PM, first bout at 7 PM.