Press Release: On Saturday, February 11, 2006 at the 1st District Plaza, 3801 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, Yusaf Mack will enter a boxing ring to demonstrate he skills that have made him undefeated as a professional boxer. Also, the announcement of Mack’s acting debut will take place on February 11th. He will star in The Champion Inside, a film written and to be directed by award-winning filmmaker Jillian Bullock.  Born and raised in West Philadelphia, Mack rejected the lure of the streets by involving himself in boxing at an early age. Percy “Buster” Custus, who has trained hundreds of boxing champions, took Mack on as a young boy. At age five, Mack began his journey with Buster at his side. His training takes place at The James Shuler Memorial Professional and Amateur Boxing Gym in West Philadelphia.

Mack left the amateur ranks with a record of 40 wins and 7 losses. He turned professional in December 2001.  Mack currently holds a record of 21-0 with 17 knockouts and he holds a regional championship in the super middleweight division.   He has successfully defended his title three times.  He’s fought on ESPN and ShowBox and is currently ranked #8 by the IBF.   

Also, the announcement of Mack’s acting debut will take place on February 11th. He will star in The Champion Inside, a film written and to be directed by award-winning filmmaker Jillian Bullock. Scheduled to begin filming in August 2006 in Pennsylvania, the film will star Jillian and Christopher Mann of HBO’s The Wire.  The Champion Inside is the story of a female boxing champion, Leslie Garrett, who is forced to retire from boxing after she is diagnosed with cancer. Her return to boxing is complicated by her age, 39 years old and her fear of stepping back into the ring. Mack will portray Alex, the sparring partner for Leslie. He helps her prepare for a title fight against the fictitious Marica Knight, who will be played in the film by Christy Martin.