Hogan Shines at Encore, Claims NABF Middleweight Championship

EVERETT, MA – The venue was set, the fans showed up, and the fighters showed out on Saturday night, as CES Boxing and Granite Chin Promotions presented Boston Harbor Fight Night, a scintillating 8-fight card featuring rising prospects, competitive matchups, and a new North American Boxing Federation (NABF) middleweight champion.

The event marked just the third pro boxing card to take place at the sold-out Encore Boston Harbor Casino, the first since August 23, 2019. All the action was streamed live on www.BXNGTV.com and will be replayed on NESN on November 25 at 9pm and on NESN+ on November 28 at 7pm. 

“None of this would have been possible without the tremendous support from the Encore staff, my staff, and the surprising partnership with CES,” Granite Chin President Chris Traietti commented. “We’re looking forward to having an encore at Encore.”

“This is what New England boxing is all about — two promotions working together, a sold-out crowd at a world-class venue, and fighters who leave every ounce of themselves in the ring,” added CES Boxing founder Jimmy Burchfield, Sr. “Our goal has always been to elevate the sport and the athletes who represent it, and nights like this show exactly why boxing is alive and thriving in this region. We’re proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Granite Chin and Encore to keep delivering moments fans will never forget.”

In the main event, undefeated middleweight prospect Francis “Frank the Tank” Hogan (21-0, 17 KOs) produced the most comprehensive performance of his career, mixing offense and defense to drop the tough-as-nails Antonio “Primo” Todd (17-14, 9 KOs) once in round 7 and win an 8-round unanimous decision to capture the vacant NABF Middleweight Championship.

The popular Weymouth southpaw Hogan, who was a 2-time New England Golden Gloves Champion, started fast, firing crisp combinations while Todd relied on his peek-a-boo defense to slip and counter. The action tightened through the middle rounds as both men traded momentum. Hogan, 25, found his rhythm in the fourth, but the 31-year-old Todd made him work for everything, forcing exchanges on the inside and refusing to back down. 

Hogan changed tactics in round 6, bringing the fight to the inside to land short right hooks and looping left hands to Todd’s head and body, while continuously shifting to his right to blindside the Georgia native.  The breakthrough came late in the seventh when Hogan drilled Todd with a clean right hook, scoring the only knockdown of the fight.

A desperate Todd looked to press the action in the eighth and final round, but Hogan wouldn’t be denied in front of his fans, unloading an array of punches to the head and body to close out strong and sweep the judges’ scorecards 80-71 for the victory.

“I feel great,” Hogan said after the fight. “I want to give my opponent a big shout out. He banged with me, and we trash-talked some. Thanks to Mark DeLuca and Matty Ryan for getting me ready.  Everything we trained for was working. I decided at the end of round 6, when I saw him walk back towards his corner before the bell, that it was time to get him in the last two rounds.  We will be back here at Encore.  It’s Tank Time!”

DE PINA STUNS PEIXOTO IN NEW ENGLAND TURF WAR

New England bragging rights were on the line in the co-feature, a lightweight showdown between Boston’s Jonathan de Pina (15-2, 7 KOs) and Providence’s Elijah Peixoto (4-1-1, 2 KOs).  An off balance Peixoto suffered a flash knockdown in the opening round from a de Pina overhand right.  A massive counter right hook from de Pina again dropped Peixoto in round two. This time, the Providence native was clearly hurt, but had enough presence of mind to hold in spots and survive the round.  In arguably his career best performance, de Pina pounded out a 6-round unanimous decision by scores of 60-52, 59-53, and 58-54.

UNDERCARD RESULTS

In a classic matchup of boxer vs. puncher, Raynham’s Eric “The Gladiator” Goff (9-0, 6 KOs) kept his unbeaten record intact, grinding out a hard-fought unanimous decision over veteran Derrick Whitley Jr. (9-6-2). Goff dictated the tempo and consistently beat the savvy Whitley to the punch through most of the bout.

Undefeated New Hampshire junior middleweight Jaydell “The Pazmanian Devil” Pazmino (9-0, 7 KOs) delivered one of the night’s defining moments, folding 46-fight veteran Daniel “The Hudson Valley Kid” Sostre in agony with a vicious left hook to the body in round two for a clean knockout.

2024 National Golden Gloves finalist Jenn Perella (4-1, 1 KO) used her height and reach advantages to outwork Brittany Dukes (1-9-1) over four rounds. Even after suffering a cut, Perella stayed composed and controlled the action to win her fourth straight fight, all in 2025.

WBC US Super Middleweight Champion James “Pitbull” Perkins (15-3-1, 9 KO), pounded a six round unanimous decision over the game Ryan Clark (5-8-1, 2 KOs).  Perkins, a gravedigger from Lynn, threw and landed the more effective punches throughout, bloodying and rocking Clark several times to win by scores of 60-54 (3x).

The oldest pro boxer in New England history once again proved age is just a number, as 57-year-old Charlie “The City Point Sicilian” LoGrasso (3-0, 3 KOs) stopped 36-fight veteran Juan Zapata in the second round of their light heavyweight contest. LoGrasso scored a knockdown in the first and closed the show with a clean right cross moments into round 2.

In the opening bout of the evening, 3-time New England Golden Gloves Champion and new CES Boxing signee Chistian Moura (2-0, 2 KOs), of Nashua, NH made quick work of Michael Thornton (0-2), dropping the Michigan resident midway through round 1 and finishing with a perfectly timed left uppercut on the button for a TKO victory. 

Official Results Below:

OFFICIAL RESULTS
MAIN EVENT – MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Francis Hogan (21-0, 17 KOs), Weymouth
WDEC8 (80-71, 80-71, 80-71)
Antonio Todd (17-14, 9 KOs), Atlanta, GA
(Hogan won vacant NABF middleweight title)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Charlie LoGrasso (3-0, 3 KOs), South Boston, MA
WKO2 (2:29)
Juan Celin Zapata (7-27-2, 5 KOs), Bronx, NY by way of Honduras

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS
James Perkins (15-3-1, 9 KOs), Lynn, MA
WDEC6 (40-36, 40-36, 40-36)
Ryan Clark (5-8-1, 2 KOs), Berwick, ME

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Jaydell Pazmino (9-0, 8 KOs), Londonderry, NH
WKO2 (1:48)
Daniel Sostre (13-31-3, 5 KOs)

Eric Goff (9-0, 6 KOs), Raynham, MA
WDEC6 (59-55, 58-56, 58-56)
Derrick Whitley, Jr. (9-6-2, 2 KOs), Holyoke, MA

LIGHTWEIGHTS
Jonathan de Pina (15-2, 7 KOs), Boston, MA
WDEC6 (60-52, 59-53, 58-54)
Eijah Peixoto (4-1-1, 2 KOs), Providence,, RI

FEMALE JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHTS
Jenn Perella (4-1, 1 KO), Milton, MA
WDEC4 (40-36, 40-36, 38-37)
Brittany Dukes (2-9-2, 2 KOs), Kansas City, MO

JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHTS
Christian Moura (2-0, 2 KOs), Nashua, NH
WTKO1 (1:55)
Michael Thornton (0-2), Sturgis, IN
Granite Chin Promotions partnered with the Quincy Fire Cancer Foundation for “Boston Harbor Fight Night” to raise awareness and support for this most worthy charitable organization.

For more information on Boston Harbor Fight Night and all other CES Boxing events, visit cesfights.com.




INFORMATION

ABOUT CES BOXINGCES Boxing is one of the top promotions on the East Coast.  Founded in 1992 by Jimmy Burchfield Sr., CES Boxing has promoted many world class fighters, including Jamaine Ortiz, Juiseppe Cusumano, Hank Lundy, Vinny Paz, Peter Manfredo, Mariusz Wach, Jason Estrada, Matt Godfrey, Chad Dawson and Ray Oliveira. CES Boxing has promoted such super fights as “The Thriller on Triller: Tyson v Jones Jr.”, “Mayweather vs. Gotti III” and “The Contender: Manfredo v Pemberton”. –CES–

Contacts:Mariano A. Agmi
CES Media Relations Director
908-568-5683
Mariano.Agmi@gmail.com.

Bob Trieger
Publicist, Granite Chin Promotions
978-590-0470
Fightpublicist@gmail.com