Griffin Opponent Named in his “Quest for 50″

An opponent has been chosen for former WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Montell Griffin’s quest for his 50th victory.

Fighting in the main event of Hitz Boxing’s action-packed “Quest for 50″ professional boxing event on May 29 at the “Venue” in the Horseshoe Casino, in Hammond, Indiana, Griffin (49-8, 30 KOs) will face capable former world title challenger Ross “The Boss” Thompson (27-14-2, 14 KOs).

A seasoned veteran of the sport, Thompson says it makes no difference if Griffin handed Roy Jones Jr. his first loss or that he beat James Toney twice. He feels a mistake has been made in choosing him for the supposed 50th victim. “I’ve been in with the best in the world, so nothing can intimidate me. I know Montell’s style. We’re both slick fighters, but my quickness will be a little too much for him in the end.”

The “Quest for 50″ undercard is loaded with a long list of comebacking veterans and up-and-coming young contenders from the Chicago area.

Scheduled to appear in separate bouts are middleweight Henry “Western Warrior” Coyle (10-2, 9 KOs) from Chicago via Ireland. Coyle comes from a fighting family and was an All Army champ, who had over 300 amateur fights.

Also slated for battle are Chicago welterweight Achour Esho (7-0, 5 KOs); power punching Chicago-based cruiserweight and former UFC fighter Terry Martin (4-0, 4 KOs); Chicago middleweight Mike Kurzeja (3-0, 3 KOs); Chicago super middleweight Ninos Abraham (4-0, 1 KO) and Chicago light welterweight Russell Fiore (3-0, 3 KOs).

In addition, comebacking Chicago-based former bantamweight and featherweight contender John Lewus (23-4, 19 KOs) will have his second fight in 12 years; and Rafael Murphy, son of former cruiserweight contender Kenny Murphy and nephew of former IBF Cruiserweight Champion Leroy Murphy, will make his professional debut.

Hitz Boxing CEO Bobby Hitz says the high-class atmosphere and luxurious surroundings the Horseshoe has to offer make this show a Las Vegas-style night of boxing you don’t have to get on a plane to enjoy. “This is the best place to see boxing in the area, bar none. The Horseshoe Casino has an intimate, comfortable venue with luxurious seats, a spectacular gaming area, free parking, exquisite food and all the amenities — and we’re 20 minutes from Downtown Chicago. Plus, we’ve got a full-night of world-class boxing to offer for reasonable ticket prices.”

Thompson, who says he and Griffin are friends dating back to the amateurs, claims it will be nothing personal when he spoils Griffin’s bid for a landmark victory. “It’ll be no hard feelings,” he laughs. “We’ll go to dinner after the fight probably.”

“Quest for 50″ tickets are on sale now, starting at a fan appreciation price of $10, and are available at the “Venue” box office, ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster outlets.

For more event information, visit The Horseshoe Casino’s event page online here or the Hitz Boxing Facebook page here.

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