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OAKLAND, Calif. – Eleven local boxers itching to get into the ring and under the lights in front of a hometown crowd; the event is called Straight Outta Oakland. It will be held at the Oakland Marriot City Center, on Saturday, Aug. 16.

They promise it will be a night you will not forget.

Fight Night

Event promoters – Lion’s Den Promotions from Pittsburg and G1 Promotions – say the fight is about giving a stage to local boxers who dream of being champions. 

Professional boxer Amari Jones just signed with Golden Boy Promotions, and told KTVU he trained at Lions Den Boxing in Pittsburg. He is now undefeated at 14-0, with 12 KOs. 

Last year he competed in the inaugural Straight Outta Oakland event. This year, he is promoting the fight. 

Jones said the event creates opportunities for people to chase their dreams, but it also allows the community to be somewhere where “people can feel safe” and gives them a family “outside of their family.”

What the Fighters Say

22-year-old Lorenzo Powell was an amateur standout and represented Team USA, but is now ready for a trip to the pros. He says the feeling under the lights is “second to none,” and that when you’re under the lights you can “show the world what belongs to you.”

Kumar Prescod an 18-year-old fighter from Oakland, told KTVU he got into boxing to defend himself, but then realized he was good. Now he’s 3-0 and is looking to become a world champion.

Boxing, he said, could help him take care of his family. Prescod added he’s determined to eventually retire from boxing and not let “boxing retire me.”

Marty Chima of G1 Promotions said that determination will keep these fighters working hard and that if “they keep winning, they keep elevating the sky’s the limit for them.” 

Chima said the fighters know hard work. Some have been training since they were 8 or 9 years old. 

On August 16, they will be fighting in front of their family and friends.

Boxing Fits Oakland Like a Glove

Wali Herawi from Lion’s Den Gym and Promotions said Oakland is the heart of the Bay and is legendary for boxing, so it made sense to hold the event in the town.

Last year, the event sold out with more than 2,000 people in attendance and the lines were long, so Herawi advises not waiting until the last minute to secure tickets. 

He said a lot of the fighters “are going to be household names,” so fans should start following their journey now.

Tickets for Straight Outta Oakland are available here.

The Source: Original reporting by Claudine Wong of KTVU

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