Granite Chin Promotions (GCP) has announced the launching of its innovative one-night tournament, “Granite Chin Box Off,” on Saturday night, May 11, featuring a quartet of throw-back super middleweight fighters from New England headlining the “Rumble at the Rink” pro boxing card, at Quincy Youth Arena in Quincy, Massachusetts.
The quartet of super middleweights will fight in three-round bouts (4th round of sudden death if needed in case of a draw) early in the evening and the two winners will advance to the five-round main event (6th round of sudden death in the event of a draw) to determine the champion of what promoter Chris Traietti plans to be an annual tournament, which has been sanctioned by the Massachusetts Boxing Commission.
All four fighters are aggressive and gutsy who come to fight, which translates into a memorable evening for fans.
“This tournament has been an idea I have been flirting with since 2021,” GCP president Chris Traietti said. “I didn’t want to pull the trigger on it until I felt as though I had some of the initial concerns worked out and I had the right four guys. It has all come together now! There is no combination of fights with these four that won’t be action-packed right from the opening bell. This is something Granite Chin plans to do annually, so once this inaugural tournament is complete, we will assess it to see if any improvements are needed to get one ready for 2025. Thank you to the fighters for their passion in being part of something special like this and the Massachusetts Commission for all its help in navigating me to getting all the safety issues address and handled so it could be sanctioned.”
Here is a breakdown of the four “Granite Chin Box Off” challengers:
James “Pitbull” Perkins (13-1-1, 9 KOs), Lynn, MA
Perkins is the pre-tournament favorite based on his pro record and quality of opposition. A gravedigger during the day, Perkins suffered his lone loss last August to Steve Sumpter (9-0, 7 KOs), losing an eight-round majority decision for the vacant IBA America Super Middleweight Championship.
“I’m really looking forward to this event. I’ve always wanted to fight in a tournament because I never fought in the Golden Gloves or any amateur tournaments. I decided to turn pro after my sixth amateur fight. It’s even better that the event is being held at a hockey rink because I grew up my whole life playing hockey. I started skating at two years old and played all the way through high school (St. Mary’s of Lynn).
“I’m prepared to deal with whatever comes at me. I know who all the fighters are, but I know Clark a lot more than the other fighters. Me and Clark have fought on the same card a number of times. I like Clark and he’s a tough guy, but if we end up in the ring together, it will be all business. We won’t be friends when we are in there. At the end of the night, I’m very confident I’ll be the winner of the tournament.”
Anthony “The Gentle Savage” Andreozzi (5-3, 2 KOs), Swansea, MA
A former Massachusetts Middleweight Champion, Andreozzi has recovered from a brutal leg/ankle injury suffered more than a year ago, returning this past February 24th within a second-round knockout of Igor Pessoa.
“It’s (tournament) breaking boundaries for sure. It’s the type of tournament where emotional control will be important. You can’t blow your load in the first round of the first fight and still expect to succeed. I have a few hundred wrestling matches and over a dozen karate matches. I’m used to the emotional control necessary to effectively do violence twice in one night. I can’t wait!
“Ryan Clark is a great guy. We’ve done rounds before my fight with Kyle Cusick (April 22, 2022). Perkins went six hard rounds with a former teammate of mine. Bernard seems like a good dude, so nothing personal against him.”
Bernard Joseph (6-1, 4 KOs), Dorchester, MA
Joseph has won his last two fights and has been active with four fights in 2023 and this will be his second of 2024. The 33-year-old will also have a hometown advantage fighting in nearby Quincy.
“It is different (tournament format), but it comes down to the way we train. I do a lot of sparring and that will be good for me. It comes down to training and getting my body used to the break like in sparring. I could be fighting four rounds and then six.
“I’m a pro now, fighting six rounders, but not with a long pause between fights like in this tournament. It will give me time to re-hydrate and get ready for the second fight of the night. I’ve seen video of all the other fighters and I’m not bad-mouthing anybody, but I can’t not feel that I’m the favorite to win it all.”
Ryan Clark (4-5, 2 KOs), Barrington, ME
A natural middleweight, Clark is moving up the most weight in the tournament, something he is well aware of but not overly concerned. Another action-packed fighter, Clark’s record is misleading because he’s as tough as they come and capable of defeating any of the other three challengers.
“It’s (tournament) is a great idea. Chris (Traietti) is a smart guy, and this tournament will provide entertainment for the fans, and it’ll be a challenge for the fighters. I applaud his idea. I typically fight at 160 and this tournament has me fighting in a little bigger weight class. I like the challenge.
“I know Tony and Perkins and I respect them. They’re talented. This (tournament) is similar to sparring. I spar five or six rounds, hang around talking, get in some other training, and then get back in the ring to spar again. This isn’t too different.”
Additional matches will soon be announced.
