Fairfax, Va. -- Local boy and popular former "Contender" contestant Jimmy Lange will fight for the World Boxing Council U.S. National Boxing Championship's vacant super welterweight belt at the Patriot Center Saturday night.
Local fight fans should flock to the 12-round event. Outside of this Great Falls native, who began boxing at 5, D.C.'s not usually offering much on the pro boxing circuit.
Lange (29-3-2, 20 KOs) will take on Frank Houghtaling (19-15-5, 4 KOs), who was tapped for the fight after Ryan Davis backed out. The Bishop O'Connell High grad fought his way to a 21-1-1 in five years before landing on the first season of "The Contender," after reportedly impressing Sylvester Stallone's brother.
On "The Contender," Lange lost a first round final, but he returned as the fan favorite pick and defeated contestant Tarick Salmaci. He's headlined several boxing events at the Patriot Center and earned a loyal regional following.
Among his fights, Lange impressed ESPN2 Tuesday Night Fights fans with a third-round TKO of one-time WBF light heavyweight champion Homer Gibbins, and in 2007 he won the WBC's 154-pound Continental Americas' belt by avenging a 12-round draw to Fontaine Cabell with an eighth-round TKO.
Opponent Houghtaling's fight history includes a victory over former world champ Livingstone Bramble, a seventh-round loss to Matthew Hutton in their IBF International Welterweight title fight two years ago and a 10-round decision loss to former world champ Sharmbra Mitchell. He trained at Cus D'Amato's Catskill Boxing Club alongside Mike Tyson.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the first of up to 10 bouts starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $20 to $500 and can be purchase online through Ticketmaster; by calling 703-573-SEAT, 202-397-SEAT or 410-547-SEAT; or at any Ticketmaster outlet, including the Patriot Center box office.
Sports
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