Ex-NBA star Michael Carter-Williams wins boxing debut

A packed house witnessed an incredible night of boxing and entertainment at the Léman Ballroom in New York City this past Thursday night.

Uprising Promotions officially returned to action for Broad Street Brawl in association with Bigvision Community.

Headlining the show was former NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams, who made a successful amateur boxing debut against a very game Sam Khatib to earn a unanimous decision victory.

“Today was good, it was fun,” said Carter-Williams after scoring the win. “I thought my performance was pretty good. I thought I did some good things, but there are definitely some things I need to fix. My opponent was pretty good, too. Sam did a great job out there. Ultimately, we came here for a greater purpose. The two of us did this for charity, so we went out there, raised some money, fought and entertained the crowd. It was a good showing.”

Over the course of their three two-minute round battle, Carter-Williams and Khatib each showed an aggressive willingness to engage. Carter-Williams found his comfort level early in the match-up, unloading a series of crisp combinations that earned him standing eight-counts from the referee in both the first and second frames. His athleticism and footwork also paid dividends, with Carter-Williams remaining in control throughout most of the confrontation.

“I was antsy,” Carter-Williams said of how he was feeling ahead of the fight. “I was like ‘I’ve been putting in all of this work. I’ve been sparring twice a week. I can’t wait to get out there and really fight.’ This was great. I had a great time.”

The question everyone had at the conclusion of the bout was whether or not Carter-Williams would be getting back into the ring again soon.

“I think you will see me again. I definitely want to improve on some things,” he declared. “I’m a competitor. Who knows where it will be. My kids love it—my wife, my family—so I will definitely be back out there.”

Throughout the evening, Broad Street Brawl featured nine amateur bouts as well as an exclusive performance by Yung Wylin’, who had the audience rocking with a dynamic rendition of his hit song, High Energy.

“I am so proud of all the people who contributed time and effort into making this event a great success, particularly our sponsors and fighters,” said Ronson Frank, President of Uprising Promotions. “The fighters came out here and fought with a lot of heart. They gave the people a great performance, and I could not be any happier with how the show went.”

Every combatant on the card entertained with incredible heart and energy, and gyms throughout the city were proudly represented by the fighters who took part. Daniella Malave and Christine Jeberg were two fan favorites who really put the crowd into an uproar as they earned unanimous decision victories in their respective bouts, but each of the participants deserve all of the credit in the world for providing such an electric atmosphere in this triumphant return to action by Uprising Promotions.

Broad Street Brawl – Fight Results

Israel Bailey defeated Liubomyr Ozhovychh via UD (Middleweights)Dan Hendrick defeated Sahand Boorboor via UD (Light Heavyweights)Christopher Barnes defeated Francisco Trindade via UD (Heavyweights)Daniella Malave defeated Courteney Wach via UD (Welterweights)Michelle Lee defeated Amy Wilkes via UD (Flyweights)Mike Raffaniello defeated Bill Walker via UD (Light Heavyweights)Darren Agboh defeated Daniel Anyaegbunam via UD (Heavyweights)Christine Jeberg defeated Justine Sherry via UD (Lightweights)Michael Carter-Williams defeated Sam Khatib via UD (Heavyweights)“We are back in the game,” Ronson Frank stated after Broad Street Brawl. “We are going to start doing pro fights again, and we already have our next card in the works. All of the trainers who have my number, hit me up if you want to get your guys on. But overall, it just feels really good to be back.”