FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

“CHOP CHOP” CORLEY DEFENDS WBO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP HOME AT THE D.C. ARMORY ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 4

ROSENDO ALVAREZ DEFENDS WORLD TITLE AGAINST BEIBIS MENDOZA IN CO-FEATURED MANDATORY RUBBER MATCH FOR WBA CROWN

Washington, D.C. -- Nov. 21, 2002 – World Organization Junior Champion DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley from Washington, D.C. will make the second defense of his crown against the hard-punching former WBO Champion of , Fla. at the D.C. Armory on Saturday night, January 4, 2003.

The event -- tagged D.C. Dynamite -- will be promoted by Don King Productions in association with the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission, and will be televised nationally by Showtime and internationally by KingVision.

Tickets, priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, will go on sale tomorrow (Friday, November 22) at 12 noon through Ticketmaster at outlets and ticketmaster.com, at the RFK Stadium box office and by calling (202) 432-SEAT.

“This will be a great fight,” said promoter Don King. “Corley is an exciting champion and Bailey is one of the sport’s most devastating punchers. I’m very happy that we’re able to bring the world champion home with the help of the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission.

“In the co-feature we have a grudge match in one of the greatest fights that any fan could want. The legendary two-time world champion Rosendo ‘El Bufalo” Alvarez in the rubber match with the man who beat him for the title -- Beibis Mendoza. I can’t wait.”

“We’re thrilled to have Don King bring DeMarcus Corley home for this title defense,” said Bobby Goldwater, President and Executive Director of the Sports and Entertainment Commission. “We hope this is the first of many events for us with Don King, who promotes some other high profile boxers in the area.”

The 28-year old Corley (27-1-1, 16 KOs), won the vacant WBO Junior Welterweight Championship in shocking fashion by knocking out the rugged Felix Flores of Puerto Rico in the first round in Las Vegas, Nev. on June 30, 2001. He successfully defended the title with an impressive decision victory over the former WBO Champion Ener Julio earlier this year on January 19 in Miami.

(more…) Corley vs. Bailey Release – 2

Bailey (26-2, 26 KOs), also 28 years old, is considered one of the hardest punchers in boxing today. He won the WBO 140-pound title on May 15, 1999 with a crushing one-round of Champion Carlos “Bolillo” Gonzalez in Miami. He made two successful title defenses before losing on a to Ener Julio in Miami on July 22, 2000. On February 2, 2002, he won the Interim WBA Super Championship by stopping Demetrio Ceballos in three rounds in Reading, Pa. He lost the title in an action packed seven rounds, when he was stopped by Diobelys Hurtado in Puerto Rico. He scored a first round knockout of Alfonzo Fowler in , Ind. on September 27 in his last fight.

“I’m glad to be bringing the title back home to D.C.,” said Corley. “It was a priority for me to defend my title here. I know Bailey well and he’s a very good puncher and was a two- time world champion. It should be a great fight, but I don’t plan on giving up my belt. I worked to hard for it.”

Rosendo “El Bufalo” Alvarez (30-2-1, 19 KOs) 32 years old from , Nicaragua, turned professional in 1992. After winning twenty in a row, he beat Chana Porpaoin in Thailand on December 2, 1995 for the WBA 105-pound title. After successfully defending four times, he met the undefeated WBC champion Ricardo “Finito” Lopez in on March 7, 1998 in a unification bout. With the two undefeated champions fighting at a furious pace, Lopez went down. He was also cut from an accidental head butt and the fight was stopped in the seventh round, with the fight being called a technical draw after going to the cards. Alvarez lost a hard- fought 12-round decision to Lopez later that year, when he could not make the weight.

Moving up to 108 pounds, Alvarez lost by disqualification in a very tough match for the vacant title against Beibis Mendoza on August 12, 2000 in Las Vegas, Nev. On March 3, 2001, he faced Mendoza again in Las Vegas and won a very hard-fought split decision to win the WBA 108-pound crown. He defended the title in his last fight on January 19, in Miami, Fla. in a mandatory against former world champion and No.1 challenger Pitchit Siriwat of Thailand, stopping the game contender in the 12th and final round.

Beibis Mendoza (28-1, 23 KOs) 28 years old from Rio Cedro, Colombia, turned professional in 1996 and has only one loss in his brilliant career, that being the split decision loss of his WBA crown to Alvarez. The strong boxer-puncher then won his next two fights, with the last being a decision verdict over Manny Melchor in Miami, Fla. on April 12, 2002. Mendoza is the mandatory No.1 contender for the title.

“I’ve been waiting for this rubber match,” said Mendoza. “I just can’t wait, it’s been a long wait to get revenge and my title back.”

Doors for the January 4 fight card at the Armory will open at 6 p.m.

- 30 – Public Relations Contacts: Don King Productions, Inc. D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission Bob Goodman Brotman Winter Fried – Charlie Brotman/Brian Bishop (954) 418-5800 (202) 296-7200 (954) 420-3199 F (202) 296-6341 F