April 11, 2013 –
MAYETTA: This Friday local boxer Marcus Oliveira (24-0) will fight against Ryan Coyne (21-0) at Treasure Island in Las Vegas. The two will compete in the light heavyweight division for the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) Title Elimination Bout being hosted by Showtime Network.
Oliveira and Coyne are both with Don King Productions and King is in Las Vegas this week promoting the series of matches that begins Friday afternoon. The featured fight of series is between interim lightweight contenders Angelo Santana and Carlos Cardenas that is scheduled to be aired by tape-delay on Showtime’s “SHOBox the Next Generation” at 10 p.m. Las Vegas time. Since the Oliveira v. Coyne bout is considered an undercard, it is unknown whether that fight will be aired.
If Oliveira beats Coyne he will take a huge jump in the rankings, according to Doug Ward of Underground Boxing, who is a local agent of Oliveira’s. Coyne is currently ranked 10th by the World Boxing Council (WBC) and 3rd by the WBA and whoever wins will get an eventual shot at current light heavyweight champion Beibut Shumenov.
Oliveira’s last fight was against Ricky Torrez in Venezuela. Oliveira has a background of over 200 amateur fights and signed on with King in 2010. He is also affiliated with Underground Boxing of Kansas City, Haskell Boxing Club in Lawrence and Tushka Training in Mayetta. His trainers are Erik Riley, Cody Wilson and Darren Jacobs.
Oliveira is a Menominee/Potawatomi and originally from Keshena, Wisconsin. He lives and works on the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. He came to Kansas and played sports for Haskell Indian Nations University and has been an influential member of the Haskell Boxing Club.