Connecticut Boxers Excel in PA...Clay-Bey's among them...

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

Three local amateur boxers training out of the Lions Den Training Center's Champions Of Life program in Middletown captured victories Saturday night at the Westin Field House in Scranton, Pennsylvania Saturday night.

Undefeated (3-0) nineteen year old light heavyweight Jarin Clay-Bey of Bloomfield via The Lions Den won a decision over Matthew Friedman of Philadelphia. Clay-Bey is trained by former world light heavyweight title challenger "Iceman" John Scully. He is also the son of another former Scully protege, 1996 U.S. Olympic team captain and former heavyweight contender Lawrence Clay-Bey.

Clay-Bey joined a pair of Middletown High School students in victory as Jerrod Gaskins and Nick Walden also picked up wins. Gaskins won a decision over Joel Murray of Scranton in a 156 pound bout while Walden scored a second round stoppage over middleweight Trevor Troupe, also of Scranton.

Gaskins and Walden are both coached by Lions Den Champions Of Life Junior Olympic coach Johnny Callas.

85 pound Hunter Belzo and 152 pound Ray McNeil of Middletown also competed in Scranton, falling short in highly competitive bouts.

Each of the boxers will immediately resume training in preparation of the big June 20th show at the Lions Den that will feature boxers from Montreal, Holyoke, Providence, Vermont, and Newark, New Jersey challenging a 12 man squad from Connecticut.

Gaskins will square off with Alex Aberca of Montreal and Clay-Bey will match up with Danile Magistrale of Vermont. Walden will be in a special featured that night when he squares off with New Haven's Tyshaun Fair in a bout that will decide the 2009 Connecticut Junior Olympic Middleweight Championship.

Other Lions Den boxers in action on the 20th include David James (60 pounds), Ray McNeil (152), and six time Golden Gloves lightweight champion Joey "Chip" Perez. Perez will box in the main event of the night against Montreal's four-time Quebec Golden Gloves Champion Kevin La Vallee.