New York, NY (October 11, 2016) – Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson makes his return to the ring to help the fight against heroin in Staten Island Saturday, November 19 at the Foxwoods Casino in Mashantucket, CT.
Melson’s fight headlines a DiBella Entertainment promoted Pro-Am card as part of the recently relocated but wildly popular Broadway Boxing series. This fight card is a special event. Broadway Boxing by way of Lou DiBella, is offering a Veterans Appreciation fight card with 4 of the undercard bouts consisting of Cadets from the West Point Boxing Team boxing against Cadets from the Coast Guard Academy.
Living and fighting out of New York City, Melson’s made a name for himself in and out of the ring. His outstanding professional ledger stands at 15-1-1 with 4 knockouts and in May 2015 he won the WBC-USNBC junior middleweight championship by dominating Mike Ruiz. Since the victory, he’s spent most of his time doing public speaking around the country as well as raising funds and awareness for various charitable causes such as Suicide Prevention among Armed Forces Veterans, working with disadvantaged youth and helping fight drug addiction among youth and young adults.
Following the match, Melson’s donating 100% of his purse to help combat the severe heroin problem across Staten Island, NY.
“I was fortunate enough to have had a meeting with the Staten Island District Attorney Mike McMahon a few weeks ago,” said Melson. “My dear brother Ibrahim Kurtulus arranged my requested meeting I asked him to help set up after I read an article published in May of 2016 discussing the heroin plague in that borough. The article stated that through May of this year, there were 40 reported deaths in Staten Island due to overdosing on heroin. During my meeting with McMahon, he told me that the number is now at 70. McMahon forced the issue to have a change in the local law in Staten Island where users arrested for using heroin will be sentenced to rehabilitation instead of prison. The commencement date for this policy has not yet begun.”
Melson, who considered himself retired from boxing, came back to the sport in part to help combat the problems in Staten Island.
“I need to come out of retirement so I can start going to bat for the people in the borough of Staten Island. Staten Island is the borough that I spent my childhood in while growing up in Brooklyn. I was a frequent visitor at Bayley Seton Hospital as a child for weekly allergy shots, Fort Wadsworth to visit my friends and on Arthur Kill Road to visit my aunt. I decided that I needed to find a way to help and draw attention within the five boroughs to Staten Island; a borough that residents say they feel forgotten in. I also decided that I am going to donate my purse to an organization within the borough aimed at helping addicts once they leave their rehabilitation. It also means a lot to me as a West Point graduate that I’ll have the opportunity to box on a card with Cadets that are coached by the same man that coached me while I was a Cadet in Colonel Dr. Ray Barone.”
“I’d like to thank Lou DiBella for this great opportunity. He has been an incredible supporter of my career and what I’ve fought for every single punch of the way and he his actions always remind me of this. I considered myself retired from boxing after my last fight. I told my family that I am done boxing. I have not been boxing or in the gym for a year and a half. After reading that article on the heroin problem in Staten Island, I could not sit around helpless when I believed I could help. Heroin is the number one issue harming the quality of life in Staten Island as well as the taker of lives. So I decided to suffer one more time with making weight and getting in shape so that the people of Staten Island know that they are not facing this plague of heroin alone. My family has a history of addiction so I understand how severe it can be.”
Melson’s opponent in this eight round middleweight contest will be announced shortly and you will be able to purchase tickets to the event by clicking on Boyd Melson Tickets.
