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Kelly Manages Frank "The Animal" Bialowas in Spectrum Battle


March 24 Spectrum Battle

Bob Kelly To Serve As Manager For Frank "The Animal" Bialowas


Former Philadelphia Flyers left winger Bob Kelly, who scored the team's last Stanley Cup winning goal in 1975, will serve as the manager for Frank "The Animal" Bialowas.

Bialowas, a member of the Philadelphia Phantoms Hall of Fame and one of hockey's toughest fighters, makes his professional boxing debut as Damon Feldman Promotions presents "Ultimate Challenge" at the Wachovia Spectrum on Thursday, March 24, beginning at 8 p.m. Bialowas is scheduled to fight Jarad Vasquez in a special three-round battle. He is the first hockey player to turn professional boxer.

The live night of local boxing also features Delaware County's own John Poore putting his perfect 16-0 record, all knockouts, on the line against the number one ranked contender Robert "Big Philly" Hawkins of Philadelphia, PA, who is 18-3 with six knockouts, in a 12-round match for the vacant International Boxing Union World Heavyweight Title. This will be the first heavyweight title fight in Philadelphia since Joe Frazier defeated Oscar Bonavena at the legendary Spectrum on December 10, 1968.

As a featured attraction, boxing superstar Butterbean is challenging Radnor Police Officer Jamie Campbell, who boxes professionally, to go toe-to-toe for three rounds. Campbell boasts a 19-1 record.

Also on the card, "The Italian Bomber" Pauly Caputti of Philadelphia, PA, tangles with "Joltin'" Joey Demalavez in a four-round battle of middleweights; Danny "2 Gunz" Mullarkey of Darby, PA, battles with Al Torres of Atlantic City, NJ, also in a four-round bout.

Bialowas came to Philadelphia in 1996 as a relative unknown to the hockey fans in the area, but quickly established himself as one of the toughest and most charismatic athletes the city has ever seen. He was acquired by the Flyers from the Washington Capitals organization the summer before the Phantoms began play, and managed to lead the team in penalty minutes in each of his two full seasons with the club. In 67 games in the Phantoms' inaugural season of 1996-97, he registered 254 penalty minutes, including 36 in a single game against Hershey on January 17, 1997. The next year he helped lead the club to its first and only Calder Cup Championship, with 259 penalty minutes in 65 games. In 156 career games with the Phantoms, Bialowas posted 12 goals and 16 assists for 28 points.

Tickets to Philadelphia Championship Boxing at $50 and VIP tickets at $75 are now available at the Wachovia Complex box office and all Ticketmaster locations throughout the Greater Philadelphia Region. Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling (215) 336-2000 or (856) 338-9000 or online at ticketmaster.com. Group tickets can be purchased by calling (215) 389-9543. How YOU doin'?


Bob Kelly gets some managing tips from the 76ers World B. Free, who grew up in gyms around New York.







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