A source told Sports Headliners professional boxing is expected to continue its revival in Minnesota with a card on April 6 at Target Center headlined by Jason Litzau, light heavyweight from St. Paul who has fought on HBO. The latest boxing success was last Friday night when a card with a main event between Shakopee’s Anthony Bonsante and St. Paul’s Matt Vanda helped draw a crowd of more than 7,000 at Target Center. Walk up ticket sales were approximately 4,000 and the paid ticket receipts about $226,000, according to the source.
Bonsante, defending his International Boxing Association Americas and Minnesota middleweight championships, defeated Vanda by unanimous decision in a long awaited grudge match. There’s talk now that Bonsante will fight John Duddy for the IBA world middleweight title in New York on March 16.
Prior to the fight at Target Center Bonsante said, “I’m 36 and have a lot more to fight for than he does – pride! Like they said in (the movie) ‘The Cinderella Man,’ I know what I’m fighting for, my two children and new fiancé. You know, Vanda isn’t that bright, or he wouldn’t need his name tattooed on him to know how to spell it.”
Also on last week’s card Minneapolis heavyweight Joey Abell, now 10-1, defeated Larry White from Alabama. Abell has won all of his fights by knockout or technical knockouts.
Until recently boxing wasn’t sanctioned by the state of Minnesota. Last year the state re-established a Minnesota Boxing Commission. Friday night’s event at Target Center followed up on a card in the building late last year.