Junior Wright Added To 8/25 Show In Coney Island

By Jake Donovan

Anxious to put the memories of his first loss in the rearview mirror, Junior Wright is set to move on with his still-promising career.

The Chicagoland cruiserweight has been added to the August 25 bill at MCU Park along the famed boardwalk strip in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York. He will face Harvey Jolly in a schedule six-round bout in his first piece of ring action since his knockout loss to Rakhim Chakhkiev this past May in Moscow. 

"I think I am now a better fighter because I learned a lot from this, going to another country and competing,” Wright (13-1-1, 10KOs) said of the fight with Chakhkiev, which he accepted on short notice. “I picked up a lot, more experience from there.”

The August 25 card will mark Wright’s third appearance in New York, and fifth fight overall since signing with Dmitriy Salita’s Star of David Promotions. 

“Junior Wright is an honorary New Yorker and fought his most memorable fight, against Steve Bujaj, in Brooklyn just last year,” notes Salita, himself a former super lightweight contender before becoming a full-time promoter in the New York City area. “NYC fight fans are always asking about his next appearance in the city!”

Although most of his career has taken place in the Midwest, Wright has immediately taken to the East Coast scene and is anxious to return to the region – and the win column.

“New York is great man, I just feel like this another opportunity to show I am world class," Wright notes.

Headlining the show, featherweight contender Alex Miskirtchian takes on veteran spoiler Cornelius Lock. The card marks the first at the outdoor minor-league baseball stadium—home to the Coney Island Cyclones (named after the famed roller coaster down the street at Astroland Park) and formerly known as KeySpan Park—since July ’01, when Hector Camacho Jr. scored a controversial technical decision win over Jesse James Leija on HBO. 

In Miskirtchian and Wright, the show now has two notable fighters looking to return to contender status after falling short at the top level. Miskirtchian rebounded from a 12-round loss to then-unbeaten featherweight champ Evgeny Gradovich last May with a rust-shaking win at home in Belgium earlier this year. 

The upcoming show marks Miskirtchian’s first fight in the United States. As is the case with the respected featherweight, Salita believes Wright will turn up on fight night a better fighter after having competed with the best and knowing what it takes to return to that level. 

“Junior now has had the experience of fighting for a world title on the big stage and has learned a tremendous amount,” notes Salita. “He is very motivated to impress fans once again and climb back up the ladder to challenge the best in the division.  

“A world-class fighter like Junior Wright will bring the excitement to the Cyclones’ stadium in Coney Island on August 25th!"