Steve Molitor Ready for Ring Return

    Former IBF Champ to Face Heriberto Ruiz at Casino Rama

    MNJIKANING (RAMA), ON, March 21 /CNW/ - Former IBF Junior Featherweight
World Champion, "The Canadian Kid" Steve Molitor is officially on the comeback
trail, and will face Mexico's Heriberto Ruiz during Rumble at Rama VIII on
June 26th at Casino Rama.
    Prior to the main event at Rumble at Rama VII, in which Ruiz topped
Panamanian Mauricio Martinez via unanimous decision for the vacant IBF
Intercontinental championship, Orion Sports Management President Allan
Tremblay announced that the winner of Martinez-Ruiz would be Molitor's next
foe.
    "I'm really excited about the opportunity," said Molitor, who lost his
world title last November to now unified WBA/IBF champion Celestino Caballero
via fourth round TKO. "I'm very grateful to Casino Rama for continuing to give
me a platform to perform, and to Allan Tremblay for putting me in a position
to win back my IBF belt."
    For Tremblay, Molitor's promoter, his star client's return to the ring is
all about desire, and positioning.
    "I always wanted Steve back in the ring, not just hungry, but starving,"
Tremblay said. "I also wanted him to come back at the top end of the division
so he'd be right back in the mix, and there's no denying that Ruiz is as tough
as they come. The winner will either go into an eliminator, or straight into a
title shot."
    Undercard highlights of the night included a heavyweight bout in which
Canadian Heavyweight Champion, Greg "The Steel Pole" Kielsa (9-0, 4 KO's)
retained his title with a devastating 8th round KO of Winnipeg's Arthur Cook.
    A picture perfect left punch flattened Cook, who rose on wobbly legs
before suddenly collapsing in the ring with an apparent right leg injury. Cook
was on the canvas for several but eventually left the ring under his own
power, his right leg bandaged from top to bottom.
    Official time was 1:16 of the 8th round.
    Kitchener, Ontario's Jason Douglas ran his record to 6-1, 3 KO's with a
fifth round TKO over Guadalajara, Mexico's Hugo Lomeli Gonzalez.
    Sudbury's Phil Boudreault suffered the first loss of his pro career after
an ankle injury at 1:50 of the fifth round gave the TKO win to Hamilton's
Justin Fountain, who improves to 4-1-2, with 2 KO's. Boudreault falls to 5-1.
    Buffalo, New York's Felix Mercedes improved to 2-0, 1 KO's with a
bruising four round majority decision over a very game Paul Watson, of
Brantford, Ontario whose record falls to 2-3.

    ABOUT ORION SPORTS MANAGEMENT

    Orion Sports Management is an Ontario based promotional company known for
staging first classboxing events. Run by former Canadian Airline executive
Allan Tremblay, Orion is the force behind Ontario's biggest match ups, from
their launch event at The Air Canada Centre ("The Night Of The Hurricane") to
a series of televised events in the Niagara region featuring "Baby Joe" Mesi,
Razor Ruddock, Egerton Marcus, Chad Brisson, and Steve Molitor.

    ABOUT CASINO RAMA

    Operating 24-hours a day, seven days a week since July 31, 1996, Casino
Rama is Ontario's only First Nations commercial casino. The Casino offers a
complete entertainment experience with over 2,500 slot machines, more than 110
gaming tables, ten unique restaurants, a world-class 5,000 seat Entertainment
Centre and a 300-room all-suite, full-service hotel, featuring spa and health
club facilities. Casino Rama is operated by Penn National Gaming, Inc.

For further information: For media requiring more information, please
contact: Allan Tremblay, President, Orion Sports Management: (905) 454-0899;
Lesley Robinson, Casino Rama Media Relations Manager: (705) 329-5179; Jason
Abelson, Communications Coordinator, Orion Sports Management: (416) 778-9280