For the 13th year, B. Riley Securities presented the Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation “Big Fighters, Big Cause” Charity Boxing Night on Wednesday, May 22 at The Beverly Hilton.
Credit/Copyright: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation
Comedian Russell Peters hosted the exclusive star-studded event which featured first-class entertainment including four action-packed live fights presented by Golden Boy Promotions, a National Anthem performance by singer-songwriter Claire Khodara, and a live and silent auction display featuring unique items and experiences and legendary memorabilia.
The evening also honored Emmy Award-winning TV personality, journalist, actress, author and entrepreneur Maria Menounos, acknowledging Menounos’ personal and familial journey with Type 1 diabetes. After her father was diagnosed over 50 years ago, Menounos herself was diagnosed in the summer of 2022. Since then, she has been committed to helping raise awareness for the disease while sharing her own health story and celebrating the strength of the diabetes community.
“Diabetes has been a cause that has been close to my heart ever since I was little, because my dad was a type 1 diabetic and we struggled with the disease,” said Menounos while accepting the award virtually in a pre-recorded video. “It wasn’t until I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes myself that I really got to see the challenges that exist firsthand. I just want to say to everyone who’s dealing with diabetes, I see you. My dad sees you. My family sees you.”
The event raised $400,000, with proceeds benefiting the Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation’s mission to fund life-changing research, care and awareness for pediatric type 1 and 2 diabetes, and to help children live healthier lives through diet and exercise.
Among the other celebrity guests in attendance, the Foundation welcomed Sugar Ray Leonard and Bernadette Leonard, Cedric the Entertainer, Michael Buffer, Johnny Gill, Richard Hilton, Jimmy Jam, Cailtyn Jenner, Tina Knowles-Lawson, Mario Lopez, Judge Mathis, Jane Seymour and Mia St. John among others.
The live fights presented by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions featured some of the must-watch prospects in the stable. In the main event, San Diego’s still undefeated Jorge “El Niño Dorado” Chavez (11-0, 8 KOs) added another knockout to his record in a fight against Sharone “Smoke” Carter (13-8-1, 3 KOs) of St. Louis, Missouri. Scheduled as an eight-round featherweight event, the back-and-forth action made it until the conclusion of the sixth-round, where the corner called for the stoppage due to Carter complaining of a hand injury, awarding the knockout to Chavez. In an action-packed co-main event, Denver Colorado’s Daniel “Junebug” Garcia (9-0, 7 KOs) defeated Lincoln, Calif.‘s David Minter (4-5, 3 KOs) via knockout. Scheduled for four-rounds of lightweight action, Minter’s corner waved the white towel at 0:22 in the second-round.
Representing Waianae, Hawaii, Dalis Kaleiopu (5-0, 4 KOs) added another knockout to his record against Phillip Ramirez (1-4) of Los Angeles, Calif. Scheduled for four-rounds, Kaleiopu hit him to the body, sending Ramirez straight to the mat at 0:38 in the second round. Ramirez was unable to get back up, and Kaleiopu took home the knockout victory. Opening up the fight portion of the night’s festivities with a four-round super welterweight bout, still undefeated prospect Fabian Guzman (4-0, 4 KOs) of Orange, Calif. defeated Michael “Mighty Mike” Lemelle (3-18-3) of Fort Worth, Texas. Guzman dropped Lemelle twice throughout the bout; once in the first round, and again in the second round. The referee stopped the fight at 2:40 in the second, awarding the knockout victory to Guzman.
The event took place during B. Riley Securities’ 23rd Annual Institutional Investor Conference, a two-day premier investment and networking event which brings together public and private companies with institutional investors, high-net worth individuals, and corporate clients, as well as select members of the press. Conference attendees also joined the Charity Boxing Night.
