Speaking ahead of his final workout before heading to Philadelphia, PA, hard-hitting super middleweight Demond “D’Bestatit” Nicholson (18-2-1, 17 KOs) could barely contain himself ahead of his rivalry showdown with hometown favorite, Jesse “Hard Work” Hart (23-1-0, 19 KOs) at the Liacouras Center this Saturday night, airing live on ESPN.
“This is the fight I’ve wanted since I was 14 and we were in the amateurs together. I’ve always wanted to fight Jesse, now I’ve got my chance and I’m going into his hometown and knocking him out on Saturday night,” said the 25-year-old Nicholson. “Hart’s been completely babied as a professional whether it’s getting a decision he didn’t deserve against Dashon Johnson or matched soft as butter in his last fight; Awimbono looked asleep before the bell even rang.
“Now Hart’s facing a straight-up knockout artist who’s going to use him as a stepping stone to a world title shot,” continued Nicholson. “I’ve had a tremendous camp, great sparring and I’m ready to take advantage of the opportunity that Lou DiBella and his team have provided me with.”
With 10 first-round knockouts, Nicholson is a must-see attraction in the super middleweight division. Most recently, Nicholson stopped Josue Obando in the second round on August 25, 2017, in Miami, Oklahoma. Prior to turning professional in 2013, Nicholson had a stellar amateur record of 110-15.
“Philadelphia is one of America’s premier fight towns, and Demond Nicholson has the opportunity to prove he is a premier talent on Saturday night,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Hart may be positioned as the Philly favorite, but Demond lives only two hours away and has an incredible base of supporters. People will know Maryland is in the house.”
The 28-year-old Hart, son of Philadelphia boxing legend Eugene “Cyclone” Hart, is coming off a first-round stoppage of Thomas Awimbono on February 3, 2018. Prior to that, he challenged for the WBO Super Middleweight title, losing a hard-fought battle to champion Gilberto Ramirez.