On Saturday, March 11, 2017, undefeated Super Middleweight and Golden Boy Promotions prospect, D’Mitrius “Big Meech” Ballard (15-0, 11 KOs), returns to the ring at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York to take on 31-year-old veteran Zoltan Sera (28-11, 19 KOs) of Budapest, Hungary.
The bout takes place on the undercard of a highly-anticiped slugfest between former IBF Middleweight champion David Lemieux (36-3, 32 KOs) and former world-title challenger Curtis Stevens (29-5, 21 KOs) on HBO Boxing After Dark.
Ballard, who went 4-0 in 2016 with every victory coming by way of knockout, looks to pick up right where he left off last year.
“In 2017 I’m looking to stay undefeated, continue to put on more great performances and put the boxing world on notice,” said Ballard in a recent interview with Round By Round Boxing. “I want everyone to know that I’m a contender here at the 168-pound weight class and I’m here to stay.”
Ballard, who along with three of his NoXcuse Boxing stablemates–Kevin Rivers Jr., Alex Rincon and recently crowned WBC Youth Featherweight champion, Lamont Roach Jr.–will have tons of opportunities to perform in front of larger crowds with the new platforms that their promotional company, Golden Boy Promotions, has secured.
“Oh yeah, that [Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN] is a big motivation. I hope soon, if I take care of business on Saturday, that I can be fighting on one of these ESPN cards so I can let the world see my talent,” said Ballard.
Ballard is no stranger to traveling abroad, having recently scored a knockout over Gergo Horvath at the Bell Centre in Montreal in October of 2016, but the Temple Hills, MD native is looking forward to having the opportunity to come home and fight at the brand new MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD.
“I’m excited about the new MGM and to have a chance to fight in front of fans, friends and all the local supporters,” said Ballard who delivered a fan-friendly knockout for his hometown supporters at the DC Armory back in March of 2016.
“It’s just more motivation for me to continue to do what I need to do training wise and in fights to really show everybody that the DMV has a champ in D’Mitrius Ballard.”
For this training camp, Ballard has gotten top-notch sparring with some of the areas best young fighters including Immanuwel Aleem–who recently battered and stopped Ievgen Khytrov to win the WBC Silver Middleweight title–Demond Nicholson, and Alantez Fox, who recently won the WBC United States Middleweight title.
Seeing many fighters from the DC, Maryland and Virginia area win titles and perform on national television is pushing Ballard to achieve big things.
“Seeing all these people with belts [from the area] and fighting on television it’s really lighting a fire and pushing me to perform and exceed everyone’s expectations,” said Ballard.
D’Mitrius Ballard vs. Zoltan Sera will be streamed live via Ring TV Live starting at 8:30 pm, EST on Saturday night.
Header photo by Hogan Photos
