Mike “Bad Man” Ohan, Jr. in stay-busy fight to get to next level
“Fight Night at the Vets Club”
June 10th in Bridgewater, Mass.
QUINCY, Mass. (May 8, 2023) – Holbrook junior welterweight Mike “Bad Man” Ohan, Jr. (17-2, 9 KOs) may be fighting for the last time on a local-based show, June 10th on “Fight Night at the Vets Club” card, presented by Granite Chin Promotions’ (GCP), at the Veterans Club in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.
A former New England welterweight champion, Ohan faces William Parra Smith (4-14-1, 3 KOs), of Alaska, in a scheduled eight-round bout.
The main event pits Julien “Black Dragon” Baptiste Baptiste (4-3, 2 KOs), of Woburn (MA), versus Ryan Thomas Clark (2-3, 1 KO), of Barrington (NH), in a six-round throwback New England rivalry match for the vacant United States Boxing Federation (USBF) middleweight title.
Ohan fought on his highest platform to date last December, when he lost to 2020 U.S. Olympian Delante “Tiger” Johnson (6-0) in a fight streamed live on ESPN+ from famed Madison Square Garden. Although he lost, Ohan enjoyed the overall experience, and he’s looking forward to fighting more on the road in key match-ups.
“I was offered to fight on this club show and then take a bigger fight next, or wait for a bigger fight,” Ohan explained. “I took this stay-busy fight to be active and keep pushing, but guys like this are hungry, even if his record isn’t good. He has nothing to lose.
“I’m ready to take the next step. Whenever my promoter (Chris Traietti) tells me I have a big fight offer, I won’t hide from any of the bigger names. I want to get tested and surprise people. I like being the underdog.”
“I felt as though it was best to keep Mike busy,” Traietti added. “Anytime you put a fighter in the ring, you are taking a risk, but as long as it is a calculated risk then it’s the responsible decision. When the time comes for Mike to get back on the big stage, I don’t want him rusty, coming off a long layoff. With that said, William Parra smith isn’t a pushover. He just went six hard rounds on my show in February against a guy with a ton of international experience. He comes to fight, and I plan on pushing Mike. You can call whatever you want, a ‘tune-up’ fight, ‘stay busy’ fight. At the end of the day, it is a fight. Mike has to get through this one victoriously. Then the next move will be something big.”
Ohan has stayed busy, working days as a painter for Ohan Painting, evenings training hard in the gym to get ready for his fight. There are advantages and disadvantages of fighting close to home.
“I haven’t thought too much about this, maybe it being my last fight close to home,” Ohan said. “It probably won’t hit me until after the fight. I felt good fighting on a bigger platform. I enjoy traveling and fighting people in different areas. It’s tough selling when you’re making weight, too, It’s added stress. But I love fighting locally, too. Maybe I’ll be in a big fight on the East Coast.”
Also slated to fight on the “Fight Night at the Vets Club” are 2020 USA Boxing Elite National Champion Arika Skoog (1-0-1, 1 KO), of Roxbury (MA), unbeaten Lynn (MA).super middleweight James “Pitbull” Perkins (11-0-1, 8 KOs), and Scituate (MA) heavyweight Kevin Nagle (1-0,1 KO).
Card subject to change.
Tickets are priced at $60.00 (floor seats), $40.00 (standing room only), and $400.00 for ringside tables of 4 are available for purchase at https://granite-chin-promotions.ticketleap.com.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET, first bout at 7 p.m. ET.
