Salita Promotions has joined the new normal of professional sports by signing a deal to stage a number of “no spectator” live boxing events at the legendary Kronk Gym in Downtown Detroit.

The fights, with participants and TV networks to be announced, will begin in the coming months and continue until fans can return to attending live events.

Dmitriy Salita, says he’s excited about bringing high-profile events, which will be held in accordance with all State and Michigan Commission virus-safety protocols, to the iconic Detroit boxing gym.

“The Kronk is the heart of boxing in this city and I’m happy to be bringing these high-profile events to the historic gym. Detroit has many great prospects and contenders who can now return to action in a safe virus-free environment. The fans and fighters have waited long enough and I am grateful to the team at Kronk Gym for hosting these upcoming fights.”

Kronk Gym head trainer Javan “SugarHill” Steward says staging live events at the gym was the brainchild of the late, great trainer Emanuel Steward, who would stage amateur fights and world-class sparring sessions at the gym as though they were professional cards.

“To be able to have real competitive live fights here is amazing to me,” said SugarHill. “I am very excited this will be happening. It’s an honor for an event like that to take place at the historic Kronk Gym where so many world champions come from. I picture these fights will be a lot like the classic days of the Blue Horizon. I give thanks to my cousin Sylvia Steward Williams, Emanuel’s daughter. If she hadn’t put this gym together, we wouldn’t be doing this right now. Many thanks to her and all she has done for these events to take place.”

Specific dates will be announced shortly, pending Michigan Commission approval.

The women’s middleweight world championship between unified WBC and WBO titlist Christina Hammer and former world champion Tori Nelson has been added to the June 22 SHOWTIME telecast from Masonic Temple in Detroit.

In the main event, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and unified 168-pound champion Claressa Shields will attempt to become a two-division champion when she faces unified 154-pound titleholder Hanna Gabriels for the vacant IBF and WBA middleweight world championships.

With the addition of Hammer vs. Nelson to the June 22 Showtime Boxing: Special Edition (10 p.m. ET/PT) telecast, all four women’s middleweight world titles will be at stake in separate bouts featuring two of the consensus top 10 pound-for-pound women in the world.

The winners of Shields vs. Gabriels and Hammer vs. Nelson will meet this fall on SHOWTIME to determine the undisputed women’s middleweight world champion.

Hammer (22-0, 10 KOs), of Dortmund, Germany, has dominated the women’s middleweight division for nearly eight years, losing just a handful of rounds in her reign as champion at 160 pounds. The 27-year-old, who will make her U.S. debut on June 22, won the WBO title in 2010 then became unified champion in 2016 with a win over defending WBC champion Kali Reis.

Nelson (17-1-3, 2 KOs) won a middleweight world championship in 2011 and owns wins over previously unbeaten Alicia Napoleon, Mia St. John, and Reis, who recently floored women’s welterweight champion Cecilia Braekhus. The native of Ashburn, Va., suffered her first loss in a spirited decision to Shields this January on SHOWTIME in what was the toughest test of Shields’ young career.

“Now that I’m added to the TV portion of the card it gives me even more motivation to prove to the U.S. audience that I’m the best female fighter in the world,” Hammer said. “My plan is to do something that Claressa Shields couldn’t do – knock out Tori Nelson. Once I take care of business with Nelson, my goal is to fight the winner of Shields vs. Gabriels to become the undisputed women’s middleweight world champion.”

“Christina Hammer can’t bring anything I haven’t seen before,” Nelson said. “I’ve beaten Kali Reis, Mia St. John, Alicia Napoleon. I went the distance with Claressa Shields and I plan on beating Hammer on June 22 to earn my shot at revenge against Shields. This is my chance and I don’t plan to let it slip away.”

“Adding Hammer vs. Nelson to the card was the right move as we collectively work to elevate the status of women’s boxing at the highest level,” said Gordon Hall, Executive Producer of SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION. “The June 22 telecast now features two of the best pound-for-pound female fighters – Claressa Shields and Christina Hammer – in what will be our eighth presentation of women’s boxing since 2016. All four of the world titles in the women’s middleweight division are at stake on June 22 with the goal of the winners meeting this fall to determine an undisputed middleweight champion.”

“I am honored to promote this historic night of boxing on SHOWTIME in the championship city of Detroit,” said promoter Dmitriy Salita. “I believe these fights are in line with the best and most competitive matchups in the history of women’s boxing. All four of these fighters are coming from different parts of the globe to win a world title and show they are the best. It will be an exciting and explosive night of boxing from beginning to end for the fans attending the fight at the Detroit Masonic Temple and for those watching the fight live on SHOWTIME.”

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Salita Promotions, are available at Ticketmaster.com or at the Masonic Temple Box Office at (313) 832-7100. VIP tickets are priced at $300, ringside tickets at $125, and remaining tickets at $75, $50 and $35.

https://fightnews.com/showtime-adds-hammer-nelson-june-22/22762