By TENAJH SWEETING

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

FIRST Class Promotions will host the first all-female boxing match in The Bahamas and Caribbean at 8pm on Friday, March 31 at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs Gymnasium.

The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture will work alongside First Class Promotions in an event that is set to honour and celebrate former Bahamian boxing champion Ray Minus Jr.

The all-female world title fight will also help to bring awareness to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), which is a body-crippling condition the boxing legend has developed.

The World Boxing Association (WBA) world title fight will feature Toronto’s Lindsay Garbatt vs Las Vegas’ Jaimie “The Miracle” Mitchell in the 10-round main event.

In the 8-round co-main event, Simone Silva from San Palo, Brazil will take on O’Shea Jones from Philadelphia.

The boxing event will feature four female matchups on the night.

Michelle Minus, boxing matchmaker and promoter of First Class Promotions, talked about why they decided to go with an all-female card for the event at yesterday’s press conference.

“Well, we needed to come back with something different. We promoted only male boxing over the years and also First Class Promotions is celebrating 23 years in existence this year July and we wanted to come back with something strong,” Minus said.

Persons interested in purchasing tickets for the event are encouraged to visit the website at www. bahamasetickets.com as tickets are selling fast with excitement building around the first all-female professional boxing match.

For persons that wish to purchase tickets in person, box offices will be set up to accommodate physical ticket purchases at the event.

Minus talked about why the public should be at this year’s exciting boxing showdown.

“On the fight card, the main event, one of them was a silver medallist Olympian and one is a bronze medallist, they have had this rivalry for a minute, so they are going to be able to settle the score in The Bahamas,” Minus said.

The prices for general admission are $35 and the VIP section is for $125.

Also, shirts will be on sale in support of six-time British Commonwealth champion Ray Minus Jr. For persons that want to purchase shirts for the event as well, they can contact 1-242-465-2313 for pricing and additional information.

The women’s showdown will be sponsored by a number of local companies.

Companies will include the MOYSC, Ministry of Tourism, 100Jamz Group Companies, Nassau Guardian, Love 97, Cable Bahamas Sports, ZNS, EZ CAR Sales, Nirvana Beach, Bahamian Brewery & Beverage Co. Ltd., Nassau Agencies, Sun Time, Doc’s Pharmacy, Ron’s Radiator, Original Patties, Daina’s Guest House, Eddie Electric Co. Ltd., Heastie’s Services Station, and Battery and Tyre Specialists Ltd.

Nathan Arnett, brand manager at Jimmy’s Wine and Spirits and Bahamian Brewery, talked about why the company decided to sponsor the event.

“We came on board as a sponsor with Modelo primarily because [it] is a beer that is an international sponsor for boxing and UFC and on top of that we wanted to give back to Ray Minus Jr and we want to come on board with bringing awareness for ALS and other serious illnesses and injuries that come along with that,” Arnett said.

He added that the former Bahamian champion fighter has given back and been a huge hero for the country and the company will give 100 percent of the profit to the four-time Bahamas bantamweight champion.

Early on in his career in the 1990s, Minus Jr. decided to open a club to keep troubled young men away from gang violence, drugs and alcohol.

He and his former wife Michelle Munnings Minus had a club called the Champion Amateur Boxing Club which helped 280+ boys from inner city communities.

Despite his battle with the neurogenerative disease known as ALS, which causes persons to lose their ability to walk, talk and eventually breathe, Minus Jr has contributed a lot outside of his many boxing accolades to the Bahamian community and now it’s time for Bahamians to give back to the boxing legend by supporting the WBA’s all-female world title match.

The event will be sanctioned by The Bahamas Boxing Commission.