Three Lions Promotions is building professional boxing back to the glory years in Metro Vancouver, showcasing local lightweight prospect Eric Basran (8-1, 3 KOs), who will headline “The Homecoming” card on May 30th at Royal King Palace in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
“When you’ve got local talent like Eric Basran headlining in his own backyard, that’s how you grow boxing,” Three Lions Promotions managing director Daniel Otter commented, “We have great plans for the West Coast and May 30th is only chapter one.”
Vancouver was once known as a “fight city”, starting in the early 20th century, and peaking in the forties and fifties at venues like Exhibition Gardens and the Denman Auditorium. Times, though, have dramatically changed on the Vancouver boxing scene as interest dwindled during the past seven decades or so.
Vancouver hosted the 1972 fight between “The Greatest,” Muhammad Ali, and legendary Canadian heavyweight George Chuvalo on May 1, 1972 at Pacific Coliseum Ali won a 12-round unanimous decision. Two-time World Welterweight Champion Jimmy McLarnin, a Hall of Famer who is recognized as the greatest boxer ever developed in Vancouver, became a local hero back in the day. Another Vancouver boxing star, Tommy “The Little Giant of Hanover” Burns (47-5-9, 35 KOs) is the only Canadian-born world heavyweight champion, which he became in 1906 when he upset 2-1 favorite Marvin Hart in Los Angeles.
Amateur boxing, however, has been popular in Vancouver since the BC Golden Gloves launched in 1939, and it remains relatively strong there today.
The 27-year-old Basran, a popular Indo-Canadian, will take on Chilean Lightweight Champion Sebastian “Cerberus” Caucaman (5-1-1, 2 KOs) in the 10-round main event for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) International Silver Lightweight title.
“It’s amazing to bring boxing back to my city,” Basran said with pride. “We haven’t had bigtime boxing here in years and years. Amateur boxing has been getting better, but now it’s time to build pro boxing up here, and I see that happening in the next year or two. I’m a student of the game and I know about Vancouver’s boxing history and a lot of the old-timers from here.
“I’ve been kind of the lead guy here, but a lot of people in Vancouver don’t really know boxing because they haven’t been able to watch it live. Our upcoming show will kick things off. Our community is really supportive and interest will grow as we get bigger fighters here. It will grow among people for sure in Vancouver.”
The 27-year-old Basran, who fights out of Surrey, British Columbia in Canada, gained invaluable experience competing in last year’s World Boxing Council Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia, in which he suffered his first loss as a pro in the second round of tournament competition.
“I gained international experience in that tournament and that always helps,” Basran noted. “To be around so many boxing people from different countries was great. I knew how amateur boxing was on a world stage, but now I also know how boxing on the world stage works for pros.”
Basran will be fighting in his first scheduled 10-round bout; Caucaman defeated Felipe Pizarro (3-3-1) last October, by way of a one-sided 10-round unanimous decision (100-90 X 2, 98-92), for the Chilean lightweight crown.
In the 8-round, co-featured event, former CPBC Canadian (amateur) Champion, Surrey light heavyweight Buneet “Surrey’s Lion” Bisla (14-1, 7 KOs), will face an opponent to soon be finalized for an announcement.
Reigning Canadian Champion John-Michael “J-Money” Bianco (9-1, 4 KOs) faces undefeated Surrey’s Harkirat Nijjar (6-0, 5 KOs), a 2020 BC Provincial Champion, in an 8-round, non-title Super Middleweight Attraction.
Other pro boxers scheduled to be action on “The Homecoming” card include Vancouver flyweight Nyousha “Superfly” Nakhjiri (5-0, 2 KOs), 2025 Canadian Elite National Champion, vs. TBA in an 8-rounder, Hamilton bantamweight Meilyn Sanchez Martinez (3-0, 1 KO) vs. Wendy Catalina Villegas Franco (2-8, 2 KOs) in a female battle of Mexico natives, and Toronto welterweight Vadym Klym (2-0, 0 KOs) vs. Armando “Bris” Macias (5-0, 1 KO), of Mexico, in a 4-round fight.
Card subject to change.
Go online to www.threelionspromotions.com for ticket information and updates.
Full event details will be announced shortly, including final bout agreements.
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