Story & Photos By Kirk Lang
Making its East Coast debut this past Saturday, the Mike Tyson Invitational III crowned 21 champions at Foxwoods Resort Casino.
Male and female boxers, ranging in age from 9 to 24, were extra motivated, not only because the event and championship belts bore “Iron” Mike’s name, but also because of the pro-like production value and the fact that the event was livestreamed on FightSports, a streaming app for combat sports.
“I liked all the scenery, the walkout (which featured theatrical smoke), and the way it made me feel,” said Candice DeJesus, who won a unanimous three-round decision over Zuri “Too Slick” Coles in their 88-pound, 12-13-year-old intermediate bout.
Joseph “The Body Snatcher” Mollinedo won his third Invitational championship on Saturday. The previous events took place in Las Vegas in March and July.
In a letter to Tyson on social media, Mollinedo wrote, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Growing up watching you, I never imagined I’d one day be standing beside you, shaking your hand, and being part of something you created. It still feels unreal sometimes.”
The 19-year-old, who defeated David Van Dyke III in their 132-pound Elite bout, added, “You’ve given me more than a chance to compete. You’ve given me experiences, friendships and people I consider family. That means more to me than any belt.”
A day before the Invitational, there was a financial workshop, a press conference, open workouts and face-offs, all in front of traditional and social media outlets. Tyson and top women’s fighter Katie Taylor pitched in, holding mitts at times for boxing’s future stars.
Eleven-year-old Alison Saucedo, who trains at Ortiz Boxing Gym in Bridgeport, Connecticut, lost a three-round decision to eventual Most Outstanding Fighter (female) Milany “Honey Bee” Moss Vasquez. Vasquez, who registered a standing eight-count in the second round, used her height, reach, southpaw stance and greater experience—nine bouts compared with Saucedo’s four—to offset Saucedo’s efforts.
“It’s a good thing, though,” said Carlos Nieves, Saucedo’s trainer. “We went up against an experienced girl, which is just going to give her more experience.”
Nieves said the Invitational would help Saucedo in the future.
“It was the first time she’s ever fought in a big event,” he said. “We were supposed to go to the nationals (Kansas City Silver Gloves) last year. She had won the regionals, but because her parents couldn’t travel with me due to work, I couldn’t take her to nationals, so this is really her first big event.”
Saucedo may have lost her bout (11-12, 70 pounds), but she definitely wasn’t feeling down. She got to meet Katie Taylor, her favorite fighter, during Friday’s open workouts. And it wasn’t just a meeting or a quick exchange of pleasantries.
Taylor held the mitts for Saucedo and also gave her a pair of gloves she had signed, along with a Mike Tyson Invitational T-shirt.
“That was really big for her. She was so excited about that,” said Nieves.
In DeJesus’ bout against Coles, the first round was a toss-up, but DeJesus seemed to take the second and third rounds. Her father and coach, “Loco,” told her after the opening round that she needed to step it up.
DeJesus, who was 9-1 going into the Invitational, faced a much more experienced opponent. Coles, who trains at Rivera Boxing Club in Springfield, Massachusetts, was 18-1 heading into Saturday’s matchup.
“It was a good test for my daughter,” said Loco, who trains her himself. “She passed the test. She did good and she won rounds two and three clear, and she stuck to the plan and did her job.”
DeJesus said the pro-like atmosphere gave her “a lot of motivation.”
“The tournament felt like an honor to me, to be here,” said DeJesus. “Especially meeting Mike Tyson, Katie Taylor, Oscar Valdez and others. So it really made me feel special.”
Loco was impressed as well.
“This is one of the best shows I’ve been to, and we’ve been to seven other national tournaments,” he said. “This is my favorite. I pick this over the nationals.”
New Haven-based brothers Amir and Amare Foster enjoyed the opportunity to showcase their skills at one of the two major casinos in their home state. Older brother Amir earned Most Outstanding Fighter honors (male) for his third-round stoppage of Dominic “Dom” Yousif, of Shelby Township, Michigan, in their 143-pound matchup.
Amir registered two standing eight-counts against Yousif in the second round. The first big left hook he landed in the third round, within the first minute, forced the referee to step between the fighters and stop the bout.
“It was an honor to get Most Outstanding Boxer,” said Amir. “I knew coming into this fight that I had to show out in front of Mike Tyson, and in front of a bunch of pros, so my mindset was to get Fighter of the Night. When it came, I was excited. It was a joyful moment. It was amazing.”
In another crowd-pleasing bout, light heavyweight Pratik “The Asian Persuasion” Gurung, sporting a full head of bleach-blond hair, won a three-round unanimous decision over Anthony “Nightmare” Rodriguez. It was a battle between the slick boxer and the aggressive combination puncher. Rodriguez had his moments, including when he knocked Gurung’s head back with a stiff jab early in the second round, but Gurung’s consistent work rate clearly earned the judges’ favor.
Tyson remarked at the event, after working the broadcast, “This guy, he’s improving, tournament after tournament… He wants to be a fighter!”
FightNews caught up with Gurung after his bout. Asked for his overall thoughts, he responded, “It feels amazing. There’s no feeling like getting your dues when you train as hard as fighters do. It just feels like God is blessing me in every way.”
He added, “It was a really tough camp. There were some ups and downs, but I feel blessed. That’s all I can say.”
Not everyone hoping to win an Invitational belt came away victorious. Daniel “El Jefe” Hernandez, of New Britain, Connecticut, who earned 2025 Amateur Boxer of the Year honors from the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame, suffered a second-round stoppage loss to Staten Island, New York’s Carmine “Gento” Gentile.
The long-armed, quick-fisted 20-year-old Italian used a laser-like jab to control the fight between his power punches. As early as the first round, Hernandez’s always-supportive girlfriend was yelling for him to “Let your hands go.”
A counter right hand early in the second round sent Hernandez to the canvas, while a second right prompted a standing eight-count from the referee. Gentile followed up with a two-fisted assault along the ropes, earning a TKO victory in their 165-pound bout.
“I knew he was ranked fifth in the USA and was an elite fighter, but no matter the opponent, I always work hard,” said Gentile. “Coming into this fight, I was prepared and excited to perform on a big stage.”
He added, “I attribute my victory to my hard work and my dedication to the sport, and I let my hard work show on the day of the fight.”
There were many exciting fights, along with solid boxing in the more subtle affairs. When it was all over, Moss Vasquez, of Philadelphia, won Most Outstanding Fighter (female), while Foster took Most Outstanding Fighter (male).
In addition, the 208-pound matchup between Zyon “Baby Tyson” Duprey, of Yonkers, New York, and Robert “The Reaper” Clark, of Baltimore, Maryland, earned Fight of the Night (male) honors. The 114-pound bout between Tae’yonna Lawrence, of Toledo, Ohio, and Kimberly Zempoaltecatl, of Newburgh, New York, earned Fight of the Night honors on the female side. Duprey won a unanimous three-round decision over Clark, while Lawrence also won unanimously over Zempoaltecatl.
At Friday’s press conference, Tyson said his Invitational tournament “is better than winning the championship,” adding, “This is helping other people become champions.”
Foster told FightNews, “It was a great experience, and when we got there, I was just starstruck. I felt like everything, the whole scene, everything, just felt like I was a pro. I loved that feeling. They checked my height. They checked my weight. They did all that. I did interviews. I took pictures. I felt amazing. I felt like I was a pro, and I’m looking to do it again.”
Gentile was impressed as well.
“The environment was different,” he said. “It was different having a walkout and having all those cameras on you. It was far different from any show I’ve ever competed in.”
There will be a fourth Invitational in early 2027, according to Tyson’s staff. However, a location has not yet been finalized.
FightNews.com would like to thank Mike Tyson’s staff (especially Jo Migs), local liaison Aurelia Bejenaru, of Cus Boxing Gym, and Foxwoods’ Dayna Mendolia (Theater Manager and Entertainment Coordinator), for allowing and assisting us to cover this event, and for straightening out an e-ticket “Invalid” barcode matter at the box office.
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