Granite Chin Promotions has announced the signings of light heavyweight prospects Barrett Hanlon and Mohammad “Lightning” Alyazouri to exclusive promotional contracts.
Both fighters turned in memorable professional debuts on August 29th fighting on the “Boston Harbor Fight Night 2” card, presented by Granite Chin Promotions and CES Boxing, at Encore Boston Harbor Casino in Everett, Massachusetts. They are tentatively scheduled to return to the ring at Encore on November 7th in separate bouts on “Boston Harbor Fight Night 3”.
“I am thrilled to welcome Barrett and Mohammad to the Granite Chin family,” Granite Chin Promotions President Chris Traietti commented. “I had a blast working with them on their debuts and was impressed with how they conducted themselves both in the ring and out of it. In the ring, they are aggressive and explosive, out of the ring, they are gentlemen. It is a great combination. Their pro journey has just begun, we have a lot of work to do, but November 7th back at Encore is the next step.”
A 2-time Central New England Golden Gloves Champion, Hanlon (1-0, 1 KO) destroyed Ratavious Thrasher, flooring his opponent 3 times in the opening round, the last knockdown by way of an overhand right for a technical knockout victory.
“It was great,” Hanlon spoke about his pro debut, “especially making my pro debut at Encore in front of all my friends and most of my family. That was all I could ask for in my pro debut. I wish the fight had lasted a little longer so I could have gotten in a few more punches, but it was a good experience.
“The biggest difference between amateur and pro boxing, for me, was the weight-in and having a full day to hydrate and eat. I was a lot fresher. I had learned how to cut weight in the amateurs, so this was a piece of cake, and I thank my old coaches for teaching me how to do that the right way.”
The 32-year-old Hanlon is a native of Hopkinton, MA, who played college basketball at Bentley University for one season, followed by three at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. Hanlon’s abbreviated amateur boxing experience consisted of only 15 matches, including fights in the Golden Gloves and Rocky Marciano Tournament. He primarily trains at Everybody Fights in Boston’s Seaport district.
Hanlon is a special needs teacher in Boston’s North End, where he also resides, working with students from kindergarten through the 6th grade.
“I signed with Chris for 2 years and I look forward to fighting again at Encore in November,” Hanlon added. “I’m so lucky to fight there. I am going to take it one fight at a time and see what happens after 2 years. I’ll continue to work as hard as I can. This was my first time working with the Everybody Fights coaches and I thank them. Waymaker (Boxing gym) is in Dorchester and I go there on weekends to train with Marc DeLuca. I’ve sparred there with (Frank) Hogan and ‘Tonka’ (Gilbert Kabamba).
“Chris is a good guy and he’s well intended for me. He wants to see me become the best I can be and fighting at Encore is exciting. I’m on the right path and fighting on the best stage, Encore. Those are some of the reasons I signed with Granite Chin.”
Alyazouri, 30, was a member of the Jordan National Boxing Team for a decade, 2012-2022, posting an impressive 83-8 amateur record. The gifted Jordanian now resides in Burlington, Vermont with his wife, Kate. In his pro debut, he used a powerful left hook to drop Charles de Sousa twice, the second ending the match at the 35-second mark of the first round.
“My debut was the most important step of my life because it was time to show up or be put on the shelf,” Alyazouri vividly remembered. “It meant way more than just a win for my future because everything was on the line. When my hands were lifted upwards (after the fight) it was epic to see all my dreams were in front of me and I won.
“My goal was to go pro and I had deals from promoters from Dubai and Germany, but I came to the United States 3 years ago, and I live in Vermont with my wife in Burlington, and we own a gym (Emerge) in Winooski, VT. My wife is a mobility coach who gave me advice for my injured shoulder. We started dating.”
Mohammad couldn’t have envisioned a more impressive all-around pro debut, especially making it at Encore.
“It was amazing to make my pro debut at Encore, the best way to be seen and recognized,” Alyazouri said. “There was an amazing crowd with a lot of people who really care about boxing. I never felt so free as I did making my walk to the ring.
“Chris can take me where I want to be, building my career the right way. He can get me a (regional) title shot. One reason I signed with him is he’s an ex-boxer, which is very important because in my environment it’s important that we speak the same language. He has been where I want to be.”
