PARKERSBURG - Wirt County resident Mike Sheppard, who will be fighting for the vacant West Virginia state cruiserweight boxing title, will be part of the scheduled main event for Friday Night Fights 3 on Nov. 21 on the campus of West Virginia University at Parkersburg.
Sheppard's fight, scheduled for 10 rounds, is one of two pro boxing bouts. The other features Parkersburg's Chad Greenleaf in a six-round fight.
"I think it's going to end up being a real good turnout and I think WVUP is going to be an event center for things we use a lot," said Matt McCase of Power Promotions.
Two World Toughman combatants also will be on hand as ex-Clarksburg Toughman champion Keith Barr, a former Glenville State College football player, will take on 2007 Wheeling Toughman winner Nate Lockran.
J.R. Dowler, a two-time Parkersburg Toughman winner who also went to the World Toughman this past spring, is scheduled to box Wheeling Toughman champion Bruce Runkle.
More than a dozen other matches are also on tap for the event, ranging from amateur boxing to amateur kickboxing.
"There's not a bad seat in the house and 700 people is a sellout," McCase said of WVUP's campus event center. "I think it will be a real fun night and there are a lot of local fighters."
This version of Friday Night Fights was preceeded by cards in Elizabeth at Wirt County High School and also at Parkersburg High School.
McCase said Friday Night Fights will be back at Parkersburg's Memorial Fieldhouse on March 28 with another card that is expected to feature the return of Billy Cottrell.
Some of the other boxing matches include a battle of 16-year-old Parkersburg fighters as 140-pounders Steve Whitehair and Chris Kimble are scheduled to meet.
Another all-Parkersburg boxing match will pit 27-year-old Jason Graham against 30-year-old Billy Smith.
In a women's rematch, 1-0 Tara Collins of Parkersburg will square off against Nitro's Sara Lilly (0-1).
Both Pat Conley and Dustin Morgan, 20-year-olds from Parkersburg, will be competing in amateur kickboxing matches. Conley is scheduled to face Fairmont's Tyler Eastman while Morgan has Nitro's Dustin Briscoe.
Tickets went on sale this week and are $17 for students, $20 for general admission and $25 for reserved ringside. Tickets may be purchased in advance from event sponsors Kompak Stores, GNC in south Parkersburg, Hall of Fame Chiropractic and Hill's Exxon in Elizabeth.
The show, which is being put on by Power Promotions in association with the Dawghouse Gym in Glenville, is fully sanctioned by the West Virginia State Athletic Commission.
Doors open at 6 p.m. with the first bout at 7 p.m.
