DETROIT – Jonny Mansour and Julius “Ju-Ju” Ballo are boxers with big dreams who will be fighting for the first time in Detroit next Saturday, August 29 at the Fox Theatre. The card is being put on by Salita Promotions “Big Time Boxing”.
They’re cousins, who are both from San Diego and have a combined 10-0 professional record. They are more like brothers and they’re ready to meet the moment.
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“Detroit’s, you know, a place where I wanted to fight years ago,” Mansoor, 26, said. “I wrote a letter to myself. I said my goal one day is to fight in San Diego and to fight in Detroit, and here we are.”
They’re also both Chaldean, and with Metro Detroit having one of country’s largest Arab American populations, stepping into the Fox Theatre means a little something more.
“I was in Iraq a couple of months ago,” Mansoor said. “When the Iraqi soccer team was playing [in the World Cup], you could feel the streets shaking.
“To be able to be the first generation born in the United States – we both represented Team USA – and now to be representing our family’s roots in Iraq, it’s a blessing, and we know they’re going to show out for us.
Also, on the card is Husam al-Mashhadi – a super welterweight who has a career record of 15-1 with 12 knockouts. He was born in Iraq and lives in Dearborn.
This is a homecoming for him, and he says he’s ready for the spotlight.
“This is going to be probably the most stacked, you know, Middle Eastern card crowd that I’m going to be on,” al-Mashhadi said. “I’d like to win a world title, by the time I’m 26 years old, and I think I think you know this is a step closer to that.”
Ballo and Mansour held a public workout at the SuperBad gym in Detroit last week and they’ve also spent time working out at the iconic Kronk gym – where more than 40 world champions have trained.
They understand the legacy of Detroit boxing and are ready to put their stamp on it, while also representing their community
“It’s going to be great night of boxing at the Fox Theater,” Ballo, 23, said. You get to watch the two biggest Middle Eastern fighters come together, and it’s going to be a big night for Detroit.
This event will be the 4th ever boxing event held at the fox. And the card will also feature several up-and-coming local fighters from Detroit, Flint, Troy, and Ann Arbor.
Tickets are still available on Ticketmaster and it starts on Saturday at 5:00pm.