Virgilijus Stapulionis to take on Patrick Day in series debut

Oct

Virgilijus Stapulionis, who is handled by famed manager Egis Klimas, will face former amateur star Patrick Day in the pilot installment of Main Events’ “Mohegan Sun’s Rising Stars” series on Nov. 26 at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, it was announced on Monday.

Main Events hopes to put on three to four shows a year at the Mohegan Sun, featuring a stable of young prospects, starting with the 10-round junior middleweight bout next month. Lithuania’s Stapulionis (18-3-1, 13 knockouts) fought in the U.S. for the first time in December of 2015 after he hooked up with Klimas, who also manages light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev.

Stapulionis signed with Main Events CEO Kathy Duva after he stopped Laszlo Fazekas in the second round on the undercard of Kovalev’s seventh-round destruction of Jean Pascal on Jan. 30 in Montreal. He has won four straight since a technical draw with Eamonn O’Kane in September of 2014 after he had floored his opponent in the first round. “I am so excited to headline my first show since coming to America last year,” Stapulionis said in a prepared statement of his east coast debut. “I hope the fans will enjoy my fight and I promise to bring them a good show.”

Long Island’s Day (12-2-1, 6 KOs) is still trying to live up to the potential he showed in the amateurs when he won the 2012 U.S. National Championships and signed with promoter Lou DiBella. But after a few hiccups, including a first-round stoppage at the hands of unheralded Carlos Garcia in November of 2015, Day is currently a promotional free agent and is trying to revive his career.

“I am viewing it as my chance at redemption,” said the 24-year-old Day, who is trained and managed by Joe Higgins. “In the past, I have taken victory for granted because I was a prospect and was favored to win. My shortcomings have taught me to take nothing in life for granted. I am going to earn my victory on November 26.”

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