Raabe featured in boxing

RENO -- The University of Nevada Boxing Club will open its 2002 Eldorado/Budweiser Boxing Series on Friday, January 25.

For the fifth year, the Wolf Pack will host Air Force in a collegiate boxing competition at the Eldorado Hotel Casino. California and San Jose State are also scheduled to participate.

Among the featured boxers will be Carson High graduate Mike Raabe, a senior at Air Force. In a 175-pound bout, it will be a homecoming for Raabe, who will box Kash Afshar of Cal.

Nevada's two-time 112-pound national champion Lawrence Tam,

a Wooster High School graduate, will box Air Force's Doug Spear

in one of the featured bouts of the evening. McQueen High

School graduate Justin Galli (139) will match up with Air Force's

Luis Palacios and fellow McQueen alum Shaw Ebrahimi

will test the defending 147-pound national champion Ullysses

Linares at 156 pounds. Nevada will also look to Charlie Beasley (156) and Justin Persons (165) to match up tough against

the Air Force.

The bouts will be held in the Eldorado Convention Center, beginning at 7 pm. Tickets are $10. The local UPN affiliate

will televise all home bouts this season that will take place on Jan. 25, Feb. 22 and the regionals on March 22 and 23.

Doors open at 6 p.m. in the Eldorado Convention Center for the evening bouts.

Tickets may be purchased at the Eldorado Showroom Box Office or by calling (775) 786-5700 or 1-800-648-5966. Free valet parking is available or in the Eldorado's parking garage with validation.