'Murrysville Madness III' brings boxing back to SportZone

With two nights of boxing at the Murrysville SportZone under his belt and a regular rotation of venues ready to stage fights in the Pittsburgh region, Monroeville promoter Derek Gionta is feeling good.

“The operation is getting to be routine, so now we know what to expect from a setup and operational standpoint,” he said as he watched fighters train at the Fit4Boxing gym in Murrysville, in preparation for “Murrysville Madness III,” a night of fights set for Sept. 17.

“I’m just looking for more opportunity, to get in front of a bigger crowd and advance my career,” said Tre Craycraft, 23, a fighter from Ohio. “I’m excited to get my first fight with Derek under my belt.”

Craycraft was training alongside Willie Shaw, 30, of Ambridge, who came to Pittsburgh after starting his boxing career in California’s Bay Area.

“I played a lot of sports in high school and kind of got away from it,” Shaw said. “But when I went to college, I needed money, and that’s when I started taking it real serious.”

Shaw began his amateur career at 18 years old, turning pro three years later.

Female fighter Mary Casamassa, 22, of Franklin Park, is coming off her first professional win in May, defeating Las Vegas opponent and fellow Pittsburgh native LeAnn O’Malley-Still in a middleweight matchup.

“I’m looking for a little more of a challenge, something to really test myself and see what I can do,” Casamassa (2-0, 1 KO) said.

Training out of Jack’s Boxing Gym in Ross, Casamassa said she has gotten a lot of confidence working with coach Jack Mook.

“I really push the cardio, because I know a lot of people sometimes fade during the end of a fight, and I want to make sure I’m going as hard in the last round as I did in the first. Jack will crank down my strength training, and nothing is better than getting to the last round knowing my legs are still there and I can keep going.”

Like many fight nights, all of the matchups are not finalized, and frequently change in the weeks leading up to the event. But Gionta said building up a stable of quality local talent makes it easier to get the matches set, and to bring in out-of-town fighters.

“Some of these guys live in areas where there aren’t a lot of shows going on,” he said. “And while they might not have the advantage when they take a fight here, they know when we call, it’s going to be a competitive match.”

Eric Lomax (4-1, 3 KOs) is still waiting to see who he will go up against — but at this point, he’s not concerned.

“You just have to stay ready as far as your own endurance,” said Lomax, 32, of Pittsburgh. “I’m worried about my own personal stuff. I don’t worry too much about who I’m fighting until a couple weeks before. I’m not going to focus on getting too particular about a guy until someone signs for the fight.”

No matter the final lineup, Gionta is looking forward to a second night of fights this year in Murrysville.

“It’s just a really easy venue to work with,” he said. “And it’s a great place to watch a fight.”

“Murrysville Madness III” will be at 7 p.m. at the Murrysville SportZone, 4491 School Road South. Doors open at 6 p.m., and individual tickets range from $30 to $100. Table seating is available.

For tickets, call 412-759-0407.

MORE BOXING STORIES

• Murrysville fitness club introduce Down to Box program

• Boxing returns to Murrysville SportZone

• Pittsburgh fighter will compete for IBA Super Featherweight title in Harmar