By Loyd McIntosh, For The Tribune
TRUSSVILLE – Pell City’s loss is Trussville’s gain.
Leaders with the Trussville Civic Center agreed to host a professional boxing event originally scheduled in Pell City following its cancellation late last week. One One Six Boxing Promotions, Alabama’s only licensed professional boxing promotions company and one of the few in the nation owned and operated by a woman, will bring professional boxing to the City of Trussville for the first time on Saturday, July 15.
Brandi McCain launched One One Six Boxing Promotions in 2023, specializing in pro boxing shows throughout Alabama and Tennessee. The Center for Education and Performing Arts (CEPA) in Pell City was a regular venue for McCain, hosting four shows in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Her fifth event in Pell City had been on the books for almost a year, however, McCain said CEPA Executive Director Jeff Thompson informed her of CEPA’s decision to pull out of the agreement early during the week of May 15.
“I reserved it in August 2022,” McCain said. “(Thompson) said he was going to send a contract out, but I hadn’t gotten one and it’s just a month or two before the show. I had to text his personal phone to get a response. I’ve got doctors to book, judges and officials out of town, and matches to set.”
Three days later, however, McCain contacted Josh Taylor, Events Manager of the Trussville Civic Center, who, according to McCain, expressed his enthusiasm for the event.
“I could tell by his voice when he answered the phone that it was going to be good because he didn’t hesitate,” explained McCain. “He was like ‘Boxing? I love boxing,’ and I thought ‘We’re in.’ He is probably one of the most accommodating people I’ve ever dealt with when arranging a venue. This was all booked in no time.”
Additionally, CEPA Executive Director Jeff Thompson stated that “CEPA was proud to host Ms. McCain and One One Six Boxing for her previous events at the Center for Education and Performing Arts in Pell City. Her events are exceptional, and we are happy that she’s found a new home in Trussville.”
One One Six Boxing Promotions, founded by McCain while living in Gadsden, specializes in featuring up-and-coming fighters from the Southeast at events concentrated in north Alabama and Tennessee, especially Memphis. However, McCain said she has been interested in promoting an event in metropolitan Birmingham and believes Trussville may be an ideal location to introduce One One Six’s brand of boxing in the area.
“I’ve been wanting to get to the Birmingham Metro area for a while but Trussville turned out to be a win-win,” said McCain. “My fighters are really excited because of the area, the shopping, and better hotels, and better food. What I thought was going to be a disaster has turned into something everyone seems to be very thrilled about.”
Among the boxers expected to compete include Nicholas Adams, a super middleweight from Pell City; and fighting out of Juarez Boxing in Irondale, heavyweight Joshua Martin from Tuscaloosa; and middleweight Joseph Dillard from nearby Attalla, Alabama, and seven-time Alabama boxer of the year as an amateur.
McCain had planned the event to be centered around Adams, who has quickly developed a solid reputation since his professional debut in July 2021. With a record of 4-0, all by knockout, McCain said Adams is poised to make it to the next level and planned to have a higher-quality opponent and bigger sponsors for Adams, so the potential cancellation of the event could have been disastrous for his career progress.
“Nicholas was going to lose some sponsors because he had three sponsors that wanted him in St. Clair County,” McCain explained. “But, they agreed to sponsor him since Trussville wasn’t that far and it’s a nice clean town. It’s going to be perfect!”
McCain said she is still lining up bouts and expects the card to feature a total of 10 to 12 fights. Doors will open at 5 p.m., with fights starting at 6 p.m. Learn more or purchase tickets online at www.oneonesixboxing.com.