QUINCY, Mass. (January 18, 2023) – Former New England Heavyweight Champion Justin “Crazy Train” Rolfe (7-4-1, 5 KOs) is making a comeback from his 10-month retirement in the 6-round, co-featured event February 18th against Jonathan Gruber (3-1, 2 KOs) for the vacant USBF title at Melrose Memorial Hall in Melrose, Massachusetts.
“Turf War 4”, presented by Granite Chin Promotions (GCP), is being streamed live on BXNGTV.com.
Massachusetts Middleweight Champion Anthony “The Gentle Savage” Andreozzi (4-2, 1 KO) will make his first title defense against challenger Jamer Jones (2-1, 2 KOs), of Pittsfield (MA), in the 6-round main event.
The 31-year-old Rolfe, fighting out of Fairfield, Maine, hung up his gloves after his most recent fight last May, losing to undefeated Philadelphia prospect Sonny Conto.
“I decided to stop fighting because I’d been coaching awhile and I have a 2-year-old son,” Rolfe explained. After the time off, I talked to Chris (his promoter Chris Traietti), telling him I was itching to fight again because I had some unfinished business. He gave me this opportunity to fight for the USBF title.
“I’ll have some normal concerns from having time off, but I had been fighting so hard for so long. I fought consistently and my body needed time away from boxing. I look different. This is, honestly, the best going into a fight. I’ll still be aggressive but not as straight forward. I took a step back and I still love boxing. It’s the ultimate for highs and lows. I still have fight left in me and I’m going to finish on my terms.”
A little-known fact is that Rolfe was a National Power Lifting Champion. In fact, his “Crazy Train” nickname came from when he set his personal best squat of 815 pounds while listening to Ozzy Osbourne’s song, “Crazy Train.” Rolfe’s powerlifting resulted in injuries and when he could no longer compete in his favorite sport, he found boxing.
Rolfe knows little about his opponent Gruber, who fights out of Fall River, Massachusetts, other than he had a limited amateur boxing career and lives considerably closer to Melrose than he does.
“I’m going into this fight humble, treating it like I was fighting a 20-0 guy,” Rolfe concluded. “No way he beats me if I use my power, speed, confidence and stay sharp. I think he will slow down; I take him out in the fourth or fifth round.”
Former New England Champion, welterweight Mike “Bad Man” Ohan, Jr. (16-2, 9 KOs), of Holbrook (MA), gets right back in the ring after his impressive performance this past December at famed Madison Square Garden, albeit in a loss to undefeated U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson (7-0, KOs).. Ohan faces veteran Puerto Rican fighter Daniel “The Hudson Valley Kid” Sostre (13-22-1, 5 KOs) in a 10-round junior welterweight match.
Indian welterweight Vaibhav Singh “Ahir Boxer” Yadav (9-2, 7 KOs), a former WBC Asia Silver and Asian Boxing Federation welterweight champion, makes his United States debut against William Parra Smith (4-13-1, 3 KOs), of Alaska, in a 6-rounder.
Also fighting on the undercard in a pair of 4-bouts is New Jersey welterweight Tyrone “Hands of Stone” Luckey (16-19-4, 12 KOs), the former ABF USA Mid-American super lightweight title holder, versus Carlos Marrero III (4-8-3, 0 KOs), of Bridgeport (CT).
Tickets are on sale and priced (plus fees) at $70.00 (VIP Stage Seating), $60.00 (General Floor Seating) and $45.00 (General Auditorium Seating). Go online to purchase at https://granite-chin-promotions.ticketleap.com/ or from any of the participating fighters.
Doors open at 6 p.m. ET, first bout at 7 p.m. ET.