TROY — Hometown favorite heavyweight Shannon Miller (14-3, 8 KOs) will make his return to the ring against Tyrone “Native Warrior” Roberts (10-3, 8 KOs) in one of the feature bouts July 7 at Joe Bruno Stadium in Troy, N.Y.

Miller, who challenged for the NYS Heavyweight title at Madison Square Garden late last year, will fight in front of friends and family at home in Troy for the first time in 10 years. He returns to the ring after taking time off following his title fight. Roberts, Tama, IA, is a power-puncher who’s faced difficult competition, including “All-American” Rob Calloway (65-7, 52 KOs) and mid-west prospect Dominique Alexander (16-1-1, 8 KOs).

"Shannon is in great shape for his first fight back in the ring since his title fight last November,” said Lisa Elovich, Miller’s promoter. “With time being of the essence, he is taking a tough opponent right after a big fight so that he can continue to climb up in the rankings. As usual with Shannon's power-punching aggressive style, the fans are in for a thrilling fight."   

The Independence Week boxing card also will feature the women’s NABF Super Featherweight Championship between RI’s Missy Fiorentino (15-1, 6 KOs) and Brooklyn’s Cindy Serrrano (15-0-1, 7 KOs) and undefeated prospect Wayland Willingham (11-0, 6 KOs), a native of Albany. Young boxers from around the region will fight competitive bouts on the undercard.

The holiday event at Joe Bruno Stadium is the first outdoor fight card in the Capital Region in nearly a decade. Joe Bruno stadium is a state-of-the-art professional baseball facility and home of the Tri-City ValleyCats, Class A affiliate of the Houston Astros. The venue features 4,500 permanent seats, 10 luxury suites, and an open air concourse designed to give every seat a great view of the field and an intimate ballpark feel.

Tickets are available from Pugnacious Promotions or at the Joe Bruno Stadium box office. Call 518-326-9756 or visit www.pugnaciouspromotions.com for more information. Tickets are $75 for Ringside and $40 for Reserved, both on the field. General Admission open seating in the bleachers is $25 and $15 for kids under age 12.