[caption id="attachment_69352" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Patrick Hyland with Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi."]
Dublin's Hyland brothers lead the charge in this Saturday's "Irish Invasion" boxing show co-presented by reality TV star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi at Atlantic City's Resorts Casino Hotel.
Patrick Hyland, the reigning Irish and WBF world featherweight champion, tackles Mexican veteran Emanuel Lucero [26-8-1, 14 KOs] in the eight-round main event. With an unblemished [24-0, 11 KOs] record, he's the only undefeated boxer of the three brothers now fighting under the banner of Team Snooki Boxing, established by Snooki, a star of the show "Jersey Shore."
Younger brother Paul [20-2, 6 KOs] is matched against Puerto Rican super bantamweight Arturo Santiago [7-4-1] in a six-rounder, while Eddie [16-1, 6 KOs], the eldest sibling, squares off with Brooklyn resident Franklin Gonzalez [14-9, 10 KOs] over four rounds.
All three men are eager to impress but are aware of the challenge each face.
"I know it will be a tough fight," Patrick said of his scrap with Lucero, a one-time Manny Pacquiao victim known as 'The Butcher.' "He's been in with some top operators so I will have to be at the top of my game."
Co-promoter Brian Burke of Final Round Promotions said the Lucero fight was a huge stepping stone for Patrick on his third U.S. appearance.
"He's on the verge of going for a title," noted Burke, who's worked with all three Hyland brothers on their previous sojourns States-side.
Paul, at 27, a year younger than Patrick, also conceded that he wouldn't have it easy against Santiago. But he struck a confident note.
"He's small and tough and his four losses have been against undefeated guys. But he hasn't fought anyone of my caliber," remarked the former European Union titlist.
Paul, however, declared both himself and his brothers ready for the "Irish Invasion" after several weeks of hard training in upstate New York with their dad Paddy Hyland and American Tracy Harris Patterson. The latter is a former world super featherweight champion and son of ex-world heavyweight titlist Floyd Patterson.
"This is a great test for everyone and hopefully it will be a launching pad for better things," he added.
This will also be Paul's third fight in the United States, and his first since a points loss to Lucian Gonzalez in Philadelphia in 2009. He'd previously outpointed Arthur Parker in Saratoga in 2007.
Big brother Eddie, meanwhile, said that he'd ready for the once-beaten Gonzalez despite knowing precious little about the knockout artist.
"I know he's a southpaw and that's all, but it doesn't bother me," he shrugged. "At the end of the day I'll just go in the ring and do what I've got to do."
Gonzalez is a banger with 10 KOs in his 14 wins and will be the naturally bigger man as Eddie will be making the jump from 132 pounds to 150 pounds.
Eddie also admitted to being a little rusty. "The Pride of Tallaght" is returning for just his second fight in two years. He ended an 18-month layoff last June with a third round TKO of one Asen Vasilev in Dublin.
Burke said he was really excited over the "Irish Invasion" event.
Tickets are available online from www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1(800)745-3000, or the Super Star Theater Box Office at (609)340-6311 or (609) 340-6000.
Fans can also watch the show online at www.behindthering.com and http://www.teamsnookiboxing.com/ for a charge of $9.95.
