Jimmy Burchfield's Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc. has signed World Boxing Council No. 18-rated super welterweight Ossie Duran (20-5-1, 9 KOs, former Commonwealth (Great Britain) light middleweight and welterweight champion, to a promotional contact. Duran, now fighting out of Providence via his native Ghana and adopted home in England, makes his CES and United States debut May 18 in a six-round "Special Attraction" against an opponent to be determined.. Ossie also was the WBF welterweight and WBF Pan-European welterweight title-older. "

"I've been looking for somebody to back me up," Ossie said. "I now have that in Rhode Island with Jimmy and I will win a championship."

Duran's most significant victory to date was a stunning third-round knockout of Jamie Moore (20-1), current British lightweight champion, June 26 2004 for the vacant Commonwealth light middleweight title.

"Ossie Duran is a world-class fighter and we're excited to have him on Team CES," Burchfield noted. "He never had anyone protecting him before and took fights on short notice. Now he's living in Providence with his cousin and being trained by Peter Manfredo, Sr. He's going to fight a few times at 154 pounds, but we believe he'll be a world champion at 147."