Ricasa has options, but call of ring irresistible to 39-year-old

Boxing

Mike Ricasa doesn't need boxing.

"I'm financially stable, happily married and I'm on the verge of purchasing my own business this spring," said Ricasa, a successful automotive repair specialist at a service station in Columbia.

"I've been married for 17 years to my lovely wife, Sandy, we have two kids who we can afford to send to private schools, and we believe that family is No. 1 in our lives."

So why does this 39-year-old father of two girls - a man who overcame a life-threatening liver problem a few years back - get such a kick out of trading blows with adversaries who most often are a full decade his junior?

"It's the adrenaline rush," said Ricasa, a lightweight (130 pounds) who is 4-0 with one knockout. "I've been told by some that I hit like a middleweight and, at this age, you have to have the confidence to go with it. At this age, you don't do it for the money. You do it because you're a warrior."

Tonight, the Ellicott City resident nicknamed "Little Rock" will go after his fifth straight win since turning pro when he takes on Dame Glover (0-1) of Stantonsburg, N.C., at Martin's West in Woodlawn.

Their scheduled four-rounder is part of an ambitious seven-bout card being promoted by Jake Smith.

A scheduled eight-round, junior middleweight (154) main event between Baltimore's Ishmail Arvin (11-0-1, six knockouts) and Anthony Ivory-Muhammad (32-73-5, 13 KOs) of Chicago fell apart last night when Arvin failed to make weight.

So a rematch between Baltimore cruiserweight (190) Russ Shiflett (6-0, three KOs) and Jamal McKay (3-5-1, one KO) of Brooklyn, N.Y., will replace Arvin-Ivory-Muhammad as the six-round main attraction.

In the other four-rounders: Baltimore super middleweight (168) Tony Cygan (4-0,three KOs) will meet Chris Overby (2-1, 0 KOs) of Dayton, Ohio; Mike Paschall (3-0, one KO) will face Steve Garrett (2-2,one KO) in a clash of Baltimore super middleweights; Dundalk heavyweight Mike Dietrich (3-0, one KO) tackles Rodney Ray (1-0, one KO) of Brooklyn, N.Y.; and Angel McNamara (2-1, one KO) of Cambridge will take on Donna Biggers (11-0-1, 10 KOs) of Shelby, N.C., in a lightweight fight.