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Shohjahon Ergashev Shines While Jesse Hernandez Edges Ernesto Garza In Co-Featured Bouts
Catch The Replay Monday At 10 p.m. ET/PT On SHOWTIME EXTREME
Click HERE To Download Photos; Credit Stephanie Trapp/SHOWTIME
VERONA, N.Y. (Jan. 13, 2018) – Unified Women’s Super Middleweight World Champion Claressa Shields dominated previously undefeated Tori Nelson en route to a 10-round unanimous decision in the main event of ShoBox: The New Generation Friday on SHOWTIME from Turning Stone Resort Casino.
Shields controlled from opening to closing bell, sweeping 100-90 on all three judges’ scorecards in the first 10-round distance fight of her career. The 2012 and 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist out-landed Nelson 225-81 with her total punches, 186-70 in powers shots, and connected at a 44 percent clip with her power shots compared to just 20 percent for Nelson.
“I landed every shot that I thought possible to land,” Shields said. “She was tough, she wasn’t a pushover. She put on a good fight.”
Shields advanced to 5-0 with two knockouts in what was likely her final fight in the super middleweight division. The 22-year-old now has her sights set on the middleweight division where she will eventually target undefeated and Unified Women’s Middleweight World Champion Christina Hammer, who was ringside Friday in Verona.
“I have to drop down and see how I feel (first),” Shields said. “I think I could make 160 easy, I’m going to be bigger and stronger than any girl.
“Hammer just wants to scope. I think she’s pretty scared to be honest. She is more worried about me than I am about her. I’m going to kick Hammer’s ass. People think Hammer is more skilled than me so I can’t wait to show her that she’s not.”
Hammer, who is expected to fight in a co-featured bout on the next Shields card, was interviewed by SHOWTIME analyst Steve Farhood and expressed excitement to make her U.S. debut and eventually face the American champion.
“It’s a great combination me and her on the same card,” Hammer said. “I can’t wait to show the fans who Christina Hammer is. That will be the best fight ever. It will be the game-changer for female boxing. It’s our time to shine.
“I’m long-time world champion and I have more experience. I have longer reach, I’m tall, I have good footwork and better technique than her. I feel the energy, and I can’t wait to fight against her.”
The former world champion Nelson (17-1-3, 2 KOs) became the 173rd undefeated fighter to suffer their first professional loss on ShoBox: The New Generation.
“I’m not happy because I didn’t win, but other than that I thought I executed pretty well,” said the 41-year-old Nelson. “I gave her a better fight than she was expecting.
“No disrespect to Claressa, she doesn’t have great power. She has great speed and she overwhelms you with a lot of punches. My movement threw her off like I knew it would but knowing she was the champion, I needed to just push a little bit more.”
In the ShoBox co-feature, Jesse Hernandez narrowly defeated Ernesto Garza via split-decision in an action-packed fight that was scored 95-94 Hernandez, 95-93 Garza, 97-93 Hernandez.
After a close first round, Garza floored Hernandez with a flush left hand to the nose in the closing moments of the second round. Hernandez recovered, and while the middle rounds featured tremendous back-and-forth action, Hernandez seemingly had no trouble walking down Garza, who’s punches seemed to lack any real power. Garza (9-3, 5 KOs) found a second wind and seemed to pick up the eighth and ninth rounds until Hernandez roared back in an excellent 10th and final round that featured 178 total punches.
Hernandez (11-1, 7 KOs) landed 50 percent of his power punches and connected on 40 percent of his punches compared to just 28 percent for Garza, however he threw just 719 total punches compared to more than 1,000 by Garza.
“I think it should have been a unanimous decision,” Hernandez said. “I’ve always been a slow starter and I feel like I lost the first two rounds, especially with the knockdown. But I won pretty much every round after that, I maybe lost three rounds.
“I’m not completely happy with my performance. I have to control my distance and my range a little bit better. I need to go back to the gym and work on those things. Before the summer comes I hope to have another fight and I hope it’s on SHOWTIME.
“I give Garza a lot of credit for getting in the ring and knocking me down. He hung in there for 10 rounds even after I caught him with some good shots. He was able to withstand those shots, but all that said, I still think it should have been a unanimous decision.”
Garza countered that sentiment.
“I thought it was a bogus decision,” Garza said. “I don’t understand that last judge’s card. I was happy with everything that I did. I executed well and did everything I needed to do to win the fight.
“I’m really disappointed with the outcome. I felt that I won. To me, I won a majority of the rounds and I knocked him down. I know knocking your opponent down usually leads to you winning the fight.”
Undefeated Uzbekistan power-puncher Shohjahon Ergashev handed Sonny Fredrickson the first loss of his career with an impressive third round TKO in the opening bout of the ShoBox telecast.
The win over the top-10 ranked Fredrickson extended Ergashev’s perfect record to 12-0 with 12 knockouts.
The 26-year-old pressed the action from the beginning, negating Fredrickson’s five-inch reach advantage with a steady diet of well-timed, crisp punches. Ergashev landed a wide left to the head that stumbled Fredrickson in the opening minute of the third and continued to tee-off as his opponent wobbled against the ropes With Fredrickson (18-1, 12 KOs) unable to defend himself and eating a series of brutal lefts, referee Benjy Esteves stepped in to stop the bout at 1:58 of the third.
All of Ergashev’s 61 connects in the bout were power shots, and he connected on 77 percent of his power punches in the third and final round.
“The ref saved him,” Ergashev said. “If he let him stay on his feet any longer I would have knocked him out. He couldn’t handle my power.
“At this stage of my career, I am in the best shape of my life and the best I have felt. This is my time right now, especially because I am training with Rick (Phillips) and (Javan) Sugar (Hill Steward). That’s what leads to all of my knockout power.
“I’m ready for whatever comes next. I’m ready for more fights in the U.S., and I want to keep getting more exposure to show off my skills. I’m ready to fight anybody in America.”
Fredrickson, who became the 172 fighter to suffer his professional loss on the prospect developmental series, suffered a jaw injury in the bout and was unavailable for comment.
Friday’s tripleheader will replay on Monday, Jan. 15 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME and will be available on SHOWTIME on DEMAND® and SHOWTIME ANYTIME®.
Barry Tompkins called the ShoBox action from ringside with Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer was Gordon Hall with Rich Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
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For more information visit www.sho.com/sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, #ShoBox, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports.
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This FNU Combat Sports Show covers a wide range of important topics and events. We recap Holly Holm’s brutal battle with Cris Justino at UFC 219 and look forward to a great Fight Night 124 card on the 14th.
We report on Mike Tyson’s new Pot Ranch in California, Big John McCarthy Joining the Bellator Analyst Crew, Vinny Paz getting wrapped up in assault charges, and Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor 2 chances.
Tony discusses the upcoming boxing schedule and we also get off topic and talk some football and basketball. Tony even updates us on the Canelo vs. GGG rematch negotiations.
Listen here:
Live at 10 p.m. ET/PT from Turning Stone Resort Casino
“I’m going to go after her in the first round and get her out of there.” – Claressa Shields
“I’m going to shock the world.” – Tori Nelson
Click HERE To Download Weigh-In Photos; Credit Stephanie Trapp/SHOWTIME
VERONA, N.Y. (Jan. 11, 2018) – Unified Women’s Super Middleweight World Champion Claressa Shields and undefeated IBF mandatory challenger Tori Nelson made weight on Thursday for their 10-round WBC and IBF Super Middleweight World Championship showdowntomorrow/Friday, January 12 in the main event of ShoBox: The New Generation live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT) from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y.
The 22-year-old two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Shields (4-0, 2 KOs) will face her second consecutive undefeated opponent in the former world champion Nelson (17-0-3, 2 KOs).
Undefeated Uzbekistan power-puncher Shohjahon Ergashev (11-0, 11 KOs) will meet fellow unbeaten and top-10 ranked Sonny Fredrickson (18-0, 12 KOs), of Toledo, Ohio, in the telecast opener. The 26-year-old Ergashev, a former six-year member of the Uzbek national team, and the current WBA No. 9 ranked Fredrickson will contest an eight-round super lightweight bout.
In the co-feature of the ShoBox: The New Generation tripleheader, Jesse Hernandez (10-1, 7 KOs), who is coming off consecutive victories over undefeated opponents, will take on former National Golden Gloves Gold Medalist Ernesto Garza (9-2, 5 KOs; 1-3 WSB) in a 10-round super bantamweight bout between two all-action fighters.
Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Salita Promotions, are currently on sale for $75 for the first two rows of ringside, $65 for remaining ringside seats and all others priced at $49 and $37, plus any applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased in person or by calling the Turning Stone Resort Box Office at 800.771.7711 or online at Ticketmaster.
OFFICIAL WEIGHTS:
Claressa Shields vs. Tori Nelson – 10-round WBC and IBF Super Middleweight World Title Bout
Shields: 167 pounds
Nelson: 164 ¾ pounds
Jesse Hernandez vs. Ernesto Garza – 10-round Super Bantamweight Bout
Hernandez: 122 ½ pounds
Garza: 122 ½ pounds
Shohjahon Ergashev vs. Sonny Fredrickson – Eight-round Super Lightweight Bout
Ergashev: 140 pounds
Fredrickson: 141 pounds
FINAL QUOTES:
CLARESSA SHIELDS:
“Tori brings a lot more aggression, a lot more fight than a lot of my previous opponents. On paper, she has the best resume of any opponent I’ve faced and can put up a better fight.
“Everybody underestimates me because of my size. My frame looks like I’m a 140 but really I’m a 168. Everyone goes into a fight thinking they can win, but once that right hand lands everything changes. I’m going to go after her in the first round and get her out of there like Nikki Adler.
“I expect my opponent to apply pressure, and to use some dirty tactics. She has more experience, but not that much when you speak of her amateur experience.
“She’s confident and she believes in herself. She thinks I haven’t earned my place yet. She doesn’t think I throw hard punches. Speed is power. She doesn’t get that.
“This has been a hard camp, I really pushed myself. I usually do six weeks, this time I did eight weeks. I hadn’t fought since August so I wanted to give myself an extra two weeks so I knew I was in perfect shape.
“There’s no doubt that I start the year with a win, but I see this as a competitive fight. I’m going to have to earn the win but I believe I can KO her by the sixth, seventh round.”
TORI NELSON:
“I know I’m the underdog, but I’ve dropped nine people. She hasn’t scored one knockdown yet as a pro. When Claressa turned pro, I knew I’d have to face her eventually.
“A win is what I came for. I expect nothing different. I hope it would expose female boxing and not only open doors for me, but other female boxers coming up after me.
“I feel it’s more entertaining to watch a female fight. When women get dropped, they get right back up and go after it again. When men get knocked down, they start hiding because they don’t want to get hit again. So I think we should get paid just as much as the men.
“I’m blessed to be here, but I’m not a winner until I complete what I came here to do. And that’s win. The odds are definitely against me, but I’m going to shock the world.
“I want to take her into the deep waters. We don’t think she can beat us in a 10-round fight.
“They’re not going to give me anything. I have to be a dog and go in there and win this fight. I’ve always been aggressive. Why change anything for her?”
JESSE HERNANDEZ
“I’m just trying to get closer to a title fight. Moving up the rankings is the main goal right now, and I’m on the right path. A win here in a 10-round fight would be huge for my career.
“Being an all-around fighter is something I’m working on. But you can’t become a well-rounded fighter until you get the experience and the fights and that’s what I’m working on doing right now. I want to get more rounds in and progress.
“Fighting a southpaw is not a problem for me. I can switch my stance, but it’s not something I think about or plan. It just happens naturally in a fight.
“I’ve always believed in myself, even when I took time off. I believed that I could get back into it and get to a top level. The wins over two undefeated fighters did a lot for my confidence. I knew I could do it, but it showed others I belong and that I can compete at the top level.”
ERNESTO GARZA
“I like to bring the pressure, and he’s a pressure fighter too. We’ll see who backs up once we start throwing punches.
“I like to face fighters who come forward like him so I think everything will work for me. I plan on applying the pressure, getting him tired in the latter rounds, and taking him out.
“He tends to switch, but I think that’s when he gets off-balance. He won’t bring anything I haven’t seen before.
“I’m fighting at my natural weight class this time. My last fight on ShoBox (against undefeated Jon Fernandez) I was fighting a much higher weight.
“I don’t think his height and reach will give me any issues. I’ve been working with a lot of guys in the gym who have similar size and style. We’re ready for anything.
“A win would be a great step for me and my career. All the doors would open up for us.”
SHOHJAHON ERGASHEV:
“I love training here because of the fact that it’s a different atmosphere here in the States. It’s a real professional setup, I feel that my skills and my technique have gotten a lot better training here with Sugar Hill.
“I know that he is an experienced fighter. He’s undefeated and he’s coming to fight. It’s a big opportunity for both of us.
“I’m very honored to be on SHOWTIME and happy to be getting this kind of national exposure. A win would cement me as one of the best junior welterweight prospects in the world.
“I’ve gotten a lot better training at the Kronk Boxing Gym in Detroit. Last training camp was an introduction to the American style of boxing and this camp really improved my technique and tactics with the intense sparring.
“I’m 11-0 with 11 knockouts. I’m a puncher and I want to knock him out, but I’ve trained for the distance. I’ve trained to knock somebody out in the first round and the eighth round.
“This is a big step-up in opposition, but I’ve had over 200 amateur fights against some of the best amateur boxers in the world. I’ve beaten Olympic medalists and very accomplished amateur fighters.”
SONNY FREDRICKSON
“I’ve been waiting for this exposure for a long time. I’ve been trying to get on TV for the last two or three years, so this is a huge deal for me. Hopefully a win bumps me up into the top 5 and gives me a title shot at the end of this year or the beginning of next year.
“We spar a lot with Robert (Easter). It’s back-and-forth action. We grew up together and learn a lot from each other. I give him some pointers here and there and he does the same for me.
“I don’t know too much about my opponent. I know he’s a lefty and he has a strong punch. He’s a good match for me. He wants to keep coming forward and land big shots so I’ll be able to outbox him pretty easily.
“I don’t think nerves will be factor. I’ve fought on Andre Ward’s card, I’ve been in big fights before.
“I’m going to knock him out after the third round. I’m going to say, hey, get him out of here.
“After this fight, fans will start learning my name. I think they’ll want to see me have a shot at the 140 pound title.”
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Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analyst. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
For more information visit www.sho.com/sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, #ShoBox, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports.
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Unified World Champion To Defend Titles Against Undefeated Challenger Tori Nelson Friday, Jan. 12, in Main Event On SHOWTIME
Click HERE for Photos from Stephanie Trapp/SHOWTIME
Flint, Mich. (January 11, 2018) – Unified Women’s Super Middleweight World Champion Claressa Shields spoke to media at a workout session in her hometown of Flint, Mich., before she departed to Verona, N.Y. to defend her 168-pound titles against undefeated IBF mandatory challenger Tori Nelson tomorrow night, Friday, Jan. 12 live on SHOWTIME.
Shields will weigh in this afternoon prior to tomorrow night’s ShoBox: The New Generation telecast from Turning Stone Resort Casino. The telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/PT and features the battle of two undefeated 140-pound prospects Shohjahon Ergashev and Sonny Fredrickson and Jesse Hernandez making his ShoBox return against Ernesto Garza.
Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Salita Promotions, are currently on sale for $75 for the first two rows of ringside, $65 for remaining ringside seats and all others priced at $49 and $37, plus any applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased in person or by calling the Turning Stone Resort Box Office at 800.771.7711 or online at Ticketmaster.
Here is what the 22-year old Shields had to say from her hometown gym, The Berston Field House:
CLARESSA SHIELDS
“I feel great. I really pushed myself this camp. It was a longer camp than usual so I’ve had ample time to get ready. Tori nelson has been doing a lot of trash talking but I’m going to show her that she may be 17-0, but she’s never fought a girl like me before.
“I may only have 4 professional fights to my name, but I have plenty of amateur experience. I’ve fought girls that are 16-0, I don’t see anywhere on her record where she’s fought an undefeated fighter of that caliber.
“I’ve prepared for this fight the same way that I always do. I haven’t done anything special. I focus on myself, not my opponents.
“In the 6th or 7th round, Nelson goes down.
“Once I beat Nelson, I do want to fight Christina Hammer, but I’m taking it one fight at a time. I’d like to fight at least one time at 154 pounds before taking on Hammer.”
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For more information visit www.sho.com/sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, #ShoBox, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports.
About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 73 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.
About Turning Stone Resort Casino
Host of the January 12 event, Turning Stone Resort Casino is an award-winning destination resort, which continues to distinguish itself as a premier venue for fight-of-the-year level boxing. The January event will mark Turning Stone’s 24th nationally-televised boxing event, cementing the resort as a leading destination for nationally-televised combat sports. Turning Stone features world-class amenities including four hotels, more than 20 signature restaurants and dining options, two spas, an all-new 125,000 square foot Las Vegas style gaming floor, a cabaret-style Showroom, a 5,000 seat arena, five golf courses, several bars, cocktail lounges and nightlife venues with live entertainment every weekend.