|
||
|
Category Archives: Showtime
UNDEFEATED SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT PROSPECT JUNIOR YOUNAN PROMISES A BREAKOUT YEAR IN SHOWTIME SPORTS® VIDEO FEATURE; RONALD ELLIS CAMP NOTES
Younan Faces Fellow Unbeaten Ronald Ellis In Main Event Of ShoBox: The New Generation, Next Friday, Feb. 2 Live SHOWTIME®
“After you see me fight, you’re going to remember what you saw.” – Junior Younan
Photo Credit: Roc Nation Sports
Watch, View & Share Via YouTube: http://s.sho.com/2nirQJI
WHAT: SHOWTIME Sports delivers a behind-the-scenes look into the life and training camp of undefeated super middleweight prospect Junior Younan as he prepares to face fellow unbeaten Ronald Ellis in the main event of ShoBox: The New Generation next Friday, Feb. 2, live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT from WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa.
Ellis (14-0-1, 8 KOs), of Lynn, Mass., and Brooklyn’s Younan (13-0, 9 KOs) will clash in the 10-round main event of a four-fight telecast that features eight fighters with a combined record of 113-3-3.
The Brooklyn-born Younan is a former amateur standout who was dubbed by The New York Times as “a boxing prodigy” as a 10-year-old. And while he’ll face the toughest opponent of his career on Feb. 2, he’s confident he has the pedigree and talent to become a world champion.
“I love being in that spotlight, putting on a show and hearing the fans,” he said. “There’s nothing like it. I definitely think I can be the face of the super middleweight division.
“After you see me fight, you are going to remember what you saw. This is my time. This might not be a world title yet, but this is my first step.”
He added: “I don’t think there’s anything I can’t handle. 2018 should definitely be an interesting year. This is my breakout year.”
|
||
|
SHOWTIME SPORTS® AND PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ANNOUNCE INDUSTRY-LEADING, ALL-STAR BOXING SCHEDULE
|
|
ERROL SPENCE JR. RETAINS IBF WELTERWEIGHT TITLE WITH RESOUNDING TKO VICTORY OVER LAMONT PETERSON SATURDAY NIGHT ON SHOWTIME® FROM BARCLAYS CENTER
Lightweight World Champion Robert Easter Defeats Javier Fortuna
in SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® Co-Feature
Don’t Miss The Replay Monday, January 22 at
10 p.m. ET/PT On SHOWTIME EXTREME
Click HERE for Photos from Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME
Click HERE for Photos from Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment
BROOKLYN (Jan. 21, 2018) – Undefeated welterweight world champion Errol Spence Jr. retained his IBF title with an impressive stoppage of former two-division champion Lamont Peterson in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXINGSaturday night from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING®.
In his first defense since dethroning Kell Brook on SHOWTIME last May, Spence (23-0, 20 KOs) out boxed a tough Peterson (35-4-1, 17 KOs) from start to finish, showcasing a wide array of skills, speed and power. The fight was stopped prior to the start of the eighth round after Peterson’s trainer, Barry Hunter, called for the stoppage.
The fight played out similar to how both fighters predicted, starting in a cagey tactical affair before it turned into an aggressive fight in the middle rounds. Two minutes into round five, Spence used a blistering left hook to send Peterson to the canvas (Click HEREfor highlight). The Washington, D.C. native returned to his feet and continued to battle, but Spence proved to be too much. The 2012 U.S. Olympian out landed Peterson 161-45, while connecting on 49 percent of his power punches to just 31 percent for Peterson.
After the fight Spence spoke to SHOWTIME Sports reporter Jim Gray and was quick to give credit to his opponent. “I want to thank Lamont,” he said. “A lot of guys turned down the fight and he took it like a real warrior and I commend him for that. He’s a tough fighter. He’s willing to die in there.” Click HERE to watch the interview highlight.
Despite earning the win in commanding fashion, Spence still believes he has room to improve. “I still can improve a lot on my defense,” said the unbeaten world champion. “I just have to keep perfecting my skills and keep progressing. You’re going to see a better Errol Spence next time I get in the ring.
“Everybody knows I’ve been waiting on “Some Time” Thurman,” said Spence, looking ahead to a possible unification match with WBC and WBA Welterweight World Champion Keith Thurman. “Since I was 15-0 I’ve been calling this guy out and he keeps making excuses. Let’s get it on. He has two of the belts and we both have big names. It’s an easy fight to make and I want it.”
Peterson, who fought valiantly against the younger Spence, respected the decision of his trainer to stop the fight, “If he asks me to fight a million people, I will. If he asks me to stop. I will stop. I will never question his decision. I know he has my best interests at heart.”
“It was really hard, but if you know Lamont, you know he was not going to give up,” said trainer Barry Hunter. “I had to stop it. At the end of the day, this is my son right here. There’s nothing more valuable than his well-being. If it comes to him or winning, I pick him. I care about him.”
Undefeated 135-pound world champion Robert Easter (21-0, 14 KOs) earned a split decision victory over former world champion Javier Fortuna (33-2-1, 23 KOs) in the co-main event of the SHOWTIME telecast. The judges scored the bout 114-113, 113-114 and 115-112.
The back-and-forth bout saw two skilled fighters stay in the pocket and look to do damage from the inside. A second round point deduction from Fortuna proved costly when the Dominican was warned and then penalized for hitting Easter behind the head. Without the one point deduction, the fight would have been scored a draw. While Easter Jr. was slightly busier, Fortuna landed the more powerful punches. Easter Jr., who held a significant height advantage, out landed Fortuna, connecting on 120 of 383 (31 percent) power punches while Fortuna connected on 113 of 441 (26 percent).
“It was a tough fight, he’s a former world champion for a reason,” Easter told Gray. “We made it tough trying to counter punch. He wasn’t throwing much and it made it difficult for me to chase this guy around.
“I couldn’t get the knockout but we got the win and that’s all that matters. I knew he was going to run once he felt my power. He just wanted to grab and hold the whole fight.”
Looking ahead, Easter made his intentions clear as he seeks unification bouts in the near future, “I want to fight the champions and unify these belts. Fights like these aren’t in my game plan. I’m ready for Mikey Garcia and Jorge Linares to sign the contract.”
A disgruntled Fortuna also spoke to Gray, “the public knows what happened here. They booed because they know that I won this fight.
“If he’s a man let’s fight again at 135-pounds,” said Fortuna, who failed to make weight on two attempts Friday, which meant that Easter’s belt would not be on the line. “I will definitely make the weight. I didn’t give myself enough time to train.”
Unbeaten light heavyweight contender Marcus Browne (21-0, 16 KOs) made quick work of Francy Ntetu (17-2, 4 KOs) in SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING PRELIMS action, as he dropped and battered his opponent early to force referee Arthur Mercante to stop the bout at just 2:15 of the first round. Fighting for his 12th time at the Barclays Center, the 27 year-old Staten Island native kept his unblemished record intact by utilizing his powerful left hand on the overmatched Ntetu.
Browne established his dominance from the start, landing a clean overhand left that dropped Ntetu halfway through the round. The Montreal, Québec native was never able to regain his feet and found himself cornered against the ropes just thirty seconds later. A barrage of powerful combinations landed on the defenseless Ntetu left the referee with little option but to stop the fight with 45 seconds remaining in round number one.
“We worked for this win. He walked into a sure shot and I made him pay,” said Browne. “The overhand left caught him and that was the beginning of the end for him. I knew he was hurt.
“I need a world title shot. I’m ready to take on any of the champions. I don’t have any preferences. I’m glad I put together another great performance here at Barclays Center. I’m going to keep improving until I really become Mr. Barclays Center.”
Ntetu, who moved up to the light heavyweight division for this fight, had a hard time dealing with Browne’s combination of speed and power on his way to the second loss of his pro career.
“[Browne] is very explosive, congrats to him,” said Ntetu. “He’s fast, he’s smart and I did not expect him to be that explosive. He got me with his right hook and a straight left.
“I was in enough shape to fight for 10 rounds. This is not my weight class, but I don’t want to make excuses.”
In the opening bout of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING PRELIMS, undefeated Adam Kownacki (17-0, 14 KOs) delivered a brutal knockout of Iago Kiladze (26-2, 18 KOs) at 2:08 of the sixth round of their heavyweight matchup. Kownacki, born in Lomza, Poland but fighting out of Brooklyn, New York, enjoyed the support of his hometown crowd as he steadily wore Kiladze down.
Kownacki was the more aggressive and accurate of the two fighters, landing 43 percent of his power punches and 35 percent of his total punches, compared to just 30 percent and 18 percent, respectively, for Kiladze. Despite a bloody nose that Kownacki suffered in the first round, the Polish heavyweight began to pour it on and tire Kiladze with a series of uppercuts and one-two combinations in the fourth round. The action-packed bout came to an end when Kownacki connected on a combination of two uppercuts and a right hand that sent Kiladze on his back in the final minute of the sixth round. After a stunned Kiladze returned to his feet, referee Shada Murdaugh called the fight at the suggestion of the ringside doctor.
“I’m so thankful to all my Polish fans who come out and give me that extra support”, said Kownacki, who fought in front of hundreds of his compatriots. “I’m going to keep fighting for the fans and give everyone a great show.
“I think I made the fight a lot harder than I should have. It’s another learning experience and I got the win. That’s all that matters.”
The Republic of Georgia-born Kiladze, who fights out of Los Angeles, was unable to speak to media as he was taken to NYU Lutheran Hospital for precautionary reasons.
Saturday’s telecast will replay on Sunday, January 21 at 9 a.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME and Monday, January 22 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME and will be available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and SHOWTIME ANYTIME®.
# # #
For more information visit www.sho.com/sports , www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow us on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @LouDiBella, @TGBPromotions, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing, www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter,
and www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment. PBC was sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina. This event was promoted by DiBella Entertainment and TGB Promotions.
MIKEY GARCIA vs. SERGEY LIPINETS WORLD TITLE SHOWDOWN RESCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, MARCH 10 LIVE ON SHOWTIME AT THE FREEMAN COLISEUM IN SAN ANTONIO & PRESENTED BY PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS
Unbeaten Three-Division World Champion Garcia Challenges Unbeaten Junior Welterweight World Champion Lipinets in SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Main Event
SAN ANTONIO, TX (January 19, 2018) – The highly anticipated showdown between undefeated three-division world champion Mikey Garcia and IBF 140-pound champion Sergey Lipinets has been rescheduled for Saturday, March 10th. The Premier Boxing Champions event was set to take place on February 10th, but Garcia’s quest for a fourth world title had to be rescheduled following a training injury to Lipinets’ hand. The fight will be live on SHOWTIME and will remain in San Antonio but move to the Freeman Coliseum.
Ticket information will be released early next week. Those holding tickets for the original date at the Alamodome will receive priority on seat exchange for the new venue. Tickets are priced at $250, $150, $75, $50 and $20 and will be available at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 210 556-6390. The event is promoted by Ringstar Sports and TGB Promotions, in association with Leija-Battah Promotions.
The remainder of the card will remain the same including the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature, which will see two-division world champion Rances Barthelemy taking on Kiryl Relikh in a rematch of their thrilling fight last May, this time for the vacant WBA 140-pound world title. The doubleheader of title bouts in the wide-open 140-pound division sets the stage for a potential unification match.
The 29-year-old Garcia (37-0, 30 KOs), emphatically returned to pound-for-pound lists in 2017 by scoring a highlight reel knockout of Dejan Zlaticanin to win the WBC Lightweight World Championship in January and then dominating four-division champion Adrien Broner on his way to a unanimous decision in July. Garcia is a member of a renowned boxing family, and is noted for his sportsmanship and his commanding presence in the ring, honed by his brother and acclaimed trainer Robert Garcia.
Garcia, of Moreno Valley by way of Oxnard, Calif., returned to the ring after a two-and-half-year layoff in July 2016 without missing a beat by stopping former champion Elio Rojas. Garcia, who has held world titles at 126, 130 and 135 pounds, has stopped 19 of his last 22 opponents including Roman “Rocky” Martinez, Juan Manuel Lopez and Orlando Salido.
With a win, Garcia would become only the third fighter in modern history to become champion at 126, 130, 135 and 140-pounds, joining future Hall of Famers Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao*.
The unbeaten Lipinets (13-0, 10 KOs) captured a super lightweight world title in just his 13th pro fight by defeating Akihiro Kondo via a unanimous decision on November 4 on SHOWTIME. He is originally from Kazakhstan but moved to Russia when he was six years old. He currently lives in Beverly Hills, California, Lipinets and is trained by Buddy McGirt.
The 28-year-old moved up the 140-pound rankings with victories over then unbeaten Haskell Rhodes, Levan Ghvamichava and Walter Castillo before knocking out Leonardo Zappavigna in a world title eliminator last December. Lipinets will look to stamp his place as an elite fighter when he takes on the accomplished and dangerous Garcia on March 10.
*Pacquiao won lineal championships at 126 and 140-pounds, although he did not win alphabet titles.
# # #
For more information visit www.sho.com/sports , www
follow us on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @Ringstar @TGBPromotions, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing
ERROL SPENCE JR. vs. LAMONT PETERSON FINAL WEIGHTS, QUOTES, PHOTOS & COMMISSION OFFICIALS FOR WELTERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY ON SHOWTIME®
Spence Makes First Title Defense In Main Event Of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® From Barclays Center In Brooklyn, Presented By Premier Boxing Champions
Click HERE For Photos; Credit: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING – 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME
IBF Welterweight World Championship
Errol Spence Jr.: 147 pounds
Lamont Peterson: 146 ¾ pounds
Referee: Harvey Dock; Judges: Julie Lederman (N.Y.), Don Trella (Conn.), Steve Weisfeld (N.J.)
IBF Lightweight World Championship
Robert Easter Jr.: 134 ½ pounds
Javier Fortuna: 136 ½ pounds**
Referee: Ricky Gonzalez; Judges: Glenn Feldman (Conn.), John McKaie (N.Y.), Kevin Morgan (N.Y.)
**Fortuna does not make the 135-pound lightweight limit and cannot win IBF title. Fortuna initially weighed 136.8 pounds and measured 136.4 pounds after the two-hour allowance.
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING PRELIMS – 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT On Facebook Live &YouTube
Light Heavyweight Bout – 10 Rounds
Marcus Browne: 175 ¾ pounds
Francy Ntetu: 174 ½ pounds
Heavyweight Bout – 10 Rounds
Adam Kownacki: 260 pounds
Iago Kiladze: 220 ½ pounds
FLASH QUOTES:
SPENCE:
“This is a tough challenge. If you know Lamont, you know he’s a tough fight but I came to dominate the division and it started with Kell Brook. I’m going to get Lamont Peterson and then I’m going to get the other welterweights that are out there.
“It’s definitely important not just to win the fight, but how I win the fight. I came to dominate the division and I came here to look good. I’m the future of the division and I’m the future of boxing.”
PETERSON:
“I wouldn’t say that Errol isn’t the bigger guy, I just believe that it doesn’t matter. It’s all about boxing skills.
“I think we’ll both make each other look pretty good, but I’m going to win.”
# # #
For more information visit www.sho.com/sports , www
follow us on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @LouDiBella, @TGBPromotions, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing,
and www.Facebook.com/
Errol Spence Jr. vs. Lamont Peterson Final Press Conference Quotes & Photos
|
UNIFIED WOMEN’S SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION CLARESSA SHIELDS DOMINATES TORI NELSON IN THE MAIN EVENT OF SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION FRIDAY ON SHOWTIME® FROM TURNING STONE RESORT CASINO
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.
# # #
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.
Russian Heavyweight Apti Davtaev Remains Undefeated on Shields vs. Nelson Undercard at the Turning Stone Resort Casino
|
UNBEATEN TOP MIDDLEWEIGHT CONTENDER SERGEY DEREVYANCHENKO HIGHLIGHTS ACTION-PACKED UNDERCARD SATURDAY, JANUARY 20 FROM BARCLAYS CENTER IN BROOKLYN
|