Yordenis Ugas Dominates Cesar Miguel Barrionuevo in
Co-Featured Bout
&
Adam Kownacki Remains Undefeated with Decision Win Over
Charles Martin
Amanda Serrano Earns World Title in A Record Sixth Weight Division in SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING COUNTDOWN Main Event
Watch The Encore Presentation Monday At 10 P.M. ET/PT On
Showtime kwambiri®
Dinani PANO for Photos from Tom Casino and Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME
Brooklyn (September 9, 2018) – Shawn Porter became WBC Welterweight World Champion Saturday night as he earned a narrow unanimous decision victory over Danny García in a hotly contested fight live on SHOWTIME from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™, in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
All three judges scored the fight in favor of Porter (116-112, 115-113, 115-113) in an electrifying fight in front of 13,058 fans at the 30TH professional boxing event at Barclays Center. (Video highlights here: https://s.sho.com/2MWXfRj)
Porter earned the belt that Keith Thurman, who previously defeated Porter and Garcia, was forced to vacate due to an injury.
In an anticipated title fight that was widely regarded as a 50-50 contest in boxing’s deepest division, García vs. Porter played out as advertised. The difference in total power punches landed throughout the 12-round battle was just five, with Garcia holding the narrow advantage.
In a matchup of accuracy vs. activity, Porter looked to outworked Garcia. He was relentless in his attack and threw 742 total punches and 544 mphamvu nkhonya, ikamatera 25 peresenti. García, mbali inayi, was the more precise fighter, landing the higher percentage and more meaningful punches. He connected on 46 percent of the 304 power punches he threw. Due to the contrasting styles, the three judges were only able to all agree on four rounds.
“I made a prediction and a hard one to live up to,” Anati Porter. “I said I wasn’t leaving New York without this belt and I’m not leaving New York without this belt. I knew he was going to be accurate. The game plan for me was to be accurate from the outside and show I could beat him without roughing him up on the ropes.”
A disappointed Garcia clearly disagreed with the judges’ scorecards.
“He was throwing a lot,” Anati García, who falls to 7-2 mu dziko udindo ndewu. “I had my defense tight, so I wasn’t feeling his punches. I thought I landed the clearer shots and won this fight.
“I have to sit back, relax and see what’s next for me.”
Following the announcement of the decision, IBF welterweight champion and consensus top-five pound-for-pound fighter Errol Spence Jr. entered the ring to challenge the newly crowned WBC champion to what would be a blockbuster unification bout.
“The same way that you called Danny out, I’m going to call you out”, said Spence. “I think I’m the best welterweight in the division. I’m ‘The Truth’ and I guarantee you I come home as unified champion. I definitely want that fight against Porter.”
It was a star-studded night at Barclays as current and former world champions attended the fights, including Spence, Mikey García, Jarrett Hurd, Gervonta Davis, Adrien Broner, Andre Berto, Claressa Zimateteza, Keith Thurman and Jermell and Jermall Charlo.
In the co-featured event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, consensus top-10 welterweight Yordenis Ugas (23-3, 11 Ko) out boxed Argentina’s Cesar Miguel Barrionuevo (34-4-2, 24 Ko) on his way to a dominating unanimous decision victory (119-109, 120-108, 120-108). With the win in the WBC title eliminator, Ugas earns the WBC’s second mandatory position to fight Porter.
In a tactical performance, Ugas dictated the pace from the opening bell and looked comfortable throughout the 12 zipolopolo. He was the more effective fighter from the outset, ikamatera 55 peresenti ya mphamvu zake ndi nkhonya 35 peresenti ake okwana nkhonya. Barrionuevo, who was facing a big step-up in competition, was never able to trouble the former Olympic bronze medalist out of Cuba, despite throwing more punches.
Barrionuevo connected on just 26 peresenti ya mphamvu zake ndi nkhonya 19 peresenti ake okwana nkhonya. Ugas was the far more accurate puncher connecting on 55 peresenti ya mphamvu zake ndi nkhonya 35 peresenti ake okwana nkhonya, including a wild multi-punch assault on Barrionuevo in the eighth round.
“We won today and I think I showed everybody my talent,” said Ugas, who improves to 8-0 pa 147 mapaundi. “I’m happy with my performance. I showed enough, now I’m ready for a championship fight.
“I want the winner of Danny Garcia vs. Shawn Porter. I’m here to compete with the top-level guys in the sport.”
“I just didn’t have the right distance tonight,” said Barrionuevo, who was making his U.S. kuwonekera koyamba kugulu. “It was hard to catch him and attack. He countered well and attacked the body. I showed my heart but he was the better fighter tonight.”
In the telecast opener, heavyweight slugger Adam Kownacki (18-0, 14 Ko) remained undefeated by scoring a unanimous decision victory over former world champion Charles Martin (25-2-1, 23 Ko) in a sensational action-packed fight. Each of the judges scored the fight 96-94 in favor of the hometown favorite Kownacki, who was fighting in front of a boisterous contingent of Polish fans.
Both fighters were incredibly active, ndi pafupi 1400 total punches thrown throughout the 10 zipolopolo. Kownacki and Martin, the former IBF heavyweight champion, each threw over 500 power punches and landed 37 percent of them.
Kownacki, who was fighting at Barclays Center for the seventh time in his pro career, started the fight on the front foot, backing up his opponent and wearing him out on his way to winning the early rounds. Martin began to claw his way back into the fight and caught a second win in the seventh round, landing several powerful left-handed blows to the head of Kownacki.
In a contender for the 2018 Kuzungulira pa Chaka, ndi 10TH and final round saw tremendous back-and-forth action with both fighters trading devastating exchanges while doing their best to stay on their feet. The two fighters combined to land 62 punches in the round, 57 of which were power punches.
“I think I proved tonight that I’m a top 10 wankhondo,” Kownacki told SHOWTIME Sports® reporter Jim Gray. “I think I need one or two more fights before I go for a title fight. Ndili nazo gulu kumbuyo kwanga. Whatever they decide, that’s the route we are going to take.
“I thought I won the decision a little wider than the cards, but Charles came to fight all night. He was in shape and coming forward and I had to dig deep.”
Martin, who was punished by a slow start, was gracious in defeat and gave credit to Kownacki.
“I’m a late starter, but he was the better man tonight,” Iye anati. “Looks are very deceiving, but it’s boxing. I put up a hell of a fight and went the 10 zipolopolo. I just came up short.”
In streaming coverage of live undercard fights on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING COUNTDOWN, Amanda Serrano (35-1-1, 26 Ko) became the first six-division world champion in women’s boxing history, joining Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya as the only boxers, male or female, to reach the mark. The Brooklyn native defeated an aggressive and determined Yamila Esther Reynoso (11-5-3, 8 Ko) to earn the vacant WBO Junior Welterweight World Championship via unanimous decision (all three judges scored the fight 99-91).
“This means everything to me,” Anati Serrano. “I work so hard and I hope this fight shows the fans that girls can fight and we can give it our all just like the men do. We deserve to have this platform and we deserve to be shown.”
Also on the live stream, Brooklyn fan-favorite Chris Colbert (9-0, 3 Ko) cruised to a unanimous decision win over Fatiou Fassinou (28-11-3, 15 Ko) ndipo Mayweather Zokwezedwa’ unbeaten prospect Richardson Hitchins (6-0, 3 Ko) dominated Mexico’s Cesar Valenzuela (7-3, 2 Ko) en route to a unanimous decision victory.
Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader will replay on Monday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME.
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Kuti mudziwe zambiri ulendo www.SHO.com/Sports,www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, kutsatira pa Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, DannySwift, ShowtimeShawnP, LouDiBella, TGBPromotions, kapena kukhala zimakupiza pa Facebook pa www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing ndipo www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment. PBC was sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina and promoted by TGB Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, in association with DSG Promotions.
