Tag Archives: Kell Brook

SHOWTIME SPORTS® UNVEILS FULL SPRING BOXING SCHEDULE, HEADLINED BY LIVE TELECAST OF HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT: JOSHUA vs. KLITSCHKO

SHOWTIME® To Present Seven World Championship Fights Across Seven Live Telecasts In Eight Weeks

 

Video/Graphic Credit: SHOWTIME

 

Watch Joshua-Klitschko launch spot:  http://s.sho.com/2ouhMgN

 

NEW YORK (April 17, 2017) – SHOWTIME Sports has unveiled the network’s complete spring 2017 boxing schedule following today’s earlier announcement that the heavyweight boxing event of the year will be televised live on SHOWTIME.  The stacked lineup includes seven world championship fights across eight live boxing telecasts over an eight-week span.

 

On Saturday, April 29, Anthony Joshua will face Wladimir Klitschko in the most significant heavyweight world championship fight in more than a decade.  The event will air live on SHOWTIME at 4:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. PT from a sold-out Wembley Stadium, where a record crowd of more than 90,000 spectators is expected.

 

Also announced today, SHOWTIME and Premier Boxing Champions will present the rematch between WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Adonis Stevenson and Andrzej Fonfara on Saturday, June 3.  This bout is an encore of a 2014 action-packed fight in which Stevenson edged Fonfara to defend his 175-pound crown.

 

The SHOWTIME boxing lineup also includes two significant welterweight bouts with world title implications: Andre Berto vs. Shawn Porter (April 22) and Kell Brook vs. Errol Spence Jr. (May 27).  Both events are presented in association with Premier Boxing Champions.  The April 22 Berto vs. Porter event will feature an anticipated 154-pound world title fight between Jermell Charlo and Charles Hatley as well asworld champion Amanda Serrano attempting to become the first woman—and first fighter of Puerto Rican decent—to win a world title in five different weight classes.

 

On Saturday, May 20, SHOWTIME will present a unique twin-bill of world championship fights.  First, boxing’s hottest young star, newly minted world champion Gervonta Davis, will make his first world title defense against Liam Walsh from London.  Later that evening, featherweight world champion Gary Russell Jr. and former world champion Andre Dirrell will be featured in separate bouts.  Start times for both live telecasts are to be determined.

 

In all, SHOWTIME Sports will present one live SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL telecast, one live ShoBox: The New Generation telecast, and five SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecasts, all free to network subscribers.  Plus, SHOWTIME is in the early stages of planning for the return of four-division world champion Adrien Broner and undefeated star Mikey Garcia in separate events this summer.

 

The spring lineup complements the network’s robust 2017 boxing schedule.  In the first 10 weeks of the year, SHOWTIME Sports presented eight world championship fights, including two world title unification bouts (Jack vs. DeGale and Thurman vs. Garcia, SHOWTIME Boxing on CBS), two world title rematches (Frampton vs. Santa Cruz II and Linares vs. Crolla II), the live-stream of the first-ever boxing event on Twitter (Broner vs. Granados), the resurgence of women’s boxing (Serrano vs. Rivas) and the first women’s boxing main event in premium television history (Shields vs. Szabados).

 

“SHOWTIME continues its unrivaled commitment to the sport.  There simply is no other network in boxing delivering world-class events on a consistent basis,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports.

 

“Our 2017 schedule already includes some 17 live boxing telecasts, 15 world championship fights, with the top-rated fighters squaring off in boxing’s deepest weight divisions.  We continue to break the glass ceiling on women’s boxing, deliver the biggest bouts from overseas and see champions take on champions to unify divisions.  We are proud to be re-shaping the boxing landscape both in and out of the ring.”

 

See below for the SHOWTIME boxing spring calendar.  This is the network’s third major boxing schedule announcement of the past 13 months.

 

 

Saturday, April 22 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING

Presented by Premier Boxing Champions

Main Event:     Andre Berto (31-4, 24 KOs) vs. Shawn Porter (26-2, 16 KOs) – WBC Welterweight World Title Eliminator

Co-Feature:     Jermell Charlo (28-0, 13 KOs) vs. Charles Hatley (26-1-1, 18 KOs) – WBC Super Welterweight World Championship

SHOX:            Amanda Serrano (31-1-1, 23 KOs) vs. Dahiana Santana (35-8, 14 KO’s) – 10-Rd. WBO Bantamweight World Championship

Start Time:      9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT (SHO Boxing on SHO EXTREME, 7:30p ET/PT)

Venue:             Brooklyn’s Barclays Center

Notes:              ·  The winner of Berto-Porter becomes the WBC mandatory challenger to Unified World Champion Keith Thurman.

  • Berto-Porter is the fourth welterweight world title/title eliminator fight televised on SHOWTIME/CBS in the last 10 months.
  • Charlo-Hatley is the eighth world title/title eliminator in the 154-pound division on SHOWTIME/CBS in the last 13 months
  • Serrano attempts to become the first woman to win world titles in five different weight classes

 

 

Saturday, April 29 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING

Main Event:     Anthony Joshua (18-0, 18 KOs) vs. Wladimir Klitschko (64-4, 53 KOs) – IBF and vacant (Super) WBA Heavyweight World Championship

Start Time:      4:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. PT, live on SHOWTIME

Venue:             Wembley Stadium, London

Notes:              ·  Most significant heavyweight world title fight in 15 years—since Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson in June, 2002

  • Officially sold out more than 90,000 tickets; set to smash the attendance record at Wembley and join the ranks of the biggest events in boxing history

 

 

Saturday, May 20 – SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL

Main Event:     Gervonta Davis (17-0, 16 KOs) vs. Liam Walsh (21-0, 14 KOs) – IBF Super Featherweight World Championship

Start Time:      TBD, live from London

Venue:             Copper Box Arena in London, England

Notes:              ·  Matchup of undefeated fighters. Champion vs. No. 1-ranked contender

  • Davis is the youngest reigning American titlist and second youngest in the world (Kosei Tanaka)

 

 

Saturday, May 20 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING

Main Event:     Gary Russell Jr. (21-1, 16 KOs) vs. Oscar Escandon (25-2, 17 KOs) – WBC Featherweight World Championship

Co-Features:   Andre Dirrell (25-2, 16 KOs) vs. José Uzcátegui (26-1, 22 KOs) – IBF Super Middleweight Interim World Championship

Rances Barthelemy (25-0, 13 KOs) vs. Kiryl Relikh (21-1, 19 KOs) – WBA Super Lightweight Eliminator

Start Time:      TBD

Venue:             MGM National Harbor in Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area

Notes:              ·  Sixth featherweight title fight on SHOWTIME since Feb. 2016, and second this year.

  • The winner of Dirrell-Uzcátegui becomes the mandatory for IBF Super Middleweight World Champion James DeGale
  • The winner of Barthelemy-Relikh becomes the mandatory challenger to WBA Super Lightweight Champion Ricky Burns

 

 

Saturday, May 27 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING

Main Event:     Kell Brook (36-1, 25 KOs) vs. Errol Spence Jr. (21-0, 19 KOs) – IBF Welterweight World Championship

Start Time:      TBD, live from England

Venue:             Bramall Lane Football Ground in Sheffield, England

Notes:              ·  World Champion vs. IBF No. 1-ranked contender

  • No. 3-ranked vs. No. 5-ranked welterweights (via Transnational Boxing Rankings)
  • Six of the consensus top-10 welterweights in the world featured on SHOWTIME/CBS events in the first half of 2017

 

 

Saturday, June 3 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING

Presented by Premier Boxing Champions

Main Event:     Adonis Stevenson (28-1, 23 KOs) vs. Andrzej Fonfara (29-4, 17 KOs) II – WBC Light Heavyweight World Championship

Co-Main:         Eleider Alvarez (22-0, 11 KOs) vs. Jean Pascal (31-4-1, 18 KOs) – WBC Silver Light Heavyweight Title

Start Time:      TBD

Notes:              ·  Stevenson-Fonfara II is a rematch of 2014 all-action championship bout in which both fighters scored knock downs

 

 

Friday, June 9ShoBox: The New Generation (Hall of Fame Induction Weekend)

Main Event:     Joel Diaz Jr. (23-0, 19 KOs) vs. Abel Ramos (17-2-2, 12 KOs) – 10 Round Super Lightweight Bout

Start Time:      10 p.m. ET/PT

Venue:             Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, N.Y.

Notes:              ·  International Boxing Hall of Fame Induction Weekend

  • The lead announce team for ShoBox, legendary sportscaster Barry Tompkins and boxing historian Steve Farhood, to be inducted to the Hall in nearby Canastota, NY.

 

 

Expected This Summer

Four-division world champion Adrien Broner and WBC Lightweight World Champion Mikey Garcia in separate events live on SHOWTIME.

 

 

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Apple®, Roku®, Amazon, Google and Samsung. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Sony PlayStation® Vue and Amazon Channels. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel, and offers Smithsonian Earththrough SN Digital LLC. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com

 

KELL BROOK TO DEFEND IBF WELTERWEIGHT TITLE AGAINST UNDEFEATED ERROL SPENCE ON SATURDAY, MAY 27 LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

 

 

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® Live From Bramall Lane In Sheffield, England

 

Kell Brook will defend his IBF World Welterweight title against U.S. star Errol Spence at Bramall Lane in Sheffield on Saturday May 27, live on Sky Sports Box Office and live on SHOWTIME in the U.S. on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.

 

Brook makes the fourth defense of his beloved IBF strap he landed in the U.S. in August 2014 with a career-best win over Shawn Porter.  He then blitzed Jo Jo Dan, Frankie Gavin and Kevin Bizier before stepping up to middleweight to face fearsome Kazakh Gennady Golovkin at The O2 in September.  Now, the Sheffield star welcomes another unbeaten superstar into the ring.

 

Undefeated Spence became the mandatory challenger for Brook’s belt when he blasted Leonard Bundu inside six rounds in August, the eighth straight stoppage win for the Texas-based New Yorker who destroyed Chris Algieri inside four rounds two months earlier.

 

Brook and Spence now clash in one of the biggest fight in the 147-pound division, and the elite pairing are promising to deliver an electric night at the home of Sheffield United FC.

 

“I’m so excited about this fight and also about making history in my city,” said Brook. “It’s long been a dream of mine to fight outdoors at Bramall Lane and I’m pleased to do that in the biggest fight in the welterweight division.  I saw many people talk about how I would avoid Errol Spence – they don’t know me, they don’t know what I’m about.  All I’ve ever wanted to do is to give the fans the fights they want and they have it right here on May 27.  I’m going to show the world that I’m the best welterweight on the planet and I’m going to do it right before my people’s eyes.”

 

“I’m happy I’m finally getting an opportunity to accomplish a lifelong dream of becoming a world champion,” said Spence.  “I feel that this is one of the best and biggest fights in world boxing and I am 100 percent focused and determined to bring the belt back home to the U.S.  On May 27, I will be more than ready.”

 

“This is one of the best fights in world boxing,” said Brook’s promoter Eddie Hearn.  “Many believed that Kell Brook would look to avoid Errol Spence but he is a proud man who never ducks a challenge.  Coming off the fight with GGG this is an extremely tough fight to come back to but I believe Kell Brook is the best welterweight in the world and he will have the chance to prove it on May 27.  It’s ‘The Special One’ vs ‘The Truth’, a historic event at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane – we are planning an unforgettable night.”

 

“This is great news for Kell and Sheffield United,” said Sheffield United director Scott McCabe. “We have been working with Matchroom for some time to bring this high profile fight to our Bramall Lane stadium where we have exciting plans to stage further significant events utilising the high standard facilities that have been developed by the Club in recent years.”

 

Tickets will go on sale to Matchroom Fight Pass members at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 30 via StubHub.

 

Tickets go on general sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 31 via the Sheffield United FC Box Office.

 

A further announcement on ticket prices and with relevant on sale links will be made soon.

FNU Combat Sports Show: CM Punk’s Debut, UFC Fight Night Recap, Brrok vs. Golovkin Preview

Tom, Tony and Rich discuss the week in Combat Sports, focusing on the recent UFC Fight Night in Hamburg, Germany, the UFC debut of Phil Brooks (A.K.A. CM Punk) and the upcoming battle between Kell Brook and Gennady Golovkin.

BROOK FORCED OUT OF CHAVES CLASH

Fight to be rescheduled after rib injury hits Sheffield star

 

Kell Brook has been forced out of his IBF World Welterweight title clash with Diego Chaves at the Sheffield Arena on Saturday, October 24 after sustaining a rib injury in sparring.

 

Brook was set to make the third defence of his belt against the dangerous Argentine, but having spent time in hospital with the injury and taking the advice of medical experts following scans, the Sheffield star will now look to face Chaves later in the year.

 

The Sheffield show goes ahead with the Sky Sports debut of Chris Eubank Jr topping the bill as he defends his WBA Interim World Middleweight title against American Tony Jeter, Gavin McDonnell defends his European Bantamweight strap against former World title challenger Jeremy Parodi, along with a host of exciting young talent on the bill.

 

“It’s always a bitter blow when an injury causes a fight to be postponed, especially so close to the event,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Kell picked up a rib injury in sparring yesterday and spent most of the day at hospital yesterday. Kell was desperate to fight but it was simply impossible and we will now look to reschedule the bout for the end of the year.”

 

Matchroom Boxing will make a full statement on Monday regarding details of full refunds and partial refunds to those fans still attending the show.

SHOWTIME SPORTS® TO PRESENT SEVEN LIVE BOXING TELECASTS IN EIGHT WEEKS TO CLOSE OUT 2015 

Oct. 24: SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL®
Kell Brook vs. Diego Chaves

Nov. 14: SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®
Gary Russell Jr. vs. Oscar Escandon

Nov. 28: SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
James DeGale vs. Lucian Bute

Dec. 5: SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
Daniel Jacobs vs. Peter Quillin

 Plus Three Installments of ShoBox: The New Generation
On Oct. 23, Nov. 6 and Dec. 11 

NEW YORK (Oct. 3, 2015) – SHOWTIME Sports® will present seven live boxing telecasts in a span of just eight weeks to close out 2015, including three presentations of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, a SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL telecast and three installments of ShoBox: The New Generation.

The seven telecasts will air live on SHOWTIME® and will feature at least 16 fights, several world championship bouts and more than 10 matchups on the prospect developmental series ShoBox.

The action will kick off with a ShoBox quadrupleheader on Friday, Oct. 23 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME from the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz.  In the 10-round middleweight main event, undefeated Rob Brant (17-0, 11 KOs, 0-3 in World Series of Boxing) will square off with Louis Rose (13-2-1, 5 KOs).  In eight-rounders, unbeaten Filipino prospect Harmonito Dela Torre (16-0, 11 KOs) meets Wanzell Ellison (10-1-1, 5 KOs) in a junior lightweight scrap, Jarrell Miller (14-0-1) takes on Akhror Muralimov (16-1, 13 KOs) in a heavyweight boutand Lavarn Harvell (15-1, 8 KOs) will meet southpaw Samuel Clarkson (16-3, 10 KOs) in a light heavyweight scrap.

The following day, Saturday, Oct. 24, undefeated Kell Brook (35-0, 24 KOs) will make the third defense of his IBF Welterweight World title against Diego Chaves (23-2-1, 19 KOs) at Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, England. The SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL telecast will be presented via Sky Sports in the UK and will air live on SHOWTIME in the afternoon with an encore presentation later that evening (SHO, 9 p.m. ET/PT).

ShoBox: The New Generation returns Friday, Nov. 6 from D Hotel in Las Vegas with a four-fight telecast: Up-and-coming unbeaten middleweight Antoine Douglas (18-0-1, 12 KOs) will battle Les Sherrington (35-7, 20 KOs) in the main event.  In the co-feature, Taras Shelestyuk (12-0, 8 KOs) will be opposed by an opponent to be determined.  Rounding out the card are eight-round scraps between Keenan Smith (7-0, 2 KOs) and Benjamin Whitaker (10-1, 2 KOs) and O’Shanique Foster (8-0, 5 KOs) and Samuel Teah (7-1, 5 KOs) in super lightweight and lightweight fights, respectively.

On Saturday, Nov. 14 quick-fisted Gary Russell Jr. (26-1, 15 KOs) will risk his WBC Featherweight World Championship against Oscar Escandon (24-2, 16 KOs) in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.

Just two weeks later, on Saturday, Nov. 28, in a can’t miss match-up newly crowned IBF Super Middleweight World Championship James DeGale (21-1, 14 KOs) will face former world champion Lucian Bute(32-2, 25 KOs) in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING from the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, live on SHOWTIME.  In the co-feature, undefeated knockout artist and former Russian amateur champion Artur Beterbiev (9-0, 9 KOs) will face an opponent to be announced in a light heavyweight world championship title eliminator.

Brooklyn Bragging Rights and the WBA Middleweight World Championship will be on the line on Saturday, Dec. 5 when defending champion Daniel Jacobs (30-1, 27 KOs) takes on former championPeter Quillin (32-0-1, 23 KOs) in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The marquee main event will be preceded by a co-feature fight with additional bouts on the card airing live on SHOWTIME EXTREME.

Closing out the boxing year for SHOWTIME Sports will be a ShoBoxtwo or three-fight card airing live on Friday, Dec. 11.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV. For more information, go towww.SHO.com.

SHOWTIME® TO TELEVISE KELL BROOK VS. DIEGO CHAVES IBF WELTERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ON SATURDAY, OCT. 24, LIVE FROM SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND

SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL® Brook vs. Chaves Airs

Live at 5:45 p.m. ET/ 2:45 p.m. PT with an Encore Presentation at 9 p.m. ET/PT

 

NEW YORK (Sept. 29, 2015) – SHOWTIME Sports® will present the IBF Welterweight World Championship between undefeated defending champion Kell Brook and contender Diego Chaves on Saturday, Oct. 24, live on SHOWTIME at 5:45 p.m. ET / 2:45 p.m. PT from Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, England.

 

The SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL presentation of the Sky Sports telecast will feature analysis from SHOWTIME boxing experts  before and after the world championship showdown.  An encore presentation of the bout will air on SHOWTIME later that evening at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

 

“I’m delighted that my fight with Chaves is going to be shown in the U.S.,” said Brook, who hails from Sheffield and will be the favorite in this fight.  “I was thrilled when I saw my name in the top 10 of the pound-for-pound list in The Ring Magazine, and now is the time that I need to show the fans in the U.S. that I am a must-see fighter.

 

“Chaves is an all-action boxer who always comes to fight, and that is the perfect style for me to shine on Oct. 24.  I look forward to putting on an explosive performance and making the U.S. stand up and take notice that I am the best welterweight in the world.”

 

“We know Brook is a tough fighter, very technical,” said Diego Chaves. “But he is not a fast fighter and he is easily bothered by body punches, which is one of our strengths.  I believe he has problems going backwards, and we are going to test his punching power, too.

 

“I feel that my confidence grows with this challenge, knowing that I will have to face a champion like Kell Brook in his home country in England.  This raises the stakes for me, going up there as an Argentine and as a huge underdog.  We know all the bad blood that exists between Argentina and England and this will give me much more strength.  I will make history if I defeat an Englishman in his own country.”

 

“We’re excited to be back in business with Kell Brook, Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn and to deliver this exciting matchup of top 10 welterweights to the U.S. audience,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports.  “Kell won the world title on SHOWTIME in an action-packed victory over Shawn Porter last fall, establishing himself as one of the top welterweights in the world – but Diego Chaves is a rugged fighter who has also proven that he can compete with the elite of the division.”

 

Brook (35-0, 24 KOs) will make his third consecutive title defense of 2015 in his native England after coming to the U.S. and dethroning previously undefeated IBF Welterweight World Champion Shawn Porter in August 2014 on SHOWTIME.   The Sheffield native has scored knockouts in each of his defenses – a fourth round TKO of Jo Jo Dan on March 28 and a sixth round TKO of Frankie Gavin on May 30.  Brook aims for a similar result against the veteran Chaves, who has faced some of the top fighters in the 147-pound division.

 

Chaves (23-2-1, 19 KOs), of Buenos Aires, Argentina, has been a road warrior in recent fights, facing favored Americans on the road in three of his last four bouts.  He challenged 147-pound titlist Keith Thurman in July 2013 and, after winning by knockout in a hometown fight in Argentina, was ahead on the judges’ scorecards against Brandon Riosin August 2014 until he was disqualified for an intentional elbow to the face.  In his last fight, Chaves fought to a draw against perennial welterweight champion Timothy Bradley.

 

JERMELL CHARLO OUTPOINTS VANES MARTIROSYAN ON A SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® DOUBLEHEADER

 

WELTERWEIGHT CHAMP KELL BROOK OBLITERATES JO JO DAN

TO RETAIN TITLE ON SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL®  

Watch The Replay Of The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Doubleheader

Tomorrow/Sunday at 9 a.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME,

Tuesday, March 31, at 10 p.m. ET/PT On SHO EXTREME

 

Click HERE For Charlo vs. Martirosyan & Gonzalez vs. Russell Jr. Photos

Photo Credit: Esther Lin/SHOWTIME

 

Click HERE For Brook vs. Dan Photos

Photo Credit: Lawrence Lustig

 

LAS VEGAS (March 28, 2015) – After coming close to world championship glory in 2014,

Gary Russell Jr. (26-1, 15 KOs), a former United States amateur standout, delivered on his promise in impressive fashion Saturday night, knocking out defending champion Jhonny Gonzalez (57-9, 48 KOs), of Mexico City, in the fourth round in the main event of a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING doubleheader promoted by DiBella Entertainment at The Pearl Theater at Palms Casino Resort.

 

In the co-feature on SHOWTIME®, undefeated Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo (26-0, 11 KOs) of Houston, won a close, unanimous 10-round decision over Vanes Martirosyan(35-2-1, 21 KOs), of Glendale, Calif., in a clash of top-five ranked super welterweights. There were no knockdowns in a bout scored 97-93 and 96-94 twice.

 

The talented and quick-fisted southpaw Russell, who stood and exchanged with Gonzalez, utilized his overall speed to dominate. He dropped the veteran three times, once in the third and twice in the fourth before referee Tony Weeks waved off the fight 37 seconds into the round (to watch the knockout click HERE).

 

“This is the kind of performance I always expect but don’t always get,’’ said Russell, who lost a close 12-round decision to Vasyl Lomachenko in his initial attempt at the 126-pound crown last June 21 on SHOWTIME. “If people only knew how hard we worked for this, the time we put in the gym, the mental and physical things we work on and put ourselves through every day.

 

“There are always obstacles to overcome but for this fight I was 100 percent. This win is for all the people who have been with me from the beginning.’’

 

Russell’s strategy was to eliminate Gonzalez’ vaunted left hook, and he executed the plan to near perfection.

 

“We were never in this to turn it into a track meet,’’ Russell said. “We were going to stand right in the pocket. We know what Gonzalez likes to do, and that’s throw the wide left hook. I tried to bait him into throwing it and he did.

 

“Honestly, I don’t think he recovered from the first knockdown.’’

 

Gonzalez, a two-time WBC featherweight world champion – and a veteran of 16 world championship fights – won the title for the first time in April 2011 and made four successful title defenses before losing it in September 2012. He regained the title on a shocking first-round knockout over Abner Mares in August 2013 on SHOWTIME, and had made two more successful title defenses before falling to Russell.

 

Gonzalez offered no excuses before quickly exiting the ring.

 

“I’m OK,’’ he said. “I did not expect this kind of fight at all. We expected him to run around the ring with me chasing. But he didn’t.’’

 

In the co-feature, Charlo silenced critics of his resume by defeating his toughest opponent to date.

He was surprised at the way his match with Martirosyan played out. “I definitely expected a much rougher fight,’’ he said. “This was easy compared to what I thought we were in for.

“I fought smart and when I was told to pick it up, I knew what time it was so I did. I’m absolutely ready for a shot at a world title.’’

Martirosyan, who was cut over the left eye from an accidental headbutt in the eighth round, was visibly disappointed with the result.

“I positively feel 100 percent that I won that fight,’’ he said. “I was the aggressor and forced the action. All he did was run. I landed the cleaner punches. I definitely felt I won the last round.

“I was stunned by the headbutt [that resulted in the bout being halted while he and the ringside physician discussed the cut]. Sure my left eye bothered me after that and it was blurry. But that’s no excuse.

“I felt I was hurting him. He never hurt me once. I really don’t understand this decision.’’

Earlier Saturday, on SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL, undefeated IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook (34-0, 23 KOs) overwhelmed mandatory challenger Jo Jo Dan (34-3, 18 KOs), dropping the Romanian-based Canadian four times before the one-sided beatdown was wisely halted after the fourth round at Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, England.

 

Brook, of Sheffield, was making the first defense of the welterweight title he took from previously undefeated Shawn Porter last August on SHOWTIME and fighting for the first time since suffering a serious injury when he was stabbed in the thigh during a holiday on the island of Tenerife last September.

 

The exciting welterweight showed no ill effects from the layoff in an emotional return to the ring, registering two knockdowns in the second round, and two more in the fourth, with the final knockdown coming at the closing bell. Dan suffered the first knockout defeat of his career (to watch the knockout click HERE).

 

“I’m back, baby!” said Brook, whose devastating performance against the usually durable Dan electrified the hometown fans while paving the way for a major showdown in the future.

 

“It was truly amazing to walk out in front of all my fans. I didn’t think I would ever walk again, much less  box again. Here I am filling arenas. I can’t put into words how much it means to be back and defending a world title. It means everything to me.

 

“It was hard there holding it together. But this is where I belong. The leg feels fine. The leg feels as good as the other leg. There is no problem with the leg.

 

“If you’re watching Amir Khan, then get in here with me. I know you’re delicate around the whiskers. I’ll take you out.’’

 

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING doubleheader will re-air this week as follows:

 

DAY                                                                            CHANNEL

Tomorrow, Sunday, March 29, 9 a.m. ET/PT            SHOWTIME

Monday, March 30, 10 p.m. ET/PT                            SHOWTIME EXTREME

 

Saturday’s two-fight telecast will be available at SHOWTIME ON DEMAND beginning tomorrow, Sunday, March 29.

 

Brian Custer hosted the SHOWTIME telecast, with Mauro Ranallo calling the action, Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and former two-time world champion Paulie Malignaggi commentating and Jim Gray reporting. In the Spanish simulcast, Alejandro Luna called the blow-by-blow and former world champion Raul Marquez served as color commentator. The executive producer of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING was David Dinkins Jr. with Bob Dunphy directing.

 

# # #

 

“Gonzalez vs. Russell Jr.”, was a 12-round world championship bout for Gonzalez’s WBC Featherweight World Title and was promoted by DiBella Entertainment. In the co-feature, Jermell Charlo took on Vanes Martirosyan in super welterweight action. The event took place at The Pearl Theater at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The event aired on SHOWTIME.

 

For more information, visit www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @jhonnygbox, @mrgaryrusselljr, @TwinCharlo, @LouDiBella and @PearlAtPalms, follow the conversation using #GonzalezRussell, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com.

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH WASHINGTON D.C. BOXER  GARY RUSSELL, JR. PRIOR TO HIS FIGHT WITH JHONNY GONZALEZTOMORROW ON SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®


 

Gary Russell Jr. discusses his family’s boxing background, his father’s role in his corner, and his motivation following his first professional defeat to Vasyl Lomachenko. Russell steps in the ring for the WBC Featherweight World Title against defending champion Jhonny Gonzalez tomorrow,Saturday, March 28 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME ®.

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# # #

 

“Gonzalez vs. Russell Jr.”, a 12-round world championship bout for Gonzalez’s WBC Featherweight World Title, is promoted by DiBella Entertainment. In the co-feature, Jermell Charlo takes on Vanes Martirosyan in super welterweight action. The event will take place at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas and will air on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

 

Tickets for the live event are priced at $200, $100, $75, $50, and $25, plus applicable fees are on sale. Tickets may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or by clicking HERE. Tickets are also available online at www.ticketmaster.com.

 

For more information, visit www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @jhonnygbox, @mrgaryrusselljr, @TwinCharlo, @LouDiBella and @PearlAtPalms, follow the conversation using #GonzalezRussell, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com.

JHONNY GONZALEZ VS. GARY RUSSELL JR. MARCH 28 UNDERCARD FEATURES TOP CONTENDERS AND FUTURE STARS

 

LAS VEGAS (March 26, 2015) – The excellent night of fights featuring WBC Featherweight World Champion Jhonny Gonzalez (57-8, 48 KOs)defending his title against highly regarded contender Gary Russell Jr. (25-1, 14 KOs) and top 154-pound contenders Jermell Charlo (25-0, 11 KOs) and Vanes Martirosyan (35-1-1, 21 KOs) squaring offwill be supplemented by a full night of undercard fights featuring first class fighters in tough matchups.

 

Get there early and don’t miss a minute of the action as doors at The Pearl at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort open at 2 p.m. PT with the first fight start just minutes later.

 

Tickets for the live event are priced at $200, $100, $75, $50, and $25, plus applicable

fees are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000or by clicking HERE. Tickets are also available online at www.ticketmaster.com.

 

Gonzalez vs. Russell and Charlo vs. Martirosyan airs live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

 

The exciting undercard features Jermell’s brother, Jermall Charlo (20-0, 16 KOs),looking to keep his undefeated record intact against the powerful Michael Finney (12-2-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round super welterweight bout.

 

Also in action is J’Leon Love (18-1, 10 KOs), who returns to the ring after suffering his first loss and will look to get back in the win column against exciting veteran Scott Sigmon (24-6-1, 13 KOs) in 10 rounds of super middleweight action.

 

Another exciting undefeated fighter, Ronald Gavril (11-0, 9 KOs), will compete in an 8-round super middleweight bout.

 

Former world-title challenger Cesar Seda (26-2, 17 KOs)makes his 2015 debut when he squares off against the young and rugged Cesar Juarez (15-3, 13 KOs) in a bantamweight bout scheduled for 8 rounds.

 

In more undercard action, undefeated prospect Thomas Hill (2-0) will look to keep his perfect professional record against Jeremiah Page (2-1, 2 KOs) in a 4-round super welterweight bout.

 

Rounding out the night is a battle of experienced super lightweights between Levan Ghvamichava (13-1-1, 10 KOs) and Derrick Findley (21-14-1, 13 KOs) competing in a 6-round bout.

 

Highly regarded and undefeated,the 24-year-old Jermall Charlo is primed for a world title opportunity along with his brother. He remained undefeated in 2014 with dominant victories over Hector Munoz, Norberto Gonzalez and Lenny Bottai. The Houston-native will take on the 23-year-old Finney out of Opelka, Alabama, looking to impress once again.

 

A top contender who was on the brink of a world title fight before suffering his first defeat, the 27-year-old Love is eager to get back in the ring and back in the win column on March 28. Before his defeat, Love put on an impressive boxing display on his way to a unanimous decision over Marco Antonio Periban in May 2014. He takes on a 28-year-old battle-tested brawler in Bedford, Virginia’s Sigmon who has been in with top fighters including Kelly Pavlik throughout his career.

 

Another fighter born outside the U.S. but now fighting out of Las Vegas, Romanian-bornGavril is a knockout artist with an undefeated record to match. The 28-year-old will try for his fifth straight knockout in a row.

 

A longtime contender fighting out of Puerto Rico, Seda finally got his first world title shot in Dec. 2013 but lost a unanimous decision to Leo Santa Cruz. He bounced back with a victory over Alex Rangel in 2014 and now the 29-year-old takes on a young brawler in the 23-year-old Juarez out of Mexico City.

 

An undefeated prospect who made his pro debut in Aug. 2014, the 20-year-old Hill will look to continue running through opponents on March 28. The Milwaukee-native faces the 21-year-old Page out of Wichita, Kansas.

 

The first fight of the night is sure to bring fireworks as two experienced fighters battle it out in the super lightweight division. Originally out of Poti, Georgia but now fighting out of Hayward, Calif., Ghvamichava is looking to get his third victory in a row. The 29-year-old will have a battle-tested fighter standing in his way in the 30-year-old Findley out of Chicago.

 

Gonzalez vs. Russell takes place at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas and will air on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT). In the co-main event, Jermell Charlo takes on Vanes Martirosyan in super welterweight action. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

 

For more information, visit www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @jhonnygbox, @mrgaryrusselljr, @TwinCharlo, @LouDiBella and @PearlAtPalms, follow the conversation using #GonzalezRussell, become a fan on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog athttp://theboxingblog.sho.com.

VANES MARTIROSYAN VS. JERMELL CHARLO & GARY RUSSELL JR. CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT

Kelly Swanson

Thank you, operator.  Thanks, everyone, for calling in.  We have a great call this morning and this afternoon actually here on the East Coast to talk about the March 28 SHOWTIME show, CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Show, featuring Jhonny Gonzalez, Gary Russell, Jr. and Jermell Charlo against Vanes Martirosyan.  We have all the fighters joining us today on the call.  We will start with Jermell and Vanes.  But, before we get to the fighters, I’d like to introduce Chris DeBlasio, Vice President of Communications for SHOWTIME Sports to fill you in a little bit about the fight.  Chris?

 

Chris DeBlasio

Thanks so much, Kelly.  I just want to take a quick moment to thank the fighters for being on this call, thank the press for being here, and just say on behalf of Stephen Espinoza, the EVP and General Manager for SHOWTIME Sports, and all of us at SHOWTIME, we’re really excited to get back into it with a nice live SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event this Saturday.  As you may have seen in the boxing press, it was about two weeks ago that we announced the addition of a new platform called SHOWTIME Boxing International. The first fight will be this Saturday, March 28; it’s an international fight on the SHOWTIME network live to our subscribers.  So, the first instance is a nice way to kick off our Saturday March 28 boxing coverage, and that’s gonna be the Kell Brook versus Jo Jo Dan IBF Welterweight World Championship fight that’s taking place in Sheffield, England.  SHOWTIME is going to carry that fight live at 6:15 Eastern, 3:15Pacific.  And then, we will take a break during the afternoon hours and then go live at 10 p.m ET./7 p.m. PT SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event with Jermell Charlo, Vanes Martirosyan, Jhonny Gonzalez and Gary Russell.  So, it’s sort of a two- part platform on Saturday with three live fights coming to you, which we’re really excited about.  And we appreciate the opportunity to be in business with the guys on the phone here today.  So, without anything further, let’s get it started.  We welcome you guys.

 

Kelly Swanson

Okay.  And  one quick note — or rather, media, one quick note — we have just sent out the Fight Week Media Schedule, so please look for that in your inboxes, and it will give you the details of what is going on this week for the fight.  Thank you.  Okay, let’s go ahead and open it up.  Actually, let me go ahead and introduce the two guys that are on the call right now.  They want to say a couple words.  First, we have Vanes Martirosyan.  He’s a world-ranked 154 pound contender.  Vanes, you want to say a couple words, tell us how training is going and how you’re getting ready for the fight?

 

Vanes Martirosyan

Training is going great, everything is going good.  We can’t wait to fight.  You know, I’m sure everybody says that before they fight, but we really are ready to go.  We just can’t wait to go.

 

Kelly Swanson

Okay, great.  Thanks so much.  And where are you training?

 

V. Martirosyan

I’m training here in California at Main Event Sports Club.  There’s been a couple of locations we’ve been training, but the major has been Main Event Sports Club, which the media will be at today.

 

K. Swanson

Now, I’m going to move to Jermell Charlo.  He’s an undefeated super welterweight contender.  Jermell why don’t you tell us a little bit about what’s happening in your training camp and how you’re feeling heading into the fight.

 

Jermell Charlo

Training’s been great.  Every time I step in the ring, every time I get ready for a fight, I feel like just there’s never been a time where I repeat myself or do something the same.  I’ve been learning from all my past mistakes.  Every win I’m still learning from.  So, training camp has been good.  Trainer Ronnie Shields, Danny Arnold. I opened my own gym, so I get a little late night extra hours in when I want to.  And, I want to fight with my twin brother.  We’re pushing to fight.  I can’t wait to fight.  Just like Vanes, he’s hungry, he’s ready. I’m  I’m ready.

 

Q

Given both of your positions, as considered as top 10 contenders in the 154 pound weight class, in your mind, do you consider this an elimination fight? Vanes, what are your thoughts about that?

 

V. Martirosyan

I think every fight right now at this point in my career and Jermell’s career should be considered a title fight.  It is — I think it is — an eliminator fight.  I’m looking at this as a championship fight.  Jermell is tougher than any of the champions, so to me, this is a championship fight, and that’s what we got ready for.  And it should be an eliminator fight.  I don’t know if it is or not, but that’s how we’re taking it as, and we’re taking this as a world title fight.

 

Q

Jermell, your thoughts on that – is it an official eliminator or a de facto one?

 

J. Charlo

Same thing with me.  I feel that this is a tough fight.  Every fight is a fight for my life.  And I step in the ring and make sure that I fight with that on the back of my mind.  Vanes is a great fighter — grew up with him. I know what I bring to the table.  And this fight is a fight for manhood, it’s a fight to show who the real tycoon of the sport is in the 154 pound weight division.  There’s a lot at stake, so it’s more than a title fight to me.

 

Q

Jermell, did you say that you grew up with him a little bit?

 

J. Charlo

Yeah, I grew up with him, at least two or three years with Vanes, you know, and his family, his people, you know?  So, I know — we know each other well.

 

Q

Have you guys ever sparred with each other?

 

J. Charlo

Yeah, we’ve sparred with each other several times.

 

Q

How often, would you say?  And how long ago?

 

J. Charlo

I can’t really say how often.  I know it was back when we were a little bit younger.  I was younger, still a little boy growing up into a man. So, right now, I don’t even think about how it was, what it was about, or how training was when we were training together. Wasn’t even 19 — I was 17, 16, 17, 18, I mean, those ages.  Here, we face each other because we’re both at the top, and that’s what happens when you’re in the same division.  Never had anything personal or different to say about him.  It’s just work.

 

Q

Vanes, you feel the same way about your times in the ring with him?

 

V. Martirosyan

Yeah, I remember when we used to train.  It was good training.  We were always in competition — me, him and his brother.  We used to go running at Memorial Park every day, and we’d try to see who’d finish the lap first.  It was always competition between us — running and training or what-not.  But it was nothing but love and I respect him, his father, and his trainer, Ronnie Shields.  They’ve been good people to me. But Saturday night, he’s going to be my enemy in the ring. For now, outside the ring, I respect everybody.  Once we step in the ring, it’s a totally different story.

 

Q

Your fight that took place in October was a big win for you against Willie Nelson.  You harnessed a lot of the emotion going into that fight because it had taken place just after your promoter Dan Goossen had passed away and you had his brother Joe in your corner.  It was a lot of heavy emotion that night, and you really came through in a big way that night.  Is it gonna be difficult in any way to sort of get that same emotion behind you?

 

V. Martirosyan

No, because at that fight, we had to forget about a lot of things. Dan passed away.  We were all sad, and we didn’t know what to do.  And we actually thought — ‘should we fight’ or I don’t know if Joe (Goossen’s) going to be there.  I didn’t know what was going on.  There was too much emotion going into that fight.  We kind of got away from the fight a little bit.  But we used it as motivation for our fight.  This fight to me is big. When I lost to Andrade, I didn’t step into the ring 100 percent, and when I came home — when you come home a loser, it’s a bad feeling. I can’t look at my wife, my kids.  I feel like I let them down.  So, right now, I’m just in that mode where I’d rather die than see that again.

 

Q

If you were to win this fight, obviously, you’d be in position for a major world title fight. Are you comfortable with waiting for one of those, figuring those fighters only fight maybe twice a year, or would you want to stay active and take more fights between them? 

 

J. Charlo

You know, winning this fight to me — a world title would be ideal.  A world title is important.  I want to fight for a world title.  I want the world title.  That’s every boxer’s dream and envision whenever they’re young. Fighting for the world title matters and all this extra stuff, but if I’m here building my name and building my brand, that’s just as important. Being a household name throughout the World Boxing Council, everything. That matters to me.

 

V. Martirosyan

The fight, this fight — I’d say like a lot of the champions that are champions right now in our weight class, most of them just run their mouth, starting with Andrade.  A fight like this for me and Jermell, it’s such a big fight for me, you know,  but it’s not only for us.  I mean, it’s for the fans.  The fans are in, and it’s great.  I mean, you rarely get to see contenders like me and Jermell wanting to step up and fight each other.  You know, usually, people will get up to the rankings like we are, they just want to just talk a lot of bad stuff about the champions to get the world title fight.  But, you know, you rarely get to see contenders like that, you know, No. 1 and No. 2  fighting each other when,  you know they really want to fight each other and they both said yes to the fight.  So, it’s a big fight, but I feel like, you know, we’re all gonna be — we’re gonna do our best, and I feel like the fans are gonna be the winners for this fight.

 

K Swanson

Okay, great.  You guys, I think that was your last question, and so we appreciate you taking the time out of your training.  And Vanes, we look forward to seeing you later for your open workout.  And, Jermell, we will see you in Las Vegas later this week.

 

J. Charlo

No problem.  See you, guys.

 

V. Martirosyan – Thank you.  Take care.

 

Kelly Swanson

We’re going to switch the call over to Gary Russell, Jr.

 

K. Swanson

Gary Russell, Jr. will be facing Jhonny Gonzalez for Gonzalez’s 126 pound title, the WBC Featherweight World Championship.  Gary, if you want to tell us a little bit about how training is going, your anticipation to be fighting Jhonny Gonzalez for this world title and what you think about the whole fight in general?

 

Gary Russell Jr.

We had a great training camp. Everything has been perfect, no excuses, no cutting corners.  We’re 120 percent ready for this fight.  We can’t wait be able to call ourself the new WBC World Champion.

 

K. Swanson

Are you doing anything in camp in preparation for this that’s different from your other fights?

 

G. Russell Jr.

No, we’re not doing anything that’s different in preparation for any of the fights.  I think the only difference is, depending on the fight, you want to prepare depending on the opponent that you’re competing against.  So, I think the only difference is the difference in sparring. You want to bring in guys that have a similar style to who it is you’re gonna be competing against etc. That’s the only change that we’ve made so far.  Besides that — basic fundamentals, ring generalship, hand speed, punching power, strength and conditioning, all of that stuff is the same.

 

Q

Gary, were you surprised to get another shot at the title?

 

G. Russell, Jr.

No, I’m not surprised. I got the same Al Haymon Promotions, just Al Haymon in general when it comes to that. He’s my manager, and we know that he did everything in his power to try to make things happen for us, and give us another shot at a world title.  I’m extremely grateful and thankful for this opportunity.

 

Q

When you fought the fight against Lomachenko for one of the titles, do you take anything out of that defeat? Whether it’s the experience, or being on that level of the stage that you bring towards this next championship opportunity?

 

G. Russell Jr.

Of course.  One of the main things that we took out of it is, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.  In that particular fight with Lomachenko, we did a lot of things completely different in that fight that we normally wouldn’t do.  We brought other people in.  We let other people take the reigns and be in control of our conditioning. We’ve seen the outcome of that and the side effects of it. We don’t take losses easy, by far. So we’re back on pace.  We have the same team around us that have been here from the beginning of my career all the way up until now. We had the same team way back in motion. We’re ready, we’re focused, we’re determined, we’re driven and we’re just looking to give a good show.

 

Q

Do you see Gonzalez as a much better fighter than Lomachenko, or perhaps a bit of a more vulnerable fighter than Lomachenko or similar? How do you stack up the two title holders?

 

G. Russell Jr.

They’re two very different fighters. Lomachenko has a little bit more hand speed than Jhonny Gonzalez.  Gonzalez is more of a puncher.  Jhonny Gonzalez is more of a dangerous fighter than Lomachenko just because of his punching ability and just him being a seasoned professional, being able to get all these rounds in as a professional.  Lomachenko definitely is a good fighter.  We take every fight serious. You take no one for granted. We definitely said, oh, this is a dangerous fight taking with Jhonny Gonzalez, but we feel as though what we bring to the table will be superior in the end.

 

Q

What specifically did you do differently to prepare for Lomachenko that you wish you hadn’t? 

 

G. Russell, Jr.

We brought someone in for our strength and conditioning.  We’ve known our strength and conditioning was completely different.  Even when it came to the way that we cut weight, it was different.  Leading up to the fight, we were in a sauna for the past two, maybe three days leading all the way up into the fight.  That’s what my strength and conditioning coach wanted me to do.

Anyone that’s seen that fight, whether it was Lomachenko or anyone else, they’ve seen the difference in my punching ability, my endurance, my speed, just me as a person. People knew that that wasn’t the Gary Russell, Jr. that they’d seen the previous 24 fights.And that was some of the things that came up in the Lomachenko fight.  I was completely tired and fatigued in the first round, you know?

 

Q

About Jhonny Gonzalez — he obviously is a guy who is a volume puncher, he’s not afraid to stand in and trade. How does this fight work to your advantage if he does fight a typical Gonzalez fight in your mind?

 

G. Russell, Jr.

I don’t think that he’s going to be able to deal with, once again, my speed.  I think we’ll be able to do it with my speed.  He’s always been slow in the speed.  Even though he’s been a puncher, a lot of punchers have to really sit to actually apply these punches efficiently.  I think he lacks the ring generalship as far as the footwork goes that he would need — the foot quickness. And a lot of his shots are a little wide. So, I’ll be about to outpunch him and be able to punch him between his shots.

 

Q

What did you think of the decision in the Lomachenko fight?

 

G. Russell Jr.

I didn’t think anything of it.  The only thing that registered in my mind was the fact that I didn’t have the ability to perform the way that I normally would have. I never really looked at a decision.  I never looked at how the referee was going about the fight or any of these things.  The only thing that came to my mind was the fact that I just lost my first professional fight, and I sort of saw the reason why I lost — it was because I wasn’t able to do what it was that I normally do.

 

Q

So, you feel that you lost the fight then?

 

G. Russell Jr.

Certainly.  I’d definitely say that I lost the fight.

 

Q

You touched on Al Haymon earlier. Can you explain what his impact is in your career?  And we’ve all seen the moves that he’s been making.  How is that gonna help you moving forward?

 

G. Russell, Jr.

I feel as though the fire is under these managers and promoters. There’s a team effort. You’ll be able to tell your manager or your promoter, ‘Hey, this is my game plan, this is what it is that I want to accomplish this year.’  I wanted to at least be able to contend for a world title.  I want to have maybe four fights this year, maybe six fights this year, etc. Your manager and promoter, where they come in at, they should be able to meet you halfway with their game plan.  If you want to have six fights within a year, etc., your manager and promoter should be able to get it done for you.  We feel as though that Al Haymon is very efficient in doing exactly what it is that we want from him. It’s about who you know, I guess.

 

Q

Heading into this fight, do you feel like you have to give a certain quality of fight to really make fans relate to you and make you a household name?  Now that there’s so many platforms for boxing, do you feel like there’s added pressure to put on an exciting fight, or do you feel like you can still just, methodically box and gain fans from that?

 

G. Russell Jr.

I honestly don’t feel as though that we have to do anything out of the ordinary. You’re going to see the typical Gary Russell, Jr. that you’ve seen the previous 24 fights — hand speed, punching ability, ring generalship and etc. ,A lot of fighters get caught up in the hype, and they feel as though they have to do things a little more to win the fans over,  etc.  That’s never one of my things.  I’m  always to be exciting without being reckless.  And I’m going to do what it is that I’m comfortable doing.

 

K. Swanson 

Okay, Gary, thank you so much for being available to answer those questions, and we appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day, and we look forward to seeing you fight this Saturday, March 28, at the Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas and live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.  Thanks, Gary.

 

*          *          *

 

Tickets for the live event are priced at $200, $100, $75, $50, and $25, plus applicable

fees are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or by clicking HERE. Tickets are also available online at www.ticketmaster.com.

 

Gonzalez vs. Russell takes place at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas and will air on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT). In the co-main event, Jermell Charlo takes on Vanes Martirosyan in super welterweight action. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

 

For more information, visit www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @jhonnygbox, @mrgaryrusselljr, @TwinCharlo, @LouDiBella and @PearlAtPalms, follow the conversation using #GonzalezRussell, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com.