CHRIS ARREOLA AND FRED KASSI FIGHT TO A DRAW

 

DOUBLEHEADER KICKS OFF HUGE DAY OF BOXING IN EL PASO, TEXAS

           

Photo Credit – Esther Lin/CBS

 

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Photo Credit: Esther Lin/CBS

 

El Paso, Texas (July 18) – Undefeated Irish star Carl “The Jackal” Frampton (21-0, 14 KOs) showed massive heart and determination, as he successfully defended his junior featherweight title against Alejandro Gonzalez Jr. (25-2-2, 15 KOs) at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso and live on PBC on CBS. Fighting in his U.S. debut. Frampton was knocked down twice in the first round, but bounced back in impressive fashion to win via unanimous decision (116-108 twice and 115-109).

In the televised opener, heavyweights Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola (36-4-1, 31 KOs) and “Big” Fred Kassi (18-3-1, 10 KOs) fought a close 10-round bout ending in a majority draw.

 

Gonzalez Jr. came out swinging and hit Frampton with a hard straight left jab less than a minute into the fight, sending the Northern Ireland-native to the canvas for the first time in his career.  Frampton was knocked down again with less than 15 seconds left in the as first, when Gonzalez hit Frampton with a sharp right hand behind his ear. Gonzalez was deducted a point in the third round for a low blow and again in the 11th.

 

“The Jackal” lived up to the lofty expectations of his U.S. debut by throwing and landing 100 more punches than Gonzalez Jr., including nearly triple the amount of jabs. Gonzalez Jr., threw more power punches, however, Frampton was more accurate with his power shots.

 

“I didn’t feel great in the first round. I got up from two flash knockdowns though and recovered well. The kid could punch very well,” said Frampton. “The ring canvas was very soft. I couldn’t get up on my toes and that’s my best attribute. I got up and showed courage. I came back and won most of the rounds and gave excitement.”

 

Frampton continued, “I wanted to win by knockout. It didn’t happen. I’m disappointed, but I’ll re-evaluate and move on; onwards and upwards. He hit me low so many times, but you’ve got to deal with that and carry on and that’s what I did.”

 

“I definitely won the fight, I was much more effective,” said Gonzalez. “I want a rematch and I’m happy to do it in his hometown. I’ll take whatever fights are best for me either at 118 or 122.”

 

“The ref overreacted to the low blows, I was just doing my body work,” Gonzalez continued. “I’m not a dirty fighter, I play by the rules and this was disappointing. He’s a good fighter but I’m the best he’s ever faced.”

 

In the opening bout of the telecast, Arreola prepared to make a statement that he was ready for another world title shot, yet was unable to deliver the performance he had hoped due to Kassi’s solid game plan and heavy-hitting fists. The scores were 96-94 for Arreola and 95-95 (twice).
“It was a good decision.  It was just a tough fight,” said Arreola. “Fred came to fight and he’s a survivor.  He held right, he moved right.  He came here with a good strategy and he got a draw out of it.”

 

Arreola continued, “I know if I get Deontay (Wilder), I’d be in much better shape and a lot better prepared.  Not that I wasn’t prepared for Kassi, but he came here with a good fight and was prepared.”

 

Kassi did not take anything away from Arreola, but clearly felt that he won the bout.

 

“I’m not happy with the decision,” said Kassi. “I feel that I won every round of the fight. I showed tonight I was the better fighter. I take nothing away from Chris. I’ve been his friend for years. People don’t know me, so I just wanted to show the world I could do it. I proved that I belong in the heavyweight division. I showed my heart. I‘ve been training hard for many years and I showed it tonight.”

Plus! Mario Barrios, Ryan Karl & Other Top Prospects Round Out Full Day Of Undercard Action   EL PASO, TX (July 14, 2015) – Mexican-American heavyweight star Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola, (36-4, 31 KOs) will face “Big” Fred Kassi, (18-3-0, 10 KOs) on Premier Boxing Champions on CBS, Saturday afternoon, July 18 from the Don Haskins Center at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Televised coverage on CBS Sports starts at 4 p.m. ET/2 p.m. MT/1 p.m. PT.   Featured on the undercard is a trio of undefeated prospects as Mario Barrios (14-0, 5 KOs) takes on Jose Esquivel (9-2, 2 KOs)in a six-round super featherweight bout, Ryan Karl (7-0, 5 KOs) faces Rigobert Flores (7-1, 2 KOs) in six-rounds of super lightweight action and Steve Lovett (12-0, 10 KOs) battles Jinner Guerrero (8-4, 6 KOs) in an eight-round light heavyweight attraction   Also featured is the 10-round middleweight clash between 26-year-old unbeaten Ivan Golub (8-0, 6 KOs), fighting out of Brooklyn by way of Ukraine, and 26-year-old Lukasz Maciec (22-2-1, 5 KOs) from Lublin, Poland.   Rounding out the day of fights is 21-year-old Justin Deloach (9-1, 5 KOs) out of Georgia, Louisiana who faces 29-year-old Detroit-native Lauro Alcantar (9-3, 1 KO) in a six-round super welterweight battle, while 24-year-old Josh Taylor (0-2) from Scotland will enter the ring against Houston’s Randy Gibson (0-1) for a six-round super lightweight bout.   These exciting fights will support the PBC on CBS main event pitting undefeated Irish superstar Carl Frampton (20-0, 14 KOs) in a world title defense against Mexico’s Alejandro “Cobrita” Gonzalez Jr. (25-1-2, 15 KOs).   Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions in association with Warriors Boxing and Cyclone Promotions, are priced at $50 or $25 for general admission and are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the University Ticket Center at (915) 747-5234. Tickets are also available at www.ticketmaster.com.   Making his first start in El Paso, the 34-year-old Arreola is anxious to fight in front of the passionate West Texas boxing fans. On the March 13 PBC card he was victorious against Curtis Harper in an outstanding slugfest that featured excellent two-way action throughout. A native of Riverside, Calif., Arreola has challenged the top heavyweights over the last decade and is regarded as one of the most feared punchers in the division.     Born in Cameroon but fighting out of New Orleans, the 35-year-old hard-hitting Kassi will be looking to upset Arreola and make an impact on a huge stage. Kassi has delivered knockouts in five of his last eight fights and will make his first start of 2015 on July 18.   Fighting in his home state and representing San Antonio, Barrioslooks for his third knockout victory of 2015 on July 18. The 20-year-old hopes to build on his momentum and continue to grow his fan base in his home state when he takes on the 25-year-old Esquivel from Mexico.   An undefeated prospect representing Houston, Karl had an excellent amateur career that ended with him ranked third in the nation in the 141-pound division. The 23-year-old has already won twice in 2015 and most recently defeated Alfred Hall on May 9. He faces the 32-year-old Californian Flores.   Representing New South Wales, Austraila, Lovettturned pro in 2010 and has yet to drop a fight in his first 12 bouts. The 30-year-old takes on the 32-year-old Guerrero from Ecuador.   For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter@PremierBoxing, @SHOSports, @RealCFrampton, @WarriorsBoxingProm, @TGBPromotions and @Swanson_Comm become a fan on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.Facebook.com/WarriorsBoxingPromo or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog http://shosportspoundforpound.tumblr.com/.