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Petrov Replaces Anthony Yigit, Who Was Forced to Withdraw Due to Illness
Undefeated Heavyweight Junior Fa To Face Craig Lewis In Opening Bout Of SHOWTIME Tripleheader
SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION Live At 10 p.m. ET/PT From Deadwood Mountain Grand in Deadwood, South Dakota
NEW YORK (March 6, 2018) – Undefeated 140-pound contender Ivan Baranchyk will now face former world title challenger Petr Petrov this Friday, March 9, in the co-featured bout on SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT from Deadwood Mountain Grand in Deadwood, SD. The contest will be an eliminator for the No. 2 position in the IBF junior welterweight world rankings.
Petrov replaces Anthony Yigit, who has withdrawn due to illness.
Also added to the SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION tripleheader is a heavyweight matchup featuring undefeated prospect Junior Fa taking on once-beaten Craig Lewis in an eight-round bout to open up the telecast at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
In the previously announced 12-round main event, undefeated 140-pound contender Regis Prograis will face former unified world champion Julius Indongo for the Interim WBC Super Lightweight World Championship.
“Baranchyk and Petrov are both known for their all-action styles and are never in a bad fight. It is a tremendous addition to this card and I’m thrilled we were able to put the bout together on short notice. The fact that Petr was training for another fight once again made it possible to create a superior fight under difficult circumstances,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “New Zealand heavyweight prospect Junior Fa made a huge statement in his last appearance on SHOWTIME and he’ll look to keep that momentum going this Friday at Deadwood Mountain Grand against the tough Craig Lewis. Boxing fans will remember Fa’s two amateur victories against Joseph Parker, who will attempt to unify heavyweight title belts against Anthony Joshua on SHOWTIME on March 31.”
Sporting a record of 38-5-2 with 19 KOs, the 34-year-old Petrov, of Ryazan, Russia, and based in Madrid, Spain, will look to bounce back into the win column following a hotly contested 12-round decision loss to WBO Lightweight World Champion Terry Flanagan on April 8, 2017, in Manchester, England. Prior to the loss to Flanagan, Petrov was on a six-bout winning streak, including victories over Michael Perez, Marvin Quintero and Gamalial Diaz. Over the last 10 years, Petrov’s only other losses have come against world champions Marcos Maidana and Dejan Zlaticanin.
The Baranchyk (16-0, 10 KOs) vs. Petrov bout is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, in association with Fight Promotions Inc., Holden Productions, Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing.
The 28-year-old Fa made an astounding statement in his U.S. network debut, stopping Fred Latham in the first round on November 10, 2017, in Cleveland on ShoBox: The New Generation. Prior to turning professional, the New Zealand native defeated current WBO Heavyweight World Champion Joseph Parker twice in the amateurs.
Fighting out of Detroit, Mich., Lewis (14-1-1, 8 KOs) returns to battle following a second-round knockout of Galen Brown on August 12, 2017. He was undefeated through the first 15 fights of his professional career and was the 2014 National Golden Gloves Bronze Medalist at heavyweight.
The event is presented by DiBella Entertainment. Tickets, priced at $200, $80 and $60, are on sale now, and can be purchased on Ticketmaster.com or by calling (877) 907-4726. The doors open and first bout begins at 5:30 p.m. More information on the Deadwood Mountain Grand can be found on their website at www.DeadwoodMountainGrand.com.
Vargas Replaces Injured Omar Figueroa for Broner Showdown
Undefeated Former Champion Jermall Charlo Battles
Once-Beaten Hugo Centeno Jr. for Interim
160-Pound World Championship
&
Former Champions Gervonta Davis and Jesus Cuellar
Square-Off in a 130-Pound World Championship Bout
Tickets on Sale Wednesday, March 7 at 10 a.m. ET!
BROOKLYN (March 5, 2018) – Four-division champion Adrien Broner will battle former welterweight world champion Jessie Vargas in the 12-round main event of a SHOWTIME tripleheader on Saturday, April 21 in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.
Former champion Omar Figueroa suffered a shoulder injury in training that forced him to withdraw from his previously scheduled showdown against Broner.
Undefeated former world champion Jermall Charlo clashes with once-beaten Hugo Centeno, Jr. for the interim 160-pound world title in the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature. Also featured on the telecast, which begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, are former champions Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Jesus Cuellar as they square off for the WBA 130-pound Super World Championship.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, DiBella Entertainment and TGB Promotions, start at at $50, go on sale Wednesday, March 7 at 10 a.m. ET, and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center starting Thursday, March 8 at noon. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.
“The April 21 card features Adrien Broner, Jermall Charlo and Gervonta Davis – three of boxing’s “must-see” attractions – in highly competitive matchups against top contenders,” said Stephen Espinoza, President, Sports & Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “Adrien Broner is once again proving that he’s willing to take on the toughest available opponent in consensus top-10 welterweight Jessie Vargas. Hugo Centeno Jr. represents another tough challenge for knockout artist Jermall Charlo as he continues his quest to become a two-division champion. Gervonta Davis vs. Jesus Cuellar is another great matchup, with two power-punchers facing off for the 130-pound world title.”
Broner (33-3, 24 KOs) is one of the most gifted boxers in the sport, having won world titles in four different weight classes by the age of 28. The Cincinnati, Ohio native has won championships at 130, 135, 140 and 147 pounds while facing top competition across the various divisions. In his last fight, Broner lost a unanimous decision to Mikey Garcia on July 29 at Barclays Center after previously defeating Adrian Granados earlier last year.
“I’m feeling really good and I’m excited that this is an even bigger fight than Figueroa,” said Broner. “I had to switch up some sparring partners but everything is going great in camp. We’re fighting at 144 pounds, so he’ll have a slight weight advantage, but it won’t matter. I’m going to be in great shape for this fight. Coach Kevin Cunningham is my head coach for this camp, but I did not fire Mike Stafford. I just added to my camp, because I needed the help. I know what I have to do at the end of the day to get back on top where I belong.”
Vargas (28-2, 10 KOs), a 28-year-old former welterweight champion who was born in Los Angeles and now lives in Las Vegas, is always up for a challenge. His only two losses have come in welterweight title matches against pound-for-pound greats. He lost a controversial fight to Timothy Bradley, Jr. and dropped a unanimous decision Manny Pacquiao in a world title defense. Vargas won the welterweight title with a TKO victory over Sadam Ali in 2016 prior to the Pacquiao fight. Vargas is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Aaron Herrera in December as he works toward another world title opportunity.
“This is a fight that should garner a lot of attention from boxing fans and they deserve a fight like this,” said Vargas. “We are two entertaining fighters who come in and give it their all. This is a fight that will have a lot of fireworks. I respect Broner and his skills, but he’s very beatable. The fight was presented to me and I didn’t think twice about taking it.. We as fighters and entertainers have to give the fans what they want. We had a fantastic fight on Saturday in Brooklyn and we’ll have another one in April. I will have my hand raised and let everyone know I’m still a danger to anyone I face.”
Charlo (26-0, 20 KOs) won his super welterweight title with a dominant knockout of Cornelius Bundrage in 2015 and eventually achieved the distinction of holding a world title in the same weight class (154 pounds) as his twin brother after Jermell won a title in 2016. After successfully defending his 154-pound title three times, Charlo of Houston, Texas, made the move to 160 pounds with the goal of becoming a d-division world champion. In his debut at 160-pounds, the 27-year-old scored a TKO victory over Jorge Sebastian Heiland at Barclays Center on July 29. Charlo vs. Centeno was originally scheduled for March 3 before being rescheduled due to a rib injury suffered by Centeno.
“I really love fighting in Brooklyn and at Barclays Center,” said Charlo. “The fans in Brooklyn always show me a lot of love. Since my last fight I’ve had a chance to work on my patience and work on improvements to my game. Before the injury to Centeno, I was having the best camp of my life. I’ve got the same feeling that I had before I won my first world title. I want to be a champion at 160 more than I did the first time at 154. Centeno is a tough fighter. He’ll be a hard test but he’s someone who isn’t at my level. I’m not taking anything away from him. But he’s just another fighter that’s in my way.”
The 26-year-old Centeno (26-1, 14 KOs) caught everyone’s attention when he scored a stunning knockout of Immanuwel Aleem in his last fight on Aug. 25. It was enough to springboard Centeno into middleweight title contention. Centeno of Oxnard, Calif., successfully rebounded from a tough TKO loss to Maiej Sulecki on June 18, 2016 with a victory over Ronald Montes before his match against Aleem. Centeno expects to be 100 percent healed and ready for the challenge by fight night.
“I’m excited for the opportunity,” said Centeno. “I was really devastated when we had to reschedule the fight, but I know I have to be 100 percent for this challenge. I think my last outing had a lot to do with me getting this fight. It helped to put me in this position. Charlo is a great fighter with a lot of talent. I feel like we have similar statures. It’s going to be an interesting fight. I think it’s going to come down to who is the smarter fighter that night and who has more left in the tank toward the end. This is a life-changing, career-changing fight for me that could lead to bigger and better things. I’m coming to win.”
Davis (19-0, 18 KOs) is a proof that dynamite can come in a 130-pound package. The 23-year-old, of Baltimore, fought three times last year and ended all of his fights by stoppage. He won the 130-pound world title with a TKO victory over Jose Pedraza in a star-making performance at Barclays Center on Jan. 14, 2017. He traveled to London for his first title defense and stopped Liam Walsh by TKO on his home turf to retain the title on May 21, and most recently scored a knockout victory over Francisco Fonseca on Aug. 26 on the Mayweather vs. McGregor PPV undercard. Davis look to recapture a title in the 130-pound division after failing to make weight prior to the Fonseca fight.
“I’m the most exciting and skilled fighter on television and in 2018 I plan to show it,” said Davis. “On April 21 I’ll be back in the ring, live on SHOWTIME. Jesus Cuellar is arguably my toughest opponent to date. He is rough and tough, but I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’m more than happy to be fighting at Barclays Center where I won my first world title. Brooklyn is very close to Baltimore, so all of my people will be there to witness me become a world champion again.”
Cuellar (28-2, 21 KOs) is seeking to win a world title in a second weight class when he takes on Davis. A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, the 31-year-old Cuellar won a featherweight world title with a TKO victory against Vic Darchinyan on June 6, 2015. Six months later he made a successful defense by winning a unanimous decision against Jonathan Oquendo before losing the belt to Abner Mares by split decision on December 10, 2016.
“The time I’ve had off since the Mares fight has refreshed me for this new opportunity,” said Cuellar. “It took a lot out of my body to make 126 pounds for all of those years. Now I feel fresher and hungrier than ever before. I’ve been offered fights against lesser opponents in the last year but I’ve preferred to wait a little longer so that I can get a chance to fight the best. Gervonta Davis is one of the best in the world, so he’s the one I want to face and beat. Davis has never faced a fighter like me and he will see me at my very best on April 21.”
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For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @MikeyGarcia, @AdrienBroner, @MayweatherPromo, @LouDiBella, @TGBPromotions, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing, , www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions and www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.
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Debut of BELOW THE BELT with Brendan Schaub features Heavyweight World Champion Deontay Wilder, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® analyst Paulie Malignaggi and Former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar
Available NOW On YouTube And Facebook
WHAT: SHOWTIME Sports released the debut installment of the first-of-its-kind sports talk show BELOW THE BELT,hosted by Brendan Schaub, available now on the Below the Belt YouTube Channel and the Below the Belt Facebook Page. The premiere of the twice-monthly, 30-minute program features a preview of Saturday’s Heavyweight World Championship between Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz with SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING analyst Paulie Malignaggi, as well as an interview with America’s only heavyweight world champion himself, Deontay Wilder. Schaub also interviews former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar ahead of his co-main event bout with Brian Ortega at UFC 222 on Saturday night.
BELOW THE BELT explores the latest news in combat sports and pop culture, with Schaub delivering candid thoughts in his unique and unfiltered style. The multi-platform program, which also includes a weekly podcast and a composite program that airs once per month on SHOWTIME EXTREME, features interviews with the biggest names in combat sports and entertainment, road trips, fight camp visits, sketches, animation and pop-culture spoofs. The next installment of BELOW THE BELT launches March 14, followed by new shows on March 28, April 11, April 18, May 2 and May 16.
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Exploring The Intersection Of Combat Sports And Pop Culture Through The Eyes Of Former Fighter, Comedian And Red Carpet Host Brendan Schaub
Premieres On YouTube And Facebook On Wednesday, February 28
Photo Credit: Stephanie Trapp/SHOWTIME
NEW YORK – February 22, 2018 – SHOWTIME Sports continues to expand its position at the intersection of combat sports and culture with a first-of-its-kind, sports talk show, BELOW THE BELT hosted by Brendan Schaub. The twice-monthly, 30-minute show debuts on Wednesday, February 28 on SHOWTIME Sports digital platforms, days before American heavyweight Deontay Wilder defends his WBC title against Luis Ortiz. The announcement was made today by Stephen Espinoza, President, Sports and Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.
BELOW THE BELT premieres each new show on the Below the Belt YouTube Channel and the Below the Belt Facebook Page. The program explores the latest news in combat sports and pop culture, with Schaub delivering candid thoughts in his unique and unfiltered style. BELOW THE BELT features interviews with the biggest names in combat sports and entertainment, road trips, fight camp visits, sketches, animation and pop-culture spoofs. The initial guest list of combat sports athletes and entertainers scheduled to appear on BELOW THE BELT includes Stone Cold Steve Austin, Paulie Malignaggi and Joe Rogan.
“Brendan brings an edge that resonates with today’s fight fans,” said Espinoza. “He has a fresh voice that is equal parts knowledgeable, funny and opinionated. BELOW THE BELT will complement SHOWTIME Sports programming to a broad audience on our digital platforms.”
This multi-platform program is unique in that it includes a weekly podcast and a composite program that airs once per month on SHOWTIME EXTREME. Following the digital debut on February 28, new shows launch on March 14, March 28, April 11, April 18, May 2 and May 16. The BELOW THE BELT podcast premieres on March 6, and the composite program premieres on March 29 on SHOWTIME EXTREME.
Schaub is a multi-platform entertainer, best known for his career in the UFC and as a personality in podcasting and comedy. Following his successful fighting career, where he was the runner-up of Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights,” Schaub has served as an expert analyst for both ESPN and Spike TV. Schaub currently co-hosts the popular podcast “The Fighter and The Kid” averaging over nine million downloads per month. His “Big Brown Breakdown” podcast, averaging over four million downloads per month, transitions under the BELOW THE BELTfranchise. Parlaying his hosting talent from podcasts to television, Schaub was named a correspondent on “After Party” for the E! Network, and co-hosted this year’s Golden Globes and Grammy Awards after-shows. Schaub is set to reprise his role in the upcoming Academy Awards after-show. Additionally, Schaub performs sold-out live comedy shows across North America, Australia, London and Dublin, including regular solo stand-up sets at the world-famous Comedy Store, Hollywood Improv and The Laugh Factory.
BELOW THE BELT is produced by SHOWTIME Sports with Embassy Row.
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, Xbox One and Samsung. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, DirecTV Now, 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 Earth™ through 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.