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Unbeaten Welterweight Prospects Juan Ruiz and Malik Hawkins Square Off In Co-Feature; Baltimore’s Glenn Dezurn To Open ShoBox Tripleheader
Nyob rau SHOWTIME® ntawm 10 p.m. THIAB/PT
From The Theater at MGM National Harbor in Maryland
Daim pib Nyob muag khoom Niaj hnub no!
TSHIAB YORK (Lub peb hlis ntuj 21, 2017) – Undefeated former Russian amateur standout Dmitry Bivol will defend his Interim WBA Light Heavyweight Title against Samuel Clarkson Hauv 12-puag ncig lub ntsiab ntawm ShoBox: Tshiab Tiam rau Friday, Plaub Hlis Ntuj 14 nyob rau SHOWTIME (10 p.m. THIAB/PT) at MGM National Harbor in National Harbor, Md., just outside of Washington, D.C.
Known for his aggressive style, Bivol (9-0, 7 Kos, 2-0 WSB) was a prominent amateur who is now determined to make his mark in one of boxing’s toughest weight classes. Clarkson (19-3, 12 Kos), ntawm Cedar Hill, Texas, has won his last nine fights in a row and will make his third appearance on ShoBox.
In a co-featured matchup of undefeated welterweight prospects, former amateur standouts Juan Ruiz (18-0, 11 Kos) thiab Malik Hawkins (10-0, 7 Kos) will square off in an eight-round 147-pound bout.
Hauv kev hu xov tooj cua, Baltimore featherweight Glenn Dezurn (8-0, 6 Kos), who is trained by the renowned Barry Hunter, will take on an opponent to be named in an eight-round bout.
Daim pib rau cov kev tshwm sim, uas yog nce los ntawm Greg Cohen Promotions thiab Banner Promotions nyob rau hauv lub koom haum nrog Lub ntiaj teb no ntawm Boxing thiab Uprising Promotions, yog luv nqi ntawm $103, $73 thiab $48 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com los yog los ntawm tus xov tooj ntawm 800.745.3000.
Dmitry Bivol vs. Samuel Clarkson – 12 Round Light Heavyweight Bout:
Bivol, who compiled an impressive amateur record of 285-15, is looking to break through in a division which features the likes of Adonis Stevenson, Lwm Ward, Sergey Kovalev and Badou Jack. Last May in Moscow, the 26-year-old won the Interim WBA Light Heavyweight Title in only his seventh professional fight with a unanimous decision over previously undefeated Felix Valera.
Bivol has since won twice, both times on Russian soil, including a fourth-round knockout of Robert Berridge in defense of his interim belt.
“I am very glad that this will be my first fight televised in the U.S.,” said Bivol, who is fighting for the third time in America. “It’s great that this is main event because that motivates me. Clarkson is a good defensive fighter. He can be aggressive and I expect this to be a tough fight. I look forward to introducing myself to American fans with a great performance, and I plan to defend my title with an exciting victory.”
Clarkson has registered nine consecutive victories following a loss to the current unbeaten Jesse Hart (21-0). Clarkson moved up in weight to beat Cedric Agnew (27-1) nyob rau hauv Lub ob hlis ntuj 2015, thiab muaj ShoBox knockout wins over Jerry Odom (13-1) nyob rau hauv Lub Xya hli ntuj 2015 and Lavarn Harvell (15-1) nyob rau hauv Lub kaum hli ntuj 2015.
“This is a huge opportunity to prove my abilities to the world,” Clarkson said. “Bivol is a crafty fighter from Russia and had a very impressive amateur career, mostly at 165 phaus. He’s a good fighter and I definitely have to bring my A-game.
“I’m ready for the challenge because I do really well against European fighters. European fighters are slow and come forward a lot, and they’re not big on head movement. We are working hard and have a lot of guys in the gym who fight with a similar style. By fight time I’ll be ready for anything he has.
“I had to make up my mind if I wanted to be the lion or the lamb and, in the end, I decided I don’t like losing. I rededicated myself and now I can’t be stopped.”
Juan Ruiz vs. Malik Hawkins – Eight-Round Welterweight Bout:
The son of a former fighter, Ruiz is originally from Venezuela and fights out of Baja California, Mexico. He lost just eight times in 220 pib xyaum ua fights, was a six-time Venezuela national champion and was part of the Venezuelan National Team. The undefeated Ruiz has won via knockout in seven of his last nine fights.
“This is a golden ticket for me to show what I’m capable of,” Ruiz said. “I will do my best to give the fans watching on TV and those attending the fight the best show possible.”
The 21-year-old Baltimore-resident Hawkins was 92-8 as an amateur and shares the same trainer – Calvin Ford – as stablemate and IBF Junior Lightweight Champion Gervonta Davis. Hawkins, uas yog tus 2012 Bronze Medalist in the Junior Olympics, will face his toughest test to date in fellow undefeated Juan Ruiz.
“This is a huge chance for me to showcase my skills and show I belong among the best in the welterweight division,” Hawkins said. “There’s nothing he can bring I haven’t seen, and I plan on making him fight my fight.
“I get better when I fight talented fighters. Yuav kom ncaj ncees, nobody I have fought so far has brought out the best in me, but I’m hoping that Ruiz does just that. A victory over him would put me in position to fight the opponents I need to fight to take that next step toward becoming a contender.”
Glenn Dezurn vs. TBD – Eight-Round Featherweight Bout:
The undefeated Dezurn, who was a three-sport star athlete in high school, was an amateur standout who compiled an 87-7 record in the unpaid ranks under the tutelage of Barry Hunter. The Baltimore native is married to female boxer and U.S. Olympic alternate Franchon Crews, who fought Claressa Shields in the amateurs and in her pro debut.
Barry Tompkins yuav hu rau ShoBox txiav txim los ntawm ringside nrog Steve Farhood thiab yav tas los lub ntiaj teb champion Raul Marquez pab raws li cov kws muaj txuj tshuaj ntsuam. Lub executive tsim kom yog Gordon Hall nrog Rich Gaughan ua thiab Rick Phillips directing.
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Yog xav paub ntxiv mus xyuas www.sho.com/sports
![]() Having grown up the son of a former undisputed and two-time World Heavyweight Champion, Hasim Rahman Jr., doesn’t mind that the world will be watching from the beginning of his professional boxing career.
“This isn’t new,” explained Rahman. “I’m so used to being who I am and having eyes on me that it would be awkward to not have them. It hasn’t mattered who I was my whole life, or what I did. The world was watching because of who my father is.”
Rahman Jr., uas nws txiv, Hasim “Pob Zeb” Rahman famously knocked out Lennox Lewis in April 2001 to win the WBC and IBF Heavyweight Championships, will make his professional debut against Kansas City’s Brian Imes (1-4, 1 KO) rau Thursday, Lub peb hlis ntuj 23, 2017, at Greg Cohen Promotions’ SUPER BRAWL® III, boxing event at the Skylands Event & Conference Center (ECC) in Randolph, New Jersey.
Presented in association with Rising Promotions and GH3 Promotions (sponsored by David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions), SUPER BRAWL® III will also feature the Bronx, New York’s Halili brothers: power-punching super-welterweight action hero Skender Halili (13-1, 13 Kos) taking on Ecuadorian veteran Eduardo “El Cheíto” Paj (25-25-3, 15 Kos) in the eight-round main event, and undefeated Enver Halili (8-0, 2 Kos) facing Nicaragua’s Ariel Vasquez (13-16-2, 9 Kos) in the six-round welterweight co-main.
Tickets for SUPER BRAWL® III are priced at Golden Ringside $150, Ringside $100 thiab General Nkag $50 and can be purchased by calling the GCP office: 212.851.6425 lossis hauv online ntawm gcpboxing.com.
“My dad is like an advisor,” he continued. “My dad is the only person I know that truly has my best interests at heart. Anybody else I ever dealt with, it always came down to money at the end of the day. My dad never asks me for anything. I know he knows the game and I know that with him on my team, lub ntuj yog qhov txwv.”
25-year-old Rahman is getting a later-than-expected start at his highly-anticipated boxing career. Coming off his successful 100-fight run as an amateur, the buzz was all around the 6′ 3″ 250-lb. fighter, but a fatal car accident in 2012 saw him serving a 2- to 5-year sentence with the Department of Corrections.
Recently released and now ready to go on with life, Rahman says the entire experience changed him for the good. “It was an eye-opener for me. Going through that really changed my career and how I felt as a person, and a son, ib tug txiv, and a husband. It changed me. I am grateful god blessed me to be in this position today.”
Rahman says he doesn’t know much about first opponent Imes, but he and trainer Kenny Ellis are hard at work at Upton Boxing Center in Baltimore.
“Kuv xav tias zoo. I’m really anxious, but the nervousness hasn’t kicked in. It will around fight time. My team says it’s a good fight for me. Being off for two and a half years, I’m looking to get in some rounds.”
Despite the delayed start, Team Rahman has no plan on rushing things.
“I just want to stay busy as I can and learn as much as I can and fight for a world title when I’m ready. I’m not going to rush. There’s no rush. It’s not like I’m going to wait forever. I will fight for the title when I’m ready and I know if it put in the work, I’ll be ready in a about two years. That’s the goal for me. If it takes three or four years, it does. Whatever the case may be. I’ll keep racking up the knockouts until it happens.”
For Rahman, the decision to follow in his famous father’s footsteps was a rational one.
“I’ve always been taught to plan ahead. When I was in middle school, I was really into football. I played tight end, running back and wide receiver. I had dreams. But it dawned on me how many people have the same dream that I do. For instance, there are a million young African American men wanting to go to the NBA every year. 400,000 of them will play high school basketball. 4000 of those will play college. 35 will be drafted. Out of the that 35, tsuas 7 will start. That means there are a million people trying to get 7 cov hauj lwm. And the average career in the NBA is four years. That’s a problem. People have to look at their odds. I did. Yog li ntawd, I said ‘know what? Instead of being in this giant pool of people trying to be the next Ray Lewis. I rarely run across someone who wants to be heavyweight champion of the world,’ so that’s what I decided to do. No father and son duo have ever become heavyweight champions. It’s never been done. For me to be in the position to cement our family name in heavyweight championship history is very motivating and I’m ready to take full advantage of it.”
Signing with Greg Cohen Promotions was an easy decision, according to Rahman, who has known the Jersey-based promoter for most of his life.
“I really want to thank Greg Cohen for the chance he’s given me,” nws hais tias. “I’ve known Greg since I was a kid and he has always believed in me. He has always supported me and kept in contact and followed me. He has a real genuine interest in me. Greg already knows he has the best new heavyweight in the world. I’m really dedicated to making him and my father and the City of Baltimore proud.”
SUPER BRAWL® III will be broadcast, tape-delayed, on Sportsnet New York (SNY). Rau kev sib ntaus hmo ntuj, qhov rooj qhib rau ntawm 6:00 pm thiab qhov kev txiav txim pib ntawm 7:00 pm. The Skylands ECC is located at 792 Lawv 10 West in Randolph, NJ. Xov tooj: 973.328.8600.
Twitter @Skylandsecc @gcpboxing
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