Rising Star Julian Williams Aims to Remain Undefeated

Saturday, Lub rau hli ntuj 13 at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, ALA.

TSHIAB YORK (Lub rau hli ntuj 5, 2015) – With a shot at a lightweight world title on the line, undefeated ntiaj teb no-kab sab contenders John “Qhov phem” REDK thiab Dejan “Lub Dynamite” Zlaticanin yuav square tawm nyob rau hauv ib tug 12-round eliminator Saturday, Lub rau hli ntuj 13, nyob rau hauv lub ntsiab kev tshwm sim ntawm Showtime BOXING rau Sho huab^® (7 p.m. THIAB/PT, ncua nyob rau hauv lub sab hnub poob ntug dej hiav txwv) ntawm Bartow Arena nyob rau hauv Birmingham, ALA.

Nyob rau hauv lub co-feature, unbeaten sab saum toj 10-ranked super welterweight Julian “J Pob Zeb” Williams (19-0-1, 11 NQI, 1 ND), ntawm Philadelphia, yuav tsum txwv los ntawm Armenia tus Txom nyem Ovsepyan (14-4, 11 Kos), ntawm Glendale, California., in a ten-round bout. Lub sij hawm tso cai, hard-ntaus teeb heavyweights Ahmed Elbiali (10-0, 9 Kos, 1-1 WSB), ntawm Miami, Fla, thiab Txais tos Zoov (8-4, 7 Kos), ntawm Atlanta, will collide in a swing match.

Tom qab ntawd yav tsaus ntuj, nyob rau hauv lub SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^®ntsiab kev tshwm sim, undefeated WBC Heavyweight World Champion Deontay “Lub Bronze Bomber” Wilder (33-0, 32 Kos), ntawm Tuscaloosa, ALA., will make the first defense of his title when he faces Eric “Nruas Tub” Molina (23-2, 17 Kos), ntawm Raymondville, Texas, nyob rau SHOWTIME^® (9 p.m. THIAB/6 p.m. PT).

Tus khiav ntawm Redkach (18-0, 1 ND, 14 Kos), ntawm Los Angeles, thiab Zlaticanin (16-0, 9 Kos), ntawm Montenegro, ua lub yuav tsum tau challenger mus Jorge Linares, the WBC 135-pound world champion who registered a 10^th-round TKO over then-No. 1 contender Kevin Mitchell on May 30. Zlaticanin and Redkach are the second- and third-rated contenders by the WBC at 135 phaus.

Redkach and Zlaticanin are talented southpaws who were both accomplished amateurs in Eastern Europe. REDK, ib tug 2008 Olympic Games alternate for his native Ukraine, is known for his aggressive and relentless style. The 29-year-old is coming off a sixth-round knockout over Yakubu Amidu kawg Jan. 9 rau ShoBox: Tshiab Tiam and has been angling for a title shot in 2015.

“This is the most important fight of my life,” said Redkach, who made ESPN.com’s “Sab saum toj 20 Prospects to Watch” lists in 2012 thiab 2013. “I’ve never trained longer or harder for a fight. Kuv tus kws qhia, Robert Garcia, has me totally prepared and in great shape.

“It’s going to be a good action fight. I’ve watched tapes of [Zlaticanin’s] last two fights so I feel I’m familiar with him. He’s very strong and he throws a lot of punches. I thank him [Zlaticanin] for coming to the United States. I’m honored. But this is a good matchup for me. I want to thank my team for giving me this opportunity. This is another step closer to my dream, the world title. I’m confident in myself. I’m going to put on a great show.”

Dejan (cov lus hais “DAY-han) Zlaticanin (silent “z” – cov lus hais “la-ti-CAH-nin) is making his U.S. thiab 2015 debut. Zlaticanin’s most significant victory of his career came two outings ago when, as a prohibitive underdog, he earned a well-deserved 12-round split decision over hometown favorite Ricky Burns, a former two-division world champion.

The 31-year-old Zlaticanin, who moved training camps to the U.S. for his stateside debut, is an offensive-minded fighter who constantly pressures his opponents, outworks them and wears them down. Zlaticanin, of the Southeastern European country of Montenegro, represents the toughest opponent of Redkach’s career, though he’ll be giving away four inches in height to his opponent.

“I think I will knock Ivan Redkach out,” Zlaticanin said. “I don’t like his behavior. Now that I’m training in America, I think I will be stronger and better than I was before.”

The fast-rising Williams, 25, is making his sixth appearance on SHO EXTREME, more than any other boxer. Ranked in the top ten by multiple sanctioning bodies, the undefeated 154-pounder has won six consecutive fights, four by knockout since a bout with still-unbeaten Hugo Centeno Jr., ended in a fourth-round No Decision in September 2013. Williams was up, 3-0 nyob rau hauv ib ncig tua nkag, when the fight was halted due to an unintentional clash of heads. In his last start he scored one knockdown en route to a shutout 10-round decision over veteran Joey Hernandez rau Plaub Hlis Ntuj 4.

“I’ve seen some tape on my opponent,” Williams hais tias. “He seems to be a really good, solid fighter. I’m expecting a tough fight, and I’m prepared. Kuv npaj txhij.”

The 29-year-old Ovsepyan trains out of the Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles and has campaigned for most of his career in California or Russia. The aggressive-minded Ovsepyan has had difficulty getting fights in the past and this will be his first ring assignment in 13 lub hlis.

“I’ve been training for a whole year now,” nws hais tias. “They kept telling me that I could get a fight at any minute. I was supposed to have a fight in December, but it was canceled.

“I’ve seen Williams fight a couple of times, but it doesn’t matter to me. I don’t even want to know anything about my opponent. I just want to get back in the ring and get a win. I’m hungry and he better not be taking me lightly.”

Nyob rau hauv lub Showtime CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature, undefeated Jose “Lub Sniper” Pedraza(19-0, 12 Kos), ntawm Cidra, Puerto Rico, yuav siv sij hawm nyob rau hauv Andrey Klimov (19-1, 9 Kos), ntawm Klimovski, Russia, nyob rau hauv ib tug 12-rounder rau lub tsis muaj IBF Junior Hnav ntiaj teb Championship.

Brian Custer will host the SHOWTIME EXTREME telecast with Barry Tompkins calling the blow-by-blow at ringside alongside expert analyst Steve Farhood.

Daim pib rau cov kev tshwm sim, uas yog txhawb los ntawm DiBella Lom ze nyob rau hauv lub koom haum nrog Bruno kev tshwm sim Team yog ntawm kev muag khoom tam sim no. Daim pib pib thaum tsuas $25 nrog qhov zoo tshaj plaws rooj nyob rau hauv lub tsev mus rau $200. VIP pob no kuj muaj nyob. Mus yuav daim pib kiv cua yuav tsum mus ntsib alabamatitlefight.com. Daim pib muag ceev ceev thiab ib tug sellout yog xav.

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“Wilder vs. Molina,” ib tug 12-Round sib ntaus rau Wilder tus WBC Heavyweight Championship, yuav siv sij hawm qhov chawSaturday, Lub rau hli ntuj 13, nyob rau hauv Lub Bartow Arena nyob rau hauv Birmingham, ALA. DiBella Lom ze thiab Bruno kev tshwm sim Team tau koom rog coj qhov kev tshwm sim rau Alabama. Nyob rau hauv lub co-ntsiab tshwm sim co-romoted los ntawm DiBella nyob rau hauv lub koom haum nrog Universal Promotions, Jose Pedraza yuav fim Andrey Klimov nyob rau hauv ib tug 12-Round bout rau lub IBF Jr. Hnav lub ntiaj teb no Title. Nws yuav ya nyob rau SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. THIAB/ 6 p.m. PT). Lub telecast kuj yuav muaj nyob rau hauv lus Mev ntawm ob suab programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts yuav tawm hauv TV nyob rau SHOWTIME huab (7 p.m. THIAB/PT, ncua nyob rau hauv lub sab hnub poob ntug dej hiav txwv).

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