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Showtime Championship Boxing - 2004
Copyright 2003 Showtime Boxing
Showtime has announced its boxing schedule for the first quarter of 2004 and it doesn't disappoint!
The first event will take place on January 3rd (11pm PT/ET) when undefeated WBA / WBO super featherweight champion Acelino "Popo" Freitas (34-0, 31 KO's) moves up in weight to take on current undefeated WBO lightweight champion Artur Grigorian (36-0, 21 KO's).
Freitas last fight was in August of this year against Jorge Rodrigo Barrios (39-2-1, 29 KO's) that ended in a 12th round TKO victory for Freitas. Both fighters had gone down twice during the fight and at the time of the stoppage (50 seconds of the 12th), the judges had it a draw. Freitas captured the WBA Super featherweight title with a 12 round unanimous decision win over Joel Casamayor back in January of 2002, and the WBO title back in August of 1999.
Grigorian, nicknamed King Artur, will make his 18th title defense since capturing the title back in April of 1996. His last fight was in January of this year when he won a controversial majority decision over Matt Zegan (29-1, 16 KO's).
The next fight will take place on February 7th (9pm PT/ET). Undisputed Jr. welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu will defend his titles in a rematch against former WBA champion Sharmba Mitchell (52-3, 29 KO's). Tszyu defeated Mitchell for the WBA title back in February of 2001 when Mitchell was unable to continue in the seventh round due to a knee injury. Tszyu's only loss came in 1997 at the hands of K-1 participant Vince Phillips (44-8-1, 32 KO's) by way of 10th round TKO in what was RING magazines upset fight of the year. Since his loss, Tszyu has won 12 in a row including wins over such notables as Julio Cesar Chavez (TKO in six), Zab Judah (TKO in two), and in his last fight (January of this year), Jesse James Leija (TKO in six).
Mitchell defended his WBA title four times before losing it to Tszyu. He has only fought five times since then, winning all five including a majority decision win over Vince Phillips in November of 2002 and a 12 round unanimous decision win over Ben Tackie (24-4, 15 KO's) in May of this year in an IBF Jr. welterweight title eliminator.
"Lights Out" Toney (67-4-2, 43 KO's) going against WBO # 5 heavyweight contender Jameel "Big Time" McCline (30-3-3, 18 KO's) for the NABO heavyweight title.
Toney is coming off a big ninth round TKO win over Evander Holyfield last month (October). Toney looks to be staying in the heavyweight division.
McCline has a first round TKO win over Michael Grant (38-3, 29 KO's) back in 2001 and a 10 round unanimous decision win over Shannon Briggs (39-4-1, 33 KO's) back in 2002. In his last fight, McCline beat Cedric Boswell by 10th round TKO last month (October).
And to conclude the quarter, the final announced fight will take place on March 6th (9pm PT/ET). This event will feature the much anticipated rematch between former super featherweight world champions Joel Casamayor (30-1, 19 KO's) and Diego Corrales (37-2, 31 KO's)..
In their last bout (October, 2003), both of these guys hit the canvas and came back and battled like warriors. Casamayor came out the victor when the doctor stopped the fight because of cuts (among other things) inside the mouth of Corrales even though he wanted to continue.
Casamayor defended his title six times before losing it to Acelino Freitas by unanimous decision back in January of 2002. Since then, he has won his last four, three by TKO including his fight with Corrales.
Corrales has third round TKO wins over Derrick "Smoke" Gainer back in March of 2000 and Angel Manfredy back in September of 2000. His only other loss was at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Jr. back in January of 2001 when his corner threw in the towel in the10th round. He was on a four fight win streak, three by TKO and one by KO before losing to Casamayor.
Showtime is ready to rock the new year.
(11/18/03)
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