Showtime-Boxing-May-1-2004

Showtime Championship Boxing

Davis vs. Sellers

Masoe vs. Ashira

May 1, 2004

Miami Arena

Miami, Florida

9pm ET \ *PT

Showtime Championship boxing will present two title bouts on May1st. First, the vacant IBF cruiserweight

title will be up for grabs as the IBF # 1ranked contender, Kelvin Davis, will go up against the IBF 4th

ranked Ezra Sellers. Then, the WBA middleweight title will be on the line when the WBA 4th ranked

Maselino Masoe battles the WBA 5th ranked Evans Ashira.

Kelvin Davis (20-2-1, 15 KO's) won his first 16 bouts in a row, dating back to 1999 before drawing with

David Vedder (23-23-5, 3 KO's) in six in September of 2001. Davis continued his winning ways in his next

two bouts before tasting defeat for the first time in August of 2002 at the hands of Ravea Springs (26-3, 20

KO's) via 10 round unanimous decision. He then rebounded in his next bout in February of 2003 and won by

first round TKO over Rogerio Lobo (32-10, 27 KO's) and captured the vacant IBA Americas cruiserweight

title. But in his next bout three months later, he lost to O'Neil Bell (22-1-1, 21 KO's) via a 11th round TKO for the USBA and NABF cruiserweight titles. And in his last bout, Davis won a split decision in an IBF

cruiserweight title eliminator against Loius Azille (18-3-2, 15 KO's) in October of 2003.

Ezra Sellers (27-5, 24 KO's) is coming into this bout on a three fight win streak. He last bout was in June of

2003 when he defeated Joseph Awinongya (11-7-4, 3 KO's) by an eighth round unanimous decision.

Sellers does have some experience in championship bouts. Sellers won the IBO cruiserweight title back in

November of 2001 with a fourth round TKO of Carl Thompson (32-6, 24 KO's) and lost his bid at the WBO

cruiserweight title in his following bout (April, 2002) against current WBO champion Johnny Nelson

(43-12-2, 28 KO's) via an eight round TKO.

I'll give the class edge to Sellers in terms of quality of opponents faced. Sellers jaw does come into question

as all his losses are by knockout or technical knockout. Davis by late round TKO.

Maselino Masoe (25-2, 24 KO's) comes into this middleweight fight having won his last seven bouts in a

row - the last six by knockout. Masoe is the current Pan Asian Boxing Association (PABA) middleweight

champion.

Evans Ashira (23-0, 13 KO's) comes in undefeated, having won his last two bouts by TKO. Ashira is the

current WBA International middleweight champion having won the title back in June of 2001 with an 11th

round TKO of Fredrik Alvarez (40-5, 26 KO's).

Both have power but Masoe has been stopped twice (both inside of 5 rounds). Ashira wins by decision.

Line-up:

IBF Cruiserweight Title Bout (12 Rds) - Vacant

Kelvin Davis (20-2-1, 15 KO's) vs. Ezra Sellers (27-5, 24 KO's)

WBA Middleweight Title Bout (12 Rds) - Vacant

Maselino Masoe (25-2, 24 KO's) vs. Evans Ashira (23-0, 13 KO's)

*taped delayed on West Coast

(4/21/04)