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SHOBOX on Showtime Nunes vs. Borquez Santiago vs. Lock
October 21, 2005 Chumash Casino Resort Santa Ynez, California 11:00 PM ET/PT
Agnaldo Nunes
(13-1-1, 7 KOs) vs. Adalberto Borquez
(12-1, 11 KOs)
Mario Santiago
(12-0, 7 KOs) vs. Cornelius "The Master" Lock
(15-2-1, 9 KOs) __________________________________
Return of Agnaldo Nunes and Featherweight Tussle
thrilling "ShoBox: The New Generation" bouts, he will return to "ShoBox" for a 10-round junior lightweight match-up against Adalberto Borquez on Friday, Oct. 21, 2005. In the featherweight co-feature, unbeaten Mario Santiago will trade leather with International Boxing Federation (IBF) No. 15 contender Cornelius Lock in an eight-round war.
SHOWTIME will televise the Gary Shaw Productions doubleheader at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast). The telecast represents the 66th in the popular "ShoBox" series, which debuted on SHOWTIME in July 2001. This marks the fourth time in 2005 that "ShoBox" has been to Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, Calif.
Nunes (13-1-1, seven KOs), of Fairview, N.J. by way Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Isidro Granados fought to a thrilling, eight-round majority draw on "ShoBox" on Oct. 22, 2004, at Chumash. One judge had it 76-74 for Nunes, while the other two scored it 75-apiece. Granados counterpunched effectively while flooring his opponent twice. But, Nunes used his size and technique to control most of the fight to capture the draw.
"I showed tremendous heart by overcoming the knockdowns against Granados," Nunes said. "This time, I intend to dish out more punishment and leave the ring with a victory."
Nunes rebounded from the draw to win four consecutive outings in 2005. In his last start, he scored an impressive third-round TKO over Ivan Alvarez on Aug. 13 in Verona, N.Y., The winner registered two knockdowns with body punches in the round, prompting the referee to halt matters at 1:43.
The once-beaten fighter, who has fought in eight different states and two different countries as a pro, represented Brazil at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics. To this day, Nunes spars with fellow countryman and former 130-pound champion, Acelino Freitas.
Nunes turned pro at age 26 with a four-round decision over Jose Da Silva on June 21, 2002, in San Andre, Brazil.
Borquez (12-1, 11 KOs), of Culiacan, Mexico, made his pro debut at age 19 on Jan. 24, 2003, with a second-round knockout over Marcelino Bojorquez in his hometown.
Aggressive in the ring, Borquez has a good chin and can punch effectively with both hands. His impressive list of sparring partners includes former five-time featherweight world champion Manuel Medina and current World Boxing Council (WBC) interim featherweight champion, Humberto Soto. However, one area where Borquez lacks experience is in fighting a southpaw.
"Nunes will be the first lefthander I have fought," Borquez said. "I have sparred with a southpaw in the gym. Even though this will be a new kind of style, this is a great opportunity for me."
Most recently, Borquez registered a sixth-round TKO over Margarito Lopez in Tijuana, Mexico, on July 15, 2005.
Santiago (12-0, seven KOs), of Ponce, Puerto Rico, captured the Puerto Rico national championship twice, was a member of the Puerto Rican National team and compiled a 45-7 record during a stellar amateur career.
The southpaw made his pro debut at age 22 and recorded an opening-round knockout over Antonio Martinez on April 27, 2001, in Hatillo, Puerto Rico. In his last outing, Santiago tallied a third-round knockout over Filiberto Young on the undercard of the Oct. 8 Showtime Pay-Per-View telecast featuring Jose Luis Castillo and Diego Corrales in Las Vegas.
"When they told me I was going to be on national television, I could not believe it," Santiago said. "My mother and father are going to watch me on SHOWTIME. That has always been my dream. I have got to take advantage of this opportunity. I am so excited. Let's get it on."
Lock (15-2-1, nine KOs), of Detroit, Mich., produced perhaps a career-best performance when he scored a fourth-round TKO over previously undefeated prospect Miguel Munguia (14-0-1 going in) on Dec. 12, 2003, in Laughlin, Nev. Munguia, a former amateur star in Mexico, was dropped in the fourth. He got up, but Lock rocked him with a series of punches, and the referee stopped the fight at 1:01.
In his last fight, "The Master" won a 10-round unanimous decision over Phillip Payne on Aug. 19, 2005, in Las Vegas. Payne pressed forward, but Lock frustrated him with constant movement and was the more accurate puncher. The judges scored the bout 98-92 and 97-93 twice.
Lock is ready for his "ShoBox" debut:
"I heard the guy (Santiago) was undefeated and pretty decent," Lock said. "It does not matter to me because most guys that are undefeated have not fought anybody. They are testing him through me."
Nick Charles will call the action from ringside, with Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst. The executive producer of the telecast is Gordon Hall, with Richard Gaughan producing.
For information on upcoming SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and “ShoBox: The New Generation” telecasts, including complete fighter bios and records, related stories and more, please go the SHOWTIME website at http://www.sho.com/boxing.
- Press Release issued by Showtime's Shobox (with a little editing from us - color, highlights).
(10/18/05)
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