SHOBOX on Showtime 

Mikkel Kessler  vs. Gusmyl Perdomo

Andre Ward  vs. Shelby Pudwill

September 12, 2009

Pechanga Resort & Casino

Temecula, California

Featured Bouts:

Super Middleweight Bout (10 Rds)

Andre Ward (19-0, 12 KOs) vs. Shelby Pudwill (22-3-1, 9 KOs)

From Denmark:

WBA Super Middleweight Title Bout (12 Rds)

Champion Mikkel Kessler (41-1, 31 KOs) vs. # 1 ranked Gusmyl Perdomo (16-2, 10 KOs)

______________________________________________________________________________

Andre Ward To Face Shelby Pudwill In

Super Middleweight Bout Live On Showtime® 

Multi-Divison World Champion

James "Lights Out" Toney

Added to Sep 12 Event

LOS ANGELES —Undefeated super middleweight Andre “S.O.G.” Ward will share the stage with his first

Super Six World Boxing Classic™ opponent Mikkel “Viking Warrior” Kessler on a special Saturday

primetime edition of ShoBox: The New Generation, on SHOWTIME.

Ward (19-0, 12 KOs) will tangle with Shelby Pudwill (22-3-1, 9 KOs) of McGlauglin, S.D., in a 10-round

super middleweight scrap live from Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 12.

The Ward fight will air immediately following Kessler’s World Boxing Association (WBA) super middleweight

mandatory title defense against No. 1 ranked Gusmyl Perdomo (16-2, 10 KOs) of Turmero, Venezuela,

which will air on same day tape delay from MCH Messecenter Herning - Herning, Denmark and be shown live

at Pechanga.

“There was no way we were going to allow Mikkel Kessler to have a showcase fight preceding his Super Six

showdown with Andre, and not have the viewers on SHOWTIME and the fans at Pechanga witness our 2004

US Olympic gold medalist in action the same night,” Ward’s promoter Dan Goossen said. “Kessler may be

the champion, but Andre Ward is coming to take that title and making history."

Goossen is referencing the Group Stage 1 matchup of Ward vs. Kessler in the celebrated Super Six World

Boxing Classic, Nov. 21, 2009, live on SHOWTIME. Ward-Kessler promises to be one of the most exciting

fights of the year, pitting Team USA’s only Olympic Games gold medalist from Athens 2004 against Kessler

(41-1, 31 KOs), of Copenhagen, Denmark, an early favorite in the tournament.

In his last fight on Dec. 6, 2008, Pudwill, 34, beat Anthony Osbourne in Mandan, N.D., with an eighth-round

knockout. Inactive in all of 2007, Pudwill suffered a loss in his fight before Osbourne to John Duddy at

Madison Square Garden in 2006.

Pudwill took eight straight wins into the Duddy fight and didn’t lose for almost five years in a time-span that

dated from June 2001 to March 2006.

Sharing the stage with Ward in Temecula will be former two-time Ring Magazine “Fighter of the Year” and

multi-division world champion James “Lights Out” Toney, who will be featured in a scheduled 10-round

heavyweight bout. The 40-year young native of Ann Arbor, MI now living in Sherman Oaks, CA, who doesn’t

know the meaning of the word ‘quit’, either in the ring or out of it, remains steadfast in his belief that he can

become heavyweight champion of the world.

Toney (71-6-3, 43 KO), who won a hard-fought decision against rugged veteran Fres Oquendo in his last ring

appearance back in December, is no stranger to Pechanga. He has turned in three impressive performances

there, including a knockout victory over Jason Robinson (2002) in an IBF Cruiserweight Eliminator; a 12-

round unanimous-decision verdict over Rydell Booker (2004) for the Vacant IBA

Heavyweight Title and a WBC Heavyweight Elimination bout; and had former WBC Heavyweight Champion

Hasim Rahman (2007) out-boxed and in big trouble when “Rock” informed the ringside physician that he

could no longer see out of one eye and a TKO win for Toney was eventually overturned and ruled a “No

Decision.”

“I love fighting and I especially love it at Pechanga,” Toney offered. “None of the Russian chumps who are

posing as champions want to fight me. I am the best heavyweight boxer in the world and I will do whatever it

takes to get one of those titles. But first I am going to kick some a** on September 12.” Goossen, who also

promotes Toney, said: “James believes he will not let another opportunity slip through his fingers again --

even at the age of 40 -- and has recommitted himself to getting into great shape. If in fact he can go into his

bag of tricks and pull out a few good performances, there is no doubt that he will place himself back into the

Heavyweight World Championship picture in 2010. We shall see."
 

- Press Release issued by Goossen Tutor Promotions (www.goossentutor.com)

Subject to change

(8/31/09)