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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER-NOVEMBER MONTHS TO REMEMBER ON SHOWTIME |
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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER-NOVEMBER MONTHS TO REMEMBER ON SHOWTIME |
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Following a Sept. 4 world championship doubleheader featuring
title defenses by World Boxing Organization (WBO) Heavyweight Champion Lamon
Brewster and Undisputed Welterweight Champion Cory “The Next Generation’’
Spinks, the network will feature a thrilling tripleheader on Oct. 2, from The
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas which features the return to the ring
of former World Boxing Organization (WBO) heavyweight champion Wladimir
Klitschko plus two more eagerly anticipated world title fights. Making his first start since a shocking upset loss to
Brewster earlier this year, the popular Klitschko (42-3, 39 KOs) will make his
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING debut when he meets North American Boxing
Federation (NABF) Heavyweight Champion DaVarryl Williamson (20-2, 17 KOs) in a
10-round bout. In the world title bouts on Oct. 2, Verno Phillips (38-9-1,
20 KOs) defends his IBF junior middleweight crown against No. 1 IBF contender
Kassim Ouma (19-1-1, 13 KOs) in a highly anticipated rematch and undefeated IBF
No. 4 contender Jeff Lacy (16-0, 13 KOs) gets his first shot at a world title
and tries to become the first 2000 United States Olympian to capture a world
title when he faces IBF No. 1 contender Syd Vanderpool (35-2, 23 KOs) for the
vacant IBF super middleweight belt. On Nov. 6 on SHOWTIME, two of the best pound-for-pound
fighters meet in another likely candidate for fight of the year when Undisputed
Junior Welterweight Champion Kostya Tszyu defends his titles against Sharmba
Mitchell. The long-awaited rematch will take place in the United States, from a
site to be announced in the near future. Tszyu (30-1, 24 KOs) scored a controversial seventh-round TKO
over Mitchell (55-3, 30 KOs) on Feb. 3, 2001, on SHOWTIME. The fight was stopped
when a knee injury forced Mitchell to retire after the seventh round. At the
time of the stoppage, Tszyu was ahead on two of the scorecards, 68-65 and 68-64,
and even on the other, 66-66. “Kostya is 100 percent healthy again and thrilled and very
excited about returning to the ring and fighting Sharmba Mitchell in the United
States,” Vlad Warton, Tszyu’s promoter said. “Kostya has fans all over the
world, but I know he is looking forward to fighting again in the U.S. This is an
excellent opportunity for him to finish what he started against Mitchell 3½
years ago.’’ Tszyu was supposed to defend against Mitchell on Feb. 7,
2004, on SHOWTIME, but the bout was postponed after “The Thunder Down Under”
suffered a shoulder injury in training. This will be his first start since he
retained his International Boxing Federation/World Boxing Association/World
Boxing Council (IBF/WBA/WBC) 140-titles with a sixth-round TKO over Jesse James
Leija on Jan. 19, 2003, in Melbourne, Australia, on SHOWTIME. Mitchell has won eight consecutive bouts since the loss to
Tszyu and is on his best roll ever. The Sept. 4 fight card is promoted by Don King Productions.
The Oct. 2 event will be promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC. Warton’s
Millenium Events, in association with Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, will promote
the Tszyu-Mitchell Nov. 6 rematch.
8-12-2004
Brought to you by Saratogamist
copyright 2001-2004
