Boxing

 

Showtime To Kick Off 2003 With Tszyu vs Leija on January 18

13.09 - One of only three undisputed world champions in boxing, Kostya Tszyu, will make the first start in his adopted homeland of Australia in nearly five years when he defends his World Boxing Council/World Boxing Association/International Boxing Federation (WBC/WBA/IBF) 140-pound titles against former WBC super featherweight titleholder and current WBC No. 3 contender “Jesse” James Leija live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Saturday, January 18, 2003, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Millennium Events Inc., in association with Talentworks, Pty. Ltd, will promote the match from a venue to be determined in either Sydney or Melbourne, Australia.

Tszyu (29-1-1, 23 KOs), of Sydney, Australia, by way of Serov, Russia, stamped himself as the world’s premier 140-pound boxer, and added the IBF belt to his already-glitzy wardrobe with a scintillating second-round TKO over previously undefeated Zab Judah Nov. 3, 2001, on SHOWTIME. In a sensational performance in which he became the first undisputed junior welterweight champion since Paul Fujii in 1968, Tszyu finished Judah off with a single, devastating right hand in the second round.

In his last start, Tszyu retained his titles with an impressive, one-sided 12-round decision over IBF No. 1 contender Ben Tackie May 18, 2002, on SHOWTIME. Tszyu utilized a persistent two-fisted attack to batter the hard-hitting Tackie and triumph by the near-shutout scores of 120-108 twice and 119-109. Tszyu captured the WBA belt on SHOWTIME with a seventh-round TKO over Sharmba Mitchell on Feb. 3, 2001. Nearly one-and-one-half years earlier, Tszyu won the WBC 140-pound title by knocking out Miguel Angel Gonzalez in the 10th round on Aug. 21, 1999. A winner of 11 consecutive bouts, including nine by knockout, Tszyu will be making his 16th world title appearance. Tszyu, who turned pro on March 1, 1992, made his initial six starts in Australia, and 17 out of his first 22. In his last effort Down Under, Tszyu knocked out former world champion Calvin Grove in the first round on April 5, 1998, in Newcastle. Tszyu went 259-11 in the amateurs.

Leija (43-5-2, 1 NC, 17 KOs), of San Antonio, Texas, has fought the world’s best fighters in four weight divisions during a superlative 14-plus-year career. The popular Leija, who defeated Azumah Nelson on May 7, 1994, to capture the WBC 130-pound crown, went 2-1-1 against the future Hall of Famer. Leija has met five other current or former world champions, including Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Gabriel Ruelas, Louie Espinoza and Troy Dorsey. In a highly controversial bout, Leija fought to a no contest against Hector Camacho Jr. on July 7, 2001, when the then-unbeaten Camacho appeared to quit. In his lone 2002 outing, Leija recorded a fifth-round technical decision over Mickey Ward on Jan. 5 in San Antonio, Texas.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING’s Steve Albert and former world champion Bobby Czyz will call the action from ringside. The executive producer of the SHOWTIME telecast is Jay Larkin, with David Dinkins, Jr. producing and Bob Dunphy directing.

For information on upcoming SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and “ShoBox: The New Generation” telecasts, including fighter bios and records, please go the SHOWTIME website at http:// SHO.com.

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