Casamayor Meets Campbell Jan 25 In Temecula On HBO

04.01 - Former World Boxing Association super featherweight champion Joel Casamayor, who's
co-promoted by Cedric Kushner Promotions, faces undefeated and world-ranked Nate Campbell in the lightweight semi-main event on an HBO-televised world championship card Jan. 25 in Temecula, Calif.

Casamayor, now rated No. 1 by both the WBA and the World Boxing Organization at 130 pounds, has a record of 28-1 with 20 knockouts. "Joel has proven over the years that he's, by far, the best junior lightweight in the world," said promoter Cedric Kushner.

"This chance HBO has provided will give Joel the opportunity to prove he's the best lightweight in the world as well," said Kushner.

Said Leon Margules, president of Team Freedom, co-promoter of Casamayor, "Joel is the best 130- and 135-pounder in the world, and he feels he can beat both (Acelino) Freitas (WBA and WBO 130-pound champion) and (Floyd) Mayweather (World Boxing Council 135-pound champ). They may be undefeated, but the fact remains, they have been and still are ducking Joel."

The 31-year-old Casamayor, a southpaw originally from Cuba, is fighting only 36 days after his most recent bout, a fifth-round knockout of Yoni Vargas Dec. 20 in Miami, Fla. Casamayor, who now lives in Miami, has won his past two fights by knockout. Before halting Vargas, Casamayor stopped Juan Arias in the eighth round June 8 in Memphis, Tenn.

Casamayor won the WBA super featherweight championship June 19, 1999, with a 12-round decision over Antonio Hernandez. Casamayor defended successfully six times, besting David Santos, Jong-Kwon Baek, Radford Beasley, Robert Garcia, Edwin Santana and Joe Morales, four of those wins coming by knockout, before being decisioned and dethroned by Freitas Jan. 12 of last year.

Campbell, who ranked No. 6 by the WBC, No. 7 by the International Boxing Federation, No. 9 by the WBA and No. 10 by the WBO, has a record of 23-0 with 21 knockouts and has stopped 12 of his past 13 opponents.

The 10-round lightweight fight is the semi-main event to the WBC welterweight title bout matching champion Vernon Forrest against Ricardo Mayorga.

Cedric Kushner Promotions, one of the world's premiere boxing promotional firms, presents numerous nationally and internationally televised cards each year. During the past 20 years Cedric Kushner Promotions has presented more than 300 world championship bouts on six continents.
Cedric Kushner Promotions features dozens of boxers including, heavyweights David Tua, ranked No.1 by the WBO, and Michael Grant; undefeated and highly regarded welterweight prospect Anthony Thompson; and super featherweight Stevie Forbes, ranked No. 1 by the IBF.