Boxing

 

Hatton vs Smith, Groenewald-Farnell Rematch on Sept 28

20.09 - World Boxing Union (WBU) Junior Welterweight Champion and current World Boxing Organization (WBO) No. 1 contender Ricky “Hitman” Hatton will make his seventh title defense when he takes on once-beaten International Boxing Council (IBC) Junior Welterweight Champion Stephen Smith in a 12-round bout Saturday, September 28, on “ShoBox: The New Generation. In the 12-round co-feature from MEN Arena in Manchester, England, World Boxing Union (WBU) Middleweight Champion Ruben Groenewald will make the first defense of his crown in a rematch against WBO Intercontinental Junior Middleweight Champion Anthony Farnell. SHOWTIME will televise the fight card, promoted by Frank Warren’s Sports Network Europe and representing the 26th in a series of “ShoBox” telecasts, via same-day tape delay at 5 PM ET/PT. The afternoon series debuted July 21, 2001.

Hatton (29-0, 23 KOs), of Manchester, England, captured the British 140-pound title on Oct. 21, 2000, with a 12-round win over Jonathan Thaxton in Wembley, England. In his 2001 debut on March 26, Hatton scored a fourth-round knockout over Tony Pep to add the WBU junior welterweight championship to his resume. Hatton defended the WBU title with knockout victories over Jason Rowland (July 7), John Bailey (Sept. 15), Fred Pendleton (Oct. 27), who he fought in the U.K. debut of “ShoBox: The New Generation.” The undefeated champion closed out 2001 on Dec. 15 with a second-round TKO title defense over Justin Rowsell on “Shobox.” In his last bout on June 1, 2002, Hatton successfully defended his WBU crown for the sixth time with a 12-round unanimous decision over Eamonn Magee on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.

The Manchester native earned his first pro title on May 29, 1999, with a fifth-round TKO over Dillon Carew in Halifax, England, to win the WBO Intercontinental junior welterweight title. Hatton made five successful defenses before capturing his second pro crown, the World Boxing Association (WBA) Intercontinental 140-pound championship, on Sept. 23, 2000.

Smith (31-1, 17 KOs), of Hammersmith, England, gained the IBC junior welterweight title with a 12-round decision over Zoltan Kalocsai on April 10, 2001, in Wembley, England. After closing out 2001 with two successful defenses, Smith opened the 2002 campaign by retaining his crown for a third time with a 12-round win over Rocky Martinez on April 20. After starting out his career with 21 consecutive victories, Smith captured his first pro title, the International Boxing Federation (IBF) International lightweight championship, by scoring a seventh-round TKO over Gary Flear on March 6, 1999, from Southwark, England. Currently sporting a seven-bout winning streak, Smith suffered his lone defeat when Bobby Vanzie stopped the United Kingdom native in the ninth round to win the British Commonwealth lightweight crown on Feb. 21, 2000, in Bethnal Green, England.

Groenewald (18-2-3, 6 KOs), of Brakpan, South Africa, stunned a partisan crowd of more than 18,000 on June 1, 2002, when he earned a unanimous decision over hometown hero Farnell to capture the vacant WBU middleweight title. In his 2002 debut, the native South African won the Masters super middleweight title by registering a 10-round decision over Wayne Asker on Feb. 10 in Southwark, England. Currently riding a nine-fight winning streak, Groenewald won his first pro crown, the African junior middleweight championship, with an 11th-round TKO over Cyprian Emmet on Oct. 24, 2000, in Brakpan. Groenewald, who turned pro at age 18 on March 27, 1996, fought 15 of his first 16 bouts in South Africa. The 24-year-old has taken on his last seven opponents in the United Kingdom, including six in England.

Farnell (29-2, 20 KOs), of Manchester, England, saw a three-fight unbeaten streak end when he lost a close, unanimous decision to Groenewald. Despite scoring two knockdowns and causing cuts above his opponent’s eyes, the judges scored the bout 114-110 and 113-111 twice in favor of Groenewald. Farnell captured the WBO Intercontinental 154-pound title on May 29, 1999, and has made eight successful defenses. In his first WBU title shot, Farnell lost by first-round TKO in a 154-pound bout to Mehrdud Takaloobighashi, aka Takaloo, on July 7, 2001. The loss to Takaloo ended Farnell’s winning streak at 26. Prior to the Groenewald bout, Farnell opened the 2002 campaign with a third-round TKO over Matt Galer on Feb. 9 in Manchester, England.

“ShoBox: The New Generation” features up-and-coming prospects determined to make a mark and eventually fight for a chance at a world title. The best of the new generation of hungry, young boxers will have an opportunity to showcase their talent and heart as they battle each other in competitive fights in front of a national television audience. “ShoBox: The New Generation” is pure, basic boxing, reminiscent of the golden days of the sport.

SHOWTIME televises “ShoBox: The New Generation” at 5 p.m. ET/PT on Saturdays approximately every other week. The telecast will repeat the next day, Sunday, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME and the following Saturday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME TOO.

Nick Charles will call the action from ringside, with Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst. The executive producers of the telecast are Jay Larkin and Gordon Hall, with David Dinkins Jr. producing.

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