Unbeaten middleweight champion Jermall Charlo and middleweight contender Brandon Adams both made the 160-pound weight limit a day before they square off Saturday night in the main event live on SHOWTIME from NRG Arena in Houston in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features hard-hitting super welterweight Erickson “Hammer’’ Lubin taking on French contender Zakaria Attou in a 12-round WBC title elimination bout in the co-main event. Opening the telecast is slick Mexican southpaw Eduardo Ramirez facing power-punching Dominican Claudio Marrero in a 12-round featherweight bout.
An industry leading production team and announce crew will deliver all the sights, sounds and drama from NRG Arena in Houston. Veteran broadcaster Brian Custer will host the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast while versatile combat sportscaster Mauro Ranallo will call the action ringside alongside Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and former two-division world champion Paulie Malignaggi. Three Hall of Famers will round out the SHOWTIME telecast team – Emmy® award winning reporter Jim Gray, unofficial ringside scorer Steve Farhood and world-renowned ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. The Executive Producer of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is David Dinkins Jr. and the Director is Bob Dunphy.
The telecast will be available in Spanish via Secondary Audio Programing (SAP) with Alejandro Luna and former world champion Raul Marquez calling the action.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Lions Only Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased through Ticketmaster. Charlo vs. Adams is promoted in association with Banner Promotions and The Tournament of Contenders.
OFFICIAL WEIGHTS
WBC Middleweight World Championship – 12 Rounds
Jermall Charlo – 159 ½ pounds
Brandon Adams – 160 pounds
Referee: Laurence Cole; Judges: Don Griffin (Texas), Steve Morrow (Calif.), David Sutherland (Okla.)
WBC Super Welterweight Title Eliminator – 12 Rounds
Erickson Lubin – 153 ¾ pounds
Zakaria Attou – 153 ¾ pounds
Referee: Jon Schorle; Judges: Jesse Reyes (Texas), Mike Ross (Florida), Cory Santos (Nevada)
Featherweight Attraction – 12 Rounds
Eduardo Ramirez – 125 ½ pounds
Claudio Marrero – 125 ½ pounds
Referee: Rafael Ramos; Judges: Ruben Carrion (Texas), Glen Crocker (Texas), James Green (Texas)
FINAL QUOTES
Jermall Charlo
“I’m proud of the people of Houston for coming out and supporting me. I expect this to be a show. I’m going to give it my all. I’m going in there to defend my life.”
Brandon Adams
“I expect Charlo to come out and be his best because I’m bringing the absolute best Brandon ‘The Cannon’ Adams. I’m willing to dig deep. I’ve had a lot of time off to figure out who I am as a person. I had a three-year layoff and everybody thought that was going to be my downfall but it was actually my biggest upcoming. I’m looking forward to this challenge.”
SHOWTIME ANNOUNCERS WEIGH-IN ON THE MAIN-EVENT MATCHUP: CHARLO VS. ADAMS
Mauro Ranallo: “It always adds more energy when a champion gets to defend his title in front of his hometown crowd. Jermall Charlo has some of the most devastating power in the division. Brandon Adams is a guy that is going to give it all he has. We’ve seen his heart and he’s never going to stop coming at you and as an underdog, that’s all we can ask for.”
Paulie Malignaggi: “Jermall Charlo stands out as among the elite in the division and we have a hungry contender in Brandon Adams who is confident coming off a victory in THE CONTENDER. Charlo is a big step-up from anybody he has faced so I am looking forward to seeing whether Adams has what it takes to test Jermall Charlo. Adams has to make Charlo think and put him in situations where he has to work a little bit harder than he expects to in order to have a chance to win.”
Steve Farhood: “Brandon Adams is a short middleweight and has huge legs. Style-wise he has to attack, that could play right into Jermall Charlo hands because Jermall has tremendous power and a very good jab. So style-wise, I give the edge to Charlo. Adams will have to bring it every round and you know what, he deserves this chance. He won on THE CONTENDER and he wasn’t supposed to. He hadn’t fought in three years. It’s a feel-good story.”