MCCLINE SCORES 10TH-ROUND TKO OVER PREVIOUSLY UNBEATEN BOSWELL

Photo: Tom Casino/Showtime

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 3, 2003) – In a precede to the important heavyweight showdown between Evander Holyfield and James Toney on Saturday, Oct. 4, on SHOWTIME Pay Per View, former world title challenger Jameel McCline rallied to register a 10th-round TKO over previously unbeaten Cedric Boswell Friday on “ShoBox: The New Generation” on SHOWTIME. In the co-feature, undefeated Daniel “The Haitian Sensation” Edouard handed Miguel Espino his first loss with a hard-fought, 10-round majority decision. The doubleheader at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino was promoted by Goossen Tutor. The special Friday primetime telecast, which aired at 9 p.m. ET/PT, was the 35th in a series of “ShoBox” telecasts that began on July 21, 2001.

McCline (30-3-3, 18 KOs), of Port Jefferson, N.J., was trailing on all the scorecards when the bout was stopped at 2:07 of the final round. A former World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental Americas heavyweight champion, McCline turned the fight around with a solid right uppercut to the chin late in the ninth round. A rejuvenated McCline came out quickly in the 10th and decked Boswell with a vicious four-punch combination. McCline lost his lone world title appearance on Dec. 7, 2002, when his corner stopped the bout against then-WBO champ Wladimir Klitschko following the 10th round. In his lone 2003 outing, McCline scored a third-round TKO over Charles Shufford on May 9 in Atlantic City.

Boswell (21-1, 16 KOs) of Atlanta, by way of Detroit, was ahead by the scores 86-85 twice and 87-84 after nine completed rounds. Boswell, who was taking his first significant step up in class, did a good job of outboxing McCline, but never seemed to recover from the shot he absorbed late in the ninth. After going down, Boswell attempted to stay away, but his legs were gone and he was out of gas. The loss was the first in six starts for Boswell since he returned to the ring following a two-and-one-half-year layoff due to promotional problems. He had won three by knockout entering the bout.

Edouard (14-0, 7 KOs), of Babylon, N.Y., won a fight with excellent back-and-forth action but no knockdowns by the scores 96-94 twice and 95-95. In a career-best performance, the strong, crowd-pleasing 22-year-old showed an excellent two-fisted attack, good durability and a solid chin throughout the spirited battle. Edouard, who turned pro on March 22, 2002, went 74-16 in the amateurs and won the 1997 Police Athletic League (PAL) Championship at 178 pounds.

Espino (9-1-1, 3 KOs), of North Hollywood, Calif., by way of Mission Hills, Calif., was steady and consistent as he tried to force the action, but got slightly outworked in the eyes of the judges. An exciting boxer-puncher known for making excellent scraps, Espino, 23, was the United States National Junior Champion at 139 points in 1996 and the U.S. National under-19 champion in 1998.

“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.

Nick Charles called Friday’s action from ringside, with Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst. The executive producers of the telecast were Jay Larkin and Gordon Hall, with Richard Gaughan producing.

Saturday’s Holyfield-Toney 12-round fight is the main event of a SHOWTIME Pay Per View card that begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Goossen Tutor Promotions will present the event, which carries a suggested retail price of $44.95. The top undercard bout is a 12-round IBF title eliminator featuring two of boxing’s most talented fighters, former 130-pound world champions Diego “Chico” Corrales and Joel Casamayor. The once-beaten boxers sport a 66-2 combined record with 49 knockouts. Rounding out the telecast will be a 12-round World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight title fight between champion Cruz Carbajal and WBO No. 2 contender Gerardo Espinoza.

For information on upcoming “ShoBox: The New Generation” and SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecasts, including complete fighter bios, records, related stories and more, please go the SHOWTIME website at http://www.sho.com/boxing.