Mitchell and Tackie Rumble for Shot at Tszyu

17.04 - Former WBA super lightweight champion SHARMBA MITCHELL returns for his third consecutive appearance against a top-10 contender within a six-month span, when he faces former world title challenger BEN TACKIE, in a 12-round IBF jr. welterweight title elimination bout, Saturday, May 17, at The City Center Pavilion (55 East 4th St.) in Reno, NV. The winner of the Mitchell-Tackie fight, which will be televised as the main event on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing, becomes the IBF's No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger to the undisputed world jr. welterweight champion, Kostya Tszyu.

The co-main event will feature undefeated world-rated super middleweight contender, JEFF LACY, defending his WBC Continental Americas and USBA titles, against ANWAR OSHANA. The Lacy-Oshana title bout will open the SHOWTIME broadcast at 10 P.M. EDT / 10 P.M. PDT.

The four main event fighters have a combined record of 111-8 (68 KOs) - a winning percentage exceeding 93%! Over 61% of those victories were by KO!

The event will be promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, in association with Budweiser, the Silver Legacy Resort Casino, Harrah's Reno, Circus Circus Hotel & Casino and the Eldorado Hotel Casino.

Mitchell, 51-3 (30 KOs), from Takoma Park, MD, ended his five-year, nine-bout knockout drought by stopping No. 10-rated Carlos Vilches in the fourth round of their January 25 IBF elimination bout which advanced Mitchell to No. 2 in the IBF ratings. He is also rated No. 2 by the WBA. That fight was preceded by a majority decision victory over former IBF jr. welterweight champion Vince Phillips, November 9, in a battle of former world champions and current top-10 contenders. Mitchell blew Phillips away with his speed and combinations.

Mitchell captured the WBA super lightweight title in 1998, defeating the defending champion Khalid Rahilou in France, via a dominating unanimous decision. Mitchell held the title for over two years, successfully defending it four times, before losing it in a unification bout against WBC champion Tszyu in 2001. Mitchell more than held his own against Tszyu, who literally threw or wrestled Mitchell down several times throughout the fight, resulting in a partial tear of the lateral collateral ligament in Mitchell's left knee as well as a hamstring injury. Mitchell's trainer, Marvin Sims, told referee Joe Cortez that Mitchell could not continue.

"I was fighting on one leg for most of the fight," said Mitchell. "When I returned to my corner after the seventh round, my left knee was numb. That is when Marvin called the fight. I know I would have beaten him if he had not injured my leg. We have unfinished business. I want a rematch. I want to prove who the better man really is."

Since having the ligament surgically repaired, Mitchell began his comeback, winning 10-round unanimous decisions over Bernard Harris and Frank Houghtaling, March 28, 2002 and July 2, 2002, respectively, followed by his victories over Phillips last November and Vilches in January.

Tackie, 24-3 (15 KOs), a cousin of the legendary Azumah Nelson, hails from Ghana. After capturing the African lightweight title, he made his U.S. debut in 1997. Tackie's resume reads like a boxing version of "who's who," boasting victories over former world champions Robert Garcia and Freddie Pendleton, and top contenders Teddy Reid, Edwin Santana and Louie Leija. Tackie captured the NABF super lightweight title, winning an exciting 12-round decision over Ray Oliveira in 2002, a fight that saw the combatants throw an incredible 2,729 punches - the third most ever recorded by CompuBox. This will be Tackie's first fight since losing a unanimous decision to Tszyu last year for the undisputed world jr. welterweight title.

"Left Hook" Lacy, 13-0 (11 KOs), from Tampa, FL, returns to the ring on the heels of his two most impressive victories as a professional. He stepped up in class of opposition to win a 12-round unanimous decision over WBC Continental Americas super middleweight champion and former world title challenger Ross Thompson, 25-6-1 (17 KOs), November 9, 2002. Lacy followed that with a second round knockout of James Crawford, 37-3-2 (16 KOs), to capture the vacant USBA title.

Lacy, a former U.S. National Amateur champion earned a spot on the 2000 U.S. Olympic teams with an amateur record of 209-12. In the Olympic Trials, Lacy went undefeated, outscoring his opponents by the combined margin of 62-23. He followed that with a Gold Medal at the Olympic Box-Offs., earning him U.S. Olympian status. Following the Olympics, where he reached the third round, Lacy made his pro debut, February 2, 2001, knocking out Jerald Lowe in the first round. The lethal punch was a left hook to the body. Not bad for a pro debut that had to be postponed from January 31, 2001, when the scheduled opponent, Kevin Butts, pulled out of the bout the morning of the fight - despite having his purse TRIPLED! - rather than face this heralded Olympic bomber. Known for a great left hook, and superior hand speed and power punching, the "Lacy Express" is steaming toward a long and promising boxing future.

Oshana, 23-2 (13 KOs), hails from Chicago. A favorite among the Chicago fight fans, Oshana captured the Illinois State super middleweight title, winning a 12-round decision over Patrick Swann in 1997. In his only title defense, he won a 12-round decision over previously undefeated Bruce Rumbolz later that same tear. Oshana has won three of his last five bouts, including his last two. His only losses have been to Thomas Tate and Omar Sheika.

Tickets are priced at $75, $60, $40, and $25 and can be purchased by calling 1-888-288-1833; or through the following casinos: Circus Circus Hotel & Casino (Main Cage), Silver Legacy Resort Casino (Club Legacy Booth), Harrah's Reno (Box Office), and he Eldorado Hotel Casino (Showroom Box Office.)