23.06.04 – It will be a battle between the young of the welterweight division at the Chumash Casino Resort in beautiful Santa Ynez, CA., when Gary Shaw Productions, LLC (GSP) presents undefeated welterweight contender, NURHAN SULEYMAN and the battle-tested DAVID ESTRADA in the main event on SHOWTIME’S SHOBox: The New Generation, Thursday, July 15. The broadcast will begin at 11 P.M. EST (Live) / 11 P.M. PST (Tape-Delay). Estrada and Suleyman have a combined record of 30-1 (14 KOs) — a winning percentage exceeding 96%!
The co-main event will be an eight-round welterweight rumble pitting “The African Assassin” MOHAMMED KAYONGO, 10-0 (7 KOs), from Uganda, risking his undefeated record against local favorite JOSE ANTONIO OJEDA, 9-3 (6 KOs), from Santa Maria, CA and enjoying a three-bout winning streak.
Estrada, 16-1 (8 KOs), from Chicago, IL, turned pro at age 20 on Oct. 28, 1999, and registered a four-round decision over Tyrone Handy in Aurora, Ill. Estrada, who is trained by the world-renowned Angelo Dundee, has worked with former world champions Fernando Vargas, Sharmba Mitchell, Andrew “Six Heads” Lewis and Zab Judah, and won several local Chicago titles and the 1998 Texas State Golden Gloves while compiling a 50-10 amateur record. Following a sixth-round TKO over Vincent Harris on November 14, 2002, Estrada closed out his fourth pro campaign the following month by avenging an amateur loss to Joel Salas with an eight-round split decision on Dec. 20. Last year, Estrada extended his winning streak to 15 surviving a series of low blows in a rematch against Harris to score an eight-round shutout decision. He suffered his only professional loss last July –a 10-round decision to undefeated Top-10 contender Ishe Smith. He returns to the ring fresh from a fifth-round knockout victory over Nelson Manchego last month in Miami, FL.
Suleyman, 14-0 (6 KOs), of Houston, TX, is a two-time Turkish Olympian. A native of Kazakhstan, where he earned many Russian Amateur titles, he moved to Turkey shortly before the 1992 Olympics representing Turkey at the Barcelona games. He returned to represent Turkey in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, GA, earning a Silver Medal. No stranger to the winner’s circle, Suleyman is on the verge of breaking through into the Top-10 world ratings. Suleyman has just one problem. He may be TOO GOOD, resulting in the higher-rated contenders to avoid him. He’s no stranger to the winner’s circle with a resume that boasts victories over Sal Lopez and Jose Medina last year and 2004 victories over a pair of undefeated fighters — Jesus Soto-Karass for the vacant WBA FEDECENTRO title in January, and Archak Ter-Meliksetian in April.
The undercard will also feature two rising young stars from the GSP stable in separate bouts — undefeated featherweight MARIO SANTIAGO, 8-0 (5 KOs), from Puerto Rico, and welterweight NICK CASAL, 1-0 (1 KO), from Niagara Falls, NY, fresh from his knockout pro debut!
The Chumash Casino Resort is located in Santa Barbara County, California, between Los Angeles and San Francisco in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley. In its 190,000 square foot facility, the Chumash Casino Resort offers Las Vegas-style gaming, 24-hours seven days a week. Tickets are on sale at the casino and priced from $30 to $70.