12.08.04 – Featherweight phenom Bernard Dunne (13-0, eight KOs) will square off in a 10-round showdown against Adrian Valdez (14-2-3, 6 KOs) Thursday, Aug. 19, on the SHOWTIME boxing series, “ShoBox: The New Generation.” In the 10-round co-feature junior middleweights Matt Vanda and Armando Velardez will wage war. SHOWTIME will televise the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing and Team Freedom co-promoted doubleheader from Aldrich Arena in Maplewood, Minn., at 11 p.m. ET/PT*. The telecast represents the 49th in the popular “ShoBox” series, which debuted on SHOWTIME in July 2001.
“Ben Dunne” as he is known at Freddie Roach’s world famous Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Calif., is a gifted featherweight from Ireland. Born into boxing, Dunne’s father, Brendan, was a member of the 1976 Irish Olympic boxing team and trained his son to be tenacious in the ring.
Following a standout amateur career, Dunne decided to take his skills to the United States to train with Roach.
“Dunne has great ability,” Roach says. “He can punch, he has a good chin, and sees very well in the ring.”
In his professional debut on Dec. 19, 2001, a then-21-year-old Dunne scored a second-round TKO over Rodrigo Ortiz in Oroville, Calif.
Dunne opened 2004 with a six-round decision over Evangelio Perez on March 4 in San Jose, Calif. The following March 27, he won an eight-round decision over Angelo Torres March 27, in Tustin, Calif.
Most recently, Dunne outpointed Pedro Mora across six rounds, July 2, 2004, in Pala, Calif.
“When Ben fought on our card, I was amazed,” said legendary champion Sugar Ray Leonard. “We knew right then that this young man had tremendous skills and the potential to really be something special. When sitting down with Ben after that fight, we learned that he was just as impressive outside of the ring, as he was inside the ring.”
Looking to stop Dunne is Valdez. Valdez fought 15 times as an amateur, winning 12 of those bouts.
Valdez made his professional debut Aug. 27, 1999 against Juan Mendez, and registered a four-round decision in Juarez, Mexico. On March 28, 2003 Valdez got a shot at the WBC Mexican super bantamweight title and tallied a first-round knockout over Sammy Ventura.
In his last outing, Valdez won his third straight outing with a second-round TKO over Geronimo Hernandez in Juarez on Feb. 27, 2004.
The telecast’s opening fight features the pride of St. Paul, Minn., Vanda. Also known as the “Predator,” Vanda had a brief amateur career (14-2) before turning pro at age 17 on March 30, 1996, against Ed Fuller in Kearney, Neb. Vanda disposed of Fuller in the second round. The “Predator” would go on to knock out his next 10 opponents, only one reaching the third round.
Vanda stopped Ron Martinez in the second round of their fight, June 18, 2004, in Maplewood, Minn.
“Boxing is my life, that is all I do,” said Vanda, who stopped Ron Martinez in the second round in his most recent bout on June 18, 2004, in Maplewood, Minn. “I have been doing it for 11 years now and I am just trying to win a world title. That is my dream.”
Velardez went 74-12 in the amateurs and captured several titles, including the local and regional Junior Olympics in 1993, and the Junior Golden Gloves.
Three years after turning pro, Velardez captured his first title, the FECARBOX 154-pound crown, by scoring a sixth-round TKO over Paulino Avitia on July 26, 2002, In Las Vegas.
Velardez is coming off a 10th-round knockout over Miguel Ruiz on April 10, 2004, in San Bernardino, Calif.
Nick Charles will call the action from ringside, with Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst. The executive producer of the telecast is Gordon Hall, with Richard Gaughan producing.
For information on “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