10.11.04 – “ShoBox: The New Generation” will now appear on a different night when the SHOWTIME boxing series moves to Fridays beginning Oct. 22, 2004. In the main event, unbeaten Mike Arnaoutis will help fight fans ease into the weekend when he squares off against Jesse Feliciano in a 12-round battle for the vacant NABO junior welterweight title. Opening the telecast will be WBC Latin Americas 130-pound Champion Guadalupe Rosales taking on an opponent to be named in an eight-round junior lightweight rumble.
SHOWTIME will televise the Gary Shaw Productions doubleheader from Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, Calif., at 11 p.m. ET/PT*. The telecast represents the 52nd in the popular “ShoBox” series, which debuted on SHOWTIME in July 2001. This marks the fourth time this year “ShoBox” has been to Chumash Casino Resort.
Arnaoutis (10-0-1, 4 KOs), of Athens, Greece, fought to an electrifying 12-round majority draw against Juan Urango for the vacant NABO junior welterweight crown on “ShoBox” Aug. 5, 2004, from Hollywood, Fla. The judges scored the slugfest 115-113 for Urango and 114-114 (twice).
Despite Urango having landed his powerful cross to Arnaoutis’ face, opening a cut over his opponent’s left eye in the third round. However, the charismatic Arnaoutis moved fluidly through the ring, landed his jab effectively and left the crowd chanting his name at the end of the bout.
Arnaoutis, 25, went 103-7 with 68 knockouts in the amateurs and won numerous Greek titles. He turned pro at age 21 on April 30, 2001, with a four-round decision over Sergiy Dolmatov.
Currently training at the Vineland PAL Boxing Gym in Vineland, N.J., Arnaoutis is a stablemate of promising unbeaten prospects Koba Gogoladze and Ramaz Palyani. The youngsters were recruited by Mike Michael, who brought them to live, train and compete in the United States.
“We have been stepping up the opposition with every fight,’’ Arnaoutis’ manager Gina Iacovou said. “Arnaoutis has performed like a champion every single time. He is a great kid and a great fighter. He has so much fun in the ring that he never wants the fights to end.’’
Feliciano (12-2-2, 7 KOs) of Los Angeles is a volume puncher that frustrates his opponents with punches in bunches. The crowd-pleaser made his professional debut at age 19 on Dec. 1, 2001 with a four-round decision over Juan Montes de Oca in Las Vegas. Since entering the pro ranks, Feliciano’s seven out of 12 wins have come by way knock out.
“All that I know is that I am trying to make each fight as exciting as I can,” Feliciano said. “I am going to try to put on a good show.”
In his last outing and pro title debut, Feliciano took a resounding lead in the sixth round before WBO Junior Welterweight Champion and former sparring partner, Muhammad Abdullaev, rallied for an eighth-round TKO to defend his crown on April 10, 2004, in Las Vegas.
Rosales (11-1, 8 KOs), of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, captured the WBC Latin Americas super featherweight title with an eighth-round TKO over Armando Hernandez on June 19, 2004, in San Luis Potosi. He has successfully defended his title twice, including a third-round TKO in his last outing over Erick Perez on Aug. 20, 2004, in Monterrey, Mexico.
The hard-hitting Mexican opened his pro career three days after his 20th birthday and tallied a fourth-round knockout over Teron Glasgow in Freeport, N.Y. Following six consecutive victories, Rosales suffered his only loss when James Baker registered an eight-round split decision on May 9, 2002.
Rebounding from the setback, Rosales has won his last four contests, including three consecutive knockouts in 2004.
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