23.07.05 – California State Junior Welterweight Champion Rolando Reyes captured the vacant NABO 135-pound title by scoring an eighth-round TKO over Courtney Burton Friday on “ShoBox: The New Generation.” In the co-feature from the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, Calif., Ahmed Kaddour became the first contestant from the NBC series “The Contender” to return to the ring when he registered an eight-round unanimous decision over Maxell Taylor..
SHOWTIME televised the Gary Shaw Productions doubleheader at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast). The telecast represented the 64th in the popular “ShoBox” series, which debuted on SHOWTIME in July 2001.
Reyes (25-3-2, 16 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif., won his second pro title in as many fights at Chumash by stopping Burton at 2:55 of the eighth round. Reyes sent his opponent face down to the canvas in recording his second knockdown and ending matters early. Controlling the action from the outset, the pride of Oxnard floored Burton for the first time by landing a left-right combination with 10 seconds remaining in the sixth round. Reyes captured the vacant California State junior welterweight crown at Chumash and broke his opponent’s eight-bout unbeaten streak by scoring a ninth-round knockout over Jose Antonio Ojeda April 22, 2005, on “ShoBox.”
Burton (21-4, 11 KOs), of Benton Harbor, Mich., lost for the third time in four fights and dropped his second consecutive “ShoBox” bout at Chumash. In his last outing on Dec. 17, 2004, Burton was ahead on two of the judges’ cards going into the final round of his thrilling “ShoBox” contest against Ebo Elder at Chumash on Dec. 17, 2004. Burton was ahead on two of the judges’ cards going into the final round. Despite boxing with both eyes nearly swollen shut, Elder rallied dramatically to score two knockdowns and retain his NABO lightweight belt. Nearly one year earlier, Burton secured the NABO lightweight championship with a 12-round split decision over Francisco Lorenzo on Dec. 5, 2003, from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
Kaddour (19-2, nine KOs), of Humble, Texas, snapped his two-bout losing streak and won for the first time in a year. Despite the fact that both fighters stood toe-to-toe and exchanged power shots in the action-packed contest, the judges scored it 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74. The capacity crowd booed the decision and cheered as Taylor exited the ring. Kaddour proved to be one of the more popular figures on “The Contender” despite losing consecutive five-round decisions in 2004 at the hands of Ishe Smith (Aug. 24) and Alfonso Gomez (Sept. 15). Born in Lebanon and raised in Denmark, turned pro three months prior to his 19th birthday and won his initial 18 contests.
Taylor (12-2, five KOs), of Fort Bragg, N.C., landed the left hook early and often, but saw his nine-bout winning streak come to an end in his California debut. Taylor captured the West Virginia State light middleweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Alphonso Williams on June 18, 2004.
“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 producer of the telecast was 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.