LOS ANGELES, September 20 – Following his exciting 10-round battle with Raymundo Beltran in May in a bout which marked his debut on the hit series ShoBox: The New Generation, NABO Lightweight Champion Sharif “The Lion” Bogere will return to the SHOWTIME® airwaves on Friday, October 7 to defend his title against fellow unbeaten Francisco Contreras at the Dallas Events Center at Texas Station Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. in a rare battle of young, undefeated prospects. Unbeaten Jermell Charlo takes on Francisco Santana in another compelling match-up of prospects on the rise.
“The fans saw what I could do in my last ShoBox fight against Beltran and I promise that they will get more of the same on October 7,” said Bogere. “I am not going to stop punching until I get a world championship and right now, Contreras is in my way.”
“I’d like to thank SHOWTIME and Golden Boy Promotions for this opportunity, and I definitely won’t disappoint them or the fans when I fight Bogere,” said Contreras. “This is the fight I’ve been waiting for, to show the world how I fight on the big stage and it’s going to be a great night for me on October 7th.”
“ShoBox is known for showcasing the top prospects in the sport in competitive fights and this is a prime example of that commitment,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Bogere and Contreras are two of the top rising, unbeaten stars at 135 pounds and everyone is expecting a fight to remember on October 7.”
“This is a main event that I’m looking forward to as much as any this ShoBox season,” said SHOWTIME boxing analyst Steve Farhood. “It will be the speed and quickness of Bogere vs. Contreras’ power. Bogere proved his heart and fighting spirit against Raymundo Beltran in his ShoBox debut and we got a brief glimpse of Contreras on ShoBox in 2010 where he was spectacular. It’s a sensational matchup of undefeated lightweights.”
Bogere vs. Contreras, a 10-round bout for the NABO lightweight championship and Charlo vs. Santana, an eight round junior middleweight bout, are presented by Golden Boy Promotions and will be televised LIVE on ShoBox: The New Generation at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) on SHOWTIME.
Tickets, priced at $25 and $50, go on sale Friday, Sept. 23 at the Texas Station Rewards Center or through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
A native of Uganda who captained his country’s national boxing team, Sharif “The Lion” Bogere (20-0, 12 KO’s) relocated to the United States in 2008 to continue his career as a professional. Known for his aggressive style, knockout power and extravagant ring entrances, he quickly became a favorite in his adopted home of Las Vegas. As he progressed up the lightweight ladder, Bogere defeated tougher competition, including prospects Rodolfo Armenta and Jose Hernandez, as well as veterans Ilido Julio and Shamir Reyes. In May of 2011, the 22-year-old went the 10-round distance for the first time, outlasting the tough Raymundo Beltran to win a unanimous decision and the vacant NABO title. On October 7, he defends that title for the first time.
Like Bogere, the Dominican Republic’s Francisco Contreras (16-0, 13 KO’s) was a stellar amateur, compiling a reported 350 wins while earning a place on the Dominican Republic National Team. In 2007, he turned professional in his home country and proved to be too much for the local competition, going 7-0 with seven knockouts. In September of 2008, he won his first professional title, the WBC CABOFE belt and then began competing in the United States. His string of excellence has not stopped, as he has compiled four first round knockout wins to increase his record to 8-0 in the United States. In his last bout on March 18, 2011, Contreras decisioned veteran Adolfo Landeros and he’s looking forward to keeping his “0” intact while capturing the NABO title in his Las Vegas debut in October.
21-year old junior middleweight phenom Jermell Charlo (15-0, 7 KO’s) has been on the radar of boxing fans ever since his teenage years as a stellar amateur in Houston, Texas. Now 15 fights into his professional career, the anticipation for Charlo’s fights has grown even higher. In November of 2010, Charlo made a huge statement with his near shutout victory over previously unbeaten prospect Luis Grajeda, and after defeating Larry Smith in his most recent bout in June, he will look to take out another up and comer in Francisco Santana.
Fighting out of Santa Barbara, Calif., Francisco Santana (12-2-1, 6 KO’s) earned his reputation as a rising star on the always competitive California fight scene where he has consistently tested himself against solid competition. A professional since 2005, the 25-year-old owns a 2009 win over 7-0-1 Antonio Johnson and in 2011, he stopped Adan Leal in a single round and drew with 6-0 Julian Williams. The next “0” he wants to rtarnish is that of highly touted Jermell Charlo.
A full slate of undercard bouts will be announced shortly.
The New Ray Robinson
Ray Robinson, not the original Sugar Ray Robinson but the New Ray Robinson, carries the name of an all-time great. At heart, though, he’s simply a down-to-earth guy trying to make his own way in the world.
I asked the New Ray Robinson to talk about himself, but the first thing he wanted to do was let me know he has six other siblings. He mentioned nothing of the hardships he endured growing up. He said his mother is his “Rock” — the source of his mental strength and drive! He idolizes her. She dealt with adversity raising seven kids on her own but managed to keep them together.
Robinson spoke about Howard “Moses” Mosley, his trainer and, in Robinson’s words, his “father”. He said Mosley–regarded as one of the best trainers in Philadelphia–would pick him up every day and take him to the gym along with other kids. Robinson said Mosley helped him and so many other kids that he lost count. There is true respect between these two. Adversity and sacrifice have welded them together for life.
I remember my first time meeting the duo—they seemed inseparable. You could tell by looking at Robinson and Mosley that they had been working together for a long time and Robinson looked up to his trainer.
As an amateur, Robinson won the Junior Olympics and Silver Gloves. He was the member of the US Boxing Team. He lived at Marquette University in Michigan, where he attended school. He boxed in Italy, Russia, Turkey and Canada on Team USA.
His professional record (11-2, 4 K0s) is impressive, especially considering the stiff competition he has faced. Robinson is not afraid to take risks. He will fight anyone at any time. The tall southpaw is coming off of a 14-month layoff and is ready to get his feet wet again.
In an era when undefeated fighters are maneuvered through the rankings, Robinson has taken the tough fights that others do not. His opponents include Eberto Medina, Darnell Jiles, Brad Solomon and Shawn Porter. Robinson has fought on television a few times and has never disappointed his fans, regardless of the outcome.
When you see him fight, watch every move he makes. He knows angles and has solutions for almost anything his opponents bring to the ring.
Outside the ring, Robinson married his girlfriend of six years, Angie, a native of Detroit. She believes in Robinson and she moved to Philadelphia to support him and start their family. They have a 3-year-old daughter named Mya. Robinson has a father-daughter connection that is stronger than any other relationship in his life. His daughter comes first!
Robinson trains at the Joe Hand Boxing Gym on North 3rd Street. Previously, he worked out of the Front Street gym in Kensington, where I first saw the connection between father and daughter. He would ride the bus to the gym with his daughter, her stroller, the baby bag and his boxing bag and he would carry her up the steps of the gym and take care of her while he was training. She is not only his motivation, but also his world.
Robinson is one of the nicest guys you could meet–until you get him in the ring on fight night. Then he becomes a different person. His never loses focus. He sticks to boxing basics, starting every combination with the jab. It seems like once fighters get to have 10 fights, they focus on a television shot. Not Robinson! He is focused on solely on fighting at home again for the second time in his professional career. He wants to build a relationship with Philadelphia fans and continue fighting in the area.
The author is a senior in sport and recreation management at Temple University. She recently joined Peltz Boxing. Follow Peltz Boxing on twitter @PeltzBoxing and BAM @bamonboxing.
Weights: Andrade vs. Duran
WEIGHTS FROM MANCHESTER, NH
OFFICIAL WEIGHTS:
10 Rounds –Light Middleweights
Demetrius Andrade (14-0, 9 KOs), Providence, RI 156.2 LBS.
Sail Duran (38-18-2, 31 KOs), Cuidad Juarez, Chichuahua, Mexico 157.0 LBS.
6 Rounds –Middleweights
Jose Medina (14-9-1, 6 KOs), Tilton, NH 161.6 LBS.
Anibel Acevedo (13-7-1, 11 KOs), San Juan Puerto Rico 162.6 LBS.
6 Rounds –Light Welterweights
Danny O’Connor (14-1, 3 KOs), Framingham, MA 144.8 LBS.
Jamal Del Cid (7-5, 3 KOs), Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico 145.4 LBS.
4 Rounds – Featherweights
Dan Powers (3-0, 2 KOs), Claremont, NH 120.8 LBS.
Luis Rosario (4-15, 2 KOs), Springfield, MA 129.6 LBS.
4 Rounds –Welterweights
Chris Gilbert (1-0, 1 KO), Windsor, VT 151.2 LBS.
Noel Garcia (2-11-1, 1KO), Springfield, MA 147.4 LBS.
WHAT: “Fight To Educate” professional boxing show
WHEN: Wednesday, September 21, 2011
WHERE: Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH
TICKETS: $50.00 and $25.00 (general admission) and available to purchase by going online at www.ticketmaster.com, calling Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000, or at the Verizon Wireless Arena Box Office or any Ticketmaster location.
Table tickets for a night of professional boxing and Black Tie dinner, as well as an auction and meet-and-greet with special boxing legends such as former world heavyweight title challenger “Gentleman” Gerry Cooney, as well as world champions and three of New England’s all-time greatest boxers – Vinny “The Pazmanian Devil” Paz,“Irish” Micky Ward and John “The Quietman” Ruiz – are available by calling Stephen Singer at 603.669.4100.
INFORMATION: Dinner starts at 5:30 PM/ET, doors open at 7:30 PM/ET, first bout at 8:00 PM/ET.
Proceeds from the 10th annual Fight To Educatewill benefit SEE Science Center (www.see-sciencecenter.org), The Bobby Stephens Fund for Education (www.stepheneducationfund.com), and St. Joseph Community Services/Meals on Wheels (www.mealsonwheelsnh.org).