Tripleheader Begins LIVE at 11:05 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 11, on SHOWTIME®
From Cohen Stadium in El Paso, Texas
NEW YORK (Oct. 25, 2011) – Undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) super welterweight champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout will defend against Frank LoPorto on Friday, Nov. 11, in the main event of a ShoBox: The New Generation tripleheader LIVE on SHOWTIME® at 11:05 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) from Cohen Stadium in El Paso, Texas.
The 12-round championship bout will be the second title defense for Trout (23-0, 13 KOs), of Las Cruces, N.M., and the U.S. debut for LoPorto (15-4, 7 KOs), of Victoria, Australia.
In the ShoBox co-featured fights, undefeated prospect Jonathan Gonzalez (14-0, 13 KOs), of Puerto Rico, will face Gabriel Rosado (18-5, 10 KOs), of Philadelphia, in a 10-round junior middleweight bout and Michael Oliveira (15-0, 12 KOs), of Miami, Fla., will face an opponent to be announced in an eight-round middleweight bout.
The tripleheader will be promoted by Gary Shaw Productions.
The 26-year-old Trout won the vacant 154-pound title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Rigoberto Alvarez, the older brother of World Boxing Council (WBC) light middleweight champ, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, on Feb. 5, 2011, in Mexico.
A slick southpaw, the 2004 U.S. National Amateur Welterweight Champion, again traveled to Mexico for his first defense, registering another dominant unanimous decision, over David Lopez.
LoPorto has fought all of his fights in Australia and New Zealand. The 33-year-old has rattled off three consecutive victories since his last loss against former world title challenger Daniel Dawson on Oct. 9, 2010.
The fast-rising, 22-year-old Gonzalez was a member of the 2008 Puerto Rican Olympic team. Eleven of the well-rounded Gonzalez knockouts have come within three rounds and he has only gone past the sixth twice in his career. Gonzalez, who is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision victory over Richard Gutierrez on June 11 on ShoBox, is the No. 9-ranked contender in the WBA.
The 25-year-old Rosado has won four consecutive bouts since he lost to Derek Ennis in July 2010. Rosado, who has fought top prospects Fernando Guerrero and Alfredo Angulo, is far more experienced than Gonzalez and has gone 12 rounds twice in his career.
The hard-hitting Oliveira was born in Brazil but fights out of Miami and trains with Glen “The Road Warrior” Johnson at Thump Fight Gym. The 21-year-old has knocked out five of his last six opponents and is now the No. 15th-ranked middleweight by the WBC.
Curt Menefee will call the action alongside ringside analyst Steve Farhood and boxing expert Antonio Tarver. The executive producer is Gordon Hall, with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
For information on SHOWTIME Sports Programming, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please go the new SHOWTIME Sports website at http://sports.SHO.com.
Troy James to take part in Prizefighter
Troy James revealed that former manager Barry McGuigan convinced him to lay his unbeaten record on the line and enter the Prizefighter Featherweights tournament on Saturday, live on Sky Sports.
The Coventry man, 9-0-1 since turning pro in, parted with the former World Featherweight king this spring after finding it hard to get fights, but he is determined to leave Bethnal Green’s York Hall with his unbeaten record intact and the trophy in hand.
“I still speak to Barry now and then and he was the one who told me about this Prizefighter,” said James.
“I left Barry a while ago because I wasn’t getting fights. It wasn’t his fault and we parted on good terms and I now work with my local promoter Les Allen and train two minute from my house.”
The 28 year-old claimed the sixth straight win of his career in his last outing, beating Steve Gethin on points in a four-rounder at the Civic Hall in Wolverhampton in September. The ninth win of his career is a nice boost going into the 22nd edition of Matchroom Sport’s eight-man, one night tournament, but victory on Saturday would change James’ life.
“Winning this would mean so much for me, my partner Natasha and three kids (11, 4 and 19 months),” said James. “It would sort us out no end. I would be able to pay off my debts and put a deposit down for a new home.
“But winning Prizefighter could make things take off. I started boxing late so my goal has always been to win the British title, and if you win this tonight a British title fight is a realistic possibility.”
James joined the pro ranks in January 2009 under McGuigan’s guidance and the Clones Cyclone hoped for big things. But as he explains, circumstances beyond his control meant he bare
“I was happy with the first year of my career but the second was a bit of a let-down,” said James. “I trained for seven fights and only two came off with opponents pulling out. I just wanted to be busy and that’s when I started to learn plastering.
“I’ve just finished a diploma in sports science at Loughborough University three weeks ago. It’s for something later on in life. I used to teach fitness in a gym and that’s what got me to do the diploma.
“I’m learning to be a plasterer at the moment and am working five days a week, six if we need the extra money. I have to get up at 5am every morning to do my running, and go to the gym after work.”
James is joined in the line-up by the Mongolian Warrior Choi Tseveenpurev in his second dig at Prizefighter, unbeaten pair Lee Glover (6-0 from Tipton) and Troy James (9-0-1 from Coventry), 20 year-old Londoner George Jupp, Liverpool’s Lee Jennings, Manchester prospect Rhys Roberts and Nottingham’s Barrington Brown, who replaces Mickey Coveney.
Tickets for Prizefighter Featherweights at York Hall, Bethnal Green in east London on October 29 are available from Matchroom Sport priced £35 unreserved, £60 ringside and £100 VIP – to buy call Matchroom Sport on 01277 359900.
Ian Bailey ready for Prizefighter this Saturday
One of the most underrated boxers in the lower weight divisions, Ian Bailey, believes that this coming weekend he’ll finally get the opportunity to show boxing fans ‘what he’s made of’, when he takes part in the hugely popular Matchroom Sport promoted Prizefighter series, which showcases the Featherweight division for the first time, at York Hall in Bethnal Green on Saturday, 29th October.
Since turning pro three years ago 27 year old Bailey has earned a reputation of willingness to fight anyone, no matter how short the notice, and as such has fought some of the divisions biggest names, such as British and Commonwealth Champ Lee Selby, Scottish Area Champ Kris Matthew Hughes, English Champ Ryan Walsh, Commonwealth Champ Carl Frampton, Kid Galahad and Michael Walsh.
It’s this experience, aswell as his total willingness to face ‘all comers’, that is likely to stand Bailey in good stead in this edition of Prizefighter, as mixing it up with the likes of two time World Champ Choi Tseveenpurev, Irish Champ Mickey Coveney, the undefeated pairing of Lee Glover and Troy James, or come to that experienced fighters like Rhys Roberts and Lee Jennings, is unlikely to faze him one iota.
Following a tough sparring session with Ben Murphy, at the TRAD TKO gym in Canning Town, Bailey spoke briefly on his upcoming appearance, “I was delighted when Johnny (Eames) told me. It’s a really good opportunity for me , it’s a fair crack at a leading competition so hopefully I can prove how good I am.
I’m not worried about it being televised at all, I’ve had a couple of my bouts shown on telly before. I think I’ve had one win on telly and two losses, but they’ve normally been short notice jobs.
The Boxing public have not got to see me at my best, I mean the Prizefighter is something I have had time to prepare for, unlike those fights, so they’re going to see me at my best, that’s important to me.
I need to get the first fight out of the way and then I’ll win it, it’s a mental thing I need to stay cool and calm, it doesn’t matter who I get in the first fight as long as I can stay relaxed, which I’m gonna do, win the first fight then I can win the whole thing. ”
Bailey then turned his attention to his TRAD TKO team mate ‘Saint’ George Jupp, who will also be taking part in the tournament, “I have mixed feelings about George also being on the show, I mean I’ve sparred god knows how many rounds with George, right since I turned professional three, three and half years ago, so obviously I know him inside and out, but he can say the same about me.
It would be a shame if we met each other early on in the competition, ideally it would be great to fight each other in the final, doubt that’s gonna happen though. We’ll probably end up getting drawn first.
He knows me as well as I know him so if we fought each other it would be a good fight for the crowd, but wouldn’t be great for us, or the TRAD TKO gym, but we’ll get the job done and then shake hands afterwards.”
Prizefighter – Featherweights takes place at the York Hall, Bethnal Green, London on Saturday 29th October 2011 and will also be broadcast live on Skysports.
Tickets, priced £35 (standard seated) and £60 (ringside), for Prizefighter – Featherweights are available now, either on-line at www.tkoboxoffice.com or in person at the TRAD TKO Boxing Gym, Gillian House, Stephenson Street, Canning Town, London E16 4SA – for further information call 07960 850645.