HBO’s hit late-night boxing franchise continues with an action-packed doubleheader when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: ADRIEN BRONER VS. VICENTE ESCOBEDO AND KEITH THURMAN vs. ORLANDO LORA is seen SATURDAY, JULY 21 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT), from the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, exclusively on HBO. The HBO broadcast team of Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman and Roy Jones Jr. will be ringside for the event, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino..
Other HBO playdates: July 22 (8:45 a.m.) and 23 (11:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: July 22 (5:45 p.m.) and 24 (midnight)
In a junior lightweight title showdown, hometown hero Adrien “The Problem” Broner (23-0, 19 KOs) takes on the formidable Vicente Escobedo (26-3, 15 KOs) of Woodland, Cal. in a scheduled 12-round contest. A ferocious fighter who has established himself as one of the most compelling boxers around, the 22-year-old Broner creates problems for his opponents inside the ring, but his engaging personality has made him a fan favorite outside it. Knocking out his last three opponents in the fourth, third and first rounds and possessing thrilling speed, he’s on the fast track to joining boxing’s elite. Now Broner looks to prove that he’s unstoppable in the 130-pound division.
Escobedo, a 2004 U.S. Olympian who has spent the majority of his career in the lightweight division, has found new life as a junior lightweight. Since losing back-to-back bouts to Michael Katsidis and Robert Guerrero in 2010, he’s been invincible in his new weight class, reeling off four consecutive victories, including a memorable first-round knockout of Lonnie Smith in March. Armed with experience, as well as a decided size advantage, Escobedo could create a significant roadblock for the unbeaten Broner.
In the opening fight, Keith Thurman (17-0, 16 KOs) of Clearwater, Fla. makes his HBO debut against Orlando Lora (29-2-2, 19 KOs) of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico in a ten-round welterweight match. Just 23 years old, Thurman is a potential star who uses his power and athleticism to infuriate opponents, and is coming off a dominant third-round knockout of Brandon Hoskins in May. This bout should indicate whether Thurman is ready to move up in the pound-for-pound ranks. Lora, 31, has a wealth of experience, which should come in handy against Thurman.
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The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jon Crystal; director, Marc Payton.
® HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.
Seldin vs. Garcia on July 28th
NEW YORK, NY (July 19, 2012) Popular welterweight prospect Cletus “The Hebrew Hammer” Seldin headlines the undercard of Star Boxing’s “ROCKIN FIGHTS 4” on Saturday, July 28th at The Paramount in Huntington, New York.
Sporting an undefeated record of 7-0-0 with five knockouts, the 25-year-old Seldin has become a staple at The Paramount, with three straight wins by knockout at the consistently sold-out venue.
At “ROCKIN FIGHTS 4”, Seldin will battle San Juan Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Garcia, 3-2-1 (1KO), in a scheduled six round bout.
“Cletus has had three spectacular knockouts in a row at The Paramount and has become a true fan favorite. The interest from fans and media alike about his return to the ring has been very impressive,” said Joe DeGuardia, President of Star Boxing.
“Along with Cletus’ return we’ve put together a very strong undercard at “ROCKIN FIGHTS 4″ to ensure that the terrific boxing fans at The Paramount get a full evening of entertainment.”
In the main event at “ROCKIN FIGHTS 4”, “The Fighting Pride of Huntington, New York”, undefeated junior welterweight prospect Chris Algieri, 14-0-0 (7KO’s), will battle tough Texas veteran Raul Tovar,10-5-1 (4KO’s).
Advance tickets for “ROCKIN FIGHTS 4”, priced at $50 and $100, are available through Ticketmaster, (www.Ticketmaster.com, 800-745-3000) or through The Paramount Box Office, (631) 673-7300.
Special VIP/Red Carpet Seating along with advance tickets are also available by calling Star Boxing at (718) 823-2000 or on their website www.StarBoxing.com.
Also featured on the undercard will be a New York State Junior Lightweight Title bout between undefeated Bronx native Manny Gonzalez, 10-0-0 (7KO’s) and cross-town rival Chazz McDowell, 6-1-0 (1KO) of Yonkers, New York.
The 24-year-old Gonzalez heads back to the ring following his unanimous decision win over Jesus Bayron on February 10th at the Mohegan Sun Casino.
Also returning to The Paramount is junior middleweight newcomer Raul Nuncio, 2-0-1 (1KO), of Glen Cove, New York in a four round tilt against Enver Halili, 1-0-0 (1KO) of Bronx, New York. Nuncio is coming off a four round decision win on March 31st over Valdrin Muriqi.
Local pro debuter Alan Gotay of Huntington will face off against Brooklyn’s Ian James, 2-3-0 (1KO), in a four round junior welterweight clash.
Rounding out the undercard, Hicksville, New York junior welterweight Anthony Karperis, 1-0-0 (1KO), will challenge Travis McElhaney, 0-1-0, of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The Paramount is located at 370 New York Avenue, Huntington, New York, 11743. For directions and more information, please visit their website at www.paramountny.com