HBO Sports rings in the new year with a red-hot welterweight championship showdown between two world-class performers on WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: ANTONIO MARGARITO VS. SHANE MOSLEY, presented live SATURDAY, JAN. 24 (10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT) from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, exclusively on HBO. The WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING team will be ringside for the event, which will be presented in HDTV and in Spanish on HBO Latino.
Other HBO playdate: Jan. 25 (9:45 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Jan. 25 (6:30 p.m.) and 27 (11:30 p.m.)
A resident of Tijuana, Mexico, Antonio Margarito (37-5, 27 KOs) makes his triumphant return to the ring after the dramatic 11th-round knockout of Miguel Cotto that brought him his second welterweight title last July. Ranked among the sport’s most explosive performers, he hopes to maintain his momentum in this 12-round, 147-pound showdown.
“Sugar” Shane Mosley (45-5, 38 KOs), a native of Pomona, Cal., will need all his ring smarts and physical skills to spring the first surprise of the new year. One of the most decorated fighters of the past decade, the veteran is coming off a 12th-round KO of Ricardo Mayorga last September, and has won six of his last seven bouts.
All WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING events are broadcast in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.
The executive producer of WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Rick Bernstein; producer, Dave Harmon; director, Marc Payton.
® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.
‘USS’ Cunningham Wants Maccarinelli As Adamek Chooses Banks For First Title Defense
In a recent interview with Polish on-line boxing magazine Bokser.org, current IBF cruiserweight champion, Tomasz ‘Goral’ Adamek, confirmed that his next opponent is to be Johnathon Banks. This decision thwart the
efforts of former cruiserweight king, Steve ‘USS’ Cunningham, whom he defeated by a close split decision to gain the title on December 11th 2008, and his team to secure the quick rematch they have been campaigning
for.
Cunningham took a little time off from training to give his views on Adamek vs Banks. “To me that fight could go either way. You Know, Johnathon Banks can crack. He had that big fight against Eliseo Castillo and he got hit and took a big shot but came back and finished that guy. That’s a good bangers fight. Adamek’s got a pretty good European style with power, so there’ll be some fireworks in that fight. I want the winner of that fight!
You know, I’d like the winner. I still believe I am the best cruiserweight in the world. I know the audience and the fans see that in my last fight. I don’t consider that a loss. I feel like I won. I lost the decision, but feel that I won the fight. Two time in ‘09 is my plan. We’ll be back, I can’t wait to see what will unfold in the future.”
Originally Johnathon Banks was due to fight Enzo Maccarinelli for the WBO cruiserweight title in March, clearly that is now not happening and with most of the other top names in the weight having fights already arranged
over the coming months could this be an opportunity for ‘USS’ Cunningham to set sail across the Atlantic again?
Cunningham obviously feels it is as he said. “My first choice would be to fight Tomasz (Adamek) again. But it’s clear he is avoiding me as he is already planning another fight in June, and talking about other fighters – Not me. He’s running scared!
If the WBO would take it. Shoot, I would jump in there and fight Enzo (Maccarinelli). I’m always up for going to Europe, I’m used to fighting there.
It would be a very exciting fight. A real battle and great TV. The British fans are great fans, really enthusiastic, you know, just like the Polish. It would be an awesome atmosphere.”
Maccarinelli-Cunningham is a mouth watering prospect that could quite easily surpass the classic Cunningham-Adamek IBF title fight for action and drama as well as having genuine “Fight of the Year” potential. What’s more the possibility of the match being made appear quite good since Maccarinelli’s promoter, Frank Warren’s Sports Network, are already working with Don King Productions, Cunningham’s promoter, on this event as
Amir Khan is to face another DKP charge, multi-weight champion Marco Antonio Barrera.
But what if this fight couldn’t be made for whatever reason. Who would ‘USS’ Cunningham be focusing on as possible opponents?
Cunningham, grinned and shrugged his shoulders before replying “I don’t really have any preference on who I fight. I’m taking on all comers. I’m calling out all comers. Shoot, I want to be champion again and it doesn’t
matter which one. In Jesus’ name, man, let ‘em all come on.
I’ll take them all it doesn’t matter. I’ll take on any top contender and any fight that can get me to Tomasz’s throne. Even a non-title fight just to get me back in there again and on target for my main goal.
My IBF title back!”
For news on Steve ‘USS’ Cunningham go to www.usscunningham.com
For news on the campaign for Adamek-Cunningham II go to www.wewantarematch.com
Juan Carlos Gomez to challenge WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko on March 21st in Stuttgart – “The Black Panther”: “This is my first dream come true…”
It’s official: Former world cruiserweight champion Juan Carlos Gomez (44-1) will face WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (36-2) on March 21st at the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in Stuttgart, Germany.
“I have been waiting for this chance for a very long time”, states Gomez who has started his preparation in L.A. four weeks ago. Along with his coaches Orlando Cuellar and Bülent Baser “The Black Panther” is currently working on his fitness basics before starting his technical and tactical training next week in Hamburg, Germany. The team has also planned to go into a training camp in Spain for three or four weeks.
“I will make sure that Vitali faces the best Juan Carlos Gomez of all times”, says “El Pantera Negra”. “I would have loved to fight him in front of my fans in my second home Hamburg but people love me all over Germany so I have no problems with Stuttgart. In fact, I fought there already twice and won both fights by tko. Now it’s time for my third strike…”
ARENA-CEO Ahmet Öner is looking forward to the big fight as well: “Finally we get to reap the fruit of our hard work. I have no problems with K2 promoting the show. Juan has already proven that he can beat fighter’s at their own shows – that’s what he did with Virchis and Universum.”
After fulfilling his “first dream” Gomez wants to go for the other Klitschko. “Wladimir, take a good look what I do to your big brother. You are next on my list. I can already see both Klits-k.o.”
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