| Pulling no punches, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING will come out with both fists blazing on Feb. 5 when its first telecast of 2005 features a grudge rematch between World Boxing Association/World Boxing Council/International Boxing Federation (WBA/WBC/IBF) welterweight |
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Champion Cory "The Next Generation" Spinks and former two-time world champion Zab "Super" Judah. In a sensational co-feature, two boxers ranked in the top ten in each of boxing's four major governing bodies will square off when Monte "Two Gunz" Barrett faces undefeated Owen "What The Heck" Beck in a twelve-round heavyweight elimination bout. SHOWTIME will televise the doubleheader at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on West Coast). Don King Productions will present the event from the Savvis Center in St. Louis.
MONTE BARRETT (30-3, 16 KOs)
"This is a great opportunity for me and I thank SHOWTIME and Don King for making it happen. I am ready for anything. It really does not matter what people think of me as a fighter. I know who I am. The only respect I am looking for is from my family and my camp. I am a diamond in the rough. It is my time to shine. I am in excellent position to control my own destiny. After all I have gone through and overcome, it is inevitable that I will become world heavyweight champ.
Beck is a young guy who has done everything asked of him so far. I am looking for a great fight. But I am totally relaxed and extremely confident. Beck has been put on a pedestal, but the more he talks, the more he is going to pay."
OWEN BECK (24-0, 18 KOs)
"I am not a Dominick Guinn or close to it. I am Owen Beck. I wish the fight was now, not Saturday. My main thing is to establish in the ring what I have been working on in training. Barrett is a crafty, durable guy and a sneaky counter-puncher. He is always in shape and can take a good shot and come back. But he likes to pace himself and go the distance. We are fighting my fight on Saturday. I am going to establish the pace.
Believe me, Monte Barrett has never seen what I am going to bring to the table. My main concern is that Barrett shows up. I am undefeated and will leave the ring undefeated."
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CORY "THE NEXT GENERATION" SPINKS (34-2, 11 KOs).
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