Boxing News Boxing News
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.
