Showtime Airing Replays Of Bogere, Russell Fights

ByBoxing Press

In anticipation of the highly anticipated doubleheader featuring Sharif “The Lion” Bogere and Gary Russell Jr. on Saturday, March 2, live on Showtime at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, from The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., Showtime Sports is offering a full-length replay from each of the world-class boxers’ recent fights on the premium network’s website.

The excellent, crowd-pleasing scrap between Bogere and Ray Beltran from May 13, 2011 which aired on ShoBox: The New Generation replays in its entirety offering fans a glimpse of what they can expect from the undefeated Ugandan contender. The unanimous decision victory for Bogere featured multiple momentum shifts and cut-inducing head-butts as the two battled for 10 hard-fought, bloody rounds.

An all-action fighter, the undefeated Bogere (23-0, 15 KO’s) will square off against Richar Abril (17-3-1, 8 KO’s) for the vacant WBA Lightweight World Championship in the March 2 main event.

The 24-year-old Bogere was a five-time African champion as an amateur and has continued his success as a pro with his aggressive style and impressive power. The 30-year-old Abril, a Cuban-born Miami resident, is looking to bounce back from a controversial split decision loss to Brandon Rios in a bout for the WBA Lightweight Championship on April 14, 2012.

Featherweight Russell’s brutal one-punch knockout over Roberto Castaneda last November 9 on ShoBox:The Next Generation wound up near the top of many writers’ 2012 Knockout of the Year lists.

The manner in which he impressively dispatched Castaneda served as a warning to viewers and potential opponents that the lightning-quick Russell also packed a dangerous punch to go with his blazing speed. The 2008 United States Olympian landed a picturesque right-hook to the chin of Castaneda at 1:25 of the third round — a vicious, explosive punch that instantly ended the fight.

One of boxing’s most talented contenders, Russell (21-0, 13 KO’s) will take a step-up in opposition against Vyacheslav Gusev (20-2, 5 KO’s) in the 10-round opening bout of the March 2 telecast. The 24-year-old southpaw of Capitol Heights, Md., knocked out three consecutive opponents to close out 2012 and is looking to kick 2013 with an impressive victory over the 26-year-old Russian who is a nine-year veteran.

Abril vs. Bogere, a 12-round fight for the vacant WBA Lightweight Championship, will take place Saturday, March 2 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, sponsored by Corona and will be televised live on Showtime telecast beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast, with preliminary fights to air live on Showtime Extreme at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast. The co-main event will be a 10-round featherweight bout between undefeated phenom Gary Russell Jr. and Russia’s Vyacheslav Gusev.

Tickets priced at $150, $100, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, along with a limited number of VIP suite seats priced at $125, are on sale at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000. An exact on sale date will be announced as soon as determined.