“Bravo” Brant Headed For Collision With “The Unknown” Rose Tonight

The six fighters who’ll be fighting on ShoBox: The New Generation tomorrow/Friday, Oct. 23, live on Showtime at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast, at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz., made weight Thursday on their first attempts inside The Lucky Saloon at Fort McDowell Casino in Fort McDowell, Ariz.

Undefeated Rob “Bravo” Brant (17-0, 11 KOs), of St. Paul, Minn., faces Louis “The Unknown” Rose (13-2-1, 5 KOs), of Los Angeles, in a 10-round bout for the vacant WBC Continental Americas middleweight title in the main event.

In eight-round co-features, unbeaten Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller (14-0-1, 12 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y., will face Ahror “Aha” Muralimov (14-1, 11 KOs), of Houston, Texas via Uzbekistan, in a heavyweight match and Lavarn “Baby Bowe” Harvell (15-1, 8 KOs) of Atlantic City will face Samuel “The Main Event” Clarkson (16-3, 10 KOs), of Cedar Hills, Texas, in a light heavyweight scrap.

A scheduled fight between unbeaten Filipino prospect Harmonito Dela Torre (16-0, 11 KOs) and Angel “El Gato” Luna (11-1-1, 6 KOs) was cancelled Wednesday due to problems with travel.

On Friday, all but Clarkson will be making their ShoBox debuts.

The Weights: Brant weighed 158.5 pounds, Rose 159; Miller tipped scale at 280.5 pounds, Muralimov 238; and Harvell and Clarkson both weighed 177 pounds.

Here’s what the fighters had to say prior to the weigh-in:

Rob Brant:
“I’m really excited about this fight. This is definitely the biggest step-up for me in my career, fighting on a premium network and headlining for the first time. At one point, I probably didn’t think it was possible. But it’s what you work for. When you make that step from amateur to pros this is what you work for and where you want to get.

“Rose is a really tough guy, very determined, and you know he wants to win very badly. There are different circumstances and we are on opposite sides of the spectrum; he’s been homeless and knows what can happen if he doesn’t have success. He knows he has to win. He has his defensive flaws and may not have huge power but he is very athletic and must be respected.

“There is no way I take him lightly. Rose knows what he’s fighting for and what another loss could mean. I know what he’s fighting for. I fight for all my reasons, too.

“I’m not going out thinking I need to knock him out or impress anyone. I think, in victory, it will be impressive enough because of the opponent he is. That’s basically my mindset before every fight. I want the win, I know I’ll have to work to beat him but I’m not going to force it. I’ll take the ‘W’ anyway I can.

“I like where I’m at in my career. I feel I’ve been groomed properly and that I’m improving and taking away positives from each guy I fight. I feel I’m becoming more of a puncher-boxer. In the amateurs, I relied on speed and boxing. But in the pro’s you fight differently. I’ve been staying in the pocket more.

“This is going to be a great fight on Friday night.’’

Louis Rose:
“I keep beating guys I’m not supposed to. I guess I love being the underdog. I love it when people say this and that and that I have no chance.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. There’s really nothing he can do to beat me. I don’t want to go back to where I was before. This is my opportunity and I can’t let it slip away.

“This fight certainly is another step up, but I feel I am continuing to improve in all areas. I still have my looks, so I haven’t been hit in the face that much. I think my power has been the biggest difference for me. I’m hitting harder than I was before.

“I always work hard. I stay in the gym. I’m very hungry. I think this is my time. Some describe my style as awkward but I consider it more one-of-a-kind. I can box or pressure you. I think tomorrow I will be the pressure guy.

“I feel I’ve fought the better opposition. Give me his opponents and give him my opponents and see how I compare.

“I spar with tough guys. I don’t think he is better than some of the unbeaten guys I’ve fought. Brant can be totally ready but there’s nothing he’s going to be able to do that I won’t be able to do.

“This is my opportunity of a lifetime. I am going to win this fight. I’m not taking anything away from Brant – he’s still a lot better than other guys at this point. It’s going be a very rough fight. My game is to make you mad, get you off your game and then take advantage.

“I’m going to stick with nickname forever – even when I’m known.

“I’m beyond excited about fighting in the main event on ShoBox. This is a tremendous accomplishment for me. I’ve come a long way but I couldn’t have done it without discipline and a ton of hard work.”