Showtime Boxing: “Countdown To The Brawl”

Showtime is currently airing “Vargas vs. Mayorga: Countdown to The Brawl”— profiling two of boxing’s most colorful and explosive personalities. America ’s No. 1 Boxing Network will feature the documentary program at various times over a two-week period between Friday, Nov. 9, and Friday, Nov. 23

“Ferocious” Fernando Vargas and Ricardo “El Matador” Mayorga will meet in the ring the day after Thanksgiving to settle a personal score for machismo and pride.

The highly anticipated bout is scheduled for 12 rounds at a catch weight of 166 pounds and will be air live on Nov. 23 on pay-per-view (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles .

“Countdown to The Brawl” takes viewers inside the training camps and into the homes of Vargas and Mayorga to reveal their motivation, strategies of intimidation and the root of their volatile and now infamous first fight. The bad blood started at the announcement press conference in Los Angeles on July 11.

In addition, in depth interviews with Vargas, Mayorga and members of their training camps uncover a never-before-seen duality in each. These former world champions always have been known for toughness, bravado and street mentality, but that is only half of their personality; half of their motivation. Countdown to The Brawl shows the people behind the boxers, and the tremendous impact they have had on these competitors—both in their formative years and today.

Vargas reflects on his childhood, growing up without his father and why it is important for him to be a good father to his children. “I am lucky I found boxing,” Vargas said. “I was going nowhere quickly. I wanted so much to belong to something. If I was asked to join a gang, I probably would have.”

Mayorga, on the other hand, is looking to re-claim his ring status and shed his disappointment after a personally devastating knockout loss to Oscar De La Hoya. “I need to fight somebody and beat him,” Mayorga said. “I am going to hit Vargas as hard as I can because I just want to let this out, to get this out of my system.”

Featuring expert analysts Al Bernstein and Steve Farhood, journalists Steve Kim and Doug Fischer and boxing historian Bert Sugar, “Countdown to The Brawl” breaks down how this fight got personal and why this match up will be, quite simply, a brawl.

VARGAS vs. MAYORGA: COUNTDOWN TO THE BRAWL

SHO Friday, Nov. 9 1:30 a.m.

SHO Saturday, Nov. 10 4 a.m.

SHO Saturday, Nov. 10 9:30 p.m.

SHO2 Monday, Nov. 12 10 p.m.

SHO Monday, Nov. 12 Midnight

SHO2 Wednesday, Nov. 14 10 p.m.

SHO Wednesday, Nov. 14 Midnight

SHO2 Friday, Nov. 16 10 p.m.

SHO Saturday, Nov. 17 9 p.m.

SHO2 Saturday, Nov. 17 2 a.m.

SHO2 Monday, Nov. 19 10 p.m.

SHO2 Tuesday, Nov. 20 10 p.m.

SHO Tuesday, Nov. 20 11 p.m.

SHO Wednesday, Nov. 21 4 a.m.

SHO2 Wednesday, Nov. 21 10 p.m.

SHO Thursday, Nov. 22 12:30 a.m.

SHO2 Friday, Nov. 23 10 p.m.

The Nov. 23 fight card at STAPLES Center is a joint promotion between Don King Productions and Main Events in association with AEG and STAPLES Center .

Tickets priced at $300, $150, $100 and $50 are on sale now online at www.ticketmaster.com, via TicketMaster charge-by-phone lines at (213) 480-3232 or (714) 740-2000, and at all TicketMaster ticket centers, including Macy’s West and Ritmo Latino locations. Tickets are also available at the STAPLES Center box office and the box office at TEAM LA at Universal CityWalk.

The event will also be televised live domestically beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, at a suggested retail price of $44.95, distributed by SHOWTIME® PPV.