Boxing News Boxing News
Saturday, June 7 — SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
World Championship Doubleheader, June 7 at 9:00 pm ET/PT
WBC Super Welterweight Championship: Vernon Forrest vs. Sergio Mora
WBO Welterweight Championship: Carlos Quintana vs. Paul Williams II
From Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.
Forrest will defend his WBC super welterweight title against Mora and Quintana will look to defend his newly acquired WBO welterweight belt against the boxer he dethroned, the previously unbeaten Williams. The event, will be promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, and Fight Nite, LLC, in association with Tournament of Contenders, LLC, DiBella Entertainment and Goossen Tutor Promotions in association with Northeast Promotions. It will emanate from Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.
In his last start, Forrest (40-2, 29 KOs), of Atlanta, Ga., continued his rebirth atop the 154-pound division when he successfully defended the WBC belt against Michele Piccirillo with an 11th round TKO on SHOWTIME on Dec. 1, 2007. Forrest, a former three-time welterweight champion, won the vacant crown with a 12-round unanimous decision over Carlos Baldomir on July 28, 2007.
Mora (20-0-1, 5 KOs), of Los Angeles, Calif., won The Contender television series on Oct. 15, 2005 with an entertaining and hard-fought split decision over Peter Manfredo, Jr. The fight with Forrest is exactly what Mora has been aiming for and should prove to be his toughest challenge to date.
The Quintana-Williams bout is a rematch of a WBO welterweight title fight that Quintana won in a shocking upset on Feb. 9, 2008. Williams, who came into the fight confident — perhaps looking past Quintana, an 8-1 underdog — lost a 12-round unanimous decision by the scores of 116-112 twice and 115-113.
Quintana, of Puerto Rico, is 25-1 with 19 knockouts. The only blemish on his record came in a hard-fought bout to Miguel Cotto for the WBA welterweight title on Dec. 2, 2006 on SHOWTIME.
Williams (33-1, 24 KOs), of Augusta, Ga, captured the belt with a close decision over Antonio Margarito, who had made seven successful defenses, on July 14, 2007.
