Showtime Boxing: Santana In Close Call, De Leon Jr Upsets McGirt Jr On ShoBox!

Click for larger image © Javiel Centeno for Fight Wire Images

One night before the light heavyweight world championship doubleheader in on Showtime Championship Boxing, ShoBox: The New Generation showcased four legitimate prospects in two close and thrilling match-ups.

In the main event, a determined Edgar Santana escaped with a close majority decision over fellow hard-hitting prospect Josesito Lopez in a 10-round junior welterweight bout scored 94-94, 95-93 twice.

In an excellent co-feature that pitted the sons of two former world champions against each other, Carlos De Leon, Jr., caught James McGirt, Jr., with a left hook, followed by a brutal left uppercut, earning him a TKO at 1:20 of the seventh round.

DiBella Entertainment and All Star Boxing, Inc. presented the doubleheader from the Miccosukee Casino in Miami, FL.

Santana and Lopez started out slow, but turned up the heat in Miami with non-stop action from the fifth stanza until the final bell. In the eighth, Lopez, 22-3, 1 ND (13), of Riverside, CA, surprised Santana with two brutal body shots that sent the New York native to the canvas twice.

Santana, 24-2 (15), fought to save the match, and possibly his career, dominating the ninth and tenth round and hurting his opponent with numerous right and left hooks en route to the majority decision victory.

“He caught me with two good shots to the body,” said the 29-year-old Santana. “He didn’t hit the body all night, so I wasn’t expecting it. But I’m a true champion and I came back. That’s what it is all about. This guy is tough. They say you haven’t fought a tough fight until you face a real good Mexican. And for me, he was the one.”

Lopez acknowledged the majority decision and handled the loss with poise and class. “It’s a close decision. It could have gone either way,” said the 23-year-old Lopez. “I caught him with two clean body shots, but he’s a tough guy and he pulled out of it. He is tough and we expected him to be tough. We prepared to fight a great athlete, and that’s what I faced in the ring.”

De Leon, 20-2-2 (13), the son of former four-time WBC cruiserweight world champion Carlos “Sugar” De Leon, proved that he had the power and speed to come out victorious in a close-fought battle over Santana, the son of former IBF junior welterweight and WBC welterweight world champion Buddy McGirt.

The fight was non-stop give-and-take action, with both fighters landing powerful combinations that hurt their opponent.

De Leon , of Puerto Rico, came out swinging in seventh, landing a brutal shot that sent McGirt, 18-1 (9), to the canvas, his mouthpiece into the audience and blood from his nose. The Bayshore, New York native was quick to get up, but it was evident that he was hurt. De Leon kept with the ambush and ended things with a quick left hook followed a devastating uppercut that sent McGirt down again.

“He hit me a few times, but it didn’t faze me,” the 28-year-old De Leon said. “I had it in my heart and in my fists. I was ready for war. It was hard to go inside because I am a lefty, but when I did, I got him good. It was a good fight. I am thankful that Showtime gave me this opportunity. I want to go to the next level, and one day fight for a championship.”

McGirt, disappointed in his first career loss, knew exactly where the fight went wrong. “I had him, but he came back and caught me with a good shot,” said the 25-year-old. “I give him a lot of credit. I had him where I wanted, but he got me good with that left hook.”

His father, no stranger to the fight game, was quick to agree. “He hit him with a solid left hook and he got caught,” said the former world champion Buddy McGirt. “I told him to keep his hands up. He went forward to attack, but he got caught. All training camp I told him, you have to keep your hands up.”

Popular play-by-play announcer Nick Charles and expert analyst/boxing historian Steve Farhood called the action from ringside. The executive producer of ShoBox is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

Click for larger image © Javiel Centeno for Fight Wire Images

Friday’s bouts will re-air this week as follows:

DAY CHANNEL

Saturday, April 12 at 3 a.m. ET/PT SHO TOO

Monday, April 14 at 11 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME

Tuesday, April 15 at Midnight ET/PT SHO EXTREME

Thursday, April 17 at 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO TOO

Available On Demand starting Monday, April 14.