Showtime Releases Full Lineup For Boxing Return

By Fight Sports Jul 22, 2020 Last updated Jul 22, 2020

Stephen Espinoza is looking to bring Showtime Boxing back with a vengeance. The promotion announced nine fight cards set to take place between August and December featuring some of the top stars in the world today.

All taking place inside the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT, Showtime will be collaborating with Premier Boxing Champions to produce FOX, Showtime, and PPV events. Showtime and PBC will be sharing the venue with Bellator MMA, which is owned by Viacom. No fans will be allowed in the location.

🏟️ 9 live events
🔥 18 undefeated fighters
🥊 9 world champions
💥 8 world championship fights#SHOBoxingReturns Aug. 1st on @Showtime. pic.twitter.com/i6z37wfoaG

— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) July 22, 2020

“We are proud to announce the strongest and most comprehensive schedule of fights in all of boxing,” said Espinoza, President of Sports and Event Programming for Showtime. “Each bout on this schedule, our largest schedule announcement since 2018, carries high stakes and significant implications.

“From highly regarded prospects to emerging stars to established champions — all in tough matchups — this lineup delivers on our promise to provide boxing fans with the best talent, the most exciting fights and the highest quality presentation in the sport. We are thrilled to return to live boxing with this star-studded schedule of exciting, meaningful fights.”

Opening Showtime’s fight schedule on August 1 will be Stephen Fulton Jr. v. Angelo Leo for the vacant WBO Junior-Featherweight Championship. Fulton (18-0) made his professional debut in 2014. He won three fights in 2019 and has eight wins via knockout. The 26-year-old won his last bout in January against Arnold Khegal via unanimous decision. Leo (19-0) made his debut in 2012. With nine wins via knockout, Leo won four fights in 2019. His last bout was a TKO-win against Cesar Juarez in December.

August 15 will see David Benavidez v. Roamer Alexis Angulo. Benavidez (22-0) will be putting his WBC Super-Middleweight Title on the line. He last fought in September, beating Anthony Dirrell via knockout. If he were to win, a clash against Caleb Plant may be in his future. Angulo (26-1) is on a three-fight win streak. The 36-year-old won his last bout against Anthony Sims Jr. via split decision.

Erickson Lubin will fight Terrell Gausha in a WBC Super-Welterweight Title eliminator bout on September 19. Lubin (22-1) has won four in a row and won three fights in 2019. A WBC FECARBOX Super-Welterweight Champion, Lubin won his last bout in October against Nathaniel Gallimore via unanimous decision. Gausha (21-1-1) is 1-1-1 in his last three fights. A former super-welterweight contender, Gausha lost his first bout against Erislandy Lara for the WBA and IBO Super-Welterweight Titles. His last bout was a split decision loss to Austin Trout in May 2019.

September 26 will see a night-day (literal) twin billing on PPV. Jermall Charlo will defend his WBC Middleweight Championship against Sergiy Derevyanchenko. Charlo’s (30-0) last fight was in December 2019, beating Dennis Hogan via TKO. He has defended his title three times. Derevyanchenko (13-2) has lost to both Daniel Jacobs and Gennadiy Golovkin in impressive title bouts. He had the option to face either Canelo or Charlo.

The other main event later in the day will be Jermall’s brother Jermell, facing Jeison Rosario in a WBC, WBA, and IBF Light-Middleweight unification bout. Jermell (33-1) beat John Jackson for the WBC Light-Middleweight Title in 2016. He defended the belt three times before losing it to Tony Harrison in a contested unanimous decision loss in 2018. Charlo rebounded with a win over Jorge Cota in June 2019 and ended up winning the title back from Harrison in December of that year.

Rosario (20-1-1) made his professional debut in 2013. Since losing to Nathaniel Gallimore in 2017, Rosario is 8-0-1 in nine fights. After beating Cota in April 2019, the 25-year-old beat Julian Williams in January for the WBA, IBF, and IBO Light-Middleweight Titles. Rosario has expressed a desire to face Charlo.

October 10 will see Sergiy Lipinits facing Kudratillo Abdukakhorov for the interim IBF Welterweight Title. Lipinets (16-1) lost to Mikey Garcia for his IBF Super-Lightweight Title. He rebounded with three wins in a row, his last fight a TKO-win against Jayar Inson in July. Abdukakhorov (17-0), born in Uzbekistan, won two fights in 2019. Making his debut in 2015, “The Punisher” beat Luis Collazo back in October via technical decision.

Another PPV event will see Gervonta Davis battle Leo Santa Cruz for the WBA Super-Featherweight Championship on October 24. Davis (23-0) is the WBA Lightweight Champion. He beat Yuriorkis Gamboa via TKO in December for the vacant title. Before that, He dominated the super-featherweight division, holding onto the WBA and IBF Super-Featherweight Belts. “Tank” has 22 wins via knockout.

Santa Cruz (37-1-1) is on a five-fight win streak. He won the WBA Super-Featherweight Championship by beating Miguel Flores via unanimous decision back in November. The 31-year-old beat Abner Mares to win the WBA Featherweight Title and regained it from Carl Frampton after an initial loss, Santa Cruz’s first and only, to him. He has defended it three times.

November 28 will see prospect Chris Colbert main event a show against Jamie Arboleda. Colbert (14-0), 23, made his professional debut in 2015. He last fought in January, beating Jezzrel Corrales for the interim WBA Super-Featherweight Title. “Prime Time” has five wins via knockout. Arboleda (16-1) has won six in a row since 2017. His last fight was in February, beating Jayson Velez via split decision.

Finally, December 12 will see Nordine Oubaali defend his WBC Bantamweight Title against Nonito Donaire. Oubaali (17-0) won three fights in 2019. He beat Rau’shee Warren for the vacant WBO title to start 2019. The 33-year-old’s last fight was a unanimous decision win over Takuma Inoue. Donaire (40-6) is a multi-time title contender. “The Filipino Flash” is 2-2 in his last four fights, losing his last bout to Naoya Inoue via unanimous decision.

Below are the main events and co-features of each card:

August 1

Stephen Fulton Jr. v. Angelo Leo – vacant WBO Junior Featherweight Title
Tramaine Williams (19-0) v. Raseese Aleem (16-0)
Joe Goerge (10-0) v. Marcos Escudero (10-1)

August 15

David Benavidez (c) v. Roamer Alexis Angulo – WBC Super-Middleweight Title
Michal Rivera (18-0) v. Marcos Villasana Jr. (25-6) – WBC Lightweight Title Eliminator
Otton Wallin (20-1) v. Travis Kauffman (32-3)

September 19

Erickson Lubin v. Terrell Gausha – WBC Super-Welterweight Title Eliminator
Tugstsogt Nyambayar (11-1) v. Eduardo Ramirez (23-2-3)
Jaron Ennis (25-0) v. TBA

September 26 Afternoon Card:

Jermall Charlo v. Sergiy Derevyanchenko – WBC Middleweight Title
Brandon Figueroa (20-0-1) v. Damein Vasquez (14-1-1) – WBA Super-Bantamweight Title
Diego Magdaleno (32-3) v. Issac Cruz (19-1-1) – IBF Lightweight Title Eliminator

Night Card

Jermell Charlo (c) v. Jeison Rosario – WBA, WBA, IBF 154-Pound Title Bout
Mario Barrios (25-0) v. Ryan Karl (18-2) – WBA Super-Lightweight Title
Daniel Roman (26-3-1) v. Emmanuel Rodriguez (19-1) – WBC Super-Bantamweight Title Eliminator

October 10

Sergey Lipinets v. Kudratillo Abdukakhorov – interim IBF Welterweight Title
Xavier Martinez (15-0) v. Claudio Marrero (24-4)
Malik Hawkins (18-0) v. Subriel Matias (15-1)

October 24

Gervonta Davis v. Leo Santa Cruz – WBA Super-Featherweight Title
Luis Nery (30-0) v. Aaron Alameda – WBC Super-Bantamweight Title Eliminator

November 28

Chris Colbert v. Jamie Arbodela
Richardson Hitchins v. Argenis Mendez

December 12

Nordine Oubaali v. Nonito Donaire – WBC Bantamweight Title