ADONIS “SUPERMAN” STEVENSON RETAINS LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE IN THRILLING BOUT AGAINST ANDRZEJ FONFARA

DAVID LEMIEUX SCORES FEROCIOUS THIRD-ROUND KNOCKOUT OVER FERNANDO GUERRERO

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Tripleheader

Will Replay Sunday, May 25 at 9 a.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME &

Tuesday, May 27 At 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME

Photo Credit: Stephanie Trapp / SHOWTIME

MONTREAL (May 25, 2014) – Adonis “Superman” Stevenson(24-1, 20 KOs) successfully defended his WBC light heavyweight title for the third time Saturday night in a thrilling 12-round battle with world-ranked challenger Andrzej Fonfara (25-3, 15 KOs) onSHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING at the Bell Centre in Montreal. 

Stevenson won via unanimous decision, with the three judges scoring the bout 115-110, 115-110 and 116-109 in his favor. 

“Superman” started strong and knocked Fonfara down in the first and fifth rounds and looked to be en route to an easy win.  But Fonfara showed his mettle and battled back to floor the champion in the ninth.  From there, Stevenson and Fonfara went toe-to-toe, trading powerful shots and asking each other for more up to the final bell. 

In the end, Stevenson secured the victory on the strength of his early round dominance and his resilience in latter part of the fight.  Stevenson landed a notable 59% of his power shots, according to SHO Stats.

After the fight, Stevenson told SHOWTIME Sports^® ringside reporterJim Gray,  “(It was a) good fight.  I hurt my left hand in the second round.  He did very well.  I threw the punch but I caught the elbow and I hurt my hand.”

Stevenson was satisfied with his victory despite getting knocked down.  “Everyone gets knocked down.  But I came back strong.  I showed the world because I’m a true champion.

“I told everybody (Fonfara) is strong.  He’s been training since December. He is ranked No. 1 and No. 3 in the world. He was ready for this fight.  I never overlooked him because he’s a tough fighter.”

When asked by Gray about the prospect of fighting Bernard Hopkins and Sergey Kovalev, Stevenson said, “I accept any challenge.  Bernard can be next.  And I have no problem with Kovalev.  If I fight him I fight him."

Fonfara, despite the loss, made an emphatic statement.  After the fight, he said, “I survived because I have the heart to fight.  Every time he hit me I felt the punch.  Tonight Stevenson is better.  I’m still young.  I’m only 26 years old.  I’m training hard and one day I’ll be a world champion.”

In the co-feature, Montreal’s David Lemieux (32-2, 30 KOs) gave his hometown fans exactly what they wanted with a ferocious third-round knockout victory over Fernando Guerrero (26-3, 19 KOs). 

Lemieux charged out at the opening bell and didn’t stop attacking Guerrero until the stoppage, knocking him down in the first, second and third rounds before scoring the knockout.

“I knew Fernando Guerrero is a very strong fighter.  Very tough,” said Lemieux.  “He’s been down many times and always gets back up.  Once I started to land my shots I could see it in his eyes that the game started to change.

“The results in the ring are from my dedication and my training.  I want to tip my hat to Fernando Guerrero. He is a great fighter. I studied him for many months prior to the fight.  So I am very happy with the outcome.”

“I’m determined to be a world champion.  I would love to fight anyone in the world at 160.”

In the opening bout of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader, rising star Jermell Charlo (24-0, 11 KOs), of Houston, scored a unanimous decision victory over Japan’s Charlie Ohta (24-2-1, 16 KOs) in a 12-round junior middleweight match.  The judges scored the bout 115-111, 118-109 and 118-109.

Charlo controlled the bout with combinations and dominated Ohta throughout the fight, overcoming a flash knockdown in the 3^rd round, the first of his career.

After the fight, Charlo said that he was not concerned with the knockdown.  “To me, I slipped.  I didn’t feel the solid shot.  He hit me with the right hand.  He just caught me off balance.  But it is what it is.

“This was a rough one.  I did what I had to do tonight.”

SHOWTIME EXTREME^® Results:

In the feature bout on SHOWTIME EXTREME, Julian “J-Rock” Williams (16-0-1, 10 KOs), of Philadelphia, earned a knockout victory over Michael Medina (26-5-2, 19 KOs), of Modesto, Calif., in the eighth round of a 10-round junior middleweight matchup.

Williams landed 64% of his power shots in a commanding victory to further establish himself as a top prospect at 154 pounds.

“I think I’d call him a contender now,” said SHOWTIME EXTREME analyst Steve Farhood.  “This was a very impressive and complete performance.  He won the fight on the inside.  He won the fight on the outside.  Just when you thought maybe he didn’t have the power to finish, he finished.”

“It’s interesting to see the Charlo brothers and Williams and all these young American 154-pounders, and to think that one day they will all be facing each other.”

In the opening fight on SHO EXTREME, world-ranked light heavyweight Eleider Alvarez (15-0, 8 KOs), of Montreal by way of Colombia, defeated Alexander Johnson (15-2, 6 KOs), of Washington, D.C., by unanimous decision in a 10-round bout.  All three judges scored the fight 97-92.

WEIGHTS, PHOTOS & OFFICIALS FOR SATURDAY’S SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING & SHO EXTREME

Adonis “Superman” Stevenson Defends WBC Light Heavyweight Title

Against Andrzej Fonfara in Main Event of Tripleheader

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Airs Live at 9 p.m. ET/PT

SHO EXTREME Doubleheader Airs Live at 7 p.m. ET/PT

From Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada

MONTREAL (May 23, 2014) – All 10 fighters competing televised bouts made weight made weight on their first attempts Friday at Bell Centre. The weigh-in was streamed live by SHOWTIME Sports Press Pass Live and is currently available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZp3llIKqtE

In the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader (SHO, 9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast), exciting knockout specialist and 2013 Fighter of the Year, Adonis “Superman” Stevenson(23-1-0, 20 KOs), of Montreal, will make his network debut when he defends his WBC light heavyweight title for a third time when he meets Andrzej “The Polish Prince” Fonfara (25-2-0, 15 KOs), of Chicago by way of Warsaw, Poland. Stevenson has won his last 10 fights by knockout.  Fonfara has won 15 in a row, 12 inside the distance, and has never been defeated as a light heavyweight.

In co-featured fights, power-punching Montreal middleweight David Lemieux (31-2, 29 KOs) meets battle-tested Fernando Guerrero (26-2, 19 KOs) of Salisbury, Md., in a 12-rounder for the vacant NABF 160-pound crown, and unbeaten rising star Jermell “Ironman” Charlo (23-0, 11 KOs), of Houston, takes on Japan’s Charlie Ohta (24-1-1, 16 KOs), of New York, in a 12-round collision of world-ranked junior middleweights. Charlo is ranked No. 5, Ohta No. 9. 

WEIGHTS AND OFFICIALS 

Stevenson – 173½ pounds

Fonfara – 174½ pounds

Referee: Frank Garza, Jr.

Judges: Richard De Carufel (Canada), John McKaie (New York), John Woodburn, Canada.

Lemieux – 159½ pounds

Guerrero – 159 pounds

Referee: Michael Griffin

Judges: Nicolas Esnault (Canada), Ester Lopez (New Mexico), Pasqualie Procopio (Canada)

Charlo – 153¾ pounds

Ohta – 153 pounds

Referee: Jean-Guy Brousseau.

Judges: Larry Hazzard Jr. (New Jersey), Jean LaPointe (Canada), Robert Paolino (Rhode Island),

On SHO EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT), Julian “J-Rock” Williams (15-0-1, 9 KOs), of Philadelphia, faces Michael Medina (26-4-2, 19 KOs), of Modesto, Calif., in a 10-round junior middleweight scrap and world-ranked Eleider Alvarez (14-0, 8 KOs), of Montreal by way of Colombia, clashes with Alexander Johnson (15-1, 6 KOs), of Washington, D.C., in a 10-round light heavyweight bout.

WEIGHTS AND OFFICIALS

Williams – 154¾ pounds

Medina – 154 pounds

Referee: Alain Villeneuve

Judges: De Carufel, Esnault, Marie-Josee Guerin (Canada)

Alvarez – 175 pounds

Johnson – 171½ pounds

Referee: Marlon B. Wright

Judges: Jean Gauthier (Canada), Sylvain LeBlanc (Canada), Benoit Roussel (Canada)

Brian Kenny will host both telecasts on Saturday night.  Mauro Ranallo calls the action on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING alongside Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and Paulie Malignaggi with Jim Grayreporting.  Brian Custer calls the fights on SHOWTIME EXTREME with boxing historian Steve Farhood at his side.  For SAP in Spanish,Alejandro Luna will call the blow-by-blow with former world champion Raul Marquez serving as analyst.  The executive producer is David Dinkins Jr. with Ray Smaltz III producing and Mike Arnold directing.

DAVID LEMIEUX vs. FERNANDO GUERRERO, JERMELL CHARLO vs. CHARLIE OHTA FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES & PHOTOS

 

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Tripleheader

Topped by Adonis Stevenson-Andrzej Fonfara World Title Fight

This Saturday, May 24, LIVE on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT)

From Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada

Photo Credit: Stephanie Trapp / SHOWTIME

MONTREAL  (May 22, 2014) – Hometown favorite David Lemieux andFernando Guerrero agree on one thing:  their showdown on the undercard of the Adonis Stevenson-Andrzej Fonfara SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader  at Bell Centre this Saturday, May 24 will likely end in a knockout. 

“The knockout is going to be there,” Lemieux said.  “It’s only a matter of how it’s going to be there that is going to make a difference.”

The power-punching Lemieux (31-2, 29 KOs), of Montreal, and Guerrero (26-2, 19 KOs) of Salisbury, Md., will square off in a 10-round middleweight co-featured bout live on SHOWTIME^® (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). 

Guerrero, who compiled a 2-0 record in Canada while fighting as an amateur, isn’t fazed by Lemieux’s power or the prospect of fighting in his hometown. 

“We’ve faced punchers before and I’ve demolished them,” Guerrero said.  “With a guy like David and I facing off, it doesn’t seem like the fight will go the distance.”

In the opening bout of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING  telecast, Houston’s unbeaten rising star Jermell Charlo (23-0, 11 KOs) takes on Japan’s Charlie Ohta (24-1-1, 16 KOs) in a 12-round junior middleweight match. 

The 2013 Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year, “Superman” Stevenson (23-1, 20 KOs), of Montreal, will defend his WBC Light Heavyweight World Championship against Chicago’s Fonfara (25-2, 15 KOs), the IBF No. 1 and WBC No. 3-ranked contender. 

On SHO EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT) from the Bell Centre, Julian “J-Rock” Williams (15-0-1, 9 KOs), of Philadelphia, faces Michael Medina(26-4-2, 19 KOs), of Modesto, Calif., in a 10-round junior middleweight scrap and world-ranked  Eleider Alvarez (14-0, 8 KOs), of Montreal by way Colombia, collides with Alexander Johnson (15-1, 6 KOs), of Washington, D.C., in a 10-round light heavyweight bout.

Here’s what the participants had to say at Thursday’s press conference: 

DAVID LEMIEUX:

“I’ve been preparing for a spectacular fight.  We’re both great fighters, but only one of us can win on Saturday. 

“(Guerrero) is one of the best fighters I’ve fought to date.  I feel spectacular.  My training camp has been spectacular; I’ve had the best training camp of my career.  We did everything we needed to do in case there are any surprises in the ring. 

“I feel the strongest I’ve ever been.  I’m ready to go 12 rounds.  If it has to go to the limit, I will have no problem. 

On switching trainers……“It has been a big help in my career. It’s been a big turnaround.  My new trainer Marc Ramsay has helped me become ready to be a 12-round  fighter.  There have been so many changes since the two upsets I had with my old trainer.  I now see all the things that I need to be on top of my game and to be a world champion.  We’ve been making adjustments and we’ve been getting the results in the ring.  I’m ready to fight anybody right now.

“I’m a knockout artist.  Every fight I go into I expect a knockout.  And I’m feeling the strongest I’ve ever felt since the beginning.   

“I expect (Guerrero) to take my head off.  So I will be ready for whatever.  I’m not scared – I expect the same punishment that I give to my opponents.  I want to knock him out, so I expect the same thing from him.

“I’m not worried.  Whatever he brings to the table, I’ll adjust and I’ll be victorious.”

FERNANDO  GUERRERO:

“We’ve fought in Canada before in the amateurs and I won both times.  I’m 2-0 in Canada.  I’m not worried about fighting in front of his hometown fans. 

“I’ve grown since the loss to (Peter) Quillin.  I had one of the worst camps of my life for that fight and I wasn’t mentally or emotionally prepared.  We just have to move on and not have any emotions in there for this fight. 

“Lemieux and I have a lot of similarities.  We both have two losses. We’ll get in there and see what happens.  One of us will likely walk out with a third loss, and I’ve done everything I can to make sure that it isn’t me. 

“Once we step in the ring there aren’t any excuses.   If I win, it’s because I prepared as hard as I could.  If I lose, it’s because I didn’t give it my all.

“I’m 2-0 in Canada.  I came here and I won.  When you’re a boxer, it’s not the location that matters because we all fight in the ring.  I’ll step in the ring and do my job and let the judges do theirs. 

“I’ve seen a lot of his fights – we’ve done our homework.  We know what he does well and we also know his weaknesses. 

“I consider myself a puncher just like him.  He’s strong, I’m strong.  He’s fast, I’m fast.  He has heart, I have heart.  But I never give up.  I have the will to fight.’’

JERMELL CHARLO:

“I’m blessed and thankful to be here in Canada.  Ever since we touched down it’s been great.  I’m ready to put on a great performance and keep climbing up in the ranks at 154 pounds.

On his height advantage over Ohta… “In camp we worked on so many different things and we’re ready for whatever Charlie is going to bring.  He’s 5-foot-6 and I’m 5-foot-11½ so that’s an advantage for me.

“I’m fast, I’m strong.  I’m way stronger than I was for the (Gabriel) Rosado fight, so hopefully that will come out during this fight.  You’ll see the strength and you’ll see that I’m ready for this next stage and level of boxing. 

On being in camp with Erislandy Lara… “We push each other hard.  Even with the language barrier we’re able to still communicate and make fun out of training and at the same time give it our all. 

“We’ve been gaining from everything that we knew we missed out on last fight.  So it’s just the process of getting better.

On Ohta not being present at the press conference… “It happens.  I’ve seen him on tape.  I know what he looks like, so it’s fine.  I’ll see him at the fight, and I’ll see him at the weigh-in.

“He’s a short and stocky guy so he uses his compact positioning and his style to his perfection.  But what fighter haven’t I faced that comes forward, that puts a lot of pressure on and is heavy?

“He has a little pop on his punches.  He’s 32 years old, I’m 24 – my birthday was Monday -- so I feel like I’m getting older and I’m getting better.”

CHARLIE OHTA (Prepared Statement):

“I’m in great shape and I had a great camp.  This is my time. 

“This is a great fight between a boxer and a puncher.  It’s no secret what I’m going to do -- I’m going to bring the heat and put the heat on Charlo. 

“We guarantee you will see a great fight and everyone will get their money’s worth.”