Marcus Upshaw reborn for Oct. 23 fight vs. Aaron Pryor Jr.

MIAMI (Oct. 13, 2014) - Modern day road warrior Marcus "Arillius" Upshaw (17-13-2, 8 KOs) plans to jumpstart his career October 23 against fellow gatekeeper and upset specialist, Aaron Pryor Jr. (19-7, 12 KOs), in the 10-round main event on a private (no tickets sold or media coverage) Alarm Charity Boxing fundraiser event at Renaissance Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C. "I've fought everybody," Upshaw said from training camp. "It seems like I've fought forever as a super middleweight but I'm a middleweight and this fight is going to help me get a fight against a top middleweight. My mind is right for this fight and I know what I need to do. I'm not going to leave fights in the hands of the judges anymore. "I went the distance with some big dogs (David Lemieux, Marcos Antonio Rubio,Gilberto Ramirez Sanchez, Lamar Russ, Patrick Majewski, Tarvis Simms and Edwin Rodriguez). I didn't get knocked out or quit in those fights and my mind is set now. You're only as good as your camp and I'm having a great one, sparring with Jermain Taylor and some other good fighters for this fight." In 2008, Upshaw impressively derailed the rise to the top of the then 19-1 James McGirt with a controversial 10-round majority draw, in which, most fans felt Upshaw should have won. Two fights later, he upset 10-0 prospect Ashandi Gibbs (10-0) by way of a fourth-round technical knockout for the Florida State middleweight championship. Upshaw traveled to Quebec City in 2010 and registered his most significant victory to date, a stunning 10-round decision over 21-1-1 local hero Renan St. Juste in his opponent's backyard, pushing Upshaw up in the world ratings (IBF #6, WBO #9, WBC #11). "Announcers always say it's really all about which Marcus Upshaw would be fighting," Upshaw added. "It's really all about my mind set. I went back to Ground Zero and I'm just going to be me from now on. I'm positive and have built myself back up from scratch. I want to get back to where I was at my peak, against St. Juste, and then get a rematch with Lemieux or Rubio, but not in Mexico again." Like Upshaw, Pryor has been in against the iron during his career, primarily fought in the shadows of his Hall-of-Fame father, Aaron "The Hawk" Pryor. The 36-year-old Pryor Jr., who went the distance in losing efforts against Rodriguez, Dyah Davis, Will Rosinsky and Thomas Oosthuizen, defeated three-time world title challengerLibrado Andrade (DEC10) in 2011, and the only fighter to stop him is World Boxing Council (WBC) light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson. "I'm not going into my opponent's backyard for this fight," Upshaw concluded. "Pryor is from Cincinnati. I don't plan to leave this fight in the hands of the judges. He won't be able to handle me. I've fought a lot tougher guys than him. If I don't stop him it's going to be a long ass-whipping I give him." Upshaw, like Pryor, also has rich athletic bloodlines. His uncle, the late Gene Upshaw, was an NFL Hall of Fame offensive guard for the Oakland Raiders. "Marcus is a big, tough, strong middleweight who hasn't always used his size advantage," Upshaw's longtime manager Si Stern remarked. "This is a very big fight for him. His problem has been not finishing off guys. He has a whole new attitude. Marcus was misused earlier in his career fighting guys much bigger than him. He's really a 160-pound fighter and that's weight class Marcus should be fighting at as he is in this fight. I'm confident that Marcus will put on a good show and, if he wins, his career will be a lot brighter." Damian Frias preparing for Ring return Another one of Stern's fighters, always dangerous welterweight Damian "Devo" Frias (19-8-1, 10 KOs), is ready to return to the ring before 2014 concludes. The Cuban southpaw, fighting out of Miami, has been hampered by hand injuries during the past few years. Frias hasn't been stopped in 28 fights, including losses to present International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior middleweight champion Carlos Molina (19-5-2),Mikael Zewski (19-0), Ionut Dan Ion (30-2), Vitaliy Demyanenko (21-0) and Freddy Hernandez (25-1). The highlight of the 38-year-old Frias' career remains a ninth-round TKO of Henry Crawford. "I injured my left hand in sparring for my last fight against Zewski," Frias explained. "It was the biggest fight of my career, fighting for the first time on an HBO undercard, so I didn't say anything and kept icing it. I felt I could stop him but I lost a decision and aggravated my hand injury. It hurt badly after that fight (June 15, 2013). I could have had surgery but we decided to rest it and have cortisone treatment. I hope to be back fighting in November, at least by the end of this year. My hand has held up in sparring and we'll have to wait and see if it holds up in a real fight. "I've had injuries with my hands. They're real small for a guy my size and chronically swollen. I already had surgery on my right hand. It's been real difficult and aggravating. My hands are wrapped good and I've blocked out the pain during fights once the blood gets flowing, but I was just throwing punches at a target instead of punching through 'em. I fought with damaged hands against Zewski, Ion, and Demyanenko but I'm optimistic now. I'm going for broke. This is my last run; I'm not a young buck anymore." Stern added, "Of all the fighters I've been around, nobody is tougher than Damian, who's never been afraid of fighting anybody. In most of the fights he's lost, Damian was strong in the early rounds, until his hand swelled and he couldn't use his left hand. His hand is stronger now after rest, medication and rehab. We're all hoping his hands hold up in a fight." INFORMATION: Marcus Upshaw Twitter @MarcusUpshaw or @MarcusArilliusUpshaw www.facebook.com/pages/Marcus-Upshaw/260365894066319 Damian Frias www.facebook.com/damian.frias.5

JOSE PEDRAZA REMAINS UNDEFEATED WITH EIGHTH ROUND TKO OF TEVIN FARMER

Lamar Russ Scores Stunning First Round TKO Over Jonathan Cepeda

Plus, Jermain Taylor Registers Second Round Knockout Of Raul Munoz

Friday, Oct. 12, Live on SHOWTIME^®,

Ameristar Casino in St. Charles, MO

Replay Will Air Tuesday, Oct. 16,
At 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME^®

ST. CHARLES, MO. (Oct. 12, 2012) – Unbeaten lightweight Jose Pedraza (11-0, 7 KOs), of San Juan, Puerto Rico, dominated late replacement Tevin Farmer (7-4-1, 1 KO), of Philadelphia, Penn., en route to an eighth round TKO in the main event Friday on ShoBox: The New Generation live onSHOWTIME^®.

Pedraza, who many regard as the best prospect to come out of Puerto Rico since Miguel Cotto, began the night cautiously, using the first round to feel out his opponent and get comfortable in the ring.  However, by the middle of the second round Jose found his rhythm and took control of the fight.  In the third round, Pedraza enforced his will with an onslaught of punches lasting for most of the last minute of the round.  Farmer, never quite recovering, was still a game opponent and continued to show his heart through Pedraza’s domination.

In the eighth round and final round, Farmer threw a punch that seemed to connect with Pedraza’s elbow clearly injuring his left hand.  With 0:47 gone in the round, referee Celestino Ruiz stopped the fight after Pedraza sent a flurry of body shots to finish off Farmer.

“After the second round it was all Pedraza,” said SHOWTIME announcer Raul Marquez after the fight.  “There’s only so much punishment a fighter can take.”

In the co-feature at Ameristar Casino, Lamar Russ (11-0, 7 KOs), of Wilmington, N.C., registered an impressive first round knockout over previously undefeated Jonathan Cepeda (12-1, 11 KOs), of Jersey City, N.J.  The quick fight ended at 1:45 when Cepeda was unable to recover from a devastating blow and properly respond to referee Mike England’s request to look at and walk to him. 

Earlier in the night, former undisputed middleweight champion Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor (31-4-1, 19 KOs) impressed the crowd with a dominating second round knockout of Raul Munoz (21-16-1, 16 KOs).  The 10-round bout was stopped at the 1:05 mark in the second round after a powerful straight-right punch sent Munoz falling to the canvas.  Referee Mike England called the fight with Munoz on his back.

Barry Tompkins called the action from ringside alongside Steve Farhood, Marquez and Joe Cortez. The executive producer of ShoBox is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

The evening of fights will re-air Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME and will be available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND beginning Saturday, Oct. 13.

On Saturday, Oct. 20, there will be four world championship fights on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (8 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.: Defending champion Danny Garcia (24-0, 15 KOs) vs. Erik Morales (52-8, 36 KOs) for the Unified Super Lightweight World Championship, Paulie Malignaggi (31-4, 7 KOs) vs. Pablo Cesar Cano (25-1-1, 19 KOs) for Malignaggi’s WBA Welterweight title, Hassan N’Dam (27-0, 17 KOs) vs. Peter Quillin (27-0, 20 KOs) for N’Dam’s WBO Middleweight belt and Devon Alexander (23-1, 13 KOs) vs.Randall Bailey (43-7, 37 KOs) for Bailey’s IBF Welterweight crown. Live undercard fights will precede the telecast on SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT).

For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, visit the website at http://sports.SHO.com.

Thursday's ShoBox Weights

All the fighters competing on ShoBox: The New Generation tomorrow/Friday, Oct. 12, live onSHOWTIME^® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) made weight on their

first attempts Thursday at Ameristar Casino in St. Charles, Mo.

In the eight-round main event, former international amateur standout and highly regarded Puerto Rican prospect, Jose “The Sniper” Pedraza (10-0, 6 KOs), faces southpaw Tevin “The American Idol” Farmer (7-3-1, 1 KO) of Philadelphia in a lightweight fight.

The ShoBox co-feature at Ameristar Casino will pit hard-hitting Dominican Jonathan “El Conquistador” Cepeda (12-0, 11 KOs), of Jersey City, N.J., against Lamar “The Boxing Que” Russ (10-0, 6 KOs), of Tallahassee, Fla., in a collision of unbeaten middleweights in an eight-round bout.

Highlights from a fight featuring Jermain Taylor against Raul Munoz and a live interview with Taylor, a former undisputed middleweight champion, will be shown during the telecast

The event is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Rumble Time Promotions, in association with Gary Shaw Productions and Universal Promotions.

Tickets are priced at $100, $75 and $40 and can be purchased through the Ameristar Casino or by calling (314) 267-2204. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 6 p.m.

Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing andRick Phillips directing.

 

WEIGHTS: Pedraza weighed 133 pounds, Farmer 133 1/2. Cepeda, Russ and Taylor each weighed 161 ½ pounds, Munoz 162.

CAN UNBEATEN SENSATION JOSE PEDRAZA LIVE UP TO HYPE? IS HE PUERTO RICO’S BEST PROSPECT SINCE MIGUEL COTTO? WATCH THIS FRIDAY WHEN HE TAKES ON TEVIN FARMER IN MAIN EVENT ON SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION

Jonathan Cepeda, In His Second Fight Back
 After a Head-On Automobile Accident,  Faces Fellow Unbeaten Lamar Russ
In Grudge Match In Co-Feature At Ameristar Casino in St. Charles, Missouri;
Doubleheader Will Air Live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT

NEW YORK (Oct. 10, 2012) –  Fans get an opportunity to watch a boxer regarded as the most promising prospect from Puerto Rico since superstar Miguel Cotto when talented lightweight and former international amateur standout Jose “The Sniper” Pedraza (10-0) faces southpawTevin “The American Idol” Farmer (7-3-1, 1 KO) of Philadelphia in the eight-round main event this Friday, Oct. 12, on ShoBox: The New Generation live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

The co-feature at Ameristar Casino in St. Charles, Mo., is a grudge match between power-punching Dominican Jonathan “El Conquistador” Cepeda (12-0, 11 KOs), of Jersey City, N.J., and fellow unbeaten Lamar “The Boxing Que” Russ (10-0, 6 KOs), of Tallahassee, Fla. Russ lost via disputed disqualification to Cepeda in the finals of a Golden Gloves tournament in March 2007 and will be seeking revenge in the eight-round middleweight match.

Also, highlights from a fight featuring Jermain Taylor against Raul Munoz and a live interview with Taylor, a former undisputed middleweight champion, will be shown during the telecast.

The 5-foot-9, 23-year-old Pedraza is unbeaten and untested and has been brought along slowly, but he seemingly possesses the tools to oneday perhaps become as well-known – and successful -- as his Puerto Rican predecessors, prolific prizefighters such as Cotto, Felix “Tito”Trinidad, Wilfredo Gomez and Wilfred Benitez.

Said Cotto: "We wish the best to Pedraza on Friday night. Looking forward to a great performance on ShoBox.’’

Pedraza, who began boxing at the age of 12, fought 170 times in the amateurs and was a three-time Puerto Rican national champion. He represented Puerto Rico in the 2008 Olympic Games, and was the gold medalist at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Since turning pro at 21 on Feb. 18, 2011, he has seldom lost a round.

“The next couple of months we’re going to see the present and the future of Puerto Rican boxing,’’ said ShoBox expert analyst and boxing historian Steve Farhood. “On Dec. 1, Cotto, a future Hall of Famer, will be fighting at Madison Square Garden on SHOWTIME and on Friday the fighter that has been called the best prospect since Cotto is fighting on ShoBox.’’

This will be Pedraza’s fifth fight in 2012, his sixth consecutive scheduled eight-round bout and his second start on ShoBox. In his last fight, he registered one knockdown en route to taking a unanimous eight-round decision over Jose Valderrama on Aug. 31. Three fights ago, Pedraza won his ShoBox debut with a unanimous eight-round decision over Gil Garcia on April 27.

“Judging by what we saw from Pedraza last time on ShoBox, you can be sure he’ll be punching for a knockout (on Friday),’’ Farhood said.

The versatile, ambidextrous Pedraza, who can box or slug, trains the vast majority of the time at the Albergue Olimpico Gym in Salinas. Albergue Olimpico Gym is the Olympic training center in Puerto Rico – the equivalent of Colorado Springs in the United States.

“I just want to tell all the people who are coming to the fight and all of the people watching on TV -- get ready because I'm going to put on a show," Pedraza said.

Farmer, a replacement for Allan Benitez who withdrew because of an elbow injury, accepted this assignment this past weekend.

An awkward boxer and natural counter-puncher who’ll be spotting Pedraza three inches in height, the 5-foot-6, 22-year old Farmer has won three in a row and five out of his last six. In his last start, he pitched an eight-round shutout against Rasool Shakoor on July 28.

Farmer, a pro since February 2011, is known for his willingness to fight anybody anywhere – even if it means taking a significant step up in class versus a foe he knows nothing about.

"I'm not familiar with my opponent at all,’’ the self-managed Farmer said. “I haven't seen videos. I know my capabilities. I’m slick and fast and I know I've faced tougher. Fighting me will be a step up for him, not a step up for me. I don’t have a promoter backing me, I've done this alone.’’

Farmer feels fighting as a lightweight is significant. "I was actually struggling to make weight,’’ he said. “Look at my losses; they were all at 130 or under. So now I'm fighting at 135."

If bloodlines mean anything, Farmer will win. He says he’s related to the legendary Joe Gans, an all-time great world lightweight champion considered to be one of the best boxers in history, pound-for-pound.

The opening bout of the telecast is a classic ShoBox matchup between unbeaten fighters at similar stages of their careers. Both feel they are elite prospects and are willing to prove it by fighting each other. The result could provide each three-year professional a good barometer of where they’re at and how close they are to taking the next step to contender status.

“If you haven’t seen Cepeda, you’re going to love him,’’ Farhood said. “He’s a pure puncher with a knockout artist’s mentality. Russ is a lanky boxer-puncher who stands in the pocket, so it should be a great action fight.’’

While a defeat wouldn’t be disastrous for either guy, the outcome may be more important to the aggressive-minded, 5-foot-9, 28-year-old Cepeda, a three-year pro who got a late start in the sport and didn’t begin to box until he was 20. He had a brief amateur career, going 24-4 (all the losses were to former world title challenger Danny Jacobs) before turning pro in November 2008.

Cepeda has won nine in a row by knockout, including a 1:42 first-round TKO over Orphius Waitelast Aug. 2. He dropped Waite twice before it was stopped. This will be his second fight since walking away from a head-on collision last November on the New Jersey Turnpike.

“There was one lane open, and there was about a 70- or 80-year-old man who fell asleep at the wheel and hit me straight on at 80 miles an hour,’’ Cepeda said. “I was with a female friend.  She broke her shoulder. She had a dog with her and the dog went through the windshield.”

Miraculously, Cepeda escaped mostly unscathed. "I had injuries to my shoulder and back and a couple of flesh wounds, but nothing serious,’’ he said. “I went through physical therapy. Luckily I was able to recover 100 percent. I had angels of my own that day, my Mom’s birthday.’’

Cepeda has had to overcome a lot besides the automobile accident. “I had personal problems,’’ he said. “I’m from the streets where there were gangs, violence. But I went to Florida, went to school, got an education. I saw a whole different life. Now, I’m real happy. I just want to look good and let everyone know I’m the new kid on the block and I demand my respect.  I love fighting. I'm excited, happy that this opportunity came along. I'm going in there to take him out."

Russ, a 6-foot-2, 25-year-old college graduate, is fighting for the first time since registering a career-best fourth-round knockout over previously undefeated Jose Alonzo last April 14. This will be his third fight of the year, after fighting just once in 2011. It is his eight-round debut.

Before turning pro at the age of 22 in October 2009, Russ was an accomplished, top five-ranked   amateur who won the vast majority of his nearly 300 bouts. But it’s the DQ defeat to Cepeda that continues to gnaw at him.

“When I fought him in the amateurs, I was disqualified – it was just a bad call,” said Russ, who spars with WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin. “We knew we’d run into him one of these days, and this is it. It's personal, because I feel like he owes me one. As soon as we were offered this fight, we jumped on it. Jonathan is a great guy and he's got great skills but I feel like I'm the better, hungrier fighter. I deserve this. It's going to be an interesting fight."

Regarding his nickname, “The Boxing Que,” he said. “I'm in a fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, at Fayetteville State University. I graduated with a business administration degree in 2011."

Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside alongside Farhood. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

The event is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, in association with Gary Shaw Productions, Universal Promotions and Rumble Time Promotions. Tickets are priced at $100, $75 and $40 and can be purchased through the Ameristar Casino or by calling (314) 267-2204.  Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 6 p.m.

BLUE CHIP PROSPECT JOSE PEDRAZA VS. ALLAN BENITEZ HEADLINE SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION

Plus, Battle of Unbeaten Middleweights JONATHAN CEPEDA Vs. LAMAR RUSS In Co-Features Friday, October 12 From The AMERISTAR CASINO Live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT New York/St. Charles, Mo. (October 2, 2012) - On Friday, October 12, DiBella Entertainment will return to the Ameristar Casino in St. Charles MO, with an exciting edition of ShoBox: The New Generation.  Headlining the card will be Puerto Rican amateur star, and blue-chip prospect, Jose "Sniper" Pedraza (10-0, 6KO's) taking on Robert Garcia trained Allan Benitez (7-1, 1KO) in an eight-round lightweight matchup. In the televised co-feature, undefeated up-and-coming prospects Jonathan Cepeda (12-0, 11KO's) and Lamar Russ (10-0, 6KO's) square off in an eight-round middleweight bout.  The card is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Gary Shaw Productions, Universal Promotions and Rumble Time Promotions.  SHOWTIME® will begin live coverage at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). Also featured on the ShoBox telecast will be highlights of former undisputed middleweight champion Jermain "Bad Intentions" Taylor (30-4-1, 18KO's) in his bout versus Raul Munoz (21-15-1, 16KO's), a ten-round middleweight matchup which will take place earlier in the evening.   Jose Pedraza (L) vs. Allan Benitez At just 23 years old, Pedraza is one of the highest regarded prospects in all of boxing.  Pedraza's stellar amateur career saw him represent his native Puerto Rico in the 2008 Olympics and win a silver medal at the 2009 Amateur World Championships, before turning pro in February 2011 with a first-round TKO over Felix Rivera.  His bout against Benitez will be his second on SHOWTIME, but the first as the featured bout of the evening. "After my last fight against Valderrama (August 31), I only rested for a week and then got straight back in the gym," said Pedraza. "For this fight the training has been very intense. I have sparred with former world title contender Mario Santiago, world champion 'Rocky' Martinez and Luis Rosario, who is a very good amateur boxer.  I am looking forward to putting on a great performance on the 12th and taking another step towards fulfilling my ultimate goal of winning a world championship." A native of Mexico, now living and training with Garcia in the boxing hotbed of Oxnard, Calif., Benitez has rattled off seven wins in a row after dropping his pro-debut in a close four-round decision.  Benitez last saw action in August of this year, winning an exciting six-round unanimous decision over Osnel Charles at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.   Jonathan Cepeda (L) vs. Lamar Russ Cepeda had a limited but successful amateur career, sporting a 22-3 record with all three losses coming against former blue-chip prospect Danny Jacobs.  Cepeda competed in the National Golden Gloves and twice won the Florida Golden Gloves tournament. Since turning pro, Cepeda has impressed in each and every outing.  With devastating power in both hands and an aggressive seek-and-destroy mentality, Cepeda has the ability to end a fight with one punch. Russ was an accomplished amateur, winning the North Carolina State title six times, before turning pro in 2009. At just 25 years old, Russ is just coming into his own as a professional.  Like Cepeda, Russ is a come-forward fighter who likes to press the action and mix it up with his opponent. Russ is coming off his most impressive victory to date; a fourth-round TKO over previously unbeaten (13-0) Jose Alonzo.  Prior to his bout with Alonzo, Russ won a six-round unanimous decision over Marcus Upshaw. Taylor returned to the ring in December of last year.  In his most recent outing, he won a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Caleb Truax. Taylor, who is currently rated number six in the WBC, eight in the WBO and 14 in the IBF, is working his way back into title contention and hopes to get another shot at the coveted middleweight championship sometime in 2013.  The event is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, in association with Gary Shaw Productions, Universal Promotions and Rumble Time Promotions.  Tickets are priced at $100, $75 and $40 and can be purchased through the Ameristar Casino or by calling (314) 267-2204.  Doors open at 5:30PM with the first bout scheduled for 6PM.