Fortuna to Cotto: No Excuses Tonight

Former interim WBA Featherweight World Champion and undefeated super featherweight contender, Javier "El Abejon" Fortuna doesn't want to hear any excuses tonight. Fortuna (25-0-1, 18 KOs) of La Romana, Dominican Republic, is set to take on Puerto Rico's Abner "Pin" Cotto (18-2, 8 KOs) in a 10-round super featherweight bout to open tonight's (Saturday, November 1) SHOWTIME BOXING: Special Edition tripleheader (live at 9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from the UIC Pavilion in Chicago. "Every time I beat someone, they say there were sick, or they say they were injured," said Fortuna. "There's always an excuse. They had a cold. It's always something. My opponents always have an excuse. I want to know Abner Cotto is 100% ready forSaturday so when I beat him, there are no excuses." In the night's main event, top light heavyweight contender Andrzej "Chicago's Polish Prince" Fonfara (25-3, 15 KOs), will make his ring return against France via Congo's Doudou Ngumbu (33-5, 12 KOs). And in the other televised fight, WBO World Bantamweight Champion Tomoki "El Mexicanito" Kameda (30-0, 19 KOs), of Tokyo, Japan, will defend his title for the third time against Interim WBO Bantamweight Champion Alejandro "Payasito" Hernandez (28-10-2, 15 KOs) of Mexico City in a 12-round battle. Tickets start at $31 and are available at Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or call: 1-800-745-3000, the Warriors Offices: 312-622-7668 or the UIC Pavilion Box Office: 312-413-5740, or visit the UIC Box Office (Thursday or Friday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM). They can also be purchased the night of the event. Fortuna, who trained with Hector Bermudez between Albany and Boston for this fight, is known for scoring sensational knockouts. The 25-year-old says he's not sure if he'll be able to deliver another classic KO in this fight, only that he will defeat Cotto, guaranteed. "He's a good boxer and he has the pedigree of the Cotto family," said Fortuna of his opponent. "He says he's already beaten two Dominicans, but this is the professional game now. Amateur is a different world. I will see what he brings to the table and then if he's there to be taken I will, but I'm ready to go ten rounds as well, no problem." Fortuna, who has worked with long-time exclusive promoter Sampson Lewkowicz and manager Cesar Mercedes for many years, recently signed with boxing power broker Al Haymon as well. "I want to say thank you to Al Haymon, Showtime, my manager and, of course, my promoter Sampson Lewkowicz, who I've been working with me since I was 16." Fortuna says he's at the stage of his career where he's ready for anyone put in front of him, but he does have one opponent he'd love a crack at. "Everyone knows I bring excitement to my division because of my explosiveness. I've proven it over and over. Who I fight is up to my promoter, but I am ready for any super featherweight in the world. However I would fight (WBO Super Featherweight Champion) Mikey Garcia at any weight. Make it happen." Fortuna, a father of three, says he has some special dedications for this fight. "I want to dedicate this fight to my beautiful daughter, whose first birthday is on the night of my fight, this Saturday. I ask God to keep her healthy and secure for the rest of her life. I also want to dedicate it to the people of my great country. I'm very proud to be Dominican, and the rivalry between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic will be on full display in the ring on Saturday night. "The Homecoming" is presented by Warriors Boxing. On fight night, doors open at 5:00 pm and the action starts at 5:30 pm. All bouts are subject to change. For more information, visit www.warriorsboxing.com.

STEVE FARHOOD BREAKS DOWN SATURDAY’S SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION ON “THE BOXING BLOG”

“Andrzej Fonfara is a fan-friendly TV fighter.  Have I just praised him or insulted him? Maybe a little of both.” – Steve Farhood on“The Boxing Blog”: http://s.sho.com/1wFQXox

Read Farhood’s preview and don’t miss the fights this Saturday, live at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME^®.

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Homecoming: Fonfara vs. Ngumbu is a 10-round light heavyweight fight promoted by Warriors Boxing. In the co-main event, WBO World Bantamweight Champion Tomoki Kameda defends his title against interim WBO Bantamweight Champion Alejandro Hernandez in a 12-round bout, and opening the telecast, former interim WBA World Featherweight Champion Javier Fortuna will face Abner Cotto in a 10-round super featherweight bout. The SHOWTIME BOXING: Special Edition will take place at UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Ill., and will air on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets for “The Homecoming” start at $31 and are available at Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or call: 1-800-745-3000, the Warriors Offices: 312-622-7668 or the UIC Pavilion Box Office: 312-413-5740, or visit the UIC Box Office (Thursday or Friday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM). They can also be purchased the night of the event. On fight night, doors open at 6:00 pm and the action starts at 7:00 pm. All bouts are subject to change. For more information, visit www.warriorsboxing.com.

For more information, visit www.warriorsboxing.com,www.sports.sho.com and http://www.uicpavilion.com/pavilion, follow on Twitter at @andrzej_fonfara, @DoudouNgumbu, @TomokiKameda,@SHOSports, and become a fan on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

Doors open at 5 p.m. and the first non-televised bout starts at 5:30 p.m.All bouts are subject to change.

THREE-TIME CHAMP KOKI KAMEDA AND WORLD-RATED MIDDLEWEIGHT CALEB TRUAX SET TO APPEAR IN SEPARATE 10-ROUND BOUTS, SATURDAY NIGHT IN CHICAGO

Two more competitive fights with worldwide significance will take place on the un-televised undercard of "The Homecoming", presented by Warriors Boxing thisSaturday, November 1, at UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois. WBO #10-rated middleweight Caleb "Golden" Truax (24-1-2, 14 KOs) of Osseo, Minnesota, will take on Bedford, Virginia's Scott "Cujo" Sigmon (24-5-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-rounder; and former three-time world champion Kōki Kameda (32-1, 17 KOs) from Tokyo, Japan, will appear for the first time on US soil in a super flyweight 10-round fight against México City, Mexico's Omar Salado (24-8-2, 15 KOs). In the night's main event, top light heavyweight contender Andrzej "Chicago's Polish Prince" Fonfara (25-3, 15 KOs), will make his ring return against France via Congo's Doudou Ngumbu (33-5, 12 KOs). Co-headlining, WBO World Bantamweight World Champion Tomoki "El Mexicanito" Kameda (30-0, 19 KOs), of Mexico City by way of Tokyo, Japan, will defend his title for the third time against interim WBO Bantamweight Champion Alejandro "Payasito" Hernandez (28-10-2, 15 KOs) of Mexico City in a 12-round battle and opening the SHOWTIME BOXING Special Edition, former interim WBA World Featherweight Champion Javier "El Abejon" Fortuna (25-0-1, 18 KOs) of La Romana, Dominican Republic, squares off against Caguas, Puerto Rico's Abner "Pin" Cotto (18-2, 8 KOs) in a 10-round super featherweight bout; live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). Tickets start at $31 and are available at Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or call: 1-800-745-3000, the Warriors Offices: 312-622-7668 or the UIC Pavilion Box Office: 312-413-5740, or visit the UIC Box Office (Thursday or Friday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM). They can also be purchased the night of the event. Twenty-seven-year-old southpaw Kōki Kameda is the former  WBA   Bantamweight , WBC  Flyweight and WBA Light Flyweight Champion of the World. He is the oldest of the three Kameda brothers including himself, Daiki and Tomoki. The Kamedas are, by far, the most well-known boxers in Japan, Koki was also a television star in his homeland during his highly decorated amateur career. Kameda won the WBA Light Flyweight Championship in 2006 and defended it once before vacating to move up to flyweight, where he won the WBC Flyweight Championship over Daisuke Naito in November 2009. His only career loss came in March 2010, by 12-round majority decision against Thailand's Pongsaklek Wonjongkam to unify the WBC Flyweight championship and interim WBC Flyweight championships. In 2010, he moved up to bantamweight and took on Alexander Munoz and won the vacant WBA Bantamweight Regular by unanimous decision In Dec. 2013, Kameda vacated his bantamweight title to move back down to the super flyweight division. Thirty-four-year-old Omar Salado isa native of Tijuana. Salado has challenged three times for world championships. In 2011, he lost to then WBA World Light Flyweight Champion Roman Gonzalez. In 2009, he lost to Luis Concepcion for the interim WBA World flyweight Title and in 2006, he battled to a draw with then IBF World light flyweight Champion Ulises Solis. Salado has also taken on a lengthy list of top contenders in the flyweight divisions. Thirty-one-year-old Caleb Truax is a native of Osseo, Minnesota, currently rated WBO #10 at middleweight. Truax got his nickname from his alma mater, the University of Minnesota, whose teams are known as the "Golden Gophers." He was last seen scoring a unanimous decision over dangerous spoiler Derek Ennis in July of this year. Showing world-class boxing ability, Truax never let Ennis into the fight and hurt the capable Philadelphian on several occasions. Truax has excellent hand speed and power and uses fluid movement to score combinations. Twenty-seven-year-old Scott Sigmon of Lynchburg, Virginia, won the vacant WBC United States (USNBC) super middleweight title and defended it twice. He went seven rounds with former world champion Kelly Pavlik in 2012 and was last seen in June of this year, fighting to an eight-round majority draw with undefeated prospect Deandre Neal in Neal's home state of South Carolina. In March of this year, Sigmon stopped 24-3-3 Jessie Nicklow in 10 rounds. Also on the undercard Saturday night, four of the top up-and-coming boxing prospects the Windy City has to offer, Chicago's own Alex Martin (6-0, 5 KOs), Semajay Thomas (4-0, 2 KOs), Eddie Ramirez (5-0, 3 KOs), and Jose Felix Quezada (3-0, 2 KOs), will appear in separate undercard bouts. On fight night, doors open at 5:00 pm and the action starts at 5:30 pm. All bouts are subject to change. For more information, visitwww.warriorsboxing.com.