Headlining ShoBox for the Second Time, Rob Brant Says He’s Still in Shock Over His Own Success

Minnesota’s Rob “Bravo” Brant (18-0, 11 KOs) won’t lie… He’s still amazed by the level of success he’s already achieved in his young career.

“I don’t want to water it down. It’s a huge shocker,” admits Brant. “I was boxing fan before I was even a boxer. So now, to rub shoulders with big guys in the sport like I am, I sometimes have to remind myself not to ask fanboy questions. I worked hard to get here, but I’m still surprised.”

Tonight, 25-year-old Brant will face Atlantic City’s Decarlo Perez (15-3-1, 5 KOs) in a 10-round battle for the NABA Championship to headline a ShoBox: The New Generation tripleheader of fights, live from the Casino Del Sol in Tucson, .

Tickets for “Boxing at Casino Del Sol”, which is promoted by Greg Cohen Promotions and Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions, are priced at $25, $40, $75 and $100, and are available through the Casino Del Sol Resort web site (www.casinodelsol.com). Please click on “Featured Promotions” and then “SHOBOX Fight” to buy tickets. In the co-featured televised bouts, undefeated heavyweight Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller (15-0-1, 13 KOs) will take on Cleveland’s Donovan Dennis (14-3, 11 KOs) in a 10-rounder for the NABA Heavyweight Championship and undefeated Kazakhstani power puncher Bakhtiyar Eyubov (9-0, 9 KOs) will look to keep his perfect record intact against Jared Robinson (16-2-1, 7 KOs), of Sumter, South Carolina in an eight-round welterweight battle.

“I feel really good. I’m confident. I had a great camp with phenomenal sparring partners,” continued Brant. “I got a chance to work a lot of rounds with Errol Spence Jr., just in case Perez decides to fight southpaw. Maybe it was just smoke and mirrors when he said he would, but we had to be prepared for anything. I also sparred with Jermell Charlo, who is also coached by my trainer, Derrick James, so it was a great camp.”

Brant says he will be looking to improve from his last fight, a ShoBox-televised majority decision over Louis Rose last October.

“For this camp, I built off what worked last time and looked at the flaws and mistakes I made last time on ShoBox against Louis Rose. I made sure I had that mental aspect down of knowing I’m able to do 10 hard rounds and still be offensive. In my last fight, I took my foot off the gas a bit and was just content to win, as opposed to giving more to the ShoBox crowd and looking impressive. My punch output will be higher and things like when I cut angles it won’t be just to escape and evade. Now it will be to create opportunities for punching. Obviously it takes two guys out there, so I’ll wait and see how he reacts and what he decides to do. I’ll see if he starts punching and lets his hands go.”

Brant says he knows what to expect from the formidable Perez and doesn’t suspect it’s going to be easy.

“He (Perez) comes straight forward and will double triple and quadruple his jab, which will create a lot of opportunities for me to counter and hit him with good solid shots. He’s a guy you can rattle his cage pretty often but he doesn’t go down or out. Watching his last fight, he’s going to throw a lot of punches. That’s why my output will have to be higher. I have to shut down everything he tries to do. He’s not overly strong in any ears but not weak in any area either.”

Brant says despite all his hard work and the god-given talent he has practiced for years to hone and cultivate, the reality of being a ShoBox headliner is still amazing for him to ponder.

“In the last year things have exploded. I used to watch Steve Farhood all the time and now I sit in fighter interviews with him. I always wanted to be here, but I didn’t expect to be here this quickly. It’s a huge shocker. A lot of this is new for me. The cameras and the hot lights and the interviews and people wanting to know what I think about things. It’s a good feeling and I love it, but I’m still in shock a bit by it all.”

For more information, visit: Showtime’s ShoBox web site. Twitter: @SHOsports; For more information on Greg Cohen Promotions, visit www.gcpboxing.com. Twitter: @gcpboxing. Or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GCPBoxing. For more information on Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions, visit royjonesjrboxing.com. Twitter: @RoyJonesJrFA.

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About ShoBox: The New Generation Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 65 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Omar Figueroa, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.