PRIMETIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING RETURNS TO BARCLAYS CENTER IN BROOKLYN ON SATURDAY, JUNE 25 Welterweight Champion Keith Thurman Defends Against Former Champ Shawn Porter In Highly Anticipated Showdown, Undefeated Super Welterweights Jarrett Hurd & Oscar Molina Open Broadcast at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT Live On SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS Presented By Premier Boxing Champions Tickets On Sale Now! BROOKLYN (June 25, 2016) – An action-packed primetime doubleheader, headlined by the explosive, eagerly-awaited clash between welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman and former champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter, will come to Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday, June 25. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS presented by Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) telecast will begin with an intriguing matchup between undefeated super welterweights Jarrett Hurd and Oscar Molina. "Last year was an amazing year for me: I headlined the very first Premier Boxing Champions show and was named PBC Fighter of the Year," Thurman said. "But this is my year to dominate the welterweight division and I'm excited to be getting ready to take out Shawn Porter. I am ready to get back in the ring and bring boxing fans what they've been looking for - the top true welterweight champion of the world, the one who is going to take out all competitors one by one. I am Keith 'One-Time' Thurman and I'm going to show you what a champion looks like on June 25." "I'm very confident in my ability. That's why I've been looking forward to this fight because I'm someone who can beat Keith Thurman," Porter said. "Nothing about Keith really makes me nervous. I do know that he's going to be ready for this fight. He's a fighter that has the heart of a lion just like I do. I expect this to be a fight to the finish. A win over Keith Thurman is what we've been waiting for." "The dictionary definition of ‘Swift’ is to happen quickly or promptly," said Hurd. "So just like my ring name, that's exactly what you'll see on Saturday night. I'm so grateful that this fight was made and that the whole world will be able to see my boxing skills on this highly anticipated card." “I’m excited for this fight and I’m grateful that it’s even bigger now that it’s on CBS,” said Molina. “I’ve seen Hurd fight. I know what he does well and what his weaknesses are and I’ll be looking to capitalize on them. It’s important for me to defeat the top guys and this is someone I have to beat to become a world champion one day. I’m excited about fighting in Brooklyn on the big stage, but my focus will be on my trainer’s game plan and coming out victorious.” Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, start at $49, not including applicable fees, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP. "Keith Thurman against Shawn Porter is one of the best matchups that can be made in the welterweight division right now," said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. "Fans in attendance at Barclays Center and those watching on CBS will witness a passing of the torch as the hard-punching world titleholder Thurman and the highly skilled former champion Porter vie to prove who will be the next heir to the throne in the post-Mayweather era of the 147-pound division." “Barclays Center has featured many memorable welterweight fights and the long-awaited Thurman vs. Porter matchup promises to become the best one yet,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. "Thurman vs. Porter is a marquee matchup of two elite boxers in the prime of their careers, and the winner will establish himself as arguably the No. 1 fighter in boxing's glamour division," said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. "Fights of this caliber don't come along very often, and when they do, they deserve to be on the biggest stage possible. That's why all of us at SHOWTIME and CBS are so excited to be able to deliver this pivotal matchup to a primetime audience on America's highest-rated network." The hard-hitting Florida native Thurman floored former champion and long-time contender Robert Guerrero en route to a convincing 12th round unanimous decision last March in Las Vegas. He then dominated and bloodied former champ Luis Collazo on July 11, winning via seventh round TKO. Thurman won his belt with a knockout of Diego Chaves in 2013 and scored consecutive knockouts over Jesus Soto Karass (2013) and Julio Diaz (2014) in his first and second title defenses. The physically gifted and offensive-minded Ohio native Porter knocked out former two-division world champion Paulie Malignaggi with a brutal clean right hand in April of 2014 in the lone defense of his title. Porter lost the IBF belt less than four months after the Malignaggi victory in a close majority decision defeat to undefeated British superstar Kell Brook, but he bounced back with a fifth-round knockout of Erick Bone in March of 2015. Porter scored what many considered an upset in his next bout over then three-division world champion Adrien Broner with a clear unanimous decision last June 20 in Las Vegas. Hurd, of Accokeek, Md., just south of Washington, D.C., has an unblemished record since turning professional in 2012. He is coming off a career-best performance last November with a six-round destruction of previously undefeated Frank Galarza on ShoBox: The New Generation. Hurd, who has never been down or cut as a professional, will be facing his third consecutive unbeaten opponent. Molina, of Norwalk, Calif., just east of Los Angeles, was a 2012 Mexican Olympian. He tore through his opposition after turning professional in 2013, registering knockouts in 10 of his 14 fights. Molina, who has also never been down, is coming off a 10-round draw with fellow unbeaten highly regarded prospect Dominque Dolton last September. He returns to the ring this Saturday against another undefeated opponent as he looks to make a statement in the 154- pound division. Barclays Center's BROOKLYN BOXING™ programming platform is presented by AARP. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina. For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports and www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @PremierBoxing @KeithFThurmanJr, @ShowtimeShawnP, @LouDiBella, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment and www.facebook.com/BarclaysCenter. CONTACTS: Swanson Communications: (202) 783-5500 Michael Donahue, Premier Boxing Champions: (630) 441-8080 DiBella Entertainment: (212) 947-2577 Chris DeBlasio, Showtime Networks Inc.: (212) 708-1633 Matt Donovan, Showtime Networks Inc.: (212) 708-1663 Flo Jocou, Showtime Networks Inc.: (212) 708-7319 John Beyrooty BZA/SHOWTIME: (562) 233-7477 Barry Baum, Barclays Center: (718) 942-9533 Mandy Gutmann, Barclays Center: (718) 942-9587 Credentials: www.magnamedia.com Keith Thurman vs. Shawn Porter Undercard Complete Unbeaten Polish Heavyweight Adam Kownacki Faces Massachusetts’ Jesse Barboza While Undefeated Rising Star Heather Hardy Battles Colorado’s Kirstie Simmons Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn Plus! David Benavidez Takes On Francy Ntetu While Regis Prograis Battles Luis Eduardo Flores Jonathan Alonso, Josue Vargas & Nicklaus Flaz in Separate Bouts BROOKLYN (June 25, 2016) – The stacked undercard for the highly anticipated Keith Thurman vs. Shawn Porter welterweight showdown is complete and will feature a pair of popular Brooklyn fighters as heavyweight Adam Kownacki (13-0, 10 KOs) battles hard-hitting Jesse Barboza (11-1-1, 7 KOs) in an eight-round bout while crowd-pleasing featherweight Heather “The Heat” Hardy (16-0, 4 KOs) takes on Colorado’s Kirstie Simmons (8-1, 2 KOs) in an eight-round contest on Saturday, June 25 from Barclays Center. The June 25 SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® on CBS event, presented by Premier Boxing Champions, is headlined by the world title fight between defending world champion Keith Thurman and former champion Shawn Porter. Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The live telecast will open with an exciting battle between undefeated super welterweight prospects Jarrett Hurd and Oscar Molina. Further undercard action features fast-rising prospect David Benavidez (14-0, 13 KOs) taking on Francy Ntetu (16-0, 3 KOs) in an eight-round light heavyweight bout and unbeaten junior welterweight Regis Prograis (17-0, 14 KOs) versus Luis Eduardo Flores (21-3, 17 KOs) in a 10-round bout. Rounding out the night of fights are unbeaten prospect Jonathan Alonso taking on Los Angeles native Brian Jones in a junior welterweight match, Bronx native Josue Vargas opposing Oklahoma’s David Nelson in a four-round welterweight bout and a recent addition to the card, Puerto Rico’s Nicklaus Flaz, in a four-round junior middleweight battle against Brooklyn’s Mack Babb. Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, start at $49 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745- 3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP. A popular Brooklyn fighter who competed in Barclays Center’s first-ever professional female boxing match, Hardy has become a staple at the arena since.
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