LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA — Saturday night the Home Depot Center in nearby Carson hosts the highly anticipated four-fight Showtime-televised card headlined by the cruiserweight clash between Antonio Tarver and undefeated Lateef Kayode. Fighters for the mega event, which includes two world title bouts and the return of former champion Winky Wright, weighed-in Friday mostly at Nokia Plaza at L.A. Live.
In his last fight (a ninth-round stoppage over Danny Green in Australia last July) former world light heavyweight champion Tarver (29-6, 20 KOs) of Tampa, Florida reignited belief in his career. However, since that time Tarver has seemingly concentrated less on becoming the world’s top cruiserweight and more on his Showtime broadcast duties. It was during that role that the somewhat trumped up storyline for tomorrow’s fight was created. Broadcasting several of Kayode’s recent outings, Tarver has been less than complimentary of the Nigerian’s performances. Despite his many available options, Tarver, the WBO #6/IBF #10/WBC #12 ranked cruiserweight, opted to put his money where his mouth was and take on Kayode rather than pursue one of the numerous belt holders in the division.
Kayode (18-0. 14 KOs) of Hollywood, California by way of Lagos, Nigeria burst on the public scene with a string of knockouts against modest opposition in 2010, before promoter Gary Shaw upped his class of opponent last year. The result was three straight decision wins, including a horribly scored bout with unheralded Nicholas Iannuzzi that could have gone either way. The WBA #2/WBO #8/IBF #9 ranked Kayode aims to add the most significant name by far to his win column Saturday as he takes on the former world light heavyweight champion.
Tarver, who risks his IBO Cruiserweight title in the twelve-rounder, scaled 198-pounds. Kayode, who forwent a mandatory bid against WBA titleholder Guillermo Jones in order to make Saturday’s bout, scaled 199-pounds Friday.
In the intriguing co-feature, former unified light middleweight champion Winky Wright finally ends his three-year hibernation against up-and-coming middleweight contender Peter Quillin in a ten-round middleweight bout.
Wright (51-5-1, 25 KOs) of Saint Petersburg, Florida was last seen back in April of 2009, as he lost a clear-cut decision to Paul Williams. In the years since, Wright has turned down or backed out of several proposed bouts seemingly due to their low profile. However, recent quotes indicate that Wright senses his time is limited, and thus he agreed to fight Quillin.
For his part, Quillin (26-0, 20 KOs) of Hollywood, California capped a busy 2011 with one of his better victories – a sixth-round stoppage over prospect Craig McEwan last November. Quillin, often mentioned as a possible opponent for recognized middleweight kingpin Sergio Martinez, aims to stamp his ticket to a big money fight at the expense Wright on Saturday. Depending on how much the layoff hinders Wright, Quillin, the WBA #5/WBO #7 ranked middleweight, appears to be up against his toughest challenge to date.
After weighing less than one pound over the contracted 160-pound limit during his first and second attempts at Nokia Plaza, Quillin weighed-in officially at 159.6 during his third attempt, which took place at the Torrance Marriott South Bay in nearby Torrance, California. Wright weighed-in at 159-pounds.
In yet another intriguing bout, WBA Light Middleweight Champion Austin Trout (24-0, 14 KOs) of Las Cruces, New Mexico finally gets a chance at impress on a big stage as he aims to make the third defense of his title against the determined WBA #3 ranked Delvin Rodriguez (26-5-3, 14 KOs) of Danbury, Connecticut by way of Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic.
Trout claimed his belt with a twelve-round unanimous decision over Rigoberto Alvarez back in February of last year. Now with title defenses over dangerous David Lopez and an overmatched Frank LoPorto under his belt, Trout hopes to solidify his claim to the throne with an impressive premium cable victory Saturday. Standing in Trout’s way is Rodriguez, fresh off of his impressive schooling of Pawel Wolak in their rematch last November. Rodriguez, who came up just short in a welterweight title bid three years ago, scaled 151-pounds. Trout originally came in at 154.8-pounds, but reweighed-in at the Torrance Marriott at 152.8.
In the Showtime opener, Leo Santa Cruz (19-0-1, 11 KOs) of Lincoln Heights, California by way of Huetamo, Michoacan de Ocampo, Mexico vies for the vacant IBF Bantamweight title against Vusi Malinga (20-3-1, 12 KOs) of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.
The IBF #1 ranked Malinga, who like Santa Cruz comes from a fighting family, is the fighter that helped provoke Abner Mares’ move up to 122-pounds. Malinga was Mares’ mandatory challenger, but the rising star opted to vacate the belt rather than take on the little known South African. Santa Cruz, the IBF #4/WBO #14 ranked bantamweight, weighed in at 117-pounds, as did Malinga.
In a bout to be televised by sister network Showtime Extreme before “Showtime Championship Boxing” goes on the air, super middleweight contenders Sakio Bika and Dyah Davis will battle it out in a scheduled ten-round with two minor titles on the line.
Bika (29-5-2, 20 KOs) of Los Angeles by way of Douala, Cameroon is still looking to rebound from his one-sided defeat in a failed title bid against Andre Ward back in November of 2010. In his lone fight since, Bika moved past sub .500 Alfredo Contreras via cut-induced third-round stoppage last December.
Davis (21-2-1, 9 KOs) of Coconut Creek, Florida has worked his way to a three-fight win steak, which should really be a four-fight win streak, since his loss to Aaron Pryor Jr. in 2010. Should he move past Bika, the WBC #4/WBA #10/IBF #11 ranked Davis could be knocking at the door of a major title opportunity. Davis weighed 167.6-pounds, while Bika scaled 166.6, for their NABF and WBO Intercontinental Super Middleweight title bout.
Another face familiar to Showtime viewers, Sharif Bogere (22-0, 14 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada will take on journeyman Manuel Leyva (21-6, 12 KOs) of Downey, California by way of Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico in a ten-round light welterweight bout. Bogere, a lightweight by trade, scaled 137.2-pounds, while Leyva came in at 137.4.
Another lightweight prospect Omar Figueroa (16-0-1, 13 KOs) of Weslaco, Texas was not forced to sweat down to his fighting weight as he stays busy against journeyman Tyler Ziolkowski (14-15, 8 KOs) of Saint Joseph, Missouri in a six-round light welterweight bout. Figueroa, who is already scheduled to fight another journeyman on June 23rd at the Staples Center across the street, weighed-in at 138.4-pounds. Ziolkowski, who has the distinction of suffering second-round kayos at the hands of both Omar and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., came in at 137.6-pounds.
In the opener, debuting Juan Reynoso of Tampa, Florida will meet Beau Hamilton (0-1) of Montague, California in a four-round light middleweight bout. Reynoso, a part of the Antonio Tarver camp, weighed-in at a chiseled 152.2-pounds. Hamilton came in at 154-pounds, seven pounds north of where he was for his debut two months ago.
Tickets for the event, promoted Golden Boy Promotions, A.T. Entertainment and Gary Shaw Productions, are available online at AXS.com.
Quick Weigh-in Results:
IBO Cruiserweight Championship, 12 Rounds
Tarver 198
Kayode 199
Middleweights, 10 Rounds
Wright 159
Quillin 159.6
WBA Light Middleweight Championship, 12 Rounds
Trout 152.8
Rodriguez 151
IBF Bantamweight Championship, 12 Rounds
Santa Cruz 117
Malinga 117
NABF Super Middleweight Championship
WBO Intercontinental Super Middleweight Championship, 12 Rounds
Bika 166.6
Davis 167.6
Light Welterweights, 10 Rounds
Bogere 137.2
Leyva 137.4
Light Welterweights, 6 Rounds
Figueroa 138.4
Ziolkowski 137.6
Light Middleweights, 4 Rounds
Reynoso 153.2
Hamilton 154
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected].
