SLOAN, Iowa – January 16, 2020 – Fast-rising super middleweight prospect Vladimir Shishkin (9-0, 6 KOs) and unbeaten Ulises Sierra (15-0-2, 9 KOs) both made weight a day before they square off on ShoBox: The New Generation Friday night live on SHOWTIME (10:00 p.m. ET/PT) from WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa. Friday’s show will be the 250th edition of ShoBox, the prospect-oriented series that has featured 81 future world champions since its inception in 2001.
In the co-feature, Shohjahon Ergashev (17-0, 15 KOs) will take on Adrian Estrella (29-4, 24 KOs) in a 10-round super lightweight bout, and in the telecast opener, Detroit native Ja’Rico O’Quinn (13-0-1, 8 KOs) faces Nevada’s Oscar Vasquez (15-2-1, 3 KOs) in an eight-round bantamweight contest.
The event is promoted by Salita Promotions in association. Tickets, starting at $20, are available at www.WinnaVegas.com.
Hall of Famer Barry Tompkins will call the action from ringside with fellow Hall of Famer Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
FINAL WEIGHTS, REFEREES AND JUDGES
Super Middleweight 10-Round Bout
Vladimir Shishkin – 167 ½ lbs.
Ulises Sierra – 167 lbs.
Referee: Adam Pollack (Iowa); Judges: Steve Weisfeld (New Jersey), Bob LaFratte (Iowa), Barry Wolff (Illinois)
Super Lightweight 10-Round Bout
Shohjahon Ergashev – 140 lbs.
Adrian Estrella – 141 lbs.
Referee: Paul Parry (Iowa); Judges: Steve Weisfeld (New Jersey), Bob LaFratte (Iowa), Adam Pollack (Iowa)
Bantamweight 8-Round Bout
Ja’Rico O’Quinn – 118 ½ lbs.
Oscar Vasquez – 117 ¼ lbs.
Referee: Adam Pollack (Iowa); Judges: Steve Weisfeld (New Jersey), Bob LaFratte (Iowa), Barry Wolff (Illinois)
FINAL QUOTES:
VLADIMIR SHISHKIN:
“I’ve faced every type of fighter there is already, so nothing is surprising for me in the ring. It doesn’t matter what type of fight he wants to have. I will definitely be victorious Friday night and I’ll be going for the knockout to give the fans what they want.
“My focus is on winning the world championship and gaining standing in the world of boxing.
“Working with Sugarhill (Steward) has been incredible for me. I’ve been improving my strength and movement especially. He’s the best trainer I’ve ever had.
“I looked at the American stars in Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr., and Floyd Mayweather Jr., growing up and they are who I model myself after.
“I’ve sparred with Charles Conwell in this most recent camp and he’s really up-and-coming. I look for big things from both of us in 2020.”
ULISES SIERRA:
“Andre Ward was my first big camp and I’ve sparred with a lot of champions. But I’m not a sparring partner. I don’t have that mentality. I figure if I’m going to spar with someone it might as well be with the best. I’ve been in three Canelo (Alvarez) camps. And I’ve also sparred with David Benavidez.
“I get to see how they train and what they do and what makes them great. Canelo is the best of them. Just his technique and his preparation. He’s always on point and works on everything he’s told to do. They are all great champions.
“This is a great opportunity for me. I never get the calls for shows like this, and I don’t know why that is. This is my chance to shine and could change everything for me.
“Shishkin hasn’t lost yet and will be in for a tough test for me. I’ll do a little bit of everything, I can fight on the inside and the outside. He’s a long-range fighter and has length.
“I never played baseball. My dad (former Padres pitcher) tried to get me to be play baseball but I did other things like football and basketball. He was drafted at age 16 out of Puerto Rico and pitched in the majors for one year before injuring his arm.”
SHOHJAHON ERGASHEV:
“My left hand is strong, no problems. I can hit.
“I would like to fight the best possible opponents. I’m coming to fight not simply to collect money and win the fight. Every time I’m in the ring, I want to destroy my opponent. I understand that there might be better boxers in my weight class, but I’m ready to fight them.
“It has been a big difference for me as professional boxer during the last year. I started listening. I was not listening before, I was just stepping in the ring and trying to knock my opponent out. Sugarhill (Steward) didn’t allow me to continue sparring because I was not listening. But after my last fight, I started listening.
“My trainer has been working with Tyson Fury, but that hasn’t affected me. It has only helped me. Theotrice Chambers, Richard Phillips and the entire Kronk Gym team have taken over these past few weeks but Sugarhill is here with me now and will be in my corner on Friday night.”
ADRIAN ESTRELLA:
“I feel comfortable with super lightweight. I just have to cut less weight than I used to before. I was in camp with Regis Prograis and I feel great.
“This is my first time fighting on ShoBox and I can’t wait to make my debut.
“I started out as a really aggressive fighter, but I’m more under control now.
“I’ve been sparring with a lot of good guys, and some southpaws including one of my trainers and super middleweight fighter Oscar Rojas.
“This is a second chance for me. I was once 22-0 and now I’m back. I blew past Christmas and New Year’s and am so focused. I have been disciplined. I have done it before and I will get it done on Friday night.”
JA’RICO O’QUINN:
“I do construction 10 hours a day and that’s my full-time job, so I was coming into 118 fights easy at 116 and 117 pounds. I get up at 4 a.m. and I go straight to the gym at 4 p.m. It’s tough, but I was able to get a couple of weeks off for this fight.
“I’m not dodging anyone. I can and will fight anyone. You can put me in there with the top guys and I’m not worried about anyone. I’m ready to face the best.
“The other top guys in the division have skills, but I have power and skills. Don’t be surprised if I go in there and knock them all out.
“I know Vasquez is a tough fighter and he will keep on coming. It’s like a car with no brakes. He’s going to come and he’s going to run into something. And it will be lights out.”
OSCAR VASQUEZ:
“I am obviously familiar with my opponent and ready for this battle. We’ve trained hard and had a great camp. As my full-time job, I’m a crane operator and I train in the altitude which helps me when I come here.
“I just need to go in there and close him and overwhelm my opponent. This is a very important fight for my career and will put me in a better position for my future. This is a bigger show and on SHOWTIME so I have to look good.
“This isn’t my toughest opponent to date. I don’t think there is anything that worries me about this opponent. I will go in there with a game plan. Sometimes that plan changes after one round. That’s why I don’t study fighters. I did that in the past and it has hurt me.
“This is such an important fight for my career and can change a lot for me. It will mean so much to me if I can go out there and perform and get this win.”
DMITRIY SALITA, President, Salita Promotions:
“Friday night we will have three of the best prospects in boxing in competitive, make it or break it fights in the historic 250th edition of ShoBox. This is going to be an exciting night of boxing from beginning to end.”
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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 81 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, 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.
