LAS VEGAS – May 11, 2023 – Three matchups featuring undefeated fighters looking to keep perfect records intact will highlight the SHOWTIME BOXING COUNTDOWN live streaming presentation this Saturday, May 13 from The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in a Premier Boxing Champions event.
Action live on the SHOWTIME SPORTS YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT and is topped by unbeaten super lightweight Esteuri “El Puma” Suero dueling Starling Castillo in a 10-round attraction. Also featured is sensational bantamweight Michael Angeletti in an eight-round bout against Michell Banquez, while super featherweight Justin Viloria will take on Pedro Pinillo in a six-round fight. The live stream is hosted by award-winning MORNING KOMBAT live digital talk show hosts Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell.
These fights precede a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® tripleheader headlined by top contenders Rolando “Rolly” Romero and Ismael Barroso facing off for the vacant WBA Super Lightweight World Championship. That telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT will also see former two-division world champion Rances Barthelemy dueling the all-action Omar “El Relámpago” Juarez in the co-main event, plus super lightweight contenders Batyr Akhmedov and Kenneth Sims Jr. meet in a WBA Super Lightweight World Title Eliminator opening up the telecast.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and available for purchase through Ticketmaster.com.
Representing Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Suero (12-0, 9 KOs) will make his U.S. debut on Saturday night, having turned pro in 2019 with a first-round knockout over Elieser Torres. The 23-year-old jump started his professional record with knockouts in nine of his first 10 fights and by winning 10-round unanimous decisions in each of his last two fights – most recently besting Jose Fajardo Galvez in December. He will be opposed by the 27-year-old Castillo (17-1-1, 13 KOs), who most recently fought fellow unbeaten Kenny de Leon to a draw last October. Also, a native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Castillo’s only career defeat came via decision against the unbeaten Otar Eranosyan.
A highly skilled technician with blazing speed and surprising power, Angeletti (7-0, 6 KOs) scored the most impressive victory of his young career last time out, as he dominated the previously unbeaten Jeremy Adorno on his way to a fifth-round stoppage last October. Originally from New Orleans and now training in Spring, Texas, Angeletti carries a five-fight knockout streak into Saturday night. He will face the 32-year-old Banquez (20-3, 14 KOs), a native of Venezuela who fights out of Florida. Banquez owns impressive victories over then-unbeaten opponents Prince Patel and Joahnys Argilagos, and most recently dropped decisions to Ramon Cardenas last July and Antonio Vargas in February.
With a large contingent of supporters in attendance, Viloria (1-0, 1 KO) turned pro in April and delighted his fans with a sensational first round knockout over Sirdarious Smith. The 18-year-old from Whittier, California will step up in competition when he faces Colombia’s Pinillo (5-1, 5 KOs) on Saturday. Pinillo turned pro in December 2019 and scored five-straight stoppages before losing a majority decision to Alejandro Nicasio Garcia in April 2022.
The non-televised undercard lineup will feature highly touted twin super bantamweight prospects in six-round fights as Chavez Barrientes (6-0, 5 KOs) meets Juan Centeno (8-7-3, 1 KO), while his twin brother Angel Barrientes (9-1, 6 KOs) battles Sharone Carter (13-6, 3 KOs). Rounding out the card is Washington, D.C. prospect David Whitmire (1-0, 1 KO) in a four-round super welterweight matchup against Texas’ Javier Vargas (3-1, 3 KOs), and the pro debut of super middleweight Yojanler Martinez in a four-round bout taking on California’s Dario Guerrero-Meneses (3-5-1, 1 KO).
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ABOUT ROMERO VS. BARROSO
Romero vs. Barroso will see hard-hitting Rolando “Rolly’’ Romero battle No. 1 Contender Ismael Barroso for the vacant WBA Super Lightweight World Title on Saturday, May 13 live on SHOWTIME from The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event.
The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features two additional super lightweight bouts with former two-division world champion Rances Barthelemy dueling the all-action Omar “El Relámpago” Juarez in the 10-round super lightweight co-main event, plus top super lightweight contenders Batyr Akhmedov and Kenneth Sims Jr. meet in a 12-round WBA Super Lightweight World Title Eliminator opening up the telecast.
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