NEW WAVE OF SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS TO BATTLE IN EXCITING TRIPLEHEADER ON FRIDAY, NOV. 5, ON SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION

Posted on | October 28, 2010 | No Comments

Undefeated Edwin Rodriguez Faces James McGirt Jr. in Main Event;
Dyah Davis Tangles With Aaron Pryor Jr. and Unbeaten Marcus Johnson Meets KO Artist Kevin Engel in Co-Features

Live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET from Scheels Arena, Fargo N.D.

NEW YORK (Oct. 28, 2010) – One night before the final Semifinal spot in the Super Six World Boxing Classic is locked up, six up-and-coming super middleweights representing the future of boxing’s hottest division will square off in an exciting tripleheader on ShoBox: The New Generation, Friday, Nov. 5, LIVE on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

“Everyone knows about the Andre Wards, Carl Frochs, Arthur Abrahams and the other fighters in the Super Six World Boxing Classic, but we’re excited to show off some super middleweights that we’ll be hearing a lot from in the future” said Gordon Hall, ShoBox executive producer. “The Super Six currently in progress features the elite in the 168-pound weight class. On ShoBox, we are featuring the next generation of American super middleweights. This is the wave of the future in this division.”

Allan Green takes on Glen Johnson at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, Nov. 6, in a Super Six World Boxing Classic Group Stage 3 bout on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). On Friday, the ShoBox lineup will feature three fighters whose fathers had distinguished professional careers.

Exciting power-puncher Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez (16-0, 12 KOs) from Worcester, Mass., by way of the Dominican Republic, will face gritty young veteran James McGirt Jr. (22-2-1, 11 KOs) from Vero Beach, Fla., in a 10-round main event taking place at Scheels Arena in Fargo, N.D.

In the co-feature, Dyah Davis (18-1, 9 KOs) of Boca Raton, Fla., meets Aaron Pryor Jr., (14-2, 11 KOs) of Cincinnati, in an eight-round battle while Houston’s Marcus “Too Much” Johnson (19-0, 14 KOs) is looking to keep his perfect record intact when he takes on Kevin “The Hitman” Engel (18-3, 15 KOs) of St. Louis, in an eight-round affair.

Rodriguez, 25, is making his second appearance on ShoBox and first appearance in the main event. He is a former amateur star, having won the gold medal at the 2006 National Golden Gloves Championships and the gold at the 2005 U.S. National Amateur Championships, both at 165 pounds. He is currently rated No. 4 by the NABF and NABO.

Rodriguez, a boxer-puncher with excellent hand speed and power, has yet to fight past eight rounds in his career. He has won his last four fights by knockout or TKO and is coming off a fifth-round knockout win against another lefty, Ibrahiem King, in his last fight on June 24 in Worcester, Mass.

According to his manager Larry Army, Rodriguez has been training in Australia preparing world-ranked Top 15 super middleweight Daniel Geale for his Oct. 31 fight against former IBF middleweight champion Roman Karmazin. It’s the first true camp for Rodriguez who is also living with a nutritionist, Army said.

Fight fans will recognize McGirt’s name as his father and current trainer/cornerman is James “Buddy” McGirt, the former IBF Jr. welterweight and WBC welterweight world champion.

McGirt, a 27-year-old southpaw, has won three fights in a row, two by knockout, since his last loss on Jan. 16, 2009, a 10-round unanimous decision to former Jr. middleweight world title challenger Angel Hernandez. His only other career loss came on ShoBox against Carlos De Leon Jr., on April 11, 2008.

McGirt, who is No. 7 and No. 11 by the NABF and NABO, respectively, has never been scared to go after top opposition. Out of his 25 fights, only three opponents have had losing records. Both Rodriguez and McGirt have fought Brad Austin and Marcus Upshaw. Rodriguez TKO’d Austin in the third round in January, 2009, and McGirt won an eight-round decision against Austin in May, 2007. Against Upshaw, Rodriguez won a six-round decision in August, 2008, while McGirt fought him to a 10-round draw in November, 2008.

The Dyah Davis-Aaron Pryor Jr., eight-round co-feature has a scintillating back story in that both of their fathers fought each other twice as amateurs 34 years ago in history-altering bouts.

Fighting in the U.S. Olympic Trials in Aaron Pryor’s hometown of Cincinnati, Davis upset the world’s top-rated amateur Pryor at 132 pounds via decision then won another decision against him in the Olympic Box-Offs a month later. The wins earned Davis his place on the U.S. Olympic team where he went on to win the gold medal in Montreal.

“The second fight with him was a lot tougher,” said Howard Davis, who currently trains and manages MMA fighters for American Top Team. “The first fight was relatively easy for me but the second fight he was a little more prepared.”

He continued: “There are a couple of father-sons out there boxing so I knew it was bound to happen. You have Aaron (Pryor) and Ronald Hearns (son of Tommy). I didn’t know which one it would be but I was just hoping he would get a chance to get on TV; to be exposed and for everyone to get a chance to see who he is. I was just so excited and elated when I found out. This is a great opportunity for my son to show his wares.”

Davis, 29, has won nine fights in a row, the last two by TKO, since his only loss in April, 2007, to Tyrone Watson.

Dyah said he doesn’t have time to think about his father fighting his next opponent’s father, but could understand why people would want to talk about it. “I’m not thinking about that at all. I’m just looking at Aaron as another opponent and another guy that’s in front of me; someone who I can knock down and get out of the way. I’m not really trying to get too involved in the family stuff. I don’t want to get involved in that hype.”

McGirt Sr., coincidently, also fought Davis as a pro, KO-ing him in the first round at Madison Square Garden in 1988.

Aaron Jr., currently 32 and a five-year pro, was born when his father was 22-years-old and had a record of 13-0. Aaron Sr. won the WBA super lightweight world title two years later in

August, 1980, and made eight successful title defenses. He also won the IBF Jr. welterweight world title and made one successful title defense. He retired in 1990 and is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

The son does not physically resemble his dad as Aaron Jr. stands 6-foot-4 inches tall while Senior is 5-6. “I’m definitely more of a boxer than a brawler, like my father,” Pryor Jr. said. “My father was pretty versatile. Even though he was known for brawling, he was a good boxer, as well. But my style is strictly boxing.”

Pryor has won two fights in a row, both by TKO, and is 3-2 in his last five fights. In his last fight on June 13, he TKO’d Willis Lockett.

The 24-year-old Johnson is ranked No. 7 by the WBC and No. 15 by the WBA at 168 pounds.

ShoBox fans saw Johnson win his April 30 fight by 10-round unanimous decision against previously undefeated Derek Edwards and on Oct. 2, 2009, when he decisioned Victor Villareal. Only Andre Ward stood in the way of a possible Olympic spot in 2004 as he beat Johnson twice, once in the Trials and later in the Box-Off.

Nov. 5 headliner Rodriguez handed Engel his last loss on April 30 on ShoBox. Engel wasn’t about to complain about facing another undefeated fighter on ShoBox. “It’s hard to say no to SHOWTIME,” he said. In his last fight on July 24 in St. Louis, he TKO’d Dominic Brown, who was making his pro debut.

The event is promoted by DiBella Entertainment.

Curt Menefee will call the ShoBox action from ringside with Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst. Gordon Hall is the executive producer of ShoBox with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

For information on SHOWTIME Sports Programming, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please go the new SHOWTIME Sports website at http://www.sho.com/sports.

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. The growing list of fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Leonard Dorin, Scott Harrison, Juan Diaz, Jeff Lacy, Ricky Hatton, Joan Guzman, Juan Urango, David Diaz, Robert Guerrero, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Malignaggi, Kendall Holt, Timothy Bradley, Bernard Dunne, Yonnhy Perez, Yuri Foreman, Andre Ward and, most recently, Cornelius Bundrage.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

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