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J Rock Williams Will Rock The House! USA Showtime Card Sands Bethlehem Preview
By Robert Brizel, Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (March 5th, 2016)– Exciting action will mark the televised matchups at Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on Saturday evening, March 5, 2016. Nine bouts are scheduled on USA Showtime and Premier Boxing Champions, promoted by Marshall Kauffman’s King’s Promotions.
Philadelphia’s 21-0-1 super welterweight prospect Julian ‘J Rock’ Williams is favored to win the USA Showtime televised main event, an International Boxing Federation title eliminator bout, by late round stoppage or 12 round unanimous decision over Italian and International Boxing Federation Inter-Continental super welterweight titleholder Marcello ‘The Captain’ Matano, 16-1 with five knockouts, Occhiobello, Italy. Besides his reputation as a technical fighter, not much is known about Matano, who has never fought outside of Italy in his five year pro career. The element of mystery makes for an exciting fight! The WBC Continental Americas Super Welterweight title held by Williams is not at stake in this important bout at 154 pounds.
In the televised preliminary bout to the main event, Detroit middleweight Tony Harrison, 22-1 with 18 knockouts, is favored to win by 10 round unanimous decision over Dominican southpaw Fernando Guerrero, 28-3 with 20 knockouts, Salisbury, Maryland. Guerrero fell short and got stopped or taken out against David Lemieux, Peter Quillin and Grady Brewer, all within seven rounds or less. Unless Guerrero can take Harrison out early, which is possible, Harrison will dominate the bout in the later rounds and might even stop Guerrero. Both fighters might go for broke as both careers are at stake. This could be the ‘fight of the night’ for that reason.
World ranked middleweight Antoine Douglas, 19-0-1 with 13 knockouts, Burke, Virginia, a brilliant technical fighter, will face short but powerful Avtandil Khurtsidze, 31-2-2 with 20 knockouts, Kutaisi, Georgia, and Brooklyn, New York. At age 23, Douglas has height, reach, speed and youth. At age 36, Khurtsidze has the edge on power and experience. If Douglas can outwork Khurtsidze and keep him at arm’s reach, Douglas wins by 10 round unanimous decision. If Khurtsidze can get inside (which he must) and make an inside fight of it and cut off the ring successfully, Khurtsidze wins. The game plan, and perhaps a changing g game plan to adapt to whatever emerges, could make this one of the most exciting bouts ever matched on USA Showtime.
Khurtsidze, a former European, WBA Inter-Continental and IBO World champion at 160 pounds, has nothing to lose at this point by swinging away and going for broke, especially if he winds up behind on the scorecards. That could make the bout an anything can happen thriller, and Douglas must be careful not to get caught, because Khurtsidze is a closer and will take him out if given the chance. The WBO International middleweight title held by Douglas is at stake in this bout. WBO sanctioning representative Porfinio Betegon was at the weigh-in with the belt.
Middleweight 2012 Ukrainian Olympian Ievgen Khytrov, 12-0 with 11 knockouts, 12-0 with 11 knockouts, Brooklyn, New York, trained by Buddy McGirt, faces 9-1 Kenneth McNeil of Birmingham, Alabama, who has knocked out his last five opponents and has a six bout win streak in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. Khytrov is favored to win by 10 round unanimous decision or middle round stoppage, primarily because McNeil has only beaten one opponent with a winning record. McNeil’s lone decision loss is to world ranked Samuel Clarkson.
Heavyweight knockout artist Joey Dawejko, 16-4-2 with nine knockouts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is favored to win by knockout in three rounds or less against game Ytalo Perea, 6-2-1 with four knockouts, an Ecuadorian out of Howard Beach, New York. Credit must be given to Perea for taking this bout. Perea has never been stopped, but lacks the counterpunching savvy required to compete against Dawejko, whose last six victories have ended in the first round. Tke key to dueling with Dawejko is not to try to slug it out with him. Perea, like so many other inexperienced boxers, will make the same mistake and get lured into the trap. Dawejko might drop Perea, early if Perea goes on the offensive.
In three untelevised four round bouts, 4-0 super middleweight southpaw Terrance Foster of York, Pennsylvania, is favored to win by decision over 2-1 Anthony Miller of Wilmington, Delaware. 2-0 light heavyweight prospect Amir Shabazz of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is favored to win by decision over 2-1 Hakeem Atkinson of Georgia. Debuting super welterweight Chordale Booker over 1-2 Pat Kehoe of Reading, Pennsylvania.
Welcome to the Sands Casino Bethlehem! Doors to Vision open 6 P.M. Showtime 7 P.M. Tickets $108, $83, $58, and are available from Sands Bethlehem Events Center online athttp://www.sandseventcenter.com/event/kings-promotions-presents-shoboxing-special-edition/ Sands Bethlehem Events Center is located at 77 Sands Boulevard, Bethlehem, Penn Sylvania. For more room reservations contact Sands Casino at 484-777-7777. For tickets, directions and more information contact 1-800-745-3000.
Weights For Televised Bouts
International Boxing Federation 154 Pound Title Eliminator
12 Rounds Super Welterweights
Julian Williams – 154 Pounds, versus Marcello Matano – 150 ½ Pounds
World Boxing Organization International Middleweight Title
10 Rounds Middleweights
Antoine Douglas – 158 ¾ Pounds versus Avtandil Khurtsidze – 160 Pounds
10 Rounds Middleweights
Tony Harrison – 156 ¼ Pounds versus Fernando Guerrero – 156 ½ Pounds
Untelevised Bouts
10 Rounds Middleweights
Ievgen Khytrov – 159.3 pounds versus Kenneth McNeil – 158.4 pounds
8 Rounds Heavyweights
Joey Dawejko – 242 Pounds versus Ytalo Perea – 250 Pounds
4 Round Preliminary Bouts
Amir Shabazz – 173 Pounds versus Hakeem Atkinson – 172.2 Pounds, Light Heavyweights
Chordale Booker – 150.4 Pounds versus Antonio Allen – 150.6 Pounds, Junior Middleweights
Terrence Williams – 161.5 Pounds versus Anthony Miller – 159.5 Pounds, Super Middleweights
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