Showtime’s replays of ‘Britain’s Best’ good way to spend a Thursday night

Nigel Benn/Photo courtesy of BoxRec.com

 

Showtime Championship Boxing this month will continue its 30th anniversary celebration with a series of Thursday-night replays entitled “Britain’s Best” that will air on Showtime Extreme.

A total of five fights will be shown, the first of which will be the rematch between Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank that took place in October 1993 in England. It was a super middleweight title bout that ended in a draw and took place in front of about 42,000. They first tangled in a middleweight title fight in November 1990, Benn stopping Eubank in the ninth round in England.

That will air Sept. 1.

The other four fights are Prince Naseem HamedTom “Boom Boom” Johnson (Sept. 8), Ricky HattonKostya Tszyu (Sept. 18), Joe CalzagheJeff Lacy (Sept. 25) and Carl FrochJermain Taylor (Sept. 29).

 

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Chad Dawson will return to the ring Saturday at StubHub Center

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Andre Ward, Chad Dawson

Photo by Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Andre Ward (left) stopped Chad Dawson in the 10th round in September 2012 in Oakland

 

Chad Dawson just 4 1/2 years ago was looked upon as one of the top light heavyweights in the world. After a November 2009 victory over Glen Johnson, he was 29-0 – 6-0 in world-title fights, 7-0 in you count interim title fights. On his list of wins were two over Antonio Tarver, two over Johnson and one over Tomasz Adamek.

Then Dawson lost to Jean Pascal via 11-round technical decision. Dawson came back with a 12-round decision over Adrian Diaconu, fought to a two-round no-contest against Bernard Hopkins, then beat Hopkins via 12-round majority decision in April 2012, and he still had his respect. But successive knockout losses to Andre Ward and Adonis Stevonson have Dawson on the comeback trail. Dawson was stopped in the 10th round by Ward in September 2012 and was knocked out by Stevenson in the first round in June 2013.

Dawson (31-3, 17 KOs) will be featured on Saturday’s Golden Boy Promotions card at StubHub Center in Carson (on Showtime Extreme). He’ll square off with George “Honey Boy” Blades (24-5, 16 KOs) of Orlando, Fla.

Dawson, of New Haven, Conn., won’t be 32 until July 13. He said he knew he would continue his career after the two devastating setbacks.

“I had the privilege of becoming a world champion early,” he said. “I’ve been a professional for almost 13 years. There was never a doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t come back. I needed to take time to be a family man and come back when I felt like I could come back.

“I’m looking to get back to being the old Chad Dawson, the smart boxer who has height and reach. Once I get back to that, (it’s) back to the top. I’m happy to be back in the game.”

Dawson will be facing a 12-month layoff when he steps into the ring.

 

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Joseph Diaz Jr. now 7-0 after third-round TKO of Noel Mendoza at StubHum

Joseph Diaz Jr. of South El Monte stopped overmatched Noel Mendoza of Phoenix at 1:54 of the third round Saturday night at StubHub Center.

Diaz decked Mendoza (6-3) twice in the third round, referee Raul Caiz Jr. waving off the bout after the second knockdown.

Diaz, a 2012 U.S. Olympian, is now 7-0 with five knockouts. His bout was televised on Showtime Extreme.

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Catch Lucas Matthysse’s big TKO of Lamont Peterson on replay Tuesday

Lucas Matthysse of Argentina is rapidly becoming known as one of the hardest hitters in boxing, pound-for-pound. He again showed that this past Saturday when he decked Lamont Peterson three times and stopped him in the third round of their bout at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

It caused Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, to proclaim to reporters afterward, “We have a new Manny Pacquiao. He’s from Argentina and his name is Lucas Matthysse.” Matthysse is promoted by Golden Boy.

Matthysse, 30, holds an interim junior welterweight title. He is 34-2 with 32 knockouts. You can catch the replay of Saturday’s bout Tuesday at 9 p.m. on Showtime Extreme.

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England’s Anthony Ogogo has a cool last name, and passion for the sport

It’s too early to tell what Anthony Ogogo of England might amount to as a prize-fighter. He was good as an amateur, and won a bronze medal in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

One thing’s for sure, the 24-year-old from Lowestoft, Suffolk, seems to have the right emotional state to succeed.

“I’ve always loved sports,” said Ogogo, who Saturday will take on Edgar Perez (5-4, 3 KOs) of Chicago in a middleweight preliminary bout at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City (on Showtime Extreme). “I came across boxing when I was 12-years-old and I fell in love with it. I fell in love with the intensity and passion of it.  I knew that whether I was going to be any good or not, that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, and it turned out pretty well.

“I walked into the boxing gym when I was 12.  I sparred that very first day and I’ve never turned back.”

Ogogo opened his pro career with a second-round TKO of Kieron Gray on April 27 in England.

All that said, we have to think of a nickname for this guy. Anyone with a last name as cool as his deserves one. Taking suggestions.

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