Showtime nd Golden Boy Promotions have rearranged their end of the year schedule, and will now deliver back-to-back blockbuster events on Saturday, Dec. 7 and Saturday, Dec. 14. Both events will be quadrupleheaders featuring six world championship fights including the most exciting and dynamic champions and challengers in the welterweight, super welterweight and super bantamweight divisions.
Originally, the Adrien Broner vs. Marcos Maidana card was going to be hailing from Las Vegas, and would headline a pay-per-view. Well, they’ve come to their senses about that, and they have moved around some other fights to provide two stacked lineups.
Beginning Dec. 7, the first of consecutive quadrupleheaders takes place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn when former five-time, two-division World Champion Zab “Super” Judah(42-8, 29 KO’s) and former two-time, two-division World Champion Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi(32-5, 7 KO’s) clash in the main event, a 12-round showdown for Brooklyn bragging rights.
The co-feature will match IBF Welterweight World Champion Devon Alexander “The Great” (25-1, 14 KOs), of St. Louis, Mo., against unbeaten Shawn Porter (22-0-1, 14 KOs), of Akron, Ohio. Also on the card will be Erislandy Lara (18-1-2, 12 KO’s) of Houston, Texas against former world champion Austin Trout, of Las Cruces, N.M., for the vacantWBA Super Welterweight Championship. Rounding out the televised card, Sakio “The Scorpion” Bika (32-5-2, 21 KO’s) makes the first defense of his WBC Super Middleweight crown against unbeaten Anthony Dirrell (26-0, 22 KO’s), of Flint, Mich.
Then, on Dec. 14 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, the super-talented WBA Welterweight World Champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner (27-0, 22 KO’s), of Cincinnati, will make the first defense of his title when he meets the toughest opponent of his career, the dangerous, hard-hitting Marcos “El Chino” Maidana (34-3, 31 KO’s), of Santa Fe, Argentina in the main event.
A ratings goliath, Broner will be making his first start since capturing the 147-pound belt with a hard-fought 12-round split decision over defending champion Malignaggi. He made history when he became the fourth fighter to jump two weight classes and win a welterweight world championship, joining Hall of Famers Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong, Roberto “Mano de Piedra” Duran and future candidate “Sugar” Shane Mosley.
Maidana has won three fights in a row, including a smashing sixth-round technical knockout over Josesito Lopez in scintillating slugfest and Fight of the Year candidate last June 8 on SHOWTIME.
In 12-rounders underneath Broner-Maidana, undefeated Keith “One Time” Thurman (21-0, 19 KO’s), of Clearwater, Fla., gets tested when he defends his WBA Interim Welterweight World title against tough-as-nails Jesus “Renuente” Soto Karass (32-12-4, 19 KO’s), of Mexico City, Mexico, who owns back-to-back impressive victories over world-ranked Selcuk Aydin and Andre Berto. And recently crowned WBC Super Bantamweight Champion Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz (25-0-1, 15 KO’s) of Los Angeles, Calif. will make his first defense against Cesar Seda (25-1, 17 KO’s) of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The card will also feature, in separate bouts, former WBC Welterweight Champion Victor Ortiz (29-4-2, 22 KO’s) against Alfonso Gomez (22-5-2, 11 KO’s) of Los Angeles and Light Heavyweight Champion Beibut Shumenov (13-1, 8 KO’s) against Tamas Kovacs (23-0, 14 KO’s) of Slovakia.
