Undefeated contender Chris “Young King” Pearson (13-0, 10 KOs) will meet fellow unbeaten Eric Walker (11-0, 6 KOs) in a super welterweight battle while rising star Gervonta “The One” Davis (13-0, 12 KOs) takes on Luis Sanchez (17-4-1, 5 KOs) in a lightweight bout on Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Spike Friday, December 18 from the Pearl at Palms Casino resort in Las Vegas.
PBC on Spike is headlined by undefeated Cuban Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy (23-0, 13 KOs) and Russia’s Denis Shafikov (36-1-1, 19 KOs) in a lightweight world title fight. Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/PT and features Detroit’s Isiah Thomas (15-0, 6 KOs) and Russia’s Murat “Iron” Gassiev (22-0, 16 KOs) in a battle of unbeaten cruiserweights.
Part of the stacked undercard of exciting fights will see former world champion Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith (27-8, 12 KOs) against Tommy “The Razor” Rainone (24-6-1, 5 KOs) in a super welterweight showdown and former world champion Mickey “The Spirit” Bey (21-1-1, 10 KOs) in a lightweight contest against unbeaten Naim Nelson (12-0, 1 KO).
Rounding out the action is 29-year-old Romanian Ronald “The Thrill” Gavril (14-1, 10 KOs) against the Dominican Republic’s Mariano Hilario (12-4, 5 KOs) in super middleweight action, 26-year-old Brian Castano (13-0,9 KOs) againstMexico’s Aaron Garcia (12-4-1, 7 KOs) in a super welterweight tussle and Fabian “TNT” Maidana (8-0, 6 KOs), brother of former world champion Marcos, in a welterweight bout against Washington’s Virgil Green (11-3, 4 KOs).
Born in Dayton, Ohio, Pearson has impressed with strong victories over Steve Martinez, Said El Harrak, Lanardo Tyner and previously unbeaten Acacio Joao Ferreira in four fights before he defeated Janks Trotter in September. The 24-year-old looks to continue to rise within the junior middleweight division and cement his contender status with a victory over the 22-year-old Walker out of Plaquemine, Louisiana who is yet to lose since turning pro in 2013.
A highly regarded prospect who won the 2012 National Gloves championship, the 21-year-old Davis has already recorded four stoppage victories in 2015. Most recently, the Baltimore-native stopped former world champion Cristobal Cruz with a vicious combination in their October fight. Now he is challenged by the 23-year-old Sanchez out of Cancun, Mexico who owns victories over Miguel Beltran and Adan Mares.
After a long career that saw him go from the world of reality television as a star on “The Contender” to competing at the top level at 154 and 160 pounds, Smith finally put it all together in 2010, beginning a four-fight winning streak that culminated in a decision win over Cornelius Bundrage for a super welterweight world title in 2013, becoming the first native Las Vegan to ever win a world title. He continues to challenge the best and recorded his most recent victory in April by defeating Cecil McCalla. He takes on a dangerous veteran contender in New York’s Rainone who enters this fight having beaten Francisco Reza and Allen Litzau.
Bey returns to the ring on December 18 for the first time since winning a world title in September 2014 with a victory over Miguel Vazquez. He has won three fights in a row including victories over Alan Herrera and Carlos Cardenas. Representing Cleveland, Ohio, Bey looks to work his way back to title-contention beginning with the 25-year-old Philadelphia-native Nelson.
