On Saturday, July 23, before Amir Khan meets Zab Judah in their 140 lb. World Championship Unification Fight, another rising star will meet a still dangerous veteran when unbeaten middleweight contender Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin faces Tarvis Simms, who has lost only once is his professional career, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev. in a 10 round non-televised bout with significant implications on the future of the 160-pound weight class.
“I’m training to destroy him,” said Quillin. “I’m never in a comfortable situation because, in boxing, you can always lose. I figure, why put in anything less than maximum effort in training? I’m trying to prove that I’m an elite, top-10 fighter and even when I win a world title, I’m always going to be a hungry fighter because of where I come from.”
“It’s not Quillin’s time,” said Simms. “I am confident that I have the experience and training needed to beat him. I’ve taken my boxing and conditioning training to another level and I’ve never felt more prepared. It’s my time and I will prove it come July 23.”
“Peter Quillin vs. Tarvis Simms is an excellent crossroads fight and the outcome will certainly determine where each fighter goes in the future,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Peter’s rise has been well documented and he’s looking better with each fight, but Tarvis is a slick veteran who knows all the tricks and he knows that he can really make a move in the world rankings if he wins this fight.”
Kathy Duva, CEO Main Events, “This is an intriguing bout that might just produce the next big challenger for the middleweight crown. Simms is focused on making a big impression tonight in order to earn a bout with current World Middleweight Title holder Sergio Martinez.”
Sharing the name of Cuban boxing great Kid Chocolate, Peter Quillin (24-0, 18 KO’s) is starting to build his own legacy in the ring with some spectacular performances that have showcased his speed, power and crowd-pleasing style. Originally based in New York, Quillin raced out to a 20-0 record before being sidelined by injuries from 2008 to 2010, but upon returning, he’s looked better than ever. Since early 2010, he has racked up wins over Fernando Zuniga, Martin Desjardins, Dennis Sharpe and Jesse Brinkley, and with the work he’s doing in his new training home at The Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles, Quillin has his peers in the middleweight division running for cover.
The twin brother of former Junior Middleweight World Champion Travis Simms, Tarvis Simms (27-1-1, 11 KO’s) is a southpaw who believes his time has finally come to join his brother in the history books as world champion siblings. A 1993 National Golden Gloves champion, Simms has been a professional since 1997, with his only loss coming via hard-fought decision against super middleweight contender Allan Green in 2009. Now back to 160 pounds, Simms has won two in a row and he can’t wait for his opportunity to shock the world in his Las Vegas debut on July 23.
Amir Khan vs. Zab Judah, a 12-round WBA and IBF Super Lightweight World Championship Unification fight, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Main Events in association with Khan Promotions and Super Judah Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and AT&T. The HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.
In the United Kingdom, the event will be broadcast live on Primetime Pay-Per-View,channel 480 on Sky for £14.95. For fans who want to travel to Las Vegas to see the fight live, Team Khan has teamed up with leading Thomas Cook brand Flexibletrips to provide a range of tailor-made travel packages for fans who want to be there in person. Packages include flights, hotel rooms and fight tickets. More information is available at www.amirkhan2vegas.com or by calling 0844 8798298.
Tickets priced at $400, $300, $200, $100 and $50, are on sale now and available for purchase at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
