It’s Showtime at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 6, as a Showtime Boxing Special Edition will feature a mix of top contenders, rising stars and a legendary former champion on the comeback trail.
In the main event, scheduled for 12-rounds, top heavyweight contenders Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell and Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola will bang it out in an important fight for the WBC Silver Championship.
Plus, Mexican superstar Rafael Marquez continues his quest for yet another world title when he faces California prospect Efrain Esquivias in a 10-round featherweight bout.
Years ago, September would have been the time for former Michigan State University linebacker Seth Mitchell (26-1-1, 19 KO’s) to hit the gridiron. On September 6, “Mayhem” will be entering the ring for a pivotal meeting with Chris Arreola. It’s been a whirlwind ride for the 31-year-old from Brandywine, Maryland, but after 26 wins in 28 pro bouts, the hard-hitting contender is ready for whoever stands in front of him. In June, Mitchell avenged the lone loss of his career with a clear-cut 12-round decision over Johnathon Banks and next on his hit list is “The Nightmare.”
One of the heavyweight division’s most popular and exciting fighters, Chris Arreola (35-3, 30 KO’s) has been a “Nightmare” for opponents since turning pro in 2003. A former world title challenger who battled Vitali Klitschko in 2009, the 32-year-old native of Riverside, Calif., has won eight of his 10 subsequent bouts, putting him in prime position to get back in the title race with a victory over Mitchell.
Mexico City’s Rafael Marquez (41-8, 37 KO’s) has established a legacy in the lighter weight classes that will be hard for anyone to match, with his knockout power, exciting style and warrior’s heart garnering him fans around the world, along with a world bantamweight title he held for over three years and a super bantamweight crown he earned in 2007 with a stoppage of Israel “Magnifico” Vazquez in the first of their four classic bouts. Now at 38, Marquez seeks yet another title, but to keep on that path, he’ll have to get by Esquivias.
Fighting out of Carson, Calif., the 30-year-old Efrain Esquivias (16-2-1, 9 KO’s) is a former National Golden Gloves winner who has become a popular fighter throughout the Southern California boxing scene. Winner of his first 16 bouts, Esquivias hit a rough stretch with losses to Rico Ramos and Jhonatan Romero, but he’s got more than enough motivation in facing Rafael Marquez to get him ready for the biggest fight of his career on Sept. 6.
