Two of boxing’s most-talented, world-ranked, unbeaten prospects look to elevate there status to legitimate world title contenders when James “Mandingo Warrior’’ Kirkland (18-0, 16 KOs) and Timothy “Desert Storm’’ Bradley (19-0, 11 KOs) co-headline in separate bouts Friday, June 1, on “ShoBox: The New Generationâ€? (SHOWTIME, 11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, will present the doubleheader from Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, Calif.
Kirkland, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) No. 13 junior middleweight contender, will face Ossie Duran (23-5-1, nine KOs) in the 10-round main event. Duran has never been knocked out.
“This is the right test for Kirkland,â€? said “ShoBoxâ€? announcer Nick Charles. “We saw in his last fight on ‘ShoBox’ that he couldn’t blow out Billy Lyell, so he just pounded away until Lyell split apart at the seams. That’s plan ‘B’ for a puncher.â€?
The Fightwriter, reporter Graham Houston (www.fightwriter.com) predicts that Kirkland will emerge victorious.
“Kirkland has a good test in Duran, who is a solid, seasoned, capable fighter,� Houston said. “While Kirkland should win, it is a definite step up for him and not a sure thing.�
“ShoBox’’ color analyst Steve Farhood praised Kirkland’s power and believes Duran is an ideal test for Kirkland.
“Ossie Duran, not to be confused with Duran Duran or Ozzy Osbourne, is a sturdy British junior middleweight who has never been knocked out. Kirkland is a pure puncher who could knock down a Manhattan office building.�
The World Boxing Council (WBC) No. 5/World Boxing Association (WBA) No. 9 super welterweight contender, Bradley will square off against southpaw Donald “2 Slick 2 Quick’’ Camarena (18-3, nine KOs) in an eight-round bout.
“Camarena has the crafty, southpaw style that could trouble Bradley,� Houston said. “This will be Bradley’s pressure and work rate against Camarena’s slick boxing. Although Bradley is the favorite, it should be an interesting fight, and one in which Bradley is likely to be tested.�
In his “ShoBox’’ debut, southpaw Kirkland, of Austin, Texas, used the courageous Lyell as a human punching bag en route to winning by eighth-round knockout Feb. 2, 2007, on SHOWTIME.
There were no knockdowns, but Kirkland, who fights with a Mike Tysonesque ferocity, punished Lyell each second of every round before the one-sided bout was halted 34 seconds into the eighth.
“The guy (Lyell) was strong and tough as nails,â€? said the non-stop punching Kirkland after his 10th consecutive victory inside of the distance. “I was surprised he hung in as long as he did and didn’t go down.
Making his seventh start in less than 10 months, the five-foot-nine-inch, 23-year-old Kirkland was extended past the fourth round for the first time.
“Lyell didn’t think I had the stamina to carry my power more than a few rounds,� Kirkland said. “This was a good, tough test for me and can only help me down the road.’’
Known to spar with two men at the same time, Kirkland went 134-12 in the amateurs before turning pro on Aug. 25, 2001, in Austin. This will be his fourth consecutive Chumash appearance.
A talented, determined five-foot-10-inch, 30-year-old from Accra, Ghana, Duran has won three straight, eight out of nine, and 16 out of his last 18 bouts. Ghana’s “2004 Boxer of the Year’’ has gone 12 rounds seven times and 10 rounds on three occasions.
“I am willing to fight anybody to prove I am ready to take it to the next level,’’ said Duran, a former British Commonwealth light middleweight and welterweight champion, World Boxing Federation (WBF) and WBF Pan-European welterweight titleholder and Ghanan lightweight champion. “But, I am looking for a world title belt. I am happy that my dream is on course.’’
Duran’s journey began in earnest in his “ShoBox’’ debut when he won a lopsided 12-round decision over previously unbeaten local favorite, Colin McNeil, Sept. 23, 2005, in Mayfair, England.
Performing with composure in a hostile environment, the quick-moving Duran outpointed the left-handed McNeil by the scores 119-110 twice and 118-110.
A world traveler who has fought in England, Africa, Russia, Wales and Ireland, Duran has continued to prosper since signing with promoter Jimmy Burchfield’s Providence, R.I.-based Classic Entertainment & Sports (CES) and relocating to the United States in mid-2006.
Nearly flawless in the U.S., the rugged Duran has gone 3-0 while hardly losing a round.
Tough with a good reach, Duran pitched a six-round shutout in each of his two stateside starts in 2006. In his last outing and lone 2007 start, Duran almost got another whitewash when he outpointed Jonathan Reid across eight rounds by the scores 80-70 twice and 78-72 on Feb. 9 in Providence.
Among Duran’s other notable victories include a third-round knockout over former British champion Jamie Moore (20-1 going in) on Jan. 26, 2004, to capture the vacant Commonwealth light middleweight title.
“Ossie Duran� was born Osumanu Yahaya. “A coach in the United Kingdom gave me my nickname because he said I fought like Roberto Duran,’’ the boxer said.
A member of the Wala tribe, Duran started to box at age 10 following in the footsteps of his father and brother. He turned pro as a lightweight at 19 on Aug. 28, 1996.
Bradley, of Palm Springs, Calif., used quicker hands and a vastly improved defense to win his last start with a fifth-round knockout over fellow lefty Nasser “The Silencer’’ Athumani on April 13, 2007, in Ontario, Calif.
Performing with confidence, the taller, quick, combination-punching Athumani hung tough until a right hand counter by Bradley ended matters at 1:35 of the fifth round.
“That dude (Athumani) hit like a mule,� the promising Bradley said. “I caught him with a sneak right. It is something I always work on. I extended it so I knew it was over.�
On June 1, Bradley will make his third “ShoBox’’ appearance. He was criticized for his performance in his debut on Dec. 1, 2006. Although he defeated the battle-tested Jaime Rangel, Bradley seemed tight and nervous. Perhaps it was stage fright, or merely a bad case of opening night jitters.
However, the five-foot-six-inch, 23-year-old Bradley sure looked the part of a legitimate prime time television star in his second “ShoBox’’ start on Feb. 2, 2007, at Chumash.
Performing with poise, appearing totally relaxed and counter-punching beautifully, Bradley scored three knockdowns in the initial four rounds and coasted to an eight-round decision over Manuel Garnica. In his prior start, Garnica dropped a disputed 10-round decision to world-ranked Juan Lazcano.
“I think I may have silenced some of my critics,’’ said Bradley, who floored Garnica with right hands once in the second and twice in the fourth. “I felt totally good in there. It is a good win. I cannot wait to get back in the gym and go to work.’’
A winner in the vast majority of his 145 amateur fights, Bradley turned pro on Aug. 20, 2004, nine days before his 21st birthday. He is trained by Coachella’s Joel Diaz, a former world title challenger and brother of IBF lightweight champion Julio Diaz.
“We have been working on Bradley’s speed,’’ Diaz said. “He was fast, but now he is even faster because we made him stop lifting weights.� Diaz said.
Said Bradley, “I am ready for whatever they want to put in front of me.�
Camarena, of Denver, will make his 2007 debut and first start since losing a 12-round decision to undefeated Herman Ngoudjo in a North American Boxing Federation (NABF)/WBC International 140-pound title fight on Oct. 28, 2006, in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.
Until departing Canada dry, the five-foot-eight-inch, 34-year-old southpaw had won 10 of 11. The loss came in a WBC Continental Americas title defense to Paul Malignaggi in February 2006.
Camarena turned to boxing at his mother’s insistence.
“I was messing up, hanging around with the wrong crowd and getting into a lot of fights, so my mom made me go with her to the gym when I was 15,’’ he said. “I took off from there and it has worked out for me ever since.�
After going 15-0 in the amateurs, Camarena turned pro at age 19 on May 19, 2002. He then captured the WBC Youth belt in his 15th start.
A former sparring partner for Floyd Mayweather, Camarena will make his SHOWTIME debut, but not his first start on television. “I have fought a few times on TV,’’ Camarena said.
“Fighting on SHOWTIME is a great opportunity for me, and I am really looking forward to a great fight,’’ added the always well-conditioned Camarena, who prospers when he can counter-punch from the inside and throw his looping right hand. “I have always wanted to fight the good fighters.�
Charles and Farhood will call the