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SHOBOX on Showtime Dawson vs. Gardner Flores vs. Jimenez
November 18, 2005 Greater New Haven Athletic Center New Haven, Connecticut 11:00 PM ET/PT
Line-up: Super Middleweight Bout (12 Rds)
"Bad" Chad Dawson
(18-0, 13 KOs) vs. Ian "The Cobra" Gardner (19-2, 7
KOs)
Benjamin Flores (11-0,
4 KOs) vs. Daniel "Azuquita" Jimenez (13-1-1, 8 KOs)
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To Feature Super Middleweight Bout and Junior Lightweight War
NEW YORK - The once mostly ignored super middleweight division is experiencing a rebirth on SHOWTIME. Earlier this month, Jeff Lacy scored a booming knockout over Scott Pemberton on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (Nov 5.). And, now, super middle southpaws "Bad" Chad Dawson and Ian "The Cobra" Gardner put their contender status on the line in a 12-round battle on "ShoBox: The New Generation" on Friday, Nov. 18. In an entertaining co-feature, Benjamin Flores opposes Daniel "Azuquita" Jimenez in an eight-round junior lightweight bout.
SHOWTIME will televise the Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, doubleheader from the Greater New Haven Athletic Center in New Haven, Conn., at 11 p.m. ET/PT (tape delayed on west coast). The telecast represents the 68th in the popular "ShoBox" series, which debuted on SHOWTIME in July 2001.
"Credit Dawson for fighting a difficult and awkward opponent such as Gardner, a mobile and quick southpaw," SHOWTIME expert analyst Steve Farhood said. "And Dawson is doing so in front of his hometown fans, whom he will want to impress. Gardner has beaten Kuvanych Toygonbayev on 'ShoBox' and proved just how elusive he can be.
"If Dawson overpowers Gardner, he will make a loud and far-reaching statement. Jeff Lacy needs solid American opposition. Allan Green emerged last week, and Dawson is looking to do the same."
Dawson (18-0, 13 KOs), of New Haven, Conn. by way of Hartsville, S.C. is trained by Dan Birmingham, who also trains Lacy. Dawson said he is familiar with Gardner and is confident he will expose "The Truth" in the ring.
"I do not think he is much of a fighter," Dawson said. "He has an awkward style and has defeated a lot of people with that style. While everybody looks at the stupid stuff he does in the ring, I am just going to be on top of him. I will not give him a chance to do his thing. He will be out of there by the fifth."
In the toughest test of his career to date, Dawson routed "ShoBox" veteran Darnell Wilson on Oct. 29, 2004, winning by the scores of 100-90 twice and 98-91.
In another solid performance, Dawson, a physical specimen at 6-foot-3, registered an impressive seventh- round TKO over former World Boxing Association (WBA) light middleweight champion Carl Daniels in
Mashantucket, Conn., on Dec.
10, 2004. and a third-round TKO over Ronald Brodie in his last outing the following Aug. 6 in Tampa, Fla..
Gardner (19-2, 7 KOs), of New Brunswick, Canada, is moving up from middleweight to 168 pounds for this assignment. "The weight jump will not make a big difference because Dawson is not a big puncher," Gardner said. "I am a better boxer and have better hand speed. I am looking to out-speed him and win the fight. I am not a super middleweight, but I can beat this guy regardless of weight. "I am not taking Dawson lightly, but he just has not fought the level of opposition I have. This fight will be a chess match I can see going the distance." One of Gardner's two losses came earlier this year, in a 12-round decision to World Boxing Council (WBC) No. 3/WBA No. 5/IBF No. 6 middleweight contender Arthur Abraham - Feb. 12, 2005, in Berlin, Germany. In Gardner's lone "ShoBox" appearance, he upset Togonbayev on a 10-round split decision on Sept. 2, 2004, in Kansas City, Mo.
Flores (11-0, 4 KOs), of Sinaloa, Mexico, brings a crowd-pleasing style and undefeated record into the biggest bout of his career. "This is going to be a real fun fight," Flores said. "Jimenez is a good fighter, but this is my chance. I will come out tough and be the aggressor."
Flores was an accomplished amateur, compiling an 86-7 record. Since turning pro, he has sparred hundreds of rounds with world-ranked featherweight Rocky Juarez.
Jimenez (13-1-1, 8 KOs), of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, lost his first pro start, boxed a draw in his second and has won 13 consecutive bouts since. The hard-hitting Jimenez has stopped seven of his last nine opponents, including his last two.
"I probably won those first two," Jimenez said, "but I cannot change the past. Flores will be my biggest test so far, but I feel so good in training now and feel so strong. I know I will knock him out." Nick Charles will call the action from ringside, with Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst. The executive producer of the telecast is Gordon Hall, with Richard Gaughan producing.
- Press Release issued by Showtime's Shobox (with a little editing from us - color, highlights).
(11/11/05)
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