Boxing

Chris Colbert Faces Roger Gutierrez on Showtime on February 26


Unbeatable rising star Chris “Primetime” Colbert, whose combination of speed and power has quickly made him a favorite, will seek his first world title as he goes up against WBA ultralightweight champion Roger “The Kid” Gutierrez during the SHOWTIME main event on Saturday, February 26 during a Premier Boxing Champions event from The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® TV show kicks off at 10pm ET / 7pm Pacific Time and will feature another undefeated young phenom in the co-main event. 2016 US Olympic athlete Gary Antuanne Russell faces former world champion Viktor Postol in an ultralight 10-round bout, while IBF Bantamweight world champion Jerwin Ancajas defends his title against Fernando Martinez, the Argentine was unbeaten in his televised opening match with a treble.

Ticket for the live event is currently on sale and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com.

“We are excited to watch Chris Colbert grow from a prospect to a candidate in SHOWTIME, so it is fitting that he will have the opportunity to take it one step further in his development with a title against Roger Gutierrez on our network,” said Stephen Espinoza, President, Sports and Events Programming, Showtime Networks Inc., “Gary Antuanne Russell is following a similar formula to become the number one winner. star. If he can get back to nail-biting Viktor Postol, it will be another signal that his moment of prominence may soon be within reach. We’ve seen Jerwin Ancajas’ destructive talent on SHOWTIME before. His title defense against Fernando Martinez should be a successful defender and the perfect start to a great night of boxing. ”

Representing his hometown of Brooklyn, NY, Colbert (16-0.6 KOs) quickly rose to 130-pound, entering high-level competition in his first 16 professional fights. Already considered a fighter with dazzling boxing skills, Colbert showed off his footwork with an 11th round finish against Jaime Arboleda in December 2020 before beating Tugstsogt Nyambayar recently. The best in July 2021. The 25-year-old turned pro in 2015 and beat three undefeated boxers in his first eight competitions. Prior to the game against Arboleda, Colbert scored a standout first-round knockout against Miguel Beltran Jr in September 2019 and a decisive 12-round win over former champion Jezzreel Corrales in January 2020.

“I was so ready for my headline shot,” Colbert said. “This has been going on for a long time, but it’s not a shock to me. This is always the expectation. I knew Gutierrez was coming to fight. He’s a champion for a reason. So he won’t lie down. But I’m about to bring him down and I’m willing to do whatever it takes on February 26 to make that happen. I know a lot of people have been waiting to see when I get this title and now is the time.”

The 26-year-old Gutierrez (26-3-1, 20 KOs) clinched his world title with a unanimous decision victory over Rene “Gemelo” Alvarado in January 2021, in a match that saw ​he knocks out his opponent three times. Gutierrez followed up that performance by defending his world championship and defeating Alvarado for the second time in August 2021, again making a unanimous decision. Fighting outside his hometown of Maracaibo, Venezuela, Gutierrez is unbeaten in his last seven outings, including four knockouts.

“First of all, I want to thank God, my mom, my team, my promoters and the WBA for this opportunity,” Gutierrez said. “I worked so hard to win the world championship, this is my second defense and I am ready to give my all to keep it. On February 26, I’ll show the world that I’m the best at 130 pounds. ”

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Russell (14-0, 14 KOs) has yet to allow his opponent to distance himself since turning pro in 2017 after he represented the US at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. Russell scored added another stoppage-time win in 2019 before knocking out Jose Marrufo in the first round in February 2020. The 25-year-old most recently dominated Jovanie Santiago in May on SHOWTIME, en route to the match. match in the sixth round. Russell belongs to one of the sport’s preeminent fighting families and trained alongside his brothers, former WBC featherweight champion Gary Jr. and bantamary contender Gary Antonio.

“I’m going to make sure I’m mentally prepared and ready to perform at a high level for this fight,” Russell said. “These matches make someone more mentally stable, and that is a matter of training. I train mentally as well as physically. I have watched Postol fight before and I know that he is a fierce fighter with a European style. He likes to be at long distances and that suits him best. He relies on his strengths. Every fight, I plan to make a statement. My prediction, I will finish this fight in round five. ”

A fearsome contender in the 140-pound weight class, Postol (31-3, 12 KOs) returned to the ring after losing a majority decision to then-union champion Jose Ramirez in August 2020. Fighting out of California and originally from Ukraine, Postol, knocked out Lucas Matthysse in 2015 to win the ultralightweight world championship before losing in a unification match to Terence Crawford. Postol has won three of his last five matches, with the only defeats in that span coming against Ramirez and current undisputed champion Josh Taylor, both by decision.

“I accepted this fight as soon as it was offered,” Postol said. “I haven’t fought in a while and I want to get back in the ring as soon as possible. I’m especially excited because I’m about to have the opportunity to face a good young opponent on February 26th.”

Representative of the Philippines, Ancajas (33-1-2, 22 KOs) was only 15 years old when he was scouted by boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. The young boxer succeeded Pacquiao’s guidance, becoming the first world champion under Pacquiao’s banner when he beat McJoe Arroyo for the IBF title in September 2016. Men’s 30 The age-old hasn’t lost since and will become his title’s tenth defense, following a unanimous decision in April 2021 over Jonathan Rodriguez.

“I am delighted to be back at SHOWTIME to defend my world title on February 26th,” Ancajas said. “It was exciting to defend my world title for the tenth time in the first game in Las Vegas of my career. I want to thank my entire team for giving me a great opportunity to fight in this SHOWTIME PBC event. ”

A resident of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Martinez (13-0.8 KOs) most recently knocked out Gonzalo Duran in the fourth round of the August 2021 bout and will make his US debut on February 26. 30 year old rose. promoted by stopping Athenkosi Dumezweni in his home country of South Africa in 2019, then decided against Angel Aquino in December 2020. Martinez turned pro in 2017 and has an amateur win over his challenger. Former title and super flyweight contender Andrew Moloney .

“I am so excited to have this great opportunity to showcase my skills on the big stage in Las Vegas,” said Martinez. “I will leave it all in the ring on February 26th and dedicate it to all the fans who are watching an exciting battle. My goal is to be world champion and this is the night for me to prove myself.”



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