THE BATTLE OF BROOKLYN IN ON! Former World Champions Zab Judah & Paulie Malignaggi Set To Fight on Dec. 7 At Barclays Center Live on SHOWTIME
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THE BATTLE OF BROOKLYN IS ON!
FORMER FIVE-TIME, TWO-DIVISION WORLD CHAMPION ZAB "SUPER" JUDAH TO FIGHT FOR BROOKLYN BRAGGING RIGHTS AGAINST FORMER TWO-TIME, TWO-DIVISION WORLD CHAMPION PAULIE "THE MAGIC MAN" MALIGNAGGI ON DEC. 7 AT BARCLAYS CENTER LIVE ON SHOWTIME®
PLUS, WBA SUPER WELTERWEIGHT INTERIM CHAMPION
ERISLANDY LARA TO MAKE HIS FIRST TITLE DEFENSE AGAINST FORMER WBA SUPER WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION AUSTIN "NO DOUBT" TROUT AND 2012 U.S. OLYMPIAN MARCUS BROWNE SCHEDULED TO FIGHT
Barclays Center will host two of the borough's favorite sons, former Five-Time, Two-Division World Champion Zab "Super" Judah and former Two-Time, Two-Division World Champion Paulie "The Magic Man" Malignaggi, on Saturday, Dec. 7 todecide who is the true King of Brooklyn. The 12-round welterweight bout will be televised live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).
"I am happy to be back fighting in front of my hometown crowd," said Judah, who is from Brownsville. "Paulie and I have known each other for a long time and we have a mutual respect for each other, but with this fight on Dec. 7 it is going to be like the ancient Roman days. There has to be a leader and that position belongs to me."
"I have always admired Zab's skills and his resume speaks for itself," said Malignaggi, a native of Bensonhurst. "But this is the 'Battle of Brooklyn' and winning this fight is worth more than any world title."
"In a year of great fights, I have to say that this one is high on my list of the most anticipated," said CEO of Golden Boy Promotions Richard Schaefer. "Paulie and Zab are two of the slickest, fastest and most charismatic boxers in the world today and when you add in the fact that they're fighting for Brooklyn bragging rights, it's going to be an early holiday gift for boxing fans."
"Judah vs. Malignaggi promises to be a high intensity chess match between two master boxers," said Vice President of Super Judah Promotions Bill Halkias. "This fight is not only special to Brooklyn boxing fans, but also a highly anticipated fight for boxing fans in general. Who wouldn't want to see two highly skilled and experienced world champion boxers go at it for the right to be crowned 'The King of Brooklyn'? I believe Dec. 7 will be a night to remember."
"We've hosted some great fights at Barclays Center in our first year, but this one is different - this fight is about two Brooklyn-born-and-raised fighters proudly representing their respective neighborhoods," said Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark. "Paulie and Zab are pros at captivating audiences with their big personalities and boxing skills. We are delighted that they will once again step into Brooklyn's most celebrated ring for what is sure to be another memorable night of boxing at Barclays Center."
"Highly competitive, hard-fought, exciting fights have been the hallmark of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING all year long, and the December 7 card is no different," said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. "If you want tune-ups, appearance fights or mismatches, then look elsewhere. But if you're looking for evenly matched, meaningful fights featuring four of the most skilled boxers in any division, then the December 7 edition of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a can't-miss."
In the 12-round co-main event, the WBA Super Welterweight Championship is on the line as interim titleholder Erislandy Lara battles former champion Austin "No Doubt" Trout. The Cuban star, Lara, is coming off a 'Fight of the Year' candidate in his 10th -round title-winning stoppage of Alfredo Angulo in June, but the gifted Trout is hungrier than ever to regain his world title. Additionally, 2012 U.S. Olympian Marcus Browne, who will be featured at Barclays Center for the fifth time in his professional career, will face an opponent to be determined.
"This is a great matchup with Austin Trout and I respect his skills in the ring," said Lara. "He knows the art of boxing like I do, and the fans will see the sport at its highest level when we fight."
"It's only been a few months, but I already miss being called 'champ,'" said Trout. "So I'd like to thank Lara, Golden Boy, and the WBA for this opportunity to get my belt back and I will get it back this December."
"Barclays Center has truly become my second home," said Browne. "Having the opportunity to fight there more times than any one else is an honor. I look forward to making another appearance there on Dec. 7."
Judah vs. Malignaggi is a 12-round welterweight fight taking place on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and supported by Golden Boy Promotions' sponsors Corona and AT&T. The SHOWTIME telecast begins at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). In the co-featured bout, Erislandy Lara defends his interim WBA Super Welterweight Championship in a 12-round fight against Austin "No Doubt" Trout. Preliminary fights will air on SHOWTIME EXTREME at 7 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
Blessed with the speed, power and ring savvy that long ago earned him the nickname "Super,"Zab Judah (42-8, 29 KO's) has been dazzling fight fans in New York and beyond since 1996, winning world titles at 140 and 147 pounds along the way. Owner of wins against Micky Ward, Junior Witter, Cory Spinks and Lucas Matthysse, the 35-year-old southpaw has also squared off with the best of this era, including Floyd Mayweather, Kostya Tszyu, Miguel Cotto, Amir Khan and Danny Garcia, who he recently extended the 12-round distance in a memorable championship bout in April. But to get back into a title fight, Judah must first successfully defeat Malignaggi.
A former junior welterweight and welterweight world champion known as "The Magic Man,"Paulie Malignaggi (32-5, 7 KO's) built an early reputation for talking a good game, but when the bell rang, his skills backed up his boasts. Despite his flashy style in and out of the ring, the 32-year-old has proven himself to be a true warrior, as evidenced by his victories over Juan Diaz, Lovemore Ndou, Vyacheslav Senchenko and Pablo Cesar Cano, and his battles with Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton and Amir Khan. Coming off of a razor-thin split decision loss to Adrien Broner in June, Malignaggi's return to the ring has him more amped up than ever.
After graduating from the legendary Cuban amateur boxing program, Guantanamo's Erislandy Lara (18-1-2, 12 KO's) began his quest for professional glory in 2008, eventually settling in Miami. By 2011, he was one of the sport's unsung heroes, with the only blemishes on his record being a controversial draw with Carlos Molina and a majority decision loss to Paul Williams that most consider to be one of the worst decisions in recent history. Since then, Lara has done his best to take matters out of the judges' hands, going 3-0-1 with technical knockouts of Ronald Hearns and Alfredo Angulo. Lara's win over Angulo in June of this year earned the 30-year-old southpaw the interim WBA Championship, and he will look to defend his interim title on Dec. 7.
Slick southpaw Austin "No Doubt" Trout (26-1, 14 KO's) operated under the mainstream radar for many years, but the Las Cruces, New Mexico native never lost sight of his goals, knowing that he would capitalize on his first big opportunity. That opportunity came in February of 2011, when he traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico to take on Rigoberto Alvarez. In that bout, Trout won a 12-round unanimous decision and the vacant WBA Super Welterweight title, a crown he successfully defended four times with victories over David Lopez, Frank LoPorto, Delvin Rodriguez, and Miguel Cotto. In April, Trout lost his title in a hard-fought match with WBC champion Canelo Alvarez, but this December, the 28-year-old gets his chance to take the belt back.
After blasting through his first six opponents as a professional, Staten Island's "Sir" Marcus Browne (7-0, 6 KO's) proved that he could go the distance as well in his most recent bout, as he pounded out an eight-round unanimous decision victory over Lamont Williams at Barclays Center. On Dec. 7, the 22-year-old former Olympian seeks his eighth consecutive win.
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