The Showtime schedule: A report card
Full show-by-show breakdown and grades
Showtime, as it has done regularly for the past few years, prefers to roll out a large chunk of its upcoming schedule at once rather than announce fights and cards one by one. So, two weeks ago, the network unveiled its jam-packed spring and early summer schedule of Premier Boxing Champions events.
It includes nine cards, including two unification fights — one for the undisputed junior middleweight crown and one to unify three welterweight titles — and two pay-per-views shows over five months between this weekend and July. Overall, 22 bouts have been announced with more to come as additional undercard matches are put together for some of the events.
The slate includes fights involving many of the best fighters in the sport, Errol Spence Jr., Yordenis Ugas, Gervonta Davis, Jermell Charlo, Jermall Charlo, David Benavidez and Stephen Fulton Jr. among them. There are also bouts involving excellent up-and-comers such as Tim Tszyu, Jaron Ennis, Michel Rivera and Brandun Lee.
The schedule kicks off on Saturday night with a tripleheader headlined by junior middleweight contender Tszyu against Terrell Gausha and runs through a July 9 card headlined by featherweight titlist Mark Magsayo defending against unbeaten former junior featherweight titlist Rey Vargas.
Here is the Fight Freaks Unite pre-fight show-by-show breakdown and a report card (with grades) on all nine events:
Saturday
Tim Tszyu (20-0, 15 KOs) vs. Terrell Gausha (22-2-1, 11 KOs)
Site: The Armory in Minneapolis
Stakes: Tszyu, who is the son of Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu, is risking his position as the WBO mandatory challenger and the next fight with the winner of the undisputed championship rematch between Jermell Charlo vs. Brian Castano.
Lowdown: This is all about Tszyu’s American introduction. Besides the title shot being at stake for Australia’s Tszyu, he is stepping up to face his best opponent so far in former world title challenger and 2012 U.S. Olympian Gausha and making his Showtime and United States debut. You only get one chance to make a first impression and this it for Tszyu, who has immense promise and designs on a 154-pound division takeover and making a big name for himself in the U.S. A decisive victory over Gausha, who has only lost decisions to top opponents Erislandy Lara in a world title fight and Erickson Lubin, would be a good start.
Undercard: Exciting lightweight Michel Rivera (22-0, 14 KOs) faces Joseph Adorno (14-0-2, 12 KOs) and junior welterweight Elvis Rodriguez (12-1-1, 11 KOS) meets Juan Jose Velasco (23-2, 14 KOs) in a pair of 10-rounders.
Main event pre-fight grade: B
Overall card pre-fight grade: B+