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ORNELAS-SOLIMAN, WALKER-ESTRADA HIGHLIGHT TREMENDOUS “SHOBOX” FIGHT CARD
WED October 25

NEW YORK (Oct. 24, 2006) – One half of the popular Southern California-based “Bash Brothers,” Enrique Ornelas, will face world-ranked Sam Soliman in the main event on Friday, Nov. 17 on “ShoBox: The New Generation.” True to the ‘ShoBox’ mantra, the 26-year-old Ornelas will be facing his toughest opponent to date in a 10-round middleweight bout.

Also, in a battle of unbeaten heavyweights the 2003 Golden Gloves champion Travis “Freight Train” Walker will face the man who defeated him three times in the amateurs, 2004 United States Olympian Jason “Big Six” Estrada.

Walker (21-0-1, 17 KOs), of Tallahassee, Fla., will attempt to turn the tables on Providence R.I.’s Estrada (7-0, 1 ND, 1 KO) when they meet in an eight-round match. One of the most decorated amateur heavyweight boxers in U.S. history, Estrada beat Walker the last time they fought at the 2004 U. S. Olympic Trials.

The outstanding doubleheader at Soboba Casino in San Jacinto, Calif., is presented by Goossen Tutor Promotions and will air on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

The crowd-pleasing Ornelas (25-2, 15 KOs) hails from Guanajuato, Mexico. A winner of five consecutive bouts, the 6-foot-Ornelas has been consistently stepping up the level of his competition. But, he never has faced anybody like Soliman, who is ranked No. 4 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF), No. 6 by both the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA), and No. 13 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO). Soliman (32-8, 13 KOs), of Melbourne, Australia, won the respect of the boxing world when he nearly upset former two-time world champion Ronald “Winky” Wright on Dec. 10, 2005.

“This will be a culture shock for Ornelas,” said Soliman, who will turn 33 four days before the telecast. “He is a tall, young guy who can fight, but relies on his reach. He will not be able to do anything with his reach when I am finished with him. I am going to get inside and make sure he cannot throw his punches, and make him pay.

“The fight will not go the distance. I throw 100 punches a round, and they are all going to land flush. I am going to make sure that Ornelas does not come back for more.’’

The younger brother of undefeated, No. 1-ranked WBC super middleweight contender Librado Andrade, Ornelas was scheduled to fight Soliman in August 2006, but the fight was cancelled.

Trained by former world champion Wayne McCullough, the offensive-minded Ornelas is known as a non-stop, heavy-handed puncher with impressive skills. He has recorded a number of knockdowns, but goes down a lot, too.

Regarding his style, Ornelas said: “I am more of a counter-puncher. I am aggressive when I need to be, but I am more of a patient fighter. I am learning how to pace myself better.”

Born and raised in Leon Guanajuato, Mexico, Ornelas and Andrade have the same mother and father despite having different last names. The different names occurred because their father failed to show up at their confirmations in the local Catholic Church. In Mexico, if only one parent is present, the child takes the last name of that parent.

When Andrade was confirmed, his father was not there, but the church said he could have his dad's name. However, if it happened again, that child would have to take his mother's last name. That is what happened when Ornelas was confirmed, so he took his mother's maiden name.

The youngest of seven children, Ornelas moved with his mother, brothers and sisters to La Habra, Calif., when he was seven years old. It was at this time that Librado, who is two years older, took him to a gym for the first time.

“The first time we went to the gym, my brother said, ‘I will not hit you hard. I am going to show you how to protect yourself.’ Well, he beat the heck out of me and made me cry,’’ Ornelas said. “I did not go back for a week. I thought he just wanted to beat me up. Finally, I said, ‘Let’s go do it again.’”

Ornelas only had 15 amateur fights. “I lost all the time,” he said. “I never trained or fought like an amateur. I hit too hard. But the other guys would get points. I never had the style to get points.”

A star wrestler in high school, Ornelas turned pro at 19 on Oct. 7, 1999. In his 13th start, he captured a WBC junior belt. Other noteworthy early wins came on a third-round knockout over Richard Karsten (12-1 going in) on Feb. 26, 2004, and on an eighth-round TKO over Miguel Martin (17-1) less than five months later on July 15.

Stamina and an inability to pace himself may have cost Ornelas when he suffered his first loss, a come-from-behind, ninth-round knockout by Christian Cruz (9-1) on Sept. 30, 2004, in Los Angeles. Hurt in the first from a right hand, Ornelas shook it off and rallied to drop Cruz three times. In the ninth, however, Ornelas seemed to tire and got floored with a counter right. He did all he could to survive, but after getting smashed with two more right hands, the bout was stopped at 2:38.

“Losing was tough but it made me stronger,’’ Ornelas said. “It will only help me as I move on.”

Ornelas triumphed in his next start with an eight-round majority decision over Giorbis Barthelemy on Dec. 16, 2006, in Los Angeles. Ornelas scored a knockdown in the first, but his opponent came back with a knockdown of his own in the second. Ornelas rallied to floor Barthelemy in the fifth and sixth to win 76-72, 75-73 and 74 twice.

Then, on March 25, 2005, in Tucson, Ariz., Ornelas dropped a 10-round majority decision (98-90, 95-93 and 94 apiece) to Samuel Reese. Ornelas had built a lead but Reese registered knockdowns in the eighth and 10th-rounds to win.

Two weeks before the Reese rumble, however, Ornelas competed in the Los Angeles Marathon. “I ended up getting sick after the race and had to take two days off from training,” he said.

Ornelas, who is 5-0 with two knockouts since the Reese bout, weighed 160 pounds in his three 2006 starts. In his last start, Ornelas floored Raul Munoz twice en route to a first-round knockout on Aug. 18, 2006, in Temecula, Calif.

A married father of three, Ornelas knows the importance of his upcoming scrap with Soliman. “For me, this is like a world title fight,” he said. “Soliman is a great fighter and warrior, but I am ready.’’

An Australian of Egyptian descent, the five-foot-eight-and-one-half-inch Soliman has won 20 of his last 21 starts. The defeat came when he lost a WBC title elimination bout on points to Wright in Uncasville, Conn., on Dec. 10, 2005.

What most expected to be an easy night’s work for Winky turned out to be anything but as Soliman pushed the heavy favorite to the limit. Every time Wright scored, the slippery Soliman rallied. He threw an astounding 1,260 punches in 12 rounds to Wright’s 652. Afterward, the courageous Soliman was given a standing ovation.

“The Winky fight is the last one I am ever going to have that goes the distance,’’ said Soliman, who is coming off of a sixth-round knockout over Munoz on March 3, 2006, in Temecula. ‘’I will make sure of that. I proved it against Munoz and I will prove it again against Ornelas.

“Expect a more powerful, hard-hitting Sam Soliman on Nov. 17. When it comes to putting away an opponent and not letting it go to a decision, I have never been as adamant as I am for this fight.’’

A guy who maintains peak condition and is always in the gym, Soliman is a relentless, two-fisted puncher who delivers blows from different angles. He is not known for bone-crunching power or accuracy, but manages to outwork and outscore his opponents.

“I have trained very hard for this fight and am totally fit,” Soliman said. “But I have been working especially hard on adding power to my punches. Ornelas goes down a lot. We will see if he can take it.’’

From the instant Soliman began watching Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran, he knew he wanted to box. His parents, however, were less enthusiastic and stressed education.

“I kept telling them, ‘but I can do it.’ They said, ‘Yeah, right.’ All my life I have tried to prove them wrong. I finished high school, but I skipped a lot of school. I tried to concentrate on school, but I always wound up going back to the gym.’’

After winning countless belts in tae kwon do, karate, and kick boxing, Soliman turned to boxing full time. With a 73-11 record in the amateurs, he turned pro as a cruiserweight at age 23 on April 20, 1977. In only his second fight, Soliman captured the Australian cruiserweight title. However, he lost his third and fourth outings and was just 12-7 after losing to, among others, Howard Eastman, Raymond Joval and Anthony Mundine.

“I had no manager and was on my own for several years,” Soliman said. “When I turned pro, I could not wait for a title, so I took one in my second fight. Some fighters get all the breaks, but my trainer never had the big connections. I was just this little local bloke who would travel to fights by myself. I knew no one in England, but I went there by myself and won the Commonwealth title.’’

In one of his finest victories, Soliman outpointed Joval across 12 rounds in a rematch on July 18, 2004, in Temecula. Soliman scored a knockdown in the fourth, cut his opponent over the left eye in the sixth and won by the scores 120-107 twice and 119-108.

A 19-fight winning streak ended when Soliman lost to Wright. Soliman fought at a blistering pace and outworked Wright in many rounds. Wright was unable to dictate the pace for one of the few times in his career, but landed the harder punches and staggered Soliman in the 10th. Soliman never went down, recovered, and finished the round well, but two judges scored the round, 10-8, for Wright.

Soliman won the last two sessions on two of the scorecards, but fell short by 117-110, 115-113 and 115-112. “The people saw it as my victory,” he said. “I do not know how the three judges didn’t.”

In his lone 2006 start, Soliman dominated en route to knocking Munoz out at 1:49 of the sixth. Soliman took the fight on five days’ notice after his originally scheduled foe, Vernon Forrest, withdrew.

Soliman, who earlier this year played a boxer in a soon to be released movie, is managed by Stuart Duncan and trained by Dave Hedgecock. Nigel McCartney is the boxer’s strength and conditioning coach.

Walker and Estrada turned pro within five months of each other in 2004, but Walker has three times as many fights. Including his debut on July 30, 2004, Walker fought six times in ’04, nine times in ’05 and seven times so far in 2006.

“I did not have the background of some of the guys, but anybody watching my career since I turned pro knows I have advanced a lot in a short amount of time,” said the 27-year-old Walker, who is six-foot-four-and-one-half inches tall. “I am pretty athletic. Boxing came pretty easy.’’

Armed with good reflexes and natural talent, Walker only had about 32 amateur fights, but was good enough to become the 2003 National Golden Gloves super heavyweight champion.

In his second fight of the double elimination U.S. Olympic Trials, Walker dropped a 15-4 decision to Estrada. After a 30-25 setback to George Garcia eliminated him from the Trials, Walker said, “This is something I will always remember, but it was probably one of the worst tournaments I have been to. Even some of the judges said this was some of the worst judging they had seen.”

Walker began boxing at the late age of 21 and turned pro at 25 on July 30, 2004. “The boxing coach at my high school, who also was the dean, asked me to box, but I played football, ran track and was on the weight-lifting team, so I told him I wasn’t interested,” he said.

“Then I saw a fight on TV. Lennox Lewis beat some guy in 58 seconds of the first round and the dude got $300,000. That just stuck in my head. ‘I could make that money.’ I was basically sitting at home. I had a job, but it was a nothing job that was not going anywhere.

“So, I went back to the high school and starting training. I have been going to the gym since.”

Brought along carefully, Walker won his initial 13 outings before stepping up in class and boxing to an eight-round draw against Jason Gavern on Sept. 30, 2005, in Brooks, Calif. The improving Walker has won eight consecutive contests since, including six inside of the distance. In his last start, he scored a second-round TKO over John Clark on Sept. 2, 2006, in Los Angeles.

Walker has been anticipating the bout with Estrada since the pair turned pro. “I am going to destroy this guy,” he said. “There is no way I am going to leave it to the judges. I owe Estrada.”

Managed by Steve Munisteri and co-trained by former junior welterweight contender Dwight Pratchett and Dick Wood, Walker currently resides and trains in Houston.

The super quick, highly regarded, six-foot-one-inch, 25-year-old Estrada is perhaps America’s top heavyweight pro prospect.

One of the most celebrated amateur boxers in U.S. history, Estrada completed his amateur career with a spectacular 261-14 record (excluding international matches). Among his many noteworthy accomplishments, Estrada became the first boxer to win both the U.S. Nationals and U.S. Challenge three straight years (2001-03). The first U.S. super heavyweight in history to win the Pan-American Games (2003), Estrada went unbeaten at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

However, the biggest guy on the U.S. team disappointed in the Olympic Games. In a totally unexpected performance, Estrada was uncharacteristically lackluster and lost a chance for a medal by dropping a 21-7 decision to Cuba's Michel Lopez Nunez in Athens.

Estrada weighed 228 pounds when he beat Nunez in the finals of the 2003 Pan Am Games. But, he tipped the scales at 262 and fought passively when they met at the Olympics. Estrada said he never pursued Nunez because he figured he would lose anyway and did not want to take any more punishment.

“If I am going to lose, I am going to lose getting hit as little as possible,” Estrada said. “This is just one part of my life. It is just the end of this book. I will have to bring a new book out."

If Estrada’s pro career was a book, it would be a best seller. A terrific boxer with excellent hand speed, defense and smarts, Estrada has not lost a minute of a round among 40 since turning pro on Dec. 10, 2004.

Estrada’s lone pro victory inside of the distance came in his second bout when he scored a first-round TKO over Jerry Simpson on April 1, 2005, in New Haven, Conn. Since fighting to a no decision on Feb. 13, 2006, Estrada has won two straight. After hurling a 10-round shutout over Robert Wiggins on May 18, 2006, Estrada fought to an eight-round victory over Maurice Wheeler on Sept. 23, 2006.

“The best quality about me is that I am smart in the ring and can change my style to adapt to whatever style of fighter that I am fighting,” Estrada said. “I love the pro game.’’

A tremendous boxer for his size, Estrada is very adept without much of a punch. He routinely trains with middleweights and super welterweights, and is almost always just as quick.

“People say my son cannot punch, but look at the levels of the guys that he is fighting,” Estrada's father, Roland, said. “Nobody at his level is fighting these guys. Jason has a lot of speed. He makes guys miss and takes advantage of that. He has the talent, but most importantly, he is smart about what he does and how he takes care of himself. He is willing to fight anyone.”

Said the younger Estrada, who has a son named Lennox and has sparred with former world champions Hasim Rahman and John Ruiz: “It is all about confidence. I am not afraid to fight anybody. What does it prove to beat guys that are not that good? I want to prove myself to be the best.”

Growing up in the projects of Providence, Estrada began boxing at the age of 10 and immediately fell in love with what he calls the “thrill of competition.” Translated, it means he has been fighting for as long as he can remember.

“I had to fight to prove myself day after day after day,” Estrada said. “That is not me. I had to defend myself. But, I do not have to fight anymore, though. Now, the word is out.’’

Estrada expects to make it four straight victories over Walker without much difficulty.

“This guy will come to me, so I will probably knock him out,” said Estrada, who also defeated Walker in the 2002 National PAL Championships and 2001 Everlast U.S. Challenge. “The last amateur fight with Walker was not even close. I think I won by 10 points. This one will not be close either.”

Blow-by-blow announcer Nick Charles will call the action from ringside with expert analyst Steve Farhood at his side. The executive producer of “ShoBox’’ is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing.

For information on “ShoBox’’ and SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecasts, including complete fighter bios, records, related stories and more, please go the SHOWTIME website.

About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically-acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, “ShoBox: The New Generation” has featured young talent matched tough. The “ShoBox” philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. The growing list of fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes Leonard Dorin, Scott Harrison, Juan Diaz, Jeff Lacy, Ricky Hatton, Joan Guzman, Juan Urango, David Diaz (interim) and Robert Guerrero.

Johnson & Gray Register Impressive Victories
WED October 25

LAS VEGAS (October 24, 2006) – Former world title challenger Corey “Primetime” Johnson and prospect “Classy” Chris Gray, both promoted by Silverhawk Boxing, registered impressive wins this past weekend on two different shows.

Detroit super middleweight Johnson (34-3-2, 11 KOs) completely dominated veteran Virgil McClendon (22-10, 8 KOs), pitching a “shutout” last Saturday night in his six-round victory by unanimous decision (60-54 three times) on Joe Donofrio’s “Ring Kings of the Palace” show at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Johnson, the stylish southpaw who fought Kosta Tszyu 10 years ago for the IBF light welterweight title, has now won two of three bouts in his comeback, after being inactive for 4 ½ years, and 14 of his last 16 fights with one draw.

Junior middleweight Gray (4-2, 1 KO), now fighting out of Orlando (FL), upset previously unbeaten hometown favorite “King” Gabriel Rosado (5-1, 3 KOs) in their six-round co-feature at the Legendary Blue Horizon in Philadelphia.

Gray overcame a slow start in the opening round, using his jab to bait Rosado and throw effective two and three punch combinations en route to sweeping the last five rounds on two of three judges’ scorecard. Gray won by scores of 59-55, 59-55 58-56.

Since signing his promotional contract with Silverhawk, as well as reaching a managerial agreement with Rider Boxing, Gray is unbeaten in three fights and has shown tremendous development.

For more information on Johnson, Gray or Silverhawk Boxing go to www.silverhawkboxing.com.

Hlatshwayo-Holt Set For Showdown
WED October 25

NEW YORK (Oct. 23, 2006) – A humble, soft-spoken young man and dedicated Christian, Issac “The Angel” Hlatshwayo was a choirboy when he was young. However, he was no angel.

One of five children, Hlatshwayo was a street fighting kid.

“I used to provoke guys to get them to fight me,’’ Hlatshwayo said. “It was just a matter of me enjoying fighting.’’

For a time, none of his relatives were quite sure how to handle the baby-faced boy brawler, whose passion for pavement punching began when he started beating up the neighborhood kids in the poor community where he was born in South Africa. Ultimately, however, his grandmother would step in.

“It was my Granny who motivated me to get started in boxing and join a boxing club,” Hlatshwayo said. “She thought it would help discipline me. In the African tradition, it is the grandmother who is the grand matriarch of the family, and whose word commands a great deal of respect.

“I had been getting into a lot of tough street fights and Granny was not happy with me. She persuaded my parents to allow me to join an amateur boxing club. It was all over after that. Once I got that smell of the leather and the liniment in my nostrils, there was no looking back.’’

Sure enough, Hlatshwayo became more disciplined once he began to restrict his fisticuffs to sanctioned activity in a ring. He also remained as successful. Hlatshwayo won the majority of his more than 50 amateur fights and is undefeated as a professional. His most notable pro victories came on 12-round decisions over fellow South Africans Phillip Ndou and Cassius Baloyi in May 2004 and August 2005, respectively, and American Nate Campbell on April 7, 2006.

“As long as I keep winning, things will fall into place for me,” said Hlatshwayo (26-0, 1 NC, nine KOs), who will take on World Boxing Association (WBA) No. 13 contender Kendall “Rated R’’ Holt (20-1, 12 KOs) for the North American Boxing Organization (NABO) 140-pound title on “ShoBox: The New Generation’’ Friday, Nov. 3, at Bally’s Casino Ballroom in Atlantic City, N.J. The comebacking Holt has been sidelined with an injured his right hand, and will make his first start in 14 months.

The Duva Boxing-promoted “ShoBox’’ fight card will air on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m., ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

“This is a great fight and yet another dangerous test for me,” Hlatshwayo added. “Holt is one of America’s rising stars.”

A solid, fundamentally sound fighter, Hlatshwayo is considered by some to be his native country’s top fighter. The 2005 South Africa Fighter of the Year currently is ranked at junior welterweight in three of the major governing bodies: No. 5 in the World Boxing Council (WBC), No. 7 in the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and No. 9 in the International Boxing Federation (IBF).

The scheduled 12-round jolt with Holt will be the fifth United States start for the five-foot-eight-inch, 28-year-old Hlatshwayo, and his second in a row at 140 pounds. The undefeated fighter will celebrate his 29th birthday one week after the “ShoBox” telecast.

“This is a big challenge for both young men,” said “ShoBox’’ blow-by-blow announcer Nick Charles. “Holt is definitely a puncher and the naturally bigger man. (But) I think he has a very difficult time finding Hlatshwayo. Holt’s long layoff cannot help either. In short, Holt is in against a guy who can really make him look bad if he is not in prime condition.

“As for Hlatshwayo, it is all about movement and fighting quickly. He needs to get in and punch, then get out while giving constant angles.’’

Offered ‘ShoBox’ analyst Steve Farhood, “Holt and Hlatshwayo are fighters who have teased us and who we have been looking forward to seeing more of. Holt was impressive defeating David Diaz on “ShoBox.” That win is even more impressive since Diaz subsequently secured a portion of the world title. Hlatshwayo defeated Campbell, who just won a fight that suggests he has plenty left as well.

“This fight will not only allow one fighter to advance and reestablish his credentials, but it could well lead to a title fight for the winner.’’

Holt, of Patterson, N.J., was an excellent amateur before turning pro on March 30, 2001. In his 15th pro outing, the unbeaten prospect scored a spectacular opening round, one-punch knockout over Gilberto Reyes on March 26, 2004, in Miccosukee, Fla.

In his next start, Holt suffered his lone defeat on a shocking first-round TKO to Thomas Davis on June 18, 2004, in Chicago. Holt staggered Davis early in the round and then rocked him two more times before Davis rallied to score two knockdowns. The referee stopped the fight without a count at 2:59.

“Nobody wants to lose, but I think it really got me in tune with my career,” Holt said. “It opened my eyes to what was really going on, how things are supposed to really go. I had been winning, but I was getting by on talent alone. Losing made me go in the gym and work harder. It made me more focused.’’

Holt has come back strongly and won five consecutive bouts, including the big victory on Feb. 4, 2005, on “ShoBox’’ over the highly regarded Diaz (26-0 going in). Diaz went on to win the interim WBC lightweight title in August 2006.

The fight against the previously unbeaten 1996 U.S. Olympian was a big step up in class for Holt, but he performed admirably. He scored a knockdown with a snappy left-right during a furious exchange in the last seconds of the first round, and Diaz was cut over the right eye at the same time.

Even though the rounds were close, Diaz seemed to get stronger as the match progressed. But Holt kept Diaz off-balance with constant movement. Diaz scored a knockdown when Holt’s gloves touched the canvas in the eighth, but Holt came back strongly in the ninth to stagger Diaz repeatedly.

“I have got some things to work on, but this means the world to me,’’ said Holt after the referee stopped a bout he was leading by 68-63 twice and 67-64 at 2:26. “I knew going in this fight was mine’’

After becoming the only boxer to defeat Diaz, Holt captured the WBO Intercontinental 140-pound belt with a 12-round split decision over southpaw Jaime Rangel (30-7-1 going in) on May 27, 2005, in Pompano Beach, Fla. Rangel scored a knockdown in the first and continually pressed forward, but Holt frustrated him with movement and won by the scores 115-111, 114-112 and 110-116.

In his last outing on Sept. 24, 2005, Holt won a 10-round unanimous decision over Volodimir Khodakovskiy in Atlantic City. In control for the most part, Holt won 99-92, 98-92 and 97-93.

Holt has been slated to fight a couple of times since, but due to his injury, the bouts never came off. He realizes the risks involved in engaging a skilled foe such as Hlatshwayo after so much time off and that it is asking a lot for a guy who relies on movement, timing and speed to box at peak efficiency.

However, ring rust is not a concern for the speedy Holt, who is too confident in his abilities and wants to be champion too badly to turn his back on the opportunity.

“I know it is going to be a tough fight,’’ the five-foot-nine-inch, 25-year-old Holt said. “Hlatshwayo throws a lot of punches. This is the most important fight of my career.

“The most important mission in my life is to take care of my four-year-old son the way he deserves to be taken care of. Win this fight against Hlatshwayo and it will open the door for my getting the bigger fights that will allow me to take care of him properly. Nothing will prevent me from doing that.

“I feel sympathy for Hlatshwayo. He is going to get caught in the crossfire of my mission.’’

While not exactly a road warrior (24 of his pro starts have taken place in South Africa), Hlatshwayo is no stranger to fighting and performing well on his opponent’s home apron. The fight that propelled him into the public’s conscience came against Campbell in Tampa, Fla.

“More people started to pay attention to me after that fight,” said Hlatshwayo, a useful, accurate puncher but definitely not a banger. “Now, I need to keep it going.’’

Hlatshwayo turned pro as a lightweight at the age of 22 on Feb. 15, 2000. After going 5-0 in 2000, he won six starts the next year and was named 2001 South Africa Prospect of the Year.

In his 14th outing, Hlatshwayo captured the South African title with a 12-round decision over Martin Jacobs on Oct. 5, 2002, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The energetic Hlatshwayo outclassed the defending champion in all departments and won 119-111, 117-111 and 117-112. Hlatshwayo vacated the national title to pursue his international career shortly after he successfully defended it a fifth and final time with an exciting, 12-round split decision over Ndou (115-113 twice and 113-115).

Hlatshwayo’s U.S. debut with Marty Robbins on Feb. 4, 2005, in Mashantucket, Conn., ended in a first-round no-contest. He was just starting to land long, straight punches to Robbins’ head, when the two cracked heads accidentally. Robbins got the worst of the butt and the fight was stopped after the first.

In his second stateside start, Hlatshwayo dominated William Morelo en route to winning a 10-round unanimous decision on May 13, 2005, in Las Vegas.

On Aug. 31, 2005, Hlatshwayo returned to South Africa and captured the International Boxing Organization (IBO) lightweight title with an easy decision over once-beaten Baloyi. Hlatshwayo dropped the three-time world champion in the second round en route to winning 119-108, 117-112 and 116-112.

Less than six months later, Hlatshwayo retained his title by winning a 12-round unanimous decision over Argentina’s Aldo Rios in Brakpan on Feb. 25, 2006.

Drained from having to make 135 pounds, Hlatshwayo was sluggish throughout and weary down the stretch. Not know for his power, Rios had Hlatshwayo hurt and in danger of being stopped in the 12th. Although the fight was closer than the scores indicated, Hlatshwayo won 118-111, 118-110 and 117-111.

“In the end I was very tired, but I came back,’’ said Hlatshwayo, who did not land many telling blows during the first 11 rounds.

Hlatshwayo was in top shape for his next outing, and it showed as he produced a career-best performance in a thrilling fight against the more seasoned Campbell (28-4-1 going in). Campbell seemingly had all the advantages going in, including home field advantage.

Pride is one of the South African’s most important attributes, so after spotting the fast-starting Campbell an early edge, the naturally bigger and stronger Hlatshwayo came back. Utilizing a sharp, steady jab followed with accurate combinations, Hlatshwayo outhustled his favored foe over the bulk of the IBF elimination bout and survived a late rally to win 117-111, 116-112 and 113-115.

At his best when an opponent comes to him, Hlatshwayo remained composed when Campbell picked up the pace and started to apply more pressure during the last two rounds. Instead of crumbling, Hlatshwayo remained calm and chose his spots while throwing punches in sequences. Although Campbell came on strongly, he had been outworked and outwilled in most of the rounds. Hlatshwayo was simply busier and fighting harder.

There would be no immediate in-ring, post-fight party for Hlatshwayo, however.

When the decision was announced to the crowd, Campbell dropped to the canvas in celebration with the premature belief he was the winner. Due to some language difficulties and the vision of Campbell prone on the canvas, Hlatshwayo thought he was the loser. It took several agonizing seconds before the verdict was explained to both boxers and Hlatshwayo was assured that he was victorious.

In his last fight on June 17, 2006, in Memphis, Hlatshwayo won a dominant, eight-round unanimous decision over Jeremy Yelton. Working behind a constant jab, he consistently ouboxed and outpunched Yelton en route to winning 80-72 twice and 79-73.

Hlatshwayo, who describes himself as a dedicated Christian, believes in clean living and hard work.

“My mom told me to stay away from the guys who take alcohol and smoke,” Hlatshwayo said. “We learned to live a much better life from the guys who drink or smoke."

In preparation for a fight, Hlatshwayo trains nearly five hours a day.

“I really believe that if you work hard, in the end, you will live like a king,’’ he said.

Regarding his nickname, Hlatshwayo said, “They call me ‘The Angel’ because of my looks. I used to sing in the church choir when I was at school. Somehow, someone found that out about me and they started calling me it just after I’d turned professional.”

Born and raised in Shisasi Village, Hlatshwayo grew up and still resides in nearby Malamulele, South Africa. In his spare time, the father of two loves to listen to music. He is managed and trained by Manny Fernandes.

“It is a challenge for me to fight in front of the Americans,’’ Hlatshwayo said. “I am ready to show that I am one of the best boxers to come out of South Africa.’’

Nick Charles and Farhood will call the action from ringside. The executive producer of the telecast is Gordon Hall, with Richard Gaughan producing.

For information on “ShoBox: The New Generation” and SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecasts, including complete fighter bios, records, related stories and more, please go the SHOWTIME website.

One night after the terrific Nov. 3 “ShoBox’’ event, the 20th anniversary of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING continues Saturday, Nov. 4 (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast), when Sergei Liakhovich will defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) heavyweight belt against Shannon Briggs, and Juan Diaz risks his WBA lightweight crown against Fernando Angulo. Don King Productions will promote the world championship doubleheader from Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz.

GBP Signs Diego Corrales
WED October 25

BOXING'S ULTIMATE WARRIOR JOINS GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS

GBP SIGNS DIEGO CORRALES

LOS ANGELES, October 19 - No fighter in recent years has captured the imagination of true fight fans more than Diego 'Chico' Corrales. Now, the former junior lightweight and lightweight champion will seek a third world title in a different weight class under the promotional auspices of Golden Boy Promotions, which is pleased to announce the signing of this boxing superstar to a promotional contract.

"At this point in my career, it is important that I can go into a fight knowing that the business outside is taken care of," said Corrales. "I wanted to be with a promoter who understands us fighters and who I can be with for the rest of my career. To be part of Golden Boy Promotions feels great. I feel happy, energized, and ready to take on all challenges and make another run at a world championship."

"I know that Diego always gives it his best in the ring, and our promise to him is that Golden Boy Promotions will give him our best outside the ring," said Golden Boy Promotions President Oscar De La Hoya.

Adds Golden Boy Promotions partner Sugar Shane Mosley, a close friend of Corrales, who, along with his wife Jin, was instrumental in signing the Sacramento, California native, "This signing shows again that Golden Boy Promotions is truly the best platform for fighters. I know that Diego will be as happy as I am here."

Diego Corrales (40-4, 33 KOs) is one of the most beloved fighters in the game today, due to his down-to-Earth personality, accessibility to fight fans, and most importantly, his willingness to leave it all on the line every time he steps into the ring. A resident of Las Vegas, Nevada, the 29-year-old Corrales is a ten year pro who won his world title at 130 pounds by stopping Roberto Garcia in seven rounds in 1999, and defended his crown three times. At lightweight, 'Chico' truly made his mark, stopping Acelino Freitas in ten rounds to win the WBO title and adding the WBC crown by defeating Jose Luis Castillo in a 2005 fight many longtime fight observers called the greatest fight of all-time. Weight issues have plagued the six-foot tall Corrales in recent losses to Castillo and Joel Casamayor, but with a jump up in weight promised for his next bout, 'Chico' is ready for big things at 140 and 147 pounds.

“Thursday Night Fights” return to The Plex
WED October 25

CHARLESTON, South Carolina (October 23, 2006) – The spotlight focuses on heavyweights this week as new Silverhawk Boxing stable-mates Gerald “The Jedi” Nobles and Robert “Desert Storm” Davis are featured in the main event and co-feature, respectively, on the “Thursday Night Fights” show at The Plex in Charleston, South Carolina.

“Thursday Night Fights” is presented by Jim Kelley Promotions in association with Silverhawk Championship Boxing.

Power punching Nobles (24-1, 19 KOs) hasn’t fought since suffering a questionable loss by disqualification November 20, 2004 to current WBA champion Nikolay Valuev in Germany. When Nobles cleanly hit the 7-0, 325-pound Valuev in the navel area, the hometown referee deducted points for hitting below the belt, finally disqualifying Nobles – after he had reportedly rocked “The Best from the East” – in the fourth round of their WBA Intercontinental title fight. The judges had Noble ahead on their scorecards at the time of the controversial disqualification.

Nobles, making his Silverhawk debut, faces veteran Wallace McDaniels in the eight-round main event. “I’ve watched too many guys I know I’m better than fighting for titles,” Nobles said. “Sometimes it’s not how good you are, but how good the people behind you are, and now I have Silverhawk as my promoter and Jim Rider as my manager. They have my back. When I was undefeated and rated No. 9 in the world, nobody in the top 10 would fight me because I can punch, box and take a punch. Some guys can punch, but can’t box; others can box, but can’t punch. I can punch and box with the best…..both hands, too. Just give me a few fights and I’ll be ready for anybody in the world.” Former NABF heavyweight champion Davis, also making his Silverhawk Boxing debut, faces Curtis Taylor in the eight-round co-feature.

Light welterweight prospect Jaime Sandoval (11-1, 9 KOs) faces Tyrone Wiggins in a six-round match. Also fighting on the undercard in four-round bouts is cruiserweight Brad Binder vs. Robert Hamilton, as well as lightweight Will Harris vs. Matt Waltrip, middleweight Marquis McDonnell vs. Larry Foster, and middleweight Pete Guthy vs. Vincent Robbins.

Fore more information about Silverhawk Championship Boxing go to www.silverhawkboxing.com.

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