Crowd-Pleasing Bouts Will Be Replayed On SHO EXTREME
On Monday, June 6, At 8 PM ET/PT
MANCHESTER,
England (June 3, 2005) – In the first of back-to-back world
title fight nights on SHOWTIME, World Boxing Organization (WBO)
featherweight champion Scott Harrison successfully defended
his title for the fifth-straight time by knocking out
Michael Brodie in the fourth round Friday. In the “ShoBox:
The New Generation” co-feature, unbeaten Michael Jennings
stopped Gavin Down in the ninth round of a scheduled
10-round welterweight bout. The doubleheader, which took
place at the M.E.N. Arena, was promoted by Frank Warren’s
Sports Network and aired at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the
West Coast). The telecast was the 63rd in the
popular “ShoBox” series, which debuted on SHOWTIME in July
2001.
Harrison (24-2-2, 14 KOs), of
Glasgow, Scotland, staggered Brodie in the first round and
exchanged blows with him the next two. In the fourth, the
champion landed a left hook to the kidney, sending Brodie to
the canvas. Brodie was counted out at the 46-second mark.
Harrison’s superior strength proved too much for Brodie’s
tactical skills. Harrison became Scotland’s first
featherweight champion, eighth world titleholder overall
and its first since Paul
Weir in 1995 when he dethroned
Argentina’s Juan Pablo Chacon
to capture the WBO 126-pound title on Oct. 19, 2002.
Harrison systematically dismantled Chacon (44-2 going in)
by the scores 117-111 twice and
117-112.
Brodie (35-3-1, 23
KOs), of Manchester, fought well during the first three
rounds. After nine minutes, he was leading on two
scorecards, 29-28 (the third judge had Harrison ahead
29-28). Brodie, the hometown favorite, had a large
contingent of boisterous fans urging him on. But, despite a
valiant effort, he took too many clean shots from Harrison
to continue the fast-paced fight. This was Brodie’s fourth
and final world title bout opportunity, as he announced his
retirement after the match. He came closest to winning a
world title on Oct. 18, 2003, in his hometown when he fought
to a 12-round draw with World Boxing Council (WBC)
featherweight championship against Injin Chi. The judges
scored the fight 113-113 twice and 112-114.
Jennings
(26-0, 12 KOs), of Preston, England, had his way with Down,
controlling the tempo of the fight from the opening bell.
The cagey ring warrior systematically stalked Down,
ultimately pinning him to the ropes in the ninth with a
relentless assault, prompting the stoppage at 0:33 of the
round. Through eight rounds, Jennings led on the referee’s
scorecard, 79-74. With the victory, the WBO No. 1 contender
kept himself in line for a world title bout. He made his
“ShoBox” debut on April 1, 2004, in Bethnal Green, England,
and easily retained his World Boxing Union (WBU) title for
the second time by scoring a fifth-round TKO over British
Central Area Welterweight Champion Brett James.
Down (29-6,
14 KOs), of Chesterfield, England, was a late addition to
the card. He held his ground for much of the bout,
withstanding barrages of Jennings’ jabs and hooks. Down
captured the vacant British (Midland Area) welterweight
crown on Nov. 25, 2004, by registering a 10-round decision
(98-93) over Steve Brumant.
Nick
Charles called Friday’s action from ringside, with Steve
Farhood serving as expert analyst. The executive producer
of the telecast was Gordon Hall, with Richard Gaughan
producing.
The next “ShoBox’’
telecast is Friday, July 22, on SHOWTIME with a fight card
to be announced.
On
Saturday, June 4, in a highly anticipated match-up that has
the makings of a classic, International Boxing Federation (IBF)
Junior Welterweight Champion Kostya Tszyu will defend
against undefeated IBF No. 1 contender Ricky Hatton on
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the
West Coast) from M.E.N. Arena
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 at
http://www.sho.com/boxing.
