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Danny Garcia Battles Jose Benavidez Jr. In Super
Welterweight Showdown July 30 From Barclays
Two-division world champion and Brooklyn fan-favorite Danny
“Swift” Garcia will make his super welterweight debut
against exciting contender Jose Benavidez Jr. in a 12-round
showdown that headlines a stacked tripleheader Saturday,
July 30 live on SHOWTIME from Barclays Center in Brooklyn in
an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast begins at 9 p.m.
ET/6 p.m. PT and will also see Polish star and Brooklyn’s
all-action Adam Kownacki returning to the ring to take on
Turkish Olympian Ali Eren Demirezen in a 10-round
heavyweight attraction, while unbeaten rising star Gary
Antuanne Russell faces two-division champion Rances
Barthelemy in a 10-round showdown to kick off the telecast.
“This card on July 30 has everything a boxing fan could ask
for and is set up to deliver compelling action from start to
finish,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions.
“Philadelphia’s Danny Garcia has established a strong fan
base in Brooklyn and will look to give them a show in his
154-pound debut against the always tough Jose Benavidez Jr.
The heavyweight clash in the co-main event will be full of
action as well, as popular heavyweight contender Adam
Kownacki takes on Ali Eren Demirezen with both fighters
looking to take a big step up the heavyweight ladder. Plus,
Gary Antuanne Russell has garnered recognition as a future
pound-for-pound star and can continue to solidify those
credentials battling the crafty former champion Rances
Barthelemy opening up the action on SHOWTIME.”
A world champion at 140 and 147 pounds, Garcia (36-3, 21
KOs) owns one of the sports’ most impressive resumes as he
now seeks to add a 154-pound title to his list of
accomplishments. He returns to fight at Barclays Center for
the ninth time, where he headlined the first ever boxing
show at the arena in 2012 in his SHOWTIME debut. The
Philadelphia native’s run through the super lightweight
division saw him defeat a string of champions including Erik
Morales, Amir Khan, Zab Judah, Lucas Matthysse, Nate
Campbell and Kendall Holt. As a welterweight, the
34-year-old added triumphs over Lamont Peterson, Paulie
Malignaggi, and Robert Guerrero, defeating Guerrero for a
vacant title in 2016. Garcia’s campaign at welterweight
included narrow defeats to some of the sport’s most talented
and rugged fighters –Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter, and
unbeaten unified champion Errol Spence Jr.
“I feel blessed,” said Garcia. “I’m back like I never left.
I can’t wait to return to the ring in front of the fans at
Barclays Center in Brooklyn, who have always supported me,
and for all my fans across the country watching on SHOWTIME.
The 'Danny Garcia Show’ returns July 30 and you don't want
to miss it!”
The 30-year-old Benavídez (27-1-1, 18 KOs) is the older
brother of unbeaten two-time world champion David Benavídez
and is trained by his father Jose Sr. A long-established
contender, Benavídez moved up to super welterweight in his
last fight after dropping a 147-pound title showdown to
Terence Crawford in October 2018. Benavídez fought Francisco
Emanuel Torres to a draw last November, his first action in
just over three years. The Phoenix-native had previously
earned wins over contenders such as Mauricio Herrera,
Francisco Santana and Frank Rojas on his way to that world
title opportunity against Crawford.
“This is a Mexico vs. Puerto Rico matchup and both of us
have something to prove,” said Benavídez. “It’s going to be
a great fight for the fans. I feel strong and I know I will
end this one on fight night. I’m bigger and stronger than he
is and come July 30, he will see the difference in power
between us.”
The 33-year-old Kownacki (20-2, 15 KOs) returns to the
friendly confines of Barclays Center where he has previously
fought 10 times, compiling a 9-1 record with five knockouts.
Born in Lomza, Poland before moving to Brooklyn when he was
seven, Kownacki will step back into the ring after dropping
a pair of explosive, fan-friendly fights to Robert Helenius.
He owns victories over former world champion Charles Martin
and former title challengers Gerald Washington and Chris
Arreola. His August 2019 battle against Arreola set CompuBox
records for heavyweights in combined power punches thrown
and landed.
“I’m very excited to be back in the ring, especially back
home in Brooklyn at Barclays Center,” said Kownacki. “I’m
ready to show the world that Robert Helenius just caught me
at a complicated time in my life, where juggling being a new
father and a fighter was a new experience and learning how
to manage both was something I needed to learn how to do.
For this fight, my family went away to Poland while I’m in
camp so I could only focus on boxing. It was a difficult
decision to make, but the right one. Demirezen is coming off
a couple big wins, so I know he will bring his ‘A’ game, but
I need to beat him to be back in the heavyweight mix. Our
fight on July 30 will be action-packed with my hand being
raised in victory.”
A 2016 Olympian for Turkey, Demirezen (16-1, 12 KOs) has
fought out of Hamburg, Germany in the professional ranks
since turning pro in late 2016. The 32-year-old won his
first 11 pro fights, including a second-round stoppage of
Rad Rashid to capture a European heavyweight title in 2018.
Demirezen’s first U.S. outing came in 2019, when he became
the first person to go the distance against Efe Ajagba,
losing by decision. Since that defeat, Demirezen has scored
five-straight victories, including defeating former title
challengers Gerald Washington in January and Kevin Johnson
in May.
“I’m very happy to fight in the U.S. again on July 30,” said
Demirezen. “After my big win in Miami [in January], I’m very
confident I’m going to give everyone a great fight in
Brooklyn. I’m ready for anything Adam Kownacki brings to the
ring and I want to make a big statement with a win over
him.”
A native of Capitol Heights, Md., Russell (15-0, 15 KOs)
will be continuing on the legacy left by his late father
Gary Sr., as he belongs to one of the sport’s preeminent
fighting families and trains alongside his older brothers,
former WBC Featherweight Champion Gary Jr. and bantamweight
contender Gary Antonio. The 25-year-old Russell has yet to
allow an opponent to make it to the final bell since turning
pro in 2017 following his run representing the U.S. at the
Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. Most recently, Russell added the
most impressive professional victory of his career thus far,
as he became the first person to stop former champion Viktor
Postol in their February clash on SHOWTIME.
When asked about his fight against Barthelemy, Russell
cryptically said, “Deforestation is just a phase that shows
there’s more space for growth and conquer,’’ and then stated
that he would explain what he means after winning this
fight.
A native of Havana, Cuba now fighting out of Las Vegas,
Barthelemy (29-1-1, 15 KOs) added two victories in 2021,
winning a unanimous decision over All Rivera in January
before stopping Gustavo David Vittori in two rounds in
November. A world champion at 130 and 135 pounds, Barthelemy
owns notable victories over Argenis Mendez, Antonio DeMarco,
Mickey Bey and Denis Shafikov. His only professional loss
came in a 2018 140-pound championship rematch against Kiryl
Relikh, with the only other blemish on his record coming via
a draw versus former champion Robert Easter Jr. in 2019.
Barthelemy also comes from a fighting family, as he is the
middle brother between the younger Leduan and the older Yan,
who won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics.
“I’m thrilled to be competing on SHOWTIME, especially
against an undefeated young lion like Gary Antuanne
Russell,” said Barthelemy. “He’s knocked out every opponent
he’s faced, but he’s going to find out real quick that I’m
on another level. I’m more determined than ever to take this
young kid to school. Don’t be surprised if I take him out,
as I’ve been working on my power and explosiveness. The new
and improved version of myself will be on display July 30 in
Brooklyn.”
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