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Undefeated Lightweight Prospect Jamaine Ortiz Takes On
Nahir Albright On ShoBox Feb. 18
ShoBox: The New Generation returns to Caribe Royale Resort
in Orlando, Fla. for the second time in two months on
Friday, February 18 for an exciting tripleheader featuring
six prospects with a combined record of 74-2-2, five new to
the developmental series. The action takes place live on
SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
The main event will see undefeated lightweight prospect
Jamaine Ortiz (14-0-1, 8 KOs), who shared the ring with
Jaron Ennis and Teofimo Lopez during a decorated amateur
career, make his ShoBox debut against once-beaten Nahir
Albright (14-1, 7 KOs) in a 10-round bout that could have
long-term consequences for boxing’s hottest division.
Albright is an aspiring R&B singer who belted out a tune
during a post-fight interview following his last win. The
co-feature matches ShoBox returnee Joe George (11-0, 7 KOs)
facing Sean Hemphill (14-0, 8 KOs) in an eight-round super
middleweight bout of unbeatens. The telecast opens with
Philadelphia’s undefeated welterweight prospect Paul Kroll
(9-0, 6 KOs) squaring off against perennial spoiler Marquis
Taylor (12-1-1, 1 KOs) in an eight-round battle between
ShoBox newcomers.
The three-fight telecast is promoted by King’s Promotions.
“This edition of ShoBox has compelling storylines and
terrific matchups that make it a must-see for boxing fans,”
said Gordon Hall, executive producer for ShoBox: The New
Generation. “I’m particularly interested in finding out if
Jamaine Ortiz or Nahir Albright can emerge as serious
players at 135 pounds. Or if Joe George can follow up his
sensational KO in his last outing against the gifted and
elusive boxer-puncher Sean Hemphill. Or whether Paul Kroll
can fulfill his vast potential against the talented Marquis
Taylor. I can’t wait to see how it all plays out on February
18.”
Here is a closer look at the matchups:
Ortiz vs. Albright – 10-Round Lightweight Main Event Bout
Fighting out of Worcester, Mass., the 25-year-old Ortiz is a
promising prospect in the loaded 135-pound division. Blessed
with fast hands and an aggressive style, Ortiz delivered a
career-best win over Sulaiman Segawa in November 2020 on the
undercard of Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones, scoring a
seventh-round KO to become the first fighter to stop Segawa.
Known as “The Technician,” Ortiz, who sometimes fights out
of the southpaw stance, is also the only fighter to beat
current 11-1 lightweight Ricardo Quiroz. His last time out,
Ortiz overcame two knockdowns to battle the undefeated
Joseph Adorno to a majority draw in a thrilling eight-round
affair in April. He recently spent five weeks in California
helping pound-for-pound great Vasiliy Lomachenko prepare for
his December fight with Richard Commey. Ortiz built his
foundation in the amateurs, where he went 100-14 and
sustained spirited losses to Ennis and Lopez. Ortiz is a
former full-time union carpenter and college student who
currently dabbles in real estate and has spoken of finishing
college and perhaps attending medical school following his
boxing career.
"I'm thankful for the opportunity to be the main event on
ShoBox,” said Ortiz. “I've been waiting for this a long
time. I'm ready to put on a great performance. This is a
great platform for future champions, and on February 18 I'm
going to put the lightweight division on notice."
Albright turned pro in 2016, dropping a majority decision in
his debut against current 13-1 pro Anthony Laureano, before
bouncing back to rattle off 14 straight wins. The streaking
prospect has earned stoppages in five of his last six bouts
which all took place in 2021, including his last time out
when he dropped Michael Dutchover four times en route to a
sixth-round stoppage victory. Albright will be making his
ShoBox debut but has already beaten two fighters who have
appeared on the developmental series in Dutchover and the
16-2 Jeremy Hill. The 25-year-old from Sicklerville, N.J.
was originally scheduled to face Ortiz in November 2020 but
was forced to withdraw with an injury.
“It's a great feeling to headline on ShoBox,” said Albright.
“The Hill fight was a step-up fight and I proved again that
I belong. I will show again against Jamaine Ortiz that I am
on my way to being a world champion. Ortiz is a sharp, fast
and slick fighter. I’m sure he will give his all and it will
be a good fight, but I will be victorious.”
George vs. Hemphill – Eight-Round Super Middleweight Bout
Managed by San Francisco 49ers All-Pro offensive lineman
Trent Williams, George will return to the ring for the first
time since scoring one of 2020’s most vicious KOs. The
Houston native landed a stunning uppercut in the ninth round
to immediately end his rematch with Marcos Escudero. George
previously emerged victorious via a split decision victory
in a battle of then unbeaten fighters when he first faced
Escudero on SHOWTIME in November 2019. The 32-year-old
George played basketball in college and didn’t start boxing
until he was 19. He fought in the amateurs for five years,
winning the 2015 National Golden Gloves and going 74-5
before making his pro debut in 2016. Campaigning primarily
at light heavyweight, George will look to continue his
success when he moves down to super middleweight on February
18.
"I am excited to be back on ShoBox,” said George. “I have
won on this stage before and on February 18th, I will prove
it again that I am one of the top super middleweights out
there."
Hemphill made his pro debut in 2019 and has already reeled
off 14 consecutive wins without a blemish after a standout
amateur period. He has fought six times since George last
stepped in the ring, including once already in 2022.
Hemphill scored an eight-round unanimous decision over
Jeyson Minda in front of his hometown New Orleans fans on
January 7. The 26-year-old known as “Silky” fought three
times in 2021, scoring two TKOs. George will be the first
undefeated opponent of Hemphill’s career with multiple
victories. Hemphill is managed by Adam Glenn, son of the
late Jimmy Glenn, who owned the beloved Jimmy’s Corner bar
in Midtown Manhattan and was a well-known, iconic figure in
boxing circles. Hemphill was a member of Team USA during a
stellar amateur career (55-12) that saw him rise to become
one of the top light heavyweights in the country.
"This is a great opportunity for me,” said Hemphill. “I have
been looking for something like this to showcase my talent.
I have been going through a lot in my personal life such as
Hurricane Ida and I want to show people that I am fighting
through it all. This is a good fight for me and it will show
the world how great I am. This will take my career to the
next level. I have been fighting on local shows and this is
a big step up and a big stage for me to show I am part of
the next generation.”
Kroll vs. Taylor – Eight-Round Welterweight Bout
Representing the fighting city of Philadelphia, Kroll is a
four-year pro who already owns impressive wins over the
highly regarded ShoBox alum Shinard Bunch and previously
undefeated Philadelphian southpaw Mark Dawson. He also owns
a 10-round victory over Lucas Santamaria in perhaps the
toughest test of his career. Kroll overcame a knockdown in
the second round to recover and earn the unanimous decision.
A highly touted amateur with a record of 123-17, Kroll won
the U.S. Olympic Boxing Trials in 2015 and has sparred with
the likes of standouts Julian Williams, Shawn Porter and
Danny Garcia.
“This is a great opportunity for me to get back on
television against a good opponent,” said Kroll. “I am
looking forward to a big win. I’ll take a unanimous
decision, but I definitely want the knockout that will make
a statement. I have seen a couple clips of Taylor and I see
that he’s a good fighter, but I know he can’t beat me. He’s
tall and had a draw with Lucas Santamaria. I’m really
excited to be on ShoBox and I’m going to perform and put on
a show for everybody.”
The 28-year-old Taylor is a nine-year veteran who owns wins
over three then-undefeated fighters including Jimmy Williams
(14-0-1) and Sanjarbek Rakhmanov (10-0-1), who have both
appeared on ShoBox, and Oscar Torres (8-0). The 6-foot-1
Taylor suffered his only career loss to current 21-2
contender Ladarius Miller. Following that loss, Taylor won
five consecutive fights before taking on two-time
welterweight world champion Kermit Cintron. That fight was
ruled a no contest after Cintron was cut from an accidental
headbutt. Taylor has one opponent in common with Kroll,
Lucas Santamaria, who Taylor fought to a majority draw in
June 2019. His last time out, Taylor traveled to Colombia
where he earned a third-round KO over Esteban Alseco. Taylor
refined his tools in the amateurs, where he went 130-20.
“I appreciate the opportunity and I have been trying to get
on ShoBox for years,” said Taylor. “I have a lot of
appreciation and gratitude, and I still can't believe it's
finally happening. I am just anxious to get in the ring now.
I know Kroll is a good boxer and an undefeated fighter. This
will be my fifth undefeated opponent. I have the tendency to
have fighters fight my fight. I am super motivated for this
and I’m coming to win in spectacular fashion. I am always
the underdog and stealing fights is my thing.”
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