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Two Sensational Matchups Highlight Benavidez vs. Andrade
Nov. 25 Countdown Show
Two sensational matchups featuring a former world champion,
exciting contenders and a rising star will highlight the
SHOWTIME PPV COUNTDOWN show on Saturday, November 25 leading
up to the David Benavidez vs. Demetrius Andrade SHOWTIME PPV
from Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
in Las Vegas and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
The action is topped by former world champion Sergey
Lipinets taking on exciting contender Michel Rivera in a
10-round super lightweight fight, plus sensational prospect
Vito Mielnicki Jr. faces Mexico’s Alexis Salazar in a
10-round super welterweight attraction. The live stream will
begin at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT and be available on the
SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing®
Facebook page. The show will be hosted by award-winning
MORNING KOMBAT live digital talk show hosts Luke Thomas and
Brian Campbell.
These fights will lead into a four-fight pay-per-view
telecast beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and headlined by
undefeated two-time super middleweight world champion David
“El Monstruo” Benavídez defending his Interim WBC Super
Middleweight Title against unbeaten two-division world
champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade in one of the most
intriguing matchups in the star-studded 168-pound division.
Lipinets (17-2-1, 13 KOs) will look for another statement
victory on his road to re-claiming a 140-pound world title.
After a decorated kickboxing career, Lipinets began boxing
professionally in 2014, eventually capturing a world
championship with a November 2017 unanimous decision over
Akihiro Kondo. Originally from Kazakhstan and now fighting
out of Southern California, Lipinets dropped the title in a
2018 clash against four-division champion Mikey Garcia on
SHOWTIME® before making a run at welterweight. At
147-pounds, Lipinets stopped two-division champion Lamont
Peterson and challenged current top welterweight Jaron Ennis
unsuccessfully in April 2021. Most recently, Lipinets
returned to 140 pounds to stop former world champion Omar
Figueroa Jr. in the eighth round in August 2022 on SHOWTIME.
Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and now training
out of Massachusetts, Rivera (24-1, 14 KOs) burst onto the
scene in 2019, making his United States debut with a victory
over Rene Tellez Giron on SHOBOX: The New Generation®. The
25-year-old continued his ascent with five more victories in
2020 and 2021, before beginning 2022 with triumphs over
Joseph Adorno and Jerry Perez. Rivera’s momentum was halted
in his last outing, as he dropped a showdown between then
unbeaten lightweights, losing a decision to Frank Martin in
December 2022 on SHOWTIME. He will now debut at 140-pounds
seeking to get back on track toward a world title.
Representing Roseland, N.J., Mielnicki (15-1, 10 KOs) has
shown improved power in recent outings, stopping three of
his last four opponents, including a highlight-reel KO of
Jose Sanchez Charles in April. This victory was Mielnicki’s
second of the year, as he stopped Omar Rosales in four
rounds in January. The 21-year-old first turned heads during
his exceptional amateur career where he compiled a 147-22
record and was named the Most Outstanding Boxer of the 2011
Junior National Golden Gloves, amongst many accolades before
turning pro.
Originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and now
fighting out of Norwalk, Calif., Salazar (25-5, 10 KOs) put
together a 15-fight winning streak between 2015 and 2020,
eventually earning a shot against top middleweight Carlos
Adames that he lost in June 2021. The 28-year-old has won
two out of three fights since that outing, including a
decision loss to unbeaten Xander Zayas in December 2022.
Most recently, Salazar stopped David Rangel in the fifth
round of their June showdown.
The non-televised undercard will see Panama’s Pablo Vicente
(23-1, 17 KOs) battling Tajikistan’s Muhammadkhuja Yaqubov
(20-1, 11 KOs) in a 10-round WBC Super Featherweight Title
Eliminator, Mayweather Promotions’ rising prospect Curmel
Moton (1-0, 1 KO) in a four-round super featherweight
showdown against Memphis-native Hunter Turbyfill (3-0, 1
KO), plus undefeated Milwaukee-native Daniel Blancas (7-0, 4
KOs) meets Texas’ Raiko Santana (10-3, 6 KOs) in an
eight-round super middleweight bout.
Rounding out the lineup is unbeaten lightweight Jabin
Chollet (8-0, 7 KOs) stepping in for an eight-round bout, a
six-round super lightweight showdown pitting Israel Mercado
(9-1-1, 7 KOs) against Wesley Rivers (4-3), plus
welterweight prospect Alex Holley (1-0) duels Las Vegas’
Allen Medina (0-1) in a four-round fight.
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