Showtime will end its tenure in boxing on Saturday night with a card similar to when HBO left the sport in 2018.
In the headliner, undefeated ‘Regular’ WBA super middleweight champion and understudy to Canelo, David Morrell Jr. faces Sena Agbeko.
Minneapolis fan-favorite Morrell is still making a name for himself in the sport and will need to impress on Saturday night.
The end of Showtime
Once the dust settles on the bill, most of the fighters will have a decision to make on their futures. Some won’t have any choice as Al Haymon takes his Premier Boxing Champions stable to Prime Video.
The final press conference occurred on Thursday as all protagonists got ready for the last-ever SHOWTIME broadcast from The Armory.
In the co-feature, Chris “Primetime” Colbert and Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela meet in a rematch for a crack at the WBA lightweight title.
A head-scratching late edition to the card was a battle of two 40-year-old former world champions.
Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and Andre Berto square off in a 10-round welterweight clash. It’s another rematch, but this time eleven years after the first.
Julio Cesar Martinez vs Angelino Cordova was dropped from the event after being postponed. The loss dents the show considerably.
Below, the four main fighters discuss their respective bouts and the end of an era.
End of an era
DAVID MORRELL JR.
“When you disrespect me, you’re going to suffer. When you say that to my face, it’s time for the punishment. I’m going to knock his ass out in the sixth or seventh round this Saturday night. My Christmas present for him is going to be a knockout.”
“This is a great opportunity to headline the last fight on SHOWTIME. I was ready for him in April, and I’m ready for him now. I’ll show him and anyone who doubts me.
“it’s going to be worse for him now. I’m better now than if we had fought in April. But I’m taking him right out now.
“I’m really just focused on Agbeko. My body and my mental are 100%. I’m not thinking about David Benavidez right now. I’ll come for him after Agbeko. I’m taking this guy out first.
“I feel great to have this opportunity. My family is coming here to watch me for the first time. This is my time, and this is my moment. I want everything.
“Having my family here doesn’t put pressure on me. It takes the pressure away. It will make me feel great and clear my head since I don’t need to worry about how they are doing in Cuba anymore. Once I’m inside the ring, I will focus fully on Agbeko.”
Morrell vs Agbeko
SENA AGBEKO
“I’ve always had the mindset that I want to be the top guy at super middleweight. I want to face the best. That’s what I’ve wanted since the beginning.
“I can’t hate a man on the same mission as me. We both want to be world champions. We were supposed to fight in April, and I believe that someone went to great lengths to stop the fight from happening then.
“I wanted this fight because of what I know about myself. There’s so much that I’ve done that people have chosen to ignore. I just wanted a chance. I’ve just needed the stage to prove it.
“I fought to get this fight back because I deserved it. I’m grateful to the universe, David, and his team for accepting the fight.
“I truly believe that his team thinks I’m a sheep coming to the slaughterhouse. But they don’t know that I’m a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
“This will be the culmination of everything I’ve ever dreamed of. It’s been a long 12 years. I’ve trained the whole time like I’m fighting for a world title. To win this fight Saturday night will mean everything to me. I want to add my name to a long line of Ghanaian champions.”
Colbert vs Valenzuela
CHRIS COLBERT
“I’m not forced to do anything. I’m my own boss. This was the option that I chose. I’m tired of hearing him talk. I’ve always wanted to prove myself.
“He’s a sore loser, but he comes to fight. He’s going to come to fight. I want to prove to the world and his fans that he didn’t win. I’m going to dominate. I want him to take his loss like a man.
“It’s not about how you start. It’s about how you finish. He dropped me in the first 30 seconds and didn’t finish me. It says a lot about him as a fighter. He had 2:30 to finish me in the first round.
“He got tired. I landed so many jabs. Saturday night, I’m going to make him stop crying about this. I’m ready.”
JOSE VALENZUELA
“I learned I have to keep my foot on the gas. It was pretty clear to everyone that I won. He said that I was a bum, but it looked like he was getting jumped in there. Everything happens for a reason, and I’m happy to be back.
“I made the adjustments that I had to make. Saturday, I’m knocking him out. I had a tremendous training camp.
“I’m going to knock this clown out. It’s over for him. I can see in his eyes that he’s scared. He said he had different plans after the first fight. But he had to come back here to face me.”
