NEW YORK, NY (April 4, 2002) North American Boxing Organization (NABO) Featherweight Champion and current World Boxing Organization (WBO) No. 10 contender Victor Santiago will make his SHOWTIME debut in a 10-round non-title bout against former FEDECENTRO featherweight champion Jose Luis Tula on ShoBox: The New Generation, Saturday, April 13, live at 5 p.m. ET/PT. In the eight-round co-feature, unbeaten welterweight contender Luis Collazo will take on FECARBOX Welterweight Champion Edwin Cassiani. Frank Warren, in association with Sterling Promotions, will promote the fight card from the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas, Nev. The ShoBox telecast will be the 15th in a series on SHOWTIME.
Santiago (16-1-1, 12 KOs), of Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico, captured the NABO and Puerto Rican featherweight titles by scoring a first-round TKO over Wilfredo Vargas on July 14, 2001, in Yauco, Puerto Rico. Santiago, who started his career 3-1-1, has won 13 consecutive bouts, including nine by knockout. The hard-hitting featherweight has fought all but three of his contests in Puerto Rico since turning pro at age 20 in 1997. In his last bout, Santiago registered a fourth-round KO over Jose Garcia on Jan. 18, 2002, in Raleigh, N.C.
Tula (14-7-2, 9 KOs), of Mexico City, Mexico, will make his United States debut and only his second start outside of Mexico on April 13. Tula won the FEDECENTRO featherweight crown with a seventh-round KO over Mario Camarena on Nov. 26, 1999, in Acapulco, Mexico. In his only other bout outside of his native land, Tula was stopped by Yodsenan Sornontachai for the Pan American Boxing Association (PABA) 130-pound title on May 12, 2000, in Mukdahan, Thailand. The 25-year-old is coming off of a 10-round draw with Ivan Valle on Aug. 25, 2001, in Mexico City.
Collazo (14-0, 7 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y., will make his 10-round and Las Vegas debuts on April 13, after fighting 11 times in his home state. The 20-year-old completed a perfect 2001 campaign on Aug. 4 by registering a unanimous decision over Luis Alberto Santiago in his SHOWTIME debut on ShoBox. The judges scored the contest 78-74 twice and 78-75. Collazo turned pro on May 16, 2000, by scoring a first-round TKO over Jose Maldonado. Of his 14 career bouts, Collazo has knocked out six of his opponents within four rounds. In his last contest, the Brooklyn native scored a fourth-round TKO over Orlando Milian on Jan. 18, 2002, in Melville, N.Y.
Cassiani (23-3, 20 KOs), of Palenque, Colombia, captured the FECARBOX welterweight title with a fourth-round KO over Norberto Sandoval on March 24, 2001, in Homestead, Fla. Cassiani won his first 11 bouts after turning pro at age 20 in 1993, including 10 by knockout. After fighting exclusively out of his native country from 1993-96, Cassiani dropped his first two bouts in the U.S. in '97 and '98. The 29-year-old has rallied since to win his past six contests, including an eight-round unanimous decision over Gerald Reed on June 8, 2001, in Miami.
ShoBox: The New Generation features up-and-coming prospects determined to make a mark and eventually fight for a chance at a world title. The best of the new generation of hungry, young boxers will have an opportunity to showcase their talent and heart as they battle each other in competitive fights in front of a national television audience. ShoBox: The New Generation is pure, basic boxing, reminiscent of the golden days of the sport.
SHOWTIME televises ShoBox: The New Generation live at 5 p.m. ET/PT on Saturdays approximately every other week. The telecast will repeat the next day, Sunday, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME and the following Saturday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME TOO.
Nick Charles of ShoBox: The New Generation will call the action from ringside, with Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst. The executive producers of the telecast are Jay Larkin and Gordon Hall, with Richard Gaughan producing.
