FORMER WORLD CHAMPIONS AND TOP PROSPECT HIGHLIGHT THREE-FIGHT SHOWTIME BOXING® COUNTDOWN SHOW THIS SATURDAY, JUNE 24 AT 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT
MINNEAPOLIS – June 21, 2023 – Three showdowns featuring the return of two former world champions and an exciting rising prospect will highlight the SHOWTIME BOXING COUNTDOWN live streaming presentation this Saturday, June 24 from The Armory in Minneapolis in a Premier Boxing Champions event.
Action live on the SHOWTIME SPORTS YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT and is topped by former world champion Caleb “Golden” Truax taking on Burley Brooks in a 10-round light heavyweight clash. The lineup will also see former world champion Jerwin Ancajas duel Colombia’s Wilner Soto in an eight-round super bantamweight attraction, and all-action super lightweight prospect Mickel Spencer facing Lyle McFarlane in a four-round bout. The live stream is hosted by award-winning MORNING KOMBAT live digital talk show hosts Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell.
These fights precede a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® tripleheader headlined by top middleweight Carlos Adames defending his Interim WBC Middleweight Title against former unified champion Julian “J-Rock” Williams in a telecast beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Warriors Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster. Lubin vs. Arias is co-promoted with Mayweather Promotions.
A native of Osseo, Minn., Truax (31-5-2, 19 KOs) will return to fight at The Armory for the third time on Saturday night, as he looks to thrill his hometown fans in his first action since dropping a January 2021 world title fight to Caleb Plant by decision. Truax captured a 168-pound world title in December 2017, traveling to the U.K. to upset James DeGale and bring the belt back to The Gopher State. He will be opposed by the 27-year-old Brooks (6-2-1, 5 KOs), a Dallas-native who is guided by award-winning trainer Derrick James. Brooks began his career with six victories before losing narrow decisions to Marco Delgado and Cameron Sevilla Rivera. Most recently, Brooks fought Rivera to a split-draw in August 2021.
The 31-year-old Ancajas (33-3-2, 22 KOs) steps back into action after dropping a pair of decisions in world title fights against Fernando Martinez February and October of 2022. Fighting out of Panabo City, Davao Del Norte, Philippines, Ancajas won the 115-pound title in a lopsided unanimous decision victory over McJoe Arroyo in 2016 where he dropped his opponent in the eighth round and cruised to victory. Ancajas would go on to make nine successful defenses of the title before running into Martinez. He will take on the 32-year-old Soto (22-12,12 KOs), who most recently lost a decision to Jonathan Rodriguez in March. A native of Canalete, Colombia, Soto has faced a slew of top fighters throughout his career, including former unified 122-pound champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev.
Spencer (3-0, 2 KOs) is the younger brother of exciting super welterweight Joey Spencer and turned pro in August 2021 with a unanimous decision victory over Eliseo Villalobos. The 19-year-old from Linden, Mich., most recently wowed the crowd at The Armory in February with a sensational first-round stoppage of Margarito Hernandez. He faces the 26-year-old McFarlane, who fights out of Tulsa, Okla., and enters this fight having won back-to-back contests.
The non-televised undercard will feature super middleweight Shawn McCalman (12-0, 6 KOs) in an eight-round fight taking on Bo Gibbs Jr. (23-3, 9 KOs), super featherweight prospect Robert Meriwether III (3-0, 2 KOs) battling Ezra Rabin (1-1, 1 KO) in a four-round attraction, and Cincinnati’s Ray Robinson (1-0) dueling Ryan Raglin (3-9-1, 3 KOs) in a four-round featherweight showdown.
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ABOUT ADAMES VS. WILLIAMS
Adames vs. Williams will see hard-hitting Interim WBC Middleweight Champion Carlos Adames battle former unified champion Julian “J-Rock” Williams in the 12-round main event of action live on SHOWTIME® Saturday, June 24 from The Armory in Minneapolis in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features top super welterweight contenders Erickson “Hammer” Lubin and Luis “Cuba” Arias squaring off in the 10-round co-main event. Super flyweight world champion Fernando “Pumita” Martinez will put his IBF title on the line against unbeaten Filipino contender Jade Bornea in the telecast opener.
For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #AdamesWilliams follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.