Unbeaten Two-Time Champion David Benavídez Takes On Former Champion David Lemieux for Vacant Interim WBC Super Middleweight Title Headlining Premier Boxing Champions Event From Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz.
GLENDALE, Ariz. – May 17, 2022 – Rising Dominican prospect Luis “The Twist” Núñez will battle fellow unbeaten Jonathan Fierro in the 10-round featherweight telecast opener live on SHOWTIME Saturday, May 21 from Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event.
The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast is headlined by unbeaten two-time world champion and Arizona-native David “El Bandera Roja” Benavídez returning to fight in his home state for the second-straight bout as he takes on former world champion David Lemieux for the vacant Interim WBC Super Middleweight Title. The telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and also features hard-hitting Cuban prospect Yoelvis Gómez taking on Mexico’s Jorge Cota in the 10-round super welterweight co-main event.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Sampson Boxing and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and are available for purchase through Ticketmaster.com at the link HERE.
The non-televised undercard will see former world champion “Vicious” Victor Ortiz (32-7-3, 25 KOs) in a 10-round super welterweight attraction against Todd Manuel (20-19-1, 6 KOs) and Mayweather Promotions’ rising unbeaten super lightweight contender Richardson Hitchins (13-0, 5 KOs) in a 10-round bout against Mexico’s Angel Rodriguez (12-10-3, 5 KOs).
A trio of Arizona-based prospects will also compete on the undercard, as super featherweight and Mesa-native Jesus Abel Ibarra (13-0, 6 KOs) steps in for a six-round contest against Mexico’s Moises Flores (25-6-1, 17 KOs), Glendale’s own Elijah Garcia (10-0, 9 KOs) competes in a six-round middleweight affair battling California’s Rowdy Montgomery (7-3-1, 5 KOs), while Mesa’s Micky Scala (5-0, 3 KOs), an intriguing prospect in the Mayweather Promotions stable, enters the ring facing Iowa’s Mike Plazola (2-1, 1 KO) for six rounds of super welterweight action.
Rounding out the lineup is welterweight Estevan Villalobos (15-1-1, 11 KOs) going up against Houston’s Christon Edwards (13-3, 6 KOs) in an eight-round bout, lightweight prospect Julio Hernandez (1-0, 1 KO) in a four-round duel, and the pro debut of Chavon Stillwell taking on Brent Oren (4-8, 1 KO) for a six-round super middleweight showdown.
After piling up an 85-5 amateur record, Núñez (16-0, 12 KOs) turned pro in 2018 and racked up knockouts in eight of his first nine outings. Fighting out of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, Núñez made his U.S. debut in September 2021 by winning a unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Jayvon Garnett on SHOBOX: The New Generation®. The 22-year-old followed up that performance by taking down another undefeated fighter, as he stopped Carlos Arrieta in the 10th round of their January showdown, also on SHOBOX®.
“Not many fighters get the opportunities that have been given to me,” said Núñez. “I feel blessed and grateful to be in this position. It was a great honor to fight on SHOWTIME in my last fight and I’m thankful to my whole team for being put on this platform. I’m going to make the most of this chance that I have. The best is yet to come!”
The 18-year-old Fierro (13-0, 12 KOs) made his U.S. debut in Arizona last November, as he stopped Victor Ruiz in the first round. A native of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Fierro most recently knocked out the previously unbeaten Daniel Bailey in March. A pro since late 2019, Fierro scored knockouts in his first seven fights before winning an eight-round unanimous decision in April 2021.
“First of all I want to thank everyone that has made this great opportunity possible for me,” said Fierro. “This is a dream come true and I can’t wait to get in the ring. I am training extremely hard to be at my best and show everyone what I’m capable of. Luis Núñez is a great fighter, but come May 21, he will know what it is to fight a true Mexican style warrior.”
