First Time in ShoBox History All Fighters Enter Fight Night with Zero Losses; Orlando, Fla., Venue to Host First Fight of New Year
NEW YORK – December 13, 2021 – ShoBox: The New Generation will kick off the 2022 boxing calendar with a tripleheader featuring six undefeated fighters Friday, January 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT from Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Fla.
The three undefeated matchups include fighters with a combined record of 80-0 and 57 knockouts and marks the first time ShoBox has featured a tripleheader in which all six fighters enter fight night without a loss in the 20-plus year history of the prospect series. The event is also the first time ShoBox will take place in Orlando as the Dominican Republic’s Luis Nunez (15-0, 11 KOs), who made his ShoBox debut in September, battles Carlos Arrieta (14-0, 8 KOs) of Puerto Rico in a 10-round lightweight main event.
The co-feature pits hard-hitting Starling Castillo (16-0, 12 KOs) against ShoBox returnee Otar Eranosyan (10-0, 6 KOs) in an eight-round lightweight bout. In the telecast opener, knockout artist Edwin De Los Santos (13-0, 12 KOs) battles William Foster III (12-0, 8 KOs) in an eight-round super featherweight fight. All six fighters have deep amateur pedigrees, highlighting their commitment to the sport.
There will be a new face on the ShoBox telecast as veteran combat sports reporter Brian Campbell will join former world champion Raul Marquez ringside as an expert analyst, while International Boxing Hall of Famer Barry Tompkins calls the blow-by-blow action. Fellow Hall of Famer Steve Farhood will remain a part of the broadcast team remotely.
The three-fight telecast is promoted by Sampson Boxing.
“We are excited to kick off our 21st consecutive year in action with a prototypical ShoBox card that features six undefeated fighters facing the most difficult challenges of their young careers,” said Gordon Hall, executive producer for ShoBox: The New Generation. “We’re also excited to be adding the versatile combat sports reporter Brian Campbell to one of the best broadcast teams in boxing. Brian has shined in various roles during SHOWTIME assignments over the past few years and we’re looking forward to adding him to the team.”
Here is more on each of the three bouts:
Nunez vs. Arrieta – 10-Round Lightweight Main Event Bout
A decorated amateur in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Plata’s Luis “The Twist” Nunez started boxing at age eight and went on to win a number of national championships as a member of the Dominican national team, including gold in the 2016 Youth Championship. A fan-friendly pressure fighter with heavy hands, Nunez turned professional at 18, passing every test put in front of him in his native country. On his 22nd birthday in September, Nunez made his United States debut, upsetting then-undefeated Jayvon Garnett on ShoBox. His unblemished resume also includes a unanimous decision over then 20-3-1 Eliezer Aquino and a fourth-round KO over then once-beaten Giovanni Gutierrez.
“Change begins at the end of your comfort zone, nothing is beyond your reach as long as you are willing to work hard for it,” said Nunez. “Returning to SHOWTIME, for me, is more than a privilege because I feel that every day I am closer to achieving my dream that everyone will be able to witness. I don’t know much about my opponent, but I am sure that on January 7 I will go out through the front door, God willing! Having one more victory in my career is like climbing the ladder to go to the big leagues, which is where I want to be.”
Like Nunez, the Puerto Rican Arrieta was an accomplished amateur in his native country winning several national tournaments. The 27-year-old turned pro in 2015 campaigning mostly in Puerto Rico through the first four years of his career. He made his stateside debut in 2020, scoring a first-round KO in Biloxi, Miss. Going by the ring moniker “The Chosen One”, Arrieta is facing a stiff step-up in competition in his ShoBox debut. His last time out, he won a six-round unanimous decision over Julio Buitrago.
“Training is going very well and I will be ready,” said Arrieta. “I know my opponent is very good and I know it’s going to be a great fight, but I will take the victory home because it is a great opportunity for me to shine and go up to the next level. It’s an opportunity that I will not pass up.”
Castillo vs. Eranosyan – Eight-Round Lightweight Bout
The 26-year-old Castillo scored an emphatic knockout in his U.S. debut in July, blasting out then unbeaten Miguel Contreras in the second round. A native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Castillo turned pro in 2017 and has delivered knockout wins in four of his last five fights. Castillo scored a career-best victory in September, earning a unanimous decision over former title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos. Castillo was a highly successful amateur boxer in the Dominican Republic, fighting 460 times.
“I can’t wait to get back in the squared circle doing what I love and what I work very hard on,” said “El Poli” Castillo. “I’m so excited and honored to be put on a platform like ShoBox. We expect a very gutsy, action-packed fight, due to our fighting styles. They make for a great fight recipe. This victory will catapult me into the rankings and force the fans of boxing to start noticing me.”
Ranked No. 7 by the WBA at 130 pounds, Eranosyan was a highly decorated Georgian amateur with 290 total fights who has transitioned seamlessly into the paid ranks. The 28-year-old didn’t turn professional until August 2020 but has already fought 10 times. Now based in Miami Beach, Fla., “Pitbull” owns two notable fourth-round KOs over the 32-4 Juan Carlos Pena. Eranosyan made his ShoBox debut in September, defeating the highly regarded Alejandro Guerrero via unanimous decision in Broken Arrow, Okla. Eranosyan returns to his more familiar Florida, where he has fought each of his other fights professionally.
“It’s a great honor for me to fight on SHOWTIME and to show the world once again that I am the best in my weight division,” said Eranosyan. “My opponent is a good, undefeated boxer. I’ve seen some of his fights and I am sure we will put on a spectacular fight for the fans. Just like all my other wins in my career, this win will bring me closer to a championship fight, to become an undisputed world champion.”
De Los Santos vs. Foster – Eight-Round Super Featherweight Bout
Edwin De Los Santos began boxing in his native Dominican Republic at the age of 12, and by age 14, he had won his first amateur tournament. He turned pro in 2018 and has competed exclusively in his native country. Packing one-punch power, De Los Santos has scored stoppages in his last seven fights. Among his most impressive performances is a first-round KO over then 8-2 Juan Alberto Garcia Perez and a unanimous decision over then 31-10 Francisco Contreras. De Los Santos will make his United States debut on January 7.
“Thanks to my preparation and commitment, I promise to give my best and, above all, a great show, so that the public can enjoy it,” said the 22-year-old De Los Santos. “It is an unexplainable feeling being on SHOWTIME for my first time because it is a great opportunity that not many get to experience. My opponent is a good, undefeated boxer. I know it’ll be a war, but I work too hard to not get the victory. You won’t want to miss it.”
William Foster III, a native of New Haven, Conn., started boxing at four years old and started competing at age 10. He had an amateur record of 64-17, advancing to the Junior Olympic Nationals, the Golden Gloves Nationals (where he was a runner-up in 2014), and the PAL Nationals. De Los Santos will be the third undefeated opponent of Foster’s young career. He already owns two wins over then 10-0 fighters in Donald Smith and Sulaiman Segawa. The 28-year-old is the younger brother of 20-0 professional light heavyweight prospect Charles Foster.
“I’m very excited about fighting on SHOWTIME and hopefully this will open the door to more opportunities,” said Foster, nicknamed “The Silent Assassin”. “I know that my opponent is young and ambitious, but he’s making a big mistake by fighting me. He’s making a big mistake if he thinks that I’m like every other fighter. It couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s going to be a very fun night for me. A victory will put me one step closer to my goal as a fighter which is to be the most dangerous fighter who has ever lived.”
The executive producer of ShoBox: The New Generation is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
