or


[01/23/16 - 03:13 PM]
Championship Boxing Returns to Primetime on CBS with Premier Boxing Champions Blockbuster
The last primetime boxing event on CBS was Muhammad Ali-Leon Spinks on February 15, 1978.

[via press release from Showtime]

CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING RETURNS TO PRIMETIME ON CBS WITH PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS BLOCKBUSTER

KEITH THURMAN TO DEFEND WBA WELTERWEIGHT TITLE AGAINST SHAWN PORTER IN BLOCKBUSTER SHOWDOWN OF ELITE 147-POUNDERS ON SATURDAY, MARCH 12

LIVE ON CBS 8:30 P.M. ET/5:30 P.M. PT

NEW YORK - January 23, 2016 - WBA Welterweight World Champion Keith "One Time" Thurman will defend his title against former champ "Showtime" Shawn Porter in a blockbuster matchup of two of the world's best 147-pound fighters on Saturday, March 12 on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS.

The welterweight showdown will air live on CBS at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT from Mohegan Sun Casino Resort in Uncasville, Connecticut. The event, promoted by DiBella Entertainment, is produced by SHOWTIME Sports(R) for the CBS Television Network, both divisions of the CBS Corporation.? The last primetime boxing event on CBS was Muhammad Ali-Leon Spinks on Feb. 15, 1978.

Thurman (26-0, 22 KOs), of Clearwater, Fla., and Porter (26-1-1, 16 KOs), of Las Vegas by way of Akron, Ohio, are both coming off superb 2015 campaigns that solidified the fresh faces among the elite of arguably boxing's most exciting division. With perennial pound-for-pound champion Floyd Mayweather now retired, the 27-year-old Thurman and the 28-year-old Porter are hungry to stake their claim as the future of boxing.

"Thurman vs. Porter is a marquee matchup of two elite boxers in the prime of their careers, and the winner will establish himself as arguably the No. 1 fighter in boxing's glamour division," said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. "Fights of this caliber don't come along very often, and when they do, they deserve to be on the biggest stage possible. That's why all of us at SHOWTIME and CBS are so excited to be able to deliver this pivotal matchup to a primetime audience on America's highest-rated network."

"Last year was an amazing year for me: I headlined the very first Premier Boxing Champions show and was named PBC Fighter of the Year," Thurman said. "But this is my year to dominate the welterweight division and I'm excited to be getting ready to take out Shawn Porter. I am ready to get back in the ring and bring boxing fans what they've been looking for - the top true welterweight champion of the world, the one who is going to take out all competitors one by one. I am Keith 'One-Time' Thurman and I'm going to show you what a champion looks like on March 12."

"I'm very confident in my ability. That's why I've been looking forward to this fight because I'm someone who can beat Keith Thurman," Porter said. "Nothing about Keith really makes me nervous. I do know that he's going to be ready for this fight. He's a fighter that has the heart of a lion just like I do. I expect this to be a fight to the finish. A win over Keith Thurman is what we've been waiting for."

"Keith Thurman against Shawn Porter is one of the best matchups that can be made in the welterweight division right now and I am thrilled that it is taking place at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn.," said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. "The hard-punching world titleholder Thurman and the highly skilled former champion Porter will have the opportunity to prove that they are the next heir to the throne in the post-Mayweather era of the 147 pound division."

"One Time" Thurman, who owns a better than 80 percent KO ratio and knocked out 18 of his first 20 opponents, is considered one of the most avoided fighters in boxing. After unsuccessfully lobbying to fight the best of the division for the past two years, Thurman finally had a breakout 2015.

The hard-hitting Florida native floored former champion and long-time contender Robert Guerrero en route to a convincing 12th round unanimous last March in Las Vegas. He then dominated and bloodied former champ Luis Collazo on July 11, winning via seventh round TKO. Thurman won the Interim WBA belt with a knockout of Diego Chaves in 2013 and scored consecutive knockouts over Jesus Soto Karass (2013) and Julio Diaz (2014) in his first and second title defenses.

Against Porter, Thurman will now get a chance to prove what he's been claiming for years - that he's the world's best welterweight - in the toughest test of his career.

"Showtime" Porter has built one of the most impressive resumes in the division since making his welterweight debut in 2010. Porter, who surprisingly turned professional as a super middleweight (168 pounds), won the IBF crown in 2013 with an impressive unanimous decision over Devon Alexander.

The physically-gifted and offensive-minded Ohio native knocked out former two-division world champion Paulie Malignaggi with a brutal clean right hand in April of 2014 in the lone defense of his title. Porter lost the IBF belt less than four months after the Malignaggi victory in a close majority decision defeat to undefeated British superstar Kell Brook, but he bounced back with a fifth-round knockout of Erick Bone in March of 2015. Porter scored what many considered an upset victory in his next bout over then three-division world champion Adrien Broner with a clear unanimous decision last June 20 in Las Vegas.

The aggressive, come-forward Porter has built his career as a perennial underdog who relishes in the role. But, with the resume he has built, it's hard to consider him an underdog anymore heading into this crossroads showdown with Thurman.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $300, $150, $75 and $35 (plus applicable fees) and Ticketmaster are on sale now. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call (800) 745-3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office starting Saturday, January 23, subject to availability.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME(R), THE MOVIE CHANNEL(TM) and FLIX(R), and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND(R), THE MOVIE CHANNEL(TM) ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND(R), and the network's authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME(R). Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME(R). SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Apple(R), Roku(R), Amazon and Google. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, Sony PlayStation(R) Vue and Amazon Prime Video. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks(TM), a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel(TM) and Smithsonian Earth(TM), through SN Digital LLC. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.





  [january 2016]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[11/26/24 - 03:01 PM]
Video: New Games, New Stakes - "Squid Game" Season 2 Main Trailer and Key Art "Round and Round" Unveiled
With its premiere just around the corner on December 26, the trailer delivers an electrifying glimpse into the deadly games and gripping character dynamics that await fans worldwide.

[11/26/24 - 02:34 PM]
Video: Paramount+ with Showtime Debuts Official Trailer for Showtime's "Dexter: Original Sin"
The series premieres Friday, December 13 on streaming and on demand for Paramount+ subscribers with the Paramount+ with Showtime plan, before making its on-air US debut on Sunday, December 15 at 10pm ET/PT.

[11/26/24 - 01:15 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 vs. CBS' "After Midnight" and NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers"
"Nightline" posted double-digit gains week to week across the board, hitting a 6-week high in overall viewers and 7-week highs in both key Adult demos.

[11/26/24 - 12:03 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of Nov. 18: "The Merry Gentlemen" and "A Man on the Inside" Take the Top Spots
Season 2 of the animated series "Arcane" laid siege to #2 (6.4M views), while Season 1 took #5 with 2.2M views.

[11/26/24 - 11:44 AM]
TNT Sports to Debut "Evolve and Flex" with Lance Fresh Friday, Dec. 6, on truTV and Max
The show is hosted by sports-lifestyle expert Lance Fresh and features candid conversations with guests to discuss how life's events have contributed to their sense of style.

[11/26/24 - 11:19 AM]
MGM+ Announces 2025 Premiere Date for "NFL Icons" Season Four
In the upcoming fourth season, the docuseries will feature Pro Football Hall of Famers Joe Montana, DeMarcus Ware, Kurt Warner and Gale Sayers.

[11/26/24 - 10:24 AM]
Video: "Rogue Heroes" (MGM+ 2025 Series) Season 2 Tease
"Rogue Heroes" is a dramatized account of how the world's greatest Special Forces unit, the SAS, was formed under extraordinary circumstances in the darkest days of World War Two.

[11/26/24 - 10:09 AM]
Video: Acorn TV Releases Official Trailer for Second Season of Hit Australian Drama, "Darby and Joan"
The new season debuts with a two-episode premiere, exclusively on Acorn TV, on December 30, followed by weekly episodes through January 27.

[11/26/24 - 10:01 AM]
ABC News Studios Announces Fourth Season of Hit True-Crime Series "Wild Crime," Streaming Dec. 5 Only on Hulu
"Wild Crime: Eleven Skulls" delves into the haunting 2012 disappearance of Samantha Koenig, an 18-year-old Anchorage barista last seen leaving her place of work with an unknown man on a dark winter night.

[11/26/24 - 08:32 AM]
Bravo Greenlights "Vanderpump Rules" Season 12 with a New Group of SUR-vers
In addition, "Vanderpump Rules" will celebrate the past decade of heartbreaks, friendship rifts and scandals with a retrospective special highlighting the past 11 seasons.

[11/26/24 - 08:30 AM]
Video: Paramount+ and Nickelodeon Reveal Teaser, First-Look Images and Premiere Date for "Henry Danger The Movie"
"Henry Danger The Movie" will be available to stream in the U.S. on Paramount+ Friday, January 17, and premiere on Nickelodeon that same day at 7 p.m. (ET/PT).

[11/26/24 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Makayla's Voice: A Letter to the World" - Official Teaser - Netflix
Makayla is a teenage girl who has spent her life grappling with a rare form of autism that rendered her essentially nonverbal until her parents, filled with unwavering belief in their daughter's potential, embarked on a transformative journey to discover the true depth of Makayla's inner world.

[11/26/24 - 08:01 AM]
HBO Announces Ian Bonhote & Peter Ettedgui's Award-Winning "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story," Debuting December 7 on HBO and Max
The critically acclaimed film had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and recently won six Critics Choice Documentary Awards.

[11/26/24 - 08:00 AM]
HGTV Greenlights Gutsy Las Vegas Renovation Series "Sin City Rehab" (wt) Starring Indomitable Designer Alison Victoria
The eight-episode series will document Alison, best known for her Emmy-nominated series "Windy City Rehab," taking the biggest gamble of her career as she expands her successful design business out West.

[11/26/24 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "The Manny" Season 2 - Release Date Announcement - Netflix
A busy executive hires a cowboy to care for her kids in a moment of panic. Little does she know he'll challenge her views of gender roles - and of love.