Showtime To Replay Maidana-Soto Karass and Lopez-Ortiz

NEW YORK (May 31, 2013) – SHOWTIME Sports presents encores of two of the most entertaining and action-packed fights of 2012 in anticipation of the June 8 SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING main event showdown between knockout artist Marcos “El Chino” Maidana and upset specialist “The Riverside Rocky” Josesito Lopez which headlines a live triple-header from The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, SHO).

The encore of Maidana’s Fight of the Year candidate against Jesus Soto Karass will kickoff Maidana vs. Lopez fight week on Monday, June 3 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME. Then, on Thursday, June 6 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME, fans can witness one of last year’s most shocking upsets, Josesito Lopez’s thrilling technical knockout win over Victor Ortiz. Both fights also are available online anytime at Sports.SHO.com.

On Saturday, June 8, the power-punching Maidana (33-3, 30 KO’s), of Margarita, Argentina, will square off against Riverside, California’s Lopez (30-5, 18 KO’s) in a 12-round fight for Maidana’s WBA Intercontinental Welterweight Championship.

Last September, Maidana and Soto Karass thrilled the boxing world with a scintillating slugfest that ended up on most experts’ Fight of the Year lists. The warriors went toe-to-toe, trading shots throughout the fight until Maidana floored Soto Karass with a crushing right hand near the end of the seventh round. Soto Karass beat the count, but he was badly hurt and Maidana finished off the perennial contender at 0:43 of the eighth.

In June 2012, the humble and relatively unknown Josesito Lopez stepped into the biggest fight of his career. Moving up in weight to 147 pounds, Lopez was a late replacement for Andre Berto in the bout against Ortiz. In an entertaining scrap, Lopez, broke the heavily favored Ortiz’s jaw with a perfect left hook in the fifth round. In the ninth-round, Ortiz quit on his stool earning Lopez, who was behind on all three judges’ scorecards, the win and a shot against Canelo Alvarez, against who he again moved up in weight and lost in a courageous effort against the popular and undefeated world champion. The stunning setback cost Ortiz as it forced him to relinquish his shot at Alvarez.

Maidana vs. Lopez, a 12-round fight for Maidana’s WBA Intercontinental Championship, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona. The tripleheader will take place on Saturday, June 8 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. and will be televised live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Maidana vs. Lopez is presented in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions and Thompson Boxing Promotions. Also featured will be a 12-round showdown between all-action warrior Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo and top rated super welterweight contender Erislandy Lara for the vacant WBA Interim Super Welterweight World Championship which is presented in association with Blue Wave Group and a 12-round fight between veteran Demetrius Hopkins and unbeaten phenom Jermell Charlo for Hopkins’ USBA Junior Middleweight Championship and Charlo’s WBC Continental Americas Super Welterweight Championship. Preliminary fights will air on SHOWTIME EXTREME at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges are available at AXS.com or by phone at 1-888-9-AXS-TIX (1-888-929-7849), as well as The Home Depot Center Box Office (Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 1-877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, please call 1-877-234-8425.