NEWS ON: Brandon Gonzalez, Next Showtime Extreme Bouts

Press Release

For Immediate Release

CAMP NOTES : BRANDON GONZALES IN BEAST MODE FOR JAMES DEGALE SHOWDOWN

Photos By Brett Ostrowski / Gary Shaw Productions

HAYWARD CA, (May 19, 2014) – Gary Shaw Productions and Antonio Leonard Promotions undefeated Super-Middleweight contender, Brandon “Flawless” Gonzales (18-0-1, 12 KOs) ranked IBF # 3, is in beast mode for his upcoming showdown with IBF # 4 James DeGale (18-1, 12 KOs) for the IBF mandatory position. The 12-round bout is set to take place at Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom on May 31, 2014, on the undercard of Carl Froch (32-2, 23 KOs) vs. George Groves (19-1, 15 KOs).

Gonzales on the current status of his career…

“My promoters Gary Shaw and Antonio Leonard, along with my manager James Prince are doing a great job with my career. I'm in a big fight and I can't ask for anything more. Now it's up to me to bring home the victory. I'm very happy with the current standing of my career.”

Gonzales on training with Virgil Hunter…

“Virgil and I got a great game plan for this fight. We see some weaknesses in Degale's defense that I'll be taking advantage of. Sparring is almost wrapped up and I got good work with elite level guys. I've been training extremely hard for this fight. My mind is in beast mode and I can't wait to get in the ring.

Gonzales speaks on traveling overseas to fight in hostile territory…

“I know my back is against the wall traveling to DeGale's home turf and getting a decision will be difficult, but I'm confident that the judges will be fair. With 80,000 people rooting against me, I'm going to be extra motivated to silence the crowd. I'll be looking to end the fight early but if I need to go all the way then I'm prepared to go the distance. “

Gonzales comments on his match up with James DeGale…

“I'm anticipating a very strategic approach from DeGale but that won't matter because I'm going to be dictating the pace and setting the tone. He's accomplished winning an Olympic Gold Medal so we know he has great boxing skills that got him to this point in the pros. So with that being said, I'll have to implement my game plan and make adjustments as the fight goes on.”

Gonzales addresses his hunger to be a world champion…

“This is the biggest fight of my career. A win puts me in the mandatory position with the IBF. I know if I come out on top, I'll most likely be fighting the winner of Froch vs. Groves for the IBF Middleweight title. I'm a hungry fighter and nothing is going to stop me, I'm on a mission to be the best. My dream of becoming a world champion is so close I can taste it.”

UNBEATENS JULIAN WILLIAMS & ELEIDER ALVAREZ CO-FEATURED AGAINST TOUGH OPPOSITION ON SHOWTIME EXTREME^® SATURDAY, MAY 24, FROM BELL CENTRE IN MONTREAL, CANADA

Two 10-Rounders Precede SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® Tripleheader Featuring 2013 Fighter of the Year Adonis Stevenson

Bouts on SHO EXTREME Start at 7 p.m. ET/PT; SHOWTIME^® Three-Fight Telecast Begins at 9 p.m. ET/PT

NEW YORK (May 19, 2014) – Talented junior middleweight Julian “J-Rock” Williams (15-0-1, 9 KOs), of Philadelphia, and world-ranked light heavyweight Eleider Alvarez (14-0, 8 KOs), of Montreal by way of Colombia, will put their unbeaten records on the line in 10-round junior middleweight and light heavyweight bouts against Michael Medina (26-4-2, 19 KOs), of Modesto, Calif., and Alexander Johnson (15-1, 6 KOs), of Washington, D.C., respectively, live on SHOWTIME EXTREME^® (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) on Saturday,May 24, from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

Both fights will air prior to a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader from the Bell Centre live on SHOWTIME^® (9 p.m. ET/PT) that is headlined by the network debut of hard-hitting Adonis “Superman” Stevenson (23-1, 20 KOs), of Montreal, the 2013 Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year who defends his WBC light heavyweight championship against third-ranked contender Andrzej “The Polish Prince” Fonfara (25-2, 15 KOs), of Chicago.

In two 10-round fights on SHOWTIME, power-punching, world-ranked Montreal middleweight David Lemieux (31-2, 29 KOs) meets Fernando Guerrero (26-2, 19 KOs) of Salisbury, Md., and Houston’s unbeaten rising star Jermell Charlo (23-0, 11 KOs) takes on Japan’s Charlie Ota (24-1-1, 16 KOs) in a junior middleweight match.

Williams, 24, turned pro in May 2010. He’s won three in a row since his bout last Sept. 13 with Hugo Centeno ended in a fourth-round no-contest after an accidental head butt (at the time of the stoppage, Williams was leading 30-27 on the three judges’ scorecards).

In his last start this past March 17, Williams overpowered veteran Freddy Hernandez, winning by third-round knockout. Williams scored a knockdown with a right hand in the first round — the first punch of the fight, then scored another knockdown with a left hand in the third. Hernandez was counted out at 0:35.

Medina, a former NABF 154-pound champion and onetime sparring partner of boxing superstar Floyd “Money” Mayweather, is 8-3 in his last 11 outings. He will be making his first start since suffering a broken right ankle in a first-round knockout loss to Willie Nelson on March 1, 2013. Medina went down twice. Each time he thought he’d twisted an ankle. Only later, after x-rays were taken, did he learn that he had fractured the ankle.

Alvarez, a top-flight amateur, represented Colombia in the 2008 Olympic Games. Since turning pro in August 2009, he has campaigned exclusively in Montreal. He’s currently world-ranked in the WBO, WBA and WBC at 175 pounds. Two outings ago, the boxer-puncher registered a career-best 10-round unanimous decision over former super middleweight contender Edison Miranda on Sept. 28, 2013.In his lone start this year, Alvarez took a 10-round decision over Andrew Gardner on Jan. 18.

Johnson, who owns a noteworthy victory over previously undefeated Philadelphia prospect Farah Ennis, will be making his 2014 debut. A natural right-hander who fights southpaw, Johnson is a solid boxer with good skills and movement. He’s won three in a row since suffering his only defeat on a six-round decision to Luis Garcia on Dec. 30, 2011, on ShoBox: The NewGeneration. He won his most recent outing on a six-round decision over De Leon Tinsley on Dec. 14, 2013.

Brian Kenny will host the SHOWTIME EXTREME telecast, with Brian Custer calling the actionand Steve Farhood serving as ringside analyst. SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is hosted by Kenny with Mauro Ranallo calling the action, Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and former world champion-turned analyst Paulie Malignaggi serving from ringside and Jim Gray reporting. For SAP, Alejandro Luna will call the blow-by-blow with former world champion Raul Marquez serving as color commentator. The executive producer is David Dinkins Jr. with Bob Dunphy directing.

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