SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Promoter Don King, in association with Maloof Sports & Entertainment, will present two world championship boxing matches at ARCO Arena on Saturday, Sept. 29. The main event will feature World Boxing Council light heavyweight champion “Bad” Chad Dawson making the second defense of his crown against Colombian knockout artist Epifanio “Diamante” Mendoza..
The second world championship showcases two once-beaten fighters with Luis “El Demoledor” Perez (25-1, 21 KOs), from Nicaragua, making the first defense of his International Boxing Federation bantamweight title opposing British Commonwealth champion Joseph “King Kong” Agbeko (24-1, 21 KOs), from Ghana.
Tickets priced at $30, $50, $75, $100 and $250 are on sale now and may be purchased most easily by calling Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone at (916) 649-TIXS or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available at the ARCO Arena Box Office and at all Sacramento-area Ticketmaster outlets.
Both world championships will be televised on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING during the premium network’s Free Preview Weekend (live at 10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). From Friday, Sept. 28 through Monday, Oct. 1, the premium channel will be available in approximately 54 million homes nationwide, providing an opportunity for many non-subscribers to experience all of the hard-hitting sports and acclaimed original programming on SHOWTIME.
Dawson had been scheduled to meet his WBC-mandated mandatory challenger Adrian “The Shark” Diaconu, who was forced to pull out of the fight on Sept. 18 after damaging his hand while sparring.
Dawson (24-0, 16 KOs), a 25-year-old southpaw from New Haven, Conn., possesses the WBC 175-pound title Roy Jones Jr. held from 1997 to 2004. Dawson upset previously unbeaten Tomasz Adamek (31-0) to win the WBC crown on Feb. 3 in Kissimmee, Fla. In his most recent appearance, he made a successful title defense against Jesus “Chuy” Ruiz on June 9 in Hartford, Conn.
“The ring is my home,” Dawson said. It’s where I’m most comfortable. This is going to be my coming out party.
“They said Tomasz Adamek was tough and look what I did to him. I will have a tough fighter in front of me [on Sept. 29] but I will do what I have to do to win.”
Dangerous 31-year-old veteran Epifanio Mendoza (28-4-1, 24 KOs), from Barranquilla, Colombia, agreed to replace Diaconu and will face Dawson.
“This is a dream come true to have the opportunity to fight Chad Dawson for the WBC light heavyweight title,” an obviously enthused Mendoza said after flying into promoter Don King’s Deerfield Beach, Fla., headquarters to sign the match contract on Sept. 18. “I have fought in and won numerous national and continental championships but this will be my first world title fight. I plan on taking the title back to Colombia.”
Mendoza is currently riding a four-fight winning streak since being stopped by David Lopez on June 9, 2006. Career highlights for Mendoza include scoring two first round knockouts against previously undefeated fighters in Rubin Williams in June 2003 and Tokunbo Olajide in October 2002.
Fight promoter Don King likened the event to a Rocky movie, but this time it’s for real.
“Adrian Diaconu’s misfortune has become Epifanio Mendoza’s opportunity to make history,” King said. “Adrian will recover to fight another day and Epifanio has a chance to become a real-life Rocky, just like in the movies. This type of thing happens from time to time in boxing and it adds another level of intrigue into our September 29 main event.”
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING’s Steve Albert and Al Bernstein will call the action from ringside for the domestic television audience with Jim Gray and Karyn Bryant serving as roving reporters. The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports Programming is David Dinkins Jr. with Ray Smaltz producing and Bob Dunphy directing.
SHOWTIME’s telecast of both world championship matches will take place during the premium network’s free preview weekend and will be available in approximately 54 million homes, a record for SHOWTIME previews.
About Showtime Championship Boxing
In March 1986, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING was born when “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler defeated John “The Beast” Mugabi in a spectacular and unforgettable 11th-round knockout in Las Vegas. Since that time, the network has aired some of the most historic and significant events in the sport including both Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson bouts.
Always at the forefront of boxing, SHOWTIME has set itself apart by telecasting the most meaningful and compelling match-ups in boxing on the first Saturday of every month. SHOWTIME is the first network to regularly deliver live boxing in High Definition. In addition, SHOWTIME continues to be a pioneer in sports television with a number of interactive features across multiple platforms making SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecasts the most enjoyable, immersive viewing experience for the boxing audience.
For more information on SHOWTIME Sports Programming, including exclusive video, photos and more, please visit the SHOWTIME website at http://www.sho.com/sports.
About Don King Productions
Don King Productions has promoted over 500 world championship fights with nearly 100 individual boxers having been paid $1 million or more. DKP also holds the distinction of having promoted or co-promoted seven of the 10 largest pay-per-view events in history, as gauged by total buys, including three of the top five: Holyfield vs. Tyson II, 1.99 million buys, June 1997; Tyson vs. Holyfield I, 1.6 million buys, November 1996; and Tyson vs. McNeeley, 1.58 million buys, August 1995.
DKP has promoted or co-promoted 11 of the top 15 highest-grossing live gates in the history of the state of Nevada including four of the top five: Holyfield vs. Lewis II, paid attendance: 17,078, gross: $16,860,300 (NOTE: Also second-highest live-gate gross for any event in the history of the world.), date: Nov. 13, 1999; Holyfield vs. Tyson II, paid attendance: 16,279, gross: $14,277,200, date: June 28, 1997; Holyfield vs. Tyson I, paid attendance: 16,103, gross: $14,150,700, date: Nov. 9, 1996; and Tyson vs. McNeeley, paid attendance: 16,113, gross: $13,965,600, date: Aug. 19, 1995.
About Maloof Sports & Entertainment
Maloof Sports & Entertainment includes the Sacramento Kings (NBA), Sacramento Monarchs (WNBA) and ARCO Arena. Led by Joe and Gavin Maloof and owned by the Maloof family with a group of long-term partners, the organization is committed to the community in Sacramento and to making a positive, meaningful difference in the lives of families in need and at risk in the Sacramento region. For more information about Maloof Sports & Entertainment, please visit kings.com, sacramentomonarchs.com and arcoarena.com or call 916-928-0000.