Spence, Gervonta Davis highlight Showtime boxing schedule
Lance PugmireShowtime unveiled its spring and early summer boxing schedule Tuesday, headlined by pay-per-view draws Errol Spence Jr. And Gervonta Davis.
The schedule release also confirmed a disappointing turn in negotiations that failed to produce an anticipated meeting between unbeaten WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo and unbeaten former light-middleweight champion Jaime Munguia.
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Houston’s Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs) will now face journeyman Maciej Sulecki on Showtime June 18 in Houston after conversations to craft a joint pay-per-view deal with DAZN-connected Munguia unraveled.
Al Haymon, who heads the Premier Boxing Champions promotion that Charlo fights for, is a longtime adversary of Munguia’s American promoter, Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions.
Showtime Sports President Stephen Espinoza told reporters during a Tuesday conference call PBC's promoter TGB pitched Golden Boy on the idea of keeping champion Charlo on Showtime this round. If Munguia won the bout, Espinoza explained, Golden Boy-DAZN would've promoted/broadcast the rematch.
That request went unanswered, Espinoza said.
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Fights previously announced were also on the schedule, including the April 16 three-belt welterweight unification bout between unbeaten WBC-IBF champion Errol Spence Jr. and Cuba’s Yordenia Ugas at AT&T Stadium outside Dallas.
Unbeaten Davis will defend his WBA lightweight belt against Rolando Romero in a May 28 pay-per-view at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
On May 14, Showtime will televise the anticipated 154-pound full unification rematch between Charlo’s twin brother, Jermell, and Argentina’s Bruan Castano in Los Angeles. The pair fought to a draw July 17.
That card will include gifted unbeaten welterweight Jaron “Boots” Ennis” against Custio Clayton.
A week later, unbeaten super-middleweight David Benavidez headlines a hometown card in Phoenix against former middleweight champion David Lemieux.
Other Showtime action includes: Erickson Lubin vs. Sebastian Fundora in a 154-pound title eliminator April 9 at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas; unified 122-pound champion Stephen Fulton defending his belts against former champion Danny Roman June 4 in Minneapolis; and new WBC featherweight champion Mark Magsayo making his first title defense against former super-bantamweight champion Rey Vargas in San Antonio.