November 5th Shobox Event: News Release

The real guest of honor

News Release from Scheels Arena, dated October 12th:

Showtime Network’s ShoBox coming to Scheels Arena Nov. 5

Fargo, N.D. – ShoBox: The New Generation, the critically acclaimed boxing series featured on Showtime Networks, will be live from Scheels Arena on Nov. 5.  Doors will open at 6 p.m. with non-televised fights beginning at 7 p.m.  Tickets, ranging from $20 to $65, will go on sale 11 a.m. Thursday.  Tickets can be purchased at the Scheels Arena box office, online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 745-3000.

ShoBox, which debuted in 2001, is the inaugural event in the Fargo area for Showtime Networks.  The series airs live on select Friday nights beginning at 10 p.m. CST.

We are very excited to see a nationally televised event finally come to Fargo,” said John Kram, general manager of Scheels Arena.  “Having a world-class event such as ShoBox come to our building is a testament to the level of service and professionalism our venue offers to event promoters.”

Boxing fans in the area can expect to see some of the top prospects in the nation face off in the nationally televised event.

“Fans in Fargo will be witness to some of the best young fighters in the world on Nov. 5,” said Lou DiBella, chief executive officer of DiBella Entertainment, the promoter of record.  “This is a unique opportunity to see young world ranked fighters, such as Marcus Johnson and Edwin Rodriguez,  in the biggest fights of their lives in front of Showtime’s cameras.  Scheels Arena will be the epicenter of the boxing world for one night on Nov. 5.”

The televised main event will feature Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez (16-0, 12 KOs) against James McGirt Jr (22-2-1 11 KOs), son of famed trainer and former world champion Buddy McGirt, in a Super Middleweight bout.  Marcus “Too Much” Johnson (19-0, 14 KOs) from Houston, Texas, headlines the opening televised bout in the two-part main event beginning at 10 p.m.  Johnson’s adversary in the second Super Middleweight bout is yet to be determined.  Also featured on the card will be current Minnesota Middleweight Champion and former NDSU student Andy “Kaos” Kolle (22-2 16 KOs) from Fergus Falls, MN in an untelevised feature bout.

–

The Fistic Mystic says: a posting on matchmaking website Makeafight.com lists other potential fighters for this card: Ishe Smith, Antwone Smith, Mickey Bey Jr, and Brian Mihtar.  More participants will soon be named.

Alfaro Wins, Kamya Loses in Detroit

Vicente Alfaro (2-0) defeated 3-time National Golden Gloves champion and 2004 Olympian Ron Siler (now 1-1), a unanimous decision win in a four-round bout.  The fight was contested on the undercard of “King” Arthur Abraham -vs- Andre Dirrell at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

Alfaro lived up to the hype of his coach/trainer/manager, Fernando Ortiz, who bragged to me back in January that Alfaro was especially special.  The troubled but talented Siler was a world-class amateur through 2004 but has had numerous run-ins with the law and didn’t turn pro until Jaruary of 2010, when he tallied a win against Almensor De La Cruz in his hometown of Cincinnati.

Robert Kamya, now 17-11, lost a six-round decision to Brian Mihtar, now 13-1.