Love-Medina Elevated To Main Event on ShoBox Card
Aug 21, 2014 • 5:17 AM ET
By Jake Donovan
The Nevada State Athletic Commission granted its full blessing for a scheduled August 30 show at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, which will air live on Showtime. The commission panel voted unanimously in favor of the event during Thursday’s agenda hearing in Las Vegas.
Representatives from Mayweather Promotions—who presents its first show under its own promoter’s license in Nevada–were not on hand to hear the good news in person.
The only bad news regarding the show–which is the latest edition of Showtime’s long-running ShoBox series–is that the originally scheduled main event is no longer intact. Unbeaten 154 lb. prospect Chris Pearson was due to headline versus Steve Martinez, but was forced to withdraw last week after suffering an injury during training.
Moving to the showcase slot, undefeated middleweight contender J’Leon Love will face Rogelio Medina in a scheduled 12-round bout. In the co-feature, Badou Jack returns in an attempt to rebound from a shocking 1st round knockout loss to Derek Edwards this past February. The loss was his first, as he will face Jason Escalera, who is fresh off an ESPN2-televised upset win over previously unbeaten Norbert Nemesapati earlier this month in Fallon, Nevada.
Opening the show, local super middleweight Ronald Gavril–who relocated from Romania–faces Thomas Falowo in a scheduled eight-round bout.
Martinez will no longer appear on the show, since his placement was dependent on facing Pearson, who fights under the Mayweather Promotions banner. The fallout marks the second straight month in which Martinez was due to appear on Showtime, but scratched after his opponent suffered an injury. The Bronx-based super welterweight was due to face John Thompson on a July card that marked the 200th episode of Showtime’s ShoBox series, which first premiered in 2001.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com, as well as the Records Keeper for the Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and a member of Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home.
