SHOWTIME Sports will present seven marquee boxing matches pitting top-10 rated champions in the prime of their careers against fellow top-10 rated challengers over four consecutive months beginning in December.  The schedule, which is the second robust boxing programming announcement from SHOWTIME in 2016, was announced today by Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports.  The lineup includes two long-awaited championship matchups, Jesus Cuellar vs. Abner Mares and Jermall Charlo vs. Julian Williams; the can’t-miss featherweight rematch between Carl Frampton and Leo Santa Cruz, and a welterweight unification blockbuster between undefeated champions Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia.  All four of these anticipated bouts will be presented in association with Premier Boxing Champions.

Saturday, Feb. 11 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING

Four-division world champion Adrien Broner will face the streaking Adrian Granados in a matchup of top-10 ranked 140-pound fighters.  The flashy Broner, who has captured titles at 130, 135, 140 and 147 pounds, has scored two consecutive knockouts in the super lightweight division. 

The hard-charging, all-action Granados, who pulled a stunning upset of then-undefeated WBC No. 1 ranked super lightweight Amir Imam in a dominating performance last November on SHOWTIME, thrives in the underdog role and has a deceiving record – his four defeats, all via split or majority decision, have come against opponents with a cumulative record of 52-1. 

Saturday, March 4 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING

Presented in association with Premier Boxing Champions

Undefeated welterweight world champions Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia have been on a collision course for more than a year.  Thurman has held a version of the WBA Welterweight World Championship since 2013 but announced his arrival in March 2015 with an emphatic win over Robert Guerrero.  Thurman has since defended the title twice, including most recently against former world champion Shawn Porter in a potential Fight of the Year thriller in June on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS. 

Garcia, after conquering the 140-pound division, captured the WBC Welterweight World Championship with an impressive performance against Guerrero in January.  Should Garcia defeat Samuel Vargas on Nov. 12 in a non-title fight, he and Thurman are set to meet in a marquee unification blockbuster between undefeated champions at the pinnacle of their careers.  Garcia vs. Thurman will air live in Primetime on CBS or live on SHOWTIME.