By Keith Idec

Vladimir Shishkin is just 8-0 and has never fought on American television.

Anonymity hasn’t affected Shishkin’s confidence. The 28-year-old super middleweight is certain an impressive performance against DeAndre Ware on Friday night will move him toward a championship-caliber fight within his division.

Showtime will televise the 10-round battle between Russia’s Shishkin (8-0, 5 KOs) and Ware (13-1-2, 8 KOs) as the main event of a “ShoBox: The New Generation” tripleheader from Central Park Community Center in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

“This is definitely the beginning of something big,” Shishkin said Thursday after their weigh-in. “I feel a responsibility to show a lot and show that I’m one of the better performers in the division. … I know Friday night is a big step for my career. I don’t think about it all the time, but I feel one-hundred-percent prepared and ready, physically and mentally. I’m ready to put on a show, and show that I’m a new name in boxing.”

Shishkin stopped French veteran Nadjib Mohammedi (41-8, 24 KOs) in the 10th round of his last fight, 10 months ago in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Despite his inexperience as a pro, Shishkin is already ranked No. 13 by the WBC and No. 15 by the WBA.

“I’m the best Russian prospect out there,” Shishkin said. “I’m well-schooled and have made a good progression.”

In Ware, Shishkin will face a firefighter from Toledo, Ohio, who’s coming off the biggest win of his career. Ware, 31, defeated Ronald Ellis (16-1-2, 11 KOs) by majority decision in his last fight, a 10-rounder February 1 in Rochester, New York.

“Showtime brought me back after suffering my first loss [to Cem Kilic], and I’m going to show that they made the right decision,” Ware said. “I didn’t have a full training camp for that fight. I’ve had a full training camp for his fight. I’m a complete fighter. I can fight, I can box, I can move. You will see that on Friday night.”

Showtime’s three-bout broadcast is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. EDT with an eight-round super bantamweight bout that’ll pit Philadelphia’s Arnold Khegai (15-0-1, 10 KOs) versus Vladimir Tikhonov (17-1, 9 KOs), of St. Petersburg, Russia. The second fight of the telecast, a 10-rounder, will match Shohjahon Ergashev (16-0, 14 KOs), a 140-pound prospect from Uzbekistan, against Mexican veteran Abdiel Ramirez (24-4-1, 22 KOs). 

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.