By Jake Donovan

Robert Guerrero’s gutsy 12-round win over Yoshihiro Kamegai in their June 21 welterweight bout headlined what turned out to be an unbelievable night of action at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. The bout aired live on SHOWTIME as the closing leg of a televised tripleheader, with the overall broadcast producing an average of 533,000 viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research . 

Ratings for the telecast increased with each fight, topping out at 614,000 viewers over the course of the 12-round main event.

The bout was Guerrero’s first since a points loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. last May, which aired on SHOWTIME Pay-Per-View. Guerrero’s last live appearance on SHOWTIME’s flagship network came in July ’12, when he made his welterweight debut in a 12-round win over Selcuk Aydin.

The show overall was on par with a similar broadcast from the venue this time last year, when Marcos Maidana outbrawled and stopped Josesito Lopez in their welterweight thriller last June. Their bout complemented the super welterweight thriller that saw Erislandy Lara survive two knockdowns to force Alfredo Angulo to quit in 10 rounds due to a badly damaged eye.

Ratings weren't overwhelming, but the action in the ring was, which helped generate buzz and add to the event's replay value. The same figures to be the case here, as all three bouts on the tripleheader provided memorable action. 

In the evening’s co-feature, Vasyl Lomachenko matched a historic mark by winning a major title in his third pro fight. The feat came at the expense of previously unbeaten Gary Russell, taking a well-earned victory in a strangely scored majority decision. Their bout averaged 578,000 viewers over 12 rounds, a number that saw a decline from Lomachenko’s split decision loss to Orlando Salido, which generated 1 million viewers on HBO this past March.

Opening the telecast, Devon Alexander returned to the win column with a 10-round win over Jesus Soto Karass. Their bout drew 433,000 viewers, a slight increase from Alexander’s last ring appearance, when his 12-round title losing effort to Shawn Porter drew 429,000 viewers as part of a televised quadruple header last December.

Overall, Showtime Championship Boxing telecasts are averaging roughly 583,000 viewers. The next series entry comes August 9 in Brooklyn, New York. Danny Garcia is scheduled to defend his lineal 140 lb. championship, though an opponent has yet to be named. In supporting action, Daniel Jacobs faces Jarrod Fletcher in a middleweight title fight, and Lamont Peterson defends his alphabet 140 lb. title.

In between, Showtime has two scheduled ShoBox telecasts (including this Friday) and the July 12 Pay-Per-View event headlined by Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez versus Lara in a 12-round non-title fight.

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