Premier Boxing Champions 2015: Fight Card and TV Schedule for Sept. 18
Premier Boxing Champions returns to Bounce TV on Friday, Sept. 18, live from Full Sail Live in Winter Park, Florida. Longtime middleweight contenders will be featured in the main event, as Fernando Guerrero (27-3, 19 KO) faces Caleb "Golden" Truax (25-2-2, 15).
When: Friday, Sept. 18, at 9 p.m. ET
Where: Full Sail Live in Winter Park, Florida
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TV: Bounce TV
Live Stream: Bounce.com
Both men have challenged for world titles in the past but were not able to come up with the gold. The 32-year-old Truax and 28-year-old Guerrero are both in near-must-win situations, as PremierBoxingChampions.com states in their hype intro for Friday night's main event:
"Fernando Guerrero and Caleb Truax have both reached a career crossroads: Each needs a victory in his next bout to remain in contention for another title shot. And each knows a loss will likely mean a ticket to journeyman opponent status."
Because neither man has won a world title, neither is likely looking to accept a "journeyman" role just yet.
Truax was worn down and stopped by regular WBA middleweight champion Danny Jacobs in his last fight in April. After a competitive start to the bout, Jacobs proved to be the better man and stopped Truax in the 12th and final round.
While he lost the fight, Truax gained traction with PBC, and he's been able to walk away from his everyday job at a Minnesota liquor store to box full time.
"Not having to work is a lot more conducive to better workouts and getting better rest in between," Truax said, per Jason Scavone of PBC. "Now I can wake up in the morning and feel fresh. My legs feel good. Sometimes at night [after] working 16 hours a day, I'd get home and feel dead."
Guerrero has long been a full-time pro, as he came through the ranks with a bit more hype than Truax.
He won a split decision over Abraham Han just a week prior to Truax's last bout. Guerrero got off the canvas to eek out the close decision after being dropped in the first round. While there were some bumps in the road for that bout, Guerrero prevailed, and he would love to string together two consecutive wins.
That might put him in line for another shot at a share of the 160-pound title in the near future.
Also on the Card...
Minneapolis, Minnesota, fight fans will have special interest in Friday's card; Truax isn't the only fighter from the area in action. Undefeated welterweight Jamal "Shango" James (17-0, 9 KO) will face the power-punching "Merengue" Juan Carlos Abreu (18-1-1, 17 KO) in the televised preliminary bout.
Though James is only 27 years old, this will be just his second fight scheduled for as many as 10 rounds. He's also set to face the most dangerous and proven puncher he's ever been in the ring with.
Merengue has stopped all but four of the men he's faced in his professional career. In his last fight, he lost a majority decision to Pablo Cesar Cano, but the result was changed to a no-contest because Cano breached Rule 303, which bans the use of any drugs, alcohol and stimulants before or during the contest.
A win over an up-and-coming prospect like James would do wonders for Abreu's career. Likewise, a masterful performance from James would move him closer to the mix of elite 147-pounders under the PBC banner.
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