Press Release: Undefeated welterweight Paul Williams will face his toughest test to date when he takes on former Olympic bronze medalist and current International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Association (WBA) No. 14 contender, Terrance Cauthen, Friday, April 22, 2005, on “ShoBox: The New Generation.”  In the co-feature from Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, Calif., Jose Antonio Ojeda will trade leather with Rolando Reyes in a 10-round junior welterweight bout.

SHOWTIME will televise the Gary Shaw Productions doubleheader at 11 p.m. ET/PT (tape delayed on west coast). The telecast represents the 60th in the popular “ShoBox” series, which debuted on SHOWTIME in July 2001.
Williams (25-0, 19 KOs), of Augusta, Ga., had a brief amateur career as a teenager before he met George Peterson in the Big Brother program.  Coincidentally, Peterson had been involved in boxing for many years and became Williams’ managing trainer.

“Paul is like a son of mine,” Peterson said.  “We have been together for six years now.  We have been tight since we started out.”

Shortly after meeting Peterson, Williams made his professional debut six days shy of his 19th birthday on July 21, 2000, with a four-round decision over Jeremy Mickelson.  The heavy-handed southpaw then went on to win his next 13 consecutive fights by knockout, including seven in the opening stanza.

Of Williams’ 25 victories, 19 have come by knockout, including his most recent outing on Nov. 11, 2004, a fourth-round stoppage over Sammy Sparkman in Washington, D.C.

Williams realizes he has his work cut out for him when he battles Cauthen on SHOWTIME.

“Cauthen is a really quick southpaw,” Williams said.  “He is slick and smart.  He is not the most exciting fighter, but his upper body movement is so devastating.  That makes him hard to hit.  I am looking to bang with him.  I have got to run and gun.  This guy has the potential to make me look bad.  But, we are working on some things and should not have a problem if we fight our game plan.”

Cauthen (26-2, seven KOs), of Trenton, N.J., captured the bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta, the ‘92 National Junior Olympics championship and the ‘95 U.S. National championship during an amateur career in which he compiled a 150-9 record.  In his pro debut, the 20-year-old New Jersey native registered a four-round unanimous decision over former New York Golden Gloves champion Victor Miller on Dec. 14, 1996.

Nearly six years later on Sept. 6, 2002, Cauthen earned his first pro title when he tallied a 12-round unanimous decision over Franco Ogentho to win the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) light welterweight crown.  The judges scored the Santa Ana, N.M., bout 117-111 twice and 115-113.

Cauthen successfully defended his NABF title three times and captured the vacant North American Boxing Association (NABA) light welterweight championship with a 12-round unanimous decision over Ricky Quiles on Aug. 9, 2003, in Miami.  The three judges scored it 18-110, 117-110 and 117-111.

In his third NABF and first NABA title defense, Cauthen won his fourth consecutive 12-round unanimous decision (119-108, 118-110 and 117-111) when he defeated Jermaine Marks on Jan. 3, 2004, in Mashantucket, Conn.

Ojeda (13-3-1, eight KOs), of Michoacan, Mexico, made his national television debut on “ShoBox” when he battled Arturo Barraza in Santa Ynez on Jan. 15, 2004.  Ojeda won the action-packed affair when the referee, upon the request of Barraza’s corner, halted matters at the conclusion of the third round.   

Seeking his 10th win, Ojeda made his second “ShoBox” appearance on July 15, 2004, and fought to an eight-round draw against Mohammed Kayongo from Santa Ynez.  One of the judges scored it 77-75 for Kayongo, while the other two called the bout even at 76-apiece. Ojeda, who finished strongly, counterpunched effectively and had the unbeaten Kayango backing up in the last few rounds.

Reyes (23-3-2, 14 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif., earned a 10-round unanimous decision over former Mexican lightweight champion Omar Bernal on Sept. 20, 2003, from Anaheim, Calif.  The judges scored it 97-93 and 95-93 twice.  In the eight-round rematch on July 23, 2004, Reyes again prevailed, this time by scores 79-71 and 78-72 twice.

Most recently, Reyes registered a first-round knockout over Francisco Maldonado on Jan. 28, 2005, in Oxnard, Calif.

Nick Charles will call the action from ringside, with Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst.  The executive producer of the telecast is Gordon Hall, with Richard Gaughan producing.

For information on “ShoBox: The New Generation” and SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecasts, including complete fighter bios, records, related stories and more, please go the SHOWTIME website at http://www.sho.com/boxing.