In last Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature, Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero dominated defending champion Eric “Mighty Mouse” Aiken to win the International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight title. In doing so, Guerrero (19-1-1, 12 KOs) of Gilroy, Calif., joined a growing list of young fighters from “ShoBox: The New Generation” to earn a world title.

 

When the champion’s corner stopped the fight after eight rounds, Guerrero became one of an elite group that includes Leonard Dorin, Scott Harrison, Juan Diaz, Jeff Lacy, Ricky Hatton and, more recently, Juan Urango and David Diaz (interim).

 

In fact, albeit a short reign as champion, Aiken also is among the recent “ShoBox” alumni to garner a world title, having won the IBF strap in May 2006. The Aiken-Guerrero fight marked the first time that “ShoBox” graduates have advanced to the network’s championship series to face each other for a world title.

 

“The (Guerrero-Aiken) fight is a tribute to SHOWTIME’s prospect-oriented series ‘ShoBox: The New Generation’,” wrote ESPN.com in ‘Scorecard,’ a weekend round up.

 

“The whole concept of ‘ShoBox’ was instrumental to my career in preparing me for the elite level,” said Guerrero, who compiled a 3-1 record with 3 KO’s in four “ShoBox” appearances. “It put me on a bigger stage and put me up against better opposition. All my ‘ShoBox’ fights were great learning experiences for me.

 

“Those experiences are invaluable,” Guerrero continued, “and to win the world title, it means everything.  It shows your hard work, your dedication, your sacrifices all paid off.  I am honored to be among some great champions on this list and included in the history on ‘ShoBox’.”

 

Since its inception in July 2001, the critically-acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, “ShoBox: The New Generation” has featured young talent matched tough. The “ShoBox” philosophy is simple: to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title.

 

“ShoBox” will return on Friday, Oct. 6, live at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast) when the Super Middleweight Tournament continues with two semi-final matches. Tony Hanshaw will face LaFarrell Bunting in one of the 10-round bouts while Jean Paul Mendy will take on Henry Buchanan in the other.

 

The winners of the semi-finals will advance to fight on Jan. 5, 2007 for the International Boxing Organization (IBO) 168-pound championship.

 

Blow-by-blow announcer Nick Charles will call the action from ringside with expert analyst and boxing historian Steve Farhood at his side. The executive producer of “ShoBox” 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.