PRESS RELEASE: Ahmed “Hollywood” Kaddour, who recently appeared on “The Contender,” will become the first contestant from the NBC reality series to return to boxing when he takes on an opponent to be announced in the eight-round junior middleweight co-feature Friday, July 22, 2005, on “ShoBox: The New Generation.” 

 

In the main event, California State Junior Welterweight Champion Rolando Reyes will take on International Boxing Federation (IBF) No. 14 lightweight contender Courtney Burton for the vacant North American Boxing Organization (NABO) lightweight title from Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, Calif.  Both fighters will make their second “ShoBox” and Chumash appearances.

 

SHOWTIME will televise the Gary Shaw Productions doubleheader at 11 p.m. ET/PT (tape delayed on west coast). The telecast represents the 64th in the popular “ShoBox” series, which debuted on SHOWTIME in July 2001.

Kaddour (18-2, nine KOs), of Humble, Texas, proved to be one of the more popular figures on “The Contender” despite losing consecutive five-round decisions in 2004 at the hands of Ishe Smith (Aug. 24) and Alfonso Gomez (Sept. 15). 

Engaged to a television host, Kaddour aspires to be a top model, movie star and world champion boxer.  Described as “good looking, yet extremely vain,” the 23-year-old fighter embraces the nickname “Hollywood” because he is Hollywood personified.  Never one to be accused of being soft spoken, Kaddour believes his opponents do not take him seriously because he is “so pretty.”

Born in Lebanon and raised in Denmark, Kaddour went 81-1 during a stellar amateur career.     The supremely confident fighter turned pro three months prior to his 19th birthday and won his initial 18 contests. 

In just 20 fights, the well-traveled boxer has fought overseas in Germany, Wales, Hungary, Denmark, Italy and Finland, as well as in Maryland, New Jersey and California.  During his globe trotting, Kaddour has learned to speak French, Danish, English, German and Arabic.

Reyes (24-3-2, 15 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif., captured the vacant California State junior welterweight crown at Chumash and broke his opponent’s eight-bout unbeaten streak by scoring a ninth-round knockout over Jose Antonio Ojeda April 22, 2005, on “ShoBox.” 

The pride of Oxnard won his fourth consecutive bout and 18th out of the past 19 in capturing his first pro title.  Undeterred by fighting in front of a pro-Ojeda crowd, Reyes floored his opponent with less than one minute remaining in the second round by landing a crippling left-right combination to the head.  The referee, Dr. James Jen-Kin, stopped the bout after the conclusion of the ninth on the advice of Ojeda’s corner.

In one of his biggest pro contests, Reyes 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.

Burton (21-3, 11 KOs), of Benton Harbor, Mich., returns to the ring for the first time since his thrilling contest against Ebo Elder at Chumash on the Dec. 17, 2004, edition of “ShoBox.”  Burton was ahead on two of the judges’ cards going into the final round of the “Fight of the Year” candidate.  Despite boxing with both eyes nearly swollen shut, Elder rallied dramatically to score two knockdowns and retain his NABO lightweight belt. 

Nearly one year earlier, Burton secured the NABO lightweight championship with a 12-round split decision over Francisco Lorenzo on Dec. 5, 2003, from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.  Two judges had Burton winning 115-114 and 116-113, while the third judge gave the nod to Lorenzo, 115-113.

After turning pro at age 18 in July 1996, the three-time Silver Gloves United States champion and two-time Junior Olympic U.S. national champion defeated his initial 16 opponents.  In his 17th outing and pro title debut, Burton lost for the first time when Eleazar Contreras scored a fifth-round knockout and won the WBC Continental Americas lightweight title on Nov. 7, 2002, in New Orleans.  An unfazed Burton rebounded in 2003 to defeat former world champions Gabriel Ruelas and Angel Manfredy, as well as Lorenzo en route to compiling a 4-0 record with three KOs. 

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.     

The Chumash Casino Resort is located in Santa Barbara County, Calif., between Los Angeles and San Francisco in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley.  In its 190,000 square-foot facility, the Chumash Casino Resort offers Las Vegas-style gaming, 24 hours, seven days a week.  Tickets for the exciting night of boxing are priced at $70, $50, $40 and $30 and can be purchased at the Chumash Casino Resort box office or through Star Tickets Plus by calling (800) 585-3737 or http://premier.ticketplus.net/TicketsPlus.default.asp.