Malignaggi-Bracero fight among 3 added to Showtime's July 30 card

Dan Rafael
ESPN Senior Writer

Showtime on Tuesday announced the addition of three more fights to its loaded July 30 card at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

• Tony Harrison and Sergey Rabchenko will meet in a junior middleweight world title eliminator that will position the winner for an eventual shot at the belt held by Jermall Charlo, whose immediate mandatory fight is due against Julian “J Rock” Williams.

Harrison-Rabchenko opens the Showtime telecast at 9 p.m. ET on the card that also includes the highly anticipated main event between featherweight world titleholder Leo Santa Cruz (32-0-1, 18 KOs) and former unified junior featherweight titlist Carl Frampton (22-0, 14 KOs), who is moving up in weight, and the co-feature between junior welterweight Mikey Garcia (34-0, 28 KOs), a former two-division titleholder returning from a 2½-year layoff, against former featherweight titlist Elio Rojas (24-2, 14 KOs), who is coming off a 23-month layoff.

• Former welterweight and junior welterweight world titleholder Paulie Malignaggi (35-7, 7 KOs) will face fellow Brooklyn fighter and longtime friend Gabriel “Tito” Bracero (24-2, 5 KOs) in a 10-round welterweight fight that will top the Showtime Extreme-televised portion of the card beginning at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

• Lightweights Ivan Redkach and Tevin Farmer will meet in a 10-round crossroads fight that will open the Showtime Extreme telecast.

“This is the strongest card from top to bottom that I have promoted at Barclays Center,” said promoter Lou DiBella, who has promoted several cards at the arena, including last Saturday night’s barnburner between welterweight titlist Keith Thurman and former titleholder Shawn Porter. “Every single fight is significant and competitive, and this is a great follow up from the tremendous success that boxing had with Thurman-Porter this past weekend.”

Harrison (23-1, 19 KOs), 25, of Detroit, is aiming for his third win in a row since he suffered an upset, ninth-round knockout loss to Willie Nelson last July.

“I’m thrilled to return to the ring on this big stage for my first fight in Brooklyn, and I’m ready to put on a show,” Harrison said. “Fighting for a world title is my dream, and I know that I have a challenge in front of me. I’m working hard in camp to get another knockout and to make my mark on the division.”

Rabchenko (27-1, 20 KOs), 30, of Belarus, is also seeking his third win in a row since suffering his lone defeat, a very debatable split decision to former world titleholder Anthony Mundine on his home turf in Australia in November 2014. The fight will be Rabchenko’s first in the United States.

“This is the start of realizing my dream,” Rabchenko said. “America is the mecca of boxing, so it is a huge privilege for me to be asked to fight there. American fans like to see knockouts, and I like to knock people out, so I think they will like what they see.

“I think I can build a fan base [in the U.S.]. I am hungrier than ever. I have not seen much of Harrison, but I am ready for anyone. People say he is a very good fighter with good power. I’m not worried. I have good power as well and I think I will have too much for him.”
Paulie Malignaggi, left, will face fellow Brooklynite Gabriel “Tito” Barcero in a welterweight fight on July 30. NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images
Since a ninth-round knockout loss to Danny Garcia last August at Barclays Center, Malignaggi has won two fights in a row, one in Italy and one in England. He said he is excited to return home again to face Bracero, his fellow 35-year-old neighborhood rival.

“I feel truly blessed to have yet another opportunity to fight in Brooklyn,” Malignaggi said. “I have known Tito a long time, and I know he always comes to fight. We will give the Brooklyn fans a great appetizer before the terrific main event later that night in Barclays Center.”

Bracero is coming off the biggest win of his career, a devastating first-round knockout victory against Danny O’Connor in October.

“I’m looking to make a statement by winning this fight,” Bracero said. “Paulie and I have been friends since the amateurs, and I’m thankful to have this opportunity, but he’s had his run. Now it’s time for me to have mine. This fight is going to change my life.”
Redkach (19-1-1, 15 KOs), a 30-year-old native of Ukraine fighting out of Los Angeles, and Farmer (21-4-1, 5 KOs), of Philadelphia, are going in opposite directions in their career. Whereas Redkach, a one-time can’t-miss prospect, is 1-1-1 in his last three fights and coming off a draw against big underdog Luis Cruz on April 19, Farmer is riding a 14-fight winning streak.

“I am extremely happy to be back in the ring on a big show in New York,” Redkach said. “There are so many Ukrainian fans in New York, and I am thrilled to have their support and will put on a great show for them. I want to thank Leo Santa Cruz and his team for having me in their camp as we both prepare ourselves to put on tremendous performances come July 30.”

Farmer, 25, has not lost since suffering an eighth-round knockout in 2012 to Jose Pedraza, who went on to win a junior lightweight world title.

“I couldn’t be more excited about this fight,” Farmer said. “This is my Barclays Center debut, and it is going to be a spectacular performance. I have called out anyone and everyone in the 130-pound division to no avail, so now I’m moving up to 135 to take on Redkach, one of the most feared punchers in the division. Redkach is an aggressive guy, and I know he is coming to fight, but there is no way I leave that ring without my hand being raised.

“This is a fight where I can and I will make a major statement. I’m willing to fight whoever they put in front of me to inch closer to a world title opportunity, and July 30 is another step in that direction. I tip my hat off to Redkach for giving me this fight, but this is my time to shine.”