Olympic Gold Medalist Jalolov Headlines June ShoBox Card

For the first time in its storied 21-year history, a heavyweight Olympic Gold Medalist will step into the ring and headline ShoBox: The New Generation as the prospect series features up-and-coming heavyweights in its return to Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY., on Friday, June 10.

The action begins at 9 p.m. ET/PT live on Showtime and helps kick off the International Boxing Hall of Fame Induction Weekend in nearby Canastota, N.Y., where another Olympic Gold Medalist and SHOBOX alum, Andre Ward, will be inducted during the three-year, three-class ceremony.

The main event will see two-time Olympian and 2020 Gold Medalist from Uzbekistan, Bakhodir “Big Uzbek” Jalolov (10-0, 10 KOs), face rising prospect “Big” Jack Mulowayi (11-2-1, 7 KOs) from Belgium in an eight-round heavyweight bout, marking the first time an Olympic heavyweight Gold Medalist has appeared on Shobox. Ward, a former U.S. Olympic light heavyweight Gold Medalist who went 5-0 on ShoBox, is one of the inductees of the 2021 Hall of Fame class.

The co-feature matches former four-time Oregon Golden Gloves champion and Joel Diaz-trained Elvis Garcia (12-0, 9 KOs) against fellow undefeated and four-time Cleveland Golden Gloves champion Alante “Bam Bam” Green (10-0-1, 7 KOs) in an eight-round heavyweight fight while former Ukrainian national champion Iegor Plevako (7-0, 4 KOs) takes on SugarHill Steward-trained, Kolbeinn Kristinsson (12-0, 6 KOs), also an eight-round heavyweight matchup. Kristinsson is one of the few pro fighters from Iceland, where pro boxing is banned. Steward also trains WBC Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury.

In the telecast opener, six-time Tennessee Golden Gloves champion Tyler “Short Fuse” Tomlin (13-0, 9 KOs) squares off against Chann Thonson (10-0, 7 KOs) in an eight-round lightweight bout. The telecast is brimming with international flavor, as seven countries are represented among the eight fighters in action. The four-fight telecast is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, whose owner, Lou DiBella, is a 2020 Hall of Fame inductee and being formally inducted along with the classes of 2021 and 2022.

The night of fights marks the seventh time SHOBOX will take place at Turning Stone and the third time the series will be a part of the International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend in Canastota, N.Y. ShoBox bouts also took place during Hall of Fame festivities in June of 2013, the year SHOWTIME Ring Announcer Jimmy Lennon, Jr., was inducted into the Hall of Fame, and in 2017, the same year longtime SHOBOX analyst and boxing historian Steve Farhood and SHOBOX play-by-play announcer and renowned sportscaster Barry Tompkins were inducted.

The late Showtime executive Jay Larkin, who helped launch Showtime Boxing in 1986 and televised fights involving Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Julio Cesar Chavez during his 22-year tenure with the network, was voted in as part of the Class of 2021.

“It’s always an honor to bring a Showtime event to Turning Stone during Hall of Fame Weekend. This is the third time in the past 10 years that we’ve had the privilege to do a Shobox on this weekend,” said Gordon Hall, executive producer for Shobox: The New Generation. “Every fighter on this ShoBox card aspires to be a contender, a world champion, and yes, even to someday be in the Hall of Fame. We have eight fighters, seven undefeated, who on June 10 look to take that next step to accomplishing those goals.

The 6-foot-7 southpaw Jalolov has knocked out all 10 of the fighters he’s faced as a professional, employing smooth footwork and a jackhammer left hand. A highly decorated amateur, he beat Richard Torrez, Jr., of the U.S. in the gold medal match of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. At the Summer Games in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, where he was his country’s flagbearer at the opening ceremonies, Jalolov lost to Joe Joyce, who went on to win the silver medal and is currently undefeated and a top contender at heavyweight.

“I have been very anxious to return to the USA and fight there as a professional,” Jalolov said. “This is a great opportunity for me to perform at my best and show everybody what’s coming in the future of the heavyweight division.”

Born in Kinshasa, Congo, where Muhammad Ali beat George Foreman in the “Rumble in the Jungle,” the 6-foot-5 Mulowayi is a stablemate of WBC World Cruiserweight Champion Ilunga Makabu. Mulowayi went the distance with unbeaten 20-0 ShoBox alum and highly regarded heavyweight prospect Frank Sanchez. He has come back from that unanimous decision loss to win four consecutive fights, including the biggest win of his young career by registering a TKO stoppage over-then 20-0-1 Apti Davtaev in Russia last April.

“I am very happy and appreciative to have another chance to come back to America,” said Mulowayi. “This is a bout of vindication for me and my career. When I boxed Frank Sanchez in 2019, I froze and was not mentally or emotionally ready to fight in the U.S. Now I am, and I’ve won four straight bouts since my last defeat. I am not intimidated by the reputation of my opponent.

Hall of Famer Barry Tompkins calls the action from ringside with former world champion Raul Marquez and veteran combat sports reporter Brian Campbell and serving as expert analysts, and Hall of Famer Steve Farhood remotely performing unofficial scoring duties.