Shumenov’s title defenses highlight busy July night
July 29 suddenly became a busy boxing night in Las Vegas.
The Cosmopolitan will host a card in the Chelsea Ballroom, with light heavyweights Edison Miranda (34-5, 29 knockouts) and Yordanis Despaigne (8-1-0, four KOs) featured in the 10-round main event on ESPN2.
At the South Point, Beibut Shumenov, the WBA and IBA light heavyweight champion, will defend his titles against Danny Santiago (31-4-1, 19 KOs) in the 12-round main event.
Shumenov (11-1, seven KOs), a 2004 Kazakhstan Olympian who fights out of Las Vegas, set a light heavyweight record for winning a world title in the fewest fights (10) with a 12-round decision over Gabriel Campillo on Jan. 29, 2010, at the Hard Rock Hotel.
The card will be televised nationally on the Spanish network TeleFutura.
■ UNDERCARD UNRAVELS — The undercard for the July 23 junior welterweight title fight between Amir Khan and Zab Judah at Mandalay Bay took a major hit last week with the loss of two key fights.
The IBF super lightweight eliminator bout between Victor Cayo and Lamont Peterson was canceled because of a contract dispute between Golden Boy Promotions and Seminole Warriors Boxing, Cayo’s promoter.
Cayo and Peterson originally were to fight April 29 at the Cosmopolitan, but Cayo injured his shoulder in training.
The welterweight fight between Joel Julio and Antwone Smith was canceled because of an unspecified emergency in the Julio family.
■ REMEMBERING NICK — Nick Charles, who was CNN’s original sports anchor and went on to become an accomplished boxing announcer, died Saturday of bladder cancer at his home in Santa Fe, N.M. He was 64.
Charles called fights for HBO and Showtime, including several of Mike Tyson’s heavyweight title bouts.
In 2009, Charles was diagnosed with stage IV bladder cancer. He took his fight publicly in the hopes of inspiring other cancer patients to remain positive.
His condition worsened earlier this year, and he worked his last fight March 26 in Atlantic City on HBO, calling the Mikey Garcia-Matt Remillard featherweight bout.
Charles is survived by his wife, Cory, their daughter, 5-year-old Giovanna, and three children from two previous marriages — Jason, 39, Melissa, 36, and Katie, 24.
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.