BETHLEHEM, Pa. – January 19, 2023 – Undefeated super middleweight prospects Sean Hemphill (14-0, 8 KOs) from New Orleans and David Stevens (11-0, 8 KOs) from Reading, Pa., both made weight Thursday, a day ahead of their eight-round main event showdown on SHOBOX: The New Generation tomorrow night, Friday, January 20 live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT from Wind Creek Casino in Bethlehem, Pa. The co-feature pits undefeated prospect and Philadelphian Atif Oberlton (7-0, 6 KOs) and the power-punching Russian now training in South Florida Artem Brusov (12-0, 11 KOs) in an eight-round light heavyweight bout. Plus, in a battle of two unbeaten Pennsylvanians, KO artist Julian Gonzalez (8-0-1, 8 KOs) from Reading faces Ellwood City’s Rosalindo Morales (9-0, 2 KOs) in an eight-round super featherweight bout that opens the three-fight telecast. International Boxing Hall of Famer Barry Tompkins will call the action with former world champion Raul Márquez and veteran combat sports reporter and MORNING KOMBAT host Brian Campbell also serving as an expert analyst, and Hall of Famer Steve Farhood remotely performing unofficial scoring duties. The executive producer of SHOBOX: The New Generation is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing. The tripleheader is promoted by King’s Promotions. FINAL WEIGHTS Super Middleweight Eight-Round Bout Sean Hemphill – 166 pounds David Stevens – 165.7 pounds Referee: Shawn Clark; Judges: Steve Weisfeld (NJ); Dewey LaRosa (Pa.); Adam Friscia (Pa.) Light Heavyweight Eight-Round Bout Atif Oberlton – 174.2 pounds Artem Brusov – 173.7 pounds Referee: Eric Dali; Judges: Steve Weisfeld (N.J.); Dewey LaRosa (Pa.); Anthony Lundy (N.J.) Super Featherweight Eight-Round Bout Julian Gonzalez – 129.9 pounds Rosalindo Morales – 129.5 pounds Referee: Shawn Clark; Judges: Steve Weisfeld (NJ); Dewey LaRosa (Pa.); Adam Friscia (Pa.) Weights for Prelims to be streamed on King’s Boxing Facebook and Flo-Combat at 6:45 PM ET Jonathan Rodriguez 118.5 – Ira Terry 117.5 James Bernadin 136 – Clay Burns 133 Thanjhae Teasley 145.3 – Joe Sambrano 147,4 Francis Oran 213 – Marlon Haywood 247.3 Moses Johnson 255.3 – Terrell Jamal Woods 239 FINAL QUOTES: SEAN HEMPHILL “I’m focused and hungry and this is the opportunity that I really wanted. I think I have the advantage in experience and a little bit of maturity knowing he’s younger than me. He has 11 fights and I have 14, which is not that much of a difference, but in terms of fighting and the many styles I’ve faced as a pro and in the amateurs, I feel like that will help me a lot. My height and reach advantage and the team that I have backing me and supporting me also is important. “Buddy McGirt’s addition as a trainer has just let me know that the tools that I do have are really great tools and I just need to do more of it, using my jab, standing on my toes and taking little angles, trusting my defense. Buddy just assures me to keep doing what works best for me and staying sharp and helping me with different strategies and techniques. “One of my greatest attributes is my height and my reach and being elusive on my feet and dancing around the ring a little bit. I definitely want to box him and keep him at the end of my jab and set up combinations here and there. But yes, it’s boxing for me. That’s what I do. “I expect Stevens to come forward and to try and land power shots, a one-hit wonder type of thing. I had a great camp, did a few weeks in New York, worked with different guys up there, then a couple weeks in Florida, and had some really good guys to work with there so it’s been a really good camp for me. “I would like to box but if I have to fight him, I will fight. I’m a fighter at the end of the day and if he brings it to me, I’m going to bring it right back. He’s the best guy I’ve fought on paper, and this is the biggest fight of my career. “My dad was a two-time world kick-boxing champion, and I grew up in the gym and I was always around fighters growing up. But when I was a kid, I never pictured myself taking up boxing. I never really chose to do it until Hurricane Katrina happened, and I moved to Texas with my mom, and I was dislocated from my dad for awhile and I started wrestling in high school. I ended up moving back with my dad to New Orleans as a teenager and then I started going back to the gym and falling in love with the sport of boxing. I had my first competition at 15 and since then I made a commitment to myself that this […]
