NEW YORK– Undefeated junior welterweight challenger Demetrius Hopkins (28-0-1, 11 KOs) will step in to face WBO 140-pound champion Kendall Holt (24-2, 13 KOs) in the main event of Saturday’s special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation, live from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ, (SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

Holt was originally slated to face former 140-pound champ Ricardo Torres in a rubber-match, but Torres withdrew from the fight on Monday.

“Torres really wanted to fight but he was ill during camp, missed some training and was not in the condition he needed to be in for a war like this,” said Bruce Trampler, chief matchmaker for Top Rank.

Now, Holt will have his hands full with the undefeated Hopkins, the nephew of former middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins. The 28-year-old Hopkins is in peak condition as he was originally scheduled to fight Germaine Sanders on the undercard of Saturday’s bout. When he learned Torres pulled out, he jumped at the opportunity to fight for his first world title.

According to manager Cameron Dunkin, Hopkins, upon accepting the fight, went immediately into an intense, all-day training session and was unavailable for comment.

Dunkin said, “Demetrius had been training hard for his fight with Germaine, and he has redoubled his efforts. He knows he needs to lose three more pounds but he will be on weight by Wednesday. He has completely devoted himself to being ready for this fight.

“This is a fight that he has wanted for a long time,” the manager continued. “His first world title fight; we have wanted this for a long time. I am excited and proud that he will get the chance on Saturday. This is what we’ve been waiting for.”

A top contender at 140-pounds, Hopkins holds key victories over Steve Forbes, Ernesto Zepeda and Jesse Feliciano. With Hopkins hailing from Philadelphia, and Holt from Paterson, N.J., it is essentially a home-game for both fighters.

Remaining tickets are on sale for the event, which is promoted by Top Rank, Inc., for Boardwalk Hall in. Tickets at $200, $100 and $50 are available on http://www.ticketmaster.com/, by phone at 1-800-736-1420, or at any Ticketmaster outlet nationwide.

Nick Charles will call the action from ringside with Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst and Al Bernstein as ringside reporter. The executive producer of ShoBox is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing. ShoBox recently celebrated seven outstanding years on the air.

For more information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please go the new SHOWTIME Sports website at http://sports.sho.com/.

VIDEO OF GLEN “BIG BABY” DAVIS CRYING

The BLACKARAZZI team received an early Christmas gift when video vixen Shelly Rio (you’ve seen her in all the hot hip-hop videos like Chris Brown and Luda’s “Dem Girls Like video) invited us along to her photo shoot in Los Angeles! The bombshell beauty dressed in her sexiest Christmas and New Year’s outfits for all the world to download at Alltopmodels.com.

Let the downloading begin!

Marcellus Brown (26-17-1, 21 KOs), Las Vegas, NV WDQ2 (2:40) Nagy Aguilera (10-1, 6 KOs), Newburgh, NY, (referee halted bout when Brown was unable to continue due to an intentional head butt by Aguilera)

All photos by Khris Kirkpatrick for Empire Morrisey Photo Studios

Marcellus Brown

Marcellus Brown

Tor Hamer (2-0, 2 KO), New York, NY WTKO1 (2:17) Royal Bryant (1-2-1, 1 KO), North Platte, NE

Tor Hamer

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

Daniel Judah (23-3-3, 10 KOs), Brooklyn, NY WDEC12 (120-108, 117-111, 116-112) Jaffa Ballogou (46-7, 40 KOs), Manhattan, NY (Judah won IBF International Light Heavyweight Championship)

Daniel Judah

Will Rosinsky (3-0, 3 KOs), Queens, NY WTKO1 (2:18) Amador Acevedo (2-4-1, 2 KOs), Moca, Puerto Rico

Will Rosinsky (Bottom, R)

MIDDLEWEIGHTS
George Walton (19-3, 12 KOs), Harlem, NY WDEC6 (58-54, 58-54, 58-54) Clarence Taylor (13-19-3, 6 KOs), Wilmington, DE

LIGHT MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Lambrose Karaolides (1-0, 1 KO), Island of Cyprus WTKO1 (2:09) James Justice (0-2), Portsmouth, VA

Ken Dunham (5-6, 3KOs), Charlotte, NC WTKO1 (2:30) Luis Ruiz (3-1, 1 KO), Brooklyn, NY

WELTERWEIGHTS

Eluid Torres (1-0-1, 1 KO), Allentown, PA WTKO1 (2:18) Romain Oliveri (0-1, 0 KOs), Brooklyn, NY

Eluid Torres

LIGHT WELTERWEIGHTS

Christian Martinez (1-0, 1 KO), Bronx, NY WTKO1 (2:14) Murray Cunningham (1-1, 0 KOs), Rochester, NY

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Aldo Valtierra (25-10, 13 KOs), Mexico City, Mexico WDEC10 (96-94,95-94, 95-95) Jorge Luis Teron (22-1-1, 15 KOs), Bronx, NY

Aldo Valtierra

Jorge Luis Teron

SUPER FEATHERWEIGHTS

Eddie Hyland (11-1, 3 KOs), Dublin, Ireland WDEC6 (60-54, 59-55, 59-55) Gustavo Dailey (2-4, 0 KOs), Philadelphia, PA

Eddie Hyland

FEATHERWEIGHTS

Robert Semidei (3-0, 0 KOs), Brooklyn, NY WDEC4 (37-37, 38-36, 38-36) Soumana Abdoulaye (0-4), New York, NY

SUPER BANTAMWEIGHTS

Emmanuel Gonzalez (1-0, 1 KO), Bronx, NY WTKO1 (2:14) Jean Ramos (0-3), Rochester, NY

Emmanuel Gonzalez

See you at the Fights and Thanks for your time.

Mall Owner Struggling With Its Mortgage Bills
By NATE SCHWEBER
WAYNE
KATHERINE EKLUND was at Willowbrook Mall last week, where she was getting holiday photos of her daughters, Julia Gerbino, 5, and Catherine Gerbino, 2. Ms. Eklund said she had no idea that the owners of the mall, General Growth Properties, the second-largest shopping mall owners in the United States, were having financial problems. But she said she was not surprised.
Ms. Eklund, 42, of Short Hills, who frequents this mall for the Bloomingdale’s store and the GapKids, figured the mall owner was in the same boat as many others in these dire times.
“I would just say it’s the economy,” she said. “I see it everywhere.”
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