Tonight starting at 7:00 pm EDT on Showtime Extreme and continuing at 9:00 pm EDT on Showtime, and also airing on BoxNation in the United Kingdom, Golden Boy and Showtime present Knockout Kings II, a scattergun sort of card where a bunch of bullets will be fired and hopefully some damage will be done.
In the night's main event, Andre Berto (28-2, 22 KO) looks to get back in the win column as he faces Jesus Soto Karass (27-8-3, 17 KO) in a 12-round welterweight bout. Berto hasn't fought since a loss to Robert Guerrero late last year, while Soto Karass followed a spirited defeat against Marcos Maidana last September with a minor upset of Selcuk Aydin in January.
Soto Karass is a sizable underdog here, but he always brings a good fight, and if Berto gets goofy as he sometimes will, an upset is not totally out of the question.
Also featured on the show will be rising lightweight prospect Omar Figueroa (21-0-1, 17 KO) of Weslaco, Texas, who will take on Japan's Nihito Arakawa (24-2-1, 16 KO) in a 12-round fight. The first fight of the Showtime broadcast will see Keith Thurman (20-0, 18 KO) face Diego Chaves (22-0, 18 KO) in another 12-round welterweight bout.
Showtime Extreme has two fights scheduled. Anthony Dirrell (25-0, 21 KO) will look to stay unbeaten against Anthony Hanshaw (23-3-2, 14 KO), while Joseph Rodriguez (3-0, 2 KO) will face Jesse Anguiano (1-2-1, 0 KO) in a four-round super featherweight opener. If there is time for a swing bout, we'll see Armando Cardenas (1-0, 1 KO) take on Stephen Salazar, making his pro debut.