The Chris Colbert vs. Robert Gutierrez match will see the unbeaten star Chris Colbert take on the WBA Super Featherweight belt holder Roger Gutierrez on Saturday, February 26. Chris Colbert is known for his combination of power and speed that has made him a favorite among the fans. He will be gunning for his world championship belts when he takes part in the Chris Colbert vs. Robert Gutierrez match. The Showtime Championship Boxing Event will take place on February 26 from 7 PM PT or 10 PM ET. It will have another undefeated young boxer in the co-main event. In a super lightweight match, a former Olympian, Gary Antuanne Russell, will take on Viktor Postol, the former world champ. Jerwin Ancajas, the BIF Junior Bantamweight Champ, will fight against the undefeated Argentine Fernando Martinez in the night's opener.
Stephen Espinoza, Showtime Networks President, said, "We've had the pleasure of watching Chris Colbert develop from a prospect to a contender on SHOWTIME, so it's only fitting that he will get a chance to take yet another step in his progression with a title shot against Roger Gutierrez on our network. Gary Antuanne Russell is following a similar recipe for stardom. If he can turn back the tough-as-nails Viktor Postol, it will be another signal that his time in the spotlight may soon be at hand. We've seen the destructive talents of Jerwin Ancajas on SHOWTIME before. His title defense against Fernando Martinez should be a barnburner and the perfect start to a fantastic night of boxing."
Chris Colbert vs. Robert Gutierrez Prediction: Colbert Has Shot Up the Ranks
Colbert is a resident of Brooklyn, New York, and has rapidly climbed up the rankings of his weight division. He has taken on the highly skilled competition in his initial fifteen professional matches. He has already established his name as a boxer with great boxing skills. He also showcased his capabilities to go head-on with Jaime Arboleda to get a stoppage victory in the late rounds a couple of years ago. Recently, he defeated Tugstsogt Nyambayar. Eight years ago, the boxer turned professional and had vanquished some undefeated boxers in his initial seven matches. Before the match against Arboleda, he got a highlight-worthy knockout against Miguel Beltran Jr. in the opening rounds. After that, he got a comprehensive decision win over the former champ Jezreel Corrales.
Colbert said, "I'm super ready for my title shot. This has been a long time coming, but it's no shocker to me. This was always the expectation. I know Gutierrez will come to fight. He's a champion for a reason. So he's not coming to lay down. But I plan to put him down, and I'm willing to do whatever I have to do on February 26 to make that happen. I know a lot of people have been waiting to see when I get this title shot, and now it's time."
Gutierrez Has Been Consistent
The young boxer Gutierrez got his world championship belt with a unanimous decision against Rene Alvarado. This was a match that saw him drop his rival several times. The boxer followed that match by successfully defending his world title belt and winning against Alvarado again through a unanimous decision. Gutierrez, a resident of Maracaibo, Venezuela, has been undefeated in his previous six matches, including three knockouts. Gutierrez said, "First of all, I want to thank God, my mother, my team, my promoter, and the WBA for this opportunity. It cost me a lot of effort to win the world championship, this is my second title defense, and I am ready to give it my all to retain it. On February 26, I am going to show the world that I am the best at 130 pounds."
Russell vs. Postol: What to Expect
Russell has not yet permitted any rival to make it to the end of the match against him since he turned professional five years ago after he was done with his amateur career. The boxer represented the United States at the Summer Olympics eight years ago. He added four more stoppage wins a few years ago before knocking out Jose Marrufo in the opening rounds. The young boxer most recently defeated Jovanie Santiago to a stoppage victory in the middle rounds. Russell is a part of one of the prominent fighting families of the sport and trains alongside his brothers. The former WBC Featherweight title holder Gary Jr. Postol is a feared rival in his weight class. He now gets back to the ring after defeating a narrow majority decision to the then unified titleholder Jose Ramirez. Postol is from Ukraine and fights out of California. He knocked out Lucas Matthysse eight years ago to get the super lightweight championship belt before defeating in a unification match against Terence Crawford.
Postol has got the victory in most of his last matches. His only losses in recent times have been against the undisputed champ Josh Taylor and Ramirez. Russell said, "I'm going to make sure I'm prepared mentally and ready to perform at a high level for this fight. These fights come down to who's more mentally stable, and that's a matter of training. I train my mind as much as I do physically. I've watched Postol fight before, and I know he's a rangy fighter with a European style. He likes to stay at a distance, which works best for him. He leans on his strengths. Every fight I come in planning to make a statement. My prediction, I'm ending this fight in round five." Postol said, "I accepted this fight as soon as it was offered. I haven't fought in a while, and I wanted to get back in the ring as soon as possible. I'm especially excited that I'm going to have the opportunity to face a good young opponent on February 26."
Ancajas vs. Martinez: What To Expect
Ancajas is from the Philippines. He was quite young when he was seen by the boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. The boxer then trained under his guidance and fought under his promotional banner. He defeated Joe Arroyo to get the IBF world championship six years ago. The boxer has not lost a single match since. It will be his ninth belt defense after a unanimous victory against Jonathan Rodriguez. Martinez is a resident of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He knocked out Gonzalo Duran recently in the middle rounds of their match last year. He will make his debut in the United States on the undercard of the Chris Colbert vs. Robert Gutierrez match. The boxer climbed up the ranks by winning against Athenkosi Dumezweni in the latter's home nation of South Africa. After that, he got a decision victory against Angel Aquino. The boxer turned professional five years ago and has an amateur win against the former super flyweight challenger Andrew Moloney.
Ancajas said, "I am thrilled to be back on SHOWTIME defending my world title on February 26. It's very exciting to be making my tenth world title defense in the first Las Vegas fight of my career. I want to thank my whole team for giving me this great opportunity to fight on this PBC event on SHOWTIME." Martinez said, "I'm excited to have this great chance to show my skills on the big stage in Las Vegas. I'm going to leave it all in the ring on February 26 and give all the fans watching an exciting fight. My goal is to become world champion, and this is the night for me to prove myself."
Chris Colbert vs. Robert Gutierrez Stats
Chris Colbert vs. Robert Gutierrez Fight Card