UNBEATEN CHRIS COLBERT TAKES ON WBA SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION ROGER GUTIERREZ

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, AT THE COSMOPOLITAN OF LAS VEGAS

Tickets on Sale Now!

LAS VEGAS (January 24, 2022) – Undefeated fighter Chris “Primetime” Colbert, whose mix of speed and power have quickly made him a fan favorite, will seek his first world title when he takes the fearless warrior and WBA Super Featherweight Champion Roger “The Kid” Gutierrez on Saturday, February 26 from The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® telecast kicks off at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the live event are on sale now, and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com.

Representing his native Brooklyn, N.Y., Colbert (16-0, 6 KOs) has quickly shot up the 130-pound rankings, taking on high-level competition in his first 16 pro fights. Already established as a fighter with dazzling boxing skills, Colbert showcased his ability to fight toe-to-toe with an 11^th-round stoppage of Jaime Arboleda in December 2020 before most recently besting Tugstsogt Nyambayar in July 2021. The 25-year-old turned pro in 2015 and defeated three unbeaten fighters in his first eight contests. Prior to the Arboleda fight, Colbert scored a highlight-reel first-round knockout against Miguel Beltran Jr. in September 2019 and a dominant 12-round decision victory over former champion Jezzreel Corrales in January 2020.

“I’m super ready for my title shot,» said Colbert. «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.»

The 26-year-old Gutierrez (26-3-1, 20 KOs) captured his world title with a unanimous decision victory over Rene “Gemelo” Alvarado in January 2021, in a fight that saw him drop his opponent three times. Gutierrez followed up that performance by defending his world championship and defeating Alvarado a second time in August 2021, again earning a unanimous decision. Fighting out of his native Maracaibo, Venezuela, Gutierrez is unbeaten in his last seven outings, including four knockouts.

“First of all, I want to thank God, my mother, my team, Golden Boy Promotions and the WBA for this opportunity,” said Gutierrez. “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.”

“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,” said Stephen Espinoza, President, Sports and Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.

“Roger is a battle tested world champion who has faced some of the toughest fighters in the division,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “He is just coming off an impressive world title defense against former world champion Rene Alvarado and I have full confidence in his ability to remain world champion. He is a feared warrior who should not be taken lightly. We are looking forward to seeing his exciting boxing style back in the ring on February 26th.”