Heavyweight prospect Travis Kauffman makes his US TV debut on Shobox Friday night

Mitchell Kane · Dec 5, 2008

I haven't seen much of Kauffman yet, just some clips on the internet, so I'm interested in seeing him on television for the first time this week.

His father trains Hasim Rahman, so the two were in camp together.

Heavy weight on Kauffman's shoulders
By Don Stewart
Reading Eagle

A funny thing happened to Travis Kauffman a few nights ago: He was nervous about a fight.

The Reading heavyweight was wide awake in bed, envisioning himself winning his national-television debut. Kauffman said it was the first time he's ever felt nervous about an upcoming bout.

"It was something that came and went," he said. "Fighting is my job. It's something I do. I'm not nervous about the fight. I've never been nervous in my life, so I don't know what nerves are."

Kauffman spoke Wednesday from Santa Ynez, Calif., where he'll meet fellow prospect Malachy Farrell in a scheduled eight-round bout Friday night on Showtime's "Sho-Box: The Next Generation" series.

The fight is expected to begin at 11 p.m. on the East Coast. It's an opportunity for Kauffman (13-0, 10 KOs) to dramatically increase his stock among U.S. heavyweights.

"I've been training extremely, extremely hard," said Kauffman, who expects to weigh in at 225. "I know this is the biggest fight of my life. I want to make sure I look good, that I'm someone people are talking about."

Farrell (16-1, 12 KOs) is easily the most accomplished opponent Kauffman has met. The 6-4 Chicago native has a knockout win against former prospect Shannon Miller, and his only loss was a disputed split decision last year to unbeaten Michael Marrone.

Kauffman and Farrell met as amateurs, with Kauffman winning a 36-8 decision at the 2004 Eastern Trials quarterfinals. The Exeter grad doesn't take much from that fight, considering it included headgear and bigger gloves.

"It's a tough fight," said Marshall Kauffman, Travis' father and trainer. "It's a good stern test for Travis. We'll see what he's made of."

Marshall Kauffman said his son is in the best shape of his life. Travis has been training in Rochester, N.Y., where his father has been preparing Hasim Rahman for his Dec. 13 challenge of heavyweight titlist Wladimir Klitschko.

As he's dropped weight, Travis has seen his hand speed and agility increase. He'll need both against the heavy-handed Farrell.

"The biggest thing Travis has to do is box well," Marshall Kauffman said. "This guy has a big right hand, so our whole key is to move to the right. He has to continuously move to his right and let that right hand go."

It's a major step up in competition for Kauffman, who will fight for just the fourth time since returning from a 14-month layoff due to legal issues that nearly ended his career.

"If you go back to a year and a half ago, I never thought I'd be here," the 23-year-old said. "It's the biggest opportunity I've had. I think it's going to open up doors for bigger opportunities."

â€¢Tough test: All-action featherweight Lucian Gonzalez will meet a tough opponent with an unimpressive record in Robert DaLuz (11-14-2) Friday on the undercard of the Golden Boy-promoted show at the Sovereign Center.

DaLuz has gone the distance with several notable prospects and fringe contenders, including Dat Nguyen, Teon Kennedy and Clarence Vinson.

It's all part of the developmental process for the 25-year-old Gonzalez, who is maturing into a better all-around boxer.

"He's a much smarter fighter, without a doubt," said trainer and manager Marshall Kauffman. "Before, all he knew was to get hit and hit you back three times. But his defense has improved, he's moving his head more, he's slipping punches and countering.

"In the gym, it's like someone trying to grab onto a wet bar of soap. You can't hold onto him."

â€¢Ring posts: Kermit Cintron moved back into the Ring Magazine welterweight top 10 this week. A spot opened up after Paul Williams jumped to junior middleweight. . . . The weigh-in for Friday night's Golden Boy-promoted card at the Sovereign Center will be held tonight at 6 p.m. at the Wyndham Abraham Lincoln Hotel. The weigh-in is open to the public. . . . Friday's show likely will mark the last time Telefutura comes to Reading. The Spanish-language network announced recently that it is canceling its "Solo Boxeo" series due to the struggling economy.
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suiteness · Dec 5, 2008

You're really hurting for heavyweights when you put a child rapist on your card.

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Heavyweight prospect Travis Kauffman makes his US TV debut on Shobox Friday night

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Heavyweight prospect Travis Kauffman makes his US TV debut on Shobox Friday night

Mitchell Kane WBC Silver Diamond Emeritus Champ

suiteness Leap-Amateur

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