Yankees/Red Sox Rivalry Returning To ESPN, Angels & White Sox Face Off Tonight On ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball

Courtesy: ESPN

One of the biggest rivalries in sports re-ignites in its latest round Sunday, June 2^nd.  David Ortiz and the Boston Red Sox will take on Robinson Cano and the New York Yankees will face off at 8pm that evening.  Dan Shulman will host the evening’s broadcast.  He will be joined by analysts Orel Hershiser and John Kruk.  Buster Olney will be on hand with commentary.

Tonight’s matchup pits the Los Angeles Angels against the Chicago White Sox in the “Windy City.”  Dan Shulman will host the evening’s broadcast along with his colleagues, Orel Hershiser, John Kruk and Buster Olney.  The game will be available across all ESPN platforms including:  ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio, WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app for mobile media.  Pre-game starts at 7pm tonight.  The ESPN Sunday Night Baseball Crew offered its thoughts on tonight’s games, which can be viewed right here.

Baseball Tonight analyst Aaron Boone on the C.J. Wilson- Chris Sale matchup:
With Jered Weaver down, C.J. Wilson needs to assume the head of this rotation. They need to be able to hang their hat on his starts and count on him to be close to an ace. Sale needs to get his slider down. While he’s been pretty good, he hasn’t quite been the dominant ace. I’ve seen a little bit of slider elevation from him. If he can get that pitch down, he’s an ace.

Baseball Tonight analyst Alex Cora on Wilson:
I think that the key storyline is C.J. Wilson. We’ve been talking about the Angels being a contender and Weaver being hurt. Here’s a guy that they signed last year to either be their ace or their number two and he hasn’t done it. For them to turn this around, they need him to pitch the way he’s capable of pitching.

MLB Insider Buster Olney on the Angels’ struggles this season:
Early in every season, there are a handful of teams that quickly move into desperation mode, and little more than a month into the 2013 season, that’s where the Angels stand. They cannot afford to lose more ground, and even though it’s May, this team of great stars will be playing with a sense of urgency. The Angels can turn it around, but because of the lack of depth in the pitching staff, the impetus for a comeback has to come from their offensive stars: Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and Mark Trumbo.

MLB Insider Tim Kurkjian on the Angels facing Sale:
This is a big weekend series, especially for the Angels. They are in danger of falling out of the race in the West unless they start winning immediately. Their come-from-behind win Thursday night might be the spark that finally gets this team going but they are up against Chris Sale on Sunday night. I don’t know how anyone gets a hit off of that guy.

Olney on Sale’s delivery and repertoire:
Chris Sale is a one-of-a-kind pitcher, with an unusual delivery, and a nasty slider.  I think  Orel made a fascinating comparison: Sale reminds you a lot of the former Yankees Cy Young winner Ron Guidry, because of the quality of his slider and his angular build.

ESPN MLB Insider Pedro Gomez on the Angels’ struggles:
The Angels cannot afford to continue to spin their wheels and expect to remain in the AL West race. They need pitching to really start to shine and they absolutely need more production from their two cogs in the middle of their order, Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton.

Cora on Hamilton’s plate discipline:
He needs to take a step back. We get it, he’s an aggressive hitter. But right now, he’s getting 0-2 pitches in the first pitch of the at-bat. They know he’s swinging. They aren’t even trying to get ahead of him. They are going to the put-out pitch on pitch one because he’s swinging. He needs to be more patient. He has two home runs in last few days but still he needs to take some pitches. The whole league knows that he’s been very aggressive and chasing a lot. He must take a step back and see some good pitches.

ESPN MLB Insider Jim Bowden on keys for the Angels to improve:
The Angels can turn it around but they have to stay healthy. There is not enough depth to withstand injuries, as we’ve seen to date. Hamilton and Pujols must get back to MVP form. The key to the team will be the starting rotation. Blanton and Hanson have to be good enough to win 12 games and pitch 180 innings. A trade for more pitching is a must. Hamilton’s not loading and his timing is not in sync. If he corrects those two flaws he will hit. His bat speed is still there. He also must improve his strike zone awareness and cut down at swinging at balls out of the zone which is at a poor rate of 49%.

Boone on the struggling power hitters in both lineups:
If these teams are going to live up to expectations, their big guys in the middle have to get it going. We need to see production from Konerko and Dunn for the White Sox and Hamilton and Pujols with the Angels.

Cora on White Sox Manager Robin Ventura:
It’s Robin’s second year, so right now it’s his team. Obviously last year he had a great season. They made some changes and lost A.J. So, I think now he’s settled in. It has been a tough month for them, so let’s see what kind of manager he is. Last year, they kind of lost it at the end in September and they seem to be in the same pattern now. We need to see what kind of manager he will be.

Next Sunday on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, the Tigers head to the Lone Star State to take on the Rangers.  The latest Sunday Night Baseball schedule is available below.

Upcoming Sunday Night Baseball schedule:

Date	Game
May 12	Los Angeles Angels at Chicago White Sox
May 19	Detroit Tigers at Texas Rangers
May 26	Atlanta Braves at New York Mets
June 2	Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
July 14	St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs
July 21	New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox

*Additional games for June and July will be announced three weeks in advance, while games for August and September will be made two weeks in advance.

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Junior Welterweight Bout Headlines May 10th Edition Of FNF

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN’s Friday Night Fights returns with another full card Friday, May 10^th.  This week’s card is headlined by a matchup of two Junior Welterweights.  Vernon “The Iceman” Paris (27 – 1, 16 KOs) faces off against Manny “Manos” Perez (19 – 8 – 1, 4 KOs) in a ten-round main event.  Friday’s main event will be broadcast live from the Masonic Temple in Detroit at 10pm ET.  The fight will air live on ESPN2 HD and online and mobile internet via WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app.  ESPN Deportes will pick up the fight in progress following the conclusion of the NBA Playoff matchup between the   Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat. 

Paris comes into Friday’s fight with quite a bit of momentum, having beaten Guy Pucker with a third-round KO in his most recent fight.  Before that bout, Paris also had fought three-time Welterweight and Welterweight titlist Zab Judah.  Paris was upbeat in an interview when asked about what to expect from Friday’s bout.  He noted that he was definitely prepared for the fight.  “I’ve started working with my new coach, Herman Caicedo, and have been preparing for this fight ever since my last fight,” he said.  “My new coach is good. He’s teaching me to keep my hands up. The plan – what I’m going to do in the ring – that’s all coming together. I’m feeling real good about it.” 

Perez has his own momentum coming into this week’s main event.  He won three of his previous four matches including a ten-round split decision over Jose Cotto (Miguel Cotto’s brother) and a ten-round unanimous decision over Edgar Santana.  He won his most recent fight, a seven round unanimous decision win over Bernardo Guereca. 

Perez sounded focused but realistic when asked about taking on Paris.  “I know Paris is very, very tough, and I anticipate a tough fight,” Perez said.  “Those are the fights I like. I’ve said it before – you don’t become the best without fighting the best. You have to fight and beat the best. I’m working on my jab a lot now, and just want to show more variety in my shots this fight. I want to show better angles, and a better variety of right hands. I want to apply the right kind of pressure and just break him down. I’m looking forward to putting on a great performance.”

Friday’s fight between Paris and Perez will be preceded by a co-feature pitting a pair of Featherweights against each other.  Cornelius “Lightning” Lock (20 – 6 – 1, 13 KOs) and “El Negro Mexicano Lightning” Lonnie Smith (14 – 4 – 3, 10 KOs) will face off in a ten-round fight.  Lock won his most recent fight with a second-round TKO win over Damon Antoine.  Smith’s last fight ended in a seventh-round technical draw against Michael Perez.

FNF hosts Teddy Atlas and Joe Tessitore will both be on hand to call all of the evening’s action for ESPN2 HD.  They will be joined by studio host Todd Grisham with all of the latest boxing news and Highlights.  Pablo Viruega and Delvin Rodriguez will call the matches for ESPN Deportes.  Claudia Trejos and Leopoldo Gonzales will join them from the ESPN Deportes studios.  Bernardo Osuna will have live interviews and reports for ESPN2 HD and ESPN Deportes. 

Friday Night’s new edition of FNF is presented by Corona Extra and is promoted by Millennium Promotions.   

Fans can keep up with all the latest boxing news when they “Like” the FNF Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/espn.fnf.  Once fans “Like” the FNF Facebook page, they can use the LIVE Friday Night Fights Voting app on the ESPN FNF Facebook page to score each match themselves from the comfort of their homes.  And for even more on Friday Night Fights, fans can keep up with the show on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/FNF. 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.

ABC, ESPN Networks Carrying Seven Playoff Games This Weekend

Courtesy: ESPN

NBA fans have plenty of reason to be happy this weekend.  ABC and ESPN have seven games on tap this weekend.  Three of those games will air on ESPN Friday night beginning with a matchup between the Knicks and Celtics.  The Knicks will look to extend their two-game lead over Boston as the teams face off in game three of that series Friday night at 8pm.  It will air on ESPN and ESPN Radio affiliates across the country.  Fans can also catch the game online and via mobile access through WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app.  Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, and Heather Cox will have the call on ESPN.  Marc Kestecher and Dr. Jack Ramsey will call the game for ESPN Radio.  The game is scheduled to start at 8pm EST.      

The second of the night’s triple header sees the Spurs and Lakers face off in the third game of their series, too.  The Spurs are up two games to none in that best-of-seven series.  Injuries have plagued the Lakers, who are looking to get their footing again Friday night.  The game is scheduled to start at 10:30pm EST.  It will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.  Fans can also watch the game online and on mobile devices through WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app.  Mike Tirico, Hubie Brown, and Chris Broussard will have the call on ESPN.  They will be joined by Alvaro Martin and Carlos Morales for ESPN Deportes.

Also at 10:30, the Warriors will look to break the one-game time with the Nuggets when the teams head back to Oakland.  The Warriors come into Friday’s game with some momentum.  The team as a whole shot nearly sixty-five percent and made 14 of 25 three-point shots.  Four of the team’s players scored twenty points in game two Tuesday night.  The Warriors have also outrebounded the Nuggets 91 to 71 over the course of the series’ first two games.  The Nuggets are looking to regain some footing Friday night when they are hoping to get Kenneth Faried back in the lineup after having lost him in Game 1 to a sprained ankle.  Friday’s matchup will air on ESPN2 and can be viewed online and on mobile devices through WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app.  Dave Pasch, Jon Barry, and Holly Rowe will have all the action and news throughout the game.

The weekend showcase closes out with a Sunday doubleheader pitting the Knicks and Celtics against each other again for Game Four in the teams’ best-of-seven series first.  The game will air at 1pm on ABC and on ESPN Radio affiliates across the nation.  Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy and Heather Cox will be back to call the action again for the game, while Marc Kestecher and Dr. Jack Ramsay will have the call for ESPN Radio. 

The day’s second game tips off at 3:30pm EST.  The Bucks are hoping to dig out of a two game hole right now with game three tonight at 7pm.  Game four will be Sunday afternoon on ABC and ESPN Deportes.  Mike Tirico, Hubie Brown, and Chris Broussard will be on hand for ESPN.  Alvaro Martin and Carlos Morales will call all the action for ESPN Deportes.  It all starts with the Kia NBA Countdown at 12:30pm EST.  Hosts Magic Johnson, Bill Simmons, Jalen Rose, and Michael Wilbon will discuss the weekend’s previous games and their implications as the NBA post season rolls on, as well as Sunday’s games on tap.  Fans can catch the Countdown on ABC.

A full schedule of the weekend’s games is available below.

Date	Time (ET)	Game / Commentators	Networks
Fri, Apr 26	8 p.m.	New York Knicks at Boston Celtics (Gm. 3) ESPN: Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Heather Cox ESPN Radio: Marc Kestecher, Dr. Jack Ramsay	ESPN, ESPN Radio, WatchESPN
	10:30 p.m.	San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers (Gm. 3) ESPN: Mike Tirico, Hubie Brown, Chris Broussard ESPN Deportes: Alvaro Martin, Carlos Morales	ESPN, WatchESPN, ESPN Deportes
	10:30 p.m.	Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors (Gm. 3) ESPN: Dave Pasch, Jon Barry, Holly Rowe	ESPN2, WatchESPN
Sat, Apr 27	7 p.m.	Indiana Pacers at Atlanta Hawks (Gm. 3) ESPN: Mark Jones, Doris Burke, Holly Rowe	ESPN, WatchESPN
	9:30 p.m.	Oklahoma City Thunder at Houston Rockets (Gm. 3) ESPN: Dave Pasch, Jon Barry, Samantha Ponder ESPN Radio: Kevin Calabro, Chris Mullin ESPN Deportes: Alvaro Martin, Carlos Morales	ESPN, ESPN Radio, WatchESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sun, Apr 28	12:30 p.m.	KIA NBA Countdown Magic Johnson, Bill Simmons, Jalen Rose, Michael Wilbon	ABC
	1 p.m.	New York Knicks at Boston Celtics (Gm. 4) ESPN: Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Heather Cox ESPN Radio: Marc Kestecher, Dr. Jack Ramsay	ABC, ESPN Radio
	3:30 p.m.	Miami Heat at Milwaukee Bucks (Gm. 4) ESPN: Mike Tirico, Hubie Brown, Chris Broussard ESPN Deportes: Alvaro Martin, Carlos Morales	ABC, ESPN Deportes

 

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Title Fight Headlines April 19th Edition Of FNF

Courtesy: ESPN

This week’s edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights is headlined by a title fight between Interim Featherweight Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna (21 – 0, 1 NC 15 KOs, The Ring No. 10) and challenger Miguel “Michael” Zamudio (24 – 1 – 1, 13 KOs) in a twelve round main event live from the Tropicana Resort and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.  The match will air live at 10:30pm on ESPN2 HD and ESPN Deportes.  It will also be available online and through mobile media via WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app.  This is a slight change from the usual broadcast time of 9pm.  The re-broadcast will air this Saturday, April 20^th at 2:30am on ESPNNEWS. 

Fortuna won the WBA Interim Featherweight title in December 2012 in a twelve round unanimous decision win over the previously undefeated Patrick Hyland.  ESPN.com boxing writer Dan Rafael wrote of Fortuna after the bout with Hyland, “Fortuna has looked sensational in some of his fights and has scored some tremendous knockouts, including in his previous two fights – a first-round blowout of fellow prospect Yuandale Evans and a second-round stoppage of former Featherweight titlist Cristobal Cruz. Fortuna burst to a big lead over the first half of this fight, but Hyland hung in there and tried to make it a brawl. Hyland, who had never faced a quality opponent, showed toughness and a good chin but little else as Fortuna boxed circles around him.”

Zamudio makes his U.S. debut in Friday’s fight.  His most recent fight resulted in an eight-round split decision win over Gilberto Bolanos.  He discussed this week’s fight in an interview, noting his respect for Fortuna but his desire to make a big impact in his U.S. debut.  “I like the way Fortuna fights,” Zamudio said.  “I respect him, but in the ring it will be totally different. This will be the first time that I’ve been to the United States. My dream is to be champion of the world, and I want to make my dream come true. I’m going to win this fight.”

Friday’s main event will be accompanied by a pair of pre-fight warm-up matches.  The first of the night’s events will pit a pair of undefeated Welterweights against each other.  Emmanuel Lartey (15 – 0, 8 KOs) will face Jhonathan Batista (13 – 0, 6 KOs) in a six-round fight.

The evening’s second fight on the card features Jr. Middleweight “Sir” Cerresso Fort (16 – 0 – 1, 11 KOs) facing off against 2008 Olympian John “The Rock” Jackson (15 – 1, 14 KOs) in an eight-round co-feature.  Both fighters come into Friday’s match looking to extend their respective winning streaks.  Cerresso comes into this week’s fight on the heels of an eight-round unanimous decision win over Dennis Sharpe.  Jackson’s most recent fight resulted in a first-round TKO win over Ramon Pena.

Joe Tessitore is off this week.  Bernardo Osuna will fill in for him, calling the action alongside Teddy Atlas.  The pair will be live, calling all the action for ESPN2 HD.  Todd Grisham, will be in studio with all of the latest boxing news and highlights.  Alex Pombo and Delvin Rodriguez will be back once again to call all the action live for ESPN Deportes along with all the latest boxing news and highlights from studio hosts Leopoldo Gonzalez and Pablo Viruega. 

Friday’s card is presented by Corona Extra and promoted by Sampson Boxing.

To keep up with the latest news from ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, fans can follow the show on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/espn.fnf and through the official ESPN website at http://www.espn.com/boxing.  All the latest boxing news is also available on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ESPNboxing.

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Featherweights Rule The Ring Tonight On FNF

Courtesy: ESPN

This week’s edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights will feature three more fights, headlined by a ten-round Featherweight main event.  The triple fight card is presented by Corona Extra and promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions.  The night’s main event features former Junior Featherweight titlist Rico “Suavecito” Ramos (21 – 2, 11 KOs) and Oscar “Fantasma” Gonzalez (17 – 2, 3 NSF 13 KOs) live from the Little Creek Casino in Shelton, Washington.  This week’s broadcast has a slight change from its usual schedule.  It will at 11pm EST instead of its regular 9pm time.  This is due to coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race tonight on ESPN2.  It will be broadcast on ESPN2 HD and ESPN Deportes+. ESPN Deortes digital extension, along with online and mobile internet via WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app. 

Ramos won the Junior Featherweight title in 2011.  He comes into tonight’s fight, looking to rebound from a ten-round unanimous decision loss to Ronny Rios.  “Since my last fight, I feel like I’ve got to start coming back even harder than before,” he said.  “I’ve got to start showing everybody that I’m better. I can’t wait to get back into the ring and get back to my boxing style and winning ways. I know I have the skills, talent and determination to take my career back to the world championship level.” 

Gonzalez—who is promoted by former four-time title holder Erik Morales—is also looking to regain his footing after losing his most recent bout against Raul Hirales.  The loss was, like Ramos’, a ten-round unanimous decision loss.  Gonzalez shared his thoughts on tonight’s match, looking at it realistically, but also with confidence.  “I know Rico Ramos is a tough fighter,” he said.  “We know he is a former champion and considered one of the best at 122 pounds, but I am confident that I have the talent and ability to beat him.”

Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will be ringside for tonight’s bout, along with Todd Grisham and the rest of the ESPN Friday Night Fights crew.  They will be joined by ESPN Deportes’ regular Friday Night Fights broadcast crew. 

Tonight’s main event will be preceded by a pair of matches featuring Middleweights in both.  The night’s opening bout is a four-round Junior Middleweight bout between undefeated 2012 Mexican Olympic team Welterweight Oscar Molina (2 – 0, 1 KO) and Daryl Gardner (1 – 1, 1 KO).  Molina is looking to continue his family’s boxing tradition.  He is the identical twin brother of 2008 U.S. Olympian Javier Molina and younger brother of Lightweight contender Carlos Molina.

The night’s second feature fight is a battle of the Super Middleweights.  Farah “Quiet Storm” Ennis (20 – 1, 12 KOs) of Pennsylvania face off against Francisco “Panchito” Sierra (25 – 7 – 1, 22 KOs) of Mexico in an eight-round fight.  Ennis looks to keep adding numbers to his “W” column tonight.  He won his most recent fight in a ten-round unanimous decision win over Richard Pierson.  Sierra on the other hand, is looking to rebound after a ten-round majority decision loss to Marco Antonio Periban in his most recent fight.

Fans can score each of the fights themselves and keep up with all the latest news from ESPN’s Friday Night Fights right from the show’s official Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/espn.fnf.  Fans can score the fights with the “Live Friday Night Fights Facebook Voting app.”  Fans can also keep up with all the latest from ESPN’s Friday Night Fights on Twitter at @ESPNFNF and @ESPNBoxeo. 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.

ESPN Announces NFL Preseason Schedule

Courtesy: ESPN

The National Football League and ESPN have announced their preseason schedules for the 2013-2014 season.  Four of the NFL’s preseason games will be run on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.  It all kicks off Thursday, August 8^th at 8pm.  Matt Ryan and the NFC South Champion Atlanta Falcons will host Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals.  The first of the network’s actual Monday night games will air Monday, August 19^th at 8pm.  That night will see the Steelers on the road against the NFC East Champion Washington Redskins.  The Chargers and Bears will go toe-to-toe Thursday, August 15^th at 8pm.  This will be an interesting game as both teams will be headed by new coaches.  The network’s preseason schedule wraps with the defending NFL Champion Ravens taking on the Carolina Panthers who look to rebound this season after a very rough 2012-2013 season.

All four games will be called by Mike Trico and Jon Gruden.  They will be joined by sideline reporter Lisa Salters.  The games all lead up to ESPN’s MNF regular season opener Monday, September 9^th.  All four of the network’s preseason games will be preceded by a one hour Monday Night Countdown pre-game show. 

ESPN Deportes will offer its own production of MNF preseason and regular season games.  All games will also be available online and on mobile internet via WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app.

To keep up with all the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.

FNF Features Pair Of Heavyweights This Week

Courtesy: ESPN

This week’s edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights features a pair of undefeated fighters.  In the evening’s main event, undefeated Lightweight Jonathan “Inca Peruano” Maicelo (16 – 0, 10 KOs) faces a tough challenge as he goes toe-to-toe with Rustam “The Mongoose” Nugaev (22 – 6, 12 KOs) in a 10-round matchup.  The bout will be aired live from the Chumash Resort Casino in Santa Ynez, California.  The fight will air at 9 EST/8 CT on ESPN2 HD, ESPN Deportes and online and via mobile internet on Watch ESPN and the WatchESPN app.  ESPNNEWS will re-air the fight this Sunday, April 6^th at 5am.  ESPN Deportes will also re-air the fight.  It will have the re-broadcast at 6:30pm that same day.

This week’s fight marks Maicelo’s American television debut.  He comes into Friday’s fight fresh from a 2^nd round TKO victory over Tyler Ziolowski.  The native Peruvian has already appeared in TV commercials in his home country, has his own clothing line, and can even boast his home nation’s president as one of his many fans.  Maicelo talked about his upcoming debut, expressing his desire to show boxing fans just what he is made of.  “Come April 5^th, the people of the United States are going to see a technical boxer, a boxer with a lot of drive, a lot of hunger and a boxer they’re going to want to see again,” he said.  “I will not disappoint and I’ll give the fans what they want, which is action.”

On the other side of the ring, Maicelo’s opponent, Rustam Nugaev comes into Friday’s fight on the heels of an eight-round majority decision win over Shavkat Madaminov.

Before the main feature, audiences will be treated to a pre-fight show featuring another undefeated fighter, Jorge “Machito” Maysonet, Jr. (11 – 0, 10 KOs).  Maysonet will face off against Gabriel “The Ghost” Tolmajyan (12 – 2 – 1, 3 KOs).  Maysonet’s most recent match ended in a second round KO win over Pedro Salcedo.  Tolmajyan picked up a victory in his most recent match against Juan Sandoval.  Tolmajyan’s victory came in the form of a six-round unanimous decision.

Friday’s card is a special show as it features not two matches, but three.  This week, fans will be treated to a special four-round opening fight between Heavyweight bout between Avery Gibson (1 – 4 – 2 0 KOs) and John Sarellano.  The fight marks the professional debut for Sarellano. 

The whole Friday Night Fights crew—Teddy Atlas, Joe Tessitore, etc.—will be on hand for all the action, news and more.  To keep up with all the latest news from ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, fans can “Like” its official Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/espn.fnf, where they can also score the fights live themselves courtesy of the “Live Friday Night Fights” Facebook voting app.  Fans can also follow all the latest news and more from Friday Night Fights on Twitter at @ESPNFNF.  Spanish speaking audiences can also follow the show on Twitter at @ESPNBoxeo.

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news in the Phil’s Picks blog at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.

ESPN Friday Night Fights Announces March 29th Card

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN’s Friday Night Fights rolls on this week with two more tough matchups.  This week’s show is headlined by a fight between Middleweight contender Brian “The Warrior” Vera (22-6, 13 Kos) and “Donatas Bondas” Donatas Bondorovas (17-3-1, 6 KOs).  The 10-round bout will be broadcast live from Turning Stone Casino in Verona, N.Y. at 9pm EST.  This week’s show will be a special broadcast on ESPN (instead of its usual broadcast home on ESPN2).  This week’s show will also be broadcast on ESPN Deportes and will be available on WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app online and via various mobile platforms.

Vera—who hails from Austin, TX—was a participant on the third season of ESPN’s The Contender.  He comes into Friday night’s fight on a two win streak.  Those wins came against former Junior Middleweight titlists Sergio Mora and Sergiy Dzinzuruk.  When asked how he felt about this week’s show, Vera was confident in his response.  “I’ve seen a little bit of Bondorovas,” he said.  “I know he’s a tough kid.  I don’t put too much into him, but we’re getting ready for him just like we get ready for everybody.  I’ve got to make sure he doesn’t go in there and do what I did to some other people.”

Bondorovas is on a roll, too.  He comes into this week’s fight also on a two win streak.  Both wins were second round TKOs against David Thomas.

Before Vera and Bondorovas take to the squared circle, undefeated light heavyweight  Jackson “El Demolidor” Junior (14-0, 12 KOs) faces off against Humberto “El Don” Savinge (10-1, 7 KOs) in a 10-round fight.  Junior comes into Friday night’s match with a lot of momentum having defeated U.S. Olympian Dante Craig in his last fight.  Savigne has his own edge, as he comes in to this week’s fight off of a 10-round unanimous decision win over Dhafir Smith.

Teddy Atlas will be on hand at ringside as always this week.  He will be re-joined by his regular broadcast co-host, Joe Tessitore.  Tessitore was out last week.  Todd Grisham will be in studio, delivering all of the latest boxing news and highlights.  Alex Pombo and Delvin Rodriguez will call the fights for ESPN Deportes.  They will be joined by Leopoldo Gonzales and Pablo Viruega from in-studio.  Bernardo Osuna will have live interviews and reports for ESPN and ESPN Deportes.  This week’s fights are being promoted by Banner Promotions and presented by Corona Extra.

To get all the latest news and more from ESPN’s Friday Night Fights go online to the Friday Night Fights Facebook page and “Like” it at http://www.facebook.com/espn.fnf or the official Friday Night Fights website, http://www.espn.com/boxing.

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.

George, Lopez Headline FNF This Week

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN’s Friday Night Fights returns with another new card this week.  This Friday, March 22^nd features Junior Middleweight title challenger David “The Destroyer” Lopez taking on Don “Da Bomb” George in a 10-round main event.  The men will face off live from the UIC Center at 10pm EST on ESPN HD, ESPN Deportes, and online at WatchESPN.com.  It will also be available on smart phones and tablets through the WatchESPN app.

George (24 – 3 – 1, 21 KOs)  comes into Friday night’s fight on the heels of a first round knockout victory over James Cook in his most recent fight.  Peter George, Don George’s father told reporters that his son is working hard, preparing for this week’s fight and is taking his opponent very seriously.  “Don’s a warrior,” he said.  “He’s really preparing hard for this fight and not cutting any corners.  He’s training harder than I’ve ever seen him.  We know we’ve got a tough guy in front of us and I think he’ll perform impressively on the 22^nd.  I think he’s going to do very well.”

Lopez (41 – 13, 25 KOs) comes into Friday’s fight fresh off of a unanimous 10-round decision win over Julio Garcia.  He also brings some important experience into the match having also fought Junior Middleweight titlist Austin Trout.  In speaking to reporters, Lopez noted that he knew this Friday’s fight would be a tough one, but that he was also quite confident in his own abilities.  “Donovan George is a good fighter,” he said.  “I cannot take praise away from him.  I know I’m going to be fighting the crowd that night, as well as George, but George is also going to have a problem—he’s never faced anybody like me.  The experience that I’m going to bring is going to make it a very difficult night for him.  This fight is going to put me back on track toward my ultimate goal, which is to become world champion.”

Friday’s main event will be accompanied by a pre-main event fight between former Welterweight titlist Kermit Cintron (33 – 5 – 1, 28 KOs) and Adrian “El Tigre” Granados (9 – 1 – 1 5 KOs).  The pair will face off in a 10-round fight that will mean a lot for both men.  Cintron is looking to get back in the “W” column after a fifth round TKO loss to Junior Middleweight titlist Saul Alvarez.  Granados on the other hand, is looking to add to his current win streak with a fourth straight win.  Granados comes into Friday’s fight fresh off of a fifth round TKO win over Antonio Canas.

This week’s broadcast will see a slit change as Bernardo Osuna will be filling in ringside for Joe Tessitore.  Osuna will be joined by Teddy Atlas for the night’s call on ESPN2 HD.  Todd Grisham will be in studio with all of the latest boxing news and highlights.  Alex Pombo and Delvin Rodriguez will call all the action ringside for ESPN Deportes.  They will be joined by Leopoldo Gonzalez and Pablo Viruega in studio for ESPN Deportes.

To follow all the latest news on this week’s matchup and more, follow Friday Night Fights online via Twitter at @ESPNFNF and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/espn.fnf.  Fans can also follow all the latest from Friday Night Fights online at http://www.espn.com/boxing.  Spanish speaking audiences can also follow Friday Night Fights online via Twitter at @ESPNBoxeo.  Fans can even score the fights themselves round-by-round with the “Live Friday Night Fights” Facebook voting app. 

This Friday’s edition of Friday Night Fights is presented by Corona Extra and is promoted by Warriors Boxing.

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always get the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.

ESPN FC Offering Extensive Coverage Of Men’s FIFA World Cup Qualifying Matches

Courtesy: ESPN/ESPNFC

The U.S. Men’s National Team will attempt to qualify for the FIFA World Cup beginning this Friday, March 22^nd, and ESPN will have coverage of the game both on television and online at WatchESPN.  The game is the first of two qualifying matches for the U.S. Men’s National Team.  It will pit the Men’s team against Costa Rica.  The men’s team will also face Mexico next Tuesday, March 26^th.  That match will take place in Mexico City.  That match will be aired live at 9:30pm EST on ESPN and online via WatchESPN.

The team’s match against Mexico will be preceded by a one-hour pre-game show that will be broadcast live from Mexico City.  The show marks the very first time that ESPN will air a pre-game show before a World Cup qualifying match.  The game is the most anticipated in the team’s quadrennial FIFA World Cup qualification process.   

Commentator Ian Darke will provide play-by-play for the team’s game this Friday against Costa Rica.  He will be joined by analyst Taylor Twellman and sideline reporter Monica Gonzalez.  Bob Ley will be on hand in studio for the broadcast.  He will be joined by analysts Kasey Keller and Alexi Lalas.  Viewers will get a preview of the game on SportsCenter throughout the day.  It will also have post-game results and highlights on the overnight broadcast of SportsCenter at 1am EST/10 PST.  The game will be broadcast live at 10pm EST.  ESPN’s online soccer affiliate will also offer full coverage of the game.  Reporter Roger Bennett will keep the site updated with the latest video reports, match previews, and previews.  He will also offer a profile of sorts of the U.S. team’s coach, Jurgen Klinsmann in the feature, “Is U.S. Men’s National Team Coach Jurgen Klinsmann Getting Things Right?”  Along with this extensive coverage, soccer fans will even get the chance to chat live at the ESPN FC Boot Room during the game.

The second of the U.S. Men’s national matches will take place Tuesday, March 26^th at 9:30pm.  Ian Darke will be on hand to cover this game as will Taylor Twellman.  Audiences will get extensive coverage yet again both on air and online.  This includes audiences watching ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio and ESPNDeportes.com. 

To get full information on coverage of the team’s matches, audiences can go online to http://www.espnfc.com and http://www.facebook.com/ESPNFC. 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.