Cayo, Taylor Face Off In Tonight’s FNF Main Event

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN’s Friday Night Fights returns tonight with another new episode.  Tonight’s edition of Friday Night Fights features for its main event, former Junior Welterweight title contender Victor “Mermelada” Cayo (31 – 3, 21 KOs) taking on Emanuel “Tranzforma” Taylor (16 -1, 11 KOs) in a 10-round match live from the Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, N.J.  The match will air live on ESPN2 HD at 9pm EST.  It will simulcast for Spanish speaking audiences on ESPN Deportes+, the new digital extension of ESPN Deportes.  The fight will air tape delayed Sunday, March 10^th at 3am.

This fight is set to be a big one as both combatants are relatively well matched.  Cayo, who hails from the Dominican Republic, won his last four fights.  Three of those four were won by knockout.  The last of his four recent victories was a unanimous 10-round decision over Vladimir Baez.  Along with that experience, Cayo also comes into tonight’s match with fights against former and current titlists, Nate Campbell, Marcos Maidana, Julio Diaz, and Lamont Peterson.

Taylor, from Maryland, comes into tonight’s match with one of his best wins so far, a TKO win over Raymond Serrano. 

Before tonight’s main event, audiences will get to see a matchup between undefeated Magomed “Mago” Abdusalamov (16 – 0, 16 KOs) and fellow Heavyweight Victor Bisbal (21 – 1, 15 KOs).  Adbusalamov comes into tonight’s match fresh off the heels of a second round TKO win over Jameel McCline.  Bisbal, on the other hand, is looking for his seventeenth straight win after a sixth-round TKO win over Alex Gonzalez in his most recent match.

ESPN’s Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will be on hand once again to call all the action for ESPN2 HD.  Studio host Todd Grisham will have all of the latest boxing news and highlights.  Alex Pombo and Delvin Rodriguez will have the call for ESPN Deportes.  They will be joined by studio hosts Leopoldo Gonzalez and Pablo Viruega.  Bernardo Osuna will have live reports and interviews for both ESPN2 HD and ESPN Deportes.  Fans can catch all the action live online on their smart phones and tablets through WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app. 

Tonight’s edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights is presented by Corona Extra and promoted by Sampson 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 https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

IBF Title Fight Headlines March 1st Edition of ESPN’s FNF

Courtesy: ESPN

This Friday night’s edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights has a big as its main feature.  Friday’s main event features a title fight between Featherweight titlist Billy “The Kid” Dib (35 – 1, 1 NC, 21 KOs) and undefeated challenger Evgeny “The Mexican Russian” Gradovich (15 – 0, 8 KOs) in a 12-round bout.  Dib is named by The Ring magazine as its number 4 Featherweight and by ESPN.com as its number 8 Featherweight).  The match will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT.  It will be broadcast live at 9pm EST on ESPN 2 HD and online via WatchESPN.com.  Audiences with tablets and smart phones can watch it on their mobile devices with the WatchESPN app.  Spanish speaking fans can also watch the fight on ESPN Deportes+.  ESPN Deportes+ is the new digital extension of ESPN Deportes.  It will air tape delayed on ESPN Deportes Saturday morning at 3am EST. 

Friday’s fight is co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and SMS Promotions, which are owned by multiplatinum recording artist and entrepreneur 50 Cent.  50 will be in studio at ESPN’s headquarters today for an ESPN “Car Wash” to discuss tomorrow night’s main event on ESPN TV and radio shows.  He will also perform one of his songs tomorrow night at the Foxwoods before the main event and will serve as “sparring partner” to ESPN Friday Night Fights co-host Teddy Atlas for Friday’s edition of Fight Plan.

Dib comes into tomorrow night’s fight fresh off of a 10-round unanimous decision in a non-title fight against Juan Rodriguez.  That match was preceded by a successful title defense against Eduardo Escobedo.  Dib’s win over Escobedo—a sixth round TKO–was his second successful title defense.  When asked about the upcoming match, Dib was upbeat.  “I am really excited to be headlining against the “Mexican Russian,” he said.  “It’s going to be an all-out punch up.  The fans can definitely expect to see a great fight on March 1^st.”

Gradovich, a Russian native, also comes into tomorrow night’s fight fresh off the heels of his own decisive victory.  He defeated William Villanueva with a TKO in the seventh round of the pair’s fight.  Gradovich is trained by 2012 Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) “Trainer of the Year” Robert Garcia.  When asked about Friday’s fight, Gradovich sounded especially focused.  “Becoming a world champion has been a life-long dream of mine, and on March 1^st, I will finally have that chance,” he said.  “This is going to be a very special night for me, as not only am I fighting for my first world title, but the entire country will have the opportunity to watch it.  I am already in great shape and I am going to show the world what I am capable of come March 1^st.”

All eyes will be on the matchup between these two athletes Friday night.  Before the bout though, audiences will be treated to a fight between Junior Middleweight titlist Willie “The Great” Nelson (19 – 1 – 1, 11KOs) and former Junior Middleweight titlist Michael Medina (26 -3 – 2, 19 KOs).  The pair will face off in a 10-round fight prior to the night’s main event.  Nelson comes into tomorrow’s fight on the heels of a 10-round unanimous decision win over previously undefeated 2008 Olympian Josh Jackson.  Medina also comes into tomorrow’s fight with some momentum.  He was also victorious in his previous match with an 8-round unanimous decision win over James Winchester.

Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will be at ringside to call all of the action for ESPN 2 HD.  Studio host Todd Grisham will also be on site with all of the latest boxing news and highlights.  Alex Pombo and Delvin Rodriguez will call the fights for ESPN Deportes along with Leopoldo Gonzalez and Pablo Viruega in studio.  Bernardo Osuna will have interviews and reports for ESPN 2 HD and ESPN Deportes. 

ESPN’s Friday Night Fights is presented each week by Corona Extra.  Fans of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights can keep up with all of the latest news and more from the show online at http://www.facebook.com/espn.fnf and on Twitter at @ESPNFNF and @ESPNBoxeo.  Fans can also score the fights themselves from home thanks to the “Live Friday Night Fights” voting app on Facebook.  The app allows users to score the fight live round-by-round.   

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 https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

ESPN Releases Card For Feb. 22nd Edition Of FNF

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN’s Friday Night Fights is back again tomorrow night, February 22^nd with another new edition.  Tomorrow night’s new edition is anchored by a 12-round IBF title fight between Junior Welterweight titlist Lamont Peterson (30 -1 – 1, 15 KOs) and former Junior Welterweight titlist Kendall “Rated R” Holt (28 – 5, 16 KOs).  It will air live from the nation’s capitol at 9pm EST on ESPN2 HD and will also be available online through WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app on smart phones and tablets.  For Hispanic fans, it will also air live on ESPN Deportes+, the new digital extension of ESPN Deportes.  It will run tape delayed on ESPN Deportes at 10:30pm EST.  The fight is promoted by Gary Shaw Productions.

Peterson is the hometown favorite for tomorrow night’s fight.  He won the IBF Junior Welterweight title from Amir Khan in the pair’s previous 12-round matchup in a split-decision.  Along with Khan, Peterson also comes into Friday’s fight with wins under his belt against Victor Ortiz, and Timothy Bradley, Jr.  Peterson explained his strategy when asked about the upcoming match.  “The game plan against Holt is to stay busy,” he said.  “He really doesn’t try to fight the whole three minutes of each round.  He kind of picks and chooses when he fights, so we just plan to keep him working and wear him down.”

On the other side of the matchup is Holt.  Holt comes into Friday’s matchup fresh off the heels of a second-round TKO over Tim Coleman.  Holt had a different view of how to handle Friday’s matchup, opting to let the pressure on Peterson to play to his aid.  “Lamont’s a good fighter,” he said.  “One big difference in this fight is that none of the pressure is on me – I’m not fighting at home, it’s not my championship title.  All the pressure’s on him and that pressure builds up in a person’s mind.  He may come out there and try to impress the crowd and if he gets a little overanxious or overzealous, it could be an early night for him.”

Before the main event, the show kicks off with an eight-round co-feature that pits Junior Featherweights Roman Morales (14 – 0, 7 KOs) and Jesus Hernandez (10 – 0 – 3, 2 KOs) against one another.  Morales comes into tomorrow night’s fight on the heels of a fifth-round KO win over Jose Iniguez while Hernandez is looking to redeem himself after his most recent match in which he faced Edwin Solis ended in a drawn 

Friday’s show will be anchored on site by Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas.  The pair will be on hand ringside to call all of the action for ESPN2 HD.  Studio host Todd Grisham will also be on site with all of the latest boxing news and highlights.  ESPN .com boxing writer Dan Rafael will also be on hand to provide analysis for the fights.  Alex Pombo and Delvin Rodriguez will call the match for ESPN Deportes with Leopoldo Gonzalez and Pablo Viruega in studio.  Bernardo Osuna (@osunaespn) will have live interviews and reports for both ESPN2 HD and ESPN Deportes.  The whole show is presented by Corona Extra.

To get all the latest news on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, fans can go follow the show on Twitter at @ESPNFNF and @ESPNBoxeo or like its official Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/espn.fnf.  Fans can score the fights themselves at home round-by-round with the Facebook Voting App on the Friday Night Fights Facebook page. 

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

Friday Night Fights Features Junior Middleweights In Tomorrow’s Main Matchup

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN’s Friday Night Fights returns tomorrow night.  Tomorrow’s edition is anchored by a battle of Junior Middleweights.  To be more exact, it features undefeated Junior Middleweight George “Comanche Boy” Tahdooanippah (31-0-1, 23 KOs) facing off against former Junior Middleweight and Welterweight title challenger Delvin Rodriguez (26-6-3, 14 KOs) in the evening’s 10-round main event.  The show will broadcast live from Uncasville, Connecticut tomorrow night at 9pm EST on ESPN2 HD.  It will also be available on WatchESPN and on tablets and smart phones via ESPN’s WatchESPN app.  It will run tape delayed on ESPN Deportes at 10:30pm.

Friday’s main event will be preceded by a 10-round co-feature pitting Lightweights Chris “Hurricane” Howard (14-2-1) and “The Mongolian Mongoose” Bayan Jargal (17-3-3, 10 KOs) against one another.  Jargal comes into Friday’s match off of a first-round TKO win against former featherweight titlist Erik Aiken.  On the other side, Howard is looking for redemption after losing in a 10-round split decision to Marc Salser. 

Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will call the matches live from ringside at the Mohegan Sun Arena.  Studio host Todd Grisham will be on hand with all of the latest boxing news.  He will also have an interview with Kendall Holt (28-5, 16 KOs).  Grisham will be discussing the upcoming match against Junior Welterweight titlist Lamont Peterson (30-1-1, 15 KOs) with Holt.  That match takes place next Friday, February22nd on the next edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.  Alex Pombo and Bernardo Osuna will also be on hand for ESPN Deportes.  They will be joined by Leopoldo Gonzalez and Pablo Viruega in studio.  Osuna will also provide live interviews and reports for both ESPN and ESPN Deportes. 

ESPN offers many ways to keep up with all of the latest from Friday Night Fights.  Fans can follow it on Twitter at @ESPNFNF and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/espn.fnf.  Hispanic fans can follow Friday Night Fights on Twitter at @ESPNBoxeo.  Fans can even score the fight themselves round-by-round online via the Friday Night Fights Facebook voting app on the Friday Night Fights Facebook page. 

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 https://philspicks.wordpress.com.