Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Spike TV returns with a doubleheader on Friday, April 24 at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago as Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell (27-0-1, 22 KOs) faces off against challenger Badou Jack “The Ripper” (18-1, 12 KOs) in super middleweight action.
The first fight of the evening will see Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs (28-1, 25 KOs) battling it out with exciting veteran Caleb “Golden” Truax (25-1-2, 15 KOs) in a middleweight bout.
The televised action on Spike TV begins at 9 p.m. ET.
“I’m extremely excited to be fighting on Spike TV and I plan on being the guy everyone is talking about when the night is over,” said Dirrell. “This is a great platform for me and I’m more motivated than ever to put on a show for the fans. Badou Jack is a tough opponent but I’m going to make it a very bad night for him.”
“This is a great opportunity for me and I am not going to let it slip through my fingers,” said Jack. “I know Anthony Dirrell is a very skilled fighter but he’s about to feel a different kind of power when I hit him. I’m looking forward to becoming the super middleweight champion on April 24th.””
“‘The Miracle Man’ is back! I’m excited about this fight and I know it’s going to be a great night for the fans and I expect to put on a show,” said Jacobs. “Everyone in Chicago and everyone watching on Spike TV is going to be in for a treat.”
“I’m so thrilled to be able to compete in such a big fight on such a tremendous stage,” said Truax. “Jacobs is a good fighter and I respect him, but he’s never been in the ring with someone like me. I will make him pay if he underestimates me.”
“We’re excited to be bringing Premier Boxing Champions back to Spike TV and to the UIC Pavilion in Chicago for the first time,” said Leon Margules, President of Warriors Boxing, co-promoter of the event with Mayweather Promotions. “Chicago has a great fight history and with two championship fights, April 24 will be another great chapter in that history.”
“We’re excited to be co-promoting this great night of boxing,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “”Badou Jack is a hard-working and motivated fighter who has been putting in the work to earn this world title shot. I expect a night of fireworks and on April 24th. Mayweather Promotions will have another champion.”
“We are thrilled to deliver to our viewers a compelling, action-packed event showcasing fighters who have beaten world class opponents in the ring and overwhelming obstacles outside of it to get to boxing’s big stage,” said Jon Slusser, Senior Vice President, Sports, Spike TV.
Dirrell has seen more adversity than most throughout his career as his time in boxing has been seriously jeopardized twice. First in December 2006 when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma and was sidelined for 20 months and again in May 2012 when he broke his lower left leg and left wrist in a motorcycle accident. The Flint, Michigan-native never let that keep him down however as he kept winning fights and working his way up the professional ranks. In 2014 he won his first championship, when he defeated Sakio Bika in a rematch of their 2013 draw. Now the 30-year-old looks to put on another show on April 24 in Chicago.
The 31-year-old Jack has been on course for a world title shot since signing with Mayweather Promotions in 2013. The hard-hitting fighter out of Las Vegas by way of Stockholm, Sweden, lost for the first time in 2014 but rebounded in his next bout with a 10-round unanimous decision victory over Jason Escalera in August and continued to impress in December when he stopped Francisco Sierra in the sixth-round. Now, the 2008 Gambian Olympian will get a shot on the big stage when he takes on Dirrell on April 24.
Another inspirational figure that will be entering the ring, Brooklyn’s Jacobs completed his road from cancer survivor to champion last August when he defeated Jarrod Fletcher for his middleweight title. In 2011, he was in pursuit of a championship when cancer threatened his life and kept him out of the ring for 19 months. But when he returned, he picked up where he left off, having not lost since. Now, he looks to build on his momentum against a tough opponent on April 24.
Born in Osseo, Minnesota, Truax is an experienced veteran who has fought professionally since 2007. Fighting mostly in his home state, the 31-year-old won his first 14 fights before his first blemish on his record, a draw with Phil Williams in 2010. Truax would win four more fights, including a victory over Williams that earned him a 2012 fight with Jermain Taylor. Truax dropped a tough decision to Taylor but has gone undefeated in eight fights since. Now, he enters the biggest fight of his career on April 24 in Chicago.
Tickets for the event are priced from $31-$151. Call Ticketmaster or UIC Pavilion Box Office or visit www.ticketmaster.com.
