Hitz Boxing and Banner Promotions have teamed up to proudly present an action-packed night of world-class professional boxing on Friday, August 19, in the luxurious “Venue” in the Horseshoe Casino, in Hammond, Indiana, that will also be televised live on ESPN Friday Night Fights.
Featured in a televised 10-round lightweight bout will be Chicago’s former WBC Lightweight Champion David Diaz (36-3-1, 17 KOs) taking on Philadelphia’s Henry “Hank” Lundy (20-1-1 10 KOs).
And in another televised battle will be the highly anticipated 12-round rematch between Ekaterinburg, Russia’s Ruslan Provodnikov (19-1, 13 KOs) and Lake Elsinore, California’s Mauricio Herrera (18-1, 7 KOs).
35-year-old southpaw Diaz (36-3-1, 17 KOs) won the world championship in 2006 against Jose Armando Santa Cruz and successfully defended against all-time-great Erik Morales via unanimous decision before falling short in a valiant stand against pound-for-pound superstar Manny Pacquiao in an exciting high-profile showdown in 2008. Diaz also has victories over former world champions Jesus Chavez and Ener Julio.
He will not have an easy night against the highly skilled 27-year old Lundy, whose only loss came by shock KO to John Molina in a fight he was winning handily to the point of the finishing blow. Lundy is the current NABF Lightweight Champion and has held the NABO title as well. Along the way, he’s beaten an impressive list of fellow prospects.
Both men will be looking to use the other as a stepping stone to the top of the division. For Lundy, the job will be to prove he belongs among the elite; for Diaz the job will be to prove he still belongs there.
Provodnikov and Herrera met in the first main event of the first ESPN “Friday Night Fights” of this year and in a brutal seesaw battle, Herrera pulled of a candidate for upset of the year, winning a unanimous decision.
A barn-burning fight that could have gone either way, both warriors took turns mashing each other’s faces until the final bell that left the exhausted crowd on its feet in delirious fistic ecstasy.
Now they will do it again.
Since the January showdown, Provodnikov has notched stoppage victories over Vyacheslav Yakovenko and then-undefeated Ivan Popoca, back on ESPN. Herrera has scored decision victories over Cristian Favela and fellow prospect Mike Dallas Jr.
Bobby Hitz, Founder of Hitz Boxing, says he’s pleased to be able to bring such a significant and exciting event to his home base at the Horseshoe.
“We’ve had many fantastic nights of boxing at the Horseshoe and this one is shaping up to be the best one yet. Both of these fights are main event quality and will surely give the fans in attendance and viewers an evening of non-stop action.”
Tickets for Diaz vs. Lundy and Provodnikov vs. Herrera, as well as an undercard jam-packed with stars of today and tomorrow from Chicago and around the world, are available at www.fanfueled.com or www.thevenue-chicago.com and are priced at $90 ringside, $40 Orchestra (main level), $30 Mezzanine (balcony). The Horseshoe Casino is located at 777 Casino Center Drive in Hammond, Indiana.
