HBO Boxing visits Omaha, Neb. for the second time in less than six months to present an all-action doubleheader of world title bouts when HBO Boxing After Dark Terence Crawford vs. Raymundo Beltran and Evgeny Gradovich vs. Jayson Velez is seen this Saturday, Novemebr 29th at 10 pm from CenturyLink Center.
Last June in Omaha, lightweight titleholder Terence Crawford (24-0, 17 KOs) made his long-awaited hometown debut on HBO, scoring a spectacular comeback KO victory over the previously undefeated Cuban star Yuriorkis Gamboa. The 27-year-old has fast-tracked through the 135-pound division, scoring three victories on HBO last year and adding a world title belt in March 2013.
Ray Beltran (29-6-1, 17 KOs) of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico is a formidable opponent on a five-fight winning streak. No stranger to the spotlight, the 33-year-old fought on the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley Jr. undercard last April, winning a 12-round unanimous decision over Arash Usmanee.
The night from Omaha opens with two undefeated fighters hoping to become breakout stars when Evgeny Gradovich (19-0, 9 KOs) of Russia and Jayson Velez (22-0, 16 KOs) of Puerto Rico clash in a 12-round featherweight title fight. Making his fourth title defense, the 28-year-old Gradovich has shown a willingness to meet anyone, anywhere, having fought three times in Macau, China. Like Gradovich, the 26-year-old Velez has a fan-friendly style that should make for a compelling encounter.
Also featured as part of the HBO Boxing telecast will be their first replay of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Chris Algieri fight. If you didn’t see the pay-per-view, then this is your chance to see the Filipino in action once again.
