Marysol Castro has joined ESPN as host of Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN and will make her debut when the series premieres Saturday, July 11. Castro will be on site for all PBC on ESPN fights.
“Marysol has an energetic presence and is intelligent and versatile,” said ESPN senior coordinating producer Matt Sandulli. “Adding a professional with her vast experience will make our presentation even more valuable to the viewers.”
Castro said, “It is a privilege to work for the worldwide leader in sports, ESPN. I’m extremely excited to be a part of such an energetic, smart and fun team. My years at network news, my love of sports and experience as an athlete have prepared me for this next chapter in my professional life. I look forward to bringing boxing back to the forefront of sports and since I never did get to play for the Yankees, covering Little League is the next best thing.”
Castro most recently worked as a news anchor at WPIX in New York. Prior to that, she had on-air roles on two different national morning shows—“The Early Show” on CBS and ABC’s Good Morning America.
PBC on ESPN Commentators:
Castro joins an all-star PBC on ESPN commentator roster. As previously announced, blow-by-blow commentator Joe Tessitore and analyst Teddy Atlas—both recipients of the prestigious Sam Taub Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism presented by the Boxing Writers Association of America —will call PBC on ESPN fights ringside.
“There is no more credible boxing team in the business than Joe and Teddy,” said Sandulli. “They have provided viewers with insightful and entertaining commentary for years on Friday Night Fights and now they get to do it with higher profile fights.”
Additionally, ESPN’s Todd Grisham and Bernardo Osuna will serve as PBC on ESPN reporters. Both provided commentary for Friday Night Fights—Grisham as studio host and Osuna as reporter. Hall-of-Fame boxing writer and ESPN boxing contributor Nigel Collins will provide social media content, insight and analysis.
ESPN Deportes Commentators:
ESPN Deportes commentators Pablo Viruega and Delvin Rodríguez will call PBC on ESPN fights as part of the network’s Noche de Combates series, while Leopoldo González and Claudia Trejos will co-host the show. Bilingual reporter Osuna will also contribute, providing live reports and interviews. Additionally, Hall-of-Fame boxing referee and analyst Joe Cortez will join the show on a regular basis.
The first live PBC on ESPN telecast, from the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla., will feature a star-studded 12-round welterweight matchup between undefeated Keith “One Time” Thurman (25-0, 21 KOs) and Luis Collazo (36-6, 19 KOs). The opening fight will showcase a 10-round junior middleweight matchup between undefeated Tony Harrison (21-0, 18 KOs) and Willie Nelson (23-2-1, 13 KOs). Read more.
