Premier Boxing Champions opened its third season with an explosive collision between newly-crowned WBC 126-pound champion Leo Santa Cruz and Ireland’s Carl Frampton, and a devastatingly impressive performance by Mikey Garcia, who scored a devastating third round knockout against Dejan Zlaticanin to win the WBC 135-pound world title this past Saturday night in Las Vegas.
The PBC series rolls on with a fantastic slate of shows that will feature matches in the hottest divisions in boxing – featherweight, welterweight, junior middleweight, and heavyweight.
Over the next five weeks the PBC series will present five shows in February, including the much-anticipated return of heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, who is coming off surgery on his right arm and hand. Wilder will defend his title February 25 against undefeated heavyweight Gerald Washington in Birmingham, Alabama on FOX in primetime.
Also, on March 4, the highly anticipated welterweight championship unification bout between Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman tops a blockbuster card on “SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS presented by Premier Boxing Champions” in primetime.
“We believe we are able to give boxing fans what they want – the best in boxing in the most competitive divisions,” said Tim Smith, Vice President of Communications for Haymon Boxing. “We continue to bring boxing back to the masses with fights on multiple networks, in the best divisions.”
On February 2, in a 3-hour PBC show on FS1 and FOX Deportes from Tunica, Miss, Sammy Vasquez, Jr., former U.S. Army veteran and welterweight contender, will meet former welterweight champion Luis Collazo in a 10-round crossroads match. Yordenis Ugas takes on Levan Ghavamichava in a 10-round welterweight match, and undefeated prospects, Ryan “Cowboy” Carl and Eddie Ramirez clash. Plus, hot Mexican prospect Jose Borrego will make his U.S. television debut.
On February 10, Robert Easter will defend his 135-pound IBF world title in a 12-round match in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio against Luis Cruz on Bounce TV. Rau’shee Warren, who is from Cincinnati, Ohio, will defend his bantamweight title against Zhanat Zhakiyanov in the co-feature. Terrell Gausha, a 2012 Olympian and undefeated junior middleweight, will also be in action.
Toe-to-Toe Tuesdays returns to FS1 on Feb. 21 with Miguel Flores taking on Dat Nguyen. Also, undefeated prospects Brandon Figueroa and Darwin Price will be showcased in separate bouts.
On February 25, on FOX and FOX Deportes, heavyweights will take center stage as Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder defends his WBC world title against Gerald “El Gallo Negro” Washington from Birmingham, Ala., in primetime. In what promises to be an explosive lead-in, Dominic Breazeale clashes with undefeated Polish heavyweight contender Izu Ugonoh while Tony Harrison and Jarrett Hurd collide in a 12-round match that serves as an IBF 154-pound title elimination.
Also on February 25, immediately following PBC on FOX, turn to FS1 to see hard-hitting super middleweight Caleb Plant and explosive featherweight knockout artist Jorge Lara featured in separate matches.
March will be just as busy with a slate of PBC cards on several networks highlighted by the scintillating welterweight showdown of Garcia vs. Thurman on March 4 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The fight will be the first step toward unifying titles in the sizzling welterweight division, with these two top 147-pound champions squaring off in a 12-round match.
Look for additional PBC shows in March to be announced shortly.
There are other fantastic cards for boxing fans, including four-time world champion Adrien Broner who will take on Adrian Granados in a 140-pound bout in Broner’s hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio on SHOWTIME on Feb. 18. In co-features, former 140-pound champion Lamont Peterson will meet Russia’s David Anaveysan for the regular WBA 147-pound title and 175-pound contenders Marcus Browne and Thomas Williams will square off in a crossroads match.
Middleweight champion Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs will meet 160-pound champion Gennady Golovkin in a title unification match at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 18.
