Featuring Champ Juan Diaz
The first show of the ESPN / Main Events new promotional agreement will take place Thursday, Nov. 4 (10 p.m. - midnight ET on ESPN2) in San Antonio, Tex. where WBA lightweight champion Juan Diaz (25-0, 12 KOs) will defend his title against Julien “Bobo” Lorcy (56-3-2, 41 KOs).
The ESPN2 Friday Night Fights – Main Events Special will originate from the SBC Center, home of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs. Renowned ring announcer Michael Buffer will get the fighters “ready to rumble” and communicate official results. Brian Kenny will host the evening, with Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas ringside, and Jeremy Schaap providing reports and interviews.
“Special” production elements for Friday Night Fights – Main Events Special include:
- The new Superslomo on one ringside camera to improve analysis and the viewer experience
- The new Trainer Cams, unmanned cameras in each corner focusing on the corner men
- Roving cameras to allow reporter Jeremy Schaap to do live locker room interviews
- A French language translator in the corner of the French-born Lorcy
- WBC lightweight champ Julio Diaz, a possible future opponent for Juan Diaz, will provide his observations ringside
“The quality of ESPN2’s November 4 card is exactly the reason we forged a partnership with Main Events,” said Jim Noel, ESPN vice president, business affairs. “It’s truly a ‘Special,’ with special production elements and a special fighter in Juan Diaz, showing ESPN’s commitment to boxing.”
Kathy Duva, Main Events CEO, said, “ESPN couldn’t have selected a better fighter to kick-off this special edition of boxing than Juan Diaz. He’s the hottest young fighter in the world and one of the sport’s most exciting. ESPN2 boxing fans are in for a treat.”
Diaz, just 21, became boxing’s youngest world champion and the youngest world lightweight champion in more than 30 years on July 17 with a unanimous decision over then-champ Lakva Sim. Besides being a world champion, Diaz is a pre-law major at the University of Houston Downtown.
Lorcy, 32, born and residing in France, is a two-time WBA lightweight champion and currently ranked #1 by the WBA #1 and #9 by The Ring.
The ESPN / Main Events agreement features a premier monthly boxing series within ESPN2 Friday Night Fights in 2005, highlighted by two pay-per-view events. ESPN’s first pay-per-view boxing event will be the spring 2005. Currently, ESPN PPV includes ESPN GamePlan, a college football season package; ESPN Full Court, a college basketball season package; ESPN Fantasy Football Forecast; and pay-per-view events such as ESPN College Grand Slam, K-1 martial arts programs, and movies produced by ESPN Original Entertainment.
The next ESPN2 Friday Night Fights – Main Events Special, monthly cards in 2005 featuring world-class fighters in world-class bouts, will be Friday, Dec. 3 (9:30-11:30 p.m.) at Bally’s Park Place Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. It will be co-headlined by undefeated 2000 U.S. Olympic Silver Medalist Rocky Juarez, and heavyweight contender Dominick Guinn.
