Mashantucket, CT: NBC Sports Group’s Fight Night presents its first afternoon broadcast of the year on NBC this Saturday, September 20th, at 3 p.m. ET. The fourth afternoon network boxing broadcast since the Fight Night series premiered in 2012, the show will feature a pair of spectacular bouts with four of the sport’s hottest prospects.
In the main event, South African heavy-hitter Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu (16-1, 11 KOs) will battle unorthodox Garrett “The Ultimate Warrior” Wilson (13-7-1, 7 KOs) for the NABF Cruiserweight Title and, in the co-feature, undefeated Karl “Dynamite” Dargan (16-0, 8 KOs) will take on Angino “The Nightmare” Perez (16-5, 14 KOs) for the Junior NABF Lightweight Title.
“The Rock”
Photo Credits:
Rich Graessle/Main Events
NBC Sports Group’s Fight Night broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Kenny Rice, analyst B.J. Flores and ringside reporter Chris Mannix will call the action.
After scoring an upset over former heavyweight contender “Fast” Eddie Chambers in his Fight Night debut, Mchunu won by decision to capture the NABF Cruiserweight Title against highly-ranked Olanrewaju Durodola in his second Fight Night appearance. Mchunu is anxious to make the first defense of his title on NBC.
“Obviously, for any elite athlete it’s a huge privilege and honor to fight, and especially head up a fight card,” Mchunu said. “It’s really a dream come true. But such privileges come with the responsibility for myself as an athlete and fighter to deliver my best possible performance to all viewers and fight fans. I’ve done everything in my power to be ready to execute a masterful performance on the 20th of September.”
“The Ultimate Warrior”
Photo Credits: Dave Torres/Main Events
Mchunu’s powerful southpaw style will make for an explosive match against the unorthodox style of Garrett “The Ultimate Warrior” Wilson, who earned many fans in his crowd-pleasing Fight Night debut as a last-minute replacement for Tomasz Adamek against Vyacheslav “Czar” Glazkov nearly a year ago during the last afternoon edition of Fight Night on NBC. Excited to be back, the 32-year old Wilson said, “I love having a chance to perform in front of a national audience. This is a great opportunity to show my skills and my strength and give the fans a skillful and entertaining show.”
Kicking off the broadcast will be Fight Night veteran Karl “Dynamite” Dargan against Angino “The Nightmare” Perez in a ten-round battle for the Junior NABF Lightweight Title.
“Dynamite”
Photo Credits:
Rich Graessle/Main Events
The undefeated Dargan, 29, made his Fight Night debut last November with a 10-round unanimous decision victory over Michael Brooks to capture the USBA Atlantic Coast Region Lightweight Title. After a thrilling knockout win on NBCSN in June, “Dynamite” looks to add a second regional belt to his collection on Saturday. Trained by his uncle, Naazim Richardson, the legendary trainer of Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosely and Fight Night favorite Steve “USS” Cunningham, Dargan is a hot lightweight prospect on the rise. “I won my last belt on an NBC broadcast and I appreciate the exposure I get fighting on NBC,” Dargan said.
“The Nightmare”
Photo Courtesy of:
Sweatbox Boxing & Fitness
In order to achieve his goal, Dargan will face a formidable opponent in Angino “The Nightmare” Perez. A 31-year old native of Miami, FL Perez has a stellar 88% knockout-to-win ratio. Focused on scoring a major upset on a major platform, when asked about making his Fight Night debut Perez simply said, “This is the first appearance of many to come!”
“We are excited to present this card with two title bouts on a special afternoon edition of Fight Night on NBC,” said Gary Quinn, Vice President of Programming & Planning for NBC Sports Group.
Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events, said, “These special afternoon editions of Fight Night on NBC are so important. It’s a chance for the fighters to make an impact on a huge audience that is not completely familiar with boxing. Both of these bouts will be very entertaining in the ring and that’s exactly what we need to keep turning casual viewers into big fans.”
About September 20:
The Sep. 20th special afternoon edition of NBC Fight Night will take place at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT and will feature a ten-round cruiserweight match-up between Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu and Garrett “The Ultimate Warrior” Wilson for the NABF Cruiserweight Title and a ten-round lightweight match-up between Karl “Dynamite” Dargan and Angino “The Nightmare” Perez for the Junior NABF Lightweight Title. The undercard bouts are subject to change. Tickets are $100, $75 and $40 and are available through Foxwoods.com and Ticketmaster.com. The card is presented by Main Events, Peltz Boxing and Showpony Promotions. The special NBC Fight Night broadcast will begin live at 3:00 PM ET/12:00 PM PT.
NBC Sports Live Extra: NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night at 3 p.m. ET on September 20. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.
About Foxwoods® Resort Casino
Foxwoods Resort Casino is one of the premier entertainment destinations in the Northeast. As the largest resort casino in North America, Foxwoods offers a vast array of gaming in six casinos; AAA Four-Diamond hotels, restaurants from gourmet to express, world-renowned spas, awarding-winning golf, state-of-the-art theaters, and exclusive retailers. Perfect for both recreation and business, Foxwoods provides modern and versatile convention and meeting space to infuse new life into any meeting or event. Foxwoods Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. For a comprehensive look at Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation visit Foxwoods.com.
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