STAMFORD, Conn. – Nick Charles, one of boxing’s finest and most recognizable blow-by-blow announcers has joined VERSUS and will make his network debut on the next Fight Night on VERSUS in collaboration with Top Rank Boxing, Thursday, June 14 at 9 p.m. ET from the Main Street Armory in Rochester, New York. 

Charles, the blow-by-blow voice of Showtime’s Shobox since 2001, replaces Bob Papa and will join Wallace Matthews to form the VERSUS Fight Night announce team.  One of the original members of CNN, Charles began his career in the mid-70’s in Washington D.C. where he served as an anchor for CNN Sports for 21 years and won two Cable Ace Awards.  The first fight he covered was the 1976 heavyweight championship bout between Muhammad Ali and Jimmy Young. 

“We’re delighted to have someone with the reputation and experience of Nick Charles join our VERSUS Fight Night team,” said Marc Fein, Senior Vice President of Programming and Production for VERSUS. “Nick has been a ringside fixture at major boxing events and his professionalism and knowledge will provide our fans with great boxing insight during each Fight Night telecast.”

VERSUS’ June 14 Fight Night will be headlined by a 10-round heavyweight bout pitting former two-time WBC heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman (41-6-2, 33 KOs) against former NABA champion Taurus Sykes (25-3-1, 7 KOs).  Rahman first emerged as a heavyweight champion when he knocked out Lennox Lewis in the fifth round of their first clash in 2001; but Lennox took the title back in their rematch. 

Also featured will be Kid Diamond (24-1-1, 14 KOs), of Las Vegas in the NABF Lightweight Championship against Mexico City’s Miguel Angel Huerta (24-7-1, 17 KOs). Diamond, whose real name is Almzabek Raiymkulov, is a native of Kyrgystan. In his last fight, September 14, 2006 in Las Vegas, which was televised by VERSUS, Diamond scored a 7th round TKO against Jairo Ramirez.