By Jake Donovan
For those who are concerned about Bounce TV not being available with your cable or satellite package, the network has taken additional measures to maximize viewership for its August 2 premiere of
‘PBC—The Next Round.’
Premier Boxing Champions
(PBC) movement will stream the series debut on its website on BounceTV.com in addition to airing live on its flagship network, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Headlining the August 2 edition at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, Juan Carlos Payano faces Rau’Shee Warren, in a matchup of unbeaten bantamweights and former Olympians.
Payano (16-0, 8KOs) represented Dominican Republic in the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics. The upcoming bout marks the first defense of the bantamweight title he claimed in an upset win over long-reigning bantamweight titlist Anselmo Moreno last September.
Warren fought on the United States boxing team for both of those sessions, in addition to the 2012 London Olympics in becoming the only fighter in U.S. amateur boxing history to compete in three separate Olympics. The Cincinnati product is the first member from the 2012 U.S. Olympic team to fight for a major title.
The undercard pits a four-man junior middleweight tournament, with the winners to square off on a future PBC card.
Miami-based prospect Yudel Jhonson—who captured Olympic Silver for his native Cuba in the 2004 Athens Olympics—takes on Jorge Cota, who carries into the ring an eight-fight win streak following a June ’12 knockout loss to Marco Antonio Rubio. The winner will move on to meet the last man standing between John Jackson and Philippines’ Dennis Laurente. Jackson is the son of former middleweight champ and revered knockout artist Julian Jackson; he and his brother Julius both represented Virgin Islands in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Both bouts are scheduled for 10 rounds. The four-man set is the remains of a well-intended eight-man tournament proposed by Samson Lewkowicz to the World Boxing Council (WBC). Its intention at the time was to provide a viable candidate for reigning World junior middleweight champion Floyd Mayweather, or a future divisional leader in the event that Mayweather retires by that point. The series never managed to get off the ground, due to the hesitance of originally committed participants, although the aforementioned quartet remain very much on board.
The August 2 edition of ‘PBC—The Next Round’ kicks off a monthly series on Bounce TV, with its focus to be placed on showcasing competitive bouts between potential future champions and stars.
Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) comes to Bounce TV on Sunday, August 2 at 9:00 p.m. (ET), with the debut of a new monthly series kicked-off by Payano vs. Warren: PBC - The Next Round, which will showcase the sport's future stars and potential champions. Bounce TV is available in more than 85 million homes, including 90% of African-American homes, the network’s targeted audience.
Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
ADD COMMENT VIEW COMMENTS (3)