By Jake Donovan
breaking news by BoxingScene.com Editor-in-Chief Rick Reeno
, additional details have been revealed for the October 17 showdown between Lamont Peterson and Felix Diaz.
The show—which will air live in an afternoon edition of
Premier Boxing Champions
(PBC) on NBC—now has a home and a solidified co-feature, with the event heading to EagleBank Arena on George Mason University campus in Fairfax, Virginia.
"I'm very excited to be back in the ring, especially close to home in Virginia and fighting on NBC," said Peterson (33-3-1, 17KOs), who is coming off a hard-luck, disputed points loss to Danny Garcia in April. "I'm happy just to be doing what I love to do. I've been in the gym and I've stayed ready so I'm prepared to give the fans the kind of show they deserve."
Both fighters appeared on the same show at Barclays Center in an April installment of PBC on NBC. Serving in supporting action to Peterson's aforementioned 12-round thriller with Garcia, Diaz (17-0, 8KOs) dominated local favorite Gabriel Brocero on the NBC Sports Network portion of the show.
The placement came with the expectation that his next fight would be a big one.
"I am very thankful for this opportunity and I know that Lamont Peterson will be my toughest battle so far," said Diaz, who captured a Gold medal for Dominican Republic during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. "I am confident that at the end of the fight, I will have my hand raised.
"No disrespect to Lamont, but he has had his opportunity, now it is my time to show the world who Felix Diaz is. I can assure you that the fans will not be disappointed on October 17."
In the co-main event, Andre Dirrell now has an opponent. The top super middleweight contender will face Blake Caparello, the former light heavyweight title challenger who will drop down in weight.
The bout will mark the second straight Saturday matinee performance on NBC for Dirrell. The 2004 Olympic bronze medalist came up just short in his super middleweight title fight with James DeGale this past May.
Given the outcome and all that he's been through over the course of his 10-year pro career, Dirrell—formerly also know as "The Matrix" has taken on a new nickname ahead of his intended career turnaround: The Resurrected.
"My motivation to succeed only gets stronger with each fight," said Dirrell (24-2, 16 KOs). "I fight to win. All I want to see is a belt around my waist. Whatever it takes, whatever I have to do, it'll get done. I will be a world champion! This fight is the next step."
Caparello (21-1-1, 6KOs) has won two straight following a failed title bid versus Sergey Kovalev last summer, although in a fight where the Aussie managed to drop the unbeaten light heavyweight. Both of his subsequent performances have taken place at home in Australia, with the upcoming showdown marking his third career fight in the United States.
"This is a huge opportunity for me to show the world that I am one of the best 168-pounders in all of boxing," said Caparello. "This is the weight class where I belong. Dirrell is a former Olympian and, like myself, a world title challenger. I expect a very tough fight on October 17, but I know that I will be victorious."
Added Lou DiBella, lead promoter for the event: "Lamont Peterson is an elite fighter. He proved it in his disputed loss to Danny Garcia and will come back to face an undefeated Felix Diaz in what should be a great scrap. Diaz is an Olympic gold medalist from the Dominican Republic with a fan-friendly style; he will bring that to the fight and I expect great action.
"In the opening bout, coming back from a hard-fought battle with James DeGale, Andre Dirrell returns to action against former world title challenger Blake Caparello, who is now campaigning as a world-rated super middleweight. I expect an excellent night of fights October 17."
TICKET INFO
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with HeadBangers Promotions, are priced at $250, $150, $85, $65 and $40, plus applicable service charges, and are on sale tomorrow, September 4 at 10 a.m. ET/. Tickets will be available through all Ticketmaster outlets including the EagleBank Arena box office, online at
www.ticketmaster.com
and via Phonecharge at 1-800-745-3000. Accessible seating is available for patrons with disabilities by calling 703-993-3035. Please visit
www.eaglebankarena.com
for more information.
"We are thrilled to host the first Premier Boxing Champions telecast in the Washington D.C. area on October 17th," said General Manager of EagleBank Arena Barry Geisler. "The PBC series is leading a renaissance of boxing and EagleBank Arena is excited to participate in their efforts."
Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com.
Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
Facebook Page: JakeBScene
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