By Keith Idec
HBO Sports announced Friday afternoon that the network’s first boxing offering has been scheduled for January 28.
That “Boxing After Dark” doubleheader will feature Francisco Vargas (23-0-2, 17 KOs), the WBC world super featherweight champion, in the main event. Vargas will defend his 130-pound championship against fellow Mexican and interim WBO super featherweight title-holder Miguel Berchelt (30-1, 27 KOs) in what should be an all-action, 12-round fight at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California.
HBO’s announcement also ensured that boxing fans will either have to choose between boxing broadcasts on HBO and Showtime, each of which will begin at 10 p.m. ET, or find ways to keep their eyes on both of the clashing telecast
The “Showtime Championship Boxing” broadcast scheduled for January 28 will be headlined by the highly anticipated rematch between WBA super world featherweight champion Carl Frampton and Leo Santa Cruz at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Northern Ireland’s Frampton (23-0, 14 KOs) dealt Santa Cruz (32-1-1, 18 KOs), of Rosemead, California, his first defeat, a 12-round majority decision, in their action-packed first fight July 30 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Showtime’s co-feature that night is another 12-rounder that’ll match Mikey Garcia (35-0, 29 KOs), of Riverside, California, against WBC world lightweight champion Dejan Zlaticanin (22-0, 15 KOs), of Montenegro.
HBO’s “Boxing After Dark” broadcast will start with a 12-round bout that’ll pit Japan’s Takashi Miura (30-3-2, 23 KOs), a former WBC super featherweight champion, versus Mexico’s Miguel Roman (56-11, 43 KOs). Vargas won his 130-pound championship from Miura, whom Vargas knocked out in the ninth round of a fantastic fight on the Canelo Alvarez-Miguel Cotto undercard a year ago in Las Vegas.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
