ESPN’s Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra will originate from Santa Ynez Calif., on August 5 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN 3D and ESPN3.com when undefeated junior welterweight Vernon “The Iceman” Paris (24-0,14 KOs) and Tim “The Pitbull” Coleman (19-1-1, 5 KOs) meet in the 10-round main event.
Joe Tessitore and Sergio Mora will be ringside at the Chumash Casino describing the action, while studio host Jonathan Coachman will present all the latest boxing news and highlights. Mora, former WBC light middleweight champion and the first champion of The Contender, is sitting in forTeddy Atlas who has gone to Russia to train Alexander Povetkin for his late August fight in Germany. The card is presented by Gary Shaw Promotions.
Friday’s telecast will be the final telecast on ESPN3D this season.
Detroit’s Paris has won his last eight fights, including an eight-round decision over Emanuel Augustus in his last outing.
Las Vegas’ Coleman has won his last five fights, including a third-round one-punch knockout over two-time Venezuelan Olympian Patrick Lopez.
“Coleman dropped Lopez with a right hand in the opening seconds of the second round,” ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael wrote,. “They continued their slugfest early in the third round before Coleman landed a spectacular and sneaky right uppercut that dropped Lopez face first. He, turned around and staggered across the ring until crashing into a corner pad as the referee tried to catch him before stopping the fight. It was a surefire knockout of the year candidate for Coleman.”
Promoter Carlos Llinas said, “They (Friday’s main event boxers) were supposed to fight before, but Tim Coleman was scared to come to Detroit. I think he said the same thing that David Haye said – he stubbed his little toe and he couldn’t fight. So hopefully, he shows up in California to fight. “
Las Vegas’ Coleman has won his last five fights, including a third-round one-punch knockout over two-time Venezuelan Olympian Patrick Lopez.
Friday’s card will also feature undefeated junior lightweight Art “Lionheart” Hovhannisyan (14-0-1, 8 KOs) against Cristobal “Lacandon” Cruz (39-12-2, 23 KOs). Glendale Calif.’s Hovhannisyan is coming off a sixth-round TKO win over Archie Ray Marquez, while Mexico’s Cruz is coming off a 12-round unanimous decision loss to Orlando Salido.
