On May 25, Top Rank on ESPN comes to the Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida with a double header Masayuki Ito vs Jamel Herring and Jose Pedraza vs. Antonio Lozada Jr televised and live streamed from ESPN and ESPN+.
Japanese boxing star Masayuki Ito (25-1-1, 13 KOs) became a world champion in his USA debut when he beat Christopher “Pitufo” Diaz by upset decision to claim the WBO 130-pound world title. He defended the belt in Japan against Evgeny Chuprakov by seventh round stoppage. Now he will bring the belt back stateside for his second title defense against a tough American challenger.
Jamel Herring (19-2, 10 KOs) a US military veteran served two tours of duty in Iraq and is a proud member of the Marine corp. He had to juggle being a soldier with boxing but now at the age of 33 and one hundred percent focused on boxing he can become a world champion.
If Herring wins tonight he will fulfill his dream of becoming a world champion but the date of May 25 is also significant because this was his daughter Ariyanah’s birthday, she died 10 years ago of sudden infant death syndrome and is seeking extra motivation tonight in her memory.
Jose Pedraza (25-2, 12 KOs) is a former super featherweight and lightweight world champion from Puerto Rico. He recently fought Vasyl Lomachenko and lost his WBO title against the pound for pound great. Tonight he will face Mexican Antonio Lozada (40-2-1, 34 KOs) who is coming off a huge upset victory on March 2018 with a tenth round stoppage of of Puerto Rican star Felix Verdejo.
Tonight’s bouts are promoted by Top Rank and broadcast by ESPN.
Top Rank on ESPN May 25 Fight Card
Junior Lightweight Championship – Masayuki Ito vs. Jamel Herring (WBO junior lightweight title)
Lightweight – Jose Pedraza vs. Antonio Lozada
Super Flyweight – Jeyvier Cintron vs. Koki Eto
Featherweight – Adam Lopez vs. Jean Carlos Rivera
Light Heavyweight – Steven Nelson vs. Victor Darocha
Bantamweight – Antonio Vargas vs. Jose Maria Cardenas
Middleweight – Edgar Berlanga vs. Gyorgy Varju
Super Featherweight – Henry Lebron vs. Luis Ruiz Lizarraga Jr.
WATCH Ito vs. Herring and Pedraza vs. Lozada Jr. LIVE on ESPN/ESPN Deportes, May 25, 2019 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT with the undercard bouts will be live streamed on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.
