Sammy Vasquez vs. Emmanuel Lartey: Fight Time, Date, Live Stream and TV Info

For American boxing fans who are eager to find the next homegrown star in the sport, Friday is as good a night as any to shirk going out and stay in to watch the fights.

Monessen, Pennsylvania's own Sammy "The Who Can Mexican" Vasquez (17-0, 13 KO) will take on Brooklynite-by-way-of Ghana Emmanuel Lartei Lartey (16-2-1, 7 KO) in a 10-round welterweight bout from the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh.

Vasquez has only been a pro since 2012, but he's quickly worked his way up the welterweight ranks. The undefeated fighter will be looking for his ninth knockout in a row on Friday, a result that would go a long way toward cementing his status as one of the top title contenders in the class. 

Ending the bout early could prove tough against Lartei Lartey, who's yet to be knocked down—let alone knocked out—in 19 professional contests. 

It's a testament to the talent and depth of the current welterweight ranks that a fight between two boxers with little-to-no profile outside the world of boxing can hold so much promise. For those looking to tune in to what could be some excellent fight-night entertainment, here is the event, TV and live-stream info. 

Sammy Vasquez vs. Emmanuel Lartei Lartey Fight Info

Date: Friday, Feb. 20

Time: 10 p.m. ET

Location: CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

TV: Showtime

Live Stream: BoxNation (region restricted)

Preview

Vasquez vs. Lartei Lartey is a southpaw vs. southpaw affair that could prove to be an explosive competition. As the headliners of The Pride of Pittsburgh III, a 10-card event, it's a big moment for both boxers, albeit one that comes with great risk.

Lartei Lartey risks falling off the welterweight map entirely. The 33-year-old has a fine pro record overall but hasn't yet distinguished himself since turning pro in 2005. Recent results haven't been kind to him; he's lost two of his last three bouts, both to budding undefeated prospects.

Errol Spence Jr. dominated Lartei Lartey in a unanimous-decision victory in October 2013. Lartei Lartey followed up that disappointing display with a tough split-decision loss to Felix Diaz in April 2014.

The Ghanian bounced back to defeate journeyman Steve Forbes by decision in June, but Vasquez should prove to be his fiercest competition yet. However, the seasoned vet doesn't appear to think too much of his upcoming opponent.

"I’ve faced much tougher competition than Vasquez, and I’m not worried about fighting in his hometown. Sammy is a very tough fighter but so am I," he said, via RingTV.com's Lem Satterfield.

Vasquez's motivation lies in taking advantage of his window of opportunity and avoiding the life of a middling undercard puncher. That may sound a bit strange for an undefeated fighter, but Vasquez is already 28 years old and needs to climb the rankings as swiftly as possible if he is to put his name in the hat for prestigious title bouts. He can't afford any setbacks at this point in his career.

Vasquez is coming off perhaps two of the most impressive victories of his career. In November, he knocked out Alberto Mosquera in the first round. Prior to that, he took care of previously undefeated boxer James Stevenson with a TKO in the ninth round. He picked up the WBC FECARBOX and USBA welterweight titles in those two bouts, but neither belt will be on the line Friday.

Vasquez's power is evident in all stages of his fights. If he sometimes makes boxing look easy, it's possibly due to the fact that fighting in the ring pales in comparison to the work he's put in for his country, per Showtime Sports:

It should help Vasquez that he will be in comfortable environs on Friday night. Both of the aforementioned victories came in the CONSOL Energy Center, and Showtime's Steve Farhood noted he should receive plenty of support from the crowd:

Performances like these are perhaps why Vasquez has spoken with such confidence in the buildup to fight night. Like many relentless pugilists before him, Vasquez relies on his pursuit of self-perfection to get results, regardless of the opponent. 

"As for me, I really haven't had to change anything in the way I train for fights. When I train, I work on things I need to improve on. I worry about me, what I'm doing. I have changed some things defensively. But strategically, we're doing what we always do," he said, via TribLive.com's Jeff Oliver.

Oliver also relayed Vasquez's plans for the near future: "After signing with new adviser Al Haymon, Vasquez says he sees himself fighting maybe four or five times in the next year until he ultimately gets in position for a world title shot."

Needless to say, those admirable aspirations will fall by the wayside if Vasquez can't come up with a result against Lartei Lartey. A decision victory would be just fine for Vasquez's career, but if the opportunity presents itself, he should go for the knockout blow.

A nifty KO streak could go a long way toward boosting his profile in the short term. It gives potential promoters something to sell, and Vasquez is not yet high enough in the rankings that the famous, established names ahead of him can easily avoid a challenge.

Look for Vasquez to come out aggressively in this 10-rounder and use his speed and movement to tire Lartei Lartey before going for the knockout in the later rounds.