Premier Boxing Champions 2015: Fight Card and TV for April 4
The Premier Boxing Champions train continues to roll.
Saturday at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City, Canada, WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis "Superman" Stevenson (25-1, 21 KO) will defend his strap against former super middleweight champion Sakio "The Scorpion" Bika (32-6-3, 21 KO).
The Haitian-born Stevenson will be defending the title in his adopted home of Canada where he has a massive following. As a matter of fact, Saturday's bout will be the 11th straight fight for Stevenson in Quebec. Expect a raucous and pro-Stevenson crowd on hand to cheer the champion on.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
This episode of PBC marks the debut of the series on CBS. We've already seen broadcasts on NBC and Spike. Now we'll see how the network with the eye logo handles the sport and the PBC brand.
CBS will only televise one bout from the card, and it can be seen a few ways. Here's a look at the viewing information for PBC on CBS.
| Saturday, April 4 at 3 p.m. ET | CBS | CBS Online | Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City, Canada |
The Broadcast Team
Per PBC's Jason Scavone, the announce team has been set for the PBC on CBS series, and it's a really good one. The play-by-play will be handled by the recognizable voice of Kevin Harlan. In his career, Harlan has proven to be a jack of many trades broadcasting NFL, college basketball and NBA games for TNT.
We've yet to hear him call boxing, but his track record suggests he'll do a fine job.
The color commentary will be handled by two-time champion Paulie Malignaggi. The Magic Man is the best fighter-turned-analyst in the sport today. He usually works on Showtime, which is partnered with CBS, and he does a fine job breaking down bouts there.
Last, but certainly not least is legendary trainer Virgil Hunter. He's known for guiding the in-ring careers of fighters like Andre Ward, Amir Khan and others. His expertise in the sport can't be questioned, but just in case you want to hear a preview of what you might be in store for come Saturday, listen to Hunter, Max Kellerman and former champion Timothy Bradley break down the 2014 Manny Pacquiao vs. Chris Algieri bout as part of the HBO Under the Lights series.
The Hype
Some believe Stevenson has looked a bit vulnerable of late. Back in May 2014, he was dropped in a surprisingly competitive scrap with Andrzej Fonfara. While Stevenson won a clear unanimous decision—and has since stopped Dmitry Sukhotsky in the fifth round of a Dec. 2014 bout, Superman was momentarily in trouble against Fonfara. This plays into the thought that he may not have the strongest chin.
Per Scavone, Malignaggi mentions that in his assessment of the upcoming bout.
"Stevenson is not invincible. He has that ‘Superman’ moniker, but it’s more on the offensive side. He goes down. He was down as recently as two fights ago. Bika’s a guy who’s going to hang in there, and the longer he makes the fight last, obviously the more chances he has to hit him. It’s a tough fight to call. It’s not a gimmie.
"
While not the most aesthetically pleasing fighter, Bika has proven to be a tough opponent for most everyone he's faced.
He's also been in the ring with some of the biggest names in his weight region. He's faced Andre Ward, Joe Calzaghe, Anthony Dirrell (twice) and Lucian Bute. Unfortunately for Bika, he wasn't able to secure a win against any of the aforementioned current and former champions.
On Saturday afternoon, he'll be looking to secure what would be the signature win of his career.
Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
