Premier Boxing Champions 2015: Fight Card and TV Schedule for September 8
Like it or not, Premier Boxing Champions is taking over the sweet science.
On Tuesday, PBC will make yet another debut on a major sports network. This time it's Fox Sports 1, and a former world titleholder is headlining the midweek card. This will be the inaugural broadcast of the PBC on Fox Sports 1 series, Toe-to-Toe Tuesdays.
Former junior middleweight champ Austin "No Doubt" Trout (29-2, 16 KOs) will face Joey "Twinkle Fingers" Hernandez (24-3-1, 14 KOs) in the main event, while a pair of junior featherweights do battle in the co-feature. Jorge Lara (27-0-1, 19 KOs) will clash with Jesus M. Rojas (21-1-1, 15 KOs) in the latest installment of the boxing rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico.
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When: Tuesday, September 8 at 9 p.m. ET
Where: Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles
TV: Fox Sports 1
Trout vs. Hernandez
After suffering the only two losses of his career in back-to-back fights against Canelo Alvarez and Erislandy Lara in 2013, Trout has won three in a row. Those victories didn't come against elite competition, and quite frankly, his opponent on Tuesday isn't exactly a stud.
Hernandez's record is a bit deceiving. He's coming off a lopsided unanimous-decision loss to Julian Williams, and Hernandez has failed against every mildly respectable opponent he's faced.
This bout is likely the final tuneup for Trout before he sets his sights on another elite fighter at 154 pounds. The division could be wide-open shortly. Damian Calhoun of the Orange County Register wrote: "The 154-pound division is in sort of limbo. Floyd Mayweather has two belts (WBA and WBC). He has said he’s retiring after his Sept. 12 fight against Andre Berto. If he follows through, those titles will be vacated, paving the way for vacant title fights."
Per Jason Scavone of the PBC website, Trout wants another shot at Lara: "He’s a squirrely dude. I am looking for a rematch, because that ‘L’ on my record plagues me." Before that can happen, Trout needs to take care of Hernandez.
You'll likely have a hard time finding someone who gives Hernandez a chance to win this fight, but if Trout looks past him, he might give his opponent a chance to surprise him.
Lara vs. Rojas
Two hungry fighters could very well put on the best show of the night in the co-feature. The 24-year-old, Mexican-born Jorge Lara will put his unbeaten record on the line against the 28-year-old Puerto Rican prospect Rojas.
Lara is four years younger than his opponent, but he's had four more professional fights. The edge in power also seems to be in Lara's favor. He has scored knockouts in seven of his last eight fights.
That power was especially on display in his last fight. Lara made his American debut back in March, stopping Mario Macias in Round 1 on the undercard of Keith Thurman vs. Robert Guerrero, which was the PBC on NBC debut.
As the preliminary attraction on another network debut event for PBC, Lara will try to perform well yet again.
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