Los Angeles – October 14, 2020 – Ring City USA, a new boxing broadcast and content platform, announced today its first main event and co-feature for November 19, 2020. The inaugural event kicks off a broader, long-term rights deal between NBC Sports Group and Ring City that will feature live boxing events on Thursday nights on NBCSN through 2021.
“We are excited to bring boxing back to NBC Sports,” said Frank Samuel, CEO of Ring City USA. “This partnership will deliver exciting, highly competitive fights and become a day-in, day-out source of top-notch, unbiased content for fight fans around the world.”
Ring City’s first main and co-main events feature a roundup of impressive young boxing talent squaring up against formidable opponents. Nov. 19 is headlined by resilient super featherweight contender O’Shaquie Foster (17-2, 10 KO’s) and the indomitable Miguel Roman (62-13, 47 KO’s) who will clash in a 10-round showdown. In the co-feature, undefeated lightweight prospect William Zepeda (21-0, 19 KO’s) challenges the skilled Roberto Ramirez (23-2-1, 16 KO’s) in a 10-round contest.
The fights will take place at Freddie Roach’s legendary Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles.
“Wild Card is the heart and soul of West Coast boxing,” said Head of Boxing Evan Rutkowski. “Some of the sport’s greatest talent trained and developed there under Freddie’s guidance. As a developmental platform, we couldn’t think of a more perfect place for us to launch Ring City.”
Fighting out of Houston, where he trains under vaunted trainer Bobby Benton and is a stablemate of two-division super lightweight champion Regis Prograis, Foster returns to the ring off of seven straight wins, highlighted by his impressive upset of the previously-unbeaten Jon Fernandez in September 2018. Most recently the increasingly confident Foster headlined “Broadway Boxing,” where he walked away with a unanimous-decision victory against Alberto Mercado. Before turning pro, Foster was an alternate for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team and a two-time Junior National Golden Gloves Champion.
“I am so excited to return to the ring and show everyone that I’m the best at 130,” said Foster, who is promoted by DiBella Entertainment. “I’ve sparred with the top guys in this weight class and put in a lot of work over the last year. I’m excited to showcase my talent as the main event on a new series.”
Boxing veteran and three-time world title challenger Roman returns to the ring a little over a year after decisioning former world champion Tomas Rojas. In recent years Roman, who is promoted by Del Pueblo Promotions, has proved gritty in the ring while going toe-to-toe with some of the sport’s best, highlighted by a heroic defeat of Orlando Salido in a thrilling slugfest that was a 2017 Fight Of The Year contender. Known for the valiance and heart he displays in the ring, the 34-year-old Roman challenged Miguel Berchelt for the WBC Super Featherweight title in November 2018, where he was edged in a relentless battle.
“I’m very excited to be back in the ring and guarantee it will be a war that I won’t lose,” said Roman. “There’s no way to beat me when I’m hungrier than ever and training like never before.”
Zepeda returns to the ring after knocking out all but two of his previous opponents. Nov. 19 marks his first professional fight in the U.S. Ramirez, unbeaten in his past 10 fights, is known for his 2018 upset win against former WBC titleholder Dejan Zlaticanin.
Ring City USA will work in conjunction with a variety of promoters including DiBella Entertainment, Del Pueblo Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Global Boxing Stars. Local promoters/site coordinators Peter Rasmussen and Steve Bash will oversee the organization of the bouts on behalf of Ring City.
About Ring City USA
Ring City is boxing’s newest sports media platform. Working in tandem with a variety of promoters and talent, its new boxing series places an emphasis on competitive matchups that genuinely test the fighters and excite the fight fans. Ring City provides great fights in the ring and compelling shoulder programming outside of the ring. Ring City is the proving ground where up-and-coming talent can earn their stripes and launch themselves into the upper echelon of boxing stardom.
