Premier Boxing Champions returns after a layoff with a pretty good show on NBC of all places. In the main event Errol Spence Jr. (19-0, 16 KOs) takes on Chris Algieri (21-2, 8 KOs) at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn.
In the main undercard Krzysztof Glowacki (25-0, 16 KOs) fights Steve Cunningham (28-7-1, 13 KOs) at 200 pounds.
This is the first of two boxing live blogs for us tonight. Scroll on down for it or keep reading for the press release from PBC.
If there has been one criticism of Errol Spence Jr. as he’s made his impressively rapid rise up the 147-pound ranks it’s that the 2012 U.S. Olympian has yet to face a truly difficult challenge.
That’s about to change.
One of the hottest prospects in boxing, Spence (19-0, 16 KOs) will face his most formidable foe to date when he squares off April 16 against former champion Chris Algieri (21-2, 8 KOs) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The fight, scheduled for 12 rounds, headlines a Premier Boxing Champions card on NBC (8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT).
“This is a huge opportunity for me, to be this young and early in my career and headlining a prime-time event, just the exposure alone,” says the 26-year-old Spence. “Chris Algieri has been in the ring with Amir Khan, Manny Pacquiao and Ruslan Provodnikov, and he’s a former world champ.
“This is a big fight for me and a step up, but I plan to rise to the occasion. I’m going to handle him like I’ve handled all of my past opponents.”
And handle them he has.
Spence is in the midst of a stretch in which he’s stopped six consecutive opponents, the last five being TKO victories. The last boxer to take the southpaw to the wire was Ronald Cruz in June 2014, and all Cruz got for those efforts was a shutout loss in a 10-round clash.
Spence is coming off a very active and productive 2015 in which he raised his profile with four convincing victories in the span of 7½ months. In order, he stopped Samuel Vargas (fourth round), Phil Lo Greco (third round), Chris van Heerden (eighth round) and Alejandro Barrera (fifth round).
None of those opponents, though, has the credentials of Algieri, who won a world title at 140 pounds when he earned a split-decision victory over Provodnikov in June 2014, running his pro record to 20-0.
After winning the title, Algieri made the move to 147, where in November 2014 he lost a lopsided unanimous decision to Pacquiao, who knocked down the the Huntington, New York, native six times. Algieri acquitted himself much better in his ensuing fight against Khan in May, giving the Englishman all he could handle before dropping a 12-round unanimous decision in a contest that was closer than the scorecards indicated.
Algieri bounced back strong from the Khan defeat, scoring a 10-round unanimous decision over Erick Bone on December 5. That bout took place at Barclays Center, which has become somewhat of a home base for the 31-year-old, as three of his last four bouts have taken place in the venue.
Meanwhile, Spence will be fighting in Barclays for the second time in a little more than a year, as he defeated Vargas there back on April 11. Of course, Vargas resides in Canada; this time around, Spence will be seeking his seventh consecutive stoppage victory while fighting in his opponent’s backyard.
The show is on NBC at 8:30 p.m. Watch it with me.
