Boxing will become the next sport to go 3D this Friday (Feb. 18) when ESPN 3D presents Friday Night Fights in 3D at 9 p.m. ET from Salisbury, Md.
“We anticipate delivering an extraordinary visual experience with our 3D coverage of boxing”, said Phil Orlins, Coordinating Producer, ESPN 3D. “3D is most impactful when you have the opportunity to shoot from close proximity to the action making boxing one of the most ideal sports to cover in 3D.”
Friday’s historic 3D event will feature undefeated southpaw knockout artist, and hometown favorite, Fernando Guerrero (20-0, 16 KO’s, WBA #9), and undefeated welterweight Shawn Porter (17-0, 13 KO’s) in 10-round co-main events. Guerrero, coming off a fourth-round knockout win in his last fight, will meet Indiana’s Derrick Findley (17-4, 11 KO’s).
Cleveland native Porter, who is coming off a ninth-round October TKO win against Hector Munoz, will meet Buffalo’s Anges Adjaho (17-4, 9 KO’s). Porter, who gained fame for giving Manny Pacquiao a good work in sparring, used a versatile attack, and accurate combination punching to dominate in his last fight. Porter had a tremendous amateur career including a win over Fernando Guerrero.
Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will be ringside describing the action from the Wicomico Civic Center where two undefeated welterweights are featured in co-main events.
Studio host Brian Kenny will present the latest boxing news and highlights.
“Here’s hoping we get a spectacular, head-snapping, sweat-spraying, one punch knockout just a few feet away from an ESPN 3D camera!” said Tessitore, who covered ESPN 3D college football games throughout the 2010-11 season, including coverage of the BCS National Championship game.
“The color and energy we captured for the BCS National Championship game on ESPN 3D was everything we thought it would be and more. Among those of us on that production team, Friday Night Fights is the telecast we’ve been waiting for. The one descriptive I’ll often use for 3D is that it provides fans the best seat in the house and boxing tends to do that better than most sports as it is. 3D will only add to it.”
Matt Sandulli, ESPN Sr. Coordinating Producer for ESPN’s Friday Night Fight’s said, “We are very excited to see the results of boxing in 3D because it may benefit the most of any sport from 3D because of the nature of the up close coverage.”
— By Scott Hettrick