New York - January 12,
2012 - The NBC Sports Network today announced that Hall-of-Fame boxing
trainer Freddie Roach and cruiserweight contender B.J. Flores team up
with NBC's veteran broadcaster Kenny Rice to provide commentary for the
network's new NBC Sports Network Fight Night Series.
The first Fight Night
broadcast will be on the new NBC Sports Network on Saturday, January
21st beginning at 9 p.m. ET when heavyweight contenders Eddie Chambers
and Sergei Liakhovich face off live from Philadelphia's historic Asylum
Arena.
Roach, the five time BWAA
Trainer-of-the-Year, currently trains eight-division world champion
Manny Pacquiao, among many others, at his Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.
A protégé of the late, great Eddie Futch, Roach is regarded as one of
professional boxing's best and most popular trainer. In addition to his
work as a trainer, Roach owns the Wild Card Club/Gym in Los Angeles
where, alongside his brother Pepper, he fosters the development of young
boxers. On January 20, HBO will premiere a six-episode series on Roach
that takes an intensely personal look at the world-famous boxing
trainer. The series chronicles his life and career against the backdrop
of his daily battle with Parkinson's disease.
A former U.S. amateur
heavyweight champion, the articulate Flores will interrupt his own
boxing training - he is headlining an event on January 28th, in
Springfield, Missouri - to make his NBC announcing debut. Flores has
carved out an alternate career in broadcasting, while continuing to
pursue his dream of adding a professional world title to his many
accomplishments. A frequent guest analyst on ESPN's Friday Night
Fights, Flores fought his first two professional fights on NBC Sports
broadcasts in May of 2003. His professional record stands at 24 wins, 1
loss, and 1 draw.
Rice, who has served as
NBC's Olympic boxing reporter, has called boxing matches on HD Net since
2005 and has hosted a weekly Inside MMA series on HD Net since 2007.
Rice has covered horse racing for NBC since 1999, reporting on the
network's coverage of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont
Stakes and Breeders' Cup, and, in 2008, he hosted NBC's Olympic
equestrian competition. In addition, Rice covered
the U.S. Olympic Trials in both triathlon and
equestrian and has reported on the
NFL for NBC's Football Night in
America. Rice has also done play-by-play for track
and field, rugby, and basketball, as well as the
Pro Bull Riders World Finals.
Additionally, Chris
Mannix of Sports Illustrated will serve as reporter and researcher for
the NBC Sports Network Fight Night Series.
--NBC SPORTS GROUP--
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