Harrison-Hurd added to February 25th Wilder card
A pair of exciting matchups come to primetime network television on Saturday, February 25 as rising super welterweight contenders Tony Harrison (24-1, 20 KOs) and Jarrett Hurd (19-0, 13 KOs) meet in a 12-round world title eliminator and Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale (17-1, 15 KOs) takes on undefeated Izuagbe Ugonoh (17-0, 14 KOs) in a 10-round heavyweight showdown as part of an exciting night of Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes action.
Televised coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT live from Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama and is headlined by undefeated heavyweight world championDeontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder defending his title in his home state for the fourth time, as he faces once-beaten challenger Andrzej Wawrzyk.
Wawrzyk has since been removed due to a failed drug test.
“This is the guaranteed fight of the night on February 25,” said Harrison. “This fight is do or die for me and I’m going to remind everyone how gifted I am. Fighting on a network like FOX and FOX Deportes is a blessing. I have deep roots in the south and I’m looking forward to fighting on a card with the big champ Deontay Wilder. Hurd is my toughest opponent to date and the winner of this will catapult themselves to the top of the division. You don’t want to miss this fight.”
“This is a big fight for me to get in the number one position for a world title,” said Hurd. “This lines up a world title shot for me and I’m not going to take it for granted. The time has come for me to step up and overcome this obstacle. Tony is a tall guy who likes to move around and he has some nice power. He’s a good fighter and I’m expecting a tough fight. This is a great position to be in and I’m going to work hard to take advantage of it.”
“I’m very excited to return to battle once again in Birmingham, Alabama and on FOX and FOX Deportes,” said Breazeale. “It’s a new year for me and I have great expectation for 2017. It all starts with a victory on February 25. I know my opponent is going to come prepared to protect his perfect record, but I’m going to be ready to do anything to get the victory.”
“I’m really looking forward to my first fight in the United States,” said Ugonoh. “I’m expecting a tough fight from Dominic Breazeale. He always comes to fight and I know I have to be ready for anything that he can bring to the ring. It’s really an honor to fight on the same card as the heavyweight world champion, Deontay Wilder. It’s exciting to be fighting on FOX and FOX Deportes in primetime on U.S. television and I’m going to make the most of it.”
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Warriors Boxing in association with Bruno Event Team and TGB Promotions, start at $25 (not including applicable fees) and are on sale now. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and by visiting AlabamaTitleFight.com.
“As a promoter and as a fan, I can’t wait for the Harrison-Hurd title elimination fight,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Tony Harrison and Jarrett Hurd are two of the hardest hitting, most exciting young contenders in the super welterweight division. Fans can expect fireworks when they clash in Birmingham. The heavyweight fight between Breazeale and undefeated Izuagbe Ugonoh is also a battle of punchers and is a significant matchup in an increasingly competitive heavyweight division. Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes will have great supporting bouts for Deontay Wilder and the WBC heavyweight championship of the world.”
“These two co-featured bouts perfectly compliment the heavyweight world title
fight in the main event,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “All four top contenders are in position for much bigger fights with a victory, making this a true must-see event.”
The 26-year-old Harrison comes into this fight after scoring an explosive ninth-round stoppage of Sergey Rabchenko in July that put him in line for the world title currently held by Jermall Charlo. The winner of his last three fights, Harrison faces a tough challenge in the undefeated Hurd after he took down Cecil McCalla, Fernando Guerrero and Rabchenko in his last three contests. The Detroit-native was unbeaten in his first 21 pro fights and recorded 10-straight knockouts between 2013 and 2015.
Hurd fights out of Accokeek, Md., just south of Washington, D.C. and is perfect since entering the pro ranks in 2012. The 26-year-old defeated three straight unbeaten fighters including a sixth-round stoppage of Frank Galarza in 2015 and a 10th round TKO over Oscar Molina in the co-main event of the Keith Thurman vs. Shawn Porter card in June 2016. Most recently, Hurd stopped former title challenger Jo Jo Dan in the sixth-round of their fight in November of last year and he will now look to solidify his spot at the top of the 154-pound rankings on February 25.
After representing the U.S. at the 2012 Olympics, Breazeale steadily improved and moved up the rankings before an unsuccessful challenge to Anthony Joshua for his heavyweight title in June. Prior to that, the Glendale, California-native picked up victories over veteran competition in Yasmany Consuegra, Fred Kassi and a stoppage of Amir Mansour on FOX in January of last year. Before switching to boxing, Breazeale was a quarterback at the University of Northern Colorado.
Born in Szczecin, Poland to Nigerian parents, Ugonoh is a former Polish kickboxing champion who took up boxing in 2010. Ugonoh is trained by Kevin Barry, the trainer for current heavyweight titleholder Joseph Parker, who Ugonoh trained and sparred with on his way to the world title. The 30-year-old will be making his U.S. debut after scoring knockout victories over Ricardo Ramirez and Gregory Tony in 2016 while fighting out of New Zealand.
