LAS VEGAS (Feb. 12, 2020) —Today, ESPN and FOX Sports announced an extensive Wilder vs. Fury II fight week and fight night programming lineup in advance of the highly anticipated rematch between undefeated heavyweight champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder and unbeaten lineal champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury taking place on Saturday, Feb. 22, in a historic, joint presentation by FOX Sports PPV and ESPN+ PPV live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The Wilder vs. Fury II PPV begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features former heavyweight world champion Charles Martin squaring off against former title challenger Gerald “El Gallo Negro” Washington in a 12-round IBF Heavyweight Title eliminator as the co-main event. WBO Junior Featherweight World Champion Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete, a.k.a “The Mexican Iron Man” will defend his title against Filipino contender Jeo Santisima in the PPV featured bout. Plus in the PPV opener, super welterweight sensation Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora will face 2016 Australian Olympian Daniel Lewis in a 10-round battle of unbeatens.
Early prelims will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT on FS1, ESPNEWS and in Spanish on FOX Deportes and ESPN3, featuring two explosive bouts. ESPNEWS’ coverage will switch to ESPN at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Fight week and fight night programming will feature a quartet of former champions and current ESPN and FOX Sports analysts, including three-time world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, former two-division world champion and 2004 U.S. Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward, two-time welterweight world champion Shawn Porter and future Hall of Famer Timothy Bradley. Lewis and Ward will join ESPN veteran broadcaster Joe Tessitore for ringside commentary. Bradley and Porter will join ESPN’s Max Kellerman and FOX Sports’ Brian Kenny (host) live on the desk. ESPN’s boxing insiders Mark Kriegel and Bernardo Osuna will serve as reporters alongside FOX Sports’ Kate Abdo. Boxing Hall of Famer Larry Hazzard Sr. will serve as the unofficial scorer and rules expert, while Jimmy Lennon, Jr. will serve as ring announcer. Spanish-language coverage from site includes play-by-play from ESPN Deportes’ Jorge Eduardo Sánchez and FOX Deportes’ Adrián García Márquez, alongside former champions Juan Manuel Márquez (ESPN Deportes) and Hall of Famer Erik “Terrible” Morales(FOX Deportes) on the analysis. ESPN Deportes’ David Faitelson and FOX Deportes’ Jaime Motta will provide commentary.
ESPN and FOX Sports’ presentation of Wilder vs. Fury II will feature unique production upgrades to bring fans closer to the ring and deliver views that enhance their experience. The production will include 35 cameras — unprecedented for an ESPN boxing production — seven super-slow-motion and six robotic cameras, a 4D camera system that allows 360 degree replays, a mini FlyCam, a JITA camera for unique shots, as well as bumper corner cameras.
Covering the historic heavyweight battle, ESPN and FOX Sports will be producing an unprecedented amount of content from numerous locations in Las Vegas starting Tuesday, Feb 18. Lead up coverage includes:
- SportsCenter on the Road (Tue-Sun, from MGM Grand set near KÀ Theater): Toni Collins, Mark Kriegel, Bernardo Osuna, Joe Tessitore and Stan Verrett rotate to host segments for ESPN’s flagship news and information program.
- Max on Boxing (Tue & Thurs from MGM Grand set near KÀ Theater; Wed & Fri from the MGM Grand Garden Arena): ESPN’s boxing series hosted by Max Kellerman airing on ESPN2 at 5 p.m. ET, Tue, Thurs, Fri and 5:30 p.m. ET on Wed. Shows on Tue, Thurs, Fri will each be one hour, while Wed will be 30-minutes following the live final press conference.
- Speak For Yourself (Wed-Fri at 3:00 p.m. ET on FS1): Jason Whitlock and Marcellus Wiley co-host the 90-minute discussion and opinion-based program live on-set at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino set near the MGM Grand Race & Sports Book.
- First Take (Thu-Fri at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN): ESPN’s morning debate show hosted by Molly Qerim with commentators Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman will have Smith, Kellerman and Qerim live on-set at the MGM Grand set near KÀ Theater.
- Wilder vs. Fury II Final Press Conference (Wed at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and FS1): Watch Joe Tessitore, Brian Kenny and Shawn Porter preview Saturday’s showdown, while Kate Abdo hosts the fighters in their final press conference from the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Spanish-language coverage on ESPN Deportes and FOX Deportes.
- Wilder vs. Fury II Official Weigh-In: (Fri at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and FS1 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena): Joe Tessitore, Brian Kenny and Shawn Porter discuss the heavyweight title fight, while Kate Abdo reports. Spanish-language coverage on ESPN Deportes and FOX Deportes.
- Wilder vs. Fury II Pre-Show on ABC: Will feature Joe Tessitore from the desk, with ringside analysis from Tim Bradley, Max Kellerman, Mark Kriegel, and Andre Ward, and reports from Bernardo Osuna.
Wilder vs. Fury II Original Content
- ESPN’s Ring Science hosted by Andre Ward, available now exclusively on ESPN+.
- Countdown: Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury II, one-hour special goes behind the scenes and inside the lives of both fighters as they prepare for their long-awaited rematch. Re-airs during fight week across ESPN and FOX Sports platforms.
- Inside Wilder vs. Fury II, an in-depth four part series which looks into the fighter’s preparation leading up to fight night. Re-airs across ESPN and FOX Sports platforms throughout fight week.
- Wilder vs. Fury II: The Roundtable premieres on ESPN Friday, Feb. 14.
- E60: (Sun at 7 pm ET on ESPN): Tyson Fury is a 31-year-old Englishman and unbeaten lineal champion. In 2017, he was on the brink of total self-destruction, and battled depression and anxiety. On February 22, Fury enters the ring to settle old scores when he takes on current WBC champion Deontay Wilder. Before he does, Fury sits down with E:60 reporter Jeremy Schaap to discuss his demons, the road to recovery and his comeback.
- Andre Ward’s Unguarded with Tyson Fury, available now exclusively on ESPN+.
- From ESPN.Com: The Tyson Fury rollercoaster – a look at the highs and lows of a wild career
- Mark Kriegel on how Tyson Fury’s decision to change trainers changed everything about this fight
- The stories about Deontay Wilder you need to know, as told by those who know him best
- Mark Kriegel on how Deontay Wilder became the unlikeliest American boxing icon
- Breaking down “The punch”: An oral history of the 12th round in the first Wilder-Fury fight
- How does each fighter get the job done? Tim Bradley offers up the gameplan for both fighters (E+)
- Social: @ESPNRingside Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
- From FOXSports.com: Martin Rogers on how the epic Wilder vs. Fury rematch will shape the boxing landscape and their legacies.
- ‘One More Round’ with Wilder and Fury – both fighters break down the pivotal rounds from their first bout
- The best of “Inside PBC Boxing” including both fighters’ Keys to Victory as broken down by Shawn Porter and Abner Mares
- A host of original content on @PBConFOX’s social channels, including Wilder and Fury’s Top 3 Knockouts and their Boxing Mount Rushmores
ESPN and FOX Sports Fight Night Schedule for Saturday, Feb 22:
Sat, 2/22 | Time ET | Show | Network |
11:00 a.m. | *A Los Golpes | ESPN Deportes | |
1:00 p.m. | Wilder vs. Fury II Pre-Show (Live) | ABC | |
5:00 p.m. | Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury II (Early Prelims) | ESPN App unauthenticated (English & Spanish), FOX Sports App, | |
6:00 p.m. | Wilder vs. Fury II Pre Show (ABC Re-air) | ESPNEWS | |
7:00 p.m. | Wilder vs. Fury II Live Pre-Show | ESPNEWS, FS1; Spanish: ESPN3, FOX Deportes | |
7:30 p.m. | Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury II (Undercards) | ESPNEWS, FS1 Spanish: ESPN3, FOX Deportes |
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8:00 p.m. | Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury II (Undercards) | ESPN, FS1, Spanish: ESPN3, FOX Deportes |
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9:00 p.m. | Wilder vs. Fury II PPV | Available on PPV via major cable and satellite providers, FOX Sports app and ESPN+ | |
Conclusion of PPV | Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury II Post Show (Live) | ESPN2, FS1 | |
Conclusion of PPV | In Spanish – Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury II Post Show (Live) | ESPN Deportes, FOX Deportes |
*slight delay
Main Card, Undercards and Early Undercards (All times ET)
9:00 PM | Main | Deontay Wilder (C) vs. Tyson Fury (Lineal) |
Co-Feature | Charles Martin vs. Gerald Washington | |
Special Feature | Emanuel Navarrete (C) vs. Jeo Santisima | |
Opener | Sebastian Fundora vs. Daniel Lewis | |
8:00 PM | Feature | Amir Imam vs. Javier Molina |
7:30 PM | Feature | Subriel Matias vs. Petros Ananyan |
5:00 PM | Feature | Rolando Romero vs. Arturs Ahmetovs |
Undercard | Gabriel Flores Jr. vs. Matt Conway | |
Undercard | Vito Mielnicki Jr. vs. Cory Champion | |
Undercard | Isaac Lowe vs. Alberto Guevara |
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