The anticipated unification of four major titles in the junior welterweight division is going down! WBC & WBO World Super lightweight champion Terence Crawford (31-0, 22 KOs), who is considered one of the three best fighters in the world, will meet Namibia’s Julius Indongo (22-0, 11 KOs), the IBF & WBA 140lb. champion, on August 19 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, Crawford’s home state.
The bout will featured on ESPN as part of Crawford promoter Top Rank’s new deal with the sports network. Stay tuned to BoxingAfrica.com for more exclusive content on this anticipated showdown!
Two weeks before that showdown, WBO 130lb. champion Vasul Lomachenko (8-1, 6 KO’s) will defend his title against Manuel Marriaga (25-2, 21 KO’s) at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Like Crawford, Lomachenko is considered one of the best fighters in the world. Marriaga, however, is coming off a major loss to Oscar Valdez last April and will be a heavy underdog.
“Pound for pound, no one can match the talent of Vasyl Lomachenko and Terence Crawford,” Top Rank president Todd duBoef told ESPN.com. “They drew the best ratings on premium cable this year [HBO], and now everyone will be able to see them when they defend their world titles in all-action fights in August, live on ESPN.”
ESPN’s partnership with Bob Arum’s Top Rank will officially begin Saturday night, when the network will televise the Manny Pacquiao-Jeff Horn welterweight title fight from Brisbane, Australia, Horn’s hometown. Their scheduled 12-round fight for Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title will take place Sunday afternoon in Brisbane, where a crowd of 60,000 is expected at Suncorp Stadium, but it will air Saturday night in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
The Philippines’ Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KOs) is a 6-1 favorite over the unbeaten but unknown Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs), the No. 1 contender for Pacquiao’s championship.
