(APRIL 9) NEW YORK) - An IBF
Female World Title is on the line and women's boxing history
will be made on Saturday, April 13, as FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Powered
by Everlast once again works alongside SHOWTIME Sports to
deliver a great night of action to fight fans everywhere.
Beginning at 6 p.m. ET live from the hallowed Boardwalk Hall in
Atlantic City, N.J., the interactive, FREE Facebook series sets
the table for the Shields vs. Hammer undisputed middleweight
championship showdown with five fights, including a world title
contest and a main event preview featuring the undefeated
champion Claressa Shields herself.
"We're excited to have a role in what will be a historic night
in women's boxing, and it speaks to the strides our platform has
made to exclusively air our first world championship matchup,"
said Mark Fratto, Principal and Director of Business
Development, Linacre Media. "The world title fight will be part
of an outstanding evening of Facebook action with championship
contenders and budding stars, and an exclusive interview with
Claressa Shields, and of course we're thrilled to be working
alongside Showtime once again."
The FIGHTNIGHT LIVE lineup is headlined by unbeaten Russian
Elena Gradinar (9-0, 2 KOs), who vies for her first world title
when she takes on two-time title challenger Brenda Karen
Carabajal (15-4-1, 9 KOs) for the vacant IBF Featherweight World
Championship - the first-ever world title fight for the popular
Facebook series. In super flyweight action, 23 year-old
Detroit-native Ja'Rico O'Quinn (11-0, 8 KOs) looks to remain
unbeaten in an eight-round fight against Minnesota's Vicente
Alfaro Martinez (9-4, 3 KOs). The card will also include former
heavyweight title challenger Samuel Peter (37-6, 30 KOs) in an
eight-round matchup and Jesse Angel Hernandez (12-2, 7 KOs) of
Fort Worth, Texas, stepping in for an eight round super
bantamweight contest. Local standout Isiah Seldon (12-2, 4 KOs)
opens the free show on Facebook three hours before Showtime
Boxing hits the airwaves.
"April 13 is a fantastic fight card, top-to-bottom, from former
heavyweight champion Samuel Peter to top American super
flyweight prospect Jarico O'Quinn and the highly competitive IBF
Featherweight World Title fight between No. 1-ranked Elena
Gradinar from Russia and No. 2 contender Karen Carbajal from
Argentina fighting for the vacant belt," said boxing
champion-turned-promoter Dmitriy Salita of Salita Promotions.
"Some of the best boxers on the planet will be on display on the
most popular social media platform in the world, Facebook
FIGHTNIGHT LIVE, on April 13."
Now in its second season, FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Powered by Everlast is
the fan-friendly Facebook platform that - among other aspects -
prides itself on the real-time conversations held between fight
commentators and the viewing audience. FIGHTNIGHT LIVE has
showcased more than 545 fighters and 16 promotions during 33
live event broadcasts from 19 different cities since May 2017,
and in doing so, the interactive platform has generated the
loyal interest of fight fans from across the United States and
around the globe, including significant audiences in Mexico, the
United Kingdom and other parts of Europe, and even fans in South
America, Asia and Australia.