Ring City USA, the new sports media startup that debuted its Thursday night boxing series in November 2020 on NBC Sports Network, will take over Puerto Rico in less than one month to kick off their 2021 schedule. The March 4 event will take place at Felix Pagan Pintor Gym in Guaynabo, while the March 18 event will be held at the Albergue Olimpico (Olympic Center) in Salinas. Ring City will close out its three-event residency in Puerto Rico on March 25 at a location to be announced at a later date.
Both events will be televised in the United States and Puerto Rico on NBC Sports Network and the NBC Sports app on Thursday nights at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT with undercard action streaming live on Twitch. The full card will be available on Twitch outside of the United States.
Ring City will be welcomed to the island by two Puerto Rican legends, Miguel Cotto and Ivan Calderon, who will serve as ambassadors for the boxing outfit. Since retiring from their storied careers inside the ring, the former world champions have embarked on a mission to grow the sport outside of it. The two men fought on cards together in Puerto Rico during their fighting careers and now will join forces with Ring City to deliver top notch events to millions on NBC Sports Network and Twitch.
“We are very excited and proud that Ring City USA will showcase events from my beautiful island of Puerto Rico,” said Cotto. “We have such a rich history in the sport of boxing. This is exciting for boxing, it’s such a great opportunity for boxers to highlight their talent on NBC Sports Network. I can’t wait for the month of March to come.”
Cotto, 40, was affectionately known as the “Pride of Puerto Rico” during his professional career and has worked to represent the island’s next generation of fighters with his company Cotto Promotions. During his 17-year professional career, Cotto captured six world titles in four different weight classes and took on all challengers with his fearless pursuit of greatness. He won his first world title in Puerto Rico and toppled world champions such as Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito, Sergio Martinez and Paulie Malignaggi as he moved up from super lightweight to middleweight. Cotto represented Puerto Rico at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
“First of all, I want to thank Ring City USA for thinking about Puerto Rico and making the first show in my hometown of Guaynabo City,” said Calderon. “It makes me very proud because the show will be at my house and where our story was built.”
Calderon, 46, has taken a prominent role in the youth boxing program on the island and has trained dozens of fighters in his hometown of Guaynabo since retiring from boxing in 2012. Calderon, known as “Iron Boy” inside of the ring, had dominant title reigns in the mini flyweight and light flyweight divisions from 2003 to 2010. He fought 22 of his 39 professional fights in Puerto Rico, including four fights in Guaynabo. Prior to his accomplished professional career, Calderon also represented Puerto Rico at the 2000 Games.
The March 4 event at Felix Pagan Pintor Gym will feature a main event between undefeated blue-chip rising star Serhii Bohachuk (18-0, 18 KOs) and former middleweight title challenger Brandon Adams (22-3, 13 KOs) in a 10-round super welterweight affair. Two weeks later, on March 18, Ring City presents the next chapter in the Puerto Rico vs. Mexico ring rivalry live from Albergue Olimpico (Olympic Center) when former super featherweight world titlist Alberto Machado (22-2, 18 KOs) faces undefeated rising prospect Hector Tanajara (19-0, 5 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight main event.