NEW YORK (Feb. 25, 2008) – On Saturday, March 1, SHOWTIME subscribers will have access to a secondary audio program (SAP in Spanish, where available) for one of the most anticipated rubber matches in boxing history, Israel Vazquez vs. Rafael Marquez III. The fight, airing live on SHOWTIME from The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. (9 p.m. ET/PT delayed on the West Coast), will be called in Spanish by veteran boxing announcer Juan Larena, it was announced today by Ken Hershman, senior vice president and general manager of Sports and Event Programming for the premium network..
“SHOWTIME always has been committed to providing our subscribers with the best boxing has to offer and this fight is as good as it gets,” said Hershman. “Providing Spanish language play-by-play will enhance the experience for the Latino market, a loyal subscriber base for our boxing franchises.”
Their first two fights were heralded as old school, classic give-and-take slugfests, with the second scrap capturing Fight of the Year honors from some of the most respected media outlets in boxing. Now, Vazquez and Marquez are set to battle for the World Boxing Council (WBC) 122-pound title, The Ring Magazine belt and super bantamweight supremacy in the third and final chapter of boxing’s best rivalry in years.
“It is a tremendous honor for me to be doing the Spanish language transmission on SHOWTIME for this fight,“ said Larena. “I look forward to the challenge of meeting the high standards that this network has set as one of the most distinguished in boxing. And, of course, this fight has the potential to be one of the most exciting fights of the year. I can’t wait to be ringside.”
Larena has called more than one thousand boxing matches broadcast in South America, Europe, Asia and the U.S. He has anchored telecasts featuring Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, George Foreman, Oscar De La Hoya, Lennox Lewis and virtually all of the best boxers in the past two decades in their most important fights.
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