ESPN Friday Night Fight preview – Unbeaten Dargan vs Luis headlines

ESPN Friday Night Fight preview

ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights returns this week from the Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket Connecticut with a nice card featuring undefeated prospects, a title fight, and a former title holder.

In the ten round main event, Philadelphian Karl “The Dynamite” Dargan (17-0 9KO)  will battle Canadian Tony “The Lightning” Luis (18-2 7 KO) for the WBC Continental America’s lightweight title.

As a youngster, Dargan watched his uncle Naazim Richardson train many fighters including future hall of famer Bernard Hopkins. Talk about an early education. Hopkins once told Dargan, “ Protect yourself at all times, in and out of the ring. That is from A to Z, not just in boxing but in his professional life and in his career in general”

Said Hopkins of Dargan, “He hasn’t won a championship yet, but if you didn’t know him, you would think he already has. I think he will win one sooner rather than later.”

Dargan comes in on the strength of two straight stoppages;  however, although he won his last fight with a brutal fifth round TKO over Angino Perez, he was dropped in the third.

The wise uncle who now trains his nephew knows Luis is a formidable opponent, “Karl has a tough fight on his hands. I like this kid Tony Luis,” “This kid (Luis) doesn’t back down for anybody. You have to be leery, too, because he likes to lead with that head – he’s got that Tim Bradley lead.”

Dargan will be the third opponent in a row for Luis who is undefeated. Luis fought twice in 2014 splitting a pair of fights to undefeated fighters, losing one by unanimous decision and missing out on capturing the USBA lightweight title to Ivan Redkach and winning his last fight in July by unanimous decision over Wanzell Ellison.

Luis knows what he is up against in Dargan stating, “ I think Dargan is a very good fighter, I think he’s got very good skills, fast hands, and he’s a good counter puncher. If you make too many mistakes, he can make you pay”.

It’s Lightning vs. Dynamite, it’s going to be explosive.

Undercard

Russell Lamour vs Thomas Falowo – 8 Rounds Middleweights

Maine’s Russell “The Hatian Sensation” Lamour (11-0 5 KO) may be undefeated as a professional but he takes a step up in competition here to face a familiar foe, Thomas “The Souljah” Falowo (12-3 8 KO) from Rhode Island. Lamour and Falowo fought several times as amateurs with Lamour winning all but one

Falowo comes in having been stopped in his last fight, a seventh round TKO loss to Ronald Gavril last August.

Lamour fought five times in 2014 winning one by disqualification, two by stoppage, and two by unanimous decision. He just started his career in 2012 and at the age of 32 appears to be on the fast track.

Main Event’s matchmaker Jolene Mizzone had this to say about the fight, “This is the type of fight all fighters coming up should take. You have an undefeated boxer (Lamour) who is taking a big step up and you have a fighter (Falowo) who has been in tough fights that he lost, but not looking for easy fights. They both want to prove they belong in the mix in the middleweight division”

Classic matchup between a technician, Lamour against the boxer/puncher in Falowo. Interesting to see if the matchup between these two at the pro ranks has a different outcome than the amateurs.  

Jeff Lacy vs Sullivan Barrera – 8 Rounds Light Heavyweights

There was a time when St. Petersburg’s Jeff “Left Hook” Lacy (27-5 18 KO) was the “next big thing”. He had won 21 straight fights and captured the IBF World super middleweight during that run but was dominated by Joe Calzaghe in March of 2006 and handed his first loss. He would win more fights against lesser competition but would lose again once the level of opposition increased as he did when he faced Jermain Taylor and Roy Jones Jr.

Shortly after the loss to Jones in 2009, he took some time off to regain his focus and do some soul searching. He began his comeback in November of 2013 with a third round TKO victory against Martin Verdin. Lacy fought twice in 2014, losing by second round TKO in July to Umberto Savigne and beating Timothy Hall Jr. by unanimous decision in December.

Lacy will once again see his level of opposition increase as he faces undefeated Cuban Sullivan Barrera (14-0 9 KO).

Said Lacy, “I’m looking forward to this fight with Barrera, I am sure that by him wanting this fight with me he is too, and that is what hungers me more”

Barrera enters the fight on the strength of three straight stoppages to end 2014, his last in November. Barrera started training immediately after his last fight and is fortunate to have Gennady Golovkin as a stablemate and mentor, said Barrera,  “ I’ve been in camp since the week after my last fight in November,  Camp was excellent, I had the chance to work on a lot of different things. I want to thank my team members, including the one and only GGG, who’s taught me a lot. I’m very thankful to have such a great team”

On his opponent, “Facing an ex-world champion in Jeff Lacy is going to be a tough test,” Barrera said. “I know he cannot be underestimated, but I’m ready to go out there and give the fans what they want to see. It will be another victory and another step toward a world championship.”

Main Events believes they have something in Barrera as CEO Kathy Duva stated, “After 14 fights, it’s time for Sullivan to start stepping up. Jeff Lacy was with Main Events early in his career. He’s a former world champion and a tough competitor. This is the right fight for Sullivan at this point in his career and an opportunity for Jeff to jump-start his own. We’re looking forward to a big year for Sullivan Barrera and it starts on January 30!”

Keith Tapia vs Jesse Oltmanns – 8 Rounds Heavyweights

Puerto Rican Keith “Machine Gun” Tapia (12-0 7 KO) fought three months in a row in 2014, April,  May, and June finishing with two unanimous decisions and one stoppage. Although he has had a seven month layoff, it’s nothing compared to his opponent’s two and a half year layoff. Jesse Oltmanns (10-4 7 KO) has not fought since 2012 where he was stopped in both fights that year which included a first round TKO at the hands of WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder. After such a long layoff, it’s unclear what Oltmann will bring to the table. Tapia, on the other hand, has been active, is fifteen years younger, and has almost a 60% knockout rate. This has miss-match written all over it but then again, anything can happen in the heavyweight division.

- Rick Guerrero / @lappittick