Petrov Replaces Anthony Yigit, Who Was Forced to Withdraw Due to Illness
Undefeated Heavyweight Junior Fa To Face Craig Lewis In Opening Bout Of SHOWTIME Tripleheader
SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION Live At 10 p.m. ET/PT From Deadwood Mountain Grand in Deadwood, South Dakota
NEW YORK (March 6, 2018) – Undefeated 140-pound contender Ivan Baranchyk will now face former world title challenger Petr Petrov this Friday, March 9, in the co-featured bout on SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT from Deadwood Mountain Grand in Deadwood, SD. The contest will be an eliminator for the No. 2 position in the IBF junior welterweight world rankings.
Petrov replaces Anthony Yigit, who has withdrawn due to illness.
Also added to the SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION tripleheader is a heavyweight matchup featuring undefeated prospect Junior Fa taking on once-beaten Craig Lewis in an eight-round bout to open up the telecast at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
In the previously announced 12-round main event, undefeated 140-pound contender Regis Prograis will face former unified world champion Julius Indongo for the Interim WBC Super Lightweight World Championship.
“Baranchyk and Petrov are both known for their all-action styles and are never in a bad fight. It is a tremendous addition to this card and I’m thrilled we were able to put the bout together on short notice. The fact that Petr was training for another fight once again made it possible to create a superior fight under difficult circumstances,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “New Zealand heavyweight prospect Junior Fa made a huge statement in his last appearance on SHOWTIME and he’ll look to keep that momentum going this Friday at Deadwood Mountain Grand against the tough Craig Lewis. Boxing fans will remember Fa’s two amateur victories against Joseph Parker, who will attempt to unify heavyweight title belts against Anthony Joshua on SHOWTIME on March 31.”
Sporting a record of 38-5-2 with 19 KOs, the 34-year-old Petrov, of Ryazan, Russia, and based in Madrid, Spain, will look to bounce back into the win column following a hotly contested 12-round decision loss to WBO Lightweight World Champion Terry Flanagan on April 8, 2017, in Manchester, England. Prior to the loss to Flanagan, Petrov was on a six-bout winning streak, including victories over Michael Perez, Marvin Quintero and Gamalial Diaz. Over the last 10 years, Petrov’s only other losses have come against world champions Marcos Maidana and Dejan Zlaticanin.
The Baranchyk (16-0, 10 KOs) vs. Petrov bout is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, in association with Fight Promotions Inc., Holden Productions, Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing.
The 28-year-old Fa made an astounding statement in his U.S. network debut, stopping Fred Latham in the first round on November 10, 2017, in Cleveland on ShoBox: The New Generation. Prior to turning professional, the New Zealand native defeated current WBO Heavyweight World Champion Joseph Parker twice in the amateurs.
Fighting out of Detroit, Mich., Lewis (14-1-1, 8 KOs) returns to battle following a second-round knockout of Galen Brown on August 12, 2017. He was undefeated through the first 15 fights of his professional career and was the 2014 National Golden Gloves Bronze Medalist at heavyweight.
The event is presented by DiBella Entertainment. Tickets, priced at $200, $80 and $60, are on sale now, and can be purchased on Ticketmaster.com or by calling (877) 907-4726. The doors open and first bout begins at 5:30 p.m. More information on the Deadwood Mountain Grand can be found on their website at www.DeadwoodMountainGrand.com.
Header photo by Stephanie Trapp/Showtime
