HBO’s hit late-night boxing franchise visits Omaha, Neb. for the first time to present an all-action doubleheader featuring a world title bout between undefeated rising stars when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: TERENCE CRAWFORD VS. YURIORKIS GAMBOA AND MATT KOROBOV VS. JOSE UZCATEGUIis seen SATURDAY, JUNE 28 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from CenturyLink Center, exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside for the event, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.
Other HBO playdates: June 29 (8:45 a.m.) and July 1 (1:10 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: June 29 (4:15 p.m.) and 30 (11:15 p.m.)
After six years of ring brilliance, lightweight titleholder Terence Crawford (23-0, 16 KOs) makes his long-awaited hometown debut in the national spotlight with a 12-round title defense against Cuban star Yuriorkis Gamboa (23-0, 16 KOs).
Crawford, 26, has fast-tracked through the 135-pound division, scoring three victories on HBO in 2013. In March, he subdued Ricky Burns, the UK’s lightweight titlist, for 12 rounds, showcasing his footwork, pinpoint accuracy and swiftness. Now, with HBO’s revival of Omaha’s championship stage after nearly half a century, Crawford will display his talent before those who first noted his ring generalship.
Ending a year’s layoff with his return to HBO, 2004 Olympic gold medalist Gamboa, 32, has limited experience at 135 pounds. His sole previous lightweight bout was a unanimous decision over undefeated Darleys Perez in June 2013. Gamboa was a highly-touted Cuban sensation when he relocated to Miami in 2007 and looks to reinforce his standing as an elite fighter with superstar skills.
The night opens with two more undefeated fighters who hope to become breakout stars when Matt Korobov (23-0, 14 KOs) of Saint Petersburg, Fla., and Jose Uzcategui (22-0, 18 KOs) clash in a ten-round middleweight fight