The Super Bowl Eve show is a two network monstrosity.
We have known for a while that the highly anticipated light heavyweight title rematch of Eleider Alvarez’s shocking knockout upset of Sergey Kovalev was set for February 2nd at the Dallas Cowboy’s training facility. We have also know that this one would air on ESPN+ as Top Rank secured the rights to the broadcast for the network.
We have also known that WBO featherweight titleholder Oscar Valdez (22-0, 19 KOs) is set to return in the first couple months of 2014. What we did not know until today is that Valdez would be doing it on the very same card in Dallas. The 27 year old will have been out almost a year since suffering a broken jaw at the capable hands of an overweight Scott Quigg in an exciting win way back in March. Accordingly, Valdez’s comeback opponent will be a soft one in the form of unknown 34 year old Italian unbeaten Carmine Tommasone (19-0, 4 KOs). Tommasone hasn’t had a bout scheduled for longer than six rounds since 2016, so why not give him a title shot?
It is understandable that Valdez and his team are looking for a soft touch and thankfully the fight is much easier to stomach as a piece of a larger card with a bigger main event. Also joining the show is rapidly rising blue chip prospect Teofimo Lopez (11-0, 9 KOs). The 21 year old doesn’t have an opponent yet. Even if it ends up being no one of note, it is good to see the young fighter back in quickly after his sensational knockout of Mason Menard less than two weeks ago.
The overall broadcast flow of this card is interesting. Starting at 7 PM, the preliminary bouts begin on ESPN+. The main card will begin at 10 PM on ESPN and feature Lopez as well as Valdez-Tommasone. At midnight, the show shifts back to ESPN+ for Alvarez-Kovalev II. That portion of the show also has another world title fight in the form of a vacant IBF lightweight title bout between Richard Commey and Isa Chaniev, meaning two fights beginning at midnight or later on the east coast. The whole back and forth set up and extremely late start are not ideal to say the least, but ESPN probably sees the pre-card as a way to advertise the bigger fight on ESPN+ and sell subscriptions. I get that.
I apologize in advance for when I inevitably fall asleep trying to cover this one live. Sorry, guys.
