The Red Owl Boxing series is set to take place on Friday nights, drawing inspiration from the Friday Night Fight Series that aired on ESPN2 from 1998 to 2015. With nine events scheduled to kick off on December 1, the series aims to showcase up-and-coming fighters before they make it to the world stage. The President of Red Owl Boxing, Gabriel Fanas, is aiming to recreate the energy of the beloved Friday Night Fight Series at their own 1,500-seat venue called the Owl’s Nest in Houston, Texas.
Fanas, who is also a co-owner of Arrow Group of Companies, plans to introduce promising boxing prospects in the series. The first episode will feature undefeated prospects Jalil Hackett (7-0, 6 knockouts) and Giovanni Marquez (7-0), making for an anticipated matchup. Hackett, promoted by Mayweather Promotions, will face Adrian Gutierrez (12-1-1, 6 KOs) in an eight-round welterweight bout. Meanwhile, Marquez, a fan favorite in Houston, will take on Joshua David Rivera (8-3, 3 KOs) in a six-round junior welterweight bout.
Fanas expressed his desire to collaborate with other promoters to present matches that offer unpredictable outcomes. He also emphasized the need for a structured league system in boxing to provide consistent opportunities for emerging fighters and address the sport’s issues related to corruption and politics. The upcoming matchups for the event include Daniel Bailey (11-1, 5 KOs) vs. Malik Warren (7-0, 6 KOs) and Mia Ellis (7-0) vs. Angelica Rascon (9-1) in an eight-round lightweight bout, as well as Ram Gandhara (6-0, 3 KOs) vs. Adrian Leyva (3-4-2, 1 KO) in a 4-round junior featherweight bout and Ramon Saucedo (6-2, 2 KOs) vs. Sergio Santana (3-5-2, 2 KOs) in a 6-round junior featherweight bout. Tickets for the event are available for purchase, ranging from $45 to $150.
While the complete schedule for the series is yet to be finalized, the second installment is expected to air in February.
Ryan Songalia has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler, and the Guardian, and is a 2020 graduate of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. Contact details are as follows: [email protected].
