Ring City USA, the new sports media startup that debuted its Thursday night boxing series in November 2020, will host its next live event from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. on Thursday, April 22. The event, which will be headlined by a matchup of two undefeated American heavyweights, will be televised on NBC Sports Network (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) with bonus undercard action streaming live around the world on Twitch. Armed Forces Network Europe and Pacific will make the broadcast available to U.S. Forces serving overseas on AFN TV.
The nation’s most notable military service academy will host a full evening of boxing action headlined by Ring City’s first ever heavyweight main event when two undefeated American heavyweights Jermaine Franklin (20-0, 13 KOs) and Stephan Shaw (14-0, 10 KOs) meet in a ten-round fight. Franklin, who hails from Saginaw, Mich., will return from an 18-month layoff to face his toughest and most experienced challenger to date. Franklin, 27, notched three impressive decision victories in 2019, including a win over fellow top American heavyweight Jerry Forrest. Shaw, 28, will take another step in his development as he faces the first unbeaten fighter of his professional career in Franklin. Born and raised in Saint Louis, Shaw has flashed devastating power with all 10 of his career knockouts coming within four rounds.
“This will be the historic first-time professional bouts will occur at West Point,” said Ray Barone, Army West Point Boxing Coach. “We’ve been asked before, but never has a boxing event been brought to us the way Ring City and NBC has. We want to showcase the cadets. We want to demonstrate that amateur boxing when conducted properly is safe. And we hope that this will become an annual event.”
Ring City USA will pay homage to the host venue and its rich history by honoring current and former service members. The academy’s history is evidenced by 10 National Boxing Championships and a curriculum that mandates all cadets participate in the school’s renowned boxing program. Ring City will highlight the West Point Boxing Team by presenting intramural scrimmages on the undercard.
More details on the Ring City USA event on April 22 from West Point will be announced at a later date. Follow Ring City USA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest updates or visit www.ringcityusa.com.
About Ring City USA
Ring City, which launched in 2020, is boxing’s newest sports media platform. Working in tandem with a variety of promoters and talent, its new boxing series places an emphasis on competitive matchups that genuinely test the fighters and excite the fight fans. Ring City provides great fights in the ring and compelling shoulder programming outside of the ring. Ring City is the proving ground where up-and-coming talent can earn their stripes and launch themselves into the upper echelon of boxing stardom.
About West Point
The U.S. Military Academy at West Point is a four-year, co-educational, federal, liberal arts college located 50 miles north of New York City. It was founded in 1802 as America’s first college of engineering and continues today as the world’s premier leader-development institution, consistently ranked among top colleges in the country. Its mission remains constant—to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the nation as an officer in the U. S. Army. For more information, go to www.westpoint.edu.
