Top Fighters Support Undefeated Contender Heather Hardy as She Prepares to Take On Fellow Unbeaten Shelly Vincent In PBC on NBCSN

BROOKLYN (August 16, 2016) – Undefeated featherweight contender Heather “The Heat” Hardy is ready to take center stage and she has garnered the praise of the sport’s top fighters as she prepares to take on longtime rival Shelly “Shelito’s Way” Vincent in Premier Boxing Champions on NBCSN action Sunday, August 21 from Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk in Brooklyn.

PBC on NBCSN coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features exciting contender Claudio “The Matrix” Marrero taking on unbeaten Derrick Murray. PBC on NBC is headlined by undefeated rising star Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. facing once-beaten contender Leonard “The Lion” Bundu in a welterweight world title eliminator that begins at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.

Always in entertaining battles, Hardy’s punches per round stats far exceed the average for her weight class and prove why everyone believes her matchup with Vincent will be all-action. In six CompuBox-tracked fights, Hardy has averaged 83.4 punches per two-minute round, which projects to a staggering 111.2 if fought over three minutes. This number would far exceed the two men’s leaders Roman Gonzalez and Leo Santa Cruz. Her two-minute output of 83.4 punches per round would rank her fourth among the men over three minutes, ahead of hard-hitters Gennady Golovkin (68.6), Andrzej Fonfara (75.1), Orlando Salido (71) and Abner Mares (69.4) amongst others in the top ten.

“I think that if there is a female boxer out there that should and deserves to be seen, it’s Heather Hardy,” said former world champion Shawn Porter. “She has put tons of work in. I have seen her fight and train and she is a top competitor and a true athlete in this sport. Some people think it’s taking a chance to put women’s boxing on television, but I think Heather Hardy is the best person to take that chance on. I don’t know anyone that is more worthy of this shot.”

“Heather Hardy is always in fan friendly and entertaining fights,” said former world champion Paulie Malignaggi. “Off the top of my head, I cannot think of a dull Heather Hardy fight. Plus, she brings a big following and that always makes for a fun, noisy crowd and atmosphere.”

A fan-favorite in Brooklyn, Hardy has been helping to fill local venues for years including Barclays Center, where she has fought seven times as a pro. Now, her long awaited matchup with the unbeaten New Englander Vincent has given her the opportunity to show her talents on a bigger stage.

“I couldn’t be happier for my fellow Brooklynite Heather Hardy,” said middleweight world champion Daniel Jacobs. “This is a tremendous opportunity to showcase her talents on TV, and one that she has rightfully earned. This is huge, not only for her, bur for women’s boxing in general.”

“I think it’s a great for Heather to get this opportunity,” said Spence Jr. “It’s not common that we see women’s boxing on television but there are a lot of women who deserve it. This is great for them and it’s great for the sport.”

“Heather has been working incredibly hard and grinding for years,” said former world champion Chris Algieri. “It’s great to see her get the exposure she deserves after the time and commitment she has put in to get to this point. She’s one of the most consistent performers in the local area and it’s time for the rest of the world to see her hard work and skills.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and presented by BROOKLYN BOXING™, start at $35 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com and fordamphitheaterconeyisland.com.