Next January will see the premiere of new show “Lights Out” on FX. Irish American actor Holt McCallany will play the role of a once heavyweight champion box who has fallen on hard times.

The story goes that McCallany’s character has lost his championship title five years ago and faces bankruptcy. He is unable to make any money in the gyms so he turns into a mercenary; breaking arms for a local gambler.

Producer, Warren Leight was asked why the character was not being played by an African American actor as more of the heavyweight champs in the last 50 years ave been African American. He said “We went with the best actor…That's what you have to do in a show like this”

Leight said that boxing is a great American subject. “There have been a lot of movies about boxing. ... Not only movies, there's been great boxing literature. It's where many authors go to prove themselves. So we've tried to draw on that…But we were aware we were walking where others have walked.”