New York, August 22-Heavyweight David Tua, scheduled to make his first United States appearance in more than two years, will not be able to participate on the Heavyweight Heat pay-per-view card on Friday night, August 26, due to dental surgery. Tua had a wisdom tooth extracted, and has been advised by doctors to postpone his ring appearance against Cisse Salif..
The rest of the stellar card remains intact. Warriors Boxing Promotions in association with Cedric Kushner Promotions will present the long awaited showdown between “Merciless” Ray Mercer (34-5-1,25 KO’s) and Shannon Briggs (42-4-1, 36 KO’s), and the ring return of top Heavyweight contender Jameel McCline (31-5-3,19 KO’s) live on pay per view from the brand new Hard Rock Live arena at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
Showtime Pay Per View will distribute the heavyweight extravaganza priced at $29.95. Contact your local cable and satellite provider.
McCline looks to get back on the winning track against Steve Pannell (34-8, 28 KO’s), a powerful 6-4 native of Salem, Virginia.
In another co-featured bout on August 26, IBF Cruiserweight champion O’Neil Bell (24-1-1, 22 KO’s) will defend his world title for the first time against South African strongman Sebastiaan Rothmann (18-3-2, 12 KO’s). On a fight card loaded full of action from start to finish, highly regarded junior welterweight contender Juan “Iron Twins” Urango (15-0-1, 12 KO’s), will aim to keep his unbeaten record intact when he battles slick boxing New Yorker Andre Eason (15-3-0,6 KO’s), in a WBC Latin American Junior Welterweight Title bout scheduled for 12 rounds.
In another heavyweight bout, Lance Whitaker will be featured in a contest scheduled for ten rounds.
In the heavyweight main event, scheduled for 10 rounds, longtime world title contender Briggs is again focused on the heavyweight crown when he squares off against granite-chinned warrior Mercer. It’s a match up of two fighters who both gave former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis major tussles, and have fought some of the best in the world during the past decade. Briggs has reeled off six straight victories on the heels of a hard-fought defeat to McCline at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden. The Brooklyn-bred brawler has captured 10 of his last 11 fights. Mercer has scored in 11 of his last 12, the only loss to the highly-regarded Wladimir Klitschko.
New York bred McCline, who has long fought out of Clifton, NJ, has faced both Chris Byrd (IBF) and Wladimir Klitschko (WBO) for versions of the heavyweight title, most recently just missing in a split decision for the IBF title against Byrd at the Garden. McCline emerged as a bona fide contender for the title in 2000 when he reeled off seven consecutive triumphs against the likes of Al Cole, Lance Whitaker, and Michael Grant.