New York, December 9 – Undisputed and undefeated World Middleweight Champion Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor (25-0-1, 17 KO’s) and promoter DiBella Entertainment have signed Alltel Wireless as title sponsor along with secondary sponsors StubHub and the motion picture Rocky Balboa (MGM) for Taylor’s title defense against Kassim “The Dream” Ouma (25-2-1, 15 KO’s) on Saturday night, December 9th 2006 at Alltel Arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas..
Enticed by Jermain’s impeccable image and popularity in both Arkansas and around the country, the three major corporate sponsors have entered agreements to sponsor the ” Home for the Holidays: Return of a Champion” promotion. Their sponsorships include such elements as logos on the ring canvas; ring bumpers; signage in the venue on fight night, at press conferences, open workouts and the official weigh-in; public address announcements; inclusion in fight marketing materials and more.
“We welcome Alltel Wireless, StubHub and Rocky Balboa as sponsors for this major boxing promotion,” said promoter Lou DiBella. “These agreements clearly illustrate Jermain’s star power, and the ability to bring new and diverse sponsors into the fight game. It proves that an event featuring a hard working, personable, clean cut, family oriented fighter such as Jermain can attract mainstream corporate sponsors to our sport.”
“Alltel Wireless has a rich tradition of sponsoring some of the biggest names in sports – from Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville and Alltel Arena in Little Rock, to our Alltel Racing NASCAR team,” said Frank O’Mara, Executive Vice President of Alltel Wireless. “We are proud to partner with DiBella Entertainment on an event featuring an athlete of Jermain Taylor’s caliber and character to bring world class boxing to Little Rock.”
HBO’s World Championship Boxing will air Alltel Wireless’ Home for the Holidays on Saturday, December 9 th at 10:00 PM ET / 9:00 PM CT / 7:00 PM PT. Taylor vs. Ouma, along with the co-feature pitting unbeaten Olympian Andre Berto against Miguel Figueroa will both be televised, giving the event’s sponsors exposure to HBO’s domestic audience of over 30 million homes. Further enhancing visibility of the sponsors, the event will also be seen around the world in over 30 countries on six continents, with over 20 countries receiving the broadcast live.
The 12-round main event, Taylor vs. Ouma, is being promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Golden Boy Promotions and Peltz Boxing and will be aired Saturday, December 9th on HBO’s World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00PM (ET ) / 9:00PM (CT) / 7:00PM (PT) and is sponsored by Alltel Wireless, StubHub and the motion picture Rocky Balboa.
Alltel (NYSE: AT) is the owner and operator of the nation’s largest network and has more than 11 million wireless customers. For more information about Alltel, please visit http://www.alltel.com.
StubHub is the fan’s ticket marketplace, enabling customers nationwide to buy and sell tickets at fair market value to a vast selection of sporting, concert, theater and other live entertainment events, even those that are “sold out.” StubHub reinvented the ticket resale market in 2000 and continues to lead through innovation. The company’s unique open marketplace, dedicated solely to tickets, provides all fans the choice to buy or sell their tickets in a safe, convenient, and highly reliable environment. All transactions are processed and delivered via StubHub’s patent-pending FanNetwork (SM) ticket delivery service, supported by seven-day toll free customer service at 1-866-STUBHUB, and backed by an industry-first FanProtect (SM) Guarantee. Company partners include sports teams in the NFL, NBA, NHL, leading NCAA athletic programs and media companies including AOL and CBS. In August 2006, Inc. Magazine named StubHub the #8 fastest growing private company in America. The company is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information on StubHub, visit www.stubhub.com .
Tickets priced at $650, $500, $300, $200, $150, $125 , $75, $45, & $25 (Students Under age 18, Seniors & Active Military) are available through Alltel Arena Box Office, all Ticketmaster Outlets (501-975-7575) and online at www.ticketmaster.com.