CARDIFF, WALES (January 4, 2007) — Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, may soon be known as the new “Mecca of Boxing!”. Promoter Frank Warren announced today that in just three weeks, over 10,000 tickets have already been sold to the Joe Calzaghe-Peter Manfredo, Jr. super middleweight championship, and with three months to go before the big night, the world title fight is projected to be fought in front of the biggest live boxing audience in United Kingdom history!
Warren also pointed out that ticket sales for Calzaghe-Manfredo are better than the sales for the fight between Kostya Tszyu and Ricky Hatton, (June 4, 2005 at MEN Arena in Manchester, England) over the same time period.
“We are ecstatic that the public is showing such tremendous support for this fight,” said Warren. “It’s a tribute to Joe Calzaghe and also to the popularity of Peter Manfredo and “The Contenders” series. Peter was mobbed by fans when he was over here last month. If tickets keep going like this, Joe’s 20th title defense may well be in front of the biggest live audience in UK boxing history.”
Promoted by Sports Network, in association with The Tournament of Contenders, Calzaghe-Manfredo will take place Saturday, April 7. HBO World Championship Boxing will broadcast it live at 5 P.M. ET/2 P.M. PT in the United States.
Calzaghe (42-0, 31 KOs), from Newbridge, Wales, boxing’s current longest-reigning world champion, has successfully defended his world title 19 times — sixth-best on the all-time list — since winning it in 1997. A victory on April 7 will move him into a fourth-place tie with Larry Holmes and Bernard Hopkins, former heavyweight and middleweight champions, respectively. Manfredo Jr. (26-3, 12 KOs), from Providence, RI, a former NABO champion and a finalist on the first season of “The Contender” on NBC, boasts career-high world rating, ranked No 7 by the World Boxing Organization, thanks to going undefeated in 2006 with trainer Freddie Roach.