Virgil Hill departs for Germany to fight Henry Maske

MUNICH, Germany (February 26, 2007) – Five-time world champion and reigning WBA cruiserweight title-holder Virgil “Quicksilver” Hill crosses the Atlantic on Saturday for his March 31st fight against Henry “The Gentleman” Maske, headlining “The Rematch” pay-per-view boxing event, at Olympia Hall in Munich, Germany. “The Rematch,” promoted by WHS International, will be broadcast live in the United States on cable and satellite pay-per-view starting at 4 PM/ET, 1 PM/PT..

The event is being distributed for pay-per-view by Integrated Sports and will be available via iN Demand, DirecTV and TVN for a suggested retail price of only $24.95. In addition to the Hill-Maske 12-round boxing special attraction main event, other broadcast fights on the card will soon be announced.

Hill (50-5, 23 KOs) sent the previously unbeaten IBF light heavyweight title-holder Maske into retirement, registering a 12-round split decision (116-113, 115-113, 112-116) in their unification bout, on November 23, 1996 at Olympia Hall.

Maske, (30-1, 11 KOs) has come out of more than decade in retirement to fight Hill in their Mar. 31 rematch.

In addition to fighting all across the United States, Hill has traveled round the world to box as a professional, including South Africa, Canada, France (four times), England, Australia, and Germany (twice). The 22-year veteran has no reservations, unlike many Americans, about fighting the German born-and-bred Maske in his backyard once again.

“I don’t mind fighting him again in Germany,” Hill explained. “I’m an old dog who has fought everywhere. I prepare properly and if I can get a knockout, I’ll take the judging out of it. If Maske won on a hometown decision, I have no reason to think anything shady would give him a sense of revenge. Henry Maske is a gentleman.

“We’ll be there (Germany) on March 3, in plenty of time, a little less than a month. I like Germany. My first real taste of international competition as an amateur was in East Germany. I come from North Dakota, which is predominantly German and Norwegian, so the foods are quite similar.”