LAS VEGAS, NEV. (December 12, 2008) — HBO Sports will present Oscar De La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao, the exclusive replay of their welterweight showdown, Tomorrow! Saturday, December 13 (4:45 p.m. ET / 1:45 p.m. PT with a same night replay at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO. Pacquiao, the WBC lightweight champion, moved up two weight classes and 12 pounds, to totally dominate De La Hoya, scoring an eighth-round knockout of the six-division world champion.. The Sports team, which was ringside for the live event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, will call all the action. The replay, which will be paired with the live heavyweight title fight from Mannheim, Germany between defending champion Wladimir Klitschko and former champion Hasim Rahman, will be available in HDTV.
HBO Sports reported that De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao generated 1.25 million pay-per-view buys and $70 million in pay-per-view revenue. It is only the fourth time in boxing pay-per-view history that a non-heavyweight event has attained the one million buy mark.
Captain Huck to return on January 24
Marco “Captain” Huck (23-1, 18 KOs) will make a second defence of his European cruiserweight title when he takes on Vadim Safonov in Riesa, Germany on January 24. Huck won the belt in September with a 12th-round TKO victory over Jean Marc Monrose before stopping Fabio Tuiach in the second round in October. The 24-year-old is determined to take care of business against Safonov (21-2, 10 KOs). “Normally I was the one who was chasing champions and titles,” Huck said. “But now everybody is hunting me and trying to deprive me of my European title. That does not make a difference to me, though. I do not focus on my opponents´ strengths but just my own.”
Huck is eager to get the new year off to a successful start. “I have high ambitions for 2009,” he added. “That is why I want to defeat Safonov convincingly. I want to keep improving. Of course it is my goal to fight for the world title again.”
“THE NIGHTMARE” MAKES APPEARANCE AS COMMENTATOR ON THIS SATURDAY’S DECEMBER 13 VERSUS CARD
LOS ANGELES, CA (December 12, 2008) – – Cristobal Arreola, fresh off his 3-round KO victory over NABF Heavyweight Champion Travis Walker on HBO will make a guest appearance as an expert commentator on the VERSUS telecast of the James Toney-Fres Oquendo match. Arreola will join VERSUS on-air talent Nick Charles and Wallace Matthews during the action on Saturday night’s main event.
Arreola, who defended his WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Championship on November 29 at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, also captured Walker’s NABF title and gained the #2 World ranking in the IBF Heavyweight Elimination bout.
“I’m excited to commentate on a James Toney fight and to be able to break down his game plan as it is going on; it will be a great experience.”
“The Nightmare” will also be participating in a “Meet and Greet” at the host site, Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon, California in a pre-event reception that will take place prior to the bouts broadcast.
The VERSUS broadcast starts at 6 PM PST / 9 PM EST.
For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus.