Corinth Releasing is proud to present the US Theatrical premiere of KLITSCHKO, a documentary directed by Sebastian Dehnhardt. KLITSCHKO had its World Premiere at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival to critical acclaim and very enthusiastic audience reaction. The film will open in New York at Cinema Village on Friday, October 21, and in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Sunset 5 on October 21. Many other cities will follow.
Six-foot-six Ukrainian brothers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko moved to Germany to begin careers in heavyweight boxing in 1996, and the sport was never the same. After a 15-year reign over the ring, they made history in 2008, becoming the first brothers in the sport to hold world titles at the same time. Through an engaging mix of candid interviews and absorbing fight footage, KLITSCHKO offers a captivating glimpse into the makings of these champion boxing brothers.
Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko are two exceptional boxers, both icons and role models in their native Ukraine and around the world. But they also represent the original Cold War nightmare: The Mighty Russian Boxer. The myth of the strongest man in the world has a new face now; actually two, The Klitschkos.
But who are these smart gentlemen of boxing, each with a PhD and fluent in four languages? Will Wladimir dominate Heavy Weight Boxing for another five years; and will Vitali, the politician, someday become the President of Ukraine? Will they really stick with the promise they made to their mother, never to fight against each other?
Award winning German director Sebastian Dehnhardt followed the Klitschkos on their most personal journey. Included in the film is long forgotten archival footage; interviews with people around the world who shared never-before-heard details; time spent with the brothers in the sacred locker room just minutes before their fights. The result is an incredible and intimate portrait of these two boxers.
This feature documentary showcases the childhood of both brothers marked by socialist drills in the midst of the Cold War, growing up on Soviet Military Bases, and the impact that the Chernobyl Nuclear disaster had on their family. The film traces their path through life, their move from Germany to the United States and back to Europe and their rise to International Boxing Super-Stardom.
2011 In German, Russian and English, with English subtitles HDCam 112 min Not Rated
Photos and press kit will be uploaded soon, trailer at: http://www.klitschko-film.com/
Hollywood Ending in Hammond for Ring Announcer Treiber
They call it a “Hollywood ending” when the conclusion of a story is just a little too good to be believable. On August 19, Ring announcer Tom Treiber will cap off an incredible 2011 season of ESPN Friday Night Fights – one that saw him become a regular on the show, appearing 15 times in total – with an appearance in the season finale in his hometown of Hammond, Indiana.
“What are the odds that I would cap off my most successful year as a ring announcer, on the show’s season finale, in the city I was raised, Hammond, Indiana, of all places?” laughs the 38-year-old Treiber, who still resides in the nearby Chicago area. “It’s kind of hard to believe.”
Hard to believe as it may be, Treiber will indeed be the ring announcer that Friday night at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond when Hitz Boxing in association with Banner Promotions presents “Fight Night at the Horseshoe”, featuring former world champion David Diaz against younger, faster Hank Lundy and up-and-coming Demetrius Andrade taking on the always-troublesome veteran Grady Brewer.
So, how does a self-professed former casual boxing fan become a well-respected ring announcer known for his professionalism and passion for the sport?
“I started ring announcing senior year of high school,” he explains. “There were a couple of guys I went to school with who were bothers and they were boxers and one of them was Marty Jakubowski. What happened was I had emceed our school talent show and I was interested in getting into broadcasting and I knew Marty was a pro boxer. Marty introduced me to a promoter out of Indianapolis named Fred Berns. At the time, Fred was doing several shows a year at the Hammond Civic Center and he gave me a shot. It was just luck that I went to school with Marty Jakubowski.”
That was 20 years ago. Treiber has gone on to appear on several television networks, traveling the world one show at a time, meeting boxing fans and gaining respect in his field. “It’s not like punching a clock every day. It doesn’t work that way in this business, but I love it. I love traveling. I’ve been all over the world and all over the states. Being a ring announcer has enabled me to do something I love and see the world.
Treiber says his big break came in 1997.
“The thing that put me on the map was in 1997 when I contracted to be the exclusive ring announcer for Fox Sports Net with America Presents. It was for the series Fight Time on Fox. That was my first real big break. People started to recognize me. I was very young and very green but that opportunity is what helped me develop a lot of the relationships I have today with a lot of the people I’m working for now.”
And working he is, nearly every weekend. If not as a ring announcer, then at one of the other broadcast jobs at which he is very talented. “When you work in broadcasting, you wear many hats. I’ve done play-by-play for boxing. I’ve been an on-air personality in radio. I’ve also been a pit reporter for boat racing on Spike, done professional wrestling ring announcing and commentating. I also ring announce for MMA events. I was even on an episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians as a ring announcer.
The secret, says Treiber, to top-level ring announcing is doing the work before the fights. “I typically leave the day before a televised event. Most promoters request I emcee the weigh-in. I truly believe preparation is the key to being a successful ring announcer and at the weigh-in, that’s where I do my show prep. That’s where you get the correct pronunciations. Make sure all my i’s are dotted. Speak with fighters and get their hometowns. I really try to pay attention to detail. I’m a perfectionist.”
Treiber says he’s still surprised by the breakthrough he’s made this year. “Being in this business for as many years as I have, you develop relationships and it seems like a lot of the seeds I planted throughout the years have started to blossom. This past year has made me feel like the twenty years I have in are really starting to pay off. It’s a really great feeling to finish what has been a terrific year for me working with ESPN and to announce the finale in the city I grew up in. I’m hoping to see a lot of familiar faces. I know I’ve gotten a lot of comments on Facebook and messages from people saying they’ll come to the show. It’s a great opportunity for people who live in this area and see a great show and be part of a live national audience.”
Local boy jumps right out of high school, catches a break, works hard, perseveres through the lean years and ends up seeing the world as one of the top performers in his field. And at the end of his runaway breakthrough year, he ends up right back where he started, doing what he loves in front of friends and family on national television.
Too Hollywood. No one is ever going to believe it.
Tickets for Andrade vs. Brewer and Diaz vs. Lundy are available at www.fanfueled.com or www.thevenue-chicago.com and are priced at $90 ringside, $40 Orchestra (main level), $30 Mezzanine (balcony). The Horseshoe Casino is located at 777 Casino Center Drive in Hammond, Indiana.
On fight night, doors open at 6pm and action starts at 7pm. The undercard for this event will be announced shortly.
The high-class atmosphere and luxurious surroundings the Horseshoe has to offer make their boxing shows a Las Vegas-style night of boxing that Chicago-area fans don’t have to get on a plane to enjoy.
The Horseshoe Casino has an intimate, comfortable venue with luxurious seats, a spectacular gaming area, free parking, exquisite food and all the amenities — and is just 20 minutes from Downtown Chicago.
For updates and more information, visit www.hitzboxing.com.
OPPONENTS SET FOR AUGUST 19 ALL-NEW YORK “SÓLO BOXEO TECATE” BROADCAST
LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (August 11, 2011) – The East Coast return of both lightweight sensation Michael Perez and junior middleweight phenom Eddie Gomez is approaching rapidly and with the anticipation rising for their respective Friday, August 19 bouts in the Bronx, New York’s Paradise Theater, these prospects will be tested by opponents looking to spoil their homecoming.
In the 10-round main event, Newark, New Jersey’s Perez will face Manhattan’s Miguel Rodriguez and in the six-round co-feature, Bronx native Gomez takes on Rochester’s Marcus Hall.
Tickets, priced at $30, $50 and $100, are available for purchase by calling Star Boxing at (718) 823-2000 or visiting www.starboxing.com. Tickets may also be purchased through any Ticketmaster outlet or by visiting the Paradise Theater Box Office, or by calling the Paradise Theater at (718) 220-1015.
The night of world-class professional boxing is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, DeWalt Tools and AT&T. Doors open at 7:00pm ET and first fight begins at 7:30pm ET. TeleFutura’s “Sólo Boxeo Tecate” will be broadcast at 11:30pm ET / PT (10:30pm CT).
Fans at home can also be part of the action by participating in Cinturón Tecate and voting for the fighter in the main event who displays the most character in the ring by sending a text message to 55333. Voting will be open through the end of the weekend.
21-year old Michael “The Artist” Perez (13-0-1, 7 KO’s) is a former National Golden Gloves winner whose professional career is looking just as golden thus far. He is unbeaten in 14 fights and is currently riding a streak of three consecutive wins in his family’s native Puerto Rico where he has become a fan favorite. Last December, he fought in the “Sólo Boxeo Tecate” Fight of the Year in a classic eight round battle with Jose Hernandez. In May, Perez nabbed his 13th win with a third round stoppage of Ira Terry and now he has his sights set on impressing his local fans in his New York showdown on August 19.
Ponce, Puerto Rico native Miguel Rodriguez (7-3, 3 KO’s) now represents his New York City turf proudly and he’s not about to let Perez come in and take over later this month. Winner of five of his last seven bouts, with his only losses coming to 7-0 Guillermo Sanchez and 14-0 Mike Faragon, the 26-year-old Rodriguez has been training hard for his moment in the spotlight and will be ready for one of his toughest tests to date against Perez.
Six days before his 19th birthday, teenage phenom Eddie Gomez (5-0, 4 KO’s) will get an early present as he gets to fight in his hometown for the first time as a professional. A stellar amateur who has brought his talent, speed and power to the junior middleweight division as a professional, Gomez has impressed all who have seen him thus far. He has racked up three first round knockouts already and has delivered a jolt of fear into his prospective opponents.
Not willing to back down against Gomez, is 21-year-old upstate New Yorker Marcus Hall (5-3-1, 2 KO’s). A professional since 2009, Hall has won two of his last three fights, with those victories coming over unbeaten Llyas Aksabaev and 5-1 Stephen Scott. It’s clear that he’s a scrappy competitor who will give Gomez all he can handle from bell to bell.
Tecate, cerveza con carácter, is the largest beer brand to sponsor boxing matches in the U.S. Part of its commitment to make boxing accessible to consumers is the title sponsorship of “Sólo Boxeo Tecate,” which creates an opportunity for local fans to witness some of the most exhilarating fights by today’s up-and-coming prospects. Additionally, Tecate has been a primary supporter of Golden Boy Promotions’ marquee events since 2007, and has launched a variety of initiatives to ensure consumers are part of the boxing experience, including boxer autograph signing sessions, commemorative cans, PPV mail-in rebate offers, and most recently the launch of a mobile museum “Tecate Museo de Boxeo,” which showcases decades of the most memorable moments in the sport.