HBO Sports’ groundbreaking “24/7” reality franchise returns for its tenth boxing installment with the four-episode, all-access series 24/7 MAYWEATHER/ORTIZ. Debuting SATURDAY, AUG. 27 (10:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT), the show follows boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather’s return to the ring against rising sensation Victor Ortiz as they prepare for their Sept. 17 welterweight title pay-per-view showdown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Episode # 1
Debut: SATURDAY, AUG. 27 (10:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT)
Other HBO playdates: Aug. 27 (12:30 a.m.), 28 (11:00 a.m.), 29 (7:30 p.m., 2:25 a.m.), 30 (10:00 p.m.) and 31 (11:30 a.m., 11:30 p.m.), and Sept. 1 (4:00 p.m.), 2 (11:55 p.m.), 3 (10:45 a.m.), 16 (7:30 p.m.) and 17 (8:00 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Aug. 28 (11:55 p.m.) and Sept. 2 (8:30 p.m.) and 16 (midnight)
HBO On Demand availability begins: Aug. 29
Returning to the ring for the first time since May 2010, Floyd Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs) trains in the familiar confines of Las Vegas and the Mayweather Boxing Gym, while Victor Ortiz (29-2-2, 22 KOs), the sport’s brightest new sensation, opens camp in Ventura, Cal.
Episodes two and three of 24/7 MAYWEATHER/ORTIZ debut on subsequent Saturdays – Sept. 3 (10:00-10:30 p.m.) and 10 (10:00-10:30 p.m.) – while the finale debuts Friday, Sept. 16 (9:00-9:30 p.m.), the night before the super showdown. All four episodes will have multiple replay dates on HBO, and the series will also be available on HBO On Demand® and HBO GO®.
“Mayweather vs. Ortiz” takes place Saturday, Sept. 17 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. (ET)/6:00 p.m. (PT).
The executive producer of 24/7 MAYWEATHER/ORTIZ is Rick Bernstein; senior producer, Dave Harmon; coordinating producers, Scott Boggins and Bentley Weiner; producer, Abtin Motia; writer, Aaron Cohen. Liev Schreiber narrates.
“KID” ROONEY RETURNS AUGUST 27TH AT THE TROPICANA IN ATLANTIC CITY
On Saturday, August 27th, Kevin “Kid” Rooney will make his Atlantic City debut when he meets New Jersey’s pro-debuting Carlos Perez at the Tropicana Showroom in the Tropicana Casino and Resort. Rooney-Perez is scheduled for four rounds in the jr. middleweight division, and will be one of the featured undercard bouts on Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing promoted show, featuring heavyweight fan-favorite Vinny Maddalone, and Atlantic City’s Shamone “The Truth” Alvarez in separate bouts.
“So far Kevin has been very exciting to watch,” stated Joe DeGuardia, CEO and President of Star Boxing. “Not only are his performances inside the ring exciting, but it’s apparent he has learned a thing or two from me about promoting during his time here at Star Boxing,” said DeGuardia with a chuckle. “In all seriousness though he really has promoted himself well in the two fights, and had great turn outs come see him from the NYC and upstate New York areas.”
Rooney, the son of world renowned trainer, Kevin Rooney, and publicist for Star Boxing, made his pro-debut back in April on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights STAR BOXING on a Star Boxing promoted card at the Mohegan Sun. In that bout, Rooney, dropped his opponent twice, once in the first and once again in the second, before going on to win a dominate four round unanimous decision. Rooney’s two knockdowns earned him that evening’s Just For Men: “Punch of the Night”.
Rooney followed up that performance with a devastating first round knockout over Elmer Vera on the undercard of Delvin Rodriguez and Pawel Wolak’s epic battle on Star Boxing’s July 15th at the Roseland Ballroom in NYC. Now Rooney will look to make it a clean sweep of the tri-state area when he squares off against Perez on August 27th.
“I’m really looking forward to fighting in Atlantic City,” stated Rooney. “Working for Joe has enabled me to fight on some really good cards, and I can’t thank him enough for the opportunities. I’ve had tremendous support in each of my first two fights and I expect the same thing come August 27th.
Tickets can be purchased by calling the Star Boxing office at (718) 823-2000 or visiting www.starboxing.com. Tickets are priced at $30, $50, $100 a [0.8166089965397923] nd $200 VIP seats.
Tickets may also be purchased at any Ticketmaster outlet, or by going directly online to Ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available for purchase at the Tropicana North Tower Box Office or by phone at (609) 340-4000. Doors for the event will open at 7:00PM with the first bout scheduled for 8:00PM. All action will take place in the Tropicana Showroom. The Tropicana Casino and Resort is located at 2831 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ.
Fight Night at the Coronet
London boxing promoter Mickey Helliet is bringing the original ‘Fight Night’ back home to one of the capital’s former hotbeds of professional boxing, the Elephant and Castle. He is launching the ‘Fight Night at The Coronet’ series, under his Hellraiser Promotions banner, starting on September 16th.
Set against the urban landscape of the Elephant & Castle in London’s SE1, the Coronet Theatre will play host to a night of championship boxing inside the grand scale structure of what once was the Old Elephant Theatre. Formerly a boxing Mecca, the area of Elephant and Castle is steeped in boxing tradition with a long list of pugilistic natives hailing from the area, including the late great Sir Henry Cooper. Close in proximity to the famous ‘Thomas A Beckett’ pub, Hellraiser Promotions’ ‘Fight Night at the Coronet’ will return the area to the iconic status it once enjoyed.
Top of the bill is a contest for the vacant Southern Area title between Croydon’s Chas ‘The Bomb’ Symonds who will be taking on Gavin ‘The Guv’nor’ Tait from Sheerness, in what has all the makings of a classic small hall battle. The listed ten bout undercard is packed with an array of exciting fighters who form the next generation of boxing talent to emerge from the capital city.
In boxing circles it’s an open secret that Mickey Helliet’s Hellraiser Promotions are at the cutting edge of the London fight scene. It is possible that the reason for this success is at least in part due to Helliet’s experience as matchmaker and licensed promoter for the Mayfair Sporting Club and National Sporting Club at the Café Royal. Now a respected matchmaker and the busiest agent, providing boxers to all the UK and Ireland’s leading promoters, Helliet puts together exciting, entertaining events which appeal to a new generation of savvy young professionals, as well as to the capital’s more seasoned fight fans. His shows regularly include a rare feature whereby up and coming fighters are pitted against each other.
“What makes boxing beautiful to me is the admirable characteristics that the sport brings out in the participants. By matching fights evenly, we keep the audience on the edge of their seats. It’s a bit like going to see a movie where you can’t predict the ending. Legends are written during these contests, unforgettable stories where the script is written as the events unfurl in the intensity of live sporting competition.”
In Helliet’s own words, “The winners advance a step closer to the big time, the losers return to their gyms, disenchanted, to re-evaluate their careers. If they can’t fight then I don’t manage them and they certainly won’t be boxing on any of my events. There have been some really disappointing high profile fights elsewhere recently. That hasn’t happened at Hellraiser and that could be why our following is growing. After every show we have a big response, a flood of enquiries about forthcoming events.”
This refreshing approach certainly seems to be working as Helliet’s events have drawn unprecedented crowds and lately the attention of a number of broadcasting networks with whom he is now in negotiation. Mickey is adamant however that his approach won’t change, even after he has a deal in place with a TV network
HELLRAISER PROMOTIONS
Hellraiser events provide a welcome addition to the spectrum of unique nights out in the capital, providing fantastic, value for money entertainment. As well as the boxing, these lively events can include burlesque showgirls, dancers, extensive celebrity VIP guest lists, corporate packages and after-parties.
MICKEY HELLIET
Mickey Helliet is a British Boxing Board of Control licensed promoter, manager and matchmaker who manages 55 UK based fighters. He has a degree in law from the University of East London and speaks fluent French. As a boxer he boxed as an open class amateur for various clubs including the world famous Repton Boys Club in Bethnal Green. After hanging up his gloves, Mickey established himself as a trainer and manager and first came to prominence for his work as the house matchmaker and licensed promoter for the Mayfair Sporting Club at the Savoy Hotel and National Sporting Club at the Café Royal.
CHAS ‘THE BOMB’ SYMONDS
Chas Symonds was given his nickname of ‘The Bomb’ due to his aggressive, no-nonsense, dynamite punching style. He is a former Southern Area Welterweight Champion and holds knock-out victories over a number of highly rated opponents. When asked about his forthcoming title fight he said, “I’ve seen Gavin box and he’s got fast hands, but there’s no way he can match me for boxing and heart. He’s in for a shock when he feels my power. Believe me nothing is going to stop me from taking the title back to Croydon. Everyone knows I can fight and now I’ve been working on my boxing more. I’m going to put it all together when it matters on the night.”
GAVIN ‘THE GUV’NOR’ TAIT
Gavin ‘The Guv’nor’ Tait has earned his stripes in the pro boxing game the hard way, often travelling to fight some of the country’s leading lights in their own back yards at short notice. He is currently on the best run of his career. He has won five of his last seven contests with one of the only two losses coming against highly-rated former world amateur champion Frankie Gavin. Tait stated, “I have waited for an opportunity like this to come all my boxing life. Now I have it, there’s no way I’m going to let it go begging. This is by far the biggest night of my career and I can’t wait to get in there. I’ve not had the luxury of being spoon-fed handpicked opponents but that doesn’t matter. A win here could lead towards a crack at a major title. I couldn’t be any more motivated to win. People are going to see the very best of Gavin Tait on September 16th.”
The Hellraiser Promotions ‘Fight Night at the Coronet’ takes place on Friday September 16th at The Coronet Theatre, Elephant & Castle, SE1 6TJ. Tickets are £30 Standard or £60 Ringside and are available from 020 7388 5999. Doors open 6.00pm. First Bell 7.00pm.