NEW YORK, NY (January 19, 2012) – They may not be stepping into the same ring to unify their titles but their upcoming title defenses will be televised live in the U.S. on the same network.
World heavyweight champions VITALI KLITSCHKO, ALEXANDER POVETKIN and WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO will defend their respective championship crowns over three consecutive weeks, beginning February 18, and all three world heavyweight title fights will be televised live in the U.S. exclusively on EPIX, the multiplatform premium entertainment service. EpixHD.com will stream the fights live as part of a special free trial offer for boxing fans.
The EPIX heavyweight championship extravaganza will begin on Saturday, February 18 with Vitali Klitschko defending his World Boxing Council (WBC) title against Top-10 contender Dereck Chisora at Olympiahalle in Munich, Germany. On Saturday, February 25, the undefeated Povetkin will defend his World Boxing Association (WBA) belt against world cruiserweight champion Marco Huck in the Porsche-Arena in Stuttgart, Germany. The grand finale will take place on Saturday, March 3 in the ESPIRIT Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany, and will feature unified champion Wladimir Klitschko defending his World Boxing Organization (WBO), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and WBA super crowns against two-time world cruiserweight champion Jean Marc Mormeck.
These six gladiators boast a combined record of 207-12 (161 KOs) – a 94.5% winning percentage and a 78% victory by knockout ratio.
As has become the custom, EPIX will once again present the closed-captioned simulcast of the three world heavyweight championship fights on a jumbotron in Times Square (Broadway between 44th and 45th Sts.)
“EPIX was pleased with the fan reaction to its exclusive live U.S. telecasts of Vitali Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin’s heavyweight title fights last year. Now to be able to televise live an unprecedented three-week block of the best in the heavyweight division is as exciting to EPIX as it is to U.S. boxing fans,” said Travis Pomposello, EPIX CCO and executive producer of EPIX Sports.
Vitali Klitschko (43-2, 40 KOs), of Kiev, Ukraine, is a three-time heavyweight champion. He claimed his first world championship belt, the WBO title, in 1999 when he knocked out defending champion Herbie Hide in the second round. He successfully defended that title twice – both by knockout – before losing it to Chris Byrd the following year. Klitscko’s second reign began in 2004 when he won the vacant WBC title by knocking out one-time world champion Corrie Sanders in the eighth round. After successfully defending the title that same year, knocking out Danny Williams in the eighth round, Klitschko retired. Four years later, in 2008, Klitschko returned to the ring, stopping defending WBC champion Samuel Peter in the eighth round and beginning his current reign which is now in its fourth year and has included seven successful title defenses against world champions Tomasz Adamek, Shannon Briggs and Juan Carlos Gomez as well as top-rated contenders Chris Arreola, Odlanier Solis, Kevin Johnson and Albert Sosnowski. Only Briggs and Johnson made it the distance.
Chisora (15-3, 9 KOs), of London, returns to the ring after a career-best performance. Last December, in a fight that was televised live in the U.S. on EPIX, Chisora, an underdog fighting outside his native United Kingdom for the first time, out-boxed undefeated No. 1 heavyweight contender Robert Helenius over 12-rounds in his native Finland only to have the judges return a narrow split decision victory to Helenius to the outrage of fans and media alike. Chisora, the former BBBoC British heavyweight Champion and Commonwealth (British Empire) heavyweight champion boasts consecutive knockout victories of Danny Williams and Sam Sexton, who had a combined record of 54-9 when he defeated them.
Povetkin (23-0, 16 KOs), of Russia, captured the vacant WBA heavyweight title last August, winning a gutsy unanimous decision over former WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev, who entered the fight as the No. 1-rated contender. Povetkin, the 2004 Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist, has an impressive resume which includes a knockout victory over former two-time heavyweight champion Chris Byrd, and unanimous decision victories over one-time heavyweight title challenger Eddie Chambers and former U.S. Olympians Jason Estrada and Larry Donald. Povetkin, who has been promoted by Sauerland Event throughout his entire professional career, enters this fight having won four of his last six bouts by knockout, which includes his most recent title defense, an eighth-round stoppage of Cedric Boswell on December 3. All of Povetkin’s heavyweight title fights have been televised live in the U.S. on EPIX.
Huck (34-1, 25 KOs), of Berlin, Germany, enters this fight riding a four-year, 15-bout winning streak. He captured the WBO cruiserweight crown in 2009 with a 12-round unanimous decision victory over Victor Ramirez. Huck has successfully defended that title eight times, five by knockout.
Wladimir Klitschko (56-3, 49 KOs), of Kiev, Ukraine, is a two-time world heavyweight champion. Wladimir began his first title reign in 2000 when he captured the WBO heavyweight title via a unanimous decision over defending champion Chris Byrd. Byrd suffered two knockdowns in that battle. Klitschko’s two-year title reign included five successful defenses – all by knockout – before losing the belt to Corrie Sanders in 2003. Klitschko returned to the world championship throne in 2006, this time as IBF champion, when he dethroned Chris Byrd in a title rematch. This victory was even more emphatic than the first one with Klitschko stopping Byrd in the seventh round. Since that fight, Klitschko has taken on and defeated all comers while unifying the title with victories over WBO champion Sultan Ibragimov, and WBA champion David Haye. He enters this fight riding a eight-year, 14-bout winning streak.
Mormeck (36-4, 22 KOs), of Pantin, France, captured the WBA cruiserweight title in 2002, dethroning the legendary Virgil Hill who could not answer the bell for the ninth round of their championship fight. His four-year reign as champion included three successful defenses and a title unification victory over WBC champion Wayne Braithwaite. After losing the titles to IBF champion O’Neil Bell in 2006, he regained the WBC and WBA crowns one year later, defeating Bell in their rematch. Since losing the cruiserweight titles to David Haye in 2007, Mormeck has moved up to the heavyweight division where he has been undefeated and is now world-rated in the Top-10.
Provodnikov Training with Roach
Junior welterweight contender Ruslan Provodnikov has been training with five-time “Trainer of the Year” – and soon-to-be 2012 International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee – Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, California.
Ruslan, 20-1 with 13 knockouts, is preparing for his January 27 fight against David Torres, 21-1-1 with 13 knockouts, at the Northern Quest Casino in Airway Heights, Washington. Scheduled for 10 rounds for the WBO Intercontinental title, the fight will headline ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights.”
Freddie said, “I’ve been working with Ruslan in the gym. I can’t be in his corner that night, but he’s a great kid and a great prospect, and I plan to work with him in the future.”
Ruslan’s co-manager, Vadim Kornilov, said, “Ruslan has a lot of respect for Freddie, and he thinks Freddie will bring a lot of success to the team. Freddie can’t get away to come to the fight – he’s in camp with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. – but he’ll probably send one of his assistants to work Ruslan’s corner that night. Ruslan’s very happy with the way his preparation has been going, and he’s looking forward to working with Freddie again.”
Andrews vs. Rodriguez rematch added to Feb. 11 Jimmy Lange Boxing card at Patriot Center
Top Welterweight Prospects to Meet Again at Patriot Center
Fairfax, Va. (January 19, 2012) – On the heels of their riveting first fight last month, top regional welterweight prospects, Richie “The Rock” Andrews (2-0-3) and Juan “Savior” Rodriguez (4-1-1, 4 KOs), will square off again in a four-round rematch as part of the Jimmy Lange Boxing card returning to the Patriot Center on February 11, 2012. Tickets for the event, sponsored by Valcourt Building Services, start at $35 and can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets including the Patriot Center Box office.
Training out of the Staunton Boxing Club, Andrews, 20, has gone the distance in all of his five bouts to date. The Stuarts Draft, Va. boxer handed Rodriguez his first loss by way of four-round decision on December 17, 2011 at MCCS Henderson Hall in Arlington, Va. The two warriors proved worthy competitors with Rodriguez’s traditional stalking matched by Andrews’ slick boxing technique. The crowd-pleasing fight was considered one of the beltway’s most spirited of 2011 with non-stop action from the opening bell.
Rodriguez, 21, has fought three times at the Patriot Center, scoring a pair of first-round TKOs over Damien Butler and Dwartney Wortham, respectively, and drawing with Dontre King. The hard-hitting Haymarket, Va. fighter whose parents came from El Salvador trains in Falls Church, Va. at Olympia Boxing Center.
The action-packed, seven-bout card is headlined by local favorite Jimmy Lange defending his WBU junior middleweight title against Ruben Galvan in the Main Event. Mike “No Joke” Stewart battles Joe Wyatt for the vacant WBU welterweight belt, while WBC middleweight champion Tori “Sho Nuff” Nelson of Ashburn, Va., faces Vashon “Lady V” Living for the vacant WIBA women’s middleweight crown. Chantilly, Va. junior middleweight Zain “Tiger” Shah will face his toughest test to date with highly regarded “Lightning” Harry Joe Yorgey, and junior welterweight Todd “White Lightning” Wilson of Fairfax, Va., goes for his 12th win against Fernando “The Whip” Basora. A heavyweight battle between pro debuting Duane Mobley of Upper Marlboro, Md., and Dennis Benson of Norfolk, Va. is also scheduled.
Doors will open at 6:00 pm, with the first fight scheduled to begin at 7:00 pm. All bouts are subject to change.
Tickets, priced at $35, $50, $75, $125, $200, $300 and $500 (plus applicable service charges), can be purchased through all Ticketmaster outlets including the Patriot Center box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com/ and via Phonecharge at 703-573-SEAT, 202-397-SEAT and 410-547-SEAT. Accessible seating is available for patrons with disabilities by calling 703-993-3035.