New York City, February 22 – The oldest fighter in boxing history to win a world title, Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins, and former World Champion “Bad” Chad Dawson will meet again to settle their heated feud following their October 2011 bout, which was originally scored as a TKO win for Dawson, but later ruled a no decision by the California State Athletic Commission. The two are ready to resume their high-stakes rivalry on Saturday, April 28 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The 12 round bout for Hopkins’ World Boxing Council (WBC) and Ring Magazine light heavyweight world championships will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/7:15 p.m. PT.
“Chad Dawson can say whatever he wants, but I am not going to trash talk this one,” said Hopkins. “Everyone knows what I am capable of in the ring. They have seen it over 50 times before in the last 20 plus years. I will say that I am really happy that this is on HBO so that all of my fans from across the country can see me continue this unprecedented path. I absolutely want to prove that I can beat Chad Dawson, another guy that is almost two decades younger than me and I am confident I will on April 28.”
“The first fight did not go as planned, but I’m confident I was going to win that night,” said Dawson. “Hopkins is going to have to face his fears. Bernard tried to run away from me, but here we are again. I’m thrilled about the whole situation. I’m very excited to fight on the East Coast because a lot of my fans will be there to see me live. I know I’ll be ready come fight night.”
“Whenever Bernard Hopkins fights, I get the chills because he is a living legend,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Bernard has an amazing history, having fought and defeated so many world champions. I truly believe that he and Dawson facing off in Atlantic City on HBO World Championship Boxing is a recipe for an unforgettable night.”
“The score must be settled once and for all,” said Gary Shaw, CEO of Gary Shaw Productions. “Chad Dawson has something to prove. We all know Bernard Hopkins is a future Hall of Famer, but Chad is not going to let him get away with any of his antics or funny stuff. Chad wanted this bout and now that he has it, he’s going to do whatever it takes to be a champion once again.”
“Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson have unfinished business and we look forward to televising this intriguing light heavyweight showdown,” said Kery Davis, senior vice president, programming, HBO Sports. “Bernard’s credentials as a future Hall of Famer are firmly established and he captured the world’s attention last year when he won a world title at the age of 46. Chad is an extremely talented fighter in his prime. This sets up to be a hard-fought encounter that boxing fans will be excited to see.”
“Bernard Hopkins is a world champion athlete who grew up and trained in the greater Philadelphia area, just a short ride from Atlantic City, so this fight is going to be a great draw for Atlantic City,” said Don Marrandino, Eastern Division President for Caesars Entertainment. “Some of the greatest boxing matches and sporting events have been hosted in Atlantic City and on April 28, Historic Boardwalk Hall will be the backdrop to what could be Hopkins’ most historic fights and likely one of the final bouts of his career – he’s one of the most exciting boxers to watch and one of the greatest athletes of the past 50 years.”
“Hopkins vs. Dawson: Once And For All,” a 12 round bout for Hopkins’ WBC and Ring Magazine light heavyweight world championships, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions and sponsored by Caesars Atlantic City. The bout will take place from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey and be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/7:15 p.m. PT.
Tickets, priced at $300, $200, $100, $50 and $25, go on sale on Thursday, February 23 at 12:00 p.m. ET. Tickets will be available for purchase at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or online at ticketmaster.com.
The oldest man in boxing history to win a major world title, 47-year old Bernard Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KO’s) still fights with the skill and tenacity of fighters 20 years his junior. A proud native of Philadelphia, Hopkins has not only secured a future spot in the Hall of Fame, he has solidified his place amongst athletes who have achieved greatness well into their forties. Between his 10-year title reign at middleweight and his incredible victories over Antonio Tarver, Winky Wright, Kelly Pavlik and Roy Jones Jr., all after the age of 41, Hopkins is truly a living legend. In May 2011, he reached the top of the boxing mountain once again with his stirring victory over Jean Pascal, breaking the age record previously held by George Foreman. Today, Hopkins is a few months away from breaking another record and becoming the oldest reigning champion ever as he continues to follow the path of Archie Moore, who made his last title defense at 47 years and seven months old. Should Hopkins be victorious on April 28, he will become one step closer to reaching that goal as he faces Dawson with the intention of adding another amazing achievement to his resume.
Former WBC and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion “Bad” Chad Dawson (30-1, 17 KO’s) has long been considered one of the sport’s best pound for pound by boxing insiders and his victories over respected world champions such as Glen Johnson (twice), Antonio Tarver (twice), and Tomasz Adamek have proven that he has the talent and athleticism to stay atop his division. In 2011, the 29-year old from New Haven, Conn. bounced back from his lone loss to Pascal in 2010 with an impressive win over Adrian Diaconu, but it’s Hopkins that he really wants to add to his list of vanquished foes, and now he has his chance. Dawson is ready to end Hopkins’ victory lap as the oldest world champion and start a new chapter of his career as a newly re-crowned champion.
The historic Boardwalk Hall, which first opened in 1929, underwent a three year, $90 million renovation to transform the building into a modern special events arena capable of variable seating for up to 14,500 people. Upon it’s reopening in 2001, it has been recognized as the destination’s premier entertainment venue, known for high profile concerts, family shows, and sporting events. Leading trade publications Billboard and Venues Today ranked Boardwalk Hall as the highest grossing mid-sized arena in North America in 2003, 2004, and 2007. The Hall was ranked the highest grossing mid-sized arena in the world in 2005 and 2006. Boardwalk Hall is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and managed by the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority. SMG operates the Atlantic City Convention Center and Boardwalk Hall on behalf of its clients, the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority and the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority.
“Friday Fight Night heads to Grimsby”
Hatton TV’s cameras will be in Grimsby on Friday night (Feb 24th) for the latest in the “Friday Fight Night” series which will be broadcast live on YouTube.
Local boy Kevin Hooper will be the star of the show as he takes on Yordan Vasilev for the International Masters Lightweight title at Grimsby Leisure Centre.
Last time out Hooper thrilled Hatton TV viewers with a ten round points victory over Jamie Speight to retain his British Masters title and this latest clash with Vasilev promises to be just as exciting.
Viewers will be able to add their comments during the live show on YouTube or by emailing tv@brandhatton.com or by using Twitter & the hashtag #HATTONTV
You can watch the live show on YouTube www.youtube.com/hattonboxing from 8 o’clock.
The full line up of this Carl Greaves’ promotion:
Light heavyweight: Jody Meikle v Tony Shields 4×3
Light middleweight: Matthew Mallin v Andy Hardy 4×3
Middleweight: Sammy McSpadden v Rick Boulter 6×2
Light Welterweight: Joel Haigh v Kristian Laight 6×2
Heavyweight: Garry Johnson v James Oliphant 6×2
International Masters Lightweight title 10×3
Kevin Hooper v Yordan Vasilev
WORLD BOXING COUNCIL NEWS
February 22, 2012 – Mexico City.
From WBC President Dr. José Sulaimán:
The following is one of the weekly “Hook to the Body” columns by WBC President Dr. José Sulaimán that are published in El Universal every Sunday. From February 19, translated from Spanish:
HOOK TO THE BODY
By José Sulaimán
Muhammad Ali ———— AIBA.
I could not fly to Las Vegas to the magnificent and extraordinary tribute rendered by the MGM and boxing fans to the greatest boxing hero of all time, Muhammad Ali, but Mauricio went. I asked him not to wait until the dinner, as 3,000 guests were expected, and instead to try to see him in his suite. He did and took several photos of the several visits made by him to Mexico, and especially some of Ciudad Valles, at the center of the Indians “huasteca” where he knew, took in his arms, and kissed many of the Indian children, that was taken by the society of the city with great feelings of recognition and appreciation. Ali showed deep feelings to review his visits to Mexico – he came twice to support my reelections in 1980 and 1988. His future wife, Lonnie, was also very excited and happy as she went with him to Valles, to later marry him and devote all of her life to be at his side as a show of love to the greatest of all time.
Only those who have a dear friend who we also admire can understand my feelings to know that far from forgetting, Ali showed a deep feeling of friendship and nostalgia to those very happy days when I was a real close friend of his. He is the greatest fighter that my eyes have seen of the heavyweights, bringing a new style of grace movement, a great jab and power, of “floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee;” the same person who challenged the government, even when losing the 3 ½ greatest years of his life – from 25 to 28 ½ when he returned. He showed human beings that he who has principles, deep religious feelings, determination, perseverance, and faith can beat any obstacle presented by life, and that is the basis of the world’s love and admiration for the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali.
Changing the subject, I read that AIBA was presenting at my home, Mexico, a professional fight, a total failure with a mixture of fighters who nobody knew. AIBA pretends to have professional fights with ONLY the fighters “used” by them, having the rights to be selected to participate at the Olympic Games, but not any other professional boxer in the world, which is not only a clear monopoly, but also a flagrant violation of the most strict principles of equality, a clear sign of discrimination and a blast to human dignity, just as apartheid was in South Africa led by AIBA president Ching Kuo Wu, and a secretary general from Korea, Ho Kim, who many say that is the real president by his using a dictatorial, imposing, relentless way to lead AIBA for the hatred of many, but with most being even afraid to do anything at all but kneel down to his wishes, as it shows when the boxing commissioner from Romania and the country itself was expelled from AIBA only because he had the dignity and courage to express himself openly.
More than four years ago, two good friends of mine and presidents of the boxing federations of France and Italy, Humbert Furgoni and Franco Falcinelli, called on the phone to ask my cooperation to contact all the presidents of boxing federations who were my friends to get votes for a candidate from Taiwan, Mister Wu. The candidate himself visited me in Mexico City where I accepted to join his promotional team and we talked openly of getting an agreement AIBA-WBC to work together, each one in his own field, to project boxing to the highest possible levels, as a marriage of amateur and professional boxing was indispensable. We talked about AIBA accepting professional boxers not over 25 years of age, not over 15 professional fights, to have professional boxing commissions not to accept as professionals those amateurs with talent, only after the Olympic Games, as well as some other considerations. As he had a strong competitor from the former Soviet Union countries, I advised Mr. Wu to reach an agreement offering him the vice presidency, which he did. He looked like a gentleman, a decent and nice person, who, even though green in boxing, showed a strong interest for the sport. We shook hands and he left for Taiwan.
I invited my unforgettable friend from Russia, the late Edmund Lipinsky, to join me as well as my friend, the honorable Sonstone Kashiba, the secretary general of the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa. We got 34 guaranteed votes for Mr. Ching Kuo Wu for the convention that was going to be held in the Dominican Republic. Mr. Wu won the presidency by four votes !!!!!! He took two months to call me to say “thank you” and I never heard again from him.
Five years after, when I saw that they are trying, unsuccessfully as of today, to invade professional boxing in my home, Mexico, I came to think about amateur boxing and Mr. Wu, as AIBA has not done well, they continue with all kind of mysterious problems and with that computer system of judging that has taken away the boxing classicism of the past when boxing was the excellency of sports and the art of self defense. Today boxing in AIBA is a TOUCH and RUN, with countless decisions being generally criticized, as if favoritism is the king at the Olympiads. AIBA, instead of devoting the greatest possible efforts to strengthen amateur boxing in the different countries of the world, as amateurism is at its worse time, Mr. Wu has decided to go into professionalism bringing the dictator from Korea, Ho Kim, as the boss, only to become one of the so many professional institutions and never more. We better wait until they meet the professional promoters King, Arum, Golden Boy, Dibella, Shaw, Warren, Kohl, and the so many others to see AIBA running into any hole.
In addition to the perceived bad way in which AIBA is, the BBC of London reported a questionable financial movement between nations of 10 million dollars, which an internal committee reported a justification not acceptable for many .There also was a scandal of hundreds of thousands of dollars in Korea, which has been kept in silence, and now AIBA is using small promoters in different countries with a world series that is a joke and has been a total failure, but by it coming to my home, Mexico, we must just act to demand AIBA to work for what they are exclusively committed to: AMATEUR BOXING, or if not, to move the countries of the world to open their eyes and see that someone is making a fool of ourselves. Amateur boxing is the seed of the sport and it had never been as low and bad as it is today and we must do something about it. If AIBA invades professional boxing, the professionals will invade amateur boxing to take it out of the mouse hole where it is today.
AIBA must clean and wash its house and put it in order, because they desperately need it. Mr. Ching Kuo Wu is asking for confidence and trust from the world of boxing. But Mr. Wu, do you think that you are deserving of confidence and trust with your actions of ingratitude, disrespect and betrayal as you did with the friends that trusted you and me?
The IOC – International Olympic Committee – is and has been the most respected world sports organization, and it moves mountains based on the trust of a powerful sports machine that has the absolute respect of every country and people of the world, and we have in Mexico one of the most respected sports leaders in the world, Mario Vázquez Raña. Perhaps it is time Mr. Wu, that you explain to them directly what is happening in the amateur boxing sport.