NEW YORK (July 13, 2012) — A boxing first! EPIX (@EPIXsports), the multiplatform premium entertainment service, will stream Saturday’s WBA Intercontinental / WBC International heavyweight titles fight between one-time world heavyweight title challenger Dereck Chisora and former two-division world champion David Haye live to U.S. fans on Facebook, beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT, in addition to presenting it live on the network, streamed live on EpixHD.com and on EPIX apps on Xbox and other devices. U.S. boxing fans will be able to see the fight live on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EpixHD and https://www.facebook.com/EPIXSports with an authenticated subscription or taking advantage of the free trial. The all-England grudge fight will take place at West Ham Football Club’s Boleyn Ground at Upton Park in London.
“EPIX is excited to be the first to stream live boxing on Facebook and to continue to expand the platforms where U.S. fans can see their favorite entertainment,” said Travis Pomposello, EPIX CCO and executive producer of EPIX Sports.
As has become the custom, EPIX will once again present the closed-captioned simulcast of this world championship rumble on its jumbotron in Times Square in New York City (Broadway between 44th and 45th Sts.)
Chisora (15-3, 9 KOs), of London, (Official weight: 247 lbs) returns to the ring on the heels of his two most notable fights. 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. Based on that performance, Chisora, the former BBBoC British heavyweight champion and Commonwealth (British Empire) heavyweight champion earned a title shot with WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko on February 18, also televised live to the U.S. on EPIX. Though he lost a unanimous decision, it was the first time in nearly two years that Klitschko had been forced to go the distance. Chisora’s professional resume boasts consecutive knockout victories of Danny Williams and Sam Sexton, who had a combined record of 54-9 when he defeated them in 2010.
Haye (25-2, 23 KOs), of London, (Official Weight: 210 lbs) captured his first world title in 2007, knocking out defending WBC/WBA cruiserweight champion Jean Marc Mormeck in the seventh round. He added the WBO crown to his war chest in his first defense, a second-round pasting of Enzo Maccarinelli the following year. He vacated the titles to move up to the heavyweight division and in only second fight as a heavyweight dethroned WBA heavyweight champion Nikolay Valuev, via majority decision. He successfully defended the title twice, knocking out former two-time heavyweight champion John Ruiz and 2000 Olympic gold medalist and fellow countryman Audley Harrison in the ninth and third rounds, respectively, both in 2010. Haye lost the crown last July, losing a unanimous decision to Wladimir Klitschko in a title unification fight. Haye’s fight against Chisora will be his first since that loss.
Falowo moving on from first loss
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (July 13, 2012) – No matter how many times he watches the video, Thomas Falowo still thinks he beat Samuel Clarkson on May 24th.
“I’ve watched it plenty of times,” Falowo said. “I’ve even watched it with and without sound.”
Unfortunately for Falowo (6-1, 4 KOs), the result is the same each time – a split-decision win for Clarkson and the first blemish on Falowo’s otherwise flawless record. The good news is he’ll get the chance to erase the memory for good on Thursday, July 19th, 2012 when he returns to the ring to face Dallas’ Rahman Yusubov (8-8, 6 KOs) in a six-round middleweight bout on the undercard of Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports’ “Built To Last” boxing event at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, R.I.
“Regardless of whether or not I won the last time out, it was still a competitive fight,” Falowo said. “Overall, it was a good experience. I learned a lot about myself. I stepped up in competition and did what I had to do, except get him out of there.”
Falowo, a Pawtucket, R.I., native, learned a lot in the loss to Clarkson and has worked on correcting his mistakes in training camp, working primarily on his balance and setting up his punches, the latter which is aimed toward helping him snap his year-long drought without a knockout. Part of that, Falowo says, has to do with the increased level of competition, but he also shoulders some of the blame for his inability to finish his last two opponents.
“I feel like I need to set up my knockouts better,” Falowo said. “I’m not a one-punch knockout puncher, so, for me, most of my knockouts come from combinations. It’s more or less a case of being smarter in how I go about it and how effectively I can throw more punches to set up those knockouts.”
Footwork is also an issue. Though Clarkson appeared to stagger Falowo toward the end of the fifth round, Falowo said he was more off-balance than hurt, which may or may not have affected the way the judges scored the bout.
“That might have given the impression that he did more damage than he really did,” Falowo said. “He really didn’t do much damage. I looked like I was wobbly, but I didn’t feel anything in my legs. I was actually hurt more in my third fight [against Zack Thomas].
“Part of it is footwork, and part of it is me standing up higher than I should. I’m working on it.”
Falowo hopes to get it right in time for next Thursday’s clash with Yusubov, who, despite his record, has knocked out the opponent six times in his eight victories and hasn’t fought anyone with more than one loss since March of 2011, and that was against former United States Boxing Assocation (USBA) welterweight champion Carson Jones, who was 28-8-2 at the time and is now 34-9-2.
“He’s a tough guy,” Falowo said. “He comes right at you, and he’s pretty solid. He’s a little shorter than I anticipated, so he’s sturdy, but he comes forward throwing those big shots, so I’ve got a pretty good idea of how he fights.
“I’m just always trying to progress regardless of whether I get a win, loss or draw,” he continued. “You usually learn more from a loss than a win anyway. I’m always trying to do better with each fight and take it to another level.”
Tickets for “Built To Last” are $40.00, $75.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254, online at www.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com, at the Players Club booth at Twin River, or through any TicketMaster location. Doors open 6 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 7.
Providence native and reigning New England super middleweight champion Vladine Biosse (13-1-1, 6 KOs) will star in the eight-round main event against face Saskatchewan, Canada naitve Mike Walchuk (9-5, 2 KOs) while Providence’s Matt “Too Smooth” Godfrey (20-3, 10 KOs) will face veteran Jesse Oltmans (10-3, 7 KOs) of Bartonsville, Pa., in the six-round co-feature. Super middleweights Keith Kozlin (6-3-1, 4 KOs) of West Warwick, R.I., and Reynaldo Rodriguez (6-4-1, 3 KOs) of Woonsocket, R.I., will look to settle the score in a rematch from their fight last July, which ended in a draw.
Attleboro, Mass., light heavyweight Rich Gingras (11-3, 7 KOs) will be featured in a special six-round attraction. Also on the undercard, light heavyweight Kevin Cobbs (4-0, 1 KO) of Burlington, Vt., will battle Queens’ native Donte Wiggins (1-0, 1 KO) in a four-round bout and Benny Costantino (7-1, 4 KOs) of Warwick, R.I., will face Dennis Ogboo (6-5, 5 KOs) of Lexington, Ky., in a four-round middleweight bout.
Lightweight Zack Ramsey (1-0, 1 KO) of Springfield, Mass., will face newcomer Alberto Manukyan (0-0) of North Bergen, N.J., in a four-round bout and welterweight newcomer Jansy Rivera (0-0) of Providence (San Juan, Puerto Rico) will face Thaddeus Hamlin (1-1, 1 KO) of Cincinnati, Ohio in a four-round bout. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
(Twin River has waived its 18+ rule for “Built to Last.” Anybody under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult and must enter through the West entrance.)
IABA UPDATE (IRISH OLYMPIC SQUAD ARRIVE IN ITALY)
Irish Amateur Boxing Association
The Irish Olympic squad arrived in Italy tonight (July 13th) for their final training camp before the London Olympics.
Ireland six-strong panel of John Joe Nevin, Michael Conlan, Adam Nolan, Katie Taylor, Paddy Barnes and team captain Darren O’Neill will train and spar with the Italian and Azerbaijani Olympic squads in Assisi.
A team from the Ukraine are scheduled to take part in the training camp.
The Assisi training camp begins tomorrow, July 14th.
The Irish squad will fly straight into London from Italy on July 24th ahead of the general weigh-in on July 27th.
Boxing at London 2012 begins in the bantamweight and middleweight classes at the ExCel venue on July 28th.
Irish 2012 Olympic squad
49Kg (Light-flyweight) Paddy Barnes (Holy Family BC, Belfast)
52kg (Flyweight) Michael Conlan (St John Bosco BC, Belfast)
56kg (Bantamweight) John Joe Nevin (Cavan BC)
60kg (Lghtweight) Katie Taylor (Bray BC, Wicklow)
69kg (Welterweight) Adam Nolan (Bray BC, Wicklow)
75kg (Middleweight) Darren O’Neill (Paulstown BC, Kilkenny)
Team Manager: Des Donnelly
Coaches: Billy Walsh, Zuar Antia, Pete Taylor
Physio: Conor McCarthy
Strength & Conditioning: John Cleary
Performance Psychologist: Gerry Hussey
Italy Olympic squad
Light-flyweight: Manuel Cappai
Flyweight: Viincenzo Picardi
BantamweightL Vittorio Parrinello
Lightweight: Dominico Valentino
Light-welter: Vincenzo Mangiacapre
Heavyweight: Clemente Russo
Super-heavyweight: Roberto Cammarelle
Azerbaijan Olympic squad
Flyweight: Elvin Mamishzadeh
Bantamweight: Magomed Abdulhamidov
Light-welter: Heybatulla Hajialiyev
Middleweight: Soltan Migitinov
Light-heavy: Vatan Huseynli
Heavyweight: Teymur Mammadov
Suyper-heavy: Magomedrasui Majidov
Female
Middleweight: Elena Vystropova