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Kelly Pavlik and Lucian Bute to fight on same HBO card
Two renowned champions are set to defend their titles on the same April 17th
HBO World Championship Boxing card. IBF Super Middleweight champion
Lucian Bute (25-0-0, 20 KO) will put his title on the line against
Colombian knock-out artist Edison Miranda (33-4-0, 29 KO), while
Unified world Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (36-1-0, 32 KO) will
defend his titles against Sergio Gabriel Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KO). The
HBO broadcast starts at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT
“This simultaneous broadcast is a great way to set the tables for an
eventual fight between Lucian Bute and Kelly Pavlik”, states InterBox
President Mr. Jean Bedard. “There should be an estimated 18,000 people
at the Montreal Bell Centre to watch Lucian’s fight and approximately
10,000 fans at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City to see the Pavlik
bout. This will certainly be an outstanding night of boxing”.
Fans at the Bell Centre will also be able to watch the
Pavlik/Martinez bout on big screen right after the Bute/Miranda clash.
Those who order the PPV in English and French will also be able to
catch both fights. This will mark the first time that a Lucian Bute
bout is available on PPV in the English language.
“Combining two headline bouts on the same broadcast is great news for all boxing fans” concludes Jean Bedard.
“We’re excited to be returning to Canada for this highly anticipated
clash between Lucian Bute and Edison Miranda, said Luis Barragan,
director of Programming, HBO Sports. “It is a great night for boxing
fans around the world to have the best middleweight in the world, Kelly
Pavlik, defending his title against Sergio Martinez on the same
telecast that presents Lucian attempting to solidify his claim to the
mantle of best super middleweight in the world.”
Good tickets available soon
Now that InterBox has been informed of the HBO mega-production
set-up for the evening, it will release excellent tickets for the Bute
vs. Miranda bout in the next few days. These tickets will be available
by visiting www.geg.ca
and at the Bell Centre Ticket Office by calling 514-790-2525. This
event will be broadcast live at the 49 Cage aux Sports restaurants on
Saturday, April 17th as of 9 PM. The Bute and Pavlik bouts
will also be televised on Canal Indigo, Bell TV (French and English
PPV), Shaw direct (French and English PPV) and Viewer’s Choice.
Molitor, Ndlovu Predict Victory at Rumble at Rama XI Rematch
Molitor and Tremblay Dispute Ndlovu’s Claim of “Shoddy Treatment” in 2007
RAMA, ON (Friday, February 19, 2010) – With time ticking away prior to Rumble
at Rama XI and the rematch between Steve Molitor (30-1, 12 KO’s) and Takalani
Ndlovu (30-5, 18 KO’s, IBF #1) for the vacant IBF Junior Featherweight
championship, the South African is trying to come to grips with his first fight with
“The Canadian Kid.”
In July of 2007, Molitor made the first of five successful title defenses by battering
Ndlovu from pillar-to-post in the very same Casino Rama ring that they’ll step into in
a little over a month, en route to a one-sided ninth round TKO beating.
Recently, Ndlovu told The Sowetan, a South African daily, that this poor performance
had nothing to do with Molitor being in peak form, but rather what he calls “shoddy
treatment” he received in Canada.
In a transparent attempt to make lemonade out of a decidedly sour performance,
Ndlovu claimed erroneously that the weigh-in for the first fight was abruptly moved
back, when, in fact, Ontario has a long standing policy of weighing fighters in the
morning of a fight, as opposed to the day before.
“The change of the date for the weigh-in at the 11th hour affected me badly,” Ndlovu
told the paper. “I was ordered to go for the weigh-in on the same day of the fight.
This forced me to starve myself to make the weight.”
“I’m going back there with a new promoter with renewed vigor to win it. I’m going to
win this title, no doubt about it.”
When told of Ndlovu’s skewed recollection of events, Allan Tremblay, President of
Orion Sports Management, and Molitor’s promoter, was quick to set the record
straight.
“I’m not sure what “shoddy treatment” the young man is referring to,” Tremblay
said. “He was put up in a luxury hotel as per his request for the entire time he was
here, and the weigh-in timings were clearly stated in his contract from day-one.”
“But, all this talk is great stuff,” Tremblay enthused.
“There’s nothing like a little controversy to stir things up.”
Molitor, however was less thrilled with Ndlovu’s recollection of events.
“Excuses are for losers. He knew the routine coming in.” Molitor said, while noticing
the similarities between the original bout, and the March 27th rematch.
“Nothing has changed at all, and nothing will change. He got his head handed to him
the first time, and he’ll get his head handed to him again.”
And while emotions are beginning to run high between Molitor and Ndlovu, there’s
more to Rumble at Rama XI than just the mouthwatering main event.
In the evening’s co-feature, Canadian Heavyweight champion, Greg “The Steel Pole”
Kielsa (11-0, 5 KO’s), of Brampton, Ontario, defends his title against Toronto’s
Neven Pajkic (11-0, 5 KO’s), over 10 rounds.
And in a special added 10 round attraction, burgeoning female superstar, Ana “The
Hurricane” Julaton, of the Philippines, via San Francisco, California, faces Toronto’s
Lisa “Bad News” Brown for the vacant WBA Super Bantamweight world
championship.
“Orion Sports Management is thrilled to be able to put on a card like this. We’ve got
two world title fights, and a rare showdown between undefeated Canadian
Heavyweights fighting for the national title,” Tremblay said proudly. “We just signed
Ana Julaton to a two-year Canadian promotional contract, and we’re sure she’s going
to turn some heads both inside and outside the ropes.”
“But we put her in tough. Lisa Brown has a track record of winning, and comes to
fight every time out.”
"In addition, we are staging three scintillating undercard fights, featuring Felix
Mercedes, Justin Fountain, Jason Douglas, and Stephan Boyd in top-to-bottom the
best fight card we have ever put on at Casino Rama."
Rumble at Rama XI will be promoted by Orion Sports Management, in association
with Casino Rama.
Tickets for Rumble at Rama XI are $125, $75, $50 and $25 and are available in-
person at the Casino Rama Box Office, and at all TicketMaster locations, by calling
(416) 870-8000 and online at www.casinorama.com. Ticket prices do not include
applicable taxes or service charges. |