WARD TO FACE PAUL SMITH ON RAU HLI 20, 2015
AT Oracle ARENA hauv Oakland, CALIFORNIA LIVE ON BET
NEW YORK — April 23, 2015 — BET Networks is pleased to announce that it is stepping into the ring with Roc Nation Sports as their exclusive broadcast partner to air live throne boxing events on the network. The partnership between BET Networks and Roc Nation Sports is the first of its kind for the network and includes airing up to nine live, two-hour telecasts of Roc Nation Sports throne boxing events over the next 18 lub hlis. The first main event fight to air on BET Networks will feature WBA Super Middleweight World Champion Andre Ward (27-0, 14 KO lub) facing former World Title Challenger Paul Smith (35-5, 20 KO lub) of England in a 12 round bout on Saturday, Lub rau hli ntuj 20, 2015 ntawm Oracle Arena nyob rau hauv Oakland, California. Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd mus rau lub zoo txiav txim hauv lub nplhaib, the telecast will feature several notable Roc Nation touches that offer an unprecedented fan experience, including a live musical performance and a name DJ to keep the energy at a high level throughout the night. Fans can catch the action live on BET in the United States and globally on TIDAL.com, lub tshiab khiv launched music streaming kev pab uas combines qhov zoo tshaj plaws siab ncaj ncees suab zoo, siab txhais music yeeb yaj duab thiab expertly curated editorial.
Daim pib luv nqi thaum $250, $125, $90, $60 thiab $30, tsis xws li siv cov kev pab cuam nqi thiab se, mus ntawm kev muag khoom Friday, Plaub Hlis Ntuj 24 ntawm 10:00 AM PT and will be available at all Ticketmaster locations, nyob hauv internet ntawm Ticketmaster.com thiab xwb los ntawm xov tooj ntawm (800) 745-3000.
“BET is constantly searching for ways to expand its portfolio of content with the sole goal of satisfying our audiences,” said Stephen G. Hill, President of Programming, Thawj koom ruam tes hauj lwm. “Roc Nation is doing very exciting things in the entertainment space and we are excited to partner with them on this groundbreaking deal positioning BET Networks as a go-to destination for premier live boxing events. Ua ke, we’ll provide unique entertainment.”
“We’re thrilled to not only be introducing our newest broadcast partnership with BET Networks, but also to use this new platform to telecast Andre Ward’s highly anticipated return to the ring,"Hais tias David Itskowitch, COO – Boxing of Roc Nation Sports. "Nyob rau Lub rau hli ntuj 20, we will once again provide fans a night of exciting zwm txwv boxing fights, live musical entertainment and an unprecedented fan experience.”
“I’m very excited to be coming back on Lub rau hli ntuj 20 at Oracle Arena in my hometown of Oakland which has been a long time coming,"Hais tias Ward. “I’m equally excited to be fighting on BET in front of a potential viewership of over 90 lab tsev. Raws li ib tug dav hlau tua rog, this diversifies my portfolio and puts me in front of a whole different audience. I have an extremely tough fighter in front of me in Paul Smith who’s looking to pull the upset, but I can’t let that happen. I have to be on my best game to turn Smith away and beat him the way I want to beat him. Raws li ib txwm, I’m ready to put on a tremendous performance in front of my hometown fans and those watching on BET. This is a fight you don’t want to miss.”
“I cannot wait to get back in the ring and test myself against a class act like Andre Ward. I proved that I belong at the top level with my performances against Arthur Abraham and this is a challenge that I am relishing,"Hais tias Smith. “Andre is a top pound-for-pound fighter and someone I respect a lot, but he has only boxed once in almost three years and I will give it everything I have got. I am fresh and confident going into this fight. It’s a massive opportunity for me and one that I took with both hands when it was offered. I have spent a lot of time boxing in the United States and I look forward to returning for this fight.”
Known for his strong character and integrity outside the ring and his killer instinct inside it, Andre Ward’s skill and talent were apparent early in his outstanding amateur career. He racked up every title in the books, culminating nrog ib tug kub puav pheej nyob rau hauv lub teeb heavyweight faib nyob rau 2004 Olympic ua si nyob rau hauv Athens. As the only male American boxer to claim Olympic gold since 1996, Ward koom cov yam koj nyiam ntawm Muhammad Ali, Qab Zib Ray Leonard thiab Oscar tsib La Hoya. Nws muab kev rau hlis ntuj nqeg 18, 2004, scoring a second round technical knockout victory over Chris Molina at Staples Center in a fight that was televised live on HBO. He has gone on to rack up 26 more victories since then, building an ever-growing legion of fans in the process. Tom qab ua lub nplhaib Magazine thiab WBA Super Middleweight ntiaj teb tau zus, rising to the number two spot on the pound-for-pound list and winning the 2011 Fighter ntawm lub xyoo puav pheej (ESPN, Cov kev ua si taw qhia, Nplhaib Magazine thiab cov Boxing Writers Association of America), nws tau tshaj tawm tias Ward kos npe ib tug tsuas yog promotional ntawv cog lus nrog Roc teb chaws kev ua si nyob rau hauv Lub ib hlis ntuj 2015, qhib ib tug tshiab tshooj nyob rau hauv nws storied boxing hauj lwm. Now the Bay Area product is ready to return to the ring on Lub rau hli ntuj 20 nyob rau Oracle Arena nyob rau hauv pem hauv ntej ntawm nws hometown cov kiv cua nyob rau hauv Oakland, California.
Paul “Real Gone Kid” Smith enters his fight against pound-for-pound star Ward coming off of two heroic performances against WBO Super Middleweight World Champion Arthur Abraham. Smith challenged the Armenian-German for his title in Kiel, Germany in September 2014 and put on the performance of his career in his world title first shot. The 32-year-old native of Liverpool was the clear winner of large parts of the fight and celebrated at the bell in front of a hushed partisan crowd that thought that Abraham had been dethroned. Smith was not expecting the wide scorecards that were read out in favor of the hometown fighter and, judging by the far-reaching outrage at the lopsided numbers, neither were the majority of the boxing world and beyond, with Smith receiving support from some of Britain’s biggest sports stars on social media. A rematch was the only possible scenario and, like a true champion, Abraham duly obliged. Smith returned to Germany in February of this year to face Abraham again, this time in Berlin, but Abraham was a different fighter the night of their second fight, successfully defending his belt against a brave challenge from Smith. Once again the judges’ were forced to give a verdict and this time a decision win by Abraham was met with no outcry of controversy. Rau Lub rau hli ntuj 20, “Real Gone Kid” will return to the ring and once again venture into hostile territory to take on one of boxing’s best, looking to silence the crowd.
Ward vs. Smith, ib tug 12 puag ncig bout los ntawm Roc teb chaws kev ua si, yuav siv sij hawm qhov chaw Saturday, Lub rau hli ntuj 20 ntawm Oracle Arena nyob rau hauv Oakland, California, yuav tsum televised nyob rau thawj koom ruam thiab tshwm thooj plawv nyob rau hauv TIDAL.com ntawm 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT thiab yog nyob rau hauv lub koom haum nrog Matchroom Kev ua si nawv.
ABOUT BET NETWORKS:
Thawj koom ruam tes hauj lwm, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (Nasdaq: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, thiab xov xwm; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks – BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.
ABOUT ROC NATION SPORTS:
Roc teb chaws kev ua si, ib tug sub-division ntawm Roc teb chaws, launched nyob rau hauv caij nplooj ntoos hlav 2013. Founder Shawn “JAY Z” Carter’s love of sports lead to the natural formation of Roc Nations Sports, pab ncaws pob nyob rau hauv tib txoj kev Roc teb chaws tau pab ntxias nyob rau hauv cov suab paj nruag kev lag luam rau xyoo. Roc Nation Sports focuses on elevating athletes’ career on a global scale both on and off the field. Roc teb chaws kev ua si conceptualizes thiab executes li thiab yog pom zoo los deals, lub zej zog, charitable khi-ins, xov xwm kev sib raug zoo thiab hom zoo. Roc teb chaws kev ua si launched nws cov boxing faib, ib tug tag nrho cov kev pab promotional lub tuam txhab uas nruab nrab yog lub ntiaj teb no champions Miguel Cotto thiab Andre Ward, nyob rau hauv lub yim hli ntuj 2014. Roc Nation Sports’ roster includes premiere athletes such as Robinson Cano, Skylar Diggins, Kevin Durant, Geno Smith, Victor Cruz, CC Sabathia, James Hluas, Dez Bryant, Ndamukong Suh, Rusney Castillo, Yoenis Cespedes, Jaelen zog, Todd Gurley, Wilson Chandler, Erick Aybar and Frances Tiafoe. Yog xav paub ntxiv, thov mus xyuas www.rocnation.com. Ua raws li cov Roc teb chaws nyob rau hauv Twitter thiab Instagramrocnation thiab nyob rau Facebook ntawm www.facebook.com/RocNation.
ABOUT ORACLE ARENA & O.co COLISEUM:
Oracle Arena and O.co Coliseum, managed by AEG Facilities, are the premiere sports and entertainment complexes in Northern California. Home of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, the NFL’s Oakland Raiders and MLB’s Oakland Athletics as well as host to concerts, family shows and special events. Additional information on Oracle Arena and O.co Coliseum, including a complete schedule of events can be found online at www.coliseum.com. Follow Oracle Arena on Twitter, Instagram, Vine and Snapchat @OracleArena and on Facebook www.faecbook.com/OracleArenaO.coColiseum.