WARD-KOVALEV 2: “THE REMATCH” SET FOR Sábado, Junio 17, 2017 En el Mandalay Bay Events Center, LAS VEGAS
Live presentado por HBO Pay-Per-View®
NUEVA YORK, Nueva York (Abril 27, 2017) - USBA Middleweight Champion Luis “Cuba” Arias (17-0, 8 KOs) and prime contender Arif “The Predator” Magomedov (18-1, 11 KOs) will lead off the HBO Pay-Per-View lineup for Andre Ward vs. Sergey Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” on Sábado, Junio 17 en el Centro de Eventos Mandalay Bay de Las Vegas. El evento de campeonato, presentado por Corona Extra, will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® a partir de las 9:00 p.m. Y/6:00 p.m. PT.
Arias will be defending his title and undefeated record against one of the division’s top prospects. Magomedov has previously held the WBO’s Inter-Continental, Youth and NABO middleweight titles with only a single career loss coming against Andrew Hernandez for the vacant WBC USNBC middleweight title. Both fighters are eager to make an impression during their Las Vegas debut.
“Finally my opportunity has come. The road to the big stage has been long but it’s here and I’m ready. It’s time to prove to the world that I am a threat to anyone in this division. I have been saying it for some time, my record shows it, but now I’ll get the chance to prove it,- dijo arias. “I’m coming to make a statement on Junio 17! My opponent has been beat before and will be beat again. Thanks to Roc Nation Sports and my handlers for making this happen. A new star will be born.”
“Mi objetivo es ser campeón mundial. I have been waiting for a fight like this. Arias is a tough opponent but I will be ready for him,” said Magomedov. “I am so excited to work with my new trainer, Marco Contreras and to fight on HBO Pay-Per-View. Be ready for ‘The Predator’ on Junio 17."
“If the heat between the Ward-Kovalev rivalry hasn’t been felt yet, then the cross promotional matchup of Roc Nation Sports’ Luis Arias and Main Events’ Arif Magomedov will certainly add fuel to the fire,”Dijo el presidente de Roc Nation & Jefe de Branding y Estrategia Michael R. Yormark. “We are excited to have USBA Middleweight Champion Luis Arias make his Las Vegas debut and open the HBO Pay-Per-View telecast with a title defense on June 17 against Arif Magomedov.”
“Arif has been ready for this fight since the first Kovalev-Ward card in November. We are so pleased to finally give him this match-up,” said Main Events CEO Kathy Duva. “This is a huge opportunity for both Arif and Luis to test themselves on such a big stage. A win or a good showing by either fighter could catapult them in the rankings and put them on the map in this stacked middleweight division.”
USBA Middleweight Champion Luis “Cuba” Arias (17-0, 8 KOs), 26, takes great pride in his Cuban heritage. The Milwaukee-native chose his nickname in homage to his father’s homeland and its people, honoring them each time he steps into the ring. A former USA junior amateur standout, Arias made his professional debut on November 10, 2012 en el Staples Center en Los Ángeles, California, where he defeated Josh Thorpe via a four-round unanimous decision. Since joining Roc Nation Sports in February of 2015, Arias has advanced his undefeated record, paving way for his first title shot on August 20, 2016. In a homecoming at the Milwaukee Center, Arias captured the vacant USBA Middleweight title with a stoppage of Detroit’s Darryl Cunningham at the 1:11marca de la cuarta ronda. Arias successfully defended his title on March 31, 2017 at the Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh, winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Virginia’s Scott Sigmon. Los tres jueces anotaron la pelea 99-91 for Arias who put on a potent body punching display to settle a long-standing grudge with Sigmon.
Arif “The Predator” Magomedov (18-1, 11 KOs), 24, is a middleweight from Kizlyar, Rusia. He made his professional debut in January of 2013 when he earned a decision win over Ruslan Sirazhev in Russia. Magomedov would go on to finish 2013 con una explosión, posting a record of 8-0 con 6 KOs and none of those six opponents made it past the third round. He made his US debut in April of 2015 when he unanimously outpointed tough journeyman Derrick Findley. En mayo de 2015, he earned one of the biggest wins of his career when he scored a first-round knockout over the always tough and durable Darnell Boone. In July of 2015, Magomedov cruised to a unanimous decision win over previously undefeated and rising prospect Derrick Webster. En su combate más reciente, Magomedov scored a second-round TKO over Chris Herrmann in Moscow, Rusia. Arif is co-promoted by Main Events and Shamo Boxing and managed by Egis Klimas.
Sala vs. Kovalev 2: “La revancha," un 12 asaltos mega pelea por el Campeonato Mundial de peso semipesado de la OMB / FIB / AMB, es presentado por Roc Nation Deportes, Eventos principales, Promociones Andre Ward, Promociones Krusher y Corona Extra, patrocinado por el Mandalay Bay Resort y Casino, y Desarrollado por Monster. El evento se lleva a cabo el campeonato Sábado, Junio 17 en el Mandalay Bay Events Center de Las Vegas y será producida y distribuida en vivo por HBO Pay-Per-View ® comenzando a las 9:00 p.m. Y/6:00 p.m. PT. Las entradas para Ward-Kovalev 2: “La revancha” están disponibles en axs.com and at the Mandalay Bay Events Center box office.