SHOWTIME Boxing INTERNATIONAL® Lee vs. Saunders
AIRS Live At 5 p.m. KANYE/PT on sho EXTEME
I-NEW YORK (Dec. 1, 2015) - Showtime Sports® sizosinikeza WBO middleweight World Championship phakathi titlist sivikele Andy Lee futhi inselele unbeaten Billy Joe Saunders on Saturdafuthi, Dec. 19, hlala e Sho obedlulele (5 p.m. KANYE/PT) kusukela Manchester, England.
The Showtime Boxing INTERNATIONAL umnikelo of the Ibhokisi Nation telecast will feature analysis from SHOWTIME boxing experts Brian Custer, Al Bernstein futhi Paulie Malignaggi before and after the world championship showdown. An encore presentation of the bout will air on SHO EXTREME later that evening at 9 p.m. KANYE/PT.
"Siyajabula sindise lo matchup obalulekile middleweights phezulu US. izilaleli,"Kusho Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports. “The 160-pound class is one of boxing’s hottest and deepest divisions right now, kanye owawina kule mpi kufanele abeke ngokwakhe for a Yimpi ezinkulu noma ukuhlanganisa in 2016. "
Ireland Lee (34-2-1, 24 Kos) wawina singenamuntu WBO isihloko nge yesithupha-round TKO ke-Ezingakanqotshwa Matt Korbov ngoDisemba 2014. I 6-foot-2, 31-ngonyaka ubudala a eziyisithupha-mpi win streak ngaphambi Boxing uqhekeko 12-round amanzi Ezingakanqotshwa iqhawe zangaphambili Peter Quillin ngo-Ephreli 11, 2015, e Brooklyn. Both fighters went down in a highly competitive scrap that was scored 113-112 ngoba Quillin, 113-112 ngoba Lee and 113-113.
Ngaphambi kokuvala pro Lee kwaba amateur phezulu futhi amelwe Ireland in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
"Kuyinto enkulu ukuthi abalandeli bami kule U.S. uzothola ukubona ukulwa phakathi kwami Saunders mina ziqinisekise ukuthi kuzoba okuthakazelisayo,"Lee uthe.
Saunders (22-0, 12 Kos), of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, I-United Kingdom, kuyinto No the WBO sika. 1 middleweight Olwa. The 26-year-old is coming off a fourth-round TKO over Yoannan Bloyer last July 24 in London.
Iqala emibili eyedlule, e kakhulu inothi-worth ukunqoba career yakhe, 5-foot-11, Saunders wathatha uqhekeko isinqumo 12-round phezu Chris Eubank Jr. on Nov. 29, 2014, in London. Zonke kodwa omunye Saunders 'ukulwa eyenzeke England; omunye kwaba Northern Ireland.
Saunders wayebuye abe amateur kufezeke; wayemelela eNgilandi 2008 Olympic Games njengoba welterweight eneminyaka 18. Saunders is the great-grandson of one of Britain’s most famous gypsy bare-knuckle champions, Absolom Beeney.
"Lena ebusuku okukhulu kimi futhi Ngijabulile ukuthi kwenzekani bukhoma eMelika,” Saunders said. “The U.S. viewers will get to see just what I can do when I face Lee and become world champion. It’s a big boost for me and takes the fight to another level when American TV comes on board and then you know it’s a big fight on the world stage. I hope that (Gennady) Golovkin and (Miguel) Cotto kuyoba kokubili ukubukela ngoba Ngithathe lusondela level zabo futhi bazothola ukubona ukuthi ngiyingxenye all about. "
Umthuthukisi Frank Warren wathi, "Ngikhathazekile ekujabulela SHOWTIME sekuzokwenziwa kumabonakude Lee vs. Saunders bahlala the U.S. as it confirms the importance of this fight on the world scene. My relationship with the network goes back many years with fights like Joe Calzaghe vs. Jeff Lacy, Ricky Hatton vs. Kostya Tszyu, Frank Bruno vs. Oliver McCall, plus Naseem Hamed and Nigel Benn fights. I believe that Lee vs. Saunders will be another great fight to add to that list because of what’s at stake for both fighters. What lies ahead for the winner will make them fight to their very best.”