WARD TO FACE PAUL SMITH ON Qershor 20, 2015

AT ORACLE ARENA në 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 boks 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 boks events over the next 18 muaj. The first main event fight to air on BET Networks will feature WBA Super Middleweight World Champion Andre Ward (27-0, 14 KO-së) facing former World Title Challenger Paul Smith (35-5, 20 KO-së) of England in a 12 round bout on E shtunë, Qershor 20, 2015 në Oracle Arena në Oakland, Kaliforni. Përveç veprimin e madhe brenda unazes, 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, sapo nisur muzikë streaming shërbim që kombinon më të mirë besnikëri të lartë të cilësisë të shëndosha, të lartë music videos Përkufizimi dhe editoriale kuruar me profesionalizëm.

Biletat çmim në $250, $125, $90, $60 dhe $30, pa përfshirë pagesat e aplikueshme të shërbimeve dhe taksave, dalin në shitje E premte, Prill 24 në 10:00 AM PT and will be available at all Ticketmaster locations, online në Ticketmaster.com dhe ngarkuar me telefon në (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. Kodër, President of Programming, BET Rrjetet. “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. Së bashku, 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,"Tha David Itskowitch, COO – Boxing of Roc Nation Sports. "Për Qershor 20, we will once again provide fans a night of exciting Froni boks lufton, live musical entertainment and an unprecedented fan experience.”

“I’m very excited to be coming back on Qershor 20 at Oracle Arena in my hometown of Oakland which has been a long time coming,"Tha Ward. “I’m equally excited to be fighting on BET in front of a potential viewership of over 90 milion shtëpitë. Si një luftëtar, 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. Si gjithmonë, 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,"Tha 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, kulminuar me një medalje të artë në ndarjen dritë njeri shumë i rëndësishëm në nivel 2004 Lojërat Olimpike në Athinë. As the only male American boxer to claim Olympic gold since 1996, Ward bashkuar sërën e Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard dhe Oscar De La Hoya. Ai u kthye profesionale në dhjetor 18, 2004, duke shënuar një fitore të dytë të rrumbullakët nokaut teknik mbi Chris Molina në Staples Center në një luftë që u transmetua drejtpërdrejt në HBO. Ai ka shkuar për të raft 26 më shumë fitore që nga atëherë, ndërtimin e një legjion gjithnjë në rritje e tifozëve në procesin e. Pas duke u bërë Ring Magazine dhe WBA super të mesme World Champion, në rritje në numër dy në vend në listën kile-për-kile dhe duke fituar 2011 Luftëtar i Vitit Award (ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Ring Magazine dhe Shoqata e Shkrimtarëve Boxing i Amerikës), u njoftua se Ward nënshkroi një marrëveshje ekskluzive promovuese me Roc Nation Sporteve në janar 2015, duke hapur një kapitull të ri në karrierën e tij e mirënjohur boks. Now the Bay Area product is ready to return to the ring on Qershor 20 në Arenën Oracle para tifozëve të tij të origjinës në Oakland, Kaliforni.

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. Në Qershor 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. Kovaç, një 12 periudhë raundin paraqitur nga ROC Kombit Sporteve, ndodh E shtunë, Qershor 20 në Oracle Arena në Oakland, Kaliforni, do të jetë në televizion jetojnë në BET dhe Transmetuar globalisht në TIDAL.com në 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT dhe është paraqitur në bashkëpunim me Matchroom Sport.

ABOUT BET NETWORKS:

BET Rrjetet, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, muzikë, 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, Kanadë, 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, muzikë, culture, dhe lajme; 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 Nation Sport, një nën-ndarje e Roc Nation, filloi në pranverë 2013. Founder Shawn “JAY Z” Carter’s love of sports lead to the natural formation of Roc Nations Sports, duke ndihmuar atletët në të njëjtën mënyrë Roc Nation ka ndihmuar artistët në industrinë e muzikës për vite. Roc Nation Sports focuses on elevating athletes’ career on a global scale both on and off the field. Roc Nation Sport koncepton dhe ekzekuton marketingut dhe miratim marrëveshje, terren të komunitetit, bamirëse kravatë-ins, marrëdhëniet me mediat dhe strategji markë. Roc Nation Sport filloi ndarjen e saj boks, një kompani të plotë të shërbimit promovuese e cila përfaqëson kampionëve të botës Miguel Cotto dhe Andre Ward, në gusht 2014. Roc Nation Sports’ roster includes premiere athletes such as Robinson Cano, Diggins, Kevin Durant, Geno Smith, Victor Cruz, CC Sabathia, James Rinj, Dez Bryant, Ndamukong Suh, Rusney Castillo, Yoenis Cespedes, Jaelen fortë, Todd Gurley, Wilson Chandler, Erick Aybar and Frances Tiafoe. Për më shumë informacion ju lutemi vizitoni www.rocnation.com. Ndiqni Roc Nation në Twitter dhe Instagramrocnation dhe në Facebook në 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.