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NEW YORK, NY (Februari 9, 2016) - Roc Nation Sukan dengan sukacitanya mengumumkan bahawa Juara dunia dua kali dan bertaraf tinggi paun untuk paun pejuang Andre Ward (28-0, 15 KOs) akan kembali ke gelanggang pada Sabtu, Mac 26, to begin his assault on the light heavyweight division when he takes on undefeated and number one rated IBF light heavyweight contender Sullivan Barrera (17-0, 12 KOs) in a 12-round bout at Oracle Arena in Ward’s hometown of Oakland, California. The event will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® bermula pada 9:45 petang. DAN/PT.
Tiket berharga $300, $150, $100, $50 dan $25, tidak termasuk caj perkhidmatan dan cukai, go on sale Tuesday, Februari. 9 di 5:00 PM PT and will be available at all Ticketmaster locations, talian di Ticketmaster.com dan caj melalui telefon di (800) 745-3000.
“I don’t really have much to say other than this. Pada Mac 26, it will be very simple. I’ll be in a new weight class against a tough opponent but I’m coming with the same approach,"Kata Ward. “I’ll be in great shape and ready for battle. Sullivan Barrera has had a lot to say lately and I love it. He’s going to have an opportunity to back up every word that he has spoken. These are the type of challenges I like and on March 26, it’s go time.”
“We as a team had a tough choice to make – crash the party by taking out Ward first or wait for the mandatory and take out Kovalev,” said Barrera. “We decided that the time is now. Ward will fall first and then we will go after the belts.”
“Having cleaned out the super middleweight division, Andre’s next challenge is to become the best light heavyweight in the world, and that challenge begins with the IBF’s number one rated contender in Sullivan Barrera,"Kata David Itskowitch, COO Sukan Tinju Roc Nation. “With both fighters having their sights set on an eventually showdown with Unified Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey Kovalev, there’s a lot on the line in this fight, but only one man will move on. Mac 26 is a night of boxing that no fan should miss.”
“I’m excited to be on Team Ward as we enter the light heavyweight division. No weapons formed against us shall prosper,” said James Prince, Ward’s manager.
Pada Mac 26, before a hometown crowd, pound for pound star Andre Ward returns to HBO in his light heavyweight debut against undefeated Sullivan Barrera” said Peter Nelson, Naib Presiden Eksekutif, HBO Sukan. “With a perfect record dating back to the age of 12 lama tahun, Andre has risen to every challenge as both an amateur and a professional, including world titles and an Olympic gold medal. Sekarang, he takes on Barrera, one of the toughest challengers as Ward moves up the scale. Boxing fans won’t want to miss it.”
Terkenal dengan wataknya kuat dan integriti di luar gelanggang dan naluri pahlawan yang sama sekali di dalamnya, Ward’s skill and talent were apparent early in his outstanding amateur career. Dia memerah setiap tajuk di dalam buku, memuncak dengan pingat emas di bahagian heavyweight cahaya di 2004 Sukan Olimpik di Athens. Sebagai satu-satunya peninju lelaki Amerika untuk menuntut emas Olimpik sejak 1996, Ward menyertai orang-orang seperti Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard dan Oscar De La Hoya. Beliau menjadi profesional pada Disember 18, 2004, menjaringkan pusingan kalah mati teknikal kemenangan kedua ke atas Chris Molina di Staples Center di pergaduhan yang disiarkan secara langsung di HBO. Beliau telah pergi untuk rak 27 lebih kemenangan sejak itu, membina legion yang semakin bertambah peminat dalam proses. Selepas menjadi Ring Magazine dan WBA Super middleweight Juara Dunia, meningkat kepada tempat nombor dua dalam senarai pound-for-pound dan memenangi 2011 Pejuang Anugerah (ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Majalah Ring dan Persatuan Tinju Penulis Amerika), telah diumumkan bahawa Ward menandatangani perjanjian promosi eksklusif dengan Roc Nation Sukan pada bulan Januari 2015, membuka lembaran baru dalam kerjaya tinju sejarah tersendiri beliau. Produk Bay Area kembali ke gelanggang pada Jun 20, 2015 di Arena Oracle di hadapan peminat kampung halamannya di Oakland, California dan menjaringkan kalah mati kesembilan pusingan lebih Paul Smith, continuing his unbeaten streak which dates back to when he was a 13-year-old amateur. Ward baru-baru ini melangkah di hadapan kamera untuk peranan yang sama sekali berbeza, a part in the New Line/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Warner Bros. feature “Creed.” Fellow Bay Area natives, Pengarah Ryan Coogler dan bintang filem itu Michael B. Jordan, mencapai kepada Ward supaya dia boleh menyediakan kepakaran beliau untuk filem. Selain bekerja di hadapan kamera dengan Ward, Jordan menghabiskan masa di gimnasium rumah Ward sebagai persediaan untuk peranannya sebagai anak Apollo Creed. Now it’s time for Ward to get back to his day job when he faces the undefeated Barrera on Mac 26.
Born in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Barrera had an impressive amateur run with a record of 285-27. Sebagai amatur, he was able to earn World Amateur Championships in Germany, Cuba, Venezuela and Central America. During his amateur career he also defeated former Light Heavyweight World Champions Chad Dawson and Beibut Shumenov. Following his defection from Cuba, where he was a member of the country’s national team, Barrera made his professional debut in 2009 with a first round technical knockout win over Anthony Adorno in his adopted hometown of Miami, Florida. He would go on to knockout the first five opponents he faced in his professional career in either the first or second round. Barrera made his television debut in January of 2015 with his appearance on ESPN’sJumaat Melawan Malam, when he scored a fourth round knockout win over former Super Middleweight World Champion Jeff Lacy. Barrera quietly rose through the ratings of the light heavyweight division until he was afforded the opportunity to fight former Light Heavyweight World Title Challenger Karo Murat to become the IBF’s number one rated light heavyweight contender. Barrera seized the opportunity, knocking out Murat in the fifth round on December 12, 2015 in his HBO Latino Boxing debut at the Civic Auditorium in Glendale, California. Sullivan is trained by legendary trainer, Abel Sanchez, who is best known for his work with middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin. When he is not at The Summit in Big Bear Lake, California training with Sanchez, Barrera resides in Miami, Florida.
Ward vs. Barrera, a 12-round fight which is presented by Roc Nation Sports in association with Main Events, berlaku Sabtu, Mac 26, 2016 di Oracle Arena di Oakland, California and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 9:45 petang. DAN/PT. Follow the conversation using #WardBarrera.
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