Trasmessa in diretta su HBO ®
NEW YORK, NY (Febbraio 9, 2016) - Roc Nation Sports è lieta di annunciare che campione del mondo due-Time e top-rated libbra-per-pound caccia Andre Ward (28-0, 15 KO) tornerà sul ring il Sabato, Marzo 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 KO) 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® con inizio alle 9:45 p.m. E/PT.
Biglietti al prezzo di $300, $150, $100, $50 e $25, non compresi gli oneri di servizio applicabili e tasse, go on sale Tuesday, Febbraio. 9 a 5:00 PM PT and will be available at all Ticketmaster locations, online su Ticketmaster.com e la carica per telefono al (800) 745-3000.
“I don’t really have much to say other than this. Nel marzo 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,"Ha detto 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,"Ha detto David Itskowitch, COO of Boxing Roc Nation Sports. “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. Marzo 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.
Su Marzo 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, Executive Vice President, HBO Sports. “With a perfect record dating back to the age of 12 anni, Andre has risen to every challenge as both an amateur and a professional, including world titles and an Olympic gold medal. Ora, he takes on Barrera, one of the toughest challengers as Ward moves up the scale. Boxing fans won’t want to miss it.”
Conosciuto per il suo carattere forte e integrità fuori dal ring e l'istinto del suo guerriero dentro, l'abilità e il talento di Ward erano evidenti all'inizio della sua brillante carriera amatoriale. Ha collezionato tutti i titoli nei libri, culminante con una medaglia d'oro nella divisione dei pesi massimi leggeri al 2004 Giochi Olimpici di Atene. Come l'unico pugile americano di sesso maschile per rivendicare l'oro olimpico dal 1996, Ward è entrato del calibro di Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard e Oscar De La Hoya. Egli è diventato professionista nel dicembre 18, 2004, segnando una seconda vittoria per KO tecnico rotonda su Chris Molina allo Staples Center in una lotta che è stata trasmessa in diretta su HBO. Egli ha continuato a racimolare 27 più vittorie da allora, la costruzione di una legione sempre crescente di fan nel processo. Dopo essere diventato il medio campione Ring Magazine e WBA Super Mondiale, in aumento al posto numero due sulla lista libbra-per-pound e vincendo il 2011 Fighter of the Year Award (ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Ring Magazine e Boxing Writers Association of America), è stato annunciato che Ward ha firmato un accordo esclusivo di promozione con Roc Nation Sport nel mese di gennaio 2015, l'apertura di un nuovo capitolo della sua carriera leggendaria boxe. Il prodotto Bay Area tornato sul ring giugno 20, 2015 alla Oracle Arena di fronte ai suoi fans città natale a Oakland, California e ha segnato un ko nono round su Paul Smith, continuing his unbeaten streak which dates back to when he was a 13-year-old amateur. Ward recentemente intervenuta davanti alla telecamera per un ruolo completamente diverso, a part in the New Line/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Warner Bros. feature “Creed.” Fellow Bay Area natives, regista Ryan Coogler e stella del film Michael B. Giordania, allungò la mano per Ward in modo che potesse fornire la sua esperienza per il film. Oltre a lavorare di fronte alla telecamera con Ward, Jordan ha trascorso del tempo in palestra di casa di Ward in preparazione per il suo ruolo di figlio di Apollo Creed. Now it’s time for Ward to get back to his day job when he faces the undefeated Barrera on Marzo 26.
Born in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Barrera had an impressive amateur run with a record of 285-27. Come un dilettante, 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’sVenerdì Night Fights, 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, si svolge Sabato, Marzo 26, 2016 a Oracle Arena di Oakland, California and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 9:45 p.m. E/PT. Follow the conversation using #WardBarrera.
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