Encore Presentation At 8 P.M. AND/PT在SHOWTIME EXTREME^®

紐約 (三月 29, 2016) - 該 欣欣拳擊INTERNATIONAL presentation of the IBF Heavyweight World Championship between undefeated American titlist 查爾斯·馬丁 and fellow unbeaten British Olympic Gold Medalist Anthony Joshua will air live on 開演時間 在 5 P.M. AND/2 P.M. PT上星期六, 四月 9 從 The O2 在倫敦.

An encore presentation will air later that evening on SHOWTIME EXTREME at 8 P.M. AND/PT.

該 欣欣拳擊INTERNATIONAL telecast will be hosted by 布萊恩·卡斯特 with analysis from 鋁伯恩斯坦 和 保利Malignaggi. Coverage of the event will be provided by Sky Sports with the play-by-play call from Nick Halling, analysis from Jim Watt 和 卡爾Froch and post-fight interviews from Andy Scott.

The SHOWTIME telecast will include extensive highlights and analysis of the IBF Featherweight World Championship between defending titlist 李謝肅方 and American challenger 埃里克·亨特.

(EDITORS NOTE: Due to a change in the bout order at The O2 in London, SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL is unable to provide live coverage of this bout.)

Martin vs. Joshua is the third of four heavyweight title bouts in five months 在Showtime (see details below). The scheduled 12-round matchup is the toughest test to date for both Martin (23-0-1, 21 科斯) and Joshua (15-0, 15 科斯), two bombers who boast a combined 94 percent knockout ratio.

塞爾比 (22-1, 8 科斯) VS. 獵人 (21-3, 11 科斯) is the second of five scheduled featherweight title bouts in 2016 (details below), a lineup showcasing many of the world’s best 126-pounders aiming to unifying one of boxing’s deepest divisions.

“The heavyweight division is experiencing an incredible resurgence, and the featherweight division is rife with compelling matchups,“說 斯蒂芬·埃斯皮諾薩, 執行副總裁 & General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports. “Martin vs. Joshua is a can’t-miss showdown between a newly minted American champion and one of the sport’s fastest-rising stars. And Selby vs. Hunter has major implications in the talent-rich division. We are proud to work with Matchroom Sport to deliver these pivotal matchups to the U.S. audience.”

“I’m the Heavyweight Champion of the World, and that’s why I have no problem traveling to England for my first title defense,” Martin said. “I only want to fight the best, and I plan on knocking Anthony Joshua out and taking his fans and the belt back with me.”

“The O2 is going to be rocking on 四月 9 and the U.S. fans are in for a treat when they see Charles and I clash,” Joshua said. “Credit to him for coming over after calling me out, but he doesn’t know what he’s getting himself in for. I am going to show all my power, all my speed and all my accuracy to put on the best display of my life and become the Heavyweight Champion of the World by knocking him out. I’m delighted that fans in the U.S. will be able to witness it.”

“After a great experience in my first defense in Arizona against 費爾南多·蒙鐵爾, it’s nice to be back in front of my home fans at The O2 in London,” Selby said. “It’s going to be a crazy atmosphere with a 20,000 person sold-out arena. Hunter has talked a lot of trash and I’m looking forward to showing him what it’s like at the world championship level. He’s in for a shock.”

“He’s got a belt I want, and that’s all I know about him,” Hunter said. “My team knows more about him than I do. It’s their job to come up with a game plan. My job is train and get ready to perform my best. I can adjust to anything in the ring. I’m just here at the gym working my butt off to get the job done. I’m going to be more focused than I ever have been for this fight.”

The 6-foot-5 Martin won the IBF championship on 一月. 16 什麼時候 維亞切斯拉夫·Glazkov suffered a knee injury in the third round of their vacant world title fight. In capturing the IBF belt, 馬丁, 聖. 聖路易斯, 密蘇里州, became just the sixth southpaw heavyweight champion in boxing history and the second current American heavyweight titlist.

While Martin has stopped his last 13 opponents and was the aggressor against Glazkov, the undefeated champ remains virtually untested. His first title defense and initial start outside the U.S., will take place at what is expected to be a pro-Joshua arena in London that sold out in just 90 秒. The 29-year-old Martin, who is trained by U.S. 奧林匹亞 Henry Tillman in Big Bear, 加利福尼亞州。, will be Joshua’s first professional southpaw opponent.

Joshua had a standout amateur career that culminated with an Olympic Gold Medal at super heavyweight in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Since turning professional in July 2013, the 6-foot-6 Joshua has steadily climbed through the ranks.

One of boxing’s most promising prospects, Joshua is coming off consecutive victories over previously undefeated opponents. 在他的最後一個回合, the 26-year-old was pushed past the third round for the first time in his career. Joshua defeated Dillian Whyte via seventh-round knockout on 十二月. 12. 現在, Joshua returns to The O2, the site of his professional debut and five of his 15 專業的較量, in a bid to join 泰森怒 as the second current reigning British heavyweight champion.

Joshua is also looking to become the sixth super heavyweight Olympic Gold Medalist to win a heavyweight world title. If successful, he will join an impressive group that includes 喬治·福爾曼, 喬·弗雷澤, 倫諾克斯·劉易斯 和弗拉基米爾克里琴科.

出生於巴里, 威爾士, Selby won his world title with a dominant technical decision over previously undefeated Evgeny Gradovich 在五月 2015. The slick boxer made his first title defense in his U.S. debut last October, capturing a unanimous decision over former three-division champ Fernando Montiel.

The 29-year-old owns a slew of victories over previously unblemished fighters including 喬爾 Brunker, 瑞恩·沃爾什, 維奧雷爾·西蒙, Corey McConnell 和Stephen Smith. He has won 18 straight since the lone blemish of his career, and six of his last eight victories came over previously undefeated opponents.

獵人, who will take a four-fight win streak into his initial start outside the U.S., has always possessed an abundance of talent. Before turning pro, the Philadelphia native was an outstanding amateur and an alternate on the U.S. 奧運隊.

The fast-handed 29-year-old has scored some solid victories as a pro, and his biggest enemy in a nine-year career has been himself – the switch-hitter doesn’t always keep his composure in check and allows his emotions get the best of him. Two of Hunter’s three losses came by disqualification, the last coming via DQ in 2013 針對 邁克·奧利弗（Mike Oliver） for hitting at the break. The other came againstLuis Franco 在 2010, when he had a point deducted in the second and was DQ’d in the eighth after repeated low blows.

If Hunter can keep his hot head from getting him in trouble, he’s confident he can upset Selby and join 獅子座聖克魯斯 和 加里·拉塞爾JR. as U.S.-born world champion at 126 英鎊.

2016 Heavyweight Title Bouts (注意: all on SHOWTIME))

· 一月. 16 WBC Heavyweight World Championship Deontay Wilder vs. 亞瑟引腳

· 一月. 16 IBF Heavyweight World Championship Charles Martin vs. 維亞切斯拉夫·Glazkov

· 四月 9 IBF Heavyweight World Championship Charles Martin vs. Anthony Joshua

· 五月 21 WBC Heavyweight World Championship Deontay Wilder vs. 亞歷山大Povetkin

2016 Featherweight Title Bouts (All on SHOWTIME with the exception of六月 25 “SHOWTIME BOXING on CBS”)

· 二月. 27 WBA (超級) Featherweight World Championship Leo Santa Cruz vs. 馬切達馬丁內茲

· 四月 9 IBF Featherweight World Championship Lee Selby vs. 埃里克·亨特

· 四月 16 WBC Featherweight World Championship Gary Russell Jr. VS. 帕特里克·海蘭

· 六月 25 WBA (定期) Featherweight World Championship Jesus Cuellar vs. 押尼珥Mares

· Summer 2016 WBA (超級) Featherweight World Championship Leo Santa Cruz vs. 卡爾·弗蘭普頓