Прамой трансляцыі на HBO®

Нью-Ёрк, Нью-Ёрк (Лютага 9, 2016) - Roc Nation Спорт рада паведаміць, што два-чэмпіён свету і топ-рэйтынгу фунт-для-фунта баец Андрэ Уорд (28-0, 15 КО) вернецца на рынг Субота, Сакавіка 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 КО) in a 12-round bout at Oracle Arena in Ward’s hometown of Oakland, Каліфорнія. The event will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing^® пачынаючы з 9:45 p.m. І/PT.

 

Квіткі па цане $300, $150, $100, $50 і $25, не ўключаючы прыдатныя плата за абслугоўванне і падаткі, go on sale Tuesday, Лютага. 9 на 5:00 PM PT and will be available at all Ticketmaster locations, на сайце Ticketmaster.com і зарад па тэлефоне (800) 745-3000.

 

“I don’t really have much to say other than this. Сакавіка 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,"Сказаў Уорд. “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,"Сказаў Дэвід 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. Сакавіка 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.

 

На Сакавіка 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, Выканаўчы віцэ-прэзідэнт, HBO спорту. “With a perfect record dating back to the age of 12 гадоў, Andre has risen to every challenge as both an amateur and a professional, including world titles and an Olympic gold medal. Зараз, he takes on Barrera, one of the toughest challengers as Ward moves up the scale. Boxing fans won’t want to miss it.”

 

Вядомы сваім моцным характарам і цэласнасці па-за кольцы і інстынкт яго воіна ўнутры яго, Ward’s skill and talent were apparent early in his outstanding amateur career. He racked up every title in the books, кульмінацыяй з залатым медалём у паўцяжкай вазе на 2004 Алімпійскія гульні ў Афінах. As the only male American boxer to claim Olympic gold since 1996, Уорд далучыўся падобных Мухамеда Алі, Шугар Рэй Леанард і Оскар Дэ Ла Хойя. Ён стаў прафесіяналам у снежні 18, 2004, scoring a second round technical knockout victory over Chris Molina at Staples Center in a fight that was televised live on HBO. He has gone on to rack up 27 more victories since then, building an ever-growing legion of fans in the process. Стаўшы Ring Magazine і WBA ў суперсреднем вазе свету, rising to the number two spot on the pound-for-pound list and winning the 2011 Знішчальнік года прэміі (ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Ring Magazine і Асацыяцыі бокса пісьменнікаў Амерыкі), было абвешчана, што Уорд падпісаў эксклюзіўны рэкламны дамову з Roc Nation спорту ў студзені 2015, адкрываем новую главу ў сваёй спартыўнай кар'еры павярховага. Прадукт Bay Area вярнуўся на рынг у чэрвені 20, 2015 на Oracle Arena перад сваімі прыхільнікамі родным горадзе ў Оклендзе, Каліфорнія і забіў дзевяты тур накаўтам над Paul Smith, continuing his unbeaten streak which dates back to when he was a 13-year-old amateur. Уорд нядаўна ўстала перад камерай для цалкам іншай ролі, a part in the New Line/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Warner Bros. feature “Creed.” Fellow Bay Area natives, дырэктар Раян Coogler і зорка фільма Michael B. Іарданія, пацягнуўся да Уорд, так што ён можа забяспечыць свой вопыт для фільма. У дадатак да працы перад камерай з Уордам, Іарданія правёў час у Уорд хатні спартзалу ў рамках падрыхтоўкі да сваёй ролі сына Апалона Крида. Now it’s time for Ward to get back to his day job when he faces the undefeated Barrera on Сакавіка 26.

 

Born in Guantanamo Bay, Куба, Barrera had an impressive amateur run with a record of 285-27. Як аматар, he was able to earn World Amateur Championships in Germany, Куба, 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, Фларыда. 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’sПятніца Начныя баі, 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, Каліфорнія. 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, Фларыда.

 

Уорд супраць. Баррера, a 12-round fight which is presented by Roc Nation Sports in association with Main Events, адбываецца Субота, Сакавіка 26, 2016 на Oracle Arena у Оклендзе, California and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 9:45 p.m. І/PT. Follow the conversation using #WardBarrera.

 

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