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CHAMPIONSHIP PRO BOXING RETURNS TO HIALEAH PARK ON MARCH 26
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ESPN Thursday Night Fights Back in South Florida with Strong Televised Fight Card
Reigning IBF Super-Featherweight Champ
Hialeah Park will be back in the international spotlight when ESPN’s Thursday Night Fights return to this iconic venue with an action-packed evening of championship professional boxing on March 26 starting at 6 PM ET.
The star-studded fight card, which will be broadcast live in the United States and in key Latin markets on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, is expected to include the Lightweight debut of reigning IBF Super-Featherweight champion Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy, who is 21-0 with 12 knockouts.
Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing, co-promoters of the event with Hialeah Park, confirms that the card will feature a ten-round welterweight affair between Breidis “El Khanqueror” Prescott (27-6, 20 KOs) of Colombia and Fredrick “General Okunka” Lawson (23-0, 20 KOs) of Ghana.
“This will be a key fight for Prescott,” Margules related. “He’s 31, now. He’s won three fights but dropped two since the start of 2012, so he’s pretty much in a must-win situation if he wants to remain relevant in his division.”
Prescott, now fighting out of Miami, won the first 21 fights of his professional career before losing back-to-back outings in late 2009. Lawson is six years younger at 25. He’s won three different vacant regional title bouts since December of 2012, most recently the vacant IBF International Welterweight title in July of 2013.
“Lawson didn’t fight in the United States until he re-located to Chicago last year,” Margules noted. “He’s a solid pro who doesn’t need friendly surroundings to win. He’s won in Minnesota and California since coming to America.”
Two undefeated Cuban heavyweight fighters will battle on the card. Yasmany “El Tiburon” Consuegra has a record of 16-0 with 14 knockouts, most in the early rounds. Consuegra has not had to wait for the scorecards to be tallied since winning a four-round bout 5 years ago in only his third lifetime fight. Robert Alfonso is 4-0 in his young career. Tickets for ESPN’s Thursday Night Fights, also billed as “Noche De Combates,” are on sale now through Ticket Force (www.myticketforce.com),www.hialeahpark.com, and at the Hialeah Park Casino cage.
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About Warriors Boxing
Launched in 2003, Warriors Boxing operates under a simple philosophy-bring the best boxers in the world to fight fans, match them in competitive bouts, and in doing so help re-establish the sport of boxing for a new generation.
With a series of successful Pay-Per-View shows and packed houses to its credit, the Warriors business model is working wonders in a sport that was sorely in need of the innovation and energy that the company brings to the table.
When it comes down to it though, a promotional company is only as good as the fighters and fights it promotes. Warriors Boxing has delivered on all fronts, with outstanding bouts such as Lara-Molina, Cayo-Peterson, Abraham-Miranda I and II, Miranda-Pavlik, Miranda-Green, Ibragimov-Briggs, Ibragimov-Klitschko, Urango-Hatton, Urango-Bailey, Cayo-Maidana and Ibragimov-Holyfield.
For more information on Warriors Boxing, visit their website at www.WarriorsBoxing.com. |
BOJAN VELICKOVIC FIGHTING FOR PERSONAL GLORY AND NATIONAL PRIDE
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Personal Glory & National Pride:
Bojan Velickovic’s Journey
RFA 24 IN MINNESOTA FRIDAY MARCH 6TH LIVE ON AXS TV
BY K. David Bena
@kdavidbena
When Denver, a city known for cold biting weather, breaks a record for snowfall, maybe it’s best to stay indoors – and rising welterweight Bojan Velickovic can attest, “The gym (Elevation Fight Team) was closed. There was no training that afternoon. It’s crazy. Two feet of snow fell and one of the coaches couldn’t make it (to the gym), so the owner decided to close. The roads are awful. I almost got into two car accidents this morning!” So being trapped indoors, Bojan “Veli” Velickovic (9-3) did some homework for his upcoming welterweight bout with Chris “The Hitman” Hugh (16-9). The two meet at RFA 24 on Friday, March 6th at the Mystic Lake Casino & Hotel in Prior Lake, Minnesota. The bout will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV. “I’m home now trying to do things for the fight and to watch my opponent, my own fights, to do at least something since I can’t train,” Velickovic explained. With “The Hitman” Hugh touting a 5-fight win streak, Velickovic knows how dangerous his opponent is, “The most important thing I have to do is to put my own pace and see how he’s going to react to my striking and wrestling.” Velickovic realizes that winning a fight is not just about studying an opponent, but about studying one’s self, “Hugh has 25 fights, but only two fights on YouTube so I can’t study him that much, but I can also see my previous fights and see what I did bad – and not do those types of mistakes again.” Training with the esteemed Elevation Fight Team, Velickovic loved the Denver-based fighters and gym, “I trained a lot with UFC fighters Brandon Thatch and Neil Magny for their UFC fights, so I think my striking game and wrestling became better and, as always, I like to fight with the aspects of MMA as a whole and I think that’s what I’ll try to do for this fight (with Hugh).” At the age of 12, Velickovic started training in Judo for several years and transitioned into kickboxing at the age of 18, “I had like 7 amateur fights and 7 professional. I think my record was total 14-2 or 15-2 – and from kickboxing, I switched to MMA. I see myself now as a mixed martial artist. I like to be good in all aspects. I’m not skipping wrestling class to go to jiu-jitsu. I’m just trying to become better everyday in every aspect of MMA and that’s my goal.” And Velickovic hasn’t looked back since, “I got to the United States through the reality show, “Road to the Ring of Fire”. Basically, one of the coaches (for the upcoming reality show) was a pro MMA fighter and told me ‘There’s a good reality show coming up. You have good striking, a Judo background, maybe it’s a good opportunity for you.’ So I registered for the reality show and they invited me. I won 4 fights in the show and won the show – and I won my next 3 fights as well.” Applying for a professional visa, Velickovic has lived in the states since 2013, where he was recruited by American Top Team (ATT) in Coconut Creek, Florida, “ATT helped apply for my visa and I have a contract with them for 5 years.” Asked if there was any tension, because of splitting his time between two perennial powerhouse gyms (Elevation Fight Team and ATT), Velickovic clarified, “No. I’m with American Top Team – a lot of guys at ATT train in different gyms for a couple of weeks before their fight then come back to ATT for a couple of weeks of sparring and additional training camps, but they always have ‘American Top Team’ on their banners.” He also sheds light on the politics and influx on fighters that migrate to ATT, “There are a couple of guys that are there full-time, but fighters are always visiting Florida and ATT. A lot of them come back and forth from (places like) California, Texas and stay a couple of weeks, work on sparring, and then they go back home and compete for American Top Team and their hometown gyms.” Quick to reassure there was no bad blood or misunderstandings with ATT, Velickovic states, “I told them that I was invited to Elevation Fight Team to help Brandon Thatch and Neil Magny get ready for their fights and then I decided to stay here for my whole camp for RFA 24. It’s a high altitude, good gym, good environment, and the guys from the gym accept me really good- and I feel I’m home and that’s the most important thing. But if I decide to move to Colorado, I will still wear ‘American Top Team’ on my shorts for the next couple of years, since I’m still under contract.” Being a fighter often requires a nomadic existence, leaving behind family and friends to further your skills. Fighting out of Novi Sad, Serbia, Velickovic speaks of his hometown and country fondly regardless of the close proximity of warring countries, “Novi Sad is very beautiful place and when the Yugoslav Wars occurred, Novi Sad was far from the border where the war and fire-fight was and somehow managed to stay out of the conflict. Now Serbia has been peaceful in the last 15-20 years.” He adds, “I left and came here to become better at MMA, because the training environment in the U.S. and the skills of the fighters are much more advanced than back home. I thought if I came here to train with the best, I can become with one of the best. That’s the main reason why I moved out to U.S.” To read complete article click HERE About RFA:
RFA is a professional mixed martial arts promotion that gives rising stars and top contenders the opportunity to prove their talent to fans and leaders in the industry. The RFA presents up to 10 fights annually around the United States including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver and Milwaukee. RFA can be seen live in over 40 million homes nationally through its television deal with AXS TV. Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, RFA is one of the most active and respected MMA organizations in the fastest growing sport in the world. (The Octagon, Ultimate Fighting Championship®, UFC®, and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC. All rights reserved).
About AXS TV Fights:
AXS TV Fights is renowned for its universally recognized Friday Night Mixed Martial Arts and Kickboxing events. As Your Home For MMA, AXS TV utilizes an expansive network of promotions from the United States, Canada, and Europe. And Asia to broadcast more LIVE fights than any other television network. “The Voice” Michael Schiavello and five-time MMA world-champion Pat Miletich provide viewers expert play-by-play, in-depth fighter coverage, and extensive analysis to each fight card. AXS TV broadcasts world-class LIVE fight events from RFA, Lion Fight, Legacy FC, and MFC every Friday night at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET.
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RFA RETURNS TO THE MOUNT RUSHMORE STATE WITH TWO TITLE FIGHTS
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RFA 25 – LAWRENCE vs. TOOMER MAIN EVENT: JUSTIN LAWRENCE vs. SAM TOOMER FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE CO-MAIN EVENT: GABRIEL CHECCO vs. FRANCISCO FRANCE MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD TITLE FRIDAY, April 10th LIVE ON AXSTV
Live at the Sanford Pentagon,Sioux Falls, SD.
Tickets on Sale through Ticketmaster.com
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) president Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will be returning to the state of South Dakota in April with a stacked card. RFA 25 – Lawrence vs. Toomer will feature a main event between two RFA fan favorites. RFA featherweight champion Justin “The American Kidd” Lawrence returns to the building that he won his title last summer. His first title defense will be against #1 contender “Super” Sam Toomer, who will be looking to keep his undefeated record intact. In the co-main event, Gabriel “Zangief” Checco meets fellow Brazil native and RFA vet Francisco “Kiko” France for the middleweight title. The event takes place Friday, April 10th at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The entire main card will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. “I’m excited to announce that the RFA is returning to South Dakota with two title fights at RFA 25,” stated Soares. “Justin Lawrence is the first person to win a sanctioned MMA world title in the state of South Dakota. He will defend it for the first time against undefeated Sam Toomer in the main event. In the co-headliner, Gabriel Checco and Francisco France will fight for the vacant RFA middleweight title.” Tickets for RFA 25 – Lawrence vs. Toomer are available for purchase NOW through Ticketmaster.com or by calling 605.312.7900. Ticket prices start at $25, reserved seating is available for $30-$40, and cageside seating is $125. Lawrence (6-2) returns to the site of the biggest win of his career. Last August at RFA 17, the 24-year-old striking stalwart captured the vacant RFA featherweight title by besting Mark Dickman via Unanimous Decision in what was South Dakota’s very first sanctioned MMA world title fight. The win was Lawrence’s second straight victory since joining the RFA. Before that he had gained worldwide notoriety as a star on the fifteenth season of the UFC’s hit reality show The Ultimate Fighter, where he was the first overall pick. On the show, Lawrence recorded highlight reel KO’s of RFA alum and current UFC star James Krause as well as PRIDE vet and eventual UFC fighter Cristiano Marcello. Lawrence, a former two-time Golden Gloves champion and decorated kickboxer, only had a 3-0 record in MMA at the time, but reached the quarter-finals before earning “Fight of the Night” and “KO of the Night” bonuses for his vicious KO of John Cofer in his UFC debut. Lawrence, who fights out of Alliance MMA in Chula Vista, California, is eager to once again showcase his vaunted striking skills in his first RFA featherweight title defense. “Once I heard I would be defending my belt in South Dakota, I thought this is awesome,” Lawrence explained. “The Sanford Pentagon is one of the best venues I have ever fought in. I felt comfortable, the locker room was great, and the crowd was fantastic. Sam Toomer is a great athlete with a good right hand. I’ll have to use my kicks, footwork, and out-finesse him. He’s proven to be a worthy challenger, but I look forward to giving him his first loss.” Toomer (9-0) will be the man challenging Lawrence for RFA gold. Unlike most top mixed martial artists, like Lawrence, who come from grappling or striking backgrounds, Toomer was a lifelong football player. However, the 27-year-old college football defensive back has made a successful transition to MMA by utilizing his natural athleticism, discipline, and unbreakable work ethic to compile an impressive 9-0 record since making his pro debut three years ago. Two of those wins have come in the past eight months after Toomer signed with the RFA. Toomer won his RFA debut at RFA 15 in June with a dominant performance. The one-sided fight saw his opponent Daniel Aguiar get disqualified in the third round after refusing to stand and fight Toomer. The DQ win over Aguiar via timidity put Toomer’s name on the RFA featherweight map as a legitimate title contender. In December, Toomer solidified his case for a title shot with a valiant comeback win over Lyoto Machida protégé Altair Alencar at RFA 21. Toomer, who fights out of The Arena MMA in San Diego, California, is now gearing up for the biggest undertaking of his athletic career in April, as he challenges the highly-touted RFA champion Lawrence for his title. “It feels great getting to fight for an RFA world title,” stated Toomer. “My first couple of experiences with the RFA have been great, but this is my first time as the main event and I look forward to winning the title. Justin Lawrence is an excellent opponent and the champion for a reason. I’m looking forward to having an exciting fight with him at RFA 25 in South Dakota. The co-main event of RFA 25 will also feature a title fight between two accomplished RFA vets, who happen to both hail from Brazil. Gabriel “Zangief” Checco (8-1) made his international debut in October in the main event of RFA 19. After coming up short in his first bid for the RFA middleweight title that night to Jake Collier, who was immediately signed by the UFC, Checco rebounded in a big way earlier this month at RFA 23. He made a huge statement with a blistering first round knockout of the highly-touted The Ultimate Fighter 11 cast member Joseph Henle. Checco will now face his fellow countryman and fellow jiu-jitsu black belt Francisco “Kiko” France (11-3-1) for the title. France enters the fight with a ton of momentum after steamrolling his first two opponents in the RFA. Last August, in the RFA’s first trip to South Dakota, France submitted local standout Isaac Appel with a first round Kimura. He followed up that success with another first round finish at RFA 21 in December. He made his case for a title shot that night by dispatching Bellator vet Mikey Gomez with a first round Arm-Triangle Choke. RFA 25 will mark the return of two more RFA vets in the flyweight division. Abel “The Silent Assassin” Cullum (20-6) will be dropping down to 125-pounds for the first time in his storied MMA career to face Sioux Falls native Josh “The Rage” Rave (24-11). Cullum made a storybook comeback this past fall after a three year hiatus from the sport. In his RFA debut at RFA 18, Cullum submitted UFC vet Ulysses Gomez in 89 seconds. Four weeks later at RFA 19, he submitted top prospect Carl Deaton III in the second round. Cullum now drops down to the flyweight division to face Rave, who is the most accomplished flyweight MMA fighter in South Dakota history. Rave will also be riding momentum heading into this fight. He has won three of his last four bouts since making his RFA debut at RFA 2.
In the lightweight division, RFA 25 will feature the return of T.J. “The Carnivore” Hepburn (4-0), who is a longtime RFA fan favorite. He is also the 2012 NCAA Division II wrestling national champion at 157 lbs. Hepburn will face a fellow undefeated lightweight prospect in LaRue “The Cannibal” Burley (5-0), who will be making his highly-anticipated RFA debut. Burley is widely known as the man who gave blue chip MMA prospect Bubba Jenkins his first loss in MMA.
Jenkins coincidentally fought on the same RFA 3 card as Hepburn and is the 2011 NCAA Division I wrestling national champion at 157 lbs. The main card will be rounded out with a middleweight bout pitting Anderson Silva protégé Khalil “War Horse” Rountree (2-0) against Roufusport prospect Cameron Olsen (2-0) and a flyweight bout that will see top-ranked flyweight prospect Geane Herrera (7-0) battle a surging Ben Nguyen (13-5). Nguyen is currently riding a seven-fight win streak and will be returning home to Sioux Falls after making a name for himself in Australia. The preliminary card is also loaded. Local fan favorites and RFA vets Jordon Larson (5-1), Devin Clark (3-0), and Devin Turner (2-2) are returning to fight on the RFA’s highly-anticipated return trip to their hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Larson defeated Donavon Winters in his RFA debut at RFA 17 in August in a highly entertaining welterweight bout. He will face Jarrod L’Heureux (7-1) in an eagerly anticipated rematch. All seven of L’Heureux’s wins have come via submission with his lone loss coming against Larson. Clark, Larson’s teammate at Next Edge Academy in Sioux Falls, also won decisively at RFA 17. The light-heavyweight powerhouse won via TKO over 2012 NFL draft pick Aaron Brown. Clark will face Omaha based fighter Jaquis Williams (4-2). Meanwhile, Turner will look to pick up his first RFA win against RFA vet and highly-touted MMA prospect Matt Lopez (4-0) in a 140-pound catchweight bout. The entire main card of RFA 25 – Lawrence vs. Toomer will be televised live on AXS TV starting at10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on Friday, April 10th. RFA 25 will be the promotion’s second event in the state of South Dakota after hosting the first sanctioned MMA event in “The Mount Rushmore State” last August. More fights on the RFA 25 fight card will be announced in the coming weeks. Please visit RFAfighting.com for bout updates and information. RFA is also on Facebook at Facebook.com/RFAfighting, Instagram at@RFAfighting, and Twitter at @RFAfighting. About RFA:
RFA is a professional mixed martial arts promotion that gives rising stars and top contenders the opportunity to prove their talent to fans and leaders in the industry. The RFA presents up to 10 fights annually around the United States including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver and Milwaukee. RFA can be seen live in over 40 million homes nationally through its television deal with AXS TV. Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, RFA is one of the most active and respected MMA organizations in the fastest growing sport in the world. (The Octagon, Ultimate Fighting Championship®, UFC®, and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC. All rights reserved).
About AXS TV Fights:
AXS TV Fights presents more LIVE mixed martial arts and kickboxing events than any other television network with 40+ LIVE world-class fight cards each year. “The Voice” Michael Schiavello and UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich call all the action as champions, challengers, and top prospects take center stage every Friday night at 10pE/7pP. AXS TV Fights can be found online, on Facebook and on Twitter. AXS TV is widely distributed in the U.S. via AT&T U-verse, Charter, Comcast/Xfinity, DIRECTV, DISH, Suddenlink, Verizon FiOS, and other cable, satellite and telco providers. The network is also carried in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
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DOMINIC “TROUBLE” BREAZEALE TAKES STEP UP IN COMPETITION
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Salita inks Kazakh Knockout artist Bakhtier Eubov
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SUPERSTAR FIGHTERS ON THE INAUGURAL PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON NBC FIGHT CARD OFFER TRAINING CAMP INSIGHTS AHEAD OF THEIR MARCH 7 SHOWDOWNS AT MGM GRAND IN LAS VEGAS
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Paul Andrade, Father/trainer of WBO Jr. Middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade responds to Erislandy Lara
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CAMP NOTES: BRONCO BILLY WRIGHT
LAS VEGAS (March 3, 2015) – 50-year old WBC #17 heavyweight contender, “Bronco” Billy Wright (46-4, 37 KOs), is less than two weeks away from his upcoming 10-round main event bout with Gilberto Matheus Domingos (22-2, 20 KOs). The bout takes place at the We Ko Pa Casino in Fort McDowell, Arizona on the RJJ Boxing Promotions card March 13, 2015. Bronco Billy Wright gives his thoughts on training camp and defending his WBC LATIN AMERICAN and FECARBOX titles.
Bronco Billy on training camp preparations….
“Training camp has been tough this time around. I’ve been working really hard to get in the best shape of my life. My trainer Rafael Garcia Jr. has me doing some out of the box training methods that has been real beneficial to my boxing style. We are finishing up our last days of sparring this week. I’ll be ready to bring it next Friday.
Bronco Billy gives his thoughts on his bout with Domingos….
“I know Domingos is going to be looking for the knockout as am I, so we’ll see who lands the first bomb. Like in all my fights, I’ll be looking to end the fight early. If I need to go some extra rounds, I’m ok with that, as I’m in good boxing shape. He’s going to taste some my power, that’s for sure.
Bronco Billy comments on defending his WBC titles….
“Defending my WBC LATIN AMERICAN and FECARBOX titles is a pretty big deal for me. It’s my leverage to compete at the top level as I try to crack the top ten in the WBC. Right now I’m at #17, but I plan to move up with each fight this year.
Bronco Billy discusses being a 50-year old heavyweight contender….
“At this age I feel stronger then I was when I was younger. It’s that old man strength I guess you can call it. I’m smarter, wiser and more discipline at this stage in my career. I have a goal to become the heavyweight champion of the world and motivation is greater than ever. A lot of these top contenders are shying away from fighting me. I just want to earn my opportunity and fight the best.
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Tickets priced $20 general admission, $35 and $50, are on sale now and can be purchased by calling Bronco Billy Wright at (702) 524-3331.
The We Ko Pa Casino is located at 10424 North Fort McDowell Road, Fort McDowell, AZ 85264. Doors open at 6:00 P.M. first fight is at 7:00 P.M.
SHOWTIME SPORTS® TO HONOR ANNIVERSARY OF ISRAEL VAZQUEZ-RAFAEL MARQUEZ RIVARLY WITH CLASSIC FIGHTS, ROUNDS, PHOTOS, STATS & MORE
Full Fights To Be Offered On SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME ANYTIME®
& SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® Beginning With Vazquez-Marquez I
TONIGHT At 10 p.m. ET/PT On SHOWTIME EXTREME
Click on the image to watch the 2007 Round of the Year
Photo Credit: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME
NEW YORK (March 3, 2015) – SHOWTIME Sports will offer boxing fans a chance to relive one of boxing’s most intense and brutal rivalries as it rolls out content in celebration of the classic showdowns between Mexican legends Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez.
Tonight, on the eighth anniversary of their epic first battle, SHOWTIME EXTREME (10 p.m. ET/PT) will present Vazquez-Marquez I, a unanimous selection of 2007 Fight of the Year. Then on Wednesday, Vazquez-Marquez II, an old-school slugfest that produced a Round of the Year Winner, will air at 11 p.m. ET/PT. The third installment, the 2008 Fight of The Year, will air on Thursday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME
Plus, Vazquez-Marquez I-IV will air in a “Roadblock” this Saturday on SHOWTIME EXTREME beginning at Noon ET/PT.
In honor of the rivalry, SHOWTIME Sports will also release classic photos, quick-hitting highlights, stats as well as full rounds. The third round from Vazquez-Marquez I and the third round from Vazquez-Marquez II (2007 Round of the Year) will be available on YouTube, Facebook and the SHOWTIME Sports website. Additionally, The Boxing Blog will release three posts from SHOWTIME boxing analyst and historian Steve Farhood as he looks back on the first three epic meetings between the 122-pound warriors.
All four Vazquez-Marquez fights will be available on SHOWTIME ANYTIME andSHOWTIME ON DEMAND beginning Monday, March 9. Below is the full schedule of action on SHOWTIME EXTREME:
TODAY/Tuesday, March 3
· SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: Vazquez vs. Marquez I, 10 p.m. ET/PT
Wednesday, March 4
· SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: Vazquez vs. Marquez II, 11 p.m. ET/PT
Thursday, March 5
· SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: Vazquez vs. Marquez III, 10 p.m. ET/PT
Saturday, March 7
· SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: Vazquez vs. Marquez I,Noon ET/PT
· SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: Vazquez vs. Marquez II, 1 p.m. ET/PT
· SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: Vazquez vs. Marquez III, 2 p.m. ET/PT
· SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: Vazquez vs. Marquez IV, 3 p.m. ET/PT
Described by Farhood as “an explosion of artistic brutality,” their first meeting had all the action and drama of a Hollywood blockbuster and left fans –and the fighters– clamoring for a rematch. Vazquez and Marquez delivered yet again in their second meeting just five months later in yet another old-school, bloody slugfest that produced a Round of the Year winner –the third– and a result that demanded a rubber match.
Vazquez-Marquez III, contested just 363 days from their first meeting, was a celebration of boxing at its finest, the only match in the rivalry to go the distance and the 2008 Fight of the Year. The two would meet for the fourth and final time again in 2010.
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About Showtime Networks Inc.:
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.