ON SABTI, AUGUST 6 AT Kanu waa warka culus Arena Oakland, California
WARD VS. BRAND TO BE TELEVISED LIVE
ON HBO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®
KA BILAABAY 10:35 p.m. IYO/PT
NEW YORK, NY (July 26, 2016) – Two-Time World Champion and top-rated pound-for-pound fighter Andre Ward (29-0, 15 KOs) ku soo laaban doonaa giraanta on Saturday, August 6, to continue his conquest of the light heavyweight division when he takes on power-punching Colombian Alexander Brand (25-1, 19 KOs) at Oracle Arena ee Oakland, California. Munaasabadan ayaa waxaa, which will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:35 p.m. IYO/PT, will now include six bouts of non-televised action for ticketed fans to enjoy before the main showdown.
The promising undercard lineup will feature East Bay familiar, Bilal Mahasin and a collection of Roc Nation Sports’ brightest prospects including, Daniel "dhifasho" Franco, Rudy “The Revelation” Puga Jr. iyo Darmani “Rock Solid” Rock. Roc Nation Sports’ sparkplug Maurice "Awooda Mo" Hooker also looks to ignite Oracle Arena as the card’s co-feature in a 10-round NABO Junior Welterweight Title clash against Tyrone Barnett.
Maurice "Awooda Mo" Hooker (20-0-2, 15 KOs) was born and raised in Oak Cliff, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, where he found a boxing home at Maple Avenue Boxing Gym by way of an outreach program for at-risk youths. Kartidiisa dabiiciga ah ayaa markiiba la ogaaday taas oo keentay inuu u tartamo hiwaayad ahaan, mudadaas oo uu ka qayb qaatay in ka badan 100 dagaallan, ururinta diiwaanka 97 guul oo kaliya 7 khasaarihii, la 67 guulo ku imanaya hab garaacid. Hooker wuxuu noqday xirfadle bishii Abriil 29, 2011, taking on the vastly more experienced Tyrone Chatman at the Orpheum Theater in St. Louis. Afar wareeg ka dib, xaakinnadu waxay arkeen dagaalka 40-36, 37-39 iyo 38-38, dagaalka ka dhigaya barbaro kala qaybsan. Aan laga niyad jabin, dagaalkiisa xiga ee June 24, 2014, Hooker ayaa dhaliyay guushiisii ugu horeysay ee xirfadeed, ku garaacday Wilbert Mitchell wareegii koowaad ee Dr. Pepper Arena ee Frisco, Texas. Kow iyo toban guul (sideed ku garaacid) ka dib, he took on undefeated Abel Ramos on January 17, 2014 dagaal lagu soo bandhigay ShoBox oo ka socda Xarunta Shirarka Cook ee Memphis. Ka dib sideed ku dhawaad, wareegyada adag lagu dagaalamay, xaakinnadu waxay arkeen in dagaalku barbar dhac yahay. Four consecutive knockout victories would follow before he took on fellow undefeated prospect Eduardo Galindo on June 26, 2015 Xarunta Shirarka Kay Bailey Hutchinson ee Dallas ee tartanka NABO Junior Welterweight Championship ee bannaan. “Mo” did not disappoint his legion of hometown fans who saw him capture the title with a sixth round technical knockout victory. Bishii Oktoobar 17, 2015, Hooker successfully defended his title at Madison Square Garden in New York City against his toughest opponent to date in Ghislain Maduma. The 10-round decision win came on the undercard of Gennady Golovkin vs. David Lemieux and was featured on the event’s “freeview” as well as streamed online around the world. “Mighty Mo” made his debut under the Roc Nation Sports banner on the undercard of Andre Ward vs. Sullivan Barrera, this past March at Oracle Arena in Oakland, SIDA, where he annihilated opponent Wilfrido “La Roca” Buelvas of Columbia in the first round of a 10-round junior welterweight bout by way of technical knockout. Hooker looks to advance his undefeated record when he takes on Tyrone Barnett (23-4-1, 15 KOs) on August 6 at Oracle Arena. Barnett was in action this past February, with a technical knockout victory over Daniel Attah at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The D.C. native is eager to stop Maurice Hooker’s momentum and take home the NABO title.
Jeeda Riverside, California iyo dagaal ka baxay Abdilaahi feerka ee Oxnard ah, badinin yar miisaanka Daniel "dhifasho" Franco (13-0-3, 8 KOs) bilaabay Boxing Day ee ay da'diisu ahayd Siddeed, uruurinayaan rikoor hiwaayadda ah 67-15, ku guuleystay koobka qaramada Oxnard Pal in 2006 iyo California State Silver Championship Gloves in 2007 jidka. Inta lagu guda jiro horeysay Franco ee December 18, 2010, uu adkaaday Emanuel Machorro ee Club 401 ee Ontario, California via knockout saddexaad wareega farsamo. Franco soo jiitay hore ee mustaqbalkiisa ciyaareed, ururinayaan rikoor badinin labo barbaro goobaha California oo dhan dhammaadka 2013. Mid ka mid ah kuwa barbar hor yimid Alejandro Ochoa ee Cannon Deggan Montebello, California on September 20, 2013, balse dib u dhac saddex bilood ka dib, Franco outmatched Ochoa dhaliyay lix-wareega guul go'aan loo dhan yahay ka ugu Westin Bonaventure Hotel ee Los Angeles. On June 20, 2015, inta lagu guda jiro soo laabashada Ward ee giraanta Oracle Arena, Franco saw action in an eight round junior lightweight bout against Jonathan Alcantara and won by unanimous decision. In his most recent fight on March 26, 2016 at Oracle Arena ee Oakland, California on the Andre Ward vs. Sullivan Barrera undercard, the unbeaten Twitch met Mexico’s German “Panteonero” Meraz in an eight-round featherweight bout. Franco scored a technical knockout over the veteran fighter in the final round of the fight.August 6 will be Franco’s third appearance at Oracle when he takes on Renton, Washington’s Marcelo Gallardo (7-3-2, 3 KOs). The 26-year-old Gallardo has been known to play the spoiler role, scoring unanimous decision victories over unbeaten prospects Christopher Diaz and Vic Pasillas in 2015.
Isagoo soo ururiyay rikoor hiwaayadda ah oo gaar ah 99-8, Rudy “The Revelation” Puga. Jr. (8-0, 7 KOs), the promising prospect from Salinas, California made his professional debut on September 2, 2011, isagoo dhaliyay wareeggii afraad ee garaacista farsamada ee uu kaga adkaaday Raul Talamontes Isboortiga Complex ee magaaladiisa. Ku laabo giraanta in ka yar laba bilood ka dib, Puga Jr. kor u qaaday rikoorkiisa 2-0 iyadoo wareeggii koowaad ee farsamada garaacista Jose Jesus Hurtado uu ka dhacay Sherwood Inn ee Salinas. In June 2012, he sent Thomas Turner to the mat four times scoring a second round technical knockout win at the Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ka dib markii in yar ka badan hal sano ka fogaan giraanta, wuxuu naftiisa u huray "sayniska macaan" oo leh aargoosi iyo Febraayo 17, 2014, Puga Jr. Waxa uu soo laabashadiisa ku hakiyay Charon Spain wareegii seddexaad isagoo jirkiisa ku toogtay Salinas Storm House ee dalkiisa hooyo ee Salinas.. Puga Jr. rounded out 2015 with a four-round technical knockout of Katrell Straus and a six-round unanimous decision over Juan Carlos Rojas. On February 12, Puga Jr. extended his undefeated streak to 7 fights by knocking out Alejandro Osuna in two rounds at the Double Tree Hotel in Ontario, California. In his most recent fight on March 26, 2016 at Oracle Arena ee Oakland, California on HBO’s Andre Ward vs. Sullivan Barrera undercard, Puga Jr. extended his undefeated streak against Carlos “Kalimba” Lozano by way of a technical knockout in the sixth round. The Southern California native returns to the Bay Area on August 6 to face an opponent to be announced.
Brooklyn’s undefeated Yar "Ilaaha Yaryar" Younan (9-0, 7 KOs) is considered one of New York City’s best boxing prospects. Younan, trained by his father Sherif, a former professional boxer himself, began fighting competitively at age eight and only two years later was called a “boxing prodigy” by the New York Times. He compiled an amateur record of 90-5, racking up an impressive series of titles along the way including nine Junior Olympic championships, nine Junior Metro championships, eight New York State Silver Gloves championships and five Regional Silver Gloves championships. In 2011, he was crowned National Junior Golden Gloves champion and was U.S.A. Boxing’s number one rated junior boxer in his weight class. Less than a month after his 18th dhalashadiisa, Younan made his professional debut on November 9, 2013, at the Aviator Sports and Events Center in Brooklyn, New York, joojinta Kenneth Schmitz wareega koowaad. During his recent match up on the Andre Ward vs. Sullivan Barrera undercard that took place March 26, 2016, Younan scored a four round unanimous decision over Christian Solarzano, pitching a shutout on all three scorecards. Facing his stiffest test to date on May 13, 2016 on the undercard of throne boxing’s Dusty Hernandez-Harrison vs. Mike Dallas, Jr. on BET and Tidal.com, Younan overwhelmed Rodrigo Almeida of Woburn, Massachusetts with a technical knockout in the first round at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. Returning to Oakland on the Ward vs. Brand undercard, Younan is set to take on Jaime “Zarco” Solorio (5-2-2, 4 KOs) on August 6. Fighting out of Baja, California, the Mexico native is riding an undefeated streak in his last six fights.
Ugu da'da ah 20, Darmani Rock (3-0, 3 KOs) is already drawing comparisons to former heavyweight greats of the past. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Rock was brought to a local boxing ring by his father at age twelve after he lost a street fight to neighborhood bullies. Ku taagan 6'4", waxa uu ku dhaqaaqaa iftiin aan la qiyaasi karin iyo xawli uu ku socdo dagaalyahan baaxadiisa. Rock wuxuu kasbaday abaal-marinno heer qaran ah ka dib markii uu soo baxay banner sannadkii 2014 markii uu guriga ku qaatay USA feerka Junior iyo Youth Open, Dhalinta Qaaradda iyo Adduunka Dhallinta Adduunka ee miisaanka culus. Inta lagu jiro 2014 Da'da yar iyo Dhalinyaradu waxay ka furan yihiin Reno, Nevada, Dhagaxa xidh 2013 Horyaalka Dhallinyarada Qaranka, John Luna, 3-0. Bandhigan cajiibka ah waxa raacay horyaal kale oo cuslaaday oo lagu qabtay Horyaalkii Qaaradda ee Dhallinyarada bishii Maarso 2014 Quito, Ecuador halkaas oo uu kaga adkaaday Kervin Espinola ee Argentina 3-0. Rock ayaa ka dib qaatay billaddii dahabka ee tartankii dhalinyarada adduunka ee sharafta lahaa ee ka dhacay Bulgaria bishii Abriil 2014 by a 2-1 go'aanka ka dhanka ah Peter Kadiru ee Jarmalka. Rock ayaa sidoo kale qaatay guriga 2014 Horyaalkii hiwaayadda ee da’yarta adduunka oo la xidhay 2014 iyadoo lagu magacaabo Philadelphia's Amateur Boxer of the Year ee Abaalmarinta Briscoe ee sanadlaha ah. Guushiisa ugu mudan, Si kastaba ha ahaatee, yimid May 2015 when he beat Cam Awesome in Las Vegas for the National Golden Gloves title. Rock ayaa sidoo kale qabsaday 2015 Laga xoreeyo. Horyaalka Miisaanka Culus ee Hiwaayadda Qaranka. Waxa uu soo afjaray xirfadiisa hiwaayadda isaga oo lambarka koowaad ku qiimeeyay miisaanka culus ee Maraykanka (iyo lambarka shanaad oo lagu qiimeeyay miisaanka culus ee adduunka) socda 19-5 tartamada qaranka. Rock made his highly anticipated professional debut, after signing an exclusive promotional agreement with Roc Nation Sports, against Rockville, Maryland’s Carlos Black on May 13, 2016, as the co-feature of Roc Nation’s throne boxing card at the Armory in Washington, D.C. Following a devastating left hook, Rock brought his opponent to the floor with a right-left combination at the 1:54 Mark wareegga koowaad. Without wasting any time, Rock followed his impressive debut by demolishing his next two opponents, Bobby Favors and Hassan Lee, both by way of knockout in the first round of the respective bouts. Making his Oracle Arena debut on August 6, Rock looks to keep his fierce win streak alive when he takes on Mike Kyle (1-2-1, 1 KO). The Boise, Idaho native seeks to reaffirm the impression he has set on Oakland where he scored his first career win and knockout over James Kirby this past January.
Bilal “Rebellious” Mahasin (8-3-1, 1 KO) is no stranger to Oakland fight fans. A resident of the Bay Area’s eastern shore, Mahasin made his professional debut in 2002 with great promise, winning his first three fights. On November 10, 2013, he fought one of the area’s top junior welterweight fighters, Moris Rodriguez, at the Red Lion Hotel in Sacramento, California. East Bay supporters made the trek to the state’s capital for Mahasin’s triumphant return which came by way of a six-round unanimous decision. Mahasin has accrued a ring record with a majority of the results coming as wins, and has transitioned up a weight class to super welterweight. He last fought on June 11, 2016 ee 16th Street Rail Station in Oakland, going the distance with a six-round unanimous decision over Vincente Guzman. Mahasin is ready to take on journeyman Luis Alfredo Lugo (14-25-1, 5 KOs) on August 6 at Oracle Arena in front an ever-steadied fanfare.
Ward vs. Brand is a 12-round fight presented by Roc Nation Sports and sponsored by Corona Extra, Verizon, ProSupps, Solutions Management Travel Corporate (CTMS), Brand Jordan, Verizon, Palace Shoe, Ticketmaster and The Clorox Company, supporting the Bay Area Community for over 100 sano.
Tigidhada jaban $250, $120, $90, $40 iyo $30, ma ku jiraan kharashyada adeegga ay khuseyso iyo canshuurta, are available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com (http://bit.ly/WardBrandPR) iyo ka qaadaan by phone at (800) 745-3000.
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