Articles

Povetkin-Boswell To Run on EPIX

Published

12 years ago

November 21, 2011

The Sweet Science

WBA World Heavyweight Championship

ALEXANDER POVETKIN vs. CEDRIC BOSWELL

LIVE TO THE U.S. EXCLUSIVELY ON

EPIX AND EPIXHD.COM

Saturday, December 3 at 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT

NEW YORK (November 21, 2011) – Live world championship boxing returns to EPIX (follow @EPIXsports on Twitter for the latest updates on EPIX boxing) when newly-minted undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight champion ALEXANDER POVETKIN makes his first world title defense, against CEDRIC “The Boz” BOSWELL, Saturday, December 3. Presented by Sauerland Event, the live broadcast will emanate from Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland.

The WBA heavyweight championship will be televised live in the U.S. exclusively on EPIX, the multiplatform premium entertainment service. EpixHD.com will stream the fight live as part of a free two-week trial offer. The live broadcast and the live stream on EPIX and EpixHD.com, respectively, will begin with the main event at 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT.

Following the Povetkin-Boswell heavyweight title fight, the broadcast and live stream will continue with undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) and WBA Intercontinental heavyweight champion ROBERT “The Nordic Nightmare” HELENIUS taking on DERECK CHISORA for the vacant European heavyweight title.

As has become the custom, EPIX will once again present the closed-captioned simulcast of both fights on a jumbotron in Times Square (Broadway between 44^th and 45^th Sts.), beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Povetkin, Boswell, Helenius and Chisora boast a combined record of 88-2 (61 KOs) – a 98% winning percentage and a victory by knockout ratio of 69%.

“EPIX looks forward to providing U.S.-based boxing fans exclusive live coverage of the Povetkin- Boswell and Helenius-Chisora heavyweight title fights and presenting the continuing plotlines of Povetkin and Helenius as a preview of the heavyweight division’s next generation of world champions and world title challengers,” said Travis Pomposello, EPIX senior executive in charge of boxing.

“Winning the world title was like a dream coming true for me,” said Povetkin. “Now I need to prove myself against quality contenders out there. I look forward to fighting Boswell. He is a tough opponent. But I have worked so hard to become champion there is no way I will allow him to take the belt away from me. I can promise my fans an exciting fight in Helsinki on December 3.”

“My entire life I have been waiting this moment,” Boswell stated. “Now the big day has finally come. Povetkin is a good kid but he is a kid and he will be in trouble once we are in the ring. I have the experience and the strength to beat him. I will shock the boxing world on December 3 when I take home the WBA Heavyweight Title to America.”

Povetkin (22-0, 15 KOs), of Russia, is trained by Teddy Atlas. He captured the vacant WBA heavyweight title on August 27, winning a gutsy unanimous decision over former WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev, who entered the fight as the No. 1-rated contender. Povetkin, the 2004 Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist, has an impressive resume which includes a knockout victory over former two-time heavyweight champion Chris Byrd, and unanimous decision victories over one-time heavyweight title challenger Eddie Chambers and former U.S. Olympians Jason Estrada and Larry Donald. Povetkin, who has been promoted by Sauerland Event throughout his entire professional career, enters this fight having won three of his last five bouts by knockout.

Boswell (35-1, 26 KOs), of Atlanta, enters this fight riding a five-year, 14-bout winning streak, with 12 of those victories coming by way of knockout. Highlights of that streak include a second-round knockout of then-undefeated heavyweight contender Roman Greenberg (27-0) for the vacant USBA and IBF North American heavyweight titles, a ninth-round stoppage of top contender Owen Beck for the vacant WBC Latino heavyweight title and WBC Latino title defense unanimous decision victories over former world heavyweight champion Oliver McCall and Kertson Mantswell, which also included the NABA heavyweight title.

“The support of my Finnish fans has always been fantastic,” Helenius stated. “They raised the roof last November when I defeated Attila Levin before the Super Six clash
between Abraham and Froch. This time, they will be even louder and lift me to victory. I will be the new European champion on December 3!”

“He's called the ‘Nordic Nightmare,’ but he'll be having nightmares about me for the rest of his life after I've left him flat out on the canvas,” Chisora stated. “I'm surprised Helenius' people wanted me to fight their unbeaten golden boy, they must be going on my performance in my last fight and think I'm easy pickings. Believe me, this is the biggest mistake they have made with his career and I'll be going over to Finland to knock him clean out. I can't wait for December 3 and winning that European title and bringing it back to Britain.

Helenius (16-0, 11 KOs), a native of Finland who fights out of Berlin, Germany, returns to the ring after knocking out former WBO heavyweight champion Siarhei Liakhovich in August. Liakhovich was the third former heavyweight champion to suffer a knockout loss to Helenius, joining knockout victims Lamon Brewster and Samuel Peter, who were starched in eight and nine rounds, respectively. Helenius, who enters this fight having won 10 of his last 11 fights by stoppage, is world-rated No. 1 by the WBO and No. 3 by the WBA and International Boxing Federation (IBF).

Chisora (15-3, 9 KOs), of London, will be fighting outside the United Kingdom for the first time in his four-year professional career. The former BBBoC British heavyweight Champion and Commonwealth (British Empire) heavyweight champion boasts consecutive knockout victories of Danny Williams and Sam Sexton, who had a combined record of 54-9 when he defeated them.

Calling the fights for EPIX and EpixHD.com will be eight-time New York Emmy® Award winner and WNBC-TV’s lead sports anchor Bruce Beck, handling the blow-by-blow duties. Joining Beck on the broadcast team as analysts will be five-time Trainer of the Year and International Boxing Hall of Fame nominee FREDDIE ROACH and ESPN.com senior boxing writer Dan Rafael. Sports Illustrated’s boxing writer Chris Mannix will be stationed ringside at Hartwall Areena where he will provide live post-fight in-ring interviews with the fighters.

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The Sweet Science

Articles

2015 Fight of the Year – Francisco Vargas vs Takashi Miura

Published

7 years ago

January 4, 2016

The Sweet Science

The WBC World Super Featherweight title bout between Francisco Vargas and Takashi Miura came on one of the biggest boxing stages of 2015, as the bout served as the HBO pay-per-view’s co-main event on November 21st, in support of Miguel Cotto vs Saul Alvarez.

Miura entered the fight with a (29-2-2) record and he was making the fifth defense of his world title, while Vargas entered the fight with an undefeated mark of (22-0-1) in what was his first world title fight. Both men had a reputation for all-out fighting, with Miura especially earning high praise for his title defense in Mexico where he defeated Sergio Thompson in a fiercely contested battle.

The fight started out hotly contested, and the intensity never let up. Vargas seemed to win the first two rounds, but by the fourth round, Miura seemed to pull ahead, scoring a knock-down and fighting with a lot of confidence. After brawling the first four rounds, Miura appeared to settle into a more technical approach. Rounds 5 and 6 saw the pendulum swing back towards Vargas, as he withstood Miura’s rush to open the fifth round and the sixth round saw both men exchanging hard punches.

The big swinging continued, and though Vargas likely edged Miura in rounds 5 and 6, Vargas’ face was cut in at least two spots and Miura started to assert himself again in rounds 7 and 8. Miura was beginning to grow in confidence while it appeared that Vargas was beginning to slow down, and Miura appeared to hurt Vargas at the end of the 8th round.

Vargas turned the tide again at the start of the ninth round, scoring a knock down with an uppercut and a straight right hand that took Miura’s legs and sent him to the canvas. Purely on instinct, Miura got back up and continued to fight, but Vargas was landing frequently and with force. Referee Tony Weeks stepped in to stop the fight at the halfway point of round 9 as Miura was sustaining a barrage of punches.

Miura still had a minute and a half to survive if he was going to get out of the round, and it was clear that he was not going to stop fighting.

A back and forth battle of wills between two world championship level fighters, Takashi Miura versus “El Bandido” Vargas wins the 2015 Fight of the Year.

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Articles

Jan 9 in Germany – Feigenbutz and De Carolis To Settle Score

Published

7 years ago

January 4, 2016

The Sweet Science

This coming Saturday, January 9th, the stage is set at the Baden Arena in Offenburg, Germany for a re-match between Vincent Feigenbutz and Giovanni De Carolis. The highly anticipated re-match is set to air on SAT.1 in Germany, and Feigenbutz will once again be defending his GBU and interim WBA World titles at Super Middleweight.

The first meeting between the two was less than three months ago, on October 17th and that meeting saw Feigenbutz controversially edge De Carolis on the judge’s cards by scores of (115-113, 114-113 and 115-113). De Carolis scored a flash knock down in the opening round, and he appeared to outbox Feigenbutz in the early going, but the 20 year old German champion came on in the later rounds.

The first bout is described as one of the most crowd-pleasing bouts of the year in Germany, and De Carolis and many observers felt that the Italian had done enough to win.

De Carolis told German language website RAN.DE that he was more prepared for the re-match, and that due to the arrogance Feigenbutz displayed in the aftermath of the first fight, he was confident that he had won over some of the audience. Though De Carolis fell short of predicting victory, he promised a re-vamped strategy tailored to what he has learned about Feigenbutz, whom he termed immature and inexperienced.

The stage is set for Feigenbutz vs De Carolis 2, this Saturday January 9th in Offenburg, Germany. If you can get to the live event do it, if not you have SAT.1 in Germany airing the fights, and The Boxing Channel right back here for full results.

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Articles

2015 Knock Out of the Year – Saul Alvarez KO’s James Kirkland

Published

7 years ago

December 29, 2015

The Sweet Science

On May 9th of 2015, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez delivered a resonant knock-out of James Kirkland on HBO that wins the 2015 KO of the Year.

The knock-out itself came in the third round, after slightly more than two minutes of action. The end came when Alvarez delivered a single, big right hand that caught Kirkland on the jaw and left him flat on his back after spinning to the canvas.Alvarez was clearly the big star heading into the fight. The fight was telecast by HBO for free just one week after the controversial and disappointing Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao fight, and Alvarez was under pressure to deliver the type of finish that people were going to talk about. Kirkland was happy to oblige Alvarez, taking it right to Alvarez from the start. Kirkland’s aggression saw him appear to land blows that troubled the young Mexican in the early going. Alvarez played good defense, and he floored Kirkland in the first round, displaying his power and his technique in knocking down an aggressive opponent.

However, Kirkland kept coming at Alvarez and the fight entered the third round with both men working hard and the feeling that the fight would not go the distance. Kirkland continued to move forward, keeping “Canelo” against the ropes and scoring points with a barrage of punches while looking for an opening.

At around the two minute mark, Alvarez landed an uppercut that sent Kirkland to the canvas again. Kirkland got up, but it was clear that he did not have his legs under him. Kirkland was going to try to survive the round, but Alvarez had an opportunity to close out the fight. The question was would he take it?

Alvarez closed in on Kirkland, putting his opponent’s back to the ropes. Kirkland was hurt, but he was still dangerous, pawing with punches and loading up for one big shot.

But it was the big shot “Canelo” threw that ended the night. Kirkland never saw it coming, as he was loading up with a huge right hand of his own. The right Alvarez threw cracked Kirkland in the jaw, and his eyes went blank. His big right hand whizzed harmlessly over the head of a ducking Alvarez, providing the momentum for the spin that left Kirkland prone on the canvas.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez went on to defeat Miguel Cotto in his second fight of 2015 and he is clearly one of boxing’s biggest stars heading into 2016. On May 9th Alvarez added another reel to his highlight film when he knocked out James Kirkland with the 2015 “Knock Out of the Year”.

Photo by naoki fukuda

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