HBO Sports serves up a triple header of action when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: JAMES KIRKLAND VS. JOEL JULIO, VICTOR ORTIZ VS. MIKE ARNAOUTIS AND ROBERT GUERRERO VS. DAUD YORDAN is presented SATURDAY, MARCH 7 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT), from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Cal., exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside for the event, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.
Other HBO playdate: March 8 (9:15 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: March 8 (4:00 p.m.) and 10 (11:30 p.m.)
The main event features two fighters known for their aggressive style and heavy hitting, as undefeated James Kirkland (24-0, 21 KOs) of Austin, Tex. and Joel Julio (34-2, 31 KOs) from Monteria, Columbia battle in a scheduled ten-round junior middleweight contest. Kirkland has quickly become a top prospect in the division with a knockout-to-victory ratio in the high 80% range. Julio, another top prospect with an equally impressive percentage of KO victories, has suffered only two losses. Both men see the match as an important step toward a title in the division.
The middle bout has rising prospect Victor Ortiz (23-1-1, 18 KOs) from Oxnard, Cal. going against top contender Mike Arnaoutis (21-2-2, 10 KOs) from Atlantic City in a scheduled 12-round face-off. On a fast rack to stardom, Ortiz has been steadily notching victories against top fighters. Arnaoutis, a hot prospect in the junior lightweight division who is now fighting as a junior welterweight, looks to put the brakes on Ortiz’s rise.
The evening kicks off when two-time featherweight champ Robert Guerrero (23-1-1, 16 KOs) from Gilroy, Cal. takes on undefeated Daud Yordan (23-0, 17 KOs) from Kalimantan, Indonesia in a scheduled ten-round junior lightweight contest. Guerrero won titles in the featherweight division at ages 24 and 25. Now 26, he is moving up in weight to seek a third crown. Yordan will be fighting in the U.S. for only his second time and is looking for a victory to affirm his status in the division.
The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jon Crystal; director, Mike Sheehan.
® HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.
“I was surprised to see so many of my people in Manchester. I think Ricky Hatton was surprised to see them too. Although it is Hatton’s place, I think Manchester is now Mannychester!”
– Manny Pacquiao,
No. 1 Pound-for-Pound Fighter and 2008 Fighter of the Year
Pacquiao vs. Hatton “The Battle of East and West,” presented by Rockstar Energy Drink and promoted by Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions, in association with MP Promotions and Hatton Promotions, is a 12-round bout for Hatton’s IBO and Ring Magazine World Junior Welterweight titles. The fight is also sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and Southwest Airlines. Remaining tickets, priced at $1,000, $750, $500, $300 and $150, can be purchased through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available online at www.mgmgrand.com.
The Pacquiao vs. Hatton pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $49.95, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Pacquiao vs. Hatton fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.
Please visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.toprank.com or www.rickyhitmanhatton.com for upcoming announcements.
TICKET ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“HOMETOWN HEROES TO WORLD CHAMPIONS” RETURNS TO CINCY
TMAX EVENTS AND TKO BOXING PROMOTIONS PRESENT
‘3 THE HARD WAY’, SATURDAY, MARCH 21ST AT THE US BANK ARENA
RICARDO WILLIAMS, RASHAD HOLLOWAY AND
RAU’SHEE WARREN FEATURED IN CINCINNATI
SPECIAL ATTRACTION: PRO DEBUT OF RON SILER
STACKED UNDERCARD FEATURES JAMES COUNTRYMAN,
DAVID LONG, JESSIE CARRADINE AND TERRANCE CRAWFORD
TMAX Events and TKO BOXING Promotions bring “HOMETOWN HEROES TO WORLD CHAMPIONS” back to Cincinnati with “3 THE HARD WAY”, an outstanding evening of world class boxing on Saturday, March 21st at the U.S. Bank Arena.
Advance tickets, priced at $82.75, $43.75 and $26.75, for “3 THE HARD WAY” can be purchased online through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at 513-562-4949.
The U.S. Bank Arena is located at 100 Broadway St. in Cincinnati , adjacent to the Great American Ball Park . Doors will open on the evening of the event at 6:30pm with the first bell at 7:30pm. Further information on the U.S. Bank Arena can be found on their website at www.usbankarena.com.
Said Max Brunis of TMAX Events and Chet Koerner of TKO BOXING Promotions in a joint statement, “Our first “HOMETOWN HEROES TO WORLD CHAMPIONS” event was a massive success with over 5,000 fans showing their support on January 31st. We’re putting together another outstanding night of boxing on Saturday, March 21st and encourage fans to get their tickets in advance.”
Returning at “3 THE HARD WAY” is Cincinnati welterweight contender Ricardo Williams Jr.. The 2000 Olympic Silver Medalist thrilled the huge crowd at the U.S. Bank Arena on January 31st with a eight round unanimous decision over Puerto Rican banger Doel Carrasquillo, his first hometown bout in almost five years.
With the hard fought win, Williams, who has won four in a row after a three year layoff, improved his record to 14-2-0 (7KO’s).
Also featured at “3 THE HARD WAY” will be popular local favorite, junior middleweight Rashad Holloway who will square off against the returning and revenge seeking Carrasquillo, 12-10-1 (10KO’s).
Now working at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, California, with the trainer of numerous world champions, Freddie Roach, Holloway is looking towards a busy 2009 and a move up into the world rankings. In his last bout on August 30th in Cincinnati, Holloway knocked out Junior Ramos in the fourth round to raise his record to 9-1-0 (5KO’s).
Rounding out the headliners at “3 THE HARD WAY” is two time U.S. Olympian Rau’Shee Warren, who participated in both the 2008 and 2004 games, becoming the first American boxer to compete in two Olympic Games in the last thirty years.
The 22 year old Cincinnati native will continue to compete as an amateur. He was a Gold Medalist at the World Amateur Championships in Chicago in 2007 and the southpaw flyweight currently has an amateur record of 41-9-0.
In a special attraction on the “3 THE HARD WAY” undercard, 2004 Olympian Ron Siler will make his long awaited professional debut. The 28 year old Siler advanced to the second round of the Athens Games. His illustrious amateur career was highlighted by a bronze medal in the 2001 World Championships in Belfast , Ireland .
The stacked undercard will feature Detroit middleweight James Countryman taking on boxer/MMA standout K.J. Noons. Countryman has won five in a row, building his record to 13-1 with eight knockouts while Houston native Noons brings a pro record of 8-1-0 with five stoppages. Noons’ success in the Mixed Martial Arts World includes an Elite XC World Championship.
Two time national amateur champion Terrance Crawford will also be featured on the undercard. The 21 year old highly regarded junior welterweight prospect has impressively run his record to 5-0-0 (3KO’s) since turning professional one year ago.
Also on the undercard are local favorites, heavyweight David Long, 6-1-0 (3KO’s) and super featherweight Jessie Carradine, 2-0-0 (1KO) who will appear in separate bouts.
TC Howard and Max Brunis, highly successful Cincinnati businessmen, formed TMAX Events in 2008 to continuously bring world class professional boxing to area fans. Further information on TMAX Events is available at www.myspace/tmaxevents
Formed in early 2008, Chet Koerner’s Las Vegas based TKO BOXING Promotions stable includes; heavyweight Lenroy Thomas, super middleweight Joey Gilbert, middleweights Elvin Ayala, Albert Onolunose and James Countryman, junior middleweights Bastie Samir and Anthony Thompson, welterweight Juan Buendia and Raul Tovar, junior welterweights Jonathan Gover, Francisco Contreras and Hastings Bwayla, lightweights Rolando Reyes and Terrance Crawford, featherweights Matt Remillard, Carney Bowman, Delvin Plascencia, Rafael Lora and Maxwell Awaku, super bantamweights Rafael Valenzuela and Carlos Reyes.
Further information on TKO Boxing Promotions can be viewed at www.tkoboxingpromotions.com