NEW
YORK (October 29, 2012) -- Heavyweight
championship boxing makes an EPIX return next month! World Heavyweight Champion WLADIMIR “Dr. Steelhammer” KLITSCHKO will defend his unified titles
on Saturday, November 10, beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT, exclusively on EPIX, the
multiplatform premium entertainment service. EpixHD.com will
stream the fights live as part of a special free trial offer for boxing fans.
Klitschko,
the World Boxing Association (WBA) Super heavyweight / International Boxing
Federation (IBF) / World Boxing Organization (WBO) / International Boxing
Organization (IBO) / The Ring magazine heavyweight champion, will battle 6'7 1/2
undefeated world-rated contender MARIUSZ
“The Viking” WACH at the O2 World Arena in Hamburg, Germany. It is the first time the 6'6 Klitschko
has ever rumbled with a taller opponent. It will also be the first fight since
2004 that Klitschko will not have Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward in his
corner. The telecast will include a
tribute to Steward who passed away on October 25..
The
telecast and live stream will also feature ROBERT “The Nordic Nightmare” HELENIUS risking his undefeated record and his march to a world title shot against
battle-tested veteran SHERMAN “The Tank”
WILLIAMS, live from the Helsinki Ice Hall in Helsinki, Finland.
These
four gladiators boast a combined record of 137-14-2 (95 KOs) – a 90% winning
percentage and a 69% victory by knockout ratio.
As
has become the custom, EPIX will once again present the closed-captioned
simulcast of this world championship rumble on its jumbotron in Times Square in
New York City (Broadway between 44th and 45th Sts.)
"The
big challenge for me is Wach’s height. It is the first time that I am facing an
opponent who is taller than me and has a better reach," said Klitschko. "He is
unbeaten, a big puncher and has an irrepressible will. To fight in Hamburg once
again is very special to me: I started my professional career here and last year
Vitali’s and my dream to unify all heavyweight titles in the Klitschko family
became true.”
"My
fellow countrymen Adamek and Sosnowski did not have what it takes to beat a
Klitschko. I am not a former cruiserweight but a real heavyweight," said Wach.
"Klitschko will take a lot of hard punches before I knock him out. I will be the
first Polish world heavyweight champion!”
"I
will be ready for the Tank," said Helenius. "My shoulder has healed very well, my
other arm has gotten much stronger now, so I will do damage with both hands.
It´s great to make my comeback fight in Finland.”
"I
look forward to coming to Finland. I will bring some sunshine to Helsinki. I
have a special punch, the Conch Punch, an overhead right, and the Tank will
catch Robert with that shot. That is my special weapon which will help me to win
this fight,” said Williams.
“EPIX
is very pleased to continue its exclusive live U.S. telecasts of championship
boxing and the excitement of another Wladimir Klitschko World Heavyweight
Championship defense. Klitschko's
dominance of the heavyweight division is a viewer magnet that keeps attracting
U.S.-based fight fans and nurturing audience growth for the EPIX Sports boxing
series,” said Travis Pomposello, EPIX CCO and executive producer of EPIX Sports.
Klitschko
(58-3, 51 KOs), of Kiev, Ukraine, is a two-time world heavyweight champion.
Wladimir began his first title reign in 2000 when he captured the WBO
heavyweight title via a unanimous decision over defending champion Chris Byrd.
Byrd suffered two knockdowns in that battle. Klitschko’s two-year title reign
included five successful defenses – all by knockout – before losing the belt to
Corrie Sanders in 2003. Klitschko returned to the world championship throne in
2006, this time as IBF champion, when he dethroned Chris Byrd in a title
rematch. This victory was even more emphatic than the first one with Klitschko
stopping Byrd in the seventh round. Since that fight, Klitschko has taken on and
defeated all comers while unifying the title with victories over WBO champion
Sultan Ibragimov, and WBA champion David Haye. He enters this fight riding an
eight-year, 15-bout winning streak. His most recent victories were a
fourth-round knockout of former two-time world champion Jean Marc Mormeck, on
March 3, and a sixth-round stoppage of mandatory challenger Tony Thompson, on
July 7. Both title defenses were
televised live to the U.S. by EPIX.
EPIX
PROMO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQRZ0EpzPyA&feature=youtu.be
Wach
(27-0, 15 KOs), a native of Poland who fights out of North Bergen, NJ, enters
his first world championship battle having won his last seven bouts by knockout,
dating back to 2009. At 6’7, the two-time Polish amateur champion holds a
one-inch height advantage over Klitschko, the first time the defending champion
has not been the taller man in the ring. He captured the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) International
heavyweight title last year via a fourth-round stoppage of Kevin McBride, the
man who knocked out Mike Tyson into retirement. Wach successfully defended that
title with sixth-round knockouts of Jason Gavern and Tye Fields, last November
and March, respectively. Gavern and
Fields had a combined record of 70-12-4 when they fought Wach.
Helenius
(17-0, 11 KOs), a native of Finland who fights out of Berlin, Germany, boasts
knockout victories of three former heavyweight champions, including Siarhei
Liakhovich, Lamon Brewster and Samuel Peter, who were starched in nine, eight
and nine rounds, respectively, between 2010 and 2011. Helenius returns to the ring for the
first time since last December when he won a very close split decision over
future world title challnger Dereck Chisora. Helenius, who entered that fight
world-rated No. 1 by the WBO and No. 3 by the WBA and the IBF, retained his WBA
and WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight titles and captured the vacant European
Boxing Union (EBU) heavyweight championship. However surgery to his right shoulder
and subsequent rehabilitation kept him sidelined. The inactivity also cost him his high
world ratings. On a mission to gt
back into the world title hunt, Helenius enters this fight having won 10 of his
last 12 fights by stoppage.
Williams
(35-11-2, 19 KOs), a native of the Bahamas, fights out of Vero Beach, Fla. Always ready, willing and able to meet
the biggest challenges, Williams has faced former world champions Evander
Holyfield, Ruslan Chagaev and Al Cole and highly-rated contenders Obed Sullivan
and Jameel Kline. He enters this
fight having won 10 of his last 12 fights.
About
EPIX
EPIX
is the newest premium entertainment network delivering the latest movie
releases, classic library titles, plus original films, comedy, music and sports
events on TV, on demand, online and on devices. Launched October 2009 as the
first multiplatform premium network with online accessibility for subscribers
through EpixHD.com, EPIX pioneered the development and proliferation of TV
Everywhere for American consumers. EPIX was the first premium network to launch
on Xbox consoles, first on Android tablets and phones, first on Roku® players
and is available to authenticated subscribers on hundreds of devices including
Apple® iPads®, iPhones®, Samsung® Smart TVs and Blu-ray™ players and more. Today
EPIX remains the only premium service providing its entire monthly line-up from
new Hollywood hits to original programs on all platforms and provides more
movies than any other premium network.
EPIX
is a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount
Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF),
available to over 30 million homes nationwide through distribution partners
including Charter Communications, Cox Communications, DISH Network, Mediacom
Communications, NCTC, Suddenlink Communications and Verizon FiOS.
For
more information about EPIX, go to www.EpixHD.com. Follow EPIX Sports on Twitter
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