Demetrius Andrade – Providence, Rhode Island – 29-0, 18 KOs – defending his WBO World Middleweight Title against Liam Williams:

“I don’t know until I get in there with Williams. They all say they’re going to do something to me, knock me out, beat me up, snatch my belt, they’ve all got a plan until they get hit and then it’s a different story.”

“It’s all good, it’s part of the hype, it’s part of their job to do what they need to do to get in their mind but at the end of the day I end up getting mind control over them anyway and we do what we do and get the W.”

“I’m very excited, it’s been since January last year since I last put my hands on somebody. We got the knockout against Luke Keeler who was supposed to come and take what rightfully mine. Same thing going on here, I’m back in action in Miami, this is my second home.”

“It’s going to be a great showing, I’m ready, I’m going to turn up. If Williams is going to bring the fight that we all want to see, then I’m all for it. There’s nothing wrong with it, I’m here, I signed and I’m here to show the people what they want to see.”

“Nobody is going to know until the bell rings at the end of the day. I don’t sit here and say that Williams is or isn’t going to bring the fight. Once we get in there and if he does then we’ll see, if he doesn’t then he doesn’t. We all know I’m going to bring the fight.”

“At the end of the day I train hard and smarter every single day, I’ve been doing this a very long time. I’ve fought all of them already, there’s nothing new I’ve seen from Williams. Okay he’s tough and bringing it forward, alright well at the end of the day I’m going to have the answers for whatever he brings forward.”

“I’m going to be glad to sit back and watch the beautiful boxing match that I put on after I’ve beat him. I’ll watch and say hey you’ve done a great job banging a guy that came to fight.”

“That’s what I’ve been doing, schooling people, I’m an educator.”

Paul Andrade – father and trainer of Demetrius Andrade

“Every fight is a tough fight; nobody goes in there to lose. He’s going to try and put a lot of pressure on us, but we’ve been there and done that, I only feel like he’s a one-dimensional fighter.”

“All he can do is come forward, we’ll do everything we have to do, he’s not going to be to put the pressure on. I don’t think he has the footwork to keep up with Demetrius.”

“I don’t think anybody has seen Demetrius’ best fight yet, no one has brought it out of him. Boo Boo has it in him to preform even at a higher level, but somebody’s got to bring it out of him. If he’s the one, congratulations, bring it out of him because we’ll give it right back to you.”

“We know we’re going to win; we’ve been winning, and we don’t know how to lose. We’re going to have a good fight come Saturday and we’re going to keep our belt.”

Liam Williams – Clydach Vale, Wales – 23-20-1, 18 KOs – mandatory challenger for WBO World Middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade:

“It is a massive opportunity for me, and I really can’t wait to get my chance on Saturday night to prove I’m the best at 160lbs. I’m very excited and can’t wait to get my hands on him this Saturday.”

“Not to get it twisted, I do respect him, he’s a great fighter and obviously three-time world champion in two different weight divisions, what’s not to respect? I’d be a bit of a fool to not think he’s any good wouldn’t I, but I see things, weaknesses that I can exploit, I’m fully confident I’m going to do that Saturday night and not just going to win but win in devastating fashion.”

“I don’t plan on going in there and winning on points. If it goes twelve then happy days I still plan on winning, I’m going in their crash, bang, wallop and looking to take him out simple as that.”

“If I win this, I’ll be massive star in Wales and in Britain. I’m just very excited, it’s a big opportunity and for me to win this it’s going to be life changing for me.”

Dominic Ingle – trainer of Liam Williams

“It’s a great fight, Demetrius is a good fighter, we’re not underestimating him, he’s very skilful and tricky. He’s a quality fighter.

“Look he’s [Andrade] 33 years old, Liam’s 28, he’s bringing youth and aggression and on Saturday night we’re expecting a good fight. Demetrius is calm and collected, a very cool customer and relaxed under the lights, very experienced, but this is Liam’s biggest opportunity and he’s not going to waste it.”

“Demetrius is used to the pressure, that’s what southpaws like, the pressure coming and walking onto the shots. It’s got to be calculated pressure, Liam can box, and he’s shown that – he likes to have a tear up and that’s sometimes his worst attribute.”

“We’ve got a plan on Saturday night; he can fight when he needs to fight, and he can box when he needs to box. We’ve studied Demetrius, he’s a good fighter and calculated in what he does. Like I said, we’re not underestimating him.”

Francis Warren – Queensberry Promotions, promoter of Liam Williams

“I’m very confident about it. For me Liam Williams is world class, this is a huge opportunity for him to prove that. He’s had a world title fight before against Liam Smith in 2017, had the rematch and didn’t go his way.”

“Since then, he went away, re-evaluated what weight he was going to campaign at, and middleweight was the decision. Since then, he’s gone on a hot streak, 7 knockout wins and he’s gone from strength to strength with a brilliant performance against Atlantis Fox. I know him and Demetrius share that opponent and on paper Liam did a better job.”

“I fancy Liam to be the new WBO champion on Saturday night and it’s going to be a fun plane ride back to Heathrow.”

“If you want to talk about raw aggression, raw talent, Liam’s got it all. This guy’s not been brought up to talk the talk, he’s going to walk the walk, fight the fight and I really hope Demetrius has brought his A-game because with all due respect this guy is on a different level. I’m thrilled he’s got the opportunity to show what he can do.”

Joe Markowski – EVP, DAZN

“This is the start of a fantastic run of events for us, spring rolling into the summer, we’ve obviously got Canelo coming up next month in a similar weight class. It’s a great opportunity for these two guys to make their claim on a fantastic schedule and a platform that is designed for boxing fans around the world.”

“As a Brit in the States it’s great to have the time zone accommodated for the time zone back at home and I think that’s going to help our fans enjoy it and our subscribers get value for money which is what we’re all about.”

Carlos Gongora – Esmeraldas, Ecuador – 19-0, 14 KOs – defending his IBO World Super-Middleweight Title against Christopher Pearson:

“I’m ready to compete again, I feel a lot better and I’m ready for the next fight and to give it my all.”

“The fight was rushed; it was a complicated year with Coronavirus and everything else – athletes couldn’t compete, and I was on standby. It was a title fight, and I was ready to do that, it all went well. I’m always trying to stay ready in the gym, I’m always trying to prepare because of the discipline I have.”

“I’m very grateful to represent my country with pride. For a long time, there was no representation, my uncle was the first and now it’s me. I’m grateful I can represent my country.”

Jessica McCaskill and Cecilia Brækhus ramped up their rivalry in a fiery e-press conference ahead of their rematch for the Undisputed WBO World Welterweight title at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Saturday March 13, live worldwide on DAZN.

TICKETS FOR ESTRADA VS. CHOCOLATITO ARE ON SALE NOW FROM TICKETMASTER – TICKETS START AT $35 (PLUS FEES)

McCaskill (9-2 3 KOs) ripped the titles from Brækhus (36-1 9 KOs) on the streets of downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma in August as Matchroom returned to action in the US, and now it’s McCaskill putting the belts on the line and Brækhus is looking to avenge her first pro defeat.

Promoter Eddie Hearn sat them down as the date ticked over to under a month to go to the rematch, and after Hearn’s initial questions to both fighters, tensions rose and the Chicagoan and Norwegian could have been back in the ring as the traded verbal blows back and forth to light the blue touch paper ahead of the return bout.

“I feel the last fight was the last one of her career,” said McCaskill. “Once someone shows that weakness, shows they are not in it and alludes to retirement, that shows that they are mentally out of the game.

“We’ve never been given a whole lot, we’ve taken really big risks and they have gotten us to those higher places, I haven’t been given anything, I don’t want to take on anyone else’s legacy, I’m building my own and making history every step of the day and that’s what I want to continue to do.

“I feel great – every time I have had to fight for a belt, it’s been from a champion, Cecilia, you have fought for vacant titles, I’ve had to take mine from everyone I fought from, I’ve never just fought for a vacant title and it’s heads or tails on who is going to win it.

“I’m not saying I don’t get the credit for my last fight, but over the time that I’ve fought and the different hurdles that I have crossed, that’s what I don’t think I get the credit for, that’s not to make excuses. Everything I say is the truth, I don’t talk trash.”

“I felt I won’t the fight, it was very close, I could have got the decision,” said Brækhus. “A lot of people thought I won and it’s not the way to lose your belts.

“I know I am a better fighter than Jessica, I had a bit of an off day, but I feel I did what I needed to do to retain my belts, but I was not at home I was on her home turf and she got the belts.

“She says that people are hating on her because of the way she got the belts, they aren’t hating but people aren’t satisfied because that’s not the way anyone should become an undisputed champion, it should be harder than that. I don’t think she has a good feeling the way she won the belts.”

McCaskill and Brækhus clash on a massive night of action in Dallas with a triple header of World title action.

Topping the bill is another mouth-watering rematch as Juan Francisco Estrada (41-3 28 KOs) and Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez (50-2 41 KOs) finally meet for the second time eight years after their first bout, this time in a unification for the WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine World Super-Flyweight titles.

There’s a Matchroom debut on the card for Hiroto Kyoguchi (14-0 9 KOs) as he defends his WBA and Ring Magazine World Light-Flyweight titles against Axel Vega (14-3-1 8 KOs).

SAUNDERS VS. MURRAY WEIGHTS AND RUNNING ORDER
17:45 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS FACEBOOK

6 x 3 mins Featherweight Contest
DONTE DIXON 9st 1lb 10oz v ANGELO DRAGONE 9st 1lb 14oz
(Sheffield, England)                  (Carmarthen, Wales)

followed by

6 x 3 mins Super-Middleweight contest
LEWIS EDMONDSON 12st 3lbs 3oz v JOHN TELFORD 12st 2lbs 8oz
(Southampton, England)                          (Manchester, England)

followed by

19:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS

8 x 3 mins International Super-Middleweight contest
LERRONE RICHARDS 12st 4lbs 0oz v TIMO LAINE 12st 3lbs 10oz
(New Malden, England)                            (Helsinki, Finland)

followed by

10 x 3 mins WBO International Super-Middleweight Title

ZACH PARKER 11st 13lbs 0oz v CESAR NUNEZ 11st 13lbs 11oz
(Derby, England)                          (Pamplona, Spain)

followed by

8 x 2 mins International Bantamweight contest
SHANNON COURTENAY 8st 5lbs 14oz v DOROTA NOREK 8st 3lbs 14oz
(Watford, England)                                          (Poznan, Poland)

followed by

12 x 3 mins WBA Lightweight World Title Eliminator
JAMES TENNYSON 9st 8lbs 13oz v JOSH O’REILLY 9st 8lbs 5oz
(Belfast, Northern Ireland)                  (Hamilton, Canada)

followed by

12 x 3 mins WBO Super-Middleweight World Title
BILLY JOE SAUNDERS 11st 13lbs 5oz v MARTIN MURRAY 11st 13lbs 6lbs
(Hatfield, England)                                      (St Helens, England)

Eddie Hearn:

“We’re back in the bubble for a big night of boxing this Friday, the World Super-Middleweight Championship between Billy Joe Saunders and Martin Murray, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN around the world. It’s great to be here. We’ve been lifted by the news that fans will return for the Anthony Joshua versus Kubrat Pulev fight on December 12. 1,000 allowed into The SSE Arena, Wembley for that, so this effectively, touch wood, will be our last ever show, we hope, behind closed doors. We’re ready to make the most of it, and ready for a great night of boxing.”

Billy Joe Saunders – Hatfield, England – 29-0, 14 KOs – defending his WBO Super-Middleweight World Title against Martin Murray:

“First of all I’ve got to thank yourself and Sky for even getting us out this year. I didn’t think I was going to get out. All of the big fights were tied up, out of the fights that were left out there Martin Murray’s name was screaming out. We were supposed to fight twice before, it didn’t happen. He’s boxed for the World Title four times, he should have been a two-time World Champion, he was on the wrong end of two decisions.

“People are looking at this fight as a walk in the park for me and think I should win easily. If you look at Martin, he’s never took damage. He’s never been beaten up in a fight. Golovkin was what it was, he got him in his prime. I promised him his shot and it’s here. I believe that it’s my time to shine now. I’m doing this fight for my uncle Tom who passed away who was like a dad to me.

“I want the Jacobs fights and the Canelo fights and the Andrade fights now, but sadly everyone was tied up this year. The only one really worthy of taking the fight which was available was Martin Murray. He’s a four-time World Title challenger. In my opinion, two-time World Champion, so it’s not a bad pick out of the bunch.

“I know Martin is coming to fight. I haven’t been beaten on the UK soil since I’ve been 12-years-old. I’ve got a good track record, and I’m going to keep it that way. He’s going to bring a good game, but afterwards he can go back to St Helens, take his cash back and have a good Christmas and retire with the family, because that’s what I’m planning on doing, retiring him.”

Martin Murray – St Helens, England – 39-5-1, 17 KOs – challenging Billy Joe Saunders for the WBO Super-Middleweight World Title:

“This is my fifth one now. I know how hard a fight it’s going to be. I really rate Billy Joe. We’ve got unfinished business. Everything happens for a reason. I firmly believe, and truly believe that the pull outs years ago, all of the little set backs that I’ve had, have all brought me to this point and like I said, I’m fit, focused and ready.

“I get it, I get why he pulled out to be honest with you. We all want those bigger fights. It makes sense. There was a little bit of frustration at the time but I left that where it was and I’ve got nothing against Billy. We shook hands when I got beat in my fight against N’Dam, he was on the card with me. He’s here now and he’s honoured his word. He’s going to be in top condition himself and we’re going to lay it all on the line. It’s going to be a good fight.

“No one has ever done it in five times in the UK. I believe Groves four, Frank Bruno four, and I truly believe that there’s been a reason why I’ve picked myself up off the couch when times have been low and I’ve not wanted to go to the gym, but I’ve forced myself to get there. There’s been a reason for it and it’s for Friday. For me to achieve what no-one else has done in the UK.”

HANDOUT PICTURE COMPLIMENTS OF MATCHROOM BOXING
Zach Parker and Cesar Nunez Press Conference ahead of their WBO International Super-Middleweight Title on Friday night.
2 December 2020
Picture By Mark Robinson

Zach Parker – Derby, England – 19-0, 13 KOs – fighting Cesar Nunez for the WBO International Super-Middleweight Title:

“I’ve got to focus on Friday night. He’s going to be a tough opponent. I can’t look too far ahead with this mandatory spot. My full focus is on Friday night and Cesar Nunez. You’ve got to make noise with every fight. That’s why people want to watch you, for the knockouts and the showbiz. Hopefully I can give a good performance and make a big fight next year with Billy Joe or any of the other World Champions. I think Saunders vs. Murray is going to be a good fight. It’s last chance saloon for Martin Murray so we’ll just have to see what version of him turns up. I’m picking Billy Joe on points.”

Cesar Nunez – Pamplona, Spain – 17-2-1, 0 KOs – fighting Zach Parker for the WBO International Super-Middleweight Title:

“First and foremost I would like to thank Matchroom and Sauerland for the opportunity. I’m coming to take this chance and win on Friday night.”

Photos by Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing

Two-weight World Champ focused on all-British showdown

Billy Joe Saunders insists that he hasn’t overlooked four-time World Title challenger Martin Murray as he prepares to put his WBO Super-Middleweight crown on the line for the second time this Friday at The SSE Arena, Wembley, shown live on Sky Sports and DAZN.

Hatfield star Saunders (29-0, 14 KOs) was on the verge of securing a mega fight with Mexican pound-for-pound icon Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez earlier this year before the coronavirus pandemic turned the sporting world on its head and scuppered his shot at greatness.

Saunders, who was scheduled to face Murray twice in 2018, has expressed his desire to take on the winner of Alvarez vs. Callum Smith in a huge unification battle in 2021, but the 31-year-old two-weight World Champion has refused to underestimate St Helens man Murray.

“I just want to get one in before the end of the year,” said Saunders. “There’s a lot of fighters struggling to get out. I’ve had a major disappointment. The Canelo fight fell through in May. On Friday we’ll rock and roll.

“If you want to go on professional experience, he’s had more fights than me. He’s challenged for the World Title four times. He should have been World Champion in two of those fights. I’ve promised him a chance.

“There’s always a risk I could get in there and get knocked out in one round. There’s a risk to people’s lives. I haven’t overlooked Martin. I’ve trained myself the best I can for the date. I know he doesn’t lay down, I can’t afford that kind of performance.
“Martin has his own mind. He’s prepared how he wants to prepare, whether he wants to train on emotion, grit or experience. He has to find a way to beat me and that will be difficult for any fighters on the planet. I can sense frustration from Martin’s camp. We had two fights that fell through.

“I would be disappointed if I went in there and blew him away in one round. I need rounds for next year. I need to get in there, in the real thing, to go into the big fights next year. To get over that bridge I need to beat Martin Murray. He’s not one of those fighters you can ever completely right off.”

Saunders vs. Murray tops of big night of action in London, Derby’s Zach Parker (19-0, 13 KOs) takes on Spain’s Cesar Nunez (17-2-1, 9 KOs) for the WBO International Super-Middleweight Title, New Malden Super-Middleweight talent Lerrone Richards (13-0, 3 KOs) makes his Matchroom debut, Southamptons’ Lewis Edmondson (3-0) clashes with Manchester’s John Telford (11-2-1, 2 KOs) over six rounds at Super-Middleweight and exciting Sheffield Featherweight Donte Dixon (4-0, 3 KOs) meets Welshman Angelo Dragone (5-1) over six rounds.

Katie Taylor’s masterful Undisputed WBO Lightweight World Title defence against Miriam Gutierrez at The SSE Arena, Wembley drew more than 2 million views across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Sky Sports made the historic World Title triple-header, featuring Terri Harper and Rachel Ball, available to all, customers and non-subscribers alike, via multiple digital platforms including their YouTube channel, Facebook page and website.

The fight generated more than 1.5 million views on Facebook, 550k on Sky Sports’ YouTube live stream and across Sky Sports’ website and apps there were 227k views, with over 600k viewers on Sky Sports’ TV platform, making it a bumper night for new audiences.

As part of Sky Sports’ commitment to women’s sport – first announced back in March – the move came with the aim of ensuring elite women’s sport is more widely available to the public through both increasing its existing coverage and by strengthening its digital output.

Irish star Taylor looked phenomenal as she completely outclassed her WBA mandatory challenger in the evening’s main event, dropping the tough Spaniard in the fourth round on route to a unanimous decision that improved her unbeaten record to 17-0.

Matchroom Sport Managing Director Eddie Hearn said: “What a night and what a monumental moment on Saturday. This huge audience got to see a great night of boxing and a performance of pound-for-pound quality. We have made tremendous strides in women’s boxing but the job is still only half done. Together with these great athletes we will continue to push the boundaries.”

Adam Smith, Sky Sports’  Head of Boxing Development, said: “We’re thrilled with the fantastic viewing figures, on all platforms, for a truly momentous evening of women’s title fights, topped by Katie Taylor’s masterful performance.

“Rachel Ball produced a fantastic win, the launch pad for her to pursue World Titles, while Terri Harper was composed and clinical in her defence of the WBC Super-Featherweight belt. It was then Katie Taylor’s time to produce a punch perfect display. Simply dazzling.

“Katie is an unbelievable ambassador for the sport and we decided to stream her historic fight night for free, a sign of our long-term commitment to women’s sport with Matchroom. We’ve started something special as we continue to showcase the best talent in women’s boxing on Sky Sports.”

Ahead of Oleksandr Usyk’s huge Heavyweight clash with Derek Chisora and WBO Female Middleweight World title bout between Savannah Marshall & Hannah Rankin at The SSE Arena, Wembley on Saturday October 31, shown live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in all of its nine markets including the U.S., all fans are invited to watch all events prior to the fights.

Oleksandr Usyk – Kiev, Ukraine – 17-0, 13 KO’s – fighting Derek Chisora in a Heavyweight clash:

“There will be no war. I bring peace – pure, clean boxing. He will definitely want to hurt me badly but I won’t stand in front of him. I don’t know why everyone is talking about a test at Heavyweight because, all of my life, I have been tested by Heavyweights. In the World Series of Boxing I was a Heavyweight – people wanted to hurt me but didn’t manage to. If the king of animals would be considered according to the size, then it would be elephant, not the lion. An elephant is a friend of the mouse!”

Derek Chisora – Finchley, London – 32-9, 23 KO’s – fighting Oleksandr Usyk in a Heavyweight clash:

“People tell me that I hold the key to the rich and famous! You shall not pass! He will try to box. I can’t box. It will be a shoot-out. When I hit him, he’ll be hit, there is nowhere to hide. I need a fair referee. I want this fight to be fair. I don’t want to be dancing or wrestling. I want both of us to work fairly. I have to keep marching forwards. He will try to wrong-foot me but I’m ready. People will be surprised.”

Katie Taylor – Bray, Ireland – 15-0, 6 KOs – will be defending her Undisputed WBO Lightweight World Title in a rematch against Delfine Persoon on Saturday at Matchroom Fight Camp action in Brentwood, Essex, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and DAZN in the US, as part of Whyte-Povetkin:

“I’m very very excited. I’ve said it before, this is why I’m in the sport of boxing, to be involved in fights like this. This is a legacy building fight for me and Delfine. We’re both in this sport to prove that we are the best. You have two fighters here that absolutely believe that they are going to win. We both think we’re going to win. That’s what makes this such a fantastic fight. I want to be involved in the biggest fights and that’s why I wanted this rematch. I want to prove that I am the best. There will be criticism whether I win or lose. This is why I’m in boxing – to be the best. I want to be known as the pound for pound No 1. No crowd, all the belts on the line? This is the purest form of boxing you will ever see. I’m prepared for whatever comes my way on Saturday. May the best boxer win.

Delfine Persoon – Roeselare, Belgium – 44-2, 18 KOs – challenging Katie Taylor:

“It’s up to me to prove that I also deserve the Titles. In New York, for us, it was not the correct decision. Everybody thinks [I won the first fight with Taylor]. It’s good there is a rematch. We will see who is the best fighter. We didn’t think [Taylor would grant a rematch]. We were very surprised Katie is taking this risk. For her, it is a big risk. If she loses, it isn’t good for her career.

“A war? This is boxing. Punch, punch back. It is not a war. Grabbing and holding is not boxing. Boxing offensively, jabbing and working, is the way to box. I respect her style. I must prove my style, like I did in New York, but even better. But I like to box in front. Boxing with my heart can be a problem, sometimes I forget to use my [brain]. I must not give her time to hold me. Don’t give her the time.

“I could see I am bigger than her. I have to start the fight faster than last time, with a higher tempo. But I can’t change the whole thing. My way of boxing is with pressure. I can box also on the back foot but, a lot of the time, my opponents don’t pressure me. But I can+ do it. I spar with guys in Belgium who are stronger than me. They give me problems and I find solutions. Against a girl, I always feel stronger because I train with men.

Luther Clay – Bracknell, England – 13-1, 5 KOs – defending his WBO Global welterweight Title against Chris Kongo:

“He’s probably quite powerful, I guess. I don’t know. We’ll see. I know Chris is a good boxer and everyone rates him and everything. I’m interested to test myself and see it it’s really real. He has the reputation and the clout. That’s what I want. Chris Kongo is saying he’s going to knock me out and I’m saying okay, come with it. I haven’t been to the well yet. I feel like I’ve been cruising. If he wants to take me there then I’m interested. If he’s the man to take me there I look forward to it. I want to dig deep and see what I’ve got in me too. I’m maybe too chilled right now. I don’t feel the pressure now but maybe I will on the night. I’m just ready to go.”

Chris Kongo – Bermonsdey, England – 11-0, 6 KOs – challenging Luther Clay for the WBO Global Welterweight Title:
“I just want to thank you (Eddie Hearn) and Dillian Whyte for getting me on this platform. I believe this is my time to shine, to show what everyone has been talking about. I’m ready and raring to go. This fight won’t last. Someone is going down and I’m sure it ain’t me. I’m going to go in there and be the usual Chris Kongo. When I’m myself, everything just flows naturally in the ring. When I’m thinking, I make sure I listen to my coaches in the corner. That’s the main thing for me. I see him as a quality opponent. He’s got a few good fundamentals. On the night, I believe he is very limited in certain things he does. I don’t think he has any type of good fishing quality that you need as an elite fighter Speed kills. When I show my speed, everything will come off. You will see him on the floor, guaranteed. I don’t think I’ll let this go the distance. Everyone I’ve ever had hurt in a fight, they’ve never seen the last bell.”

Photos via Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing

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By Terence Dooley –

Team Sauerland are on the move from German TV broadcaster ARD to Sat.1, a privately-owned German TV station that started life in 1984 and is also available on the HD platform.  They will broadcast up to eight shows a year, with the option of a couple of pay-per-view events, and are allowed to take the Sauerland shows to other countries.

Indeed, Sauerland recently promoted the George Groves-Christopher Rebrasse EBU Super middleweight title fight here in the U.K., which was shown on Sky TV thanks to the input of Eddie Hearn and Matchroom, and they stated that it will be the first of a few foreign soil showcases.

Sauerland have a growing British contingent, EBU title-holder Groves and former British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion David Price signed with them this year, as well as the likes of Mikkel Kessler and Arthur Abraham, the WBO super middleweight titlist, but they could be without the services of WBO cruiserweight king Marco Huck, who recently declared a desire to part company with Nisse and Kalle Sauerland’s company in order to seek a fight with Wladimir Klitschko.

They join German legend Felix Sturm on the channel. He faces Robert Stieglitz at a catchweight of 166.45lbs on November 8, with the winner set to meet Abraham, who defended his title again Paul Smith last month.  With Sauerland now on board, Sat.1 will aim to become a bigger player on the German boxing scene.  Former heavyweight title contender Axel Schluz will be part of their fight night broadcast team to provide heavyweight analysis.

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http://www.boxingscene.com/sauerland-event-major-tv-agreement-with-sat1–82997