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Press Releases
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MIKKEL KESSLER vs. ANDRE WARD
Super Six World Boxing Classic – Group Stage 1
Saturday, Nov. 21 At Oracle Arena, Oakland, Calif.
WBA Super Middleweight World Championship
Live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT
OAKLAND, Calif. Sept. 17, 2009—Danish star and current World Boxing Association WBA super middleweight world champion Mikkel “Viking Warrior” Kessler will travel to the Bay Area to face the 2004 U.S. Olympic gold medalist and Oakland native Andre “S.O.G.” Ward in the Super Six World Boxing Classic – Group Stage 1 – on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT delayed on the west coast.
“This is what I’ve been fighting for since I won my gold medal,” said Ward of his first world title fight. “It doesn’t get any bigger than this. It’s every boxer’s dream to fight for a world title and now I’m doing it at home in the opening round of the Super Six tournament, fighting to become the world’s best at 168 pounds.”
The 25-year-old Ward is a decorated amateur and a self assured and undefeated professional. He is an avid student of the game. Drawn in by stories from his father, undefeated heavyweight champion Frank Ward, he gathers stories from veterans of the sport and has an in-depth knowledge of its history and trivia.
He is undoubtedly in for the toughest test of his career against Kessler, picked by many as an early favorite in the tournament.
“I am looking forward to the Super Six,” said Kessler. “It’s a dream come true for us all. Ward is a great fighter. I have deep respect for him. He’s a tough guy and a nice guy also. I think we are going to have a hard fight. I am going to show him I am the best. I am the world champ.”
Both fighters won tune-up fights on the same evening Sept. 12. Ward 20-0, 13 KOs recorded a third-round stoppage over Shelby Pudwill at Temecula, Calif. The same day in Herning, Denmark, Kessler retained his WBA super middleweight title with a fourth-round TKO over Venezuela’s Gusmyr Perdomo.
Kessler is looking to make his third consecutive title defense. The 30-year-old world champion is a knockout specialist with 42 wins, 1 loss and 32 KOs. He is an 11-year pro and a hero in his homeland of Copenhagen.
“Now is the time for Andre Ward to turn his gold medal into a world championship,” said Ward’s Promoter Dan Goossen of Goossen Tutor Promotions. “Let the games begin.”
Kessler’s promoter Kalle Sauerland of Sauerland Event offered, ”Kessler reconfirmed his position as the hard-hitting Super Middleweight king last Saturday in his KO win over Perdomo. Ward will definitely need every fan in Oakland behind him. Watch out America for the invasion of the Viking Warrior!”
Press Contacts:
Showtime Networks Inc.
Chris DeBlasio 212 708-1633 Chris.DeBlasio@Showtime.net
Annie Van Tornhout 212 708-1663 Anne.VanTornhout@Showtime.net
Sauerland Event
Heiko Mallwitz +49 303 012-970 H.Mallwitz@se-box.de
Johannes Berendt +49 170 896-1549 SauerlandPR@aol.com
Goossen Tutor Promotions
Marylyn Aceves 818 817-8001 Marylyn@goosentutor.com
Brener Zwikel & Associates, Inc.
John Beyrooty 562 233-7477 Johnnybey@aol.com
Steve Pratt 818 462-5602 Stevep@bzapr.com
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