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Showing posts with label Matthew Macklin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matthew Macklin. Show all posts

Friday, November 8, 2013

MACKLIN TEAMS UP WITH FAMILIAR FOE AHEAD OF DECEMBER FIGHT

Matthew “Mack The Knife” Macklin will return to action in the US before the end of the year with a familiar face in his corner. Macklin faces the world rated Willie Nelson in Atlantic City on December 7th in a fight that will be broadcast live by HBO. Leading his corner on the night will be former opponent Jamie Moore as the duo link up over seven years on from their epic British title duel back in 2006.

That bout has entered boxing folklore as one of the greatest fights in British boxing history as the two men engaged in a toe to toe, back and forth war that eventually saw Moore emerge victorious. The Manchester native would go on to add the European Light Middleweight title to his British crown before retiring in 2010, subsequently embarking on a second career as a trainer.

Meanwhile Macklin gave up his battle with the scales and moved up to middleweight to win the British and European titles in devastating fashion before going on to fight for the World title against Felix Sturm, Sergio Martinez and Gennady Golovkin. Now Macklin wants to rebound from defeat to pound for pound contender Gennady Golovkin in June and put himself back in line for another World title shot.

“Obviously I was very disappointed with the loss to Golovkin but I have to keep things in perspective and it’s pretty clear that Golovkin is a special fighter”, said Macklin. “In hindsight I probably used the wrong tactics in that fight but I’ve no excuses, he’s the best I’ve ever fought. That was my third world title fight but I was robbed against Felix Sturm in Germany in my first attempt and then pushed Sergio Martinez very hard in my second crack. Obviously things didn’t go my way against Golovkin but both he and Martinez are in pretty much everyone’s top 5 pound for pound list so I know I still have what it takes to win a world title.

“I think working with Jamie will definitely be a fresh start for me and I’m very excited about working with him. We’ve have known each other for years and our fight back in 2006 only strengthened the respect we have for each other and obviously he brings a wealth of experience from his own career.”

Moore is equally excited about the opportunity to work with his former foe. “When you go through a fight like we went through then you form quite a bond”, revealed Moore. “I was already friends with Mathew before we fought and that only strengthened the bond and over the years we have always kept in touch. Since our fight I’ve watched him improve, adapt and become a world class fighter and I want to help him realise his dream of becoming a world champion. To be part of that journey would be very special for me as well because of what we went through in our fight.

“It’s not about making any major changes to Matthew’s style at this stage in his career. It’s more about ironing out wrinkles and getting Matthew to box to his strengths and come up with the right game plan. I actually covered Willie Nelson’s last fight for Sky and he’s a very capable fighter and has a decent pedigree but I believe that his style will suit Matthew and I know he’ll want to put on another devastating performance to get himself back in the world title picture again.”

Macklin shares his new trainer confidence in getting the right result in Atlantic City on December 7th. “It’s a dangerous fight but I’m not one to duck a challenge,” said Macklin. “He has quite a few early KO’s so I’ll have to be careful early on but I’m confident that I can get the win so I’m really looking forward to it and getting back to winning ways.”


♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights! and Thank You for your time. EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, All photos other than those specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Impress Photo-Studios♔ and KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment Sports and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Blog-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Golovkin vs Macklin: Fight official for June 29 on HBO

Gennady Golovkin will defend the WBA middleweight title against Matthew Macklin on June 29, live on HBO from the Foxwoods in Mashantucket, Connecticut. The fight will headline a Boxing After Dark triple-header, with super middleweight contender Thomas Oosthuizen likely to face Brandon Gonzales, and junior middleweight Willie Nelson also in action.
Press release quotes:
Gennady Golovkin
“I’m excited to return to the United States and once again fight on HBO. Matthew Macklin is a skilled, strong fighter and I look forward to the challenge of defending my titles on June 29th. I have seen a few of his fights and am very conscious of how tough of a battle this is.”
Matthew Macklin
“Golovkin hasn’t put a foot wrong yet as a pro. He’s destroyed pretty much everyone and, as a consequence, he’s probably the most hyped fighter in the sport right now. People have made him out to be this monster, but he bleeds red just like everyone else and, for the first time in his career, he’s going to be stepping into the ring against a big, strong, proper world-class middleweight.
“When you compare my last three opponents to Golovkin’s last three opponents, it’s clear who the proven entity is, going into this fight. I got robbed against Felix Sturm in Germany, it was nip-and-tuck between me and Sergio Martinez until I got caught in the eleventh, and last time out, I blew away Joachim Alcine inside a round, a former world champ who was coming off a career-best win.”
Tom Loeffler, K2 Promotions
“Gennady is excited to return to the ring so quickly to defend his titles against a proven, top-rated middleweight in Matthew Macklin. Gennady was ringside for Macklin’s fight against Sergio Martinez last March and saw firsthand how dangerous he is, as he dropped Sergio in the seventh round. GGG has become one of the most talked-about fighters in boxing. This fight with Macklin will be a very hot ticket. We’re thankful to HBO for featuring Gennady again and also to the Foxwoods Resort Casino for hosting this event.”
Lou DiBella, DiBella Entertainment
“Golovkin-Macklin is one of the very best fights that can be made in the middleweight division and all of boxing. It figures to be a barnburner and we are thrilled that Matthew is getting another deserved opportunity at a world title.”
Kery Davis, HBO Sports
“This is a fight fan’s fight. We are thrilled that both fighters accepted the challenge and we are looking forward to a terrific night of boxing on HBO.”
Scott Butera, Foxwoods
“Foxwoods Resort Casino is proud to be teaming up with DiBella Entertainment and K2 Promotions to bring a stellar championship match to Connecticut; proving once again that Foxwoods is the premier venue for professional boxing on the East Coast. The Golovkin-Macklin fight will be one for the record books.”

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time. EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Matthew Macklin Training Diary‏


With less than 1 week to go to his mega fight with World Middleweight Champ, Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez at Madison Square Garden on St. Patrick's Day Matthew Macklin has updated his website with part 2 of his training diary: http://matthewmacklin.ie/training-diary-part-2/
The card which will be aired live on HBO's "World Championship Boxing is entitled, "THE REAL Middleweight Championship - Get Your Irish Up", features Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez (48-2-2, 27KO's) defending his middleweight crown against Ireland's Matthew "Mack the Knife" Macklin (28-3, 19KO's). The card is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and will be shown live on HBO beginning 10PM ET/7PM PT.

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

MATTHEW MACKLIN vs. SERGIO "MARAVILLA" MARTINEZ on Saturday, March 17 - St. Patrick's Day at The Theater at Madison Square Garden

The card which will be aired live on HBO's "World Championship Boxing is entitled, "THE REAL Middleweight Championship - Get Your Irish Up", features Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez (48-2-2, 27KO's) defending his middleweight crown against Ireland's Matthew "Mack the Knife" Macklin (28-3, 19KO's). The card is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and will be shown live on HBO beginning 10PM ET/7PM PT.

MATTHEW MACKLIN: I've had a great camp, sparring has been terrific and most of the hard work has been done at this point. The next few weeks now are just about fine tuning and peaking for fight night. It's been great working with Buddy again. He's a very knowledgeable boxing guy so it's great to soak that up. I'm ready for war and whatever happens in that ring. No matter if it goes one round or twelve, I don't believe Martinez is going to be able to cope with the intensity and burning desire that I will bring into that ring with me at Madison Square Garden on St. Patrick's Day.

BUDDY MCGIRT: Matthew is in great shape for this fight. I've worked with him for the Yori Boy Campas fight a few years back so I've been aware for a long time just how good he is. We're not going to shout or boast about doing this or that. Matthew's just going to go in there and let his fists do the talking. I must say though that I am very confident that he is going to shock an awful lot of people in this fight.

LAR CORBETT: It's been a great experience to spend a few days with Matthew and see his preparations up close and personal. Myself and Eoin are very grateful to Brian Peters (Macklin co-promoter) and Martin Donnelly (Macklin Sponsor) for the opportunity to come over. Matthew is training like a demon for this fight and the level of effort and dedication he puts into his boxing has to be seen to be believed. Matthew has always been a great supporter of Tipperary Hurling over the years, through thick and thin, so we felt it was only fair that we return that support. There is huge interest in this fight back in Tipperary. I know there are loads of people traveling over to New York for the fight but for the people not traveling over, they will be glued to the television and the whole country of Ireland is behind him.

EOIN KELLY: I've known Matthew since we played hurling together as kids and it's great to see him living his dream now on the big stage. The hype in the US for the fight is phenomenal. There are big billboards in Times Square and huge media interest in the fight, but Matthew seems to take it all in stride. We came over to show our support to him because it's an absolutely massive night, not just for Matthew but for all of Ireland to have someone competing at that level, fighting a guy considered to be up there with the likes of Mayweather and Pacquiao on St. Patrick's Day at Madison Square Garden.


On hand to show their support for Macklin were Irish Hurling stars Eion Kelly (right of Macklin in the Photo) and Lar Corbett (left of Macklin in the photo), who had made the trip over from Ireland earlier this week and have been touring the city with Macklin to rally together the heavy Irish community throughout the New York area to come out and support Macklin on March 17.

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Monday, February 27, 2012

MATTHEW MACKLIN Vs. SERGIO "MARAVILLA" MARTINEZ on Saturday, March 17 - St. Patrick's Day


MATTHEW MACKLIN Vs. SERGIO "MARAVILLA" MARTINEZ on Saturday, March 17 - St. Patrick's Day at The Theater at Madison Square Garden The card which will be aired live on HBO's "World Championship Boxing is entitled, "THE REAL Middleweight Championship - Get Your Irish Up", features Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez (48-2-2, 27KO's) defending his middleweight crown against Ireland's Matthew "Mack the Knife" Macklin (28-3, 19KO's). The card is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and will be shown live on HBO beginning 10PM ET/7PM PT.

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Martinez and Macklin go head-to-head‏

Pressure fighting Irishman Matthew Macklin (28-3-0, 19ko) and unorthodox Argentine Sergio Martinez (48-2-2, 27ko) lace their gloves up for a St Patrick's day fisticuffs on March 17 inside New York City's historic Madison Square Garden and the two middleweights engaged in the customary head-to-head prior to a world championship fight that has The Ring magazine title on the line. Andy Lee is the co-feature who is facing an, as yet, undetermined opponent.

Martinez appears to have a height advantage, but both fighters are 5'10. Credit: Ed Diller/ DBE

Middleweight contender Lee, a compatriot of Macklin's, separates the 160lb rivals. Credit: Ed Diller/ DBE

Lee (27-1-0, 19ko) has beaten everyone put in front of him and is chasing a 2012 world title shot. Credit: Ed Diller/ DBE

Martinez and promoter Lou DiBella want opponents with a higher profile but Sergio is mostly avoided. Credit: Ed Diller/ DBE

Martinez has stated he will, once again, fight to raise awareness for victims of domestic violence. Credit: Ed Diller/DBE

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Matthew Macklin warns Sergio Martinez: The Irish are coming!‏

Former world title challenger Matthew Macklin has a message for St Patrick's Day opponent and lineal middleweight champion Sergio Martinez - "the Irish are coming!" Macklin, 29, attempts to unseat Martinez from his throne in the 160lb weight class on March 17 at Madison Square Garden in New York City and is calling on Irish fans from all over the world to support him at the ground dubbed; The World's Most Famous Arena.


Mack the Knife on the podium. Credit: Ed Diller/ DBE

Prior to 2011, Macklin - a former Irish, British and European champion - had fought predominantly on the domestic and continental circuit. One fight last summer, though, propelled him into international stardom as he took on long-reigning Super WBA middleweight titlist Felix Sturm in Cologne, Germany.

Macklin (28-3-0, 19ko) took the fight to Sturm, fought constantly from the opening minute to the last and was largely expected to receive a deserved decision victory on points, however, on all three judges' scorecards he was on the losing side.

Despite the controversial defeat, Macklin had made a name for himself and the performance itself was perceived - by Lou DiBella of DiBella Entertainment - to be worthy of adding him to his own stable of fighters and matching the England-born Irishman with his premier boxer; Maravilla Martinez (48-2-2, 27ko).

"As I have done throughout my entire career I will go up a notch for this fight," said Macklin this week. "Sergio is going to bring the best out of me and I am very confident in my mind that I will be the new middleweight champion come March 17.

He continued: "Fighting at The Garden on St Patty's Day - it's going to be like I'm fighting in Dublin. The Irish are coming from all over the world to see this [and] the atmosphere is going to be electric!

"It is an honour to have the opportunity to fight here at MSG where so many great fights have taken place. I am proud and privileged to be a part of this great tradition."

Providing the co-support to Macklin and Martinez's main event is technically-savvy Andy Lee, a product of Emanuel Steward's renowned Kronk Gym set-up in Detroit and, like Macklin, a pugilist cut from Irish cloth. Lee is a fast-rising contender in the middleweight division and enjoyed a breakout 2011 as he stopped Craig McEwan in a thrilling Celtic War in March, won a one-sided decision over tough journeyman Alex Bunema in May, before avenging his only defeat by boxing smart and overseeing Brian Vera with ease in October.

On the St Patrick's Day undercard, Lee (27-1-0, 19ko) is currently without an opponent, but has the fists and experience to compete for a world title later in the year - something promised to him by promoter DiBella. "I want to thank Lou for letting me showcase myself on this show," Lee said.

"There is nothing more I can wish for then to have this opportunity to fight at MSG on St Patrick's Day. I consider myself as a serious contender and I hope to get my title shot in 2012. I'm not sure who my opponent is going to be yet, but I promise you a good St. Patty's Day beating."

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Macklin hoping Haye isn't KO'd by the scorecards

Macklin hoping Haye isn't KO'd by the scorecards

Matthew Macklin hopes that the uproar surrounding his controversial points defeat to WBA World Middleweight Champion Felix Sturm in Germany at the weekend will decrease the chances of David Haye suffering a similar fate against Wladimir Klitschko in Hamburg this Saturday.

Macklin appeared to have done more than enough to rip Sturm's title away in front of a sell out crowd of almost 20,000 at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne only for two of the three scoring judges to deny him his World title dream.

The decision baffled many of those in attendance and the millions watching worldwide on SAT.1 in Germany, Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and on Epix in the U.S. A viewers poll on the SAT.1 website spoke volumes with 76% of German's polled believing that Macklin had won the fight as opposed to just 24% for Sturm.

The German media were equally outraged with headlines since the fight such as, "A Sturm of Indignation", "German Boxing Disgrace", "Miscarriage of Justice" and "Fluke Victory".

Macklin hopes that the uproar will benefit David Haye should his clash with Klitschko be decided on the scorecards. "I think David has the power and speed to knock Klitschko out anyway and take it out of the judges hands but if it goes to the scorecards then I think the spotlight will really be on the judges after my fight and hopefully David will get a fair shake," said Macklin.

"I got back from Germany yesterday but the fan's over there were coming up to me and apologising for the decision. I think they have been very embarrassed by it and the German media reports on the fight have reflected that. One of the papers even reported that Felix needed to have TV make up applied so that he would look a little better at the post fight press conference!

"I believe I was the better man on the night and it seems to me that almost everyone aside from those two judges who scored for Sturm saw it the same way. It was a tough fight but I thought I was a clear winner.

"After the fight I asked him for a rematch and he told me 'I'm a man, I will give you a rematch'.

He knows I beat him and he's embarrassed by that decision so if he's the fighter I think he is I'm sure he will want to put it right but if not then I won't lose any sleep over it and I will move on. In our hearts we both know that I won that fight hands down. I proved that I belong at the highest level and this has only made me more determined than ever to succeed."

Macklin's manager Brian Peters says that the support from the boxing community worldwide has been heartening. "A lot of very respected people within the sport have spoken out on the decision and it's been great to receive that kind of support. Thomas Hauser and Dan Rafael are among two of the most widely read commentators on the sport and they both had Matthew winning by scores of 117 - 111 and Lennox Lewis said it was 'highway robbery' and one of the worst decisions he'd seen. The former World Heavyweight title challenger Axel Schulz was commentating for German TV and he had Matthew winning by three rounds.

"We've been inundated with emails from German fans expressing their disgust at the decision and Felix's own Facebook page has been flooded with negative comments as well from Germans so that tells it's own story."

Team Macklin's views have been supported by some heavy hitters in the boxing world from those inside and outside the ropes via Twitter and other outlets. A selection of those include:

Lennox Lewis - Former undisputed World Heavyweight Champion

"Highway Robbery! One of the worst decisions I've seen. Macklin won that fight hands down."

Lou DiBella - Promoter of WBC Middleweight Champion, Sergio Martinez

"GREAT JOB Matthew Macklin. Team Martinez respects your performance and your heart, CHAMP. Sergio Martinez will not go to Germany for Sturm!"

Thomas Hauser - Muhammad Ali's biographer and award winning boxing writer

From Hauser's column on The Sweet Science: http://www.thesweetscience.com/news/articles-frontpage/12838-boxing-pure-vs-phony

"Sturm fought Matthew Macklin in the "champion's" hometown of Cologne, Germany. The bout was televised in the United States live on Epix. It was understood going in that, if there was an outrageous decision, it would be in Sturm's favor. Felix might be a better boxer than Matthew. But on Saturday, Macklin fought a better fight. He clearly won eight of the twelve rounds. Two more were close.

I scored the fight 117-111 for Macklin. Judge Levi Martinez scored it 115-113 for Matthew, which was a bit of a stretch in Sturm's favour.

Then came the obscenity. Judges Roberto Ramirez and Jose Ignacio Martinez each scored the bout for Sturm by a 116-112 margin.

The decision was unfair to Macklin, who has made every sacrifice necessary to get to the point in his career where he was positioned to win a belt."

Dan Rafael - ESPN.com boxing writer and television commentator

"Terrific fight too but bad decision. Macklin robbed. I had it 117-111 for Matthew on the EPIX broadcast.

Rafael's ESPN.com Fight Report excerpt: http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/columns/story?columnist=rafael_dan&id=6708031

"Of course, Macklin was on Sturm's turf, and Germany is notorious for hometown decisions. This was one of them. Although Sturm said he thought he won in his postfight interview, he seemed almost embarrassed and offered Macklin a rematch. Macklin, who showed class after the outrageous decision, simply outfought Sturm the entire fight, and it did not even seem all that close. He should have won and can at least know that he made a big impression in his first major fight on the world stage. He made it exciting and proved he is one of the world's best middleweights, with or without an alphabet belt around his waist."

Carl Froch - Current WBC Super Middleweight champion and upcoming super six finalist

"Just got home & watched Macklin beat Sturm 116-112 at least. Jim WATT was you watching?!"

Joe Calzaghe - Former World Super Middleweight Champion

"Thought Macklin won! But not surprised he didn't get decision. Predictable home town decision!"

Chris Mannix - Sports Illustrated's Boxing Writer

"Welcome to boxing, everyone. 2 judges gave 8 rounds to Sturm, an absolutely disgusting scoring - home turf decision."

"Feel bad for Macklin. Worked hard for that opportunity. Hope the rematch is with better judges on EpixHD."

"This is why Felix Sturm rarely fights outside of Germany. How two judges can have that big a gap in the scoring is mind boggling. Matthew Macklin was the aggressor, landed cleaner shots and did phenomenal body work. Fought the best fight he possibly could. Sturm was sluggish and didn’t get it going until the later rounds. In any other country, this fight is a clear decision for Matthew Macklin."

Al Bernstein - Veteran Boxing analyst for Showtime in the US

"Just watched Sturm - Macklin on Epix. One of worst decisions I have ever seen - maybe THE worst."

"Macklin threw twice as many punches, landed at least twice as many and pushed Sturm back whole fight."

Jean-Marcel Nartz - Germany's European Boxing Union Council member

"The decision was a blatant miscarriage of justice."

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Felix Sturm, Matthew Macklin, Mark Greenberg: EPIX Conference Call Transcript‏

Three-time middleweight champion FELIX STURM (35-2-1, 15 KOs), of Germany, makes his 10th defense of his WBA middleweight title against top-rated contender MATTHEW “Mack the Knife” MACKLIN (28-2, 19 KOs), of the UK, This Saturday! June 25. It will be televised Live to the U.S., from the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany, 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 at 5 p.m. ET.

As has become the custom, EPIX will once again present the closed-captioned simulcast of this world championship rumble on a jumbotron in Times Square (Broadway between 44th and 45th Sts.)

The EPIX broadcast team will include eight-time New York Emmy® Award winner and WNBC-TV’s lead sports anchor BRUCE BECK handling the blow-by-blow, former world heavyweight champion LENNOX LEWIS with expert analysis, and ESPN.com senior boxing writer DAN RAFAEL providing his unique views. Former top-rated middleweight contender “Ireland’s” JOHN DUDDY will be at ringside for live post-fight interviews with the combatants. Viewers watching the live stream on EpixHD.com will enjoy round-by-round blogs from Sports Illustrated’s boxing writer CHRIS MANNIX.

Mark Greenberg: This is EPIX second major telecast. We did a small one last month. We had tremendous positive reaction to the first fight that we did, the Klitschko-Solis heavyweight title fight, at which point on our website we had almost 100,000 people entering into our EpixHD.com website and watching the fight live from Germany.

And we were thrilled – despite a couple of technical glitches that went along the way -- but we were thrilled with what happened – with the reaction of what was there. We got some really positive responses online from people who at least had access to a great fight that they would not otherwise have had. We were willing to take a risk of doing a fight in the middle of the afternoon, in the middle of March Madness, basketball here. So we were really pleased.

We also televised the fight live in Times Square on a big Jumbotron. And we had a large audience of people who were watching it in Times Square , and we got some very, very favorable reactions.
It was the beginning of our process. The only person that was really, committed to us on our announce team was Lennox Lewis. Lennox did a great job. We're happy to have him onboard again.

We have subsequently expanded our team. We're really pleased to announce that Bruce Beck will be doing the blow by blow. Bruce has had a stellar career in sports journalism. He's done a number of things over the years, including being a franchise for the NBC New York station here, as its lead sports anchor. Bruce comes along with eight New York Emmy® Awards and a national reputation, and we're thrilled that he'll be working with us.

Dan Rafael, who did some work with us on the last fight, has officially joined the team as an analyst, along with Lennox and Bruce. And then outside the ring and doing some live interviews from Germany, “Ireland’s” John Duddy, who is a former top-rated middleweight contender, which we think will certainly round out what's there.

So we're really pleased on our announce team, but we're mostly pleased with the fact that we'll be doing Sturm versus Macklin. We think it's a brilliant fight for us to be televising. Again, we think that Saturday afternoon timeslot – you know, I grew up watching "Wide World of Sports" and Howard Cosell on Saturday afternoons on ABC -- I think it's a great time slot. We think it'll perform well. And we're thrilled to be part of this event.

We think it's a highly competitive event. Neither of these fighters has lost in five years. They've all reached a high level of their – of the middleweight class, and we're thrilled to be part of it. So we're glad that we could be the exclusive American outlet, and we're looking forward to the fight.

Felix, can you tell us how training camp is going and what you expect this Saturday
night against Mr. Macklin?

Felix Sturm:I think Matthew is a great fighter. He's strong. He's fast, tough. He's a smart guy. I think we all can expect a huge fight, a big fight, an all-action fight.

Matthew, welcome to the call. How's Germany? And how are you feeling as you approach your first world title fight?

Matthew Macklin: In Germany it’s raining – I was expecting better weather, but not to worry. I'm sure I can bring some sunshine on Saturday. Yes, training has gone really well. I'm excited, getting ready for my first world title shot. But, you know, I'm pretty experienced, as well. I've won the European title twice, won the Irish title, the British title, and I've fought some really good opponents along the way. And, yes, I'm just really looking forward to the fight now.

The training camp's gone brilliantly. The biggest fight of my life, you want it to be the best training camp of your life, and it has been. Also, I think the challenge of Felix will bring my game to another level. I'll have to be at my best, but no doubt I will be. And, yes, I'm really confident, really, really looking forward to it. And, yes, Saturday just can't come soon enough now.

Matthew, what concerns you the most in terms of your challenge with Felix?

Matthew Macklin: He's very experienced. He's always finds a way to win. He has a great defense, a very good jab, and I think that they're two things that when I've watched him on tape consistently jumped out at you with his left jab, his left hook, and, you know, also his defense.

He can also (inaudible) when he got hurt against Javier Castillejo in the first fight, he stood toe and toe and showed a lot of heart, also. So, yes, I mean, his jab and his defense are probably two things that first jump out at you.

Obviously, with it being in Germany , people say, you know, you're going to have to knock him out to get a draw. But I'm not really dwelling on that. I'm sure I'll get a fair crack at the whip.

So it's been a little bit of an interesting ride for you. At one point, you were going to fight Winky Wright on the undercard of one of the Golden Boy shows here in the United States. Winky pulled out because of an injury. Then you were going to get moved to fight on an undercard a week later. And then all of a sudden, this opportunity fell in your lap. So can you sort of take me through the ups and downs of your ever-changing schedule to culminate here with an opportunity to fight for one of the major world titles?

Matthew Macklin: Yes, of course. I'm one of those fighters – I'm prepared to fight anyone to prove what I believe that I'm capable of. I believe I can go all the way in this division. I think I can be a champion and stay there for quite a while and defend against all the other top guys in the division.

And, you know, the Winky Wright fight I was excited about. I thought it was a perfect name to just sort of launch me in America on a big Pay-Per-View card over there. I was gutted when it fell through, because I really saw that as a big opportunity for me to get my name out there.

But when that kind of fell through it looked that the Khoren Gevor fight was on, which I wasn't – it wasn't as good a fight as the Winky Wright fight, but he had fought Sturm before. He gave Felix Sturm a good fight. He also had a good fight with Arthur Abraham before getting knocked out and he’s a very good fighter in his own right. So it was still a good opponent.

And then we were waiting on the contract to be signed. We went back and forth a little bit. And then slightly out of the blue, the Felix Sturm fight comes up. Why take a tough eliminator when you get a straight shot at the world title, especially when it's one that you truly believe you can win?

You figure it worked out for the best, then?

Matthew Macklin: Yes, I mean, at the time, when you're disappointed and everyone says, "Don't worry, everything happens for a reason," you don't really see it that way, but luckily in this instance, that does seem to be the way it's worked out.

Felix, you're one of the bigger names in the middleweight division. People in the United States certainly are still aware of you because of the fight that you gave Oscar De La Hoya several years ago. Many people thought that you were the winner of that fight. But you have not yet come back to America since then, and there's always been sort of talk that you would come back here and now especially perhaps against a Sergio Martinez in the future or something like that. Can you talk about your own aspirations to
eventually bring your game back to the United States from Germany?

Felix Sturm: Well, of course I would like to come back in the U.S. and to fight there at the MGM Grand or Madison Square Garden, but I have to concentrate on Saturday’s fight against Macklin. That is what is most important to me and for my teammates. And I (inaudible) maybe one of (inaudible) my whole career and to come back in the United States. And (inaudible) and (inaudible) my mistake (inaudible) never come back to the U.S. I was always ready to fight the big names (inaudible) it was not my mistake. I was always ready to fight everybody. But (we understand) (inaudible) they (inaudible) and I think we're on the right way (inaudible) (90,000 people in the arena) (inaudible) 90,000 people. And I think we're on the right way.

And when I beat Matthew on Saturday, of course, we are planning to come back to the U.S. to fight (inaudible) everybody worldwide, because he has (inaudible) be the number one (inaudible) Matthew (inaudible) a guy (inaudible) in front of me (inaudible) this will be the next challenge for me (inaudible) and we can talk again (inaudible)

The decision went against you when you fought Oscar De La Hoya, the fact that a lot of people did think that you had won that fight – has that bothered you enough to maybe stop you from wanting to come back to the U.S. to fight?

Felix Sturm: No, I'm ready. I'm always ready to come back to the U.S. whole (inaudible) and to also (inaudible) like me (inaudible) from the judges, but I'm not scared to come back there. I'm not scared (inaudible) I think I'm a better fighter than I was seven years ago, and I think now (inaudible) to the fight (inaudible) somebody else (inaudible) fight (inaudible) I think (inaudible) because I'm now (inaudible) middleweight (inaudible) fight the best and I'm still ready to fight the best. I think there's (inaudible) huge fight (inaudible)

Do you think you're a better fighter now than the one that fought De La Hoya those
years ago?

Felix Sturm: Yes, of course. It was my (inaudible) Oscar De La Hoya (inaudible) also with (inaudible) so much experience. And there was a fight (inaudible) clearly by a knockout (inaudible) learned so much (inaudible) learned my lessons (inaudible) I think I'm a much better fighter than in the past, and, of course, I'm a better fighter (inaudible) great trainer, very, very smart, and he (inaudible) for us (inaudible) so much (inaudible) stronger and better fighter than in the past.

Felix even though people here in the U.S. don't get to watch you much, you've been very consistent fighting two and three times a year. Do you feel like you're back in rhythm after you were gone for – I think it was like 12 or 14 months when you came back to fight Giovanni Lorenzo? You fought Hearns, and now you're
going basically a few months after with Macklin. Do you feel comfortable back in your
rhythm of two, three fights a year?

Felix Sturm: Yes, I feel very comfortable with three fights in a year. I'm a fighter who needs activity who needs to fight every four months. I think having a fight every four months keeps me sharp and (inaudible) and I think for me, it's good (inaudible) because I can (inaudible) and then I can (inaudible) preparation, and I think (inaudible) see a big difference (from the) first to the second fight (inaudible) come better and better (inaudible) and hopefully (inaudible) best performance.

For most of the media that remember you beating Oscar De La Hoya back in 2004, they
remember your jab and your powerful jab is still in your arsenal, but I read some comment that you made about knowing or watching videos of Matthew and basically realizing that he does take time off or rest during rounds, and you were planning on hitting the body. Is that still the plan or – obviously, it's not something you're not willing to talk about?

Felix Sturm: You know, no (inaudible) best weapon. And I think (inaudible) for this fight, and (inaudible) make some new things (inaudible) I think (inaudible) three or four (inaudible) we both will show, and then after the fourth or fifth round, you will see who has the best game plan.

But I think, of course, my jab and my body shots, those will be the key for the success. And my (inaudible) I'm ready to fight on (inaudible) from the first to the last second and can make (inaudible) and I think this will be the best weapon (inaudible)

But (inaudible) need to see what Matthew will show us (inaudible) we think we all know what will happen (inaudible)

Matthew, you're not only fighting the champion, but you're basically fighting him in his backyard. You talk about having to get a knockout in order to get the draw, but also the fans maybe – the fans or the so-called experts (inaudible) see you as a big underdog. Is that something that you use in your training as an inspiration or something to push you a little harder, for this Saturday night?

Matthew Macklin: Yes, definitely. I mean, I have always respected Felix – this is his third reign as world champion. Like you say, he's beat some big names in the division. This is my first world title shot, so it's only natural he's going to be the favorite. But I'm twice European champion. I've beaten some good fighters. And to be honest, when I've had the best performances in my career is when I'm been in against the best fighters.

For fighters not at my level I kind of drop my standard to their level, and I've not performed to the best of my abilities. But when I've been up against it or I've (gone in as) an underdog or it's seen as a 50/50 fight, that's when you usually see the best of me. So, I'm looking forward to it. I've trained hard, and it’s all gone well. I feel like that it's been the best camp of my career so far, and I'm looking forward to shocking a lot of people on Saturday night.

Matthew, what was your toughest win in your career so far? And what did you learn about it?

Matthew Macklin: I'm not sure. My last fight was a tough win. I didn't perform well, really. And to be honest, I thought it would be a fight that would be a lot easier. A few things went wrong in preparation. I had a flu, caught the flu eight weeks out, so that shortened the camp down to six weeks straight away. And then I came down with a bit of a chest infection the week of the fight.

I mean, I was OK the weekend of the fight, but I think the effects of it took a bit out of me. I didn't feel strong or powerful as I normally would. I got caught badly over the left eye. I was bruised (inaudible) so kind of – it was hard knowing, you know, in a fight feeling flat as early as the third and fourth round, where I didn't feel like I had much energy, I didn't feel strong, but I had to grip my way through it, I had to be clever in other parts. A few rounds I just had to nick. But, you know, the thing was, I found a way to win not feeling well, so that was a tough win.

Did you learn anything about yourself that way?

Matthew Macklin: Yes, well, I knew – I mean, I beat Ruben Varon who's not a bad fighter, but to beat him when I wasn't in the best of health, it showed me that I'm way (beyond the level) (inaudible) probably didn't look that way, because he gave me a tough fight, so (inaudible) maybe it looked like that's the level I was at, but I know the background situation. So, from that (inaudible) I can feel like that and still win, that's a good sign.

Felix, what was your toughest win? And what did you come away from that?

Felix Sturm: Well, of course, it was the fight against Oscar. And at this point, I was (inaudible) and I think my lesson this evening was (inaudible) but you never know what happens in the ring. And I think (inaudible) title (inaudible) and I would (prepare) (inaudible) and I think Matthew will be in the best shape of his life. And also (inaudible) think you can beat everybody in the world (inaudible) I become world champion (inaudible) I (inaudible) can beat everybody in the world, I'm the best, and I've learned my lessons. I (inaudible) and I go (inaudible) champion.

Matt, you said your best performance has come against the best guys that you fight. Is that because there's less pressure on you because you're not expected to win them?

Matthew Macklin: I'm not sure if that's the reason. I think it's more a case that you just have nerves before a fight, but the nerves make me perform better. They make me sharper, my reflexes sharper. I react quicker to punches. I counter faster. And I even feel like I punch faster and harder. I think it just affects everything, and it makes me perform to the best of my ability. You can either rise to the occasion or you can drop your standards and sometimes drop to their level. And I think that when I know I have to be on my best, I lift my game.

Matthew Macklin: A couple hundred or few hundred fans are coming out to Germany. I'm not sure if it was 200 or a bit more, but there's a – you know, not so much when you think there are going to be 15,000 to 20,000 people in there, but I'm sure they'll make their presence felt.

Matthew, you know, you've had a lot of different trainers – Buddy McGirt, Billy Graham, Floyd Mayweather, now Joe Gallagher. You know, a lot of people would say that could be sort of a detriment, but at the same time, you can learn a lot. What's been your experience with having so many trainers?

Matthew Macklin: Well, like you said, there are pros and cons. You certainly get a different outlook. For example, Billy Graham tended to train you to be aggressive, to work the body a lot, to throw a lot of hard single punches, to be gung-ho-ish, really.

But on the other side of that, Buddy McGirt was very jab-oriented. Everything has to jab, lots of jabs. And you take a bit from each one. But it's good to be comfortable with the trainer and have faith in your trainer and be comfortable and be happy and familiar in your surroundings. All my best wins from a title point of view have come with Joe Gallagher, who I've been with for nearly three years now, so I'm pretty set up at the moment.

So you're always learning. You always take new ideas from people. But from a fight point of view, my last fights have been with Joe Gallagher and I've won the European title twice with him, and the British middleweight title. I think at the moment I have the best of both worlds.

At the press conference Saturday in Cologne, you said, we're going to see the best in you because it's a big fight. Have you held back in previous fights? Is that why you keep saying that, that we're going to see the best we've ever seen because it's a big fight?

Matthew Macklin: No, I've never held back. I've always been professional and trained just as hard for every fight. But I just think sometimes the nerves of the big fight makes you rise to the occasion. You rise to the top of your game, where sometimes, you know, you can try and tell yourself that -- this guy's really good and I'm up against it and I have to perform to my best -- but really, if you look at (inaudible) and you look at (inaudible) you know, I'm going to beat this (guy probably in third gear), and you're trying not to tell yourself that, but, complacency can creep in from a subconscious point of view. It's not something you're trying to allow creep in, but subconsciously it does, and you just drop to their standard, and you don't really perform to the best of your capabilities.

So Felix is going to bring the best out of you. You're kind of a boxer puncher. You're known for your pressure. You use your jab well. You put your punches together well. Do you see this being a distance fight? Or do you see it possibly being a knockout?

Matthew Macklin: I mean, who knows? I think I punch hard enough, if I hit Felix clean on the chin in the first round, it could be over. But at the same time, he does have a good chin. He has a very good defense. And so I do see it definitely going into the later part of the fight, but, you know, possibly, you know, over to points. It could be a 12-round fight. I've trained hard. I'm fit to go bell to bell for 12 rounds. So that's not a problem, anyway.

I think it's going to be a great fight. Whether it's three rounds or 12 rounds, I think Felix throws good punches. He sits in the pocket a lot. Like I said, he likes to put a lot of pressure on. He doesn't really run too much. He kind of stands his ground in the center of the ring, and I'm pretty aggressive. I throw a lot of punches. It could well be fight of the year.

Felix, you're a great technical fighter, hands up, very stiff, great jab. But you said that you're going to set a pace that you believe that Macklin cannot keep up. Are you going to be pressuring three minutes out of each round?

Felix Sturm: Yes, of course I’ll be putting on a lot of pressure from the first round. And I think (inaudible) this was always the key for me (inaudible) and I think (inaudible) how much pressure I can make (inaudible) makes him a little bit confused and this makes him a little bit crazy (inaudible) with my left hand (inaudible) my right hand. And I will say, I can make every single round (inaudible) like in the first round, and I think this will be the key for (inaudible) for me.

In the press conference in Cologne back on Saturday you said you expect a great fight on Saturday night, but you don't believe it will go the distance. Is that why, because you will put the pressure on him -- you're going to find that opening and knock him out?

Felix Sturm: Yes, hopefully (inaudible) of course (inaudible) when they go (inaudible) will be a close fight (inaudible) decision (inaudible) knockout, because I think this is the best decision for everybody (inaudible) no excuses (inaudible) see a knockout. And we are both good fighters. We can make a lot of pressure. We can fight. We can hit hard (inaudible) I believe we will see (inaudible)

You were able to avenge your other loss against Javier Castillejo. And I know earlier they asked you about Oscar De La Hoya. Oscar is probably not going to come out of retirement. If he does, he's not going to seek to fight you. Is there part of you that regrets not being able to avenge that loss?

Felix Sturm: (inaudible) no. It was for me a dream come true to fight Oscar and to fight in the States in front of so many (inaudible) people and the fight was on HBO. And I think from this point, from this day (inaudible) this (inaudible) give me more (inaudible) because that was seven years ago, (inaudible) fight Oscar, and they are still talking about this fight (inaudible) for me and (inaudible) for the most people worldwide (inaudible) and I think, you know, it's (inaudible) and (everybody want around him knows that) I've beat him and everybody knows (inaudible) decision (inaudible) because there was (inaudible) fight. And this was, (I think, a payday) for both fighters and (inaudible) and this is OK. What happened, happened. And I will not (inaudible) and when I can do it again, I will do it the same way.

So you're comfortable – in your mind, you beat Oscar, you just didn't get it on the judges’ cards?

Felix Sturm: Yes, yes, of course. Of course (inaudible) the guys in the U.S. and worldwide (inaudible) but (inaudible) because this fight has made me world famous, first Germany and then worldwide, all from fighting Oscar De La Hoya, who everyone saw me beat.

Your concentration has been on these European fights. And way back when the Klitschkos were available you were gunning for the Klitschkos. They went with HBO for various reasons. How disappointed were you to lose that opportunity?

Mark Greenberg: We obviously had discussions. We didn't think at this point in time it was the fight that we wanted to do. We were happy to do the Klitschko-Solis fight. We thought it was the right fight for us to do. That's not saying in the future we wouldn't welcome back those heavyweight fights, because we are still big fans. I'm sure they were a little bit more motivated by our participation in the last fight. That's OK. It's good for the sport. It's good for all of us. Competition is good.

I don't want to say that we're disappointed at all. I think there are lots of great fights. We're thrilled to have the Sturm-Macklin middleweight title fight, because we think it's going to be a very competitive fight and a good one.

Just coincidentally, both fights are happening in Germany at this point in time. I wouldn't say to you that every fight is going to be an international one. It's just sort of where it went. And we'll take it slowly. I don't think we're in a race to say we have to do 10, 15 fights a year. We're going to pick competitive fights that we think are meaningful to the fight fans.

Because your focus has now been swung over to the European scene, but yet your market, you know, with the film titles of EPIX, is obviously here in the United States. Why haven't you sought out some competitive matches here in the U.S. with better known American fighters? And no slight, of course, to Felix Sturm or Matthew Macklin. it's a great fight. But it's a fight that's really made for the hardcore fans, not for the
casual fans. How come you haven't come back here in the States and sought out something that's more American?

Mark Greenberg: Well, I don't know. It's been three months since we've done the last fight. I think this is just sort of happenstance that we've gotten here. I mean, we certainly are looking at where the fights can be. Some get presented to us, some don't.

I will say that boxing is probably one of those sports that truly has become a global sport. I would say 15 years ago Americans dominated the sport. I'd hardly say that today. And so I think you have to sit there and say, where is the sport? Where is the best in the class? And I think in this case, boxing has certainly changed its milieu, that it's largely a lot of international fighters from around the world. And look at all the different categories.

We're going to go do the right fights at the right moment, and that's where we've been so far. If we find the right fight that's here in the States, great, we're excited to do it.

I think the sport needs to find competitive fights like this. Just because there's one or two losses on a fighter's card doesn't mean they aren't great fighters. And I think this is a great example of where both Sturm and Macklin have developed themselves as competitive fighters, have taken on challenging fights, and this is a competitive fight.

I don't think it's great for the sport when you have these guys who are undefeated and they haven't had great match-ups, because the matchmakers are making sure their records end up unblemished. And we've seen a lot of unblemished fighters when they get to a competitive fight are not prepared.

So our view in life is, let's take these fighters, look at the ones that are really good fights, and show good match-ups. And when that happens for us, we can find those fights happening here in the United States, great.

But I will say to you, we had over 100,000 people trying to get onto our EpixHD.com website to watch the Klitschko-Solis fight. I don't think they cared that one was Cuban and one was German. I think that it was a matter of people saying that it was a competitive fight and were willing to come watch it.

And I think that's where we as people who are broadcasting and programming need to find things that consumers find to be meaningful. Otherwise, we just become the United States Boxing Association, and that's not exactly what we should be doing if we want to present the most competitive fights that we can find.

Is there anybody in the United States – if you win this fight Saturday -- you'd like to
fight, say, a Sergio Martinez or someone like that?

Felix Sturm: Well, of course (inaudible) for the most (inaudible) I would like to fight Martinez and show that I can beat the best in the world and – of course. I think (inaudible) middleweight for me (inaudible) against Sergio Martinez, but now my focus is on fighting Matthew Macklin, and after this fight, we can talk again about Martinez.

Is it important to you to make more of a name for yourself in the United States? Or are
you satisfied being the best European out there and – how do you feel about that?

Felix Sturm: Of course I'm happy with the situation right now -- one of the top fighters in European boxing and one of the biggest names in Germany. But I would like to come back to the U.S. because I had very good experience fighting in the U.S. against Oscar, and it was a huge, huge fight for me. And I would like to do it again. I’m always watching what happens in the United States.

Felix Sturm’s greatest attribute is obviously his jab. It's probably one of the best in the entire sport. How do you deal with that? And are you of the agreement that it is an excellent jab?

Matthew Macklin: Oh, it's an excellent jab, it's an excellent jab, but it's not an awkward jab. He doesn't shoot it down from his hip. It's a pretty orthodox, textbook jab. It's hard. It's fast. He gets a lot of rhythm off it, and he hooks off it well. He goes to the body off it well. And it's constant.

But you can always nullify the jab, especially if you've got a good jab yourself. I think sometimes I've neglected my jab in the past, and other fights I've used it really well. I'm pretty sure I'm going to match him for jabs and head movements. We've worked on a few things, and I've got a good game plan.

Obviously, that'll depend on what he does, but, you know, he fights pretty similar in most of his fights, so we're expecting a tough fight, but one we're very confident of winning.

Felix Sturm: Yes, of course. First of all, I would like to say hello to all my fans in the U.S. Hopefully they will see this great fight. And, of course, I would like to say thank you very much to EPIX for the opportunity to show my best and to show the fight in the U.S. And also, when I win this fight, we will go on EPIX again.

Matthew Macklin: Just to echo what Felix said a little bit. I'm looking forward to the fight. I think it's going to be a great fight. I think the stars are really going to come together. I think it's going to be a great fight to watch, could be fight of the year. And I'm delighted that it's on EPIX in the U.S. and I'm going to get the American exposure out of it. And, yes, there's going to be a new world champion on Saturday.

Mark Greenberg: I think it's going to be a terrific night of boxing. We're looking forward to it. And so if you can't get to Times Square , we certainly hope that you do go on to the Web site on EpixHD.com, which, you know, we think will be a great opportunity for fight fans to experience it. We know that we need to breathe younger life into the sport, younger viewers, and we know they all go to the web, and that's one of our major tenets. We've done it in movies; we're hoping to do it on boxing. So we're excited that it's going to be there.


EL Boxing Empress See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time. EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved

Monday, August 3, 2009

Hatton backing Macklin to conquer Europe and the World

Ricky Hatton is backing British Middleweight Champion Matthew Macklin to conquer Europe and the World over the next 12 months. The Birmingham man is the latest addition to Hatton’s new promotional outfit and “The Hitman” has moved quickly to secure a European title shot for his newest signing.

Macklin will contest the vacant European Middleweight title with World ranked Finn, Amin Asikainen at the Manchester Velodrome on September 25th as he looks to move within touching distance of a World title fight. Having won 5 World titles himself Hatton knows exactly what it takes to get to the very top and he believes that Macklin has all the right ingredients.

Hatton, who has yet to make a decision on his own ring career said, “I’ve had my fair share of success with World titles in the ring but now I want to start producing World Champions as a promoter and I firmly believe that Matthew Macklin will be one of them.

“I’ve known Matthew for a long time, we’ve trained together, sparred together and worked each others corners over the years and I’ve always believed that he has the ability to go all the way. He won the British title in very impressive fashion last time out and I think he has the ability to step straight up to European title level and I’m delighted to be able to give him that opportunity on one of my shows.”

However Hatton believes that Asikainen represents a huge challenge for Macklin. “Matthew’s facing a very tough challenge because Asikainen is a vastly experienced operator and he’s been European Champion before but I believe that it’s a fight Matthew can win and use as a spring board to a World title fight next year.”

Macklin says he’d delighted to be linking up with long time friend Hatton and he’s already looking ahead to September 25th. “It’s fitting that I’m working with Ricky as my promoter now because we’ve been good friends for so long. We’ve probably sparred over a hundred rounds together and we’ve always supported each other throughout our careers.

“Ricky promised that he would deliver me the big fights and in my very first fight with him I’ll be fighting for the European title so it’s a huge opportunity for me. I’ve seen quite a bit of Asikainen and I’ve got a lot of respect for him because he’s been campaigning at European title level for the last three years. He’s a big puncher and brings all that experience to the table but he has frailties as well and I believe I’ll be able to set a pace that he can’t cope with.”

Macklin believes he can use the European title as a launch pad to a World title shot next year. “I really feel that things are starting to come together for me now since winning the British title. To be honest I had planned on winning the British title a lot earlier in my career. I’m 27 now so the next few years are going to the most important so when the chance at the European title came along I knew I had to grab it.

“The European middleweight scene is red hot right now and particularly in Germany where they seem to be dominating the division even on the World stage. Obviously Arthur Abraham has just moved up to super middleweight and you have Sebastian Zbik who just won the interim WBC title while Felix Sturm has held the WBA title for the last 3 years.

“Another German, Sebastian Sylvester is fighting for the vacant IBF title in September and Asikainen is rated number 4 with the IBF so a win over him would leave me knocking on the door of a World title shot.”

Asikainen however has World title ambitions of his own and is also targeting a rubber match with old foe Sylvester, the two rivals currently have one win apiece in European title fights.

“Winning the European title for the second time would be great,” said Asikainen. “The European title is the most meaningful belt in boxing after the World title. Of course I dream of winning the World title too some day but right now I am totally focused on Matthew Macklin.”

The flying Finn says that fighting on away ground holds no fears for him. “Coming to Manchester to fight is not a problem for me. As an amateur I fought several times outside Finland and as a pro I have won 3 of my 4 fights abroad including a knockout win over Sebastian Sylvester in Germany. Actually I think that fighting away from home kind of suits me better as it takes some of the pressure off.

“I have power in both hands. I knocked out Sylvester with my left hand and I stopped Yori Boy Campas with my right hand so I am armed and dangerous. I am known as a knockout artist, but I never come looking for the knockout. If it happens, it happens but I will prepare for twelve hard rounds and I believe I can win either on points or by KO.”

Asikainen’s promoter Pekka Maki is equally bullish about his fighter’s chances. “Macklin is not a bad fighter, he has heart and skills but I see some big weaknesses as well. He makes a lot of mistakes in the ring and if you make mistakes against Amin Asikainen you will get knocked out.

“I believe that Macklin has been kept away from powerful punchers and there is a reason for that. Amin Asikainen is a big puncher and I can see a lot of scenarios for Asikainen to beat Macklin. Amin can outbox him, he can overpower him or he can knock Macklin out with a single counterpunch. Overall I just think that Macklin makes too many mistakes to go the distance with Asikainen.”

Despite the confidence within Team Asikainen Macklin believes that he can join British boxing legends like Randy Turpin, Alan Minter, Herol Graham and Richie Woodhall in lifting the European Middleweight title.

“Asikainen is someone I’ve had my eye on for quite some time now and I’ve always believed I have the right attributes to beat him,” said Macklin. “It won’t be easy because he is a quality fighter but I’m determined to prove that I belong up there with the best in the World and I can make a real statement in this fight.”

Macklin’s one regret with moving on to European level is that he won’t get to halt the unbeaten run of Commonwealth Champion Darren Barker. “I had been looking forward to the Barker fight because I firmly believe that I would have got him out of there early but the opportunity to get my hands on the European title was just too good to pass up. If Barker’s honest with himself he would have done exactly the same thing in my position.

“This is an opportunity for me to step up another level and I believe it’s a far tougher fight than Barker anyway. Asikainen is a proven operator at European level and he’s a World ranked fighter. There’s been a lot of hype around Darren but in reality he’s yet to prove himself at British level. I’ve beaten the likes of Yory Boy Campas, Wayne Elcock and highly rated European’s like Geard Ajetovic and Alexey Chirkov. Who has Barker beaten?”See you at the Fights.
Thanks for your time.

Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience The Video Channel Online http://www.youtube.com/ELEmpress1

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Honorable Keisha Morrisey http://www.keishamorrisey.com

©®™2007, 2008 All rights reserved

Monday, June 23, 2008

Hunky Dorys Fight Night - Dunne set for Argy Bargy!‏ July 12


Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience The Video Channel Online http://www.youtube.com/ELEmpress1

EL Boxing Empress Keisha Morrisey's Myspace http://www.myspace.com/Keishadivine

Honorable Keisha Morrisey http://www.keishamorrisey.com/

©®™ 2007, 2008 All photos by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

July 12Hunky Dorys Fight Night - Magnificent Seven set for Summer Sizzler at the Stadium‏


Hunky Dorys Fight Night - Magnificent Seven set for Summer Sizzler at the Stadium

The Best of the Fighting Irish are set to showcase their talents at Dublin’s National Stadium on July 12th on the next Hunky Dorys Fight Night. The Magnificent Seven of Bernard Dunne, Matthew Macklin, Andrew Murray, Oisin Fagan, Darren Corbett, Ian Tims and Keith Cresham will see action on what should prove a hot summers night of boxing at the National Stadium.

Dunne will headline the card in an International 10 round contest as he looks to take another step towards a world title shot. The Dubliner rebounded from last years European title defeat in Castlebar last month shedding the ring rust with a comprehensive win over former World Champion, Felix Machado.

The second 10 rounder on the card will see Matthew Macklin square off with Philadelphia danger man Willie “The Gladiator” Gibbs.

Following a career best display in comfortably outpointing former World Champion Yori Boy Campas in March Gibbs promises to be another step up in class for the Birmingham based Irishman.

Fight fans will also get an opportunity to compare the relative merits of Irish rivals Andrew Murray and Oisin Fagan on July 12th ahead of a possible Irish title showdown later this year.

Murray the reigning Irish Light Welterweight champ will look to extend his unbeaten record to 13 straight wins in a scheduled 10 rounder while Fagan, the previous incumbent of the Irish 10 stone title will also appear on the card as he builds towards regaining a belt that he never lost in the ring.

Add the return of big punching Belfast star Darren Corbett to the mix and appearances from unbeaten prospects Ian Tims and Keith Cresham and it all adds up to a mouth watering night of boxing for Irish fight fans.

Promoter Brian Peters believes it could be huge night in the careers of both Dunne and Macklin. “For Bernard there’s a possibility that we could bypass the European title and go for a World title. Rendall Munroe is the European Champion now and I’ve spoken to his promoter Frank Maloney and they’re not keen on coming to Ireland to fight Bernard.

“So with that being the case we need to look at other options and the most obvious one is to go for the world title. There’s no point hanging around at European level waiting for a fight that may not happen anyway.

“Bernard had a good win in Castlebar last month against a very decent opponent in Felix Machado and I’m sure if he can get another couple of wins likes that we’ll be knocking on the door of a world title shot. We can’t afford any slip ups but Bernard still needs to beat the kind of guys that can secure him a world ranking so this is a crucial period in his career.

“Matthew also has a big night ahead of him. He stepped up a level last time and did very well against Campas and Gibbs is definitely another step up again. He’s a big puncher and a really dangerous opponent but if Matthew gets past him it will create a few ripples Stateside because Gibbs is very much a known quantity over there.”

For Gibbs fighting certainly seems to be in the blood, the 32 year old is a cousin of Bernard Hopkins and like his cousin he has developed a ring persona. Hopkins calls himself the “Executioner” while Gibbs goes by the name of “The Gladiator” and enters the ring wearing a Gladiator’s mask.He’s backed up that particular moniker by compiling a professional record of 20 wins and 3 losses. Sixteen of those wins have come by stoppage so he can clearly punch but Macklin isn’t worried about his reputation.“I actually fought on his undercard in Philadelphia a few years back and after my fight I managed to see a few rounds of his fight. He’s a big strong guy but I didn’t see anything to frighten me.”

Despite his impressive win over Campas Macklin admits there were elements of his performance that he wasn’t happy with. “I suppose I’m my own worst critic but watching it back again afterwards I was probably too disciplined. I had said I wanted to get back to using my jab and my boxing skills but looking back at it now I think I overdid it against Campas. I probably over compensated for that and there were times when I probably should have stood my ground a little more.

“That’s something I can work on when I go back to Florida to work with Buddy McGirt again. I just need to strike a happy medium because while I want to get back to my boxing skills I don’t want to lose the intensity because I believe that’s one of the things that gives me an edge over the other guys out there.”

Tickets for the Hunky Dorys Fight Night priced from €50 go on sale from 9am tomorrow (Thursday, May 8th) from Ticketmaster.ie and all usual outlets.
Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience The Video Channel Online http://www.youtube.com/ELEmpress1

EL Boxing Empress Keisha Morrisey's Myspace http://www.myspace.com/Keishadivine

Honorable Keisha Morrisey http://www.keishamorrisey.com/

©®™ 2007, 2008 All photos by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved