EliteXC Presents: Cage Rage 25 Fight Previews
Shamrock vs. Berry
This fight is destined to be an absolute war and for Robert Berry, the biggest challenge of his MMA career. After having been forced to retire after the first round in his fight against Neil Grove, Berry will be out to prove a point to all the watching fans as he takes on a living legend in MMA. Ken Shamrock needs no introduction whatsoever and remains supremely confident in his ability to stand and trade with anyone or take it to the ground. Berry’s ground game is vastly underestimated and should contribute to this fight living up to its main billing.
Silva vs. Imanari
This is another fight fans will not want to miss as two of the world’s top featherweights go head to head. Imanari will be making his second title defense against former Cage Rage Champion Jean Silva, who has openly proclaimed that he will do what it takes to get his title back. Both these fighters are technically gifted in all areas, which will make this one of the fights of the night
Grove vs. Broughton
Fan favorite Rob Broughton is returning after suffering severe injury problems. Broughton became an instant hit when he made his debut as an underdog against heavyweight superstar James Thompson. He surprised everyone by stopping Thompson via vicious ground and pound. He will now face one of his toughest tests when he goes head to head with heavyweight title contender Neil Grove. Grove, a towering practitioner of Gojo Ryu Karate, also had an impressive win over Thompson in ten seconds with a devastating right hand. He followed that with a first round stoppage of Dominic Ostich, a formidable kickboxer, and Cage Rage veteran Robert “Buzz” Berry. One question remains will “The Bear” have what it takes to stop the reign of Goliath.
Watson vs. Guillet
These two middleweights are dangerous opponents for any fighter they face, but to be facing one another is a middleweight dream fight. Both Watson and Guillet have had recent losses and both will be out to get back to winning ways as the cage door shuts. Tom Watson, a former boxer with excellent technical stand up striking, has recently spent time training in the states to improve on his wrestling and submission skills. Pierre Guillet is a well rounded fighter and has proven to be one of the toughest fighters on the Cage Rage middleweight roster. This will be great fight between two technically skilled fighters.
'Legendary Ken Shamrock Makes Elite XC Debut March 8 On Historic Night on Showtime!' - February 16th, 2008
MMA Pioneer Will Highlight Four-Fight Telecast Immediately Following SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Cruiserweight Unification Bout During Unprecedented Night Of Sports Television on Premium Network
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Ken Shamrock (right) with his son Ryan Shamrock. |
NEW YORK (Feb. 16, 2008) – On Saturday, March 8, SHOWTIME will present an unprecidented night of unarmed combat action with back-to-back sports telecasts featuring boxing and mixed martial arts. The evening begins at 9 p.m. ET/PT with live world championship boxing followed by an explosive MMA event from global partner EliteXC. Both exciting events will take place in London and air back-to-back on SHOWTIME.
Widely recognized as the leader in premium sports television, SHOWTIME made history on Feb. 10, 2007, when it became the first premium network to televise mixed martial arts (MMA). Now, fans will witness the classic power of boxing followed by the fresh, raw excitement of mixed martial arts—two major events on one special night.
“I have always believed that boxing and MMA are the perfect complement to one another,” said Ken Hershman, the Showtime executive behind MMA’s move to premium television. “We have seen strong crossover appeal to the core demographic for both boxing and MMA. March 8 is the prefect way to build on that success.”
Talk about a one-two punch! At 9 p.m. ET/PT, live from the O2 Arena (delayed on the West Coast), SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING will present WBO cruiserweight world champion Enzo Maccarinelli against fellow world champion David Haye (WBA and WBC) in a highly anticipated unification bout between the British compatriots. It’s an important night for the division and, with an expected live crowd of 20,000, a fight fan’s dream match-up of offensive-minded brawling Brits.
In the second-half of the televised twinbill, legendary Ken “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” Shamrock returns to the cage to face Britain’s Robert “Buzz” Berry in the main event of EliteXC Presents: Cage Rage 25 at Wembley Arena. The EliteXC telecast will air on a same-day delay immediately following the boxing telecast.
Shamrock, one of the true MMA legends, is looking forward to displaying his skills on SHOWTIME.
“I’m totally committed to getting back into the cage injury free and anxious about fighting in England and on SHOWTIME for the first time,” Shamrock said. “Fight fans in England are a special breed and they are going to be treated to a very special show. Give me a fight or two and I will be ready to fight anybody.”
Shamrock, one of the most popular heavyweights on the planet, has defeated the likes of such MMA greats as Bas Rutten, Maurice Smith, Dan “The Beast” Severn and Kimo.
An exciting night of EliteXC fights will include a featherweight title clash between Jean Silva and Masakazu Imanari, UK heavyweight contender Gary Turner versus Mustapha Alturk and Pierre Guillet against Tom “Kong” Watson in a middleweight match.
In a non-televised fight March 8, Shamrock’s son, Ryan Shamrock, will take on Giorgio Andrews.
“It is very exciting for both Ryan and me,” the older Shamrock said. “We will be making MMA history by being the first father and son to ever fight on the same card. This is a great opportunity we are getting with EliteXC and SHOWTIME.’’
For more information on this event, EliteXC and other MMA-related stories, including bios, video-on-demand, photos, stats, Fantasy Fight Game TM and more, please visit ProElite.com and EliteXC.com
For more information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video, photo galleries and complete telecast information, please visit our website http://www.SHO.com/Sports.
DATE: SATURDAY, MARCH 8, 2008
SITE: Wembley Arena
London, England
TELEVISION: EliteXC Presents Cage Rage 25
SHOWTIME, tape delay immediately following SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP
BOXING cruiserweight world title unification bout between Enzo Maccarinelli (World Boxing Organization) and David Haye (World Boxing Council/World Boxing Association) at the O2 Arena in London, live at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast)
PRINCIPALS: HEAVYWEIGHT MAIN EVENT
Ken Shamrock vs. Buzz Berry
26-10-2 11-7-0
San Diego, Calif. England
CAGE RAGE FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE
Jean Silva vs. Masakazu Imanari
15-7-3, 1 NC 13-5-1
Brazil Japan
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT ATTRACTION
Neil Grove vs. Rob Broughton
5-0-0 7-3-1
England England
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS MIDDLEWEIGHT ATTRACTION
Tom Watson vs. Pierre Guillet
4-3-0 10-7-0
England USA
ANNOUNCERS: Mauro Ranallo will provide play-by-play with Stephen Quadros serving as color analyst. |
