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Briggs
and Ibragimove to settle score
HOLLYWOOD, FL, April 13 – The match-up between two of the premier
heavyweights in the world and fierce rivals Shannon Briggs and Sultan
Ibragimov will finally settle their score when they square off for
Briggs’ WBO Heavyweight Championship at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City,
on Saturday, June 2nd.
Briggs vs Ibragimov, a 12 round WBO Heavyweight Championship bout, is
presented by Seminole Warriors Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions in
association with Caesars Atlantic City, Golden Grain, Nafta Moskva, and
Main Events. The event will be hosted by Caesars Atlantic City.
Tickets, priced at $300, $200, $150, $100 and $50, will go on sale on
Monday, April 16th at 3pm and can be purchased at the Boardwalk Hall box
office, by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420 or by visiting
www.ticketmaster.com.
Briggs won the WBO heavyweight championship on November 4, 2007 by
knocking then-champion Sergei Liakhovich through the ropes and onto the
scorers table to score a dramatic 12th-round knockout. Ibragimov
skyrocketed through the heavyweight division to become the No. 1
challenger. The bout was originally scheduled to take place on March
10th in New York City, but was postponed when Briggs was stricken with
pneumonia. A subsequent negotiation had the fight taking place in
Russia, but will now take place Boardwalk Hall. All the while, vicious
commentary has taken place between the two combatants.
“This is sure to be a very competitive fight which will make for another
great night of boxing at Boardwalk Hall,” said Ken Condon, Senior Vice
President / General Manager of Caesar’s in Atlantic City. “Heavyweight
championships have always been a great draw and June 2 will not
disappoint.”
Boris Grinberg, the manager of Sultan Ibragimov stated, “Caesars has
stepped up to bring this great heavyweight championship to the east
coast, where all of Briggs’ and Ibragimov’s fans will be able to witness
this great event, in person, at the historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic
City.”
“I’m tired of talking, I just want to go into the ring and take my
belt,” said Ibragimov.
A 2000 Olympic Silver medalist for Russia, Sultan Ibragimov (20-0-1, 17
KOs) turned pro in the United States in 2002 with a first round knockout
of Tracy Williams – in fact, his first four fights ended in opening
round victories. He won the WBO Asia-Pacific title in October of 2004 by
knocking out Najee Shaheed in the third round, and he defended that
crown six times. Among his victims were former world champion Al Cole
and contenders Lance Whitaker and Zuri Lawrence.
In July of 2006, Ibragimov battled Ray Austin in one of the best
heavyweight fights of 2006 and after trading knockdowns with ‘The
Rainman,’ a 12 round draw verdict was rendered, though most observers
believed Ibragimov deserved the nod. The WBO seemed to agree as
Ibragimov earned the number one spot in the organization and a shot at
Briggs. In his last bout, Ibragimov stopped Javier Mora in just 46
seconds on March 10th.
A longtime contender known for his charisma and knockout power, Shannon
Briggs (48-4-1, 42 KOs) has been a pro since 1992, but amazingly, he’s
only 35 years old. A native of the same Brownsville, Brooklyn
neighborhood that produced Mike Tyson and Riddick Bowe, Briggs was a
can’t miss prospect as he moved up the pro ranks. But after he suffered
his first loss to Darroll Wilson in 1996, the bandwagon emptied.
Briggs stood the course though, winning his next five fights, including
a decision over the legendary George Foreman. That victory earned him a
shot at world champion Lennox Lewis in March of 1998, and even though
Briggs was stopped in five rounds, his championship heart earned him a
new legion of fans.
After a rollercoaster series of fights over the next few years, Briggs
did some serious soul searching and began on the road back to the title,
winning 12 fights in a row, all by knockout. The capper, of course, was
his stirring 12th round TKO win over Sergei Liakhovich last November,
and now in 2007, fight fans have not only a charismatic champion at the
helm of the division, but a hungry and talented challenger waiting to
take that belt away.
An exciting undercard will be announced at a later date. |
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