Trans-Atlantic boxer Ashley “Treasure” Theophane defends his British Boxing Board of Control (“BBB of C”) light welterweight title July 23 in the 12-round co-feature against Welsh champion Jason “The Power” Cook on “The Big Brawl” Pay-Per-View Event, live from Wembley Arena in London.
“The Big Brawl” features undefeated Irishman Tyson Fury (14-0, 10 KOs) challenging British and Commonwealth heavyweight Champion Dereck “Del Boy” Chisora (14-0, 9 KOs) in the 12 round main event.
Preparing for fights the past six years, Theophane (29-4-1, 7 KOs) has successfully split training camps between his hometown, London, and adopted home, New York City. “As a kid,” he explained, “I watched (Mike) Tyson and (Marvin) Hagler and wanted to come to America to train and fight. For my 11th fight I came to Gleason’s Gym (in NYC) to see if I was good enough. I held my own and gained confidence sparring Pauli Malignaggi, Chris Smith and Elio Rojas. I’ve keep coming back to New York City and also gained good experience working with (Yuri) Foreman and Dmitriy) Salita. I only sparred with Paulie once, but I watched him go on to big fights against (Ricky) Hatton and (Amir Khan). I would like to get to fight big names like that.
“I’d love to fight the winner of Khan-(Zab) Judah. For now, though, I want to make three quick defences of my title belt (champions need to successfully defend BBB of C titles three times) to keep my belt. Then, maybe, the European title and on to what I’ve always wanted, the world title.”
Theophane, rated No. 14 by the International Boxing Federation, captured the BBB of C light welterweight championship in his last fight, taking a unanimous 12-round decision against Lenny Daws (21-1-2) this past February in London. Ashley’s most significant victories to date have been versus Delvin Rodriguez (DEC10) and former world champion DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley (DEC8).
The majority of Theophane’s pro fights have been as a welterweight, despite the 5’ 7” Ashley being a natural light welterweight. “I’ve always been a light welterweight but couldn’t get good opportunities at 140 pounds,” Ashley commented. “My biggest fight opportunities came at 147 and I took them. I make 140 pounds fine with a little more preparation and watching what I eat. I still feel good and put on 10-12 pounds hydrating after the weigh in. I feel strong at light welterweight. They (140 pounders) are a bit quicker but the majority are my size, averaging 5’ 8, not six footers.”
The 5’ 9” Cook (28-3-1, 14 KOs), a former International Boxing Organization and European lightweight champion, has lost only three times in 32 pro fights, the last in 2009 to former World Boxing Association champion Gavin Rees by three-round decision in the semi-finals of “Prizefighter” tournament.
Theophane has fought a few times on ESPN and welcomes the opportunity to showcase his talents July 23 to U.S. fans on PPV. “I want to show American fight fans that I’m a force to be reckoned with in the 140-pound division,” Ashley added. “I’m going into this fight to win and win impressively. They’re going to see a fighter who can box or go toe-to-toe if I have to. I have decent speed and a great jab like Hagler, who was one of my idols. He was a serious guy who broke-down boxers much like Miguel Cotto does now. Hagler has been an inspiration for me. He was No. 1 in the world but couldn’t get a world title shot. He finally did but got a draw and had to go to England to win it. He had to do things the hard way and so do I. He inspired me to work extra hard, take opportunities that come along, and make the most of it.”
“We are ecstatic and proud of Ashley for defending his British title as the co-main event of the Chisora-Fury showdown,” Theophane’s manager Mike Michael (Cestus Management) added. “It is one of the biggest domestic heavyweight fights taking place in the United Kingdom in years. This event represents a tremendous opportunity because Ashley’s fight will be televised across the United Kingdom on the Channel 5 TV network and also available on Pay-Per-View in the United States through Integrated Sports Media.
“Ashley is rapidly evolving into a world-class boxer and he’s ready to step-up to fight the best in the world. I would like to thank Mick Hennessy (Hennessy Sports), Channel 5 and Integrated Sports Media for giving us the opportunity to be part of such a historic boxing event.”
“The Big Brawl,” presented by Hennessy Sports, is being distributed in the United States by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 3 PM/ET – 12 PM/PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DIRECTV, and Avail-TVN, for a suggested retail price of only $24.95. Check with your PPV provider for same day replay times.
