Live world championship boxing returns to EPIX (follow @EPIXsports on Twitter for the latest updates on EPIX boxing) when newly-minted undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight champion ALEXANDER POVETKIN makes his first world title defense, against CEDRIC “The Boz” BOSWELL, Saturday, December 3. Presented by Sauerland Event, the live broadcast will emanate from Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland.
The WBA heavyweight championship will be televised live in the U.S. 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 with the main event at the new time of 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT.
Following the Povetkin-Boswell heavyweight title fight, the broadcast and live stream will continue with undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) and WBA Intercontinental heavyweight champion ROBERT “The Nordic Nightmare” HELENIUS taking on DERECK CHISORA for the vacant European heavyweight title.
As has become the custom, EPIX will once again present the closed-captioned simulcast of both fights on a jumbotron in Times Square (Broadway between 44th and 45th Sts.), beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Povetkin, Boswell, Helenius and Chisora boast a combined record of 88-2 (61 KOs) – a 98% winning percentage and a victory by knockout ratio of 69%.
“EPIX looks forward to providing U.S.-based boxing fans exclusive live coverage of the Povetkin- Boswell and Helenius-Chisora heavyweight title fights and presenting the continuing plotlines of Povetkin and Helenius as a preview of the heavyweight division’s next generation of world champions and world title challengers,” said Travis Pomposello, EPIX senior executive in charge of boxing.
“Winning the world title was like a dream coming true for me,” said Povetkin. “Now I need to prove myself against quality contenders out there. I look forward to fighting Boswell. He is a tough opponent. But I have worked so hard to become champion there is no way I will allow him to take the belt away from me. I can promise my fans an exciting fight in Helsinki on December 3.”
“My entire life I have been waiting this moment,” Boswell stated. “Now the big day has finally come. Povetkin is a good kid but he is a kid and he will be in trouble once we are in the ring. I have the experience and the strength to beat him. I will shock the boxing world on December 3 when I take home the WBA Heavyweight Title to America.”
Povetkin (22-0, 15 KOs), of Russia, is trained by Teddy Atlas. He captured the vacant WBA heavyweight title on August 27, winning a gutsy unanimous decision over former WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev, who entered the fight as the No. 1-rated contender. Povetkin, the 2004 Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist, has an impressive resume which includes a knockout victory over former two-time heavyweight champion Chris Byrd, and unanimous decision victories over one-time heavyweight title challenger Eddie Chambers and former U.S. Olympians Jason Estrada and Larry Donald. Povetkin, who has been promoted by Sauerland Event throughout his entire professional career, enters this fight having won three of his last five bouts by knockout.
Boswell (35-1, 26 KOs), of Atlanta, enters this fight riding a five-year, 14-bout winning streak, with 12 of those victories coming by way of knockout. Highlights of that streak include a second-round knockout of then-undefeated heavyweight contender Roman Greenberg (27-0) for the vacant USBA and IBF North American heavyweight titles, a ninth-round stoppage of top contender Owen Beck for the vacant WBC Latino heavyweight title and WBC Latino title defense unanimous decision victories over former world heavyweight champion Oliver McCall and Kertson Mantswell, which also included the NABA heavyweight title.
“The support of my Finnish fans has always been fantastic,” Helenius stated. “They raised the roof last November when I defeated Attila Levin before the Super Six clash
between Abraham and Froch. This time, they will be even louder and lift me to victory. I will be the new European champion on December 3!”
“He’s called the ‘Nordic Nightmare,’ but he’ll be having nightmares about me for the rest of his life after I’ve left him flat out on the canvas,” Chisora stated. “I’m surprised Helenius’ people wanted me to fight their unbeaten golden boy, they must be going on my performance in my last fight and think I’m easy pickings. Believe me, this is the biggest mistake they have made with his career and I’ll be going over to Finland to knock him clean out. I can’t wait for December 3 and winning that European title and bringing it back to Britain.
Helenius (16-0, 11 KOs), a native of Finland who fights out of Berlin, Germany, returns to the ring after knocking out former WBO heavyweight champion Siarhei Liakhovich in August. Liakhovich was the third former heavyweight champion to suffer a knockout loss to Helenius, joining knockout victims Lamon Brewster and Samuel Peter, who were starched in eight and nine rounds, respectively. Helenius, who enters this fight having won 10 of his last 11 fights by stoppage, is world-rated No. 1 by the WBO and No. 3 by the WBA and International Boxing Federation (IBF).
Chisora (15-3, 9 KOs), of London, will be fighting outside the United Kingdom for the first time in his four-year professional career. The former BBBoC British heavyweight Champion and Commonwealth (British Empire) heavyweight champion boasts consecutive knockout victories of Danny Williams and Sam Sexton, who had a combined record of 54-9 when he defeated them.
Calling the fights for EPIX and EpixHD.com will be eight-time New York Emmy® Award winner and WNBC-TV’s lead sports anchor Bruce Beck, handling the blow-by-blow duties. Joining Beck on the broadcast team as analysts will be five-time Trainer of the Year and International Boxing Hall of Fame nominee FREDDIE ROACH and ESPN.com senior boxing writer Dan Rafael. Sports Illustrated’s boxing writer Chris Mannix will be stationed ringside at Hartwall Areena where he will provide live post-fight in-ring interviews with the fighters.
