KING KHAN RETURNS - TO SHOWCASE
BRITAIN'S BRIGHTEST BOXING TALENTS ON APRIL 16th 2011
UNDERCARD
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, March 15 - Amir "King"
Khan will lead a fantastic bill on Saturday, April 16 as he returns
home to defend his WBA Super Lightweight World Title against
undefeated European Champion Paul McCloskey at the M.E.N Arena.
In what is sure to be an action-packed night presented by Hatton
Promotions in association with Khan Promotions and Golden Boy
Promotions, some of British boxing's hottest prospects will be
featured including world title contender and European Middleweight
Champion Matthew Macklin who takes on savvy German Khoren Gevor,
British Welterweight Champion Craig Watson who will defend his belt
against Lee "Lights Out" Purdy and rising star Scott Quigg lined up
to face tough Andrei Isaeu.
"I am proud to showcase some of the most exiting and
talented young champions from the Hatton Promotions stable on what
I believe is one of the best undercards that has been staged in the
history of the M.E.N. Arena," said Hatton Promotions president
Ricky Hatton. "The chief support for this card sees Matthew
Macklin take on Khoren Gevor, with the winner looking for a world
title shot.
"It is the philosophy of Hatton Promotions to stage well matched
and entertaining fights. Craig Watson, Scott Quigg, Martin
Murray and Anthony Crolla are four champions who are never in a
dull fight and who will hopefully be challenging for world titles
themselves in the near future," Hatton continued. "On top of
that, we have prospects like Richard Towers, Adam Etches,
Tasif Khan and Dezzie Higginson all hoping to make their mark
as they move up the professional rankings."
President of Golden Boy Promotions, Oscar de la Hoya agreed when
he stated, "When we decided to bring Amir's next fight back to his
hometown fans in Manchester, we wanted to have a stacked undercard
to support him. This is exactly what the fans will be getting
on April 16, with an excellent co-feature of Macklin vs. Gevor
along with the other British stars being featured. We're also
excited to bring Ireland's up-and-coming star Jamie "The Nuisance"
Kavanagh closer to home in his first professional fight outside of
the United States."
The full fight list includes: Matthew
Macklin vs. Khoren Gevor, Craig Watson vs. Lee Purdy (British
welterweight title) Scott Quigg vs. Andrei Isaeu (WBA super
bantamweight interim title), Martin Murray vs. John Carvalho (WBA
middleweight interim title),Dezzie Higginson vs. Andy Murray, Jamie
Kavanagh vs. TBA, Richard Towers vs. TBA, Adam Etches vs. TBA and
Tasif Khan vs. TBA.
"King Khan Returns," the WBA super lightweight
championship fight featuring Amir "King" Khan defending his title
against undefeated European Champion Paul McCloskey on April 16 at
the M.E.N Arena in Manchester, is a 12 round bout presented by
Hatton Promotions in association with Khan Promotions and Golden
Boy Promotions. The event will produced and broadcast live on
Sky Box Office and in high definition on Sky Box Office HD in the
U.K., with the main event being aired on a delayed basis in United
States on HBO.
U.K. viewers can order the fight on Sky Box Office for £14.95 by
calling 08442 410 888.
Tickets for Khan vs. McCloskey, priced at £300, £200, £125, £75,
£50 and £40, are on sale now and may be purchased at the M.E.N.
Arena Box Office, by calling +44(0)8448478000, or online at www.ticketmaster.co.uk or www.men-arena.com.
For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.amirkhanworld.com, follow us on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/AmirKingKhan or visit us on
Facebook at
www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.facebook.com/AmirKhanTheOfficialPage.
Fighters Biographies
MATTHEW MACKLIN
Date of Birth: 15/4/82
Hometown: Birmingham
Pro Record: 28-2 (19 by KO)
MATTHEW MACKLIN missed out on a dream Las Vegas debut in
April when Winky Wright pulled out of their fight injured,
but remained focused on the world title trail.
Macklin, 28, is now in his tenth year as a professional after
turning his back on a potential law degree after one year at
Coventry University.
Undoubtedly his greatest win came in September 2009 when he was
promoted by Hatton Promotions. Then, he knocked out Finland's Amin
Asikainen in 154 seconds to become European champion.
He soon relinquished that title, but won it for the second time
last year against Georgian Shalva Jomardashvili, but vacated again
earlier this year when the Wright fight was signed.
In September 2006, Macklin was involved in one the greatest
domestic fights ever when he gave his all before succumbing in ten
rounds to Jamie Moore in a British light-middleweight title
fight.
Although from Birmingham, the former British title holder has a
big Irish following. His father is from Roscommon and mother
from Tipperary.
He recently signed a deal with Golden Boy Promotions who are
keen to make sure he fights for a major 160lb title in the near
future.
KHOREN GEVOR
Date of Birth: 16/3/79
Hometown: Hamburg, Germany
Pro Record: 31-5 (16 by KO)
ARMENIAN born Khoren Gevor is one of the middleweight division
gatekeepers and targeting a fourth world title fight.
He has been a professional since 2000 and boxed most of his
career in Germany although he has also fought in Hungary and
Australia.
Gevor won minor titles early in his career, but stepped up to
world level in August 2007 when he gave a good account of himself
against then IBF champion Arthur Abraham before being knocked out
in 11 rounds.
In the following year, he briefly held the European crown when
he beat Amin Asikainen in seven rounds to earn a second world title
shot.
In July 2009, he faced Felix Sturm for the WBA title and ran the
German star close before dropping a points verdict after 12 closely
fought rounds.
Another world title shot followed last year, but he again fell
short in a WBA challenge losing on points against Dimitri
Sartison.
CRAIG WATSON
Date of Birth: 7/2/83
Hometown: Oldham
Pro Record: 20-3 (8 by KO)
CURRENT British welterweight champion Craig Watson is best known
for flooring Amir Khan at the back end of their amateur careers in
2006, before the Olympic silver medalist went on to claim a
convincing points victory.
Watson turned professional straight after that ABA championships
defeat and is described as an old school fighter by many in
the British trade, often taking short notice jobs.
He won the Commonwealth welterweight title in December 2007 when
he stopped Namibian veteran Ali Nuumbembe on an eighth round cuts
stoppage.
Watson's greatest hour as a professional came in front of 58,000
spectators at City of Manchester Stadium in May 2008 when he
successfully defended that title with a unanimous points win over
Matthew Hatton.
Last April, Watson won the Commonwealth light-middleweight crown
stopping Badru Lusambya inside two rounds despite taking the fight
at four days' notice, but relinquished that title recently.
In February he travelled to London and avenged a previous defeat
to John O'Donnell soundly outpointing the Gypsy fighter to claim
the British title.
SCOTT QUIGG
Date of Birth: 9/10/88
Hometown: Bury
Pro Record: 21-0 (14 by KO)
SCOTT QUIGG has hardly lost a round since turning professional
four years ago and is going to no expense spared in his bid to
become an elite fighter.
He has spent around £10,000 on two training trips to America
spending time at Freddie Roach's Wild Card gym.
Quiet man Quigg has been nurtured well by trainer Brian Hughes
and matched astutely by Hatton Promotions Director of Boxing,
Richard Poxon.
Quigg is now ranked in the top ten by the WBA after winning the
inter-continental super-bantamweight crown last September with a
third round KO of Santiago Allione.
He has made one defence out pointing durable Frenchman Daniel
Kodjo Sassou.
In the next 12 months there could be attractive domestic fights
ahead against the likes of Jason Booth and Rendall Munroe.
MARTIN MURRAY
Date of Birth: 27/9/82
Hometown: St Helens
Pro Record: 21-0 (8 by KO)
ST HELENS is world famous for its rugby league team, but
Commonwealth and WBA international champion Martin Murray is
enhancing the town's boxing reputation.
The first three years of Murray's career was spent learning his
trade on undercards, but he burst onto the scene winning titles in
back-to-back contests last year.
In May, Murray scored a shutout points win over Australian Peter
Mitrevski Jr to claim the Commonwealth 168lb strap.
When he last fought in November, Murray knocked out Brazil's
former WBO world title challenger Carlos Nascimento to claim his
international crown.
He is currently ranked six by the WBA and one of the fights he's
chasing is an all-British clash against Matthew Macklin.
ADAM ETCHES
Date of Birth: 26/1/1991
Hometown: Sheffield
Pro Record: 3-0 (2 by KO)
HATTON Promotions starlet Adam Etches is one of the most
exciting novices pros in Britain and in time will become a leading
light.
Etches, 19, recently gave up work as a nightclub doorman to
concentrate on training full-time under Andy Marlow and Bob
Shannon.
The Yorkshireman comes from a kick boxing background and had
just 30 amateur fights before turning professional last year.
His first two paid opponents Lester Walsh and Ian Jackson lasted
two rounds and one round respectively.
Etches went into his last fight with a damaged hand, but
dominated winning every round against Estonian import, Aleksei
Tsatiasvili.
The youngster is hugely popular and personally sells around 350
tickets each time he fights.
RICHARD TOWERS
Date of Birth: 8/8/79
Hometown: Sheffield
Pro Record: 9-0 (7 by KO)
RICHARD TOWERS might be the wrong side of 30, but his
big-hitting wins are making him a serious contender for British
honours.
'The Inferno' isn't scared to admit that a lot of his adult life
was spent in prison, but he on the straight and narrow after
joining up Brendan Ingle MBE
During his incarceration Richard learnt self-control and
discipline through training and, in particular, practicing the
"lines technique". He undertook this style of boxing prior to his
conviction and has since developed his technique with Ingle.
On leaving prison, and with his former life behind him, Richard
has devoted his future to boxing and aiding his local community by
becoming a role model to the younger generation. Richard is has
become a frequent visitor to local schools and youth centres.
Now training with Ingle and his two sons at St Thomas' Gym,
Wincobank, Sheffield - "the gold mine of champions", Towers has
vowed to make the most of his second chance and fight his way to
the top.
DEZZI HIGGINGSON
Date of Birth: 31/7/82
Hometown: Blackburn
Pro Record: 13-8-1 (4 by KO)
DEZZI HIGGINSON is on a three fight winning streak since failing
in an English lightweight title fight against Martin Gethin which
he lost on points in January 2010.
Higginson won just three of his first ten professional fights,
but us making the most of his opportunities since teaming up with
Hatton Promotions.
Last month he scored an impressive third round stoppage of Robin
Deakin and is moving back into championship contention.
29/03/2011 14:27:38