WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, HBO Sports’ flagship boxing series, presents a dynamite split-site tripleheader headlined by the return of two of the sport’s biggest stars on SATURDAY, OCT. 5. The action begins at 3:30 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) with the heavyweight title fight WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO VS. ALEXANDER POVETKIN from SC Olimpiyskiy Arena in Moscow. Following a replay of the fight later that day at 9:45 p.m. (ET/PT), the doubleheader MIGUEL COTTO VS. DELVIN RODRIGUEZ AND TERENCE CRAWFORD VS. ANDREY KLIMOV will be presented from Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. (live ET/tape-delayed PT). The HBO Sports team will call all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.
Other HBO playdates: Oct. 6 (8:00 a.m.) and 7 (11:30 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Oct. 6 (4:00 p.m.) and 8 (11:30 p.m.)
Ukraine’s Wladimir Klitschko (60-3, 52 KOs), 37, who has held his heavyweight title for seven years, defends his crown for the 15th time against 34-year-old Russian Alexander Povetkin (26-0, 18 KOs), a challenger many regard as a formidable test. The Moscow venue of 12-round clash – Klitschko’s 18th appearance on HBO – will draw enthusiastic fans of both men, adding to the excitement of the contest.
The main event pits superstar Miguel Cotto (37-4, 30 KOs), 32, from Caguas, Puerto Rico against intriguing challenger Delvin Rodriguez (28-6-3, 16 KOs), 33, of the Dominican Republic in a 12-round super welterweight battle. Making his 19th appearance on HBO, Cotto looks to reignite his hall of fame-caliber career after two tough setbacks last year. Though he trained in Orlando for his last three fights, Cotto now holds camp at the famed Wild Card in Hollywood under the supervision of legendary trainer Freddie Roach. Rodriguez, who now calls Danbury, Conn. home, seeks to pull off a major upset.
In the opening bout from Orlando, fast-rising lightweight prospect Terence Crawford (21-0, 16 KOs) of Omaha, Neb. meets Russia’s Adrey Klimov (16-0, 8 KOs) in a ten-round contest. Crawford, who celebrates his 26th birthday a week before the fight, has recently been on the fast track in the 135-pound division and will look for a big effort against the 31-year-old Klimov.
Immediately following the action from Orlando, the second episode of the all-access reality series “24/7 Bradley/Marquez” debuts at approximately 12:30 p.m. (ET/PT).
Then, the 15-minute show “Face Off with Max Kellerman: Alvarado/Provodnikov” debuts at approximately 1:00 a.m. (ET/PT), spotlighting junior welterweights sluggers Mike Alvarado and Ruslan Provodnikov as they join Kellerman to size up their highly anticipated Oct. 19 fight on HBO.
