Matchroom Sport, Klitschko Management Group (KMG) and K2 Promotions have reached agreement with U.S. premium television giants Showtime and HBO to televise the most significant heavyweight world championship match in more than a decade. On Saturday, April 29, IBF Heavyweight World Champion Anthony Joshua will face former unified world champion Wladimir Klitschko from a sold-out Wembley Stadium in London.
Showtime is the exclusive U.S. television partner of Joshua, while HBO has an exclusive agreement with Klitschko in the States. Each premium network will produce its own separate telecast of the main event match for the U.S. audience. SHOWTIME will televise its SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING presentation live at 4:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. PT, while HBO will televise its WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING production at approximately 10:45 p.m. ET/PT.
Joshua (18-0, 18 KOs) and Klitschko (64-4, 53 KOs) will meet for Joshua’s IBF World Championship and the vacant IBO and WBA World Championships. The British sensation Joshua has knocked out all 18 of his professional opponents in a meteoric rise to stardom, while the long-reigning world champion from Ukraine, Klitschko, aims to win back titles he previously held in his 11-year rule as heavyweight world champion. Joshua vs. Klitschko is promoted by Matchroom Boxing, KMG and K2 Promotions and has officially sold out Wembley Stadium with a record-setting 90,000 tickets sold.
“I’m extremely happy and thankful that our respective U.S. TV partners Showtime and HBO reached an agreement,” said Bernd Boente, Managing Director of Klitschko Management Group. “This happened before in the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao and the Lewis vs. Tyson fights and shows you the magnitude of our event at Wembley Stadium on April 29.”
“I’m delighted to announce this historic deal that will see Britain’s biggest ever fight shown on both HBO and SHOWTIME in the U.S.,” said Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport. “It takes a special fight to break down barriers and boundaries but also networks and executives who believe in working with the best interest of fight fans in mind. With the obstacles in place it would have been any easy resolution to not air the fight in the States but I want to thank HBO and Showtime for their perseverance and allowing America to see one hell of a fight at our national stadium in front on 90,000 passionate fans. Joshua vs. Klitschko is a fight for the ages and we look forward to the show!”
“We are thrilled to be delivering Joshua vs. Klitschko to the U.S. audience live on SHOWTIME,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “On the afternoon of April 29, U.S. sports fans will be able to tune in to SHOWTIME to join a record-breaking crowd of 90,000 at Wembley Stadium and a worldwide television audience in witnessing an event that represents not only the contesting of the heavyweight world championship, but potentially the changing of the guard in the most influential division in boxing. We are proud to be Anthony Joshua’s exclusive U.S. television partner as he attempts to establish his legacy against the legendary Wladimir Klitschko, live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, as Showtime continues its unrivaled commitment to the sport.”
Said Peter Nelson, executive vice president, HBO Sports: “Both promoters and both networks have found a solution that enables boxing fans in the U.S. to watch the world heavyweight championship. This agreement ensures that our subscribers have access to same-day primetime coverage of the fight. It will mark Wladimir Klitschko’s 22nd appearance on HBO and the first for Anthony Joshua.”
The 27-year-old Joshua has been perfect since turning professional shortly after winning Gold at the 2012 Olympics for Great Britain. Joshua, of Watford, England, won the IBF Heavyweight World Championship with a second-round knockout of defending champion Charles Martin in April 2016, earning a heavyweight belt in the fewest number of fights in more than 20 years. He has since successfully defended the title twice—against Dominic Breazeale in June and Eric Molina in December.
Joshua is just the sixth Olympic Gold Medalist at super heavyweight to go on to win a professional heavyweight world title, joining Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Lennox Lewis, Alexander Povetkin and his rival on April 29, Wladimir Klitschko.
HBO has been the long-time home of Klitschko’s professional boxing career in the States. The 41-year-old has been a kingpin in the heavyweight division since winning Gold at the 1996 Olympic Games. He turned pro shortly after the Atlanta games and ran an undefeated campaign for 24 fights before suffering his first defeat to experienced veteran Ross Puritty. Klitschko quickly rebounded by winning 10 in a row and captured his first world title (WBO) with a unanimous decision victory over Chris Byrd in 2000, a win which avenged a loss by his brother, Vitali, earlier that year.
Klitschko’s most recent reign at heavyweight began in 2006 when he captured the IBF and IBO belts via knockout in a rematch against Chris Byrd. He went on to make 17 consecutive defenses of the IBF and IBO crowns, 13 consecutive defenses of the WBO belt, and eight consecutive defenses of the WBA title. Along the way, he amassed victories over Sultan Ibragimov, Hasim Rahman, Ruslan Chagaev, David Haye, Samuel Peter, Alexander Povetkin, Kubrat Pulev and more. In total he has fought in 28 total world title fights – a unique record in the history of the heavyweight division – compared to just 18 total professional fights for Anthony Joshua. He was the longest reigning world champion (2006-2015) after Joe Louis.
This will be Klitschko’s first outing since losing the IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO titles to Tyson Fury in 2015, his first defeat in 11 years.
Undercard Update
Katie Taylor will face Nina Meinke in an eliminator for the WBA World Lightweight title on April 29 at Wembley Stadium Connected by EE, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
Irish amateur star Taylor has taken to the paid ranks in style since her debut in November, racing to 4-0 with two wins inside the distance and wowing crowds on huge fight nights in London and Manchester, and the 30 year old will support Joshua for the second time in her blossoming pro career and can land her first pro title into the bargain with the WBA Inter-Continental strap up for grabs.
Meinke claimed her first silverware in her last fight when she blasted away Hasna Tukic in one round in March to pick up the IBF Youth Super-Featherweight title, and the 23 year old German, trained by former World champion Sven Ottke, is no stranger to the UK having boxed out of the Westway ABC in Scarborough as a teenager.
Taylor’s addition to the blockbuster night sees her become the fourth Olympic gold medal winner on the card, joining fellow London 2012 winners Joshua and Luke Campbell MBE, while Klitschko claimed gold in the Atlanta games in 1996. Campbell faces former World Lightweight champion Darleys Perez, who represented Columbia in the 2008 Beijing games, making it eight Olympians in total after Team GB’s Rio trio of Lawrence Okolie, Joe Cordina and Josh Kelly were added last week.
“It’s a massive fight for me on a massive night of boxing,” said Taylor. “I’ve only been a professional for five months and already been lucky enough to box on some huge events but Wembley Stadium on the Joshua – Klitschko card is going to be something else again. “I’ve watched Meinke and she’s a very strong opponent. She’s unbeaten so it’s a step up for me and I’m sure she’ll be very confident. It’s obviously a massive opportunity for both of us being a world title eliminator and it’s my first scheduled 10 round fight so I’m relishing the challenge. I’ve been working very hard out here in Connecticut in training camp so I’ll be in great shape come fight night and I’m just really looking forward to it now and being part of such a historic event.”
“This is a huge step up for Katie on a massive night of boxing,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “No disrespect to her previous opponents but Meinke is on another level and has operated and been victorious on the big stage. In just four fights, Katie has established herself as the most exciting female fighter on the planet but now we get the chance to see if she is ready for the World stage.”
Taylor’s clash with Meinke is part of a historic night of action on the sold-out blockbuster battle between IBF king Joshua and former lineal World ruler Klitschko, with the WBA and IBO straps also up for grabs, while former World Super-Bantamweight king Scott Quigg continues his quest to become a two-weight champion by facing Viorel Simion at Featherweight, Campbell and Perez clash for the number one spot in the WBA, and Okolie, Cordina and Kelly will draw lots to see who kicks off the historic night.
