ATLANTIC CITY, NJ, May 3, 2007 — The world heavyweight champion and “baddest man on the planet” has always been crowned in the squared ring dating back to the 1800s. That distinction has been blurred recently with the rise of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Truth be told, it all started with bare-knuckle fighting, two men meeting at a random location with money exchanged between supporters in a winner-take-all brawl.
On June 23 Trump Entertainment Resorts, Inc. presents CFFC 5, the “Present World,” former world heavyweight boxing champion Ray Mercer, fighting the “Old World,” underground bare-knuckle legend Kimbo Slice, in the “New World” environment – The Cage, in an MMA bout at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, live on pay-per-view. Tickets, priced at $50, $75, $100, $200, and $250, are on sale and available at the Boardwalk Hall Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling Ticketmaster at 800-736-1420, or online at ticketmaster.com.
Mercer, former US Army Sergeant, 1988 Olympic Gold medalist and WBO World Heavyweight Champion, enters the CFFC cage as the greatest boxer ever to infiltrate Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Mercer has fought heavyweight champions from three eras – Larry Holmes, Tim Witherspoon, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, and Wladimir Klitschko. Kimbo, a product of the internet age, has developed a cult following of a series of bare-knuckle fights, seen by millions, annihilating those who dare call him out.
Says CFFC Matchmaker Gary Marino: “I’ve been working on trying to get Kimbo a fight for the last year. Ray Mercer showed up at CFFC 3 and indicated he wanted to enter MMA. There should be no doubt that this fight will be history in the making.”
Supporters on both sides claim their champion will dominate. It is true that the sport of MMA has never seen striking at the level of Ray Mercer’s and also true that Kimbo is nightmarishly skilled and athletic. Mercer has a background in wrestling and has been training with MMA experts in the Atlantic City area, while Kimbo trains tirelessly at Miami’s famed Freestyle Fighting Academy. The only sure bet right now is that this fight is not to be missed.
Mixed Martial Arts fighting was created to determine the superior form of man-to-man combat and has since evolved into a hybrid sport. This epic contest will deliver only one answer to the question at hand…the street fighter or the prizefighter? You would have to go back to the 19th Century, to The Great John L. Sullivan, the founding figure of boxing in the USA, to find a real fight of this stature.
The card will also feature two title bouts, and ten exciting match-ups in all. If you love fighting, and want to be a part of history, be there on June 23 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey as the referee says “You ready? You ready? LET’S RUN THIS!”
The Mercer vs. Kimbo pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $29.95, will be distributed by iNDEMAND Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 61 million pay-per-view homes.
Cage Fury Fighting Championships is sanctioned by the state of New Jersey and the Northern American Boxing Council. The card is subject to change. Additional information about Cage Fury Fighting Championships can be found at www.cagefuryfighting.com or by calling 856-498-0688.