Press release
Clinton Woods hopes fight with Rocky star will lead to Calzaghe
-IBF light-heavyweight title against Antonio Tarver exclusively live on Setanta Sports on April 12-
London, 5 February, 2008: Setanta Sports has announced it is to screen yet another top-class boxing match exclusively live - this time Clinton Woods’ defence of his IBF light-heavyweight title against Antonio ‘Magic Man’ Tarver in Tampa Bay, Florida on Saturday, April 12th.
Setanta will be there to see Sheffield’s finest, Clinton Woods, travel to Tarver’s Florida hometown Tampa to defend his IBF light-heavyweight crown, a title he has held for three years. Woods’ tilt at Tarver will be the fifth defence of his crown. It’s further evidence that Setanta Sports is fast becoming the best boxing broadcaster in the UK, coming just a week before their exclusively live coverage of Joe Calzaghe vs. Bernard Hopkins from Las Vegas on Saturday, April 19th.
Clinton Woods is adamant that victory over the American must surely set up a clash with Joe Calzaghe later this year, should the Welshman get past Bernard Hopkins. “That has got to be the dream,” said Woods. “I think me against Tarver and Calzaghe versus Hopkins are the semi-finals, with the winner facing each other in the final.”
Antonio Tarver, who starred as Mason "The Line" Dixon, the heavyweight division champion in the film Rocky Balboa in 2006, is a former undisputed world light heavyweight champion himself. His most famous victory came on May 15, 2004 in Las Vegas when he knocked out Roy Jones Jr in the second round to become WBC, WBO and IBO light-heavyweight champion. Tarver also won the light-heavyweight bronze medal for the United States at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
Setanta’s Director of Sport, Trevor East, commented: “We’ve already snapped up some fantastic fights in 2008 – Maccarinelli vs. Haye, Calzaghe vs. Hopkins and now Woods vs. Tarver. It promises to be a great showdown in Florida and is more proof of the amazing value we offer boxing fans who subscribe to Setanta Sports.”
Woods vs. Tarver is NOT available on a pay-per-view basis, but only to subscribers to Setanta Sports at £9.99 a month, with no annual contract required. Existing Setanta customers will receive Woods vs. Tarver as part of their monthly subscription.
Setanta Sports is available for £9.99 a month to satellite viewers, via a Freeview box or integrated digital TV with a viewing card slot and on BT Vision and Tiscali. Virgin Media XL pack subscribers can see Setanta for no additional charge, whilst M and L pack subscribers can add the Setanta Sports Pack for just £9.99 per month.
For information on how to subscribe, go to: setanta.com or call 08712 10 20 30. Virgin Media, BT Vision and Tiscali customers should contact their operator.
-ends-
For more information: Call James Matheson or Richard Tompkins at braben on 020 7566 2990 or email james@braben.co.uk / richardt@braben.co.uk
Notes to editors:
Setanta Sports is a leading international pay-TV sports broadcaster operating nine channels in the UK, Ireland, North America and Australia. Founded in 1992, its premium sports content is available to more than 50 million digital homes worldwide.
Setanta operates more sports channels than any other broadcaster in the UK and Ireland. Setanta Sports is the most widely-available premium sports channel in the UK and is available to all digital homes: on satellite, via Freeview, Virgin Media, Tiscali, BT Vision and by Broadband, ensuring the widest possible distribution to all sports fans.
Setanta Sports is the only broadcaster of premium sports on digital terrestrial (Freeview). The Setanta Sports 1 channel, featuring the best of Setanta’s premium live content, is available on Freeview boxes and digital TVs with viewing card slots.
The Setanta Sports Pack is available to satellite and cable customers and is made up of the following channels:
Setanta Sports 1
Setanta Sports 2
Setanta Golf
Racing UK
Racing World*
NASN (North American Sports Network)*
Celtic TV
Rangers TV
LFC TV
Arsenal TV*
Setanta Sports is also available online, live and on demand, via Setanta by Broadband, featuring all Setanta’s leading content offered on Setanta Sports 1, Setanta Sports 2 and Setanta Golf, allowing sports fans to access at home, work or elsewhere.
For a full list of Setanta Sports’ exclusively live sporting content and fixture details, please visit www.setanta.com. Content includes Barclays Premier League football, Clydesdale Bank Premier League, Blue Square Premier, US PGA Golf, Live Magners League rugby, top-flight boxing, Ultimate Fighting Championship and action from some of Europe’s best football leagues. From 2008, Setanta’s exclusively live content will include the FA Cup, England international friendlies and 2010 World Cup qualifiers involving England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Setanta Sports is available from £9.99 a month, with no annual contract required. For the latest pricing offers on any platform, please visit www.setanta.com or call 08712 10 20 30.
Setanta Sports is also joint owner with Virgin Media of Setanta Sports News, the new 24-hour sports news channel, available free-to-air on the Virgin Media platform, and also on satellite, covering all the top sports stories from the UK and abroad. Setanta Sports News provides viewers with the breaking sports headlines that matter every 20 minutes, delivered by a pool of presenters and multi-skilled reporters in the field, as well as supported by regular views and opinions from fan correspondents across the UK. Setanta Sports News EPG number on Virgin Media is 518. The satellite EPG number is 435.
*not available to Virgin Media customers