(APR 27) On May 5, 2018, at the
StubHub Center, in Carson, California, a high-profile women’s
unified world title bout that will makes it’s debut in the
first-ever history-making televised female bout live on HBO. The
ten-round bout will feature undefeated multi-world champion
Cecilia “First Lady” Braekhus, who will be defending her IBF,
IBO, WBA, WBO, and WBC welterweight world titles, against WBC
World Champion Kali “KO Mequinonoag” Reis.
Reis said on Facebook, "Awesome
News Everyone! On May 5th the fight will be televised on HBO!
First EVER female fight--figure in HBO in the 45 years they have
been airing the Sport! This is HUGE and I am so excited"!
According to a press release they stated the following: The
women’s bout will be co-feature of the Gennady "GGG" Golovkin
vs. Vanes "The Nightmare" Martirosyan World Middleweight
Championship event. Both world title bouts, featuring the No. 1
male and female pound for pound fighters in Golovkin and
Braekhus, respectively, will be televised live on Cinco De Mayo,
Saturday, May 5, from StubHub Center on HBO World Championship
Boxing, beginning at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Braekhus (32-0, 9 KOs), a native of Cartagena, Colombia, who
fights out of Bergen, Norway, is now trained by former world
champion Lucia Rijker. Braekhus will be looking to extend her
nine-year world championship reign with her 22nd consecutive
title defense, against Reis (13-6-1, 4 KOs), from Providence,
Rhode Island.
On the Undercard: The non-televised all-action undercard will
feature undefeated consensus Top-10 world rated contender RYAN
"Blue Chip" MARTIN. Martin (21-0, 12 KOs), from Chattanooga and
fighting out of Cleveland, returns to Southern California for
the second time this year, taking on battle-tested BREIDIS
PRESCOTT (31-12, 22 KOs), a native of Colombia who fights out of
Miami, Fla., in a 10-round super lightweight bout. The undercard
will also feature five-time New York Golden Gloves champion and
2017 United States Amateur champion BRIAN CEBALLO (1-0, 1 KO),
from Brooklyn, making his triumphant return to Southern
California where he made his professional debut last month. He
will be in a four-round welterweight bout.
From top to bottom this is a card worthy of Cinco De Mayo and
the knowledgeable fight fans who regularly pack StubHub Center,"
said promoter Tom Loeffler. "I am so proud to help present the
first female bout to be televised live on HBO. Undefeated World
Female Welterweight Champion Cecilia Braekhus, boxing's only
undisputed world champion, will have her hands full against
former WBC World Female Middleweight champion Kali Reis, and
Top-10 lightweight contender Ryan Martin will be taking on
rugged Breidis Prescott. Together with the Golovkin -
Martirosyan middleweight title fight, is it any wonder that
everyone is referring to May 5 at StubHub Center as boxing's
Cinco De Mayo headquarters?"
"I'm honored to fight on the same card as the best male fighter
in the world, Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin, at the StubHub Center on
May 5," said Braekhus. "I've heard so many magnificent things
about fighting in Southern California and the passion boxing
fans have for great fights. Cinco De Mayo at the StubHub Center
will truly be a special night for the boxers and the fans. I've
been training in Los Angeles for the last six weeks with Lucia
Rikjer, and this has been a tremendous camp particularly since I
am able to work in the beautiful weather out here. I've not
fought in America in ten years and this is truly one of the high
points in my career and I want to thank my fans all over the
world for continuing to push me to great heights. I know how
tough Kali Reis is, and I'm ensuring every step in camp will
prepare me for victory."
"It's been great working with Cecilia, she is so talented, and
even more, so very dedicated to working hard and continuing to
learn every day," said Rijker. "We can't wait to show boxing
fans at the StubHub Center and those watching all over the world
what we've been working on."
"I am very excited for this opportunity. I'd like to thank
Cecilia and her team for this once in a lifetime chance to fight
the No. 1 pound for pound undisputed champion," said Reis. "My
team and I have been hard at work knowing she will bring her A
game, so will we. This is such a great card and I am grateful to
be a part of it."
"I'm excited to showcase my skills again to the LA fans. I'm in
really good shape and my weight feels great. This is going to be
a special night of boxing," said Martin.
"I am going deliver the same welcome gift to Martin that I gave
to Amir Khan, a two-fisted sleeping tablet," said Prescott.
Braekhus, 36, made her professional debut in 2007, and in only
her 11th fight, two years later, captured the vacant WBC and WBA
world female welterweight titles, winning a unanimous decision
over undefeated contender Vinni Skovgaard in 2009. After two
title defenses she added the vacant WBO title to her collection,
winning a unanimous decision over Victoria Cisneros in 2010. In
2014, she won a unanimous decision over IBF world champion Ivana
Habazin to become undisputed champion. She has reigned supreme
over the welterweight division for four years and six title
defenses. Due to her lobbying and popularity, the Norwegian
government lifted its 33-year ban on professional boxing
allowing her to defend her world championship crown four times
in front of massive crowds in her homeland while becoming a
national hero. On May 11, Braekhus will receive the Christy
Martin Award as the Female Fighter of the Year at the annual
Boxing Writers Association of America Awards Dinner in New York.
Reis, 31, will be making her 2018 and West Coast debut when she
challenges Braekhus. After winning IBA and UBF titles, Reis,
traveled to New Zealand in 2016 and won a split decision over
Maricela Cornejo to capture the vacant WBC World Female
Middleweight Title. It was the first time New Zealand had ever
hosted a major world championship fight. Reis enters this fight
having won six of her last seven fights, the only blemish, a
decision title unification loss to undefeated WBO World Female
Middleweight Champion Christina Hammer. Reis is promoted by Joe
DeGuardia's Star Boxing.
Martin, 25, returns to the ring after making a star turn
headlining his first card, on March 27, at The Avalon in
Hollywood, Calif. Martin blasted Luis Eduardo Florez in the
fourth round of their 10-round bout. The Abel Sanchez-trained
contender who regularly works out with Golovkin in Big Bear
Lake, has a resume that boasts WBC Continental Americas
lightweight title victories over Cesar Villarraga and Bryant
Cruz as well as a WBA Intercontinental lightweight championship
victory over Francisco Rojo despite suffering a fracture to his
right hand. Martin is currently world-rated No. 6 by the IBF,
No. 8 by the WBC and the WBO.
Prescott, 34, will be the most experienced opponent Martin has
faced. Best known for his first-round knockout victory of Amir
Khan and a decision victory over former world champion Richar
Abril, Prescott has been in tough for much of his professional
career, going the distance against former two-division world
champion Terence Crawford and top-rated contenders Roberto
Garcia, Paul McCloskey and Fredrick Lawson. Boasting a victory
by knockout ratio of 71%, Prescott will be looking to make the
most of his Cinco De Mayo rumble with Martin.