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Posts Tagged ‘Maltese’

The long wait for Maltese boxing fans will soon be over because for the first time ever a professional boxing event is to be held in Malta. ‘Rumble on the Rock’is to be held on August 17^th in Ta’Qali and will feature professional bouts for the vacant WBF World Super Middleweight and WBF Intercontinental Light Heavyweight titles. This special event, organised by A&H Promotions, will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for Maltese boxing fans to see previous world champions compete alongside the best home grown talent for globally recognised championship belts.

“We are delighted to be able to bring professional boxing to Malta,” said event organiser A&H Promotions’ Francis Harding, “Maltese fans are renowned for travelling across the globe to watch professional bouts. Now they’ll be able to see world class boxing up close for the first time in Malta’s history. In coordination with the WBF, we’ve put together a stacked card of title fights that’s guaranteed to deliver an exciting night for fight fans.”

Commenting on the venue, A&H Promotions’ Justin Attard said, “Rumble in the Rock will be held in a 3000 seater open air arena in Ta’Qali. Seating with gold ringside, silver floor seating and tiered bronze seat allocations so that fans on different budgets can get close to the action.”

The main event will be a fight for the WBF World Super Middleweight title between the UK’s Robin ‘The Grim Reaper’ Reid, a former WBC Super Middleweight Champion, and South Africa’s current Super Middleweight Champion, William Gare. Reid comes into the fight with an impressive record of 39 wins from 46 fights, 27 of which were won by knockout. This bout is expected to be an explosive encounter as Reid seeks to regain a world title while Gare will be out to show why he is regarded as one of the heaviest hitters on the African continent and deserving of the prestigious WBF World Super Middleweight belt.

The co-main event at Rumble on the Rock will be a bout for the vacant WBF Light Heavyweight Championship featuring the UK’s Tony Dodson. A former holder of both the English and British Super Middleweight titles, last year Dodson reached the semi-finals of the Prizefighter Series at Olympia, London, before being forced to withdraw on medical grounds. Dodson will be looking to prove that he had the punching power to win the entire series had he been allowed to continue, and extend his record of 26 wins from 33 fights against an opponent that is still to be confirmed.

Alongside the international boxers will be two home grown boxers making their Maltese debuts in front of their home crowd.

Light middleweight fighter Clayton ‘The Punisher’ Vella will be making his debut as Malta’s first locally registered boxer after building a well respected reputation as an aggressive and hard hitting fighter on Malta’s unlicensed boxing circuit.

Joining Vella will be Daniel ‘Spider’ Micallef who now trains in Scotland but returns to make his first professional appearance in Malta fighting at welterweight. Micallef brings with him a record of 4 wins from 9 bouts and his slip and weave style is expected to pose an interesting contest.

Expectations are already high for this historic boxing event in Malta, with Rumble on the Rock expected to be a sell out as Malta’s well travelled fight fans finally get the opportunity to witness world championship bouts on home soil. Tickets will be available from TicketLine.com.mt and approved local outlets.

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“Rumble on the Rock” Press Conference

‘Grand Hotel Excelsior’ Malta – July 2

Rumble On The Rock 

The occasion will be the official launch of “Rumble on the Rock” an international boxing night which will be held in Malta, on the 17^th of August and will have no less than a WBF world super middleweight title and a WBF light heavyweight intercontinental title topping the bill.

Robin Reid will be taking on William Gare for the super middle title and Tony Dodson’s opponent for the light heavyweight title is to be announced shortly.

Also on the undercard: Maltese professional boxers, Edwin Micallef and Clayton Vella will be taking part against professional boxers from the UK.

Robin Reid, hails from the UK has a record of 50 bouts of which has won 42 (29 by KO) lost 7 (2 by KO) and had 1 draw. He last fought on the 28^th of January 2012 against Daniel Cadman whom he defeated by TKO. The full details of Reid’s boxing carrier can be viewed on BoxRec.com

William Gare,  hails from South Africa, has a record of 42 bouts he has won 27 (5 by KO) lost 15 and no draws. The full details of William’s boxing carrier can be viewed on BoxRec.com

Local Boxing History will also be made on the 17th August when Clayton Vella becomes the first Maltese ever to box professionally on a boxing license issued in Malta. Although many of Maltese origin living outside of the Islands have boxed professionally and even achieved world fame, such as Charlie “Champagne” Magri and Jef Fenech, no one has ever entered the pro boxing ring on a Maltese license. Vella will be taking on a TBA opponent.

Joining Vella, on the undercard will be Daniel Micallef who fights on a UK license. Micallef has a record of 9 bouts, he has won 4 (1 by KO) and lost 5, with no draws.  The full details of Micallef’s boxing carrier can be viewed on BoxRec.com

Present for the conference will be WBF President; Howard Goldberg from South Africa and WBF European Coordinator: Olaf Schroeder (Germany).

Rumble On The Rock is being promoted by Attard & Harding Promotions

Sanctioned by the (Malta Boxing Commission) MBC.

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“Rumble on the Rock” an international boxing night which will be held in Malta, on the 17^th of August and will have no less than a WBF world super middleweight title and a WBF light heavyweight intercontinental title topping the bill.

Robin Reid will be taking on William Gare for the super middle title and Tony Dodson’s opponent for the light heavyweight title is to be announced shortly.

Also on the undercard: Maltese professional boxers, Edwin Micallef and Clayton Vella will be taking part against professional boxers from the UK.

Robin Reid, hails from the UK has a record of 50 bouts of which has won 42 (29 by KO) lost 7 (2 by KO) and had 1 draw. He last fought on the 28^th of January 2012 against Daniel Cadman whom he defeated by TKO. The full details of Reid’s boxing carrier can be viewed on BoxRec.com

William Gare,  hails from South Africa, has a record of 42 bouts he has won 27 (5 by KO) lost 15 and no draws. The full details of William’s boxing carrier can be viewed on BoxRec.com

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By Alexander Zammit

There is no denying that boxing in its various forms has to be the most popular individual sport in the Maltese Islands.

Although Malta has a miniscule population of around 408,000 with a land area of just 316 square kilometres and a population density of 1,160 people per square kilometre. We have dozens of Martial Arts and Boxing Clubs in a multitude of diverse fight & self defence disciplines.

Boxing was introduced into Malta by the British Services in 1887, and Martial Arts after WW II. For many decades boxing in these Islands was quite a closed circle and declined heavily in popularity between the mid seventies and the early noughties in favour of Eastern Martial Arts, but in recent years we have seen a great revival of the sport and the birth of local heroes with their own on-line fan-clubs.

The two most popular forms of fight sport in these Islands are undoubtedly Kick-Boxing followed by classical / western Boxing. There are about ten well established clubs for these two disciplines, with club membership ranging from 30 to 100 persons per club.

Malta’s most popular boxer at the moment has to be EBF Heavyweight – Billy “The Hitman” Corito, however others are fast catching up and making a name for themselves both on the local and international scene.

No fight sport can exist without promoters and this is one area in which the majority of Maltese promoters have certainly excelled. The public are also showing their appreciation by attending these shows; an average crowd for a fight show ranges between 500 to 1000 strong.

This month promises to be a record as not less than three boxing shows between the 13^th of April and the 11^th of May are scheduled to be held in Malta.

The newest promoter to hit the local semi pro and white collar boxing scene is 34 year old Demis Tonna, an accomplished former UK amateur boxer in his own right, who has recently set up ‘Prize Boxing Promotions’ and on the 11^th of May will present the first ‘Boxers Prize Night’ at the Oracle Hall / Dolmen Buggiba.

The cast of the evening’s entertainment sees a mixture of eight local and Uk boxers battling it out in a winner takes all, one night boxing tournament.

This will be the very first time that the winner take all concept is being introduced in the Maltese Islands.

This is most definitely a fight night not to be missed by local aficionados of the fight game.

Venue: Oracle Hall – Dolmen Hotel – Qawara – Malta – Date 11 May, 2012

Tickets are priced at €15 Standing – €17 Seated – €25 Vip – Doors open at 7.30 pm and first bout commences at 8.30pm – For more information or ticket reservations call 00356 99291720

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Local Gym Director and boxing coach Edwin Micallef, talks about the “Boxway Fitness Gym” in Valley Road, Birkirkara, Malta.

Edwin is the older sibling of Maltese professional boxer Daniel Micallef.  Edwin explains that at the ‘Boxway’ there are three types of boxing activities Amateur Boxing, Professional Boxing & Box-fitness and each section is run by different coaches.

Edwin makes it quite clear that his gym is not a boutique gym,

“The aim of the gym is to produce good quality, amateur & professional athletes, stated the director.”

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