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By 
10/11/2014
Monaco is
synonymous with international sporting events. Starting in January with the
Rallye Monte-Carlo on the treacherous Alpine roads above Monaco, the glamorous
principality enjoys a packed sports calendar throughout the year. Among other
illustrious events and competitions there is the Monte Carlo Tennis Masters
Series, an annual fixture at the Monte-Carlo Country Club since 1897. The
heralded Monaco Grand Prix follows in May drawing nearly 200,000 people to the
second smallest country in the world, while Herculis, one of the most important
international athletics meetings of the year, likewise draws spectators in
their thousands to the principality in July.
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If Monaco is
globally renowned as a sporting capital, perhaps boxing would not be the sport most
closely associated to the principality however. Mr Camille Blanc may argue
otherwise, having established the first ever international bout more than a
century ago between British contender Jim Sullivan and Frenchman Georges Carpentier
in the Condamine for the European middleweight championship. Since then boxing
has made fleeting visits to Monaco in 1920, 1931, 1935 and 1939. Boxing later
punctuated the Principality’s sporting calendar in the 70s and 90s and more
recently saw Monaco host the Monte Carlo Pro Boxing Masters in 2005 and 2006 to
cap a long, if inconsistent, history with the discipline.
However, the Casino de Monte Carlo and
prestigious African promoter Golden Gloves are looking to change the course of
history. After signing a partnership and launching the first edition of the
Monte-Carlo Boxing Bonanza on March 2013, neither side have looked back. Now
the fifth instalment in what is expected to be a long series of box office
boxing events is to take place on 25th October.
The last event to date, “KO at the Casino”,
was held on June 21st, 2014 in the elegant Salle Médecin of the Casino de
Monte-Carlo before an exclusive audience of 300 fans. The lucky attendees
witnessed four international quality fights including a bout for the WBC Middleweight Silver World Title
between the English champion Martin Murray and the Ukrainian Max Bursak.
The latest edition of boxing fights in
Monaco entitled ‘Title Tornado’ sees Martin Murray return to the scene of his
victory over Bursak to take on Italian challenger Domenico Spada, this time at
the beautiful Salle
des Etoiles. The legendary 1000m² arena has previously hosted high profile
events such as the Bal de la Rose and added a touch of class to the Monte Carlo
Sporting Festival.
With spectacular views looking out onto the
beautiful Monegasque bay, the Salle des Etoiles will provide a dramatic setting
to four full blooded fights. The event will be broadcast in China, Canada,
Western Europe, and Africa and similarly the competitors will be arriving from
all corners of the globe.
Starting at 6pm with an amateur fight featuring
Monegasque boxer and France Junior Champion Hugo Micallef, the evening then
sees the first of four 12 round world title fights between China’s Xiong Zhao
Zhong and South Africa’s Hekkie Budler for the WBA Minimumweight World Title.
The night’s second fight for the IBF
Bantamweight World Title will be contested by the American Randy Caballero and
British boxer Stuart Hall, with a large British following expected to attend to
cheer on their representative in the superlightweight category.
The penultimate fight bills Colombian
Eleider Alvarez against South Africa’s Ryno Liebenberg for the WBC Light
Heavyweight Silver Belt before the evening’s final and most highly anticipated
match between Spada and Murray for the WBC Middleweight Silver Belt. Close to
one hundred Murray fans will be visiting the Principality to see his fight with
heightened expectations in the wake of heavy odds in his favour against the
lesser ranked Italian combatant. The Italian is not new to fighting for World
Titles however. A long-time boxer since the age of 13, Spada has already fought
for the WBC Silver middleweight title before as well as the WBC International
middleweight title twice and has thrown a warning shot to Murray before the
fight: “Try to hug me like you did with Bursak for 12 rounds and I will knock
you out. I am a fighter. I am coming to fight. Let’s give the fans a match for
the ages.” Murray, himself a highly experienced boxer, will surely be unfazed
by the threats and is certain to provide the crowd with an entertaining clash
at the Salle des Etoiles.
Be sure to arrive at such a monumental
occasion in appropriate fashion. Choose the French and Italian Riviera’s
leading helicopter charter company Heli Securite to arrive in style in form
Nice or Cannes
to Monaco and finish your grand entrance with a luxury supercar rental. Choose from a vast fleet of the finest sports cars
including fifteen of the greatest marques in automotive history to celebrate
the grandeur of the Boxing Bonanza event. Buy your tickets for Monaco’s most
eagerly awaited boxing fight of the year here.
