Legendary Ken Shamrock Makes

EliteXC Debut March 8 On Historic Night On Showtime

MMA Pioneer Will Highlight Four-Fight Telecast Immediately Following

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Cruiserweight Unification Bout

During Unprecedented Night Of Sports Television on Premium Network

 

 

NEW YORK –  On Saturday, March 8, SHOWTIME will present an unprecedented night of unarmed combat

action with back-to-back sports telecasts featuring boxing and mixed martial arts.  The evening begins at 9

p.m. ET/PT with live world championship boxing followed by an explosive MMA event from global partner

EliteXC. Both exciting events will take place in London and air back-to-back on SHOWTIME.

 

Widely recognized as the leader in premium sports television, SHOWTIME made history on Feb. 10, 2007,

when it became the first premium network to televise mixed martial arts (MMA). Now, fans will witness the

classic power of boxing followed by the fresh, raw excitement of mixed martial arts—two major events on

one special night.

 

“I have always believed that boxing and MMA are the perfect complement to one another,” said Ken

Hershman, the Showtime executive behind MMA’s move to premium television. “We have seen strong

crossover appeal to the core demographic for both boxing and MMA. March 8 is the prefect way to build on

that success.” 

 

Talk about a one-two punch! At 9 p.m. ET/PT, live from the O2 Arena (delayed on the West Coast),

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING will present WBO cruiserweight world champion Enzo Maccarinelli

against fellow world champion David Haye (WBA and WBC) in a highly anticipated unification bout between

the British compatriots.  It’s an important night for the division and, with an expected live crowd of 20,000, a

fight fan’s dream match-up of offensive-minded brawling Brits.

 

In the second-half of the televised twinbill, legendary Ken “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” Shamrock

returns to the cage to face Britain’s Robert “Buzz” Berry in the main event of EliteXC Presents: Cage Rage

25 at Wembley Arena.  The EliteXC telecast will air on a same-day delay immediately following the boxing

telecast. 

 

Shamrock, one of the true MMA legends, is looking forward to displaying his skills on SHOWTIME.

 

“I’m totally committed to getting back into the cage injury free and anxious about fighting in England and on

SHOWTIME for the first time,” Shamrock said. “Fight fans in England are a special breed and they are going

to be treated to a very special show. Give me a fight or two and I will be ready to fight anybody.”

 

Shamrock, one of the most popular heavyweights on the planet, has defeated the likes of such MMA greats

as Bas Rutten, Maurice Smith, Dan “The Beast” Severn and Kimo.

 

An exciting night of EliteXC fights will include a featherweight title clash between Jean Silva and Masakazu

Imanari, UK heavyweight contender Gary Turner versus Mustapha Alturk and Pierre Guillet against Tom

“Kong” Watson in a middleweight match.

 

In a non-televised fight March 8, Shamrock’s son, Ryan, will take on Giorgio Andrews.

 

“It is very exciting for both Ryan and me,” the older Shamrock said.  “We will be making MMA history by

being the first father and son to ever fight on the same card. This is a great opportunity we are getting with

EliteXC and SHOWTIME.’’

 

For more information on this event, EliteXC and other MMA-related stories, including bios, video-on-demand,

photos, stats, Fantasy Fight Game TM and more, please visit ProElite.com and EliteXC.com

 

For more information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video, photo galleries

and complete telecast information, please visit our website http://www.sho.com/Sports.

 

About ProElite, Inc.

ProElite Inc. [PELE.PK] delivers the most exciting entertainment experience in the world of mixed martial

arts (MMA) with live arena-based entertainment events, cable television programming on Showtime Networks

and community-driven interactive broadband entertainment via the Internet.  ProElite embraces MMA with the

highest levels of honor, integrity, discipline and self-esteem all the while remaining inclusive for fighters, fans

and schools.  ProElite’s live fight division, EliteXC, delivers spectacular live MMA fight events that showcase

the world’s top fighters [elitexc.com]. ProElite’s interactive business, ProElite.com, capitalizes on the

growing popularity of the sport of mixed martial arts by building a community of MMA enthusiasts.  In

addition to streaming the most exciting live fights to the web, ProElite expands the fan base of the sport by

providing a comprehensive set of online social networking tools for fans, fighters and organizations. 

ProElite.com – Empowering the Fight Community TM

 

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the

premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL® and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex

channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®,

SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL®

XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL® HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and

THE MOVIE CHANNEL® ON DEMAND.  SNI is also an owner and manager of SUNDANCE CHANNEL®, a

venture of NBC Universal, Robert Redford and SNI. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture

between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1.

SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view

basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

 

 

- Press Release issued by BZ&A Inc with a little editing from us (color, etc...)

 

 

Subject to change

 

 

(2/16/08)