Super Welterweight Boxing Match At The Amway Center

Amway Center

WHAT:

Super Welterweight Boxing Match

Three-Division world Champion Miguel Cotto vs. Two-Time World Title Challenger & Top-Five Contender Delvin Rodriguez

WHEN:

Saturday, October 5, 2013

WHERE:

Amway Center | Orlando, Florida

ON SALE:

Tuesday, July 30, 2013 | 10 a.m.

Twelve years after making his professional debut, three-division world champion and the Pride of Puerto Rico Miguel Cotto will make his Florida debut when he faces two-time world title challenger and current Top-Five contender Delvin Rodriguez  in a 12-round super welterweight battle.  Cotto vs. Rodriguez will take place Saturday, October 5, at the home of the Orlando Magic, Amway Center in Orlando, FL, which is hosting its first-ever professional boxing event.  Promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions and Top Rank, in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Tecate, tickets to Cotto vs. Rodriguez go on sale Tuesday, July 30 at 10 a.m.

Cotto and Rodriguez boast a combined record of 65-10-3 (46 KOs) – a winning percentage of over 83% and a victory by knockout ratio of 71%.

“I am very happy to be back on October 5 and fighting in front of all the great fans of Orlando, Florida,” said Cotto.

“I’m going to go for the knockout,” said Rodriguez.  “I will take advantage of the biggest opportunity of my life.”

“Miguel Cotto has participated in some of boxing’s biggest events over the past 10 years,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank. “His return to the ring on October 5 will be another electrifying night for the fans watching it live in Orlando and the boxing fans throughout the world.  Top Rank is thrilled to work with him and his promotional team on this event.”

“When Miguel Cotto is in the ring it is always exciting to watch. For us it is a great pleasure to present the return of one of boxing’s biggest stars to our great Puerto Rican community in Orlando and all the Latino fans of Florida.  It’ll be a great night for boxing,” said Héctor Soto, Vice President of Miguel Cotto Promotions.

“As Delvin’s promoter, it is an honor to have our boxer fight against Miguel Cotto, a true boxing legend,” said Joe DeGuardia, president of Star Boxing.  “As a boxing aficionado, I am excited to see this fight, which is one that real boxing fans are enthusiastic about.  I expect a thrilling battle of will and skill between these two veteran warriors.”

“Landing another high-profile event like this is a knockout for the City of Orlando in terms of entertainment and economic impact,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “Whether it’s Wrestlemania, the NBA All-Star game or NCAA Championship games, Orlando has proven that we have what it takes to host top-tier sporting events.  We look forward to hosting what will be a thrilling fight and once again showcasing Orlando to a worldwide audience.”

“Today’s announcement is particularly exciting because it is our first professional boxing match and an internationally televised one,” said Orlando Venues Executive Director Allen Johnson. “This is yet another milestone for Amway Center and illustrates our commitment to host diverse events that cater to the greater Central Florida community and beyond.”

Cotto (37-4, 30 KOs), from Caguas, Puerto Rico, has sold more fight tickets at the “Mecca of Boxing,” Madison Square Garden, than any other fighter in this millennium.  He held a world title every year from 2004 to 2012 while winning 17 of the 21 world championship bouts he has fought. Puerto Rico’s most exciting fighter and one of its greatest, Cotto held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight crown from 2004-2006, successfully defending it six times before vacating it to capture the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title at the end of 2006, a title he held for nearly as long.  After losing the WBA title to three-time world champion Antonio Margarito, arguably the fight of the year, in July 2008, Cotto won his second welterweight belt in February 2009, knocking out Michael Jennings in the fifth round to become the WBO welterweight champion.  He lost the title in his second defense, November 2009, to Manny Pacquiao.  Cotto captured the WBA super welterweight title June 5, 2010, in the first fight ever held at the new Yankee Stadium, by stopping undefeated defending champion Yuri Foreman.  He successfully defended that title twice in 2011, knocking out former world champion Ricardo Mayorga and Margarito in the 12th and 10th rounds, respectively.  He lost his world championship belt on May 5, 2012, losing an exciting and close decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a title unification bout in what many consider one of  the toughest fights of Mayweather’s career.  In his last fight, on December 1, Cotto unsuccessfully challenged WBA super welterweight champion Austin Trout, losing a 12-round decision.  Notable scalps on Cotto’s belt include world champions, “Sugar” Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, Joshua Clottey, Paulie Malignaggi and Demarcus Corley.

Rodriguez (28-6-3, 16 KOs), a native of the Dominican Republic, now fighting out of Danbury, Conn., first came into prominence by knocking out Luis Hernandez (20-2, 13 KOs) in the third round of their 2006 fight to capture the USBA welterweight title.  Victories over Oscar Diaz (26-2, 12 KOs) and  Shamone Alvarez (20-1, 11 KOs), led to Rodriguez’s first title shot, against Isaac Hlatshwayo, for the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight crown in 2009, where Rodriguez lost a close split decision.  Rodriguez’s debut in the super welterweight division was in 2011’s “Fight of Year,” a Draw against Pawel Wolak (29-1, 19 KOs) that had fans on their feet as the two gladiators went toe-to-toe for 12 brutally exquisite rounds.  After winning the rematch against Wolak at the end of that same year,  Rodriguez unsuccessfully challenged undefeated  WBA super welterweight champion Austin Trout in 2012, losing a 12-round decision.  He enters this fight having knocked out previously undefeated George Tahdooahnippah (31-0, 23 KOs) and Freddy Hernandez (30-4, 20 KOs) in the sixth and eighth rounds, in February and May of this year, respectively.  He is currently world-rated No. 4 by the WBO.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com and www.promocionesmiguelcotto.com, Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing and facebook.com/trboxeo, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxingtwitter.com/trboxeo or twitter.com/warcotto.

 

TICKETS:  $25, $50, $100 & $150.  Buy tickets at amwaycenter.com, Chase® Box Office at Amway Center, Ticketmaster retail locations, charge-by-phone at 800.745.3000 or at Ticketmaster.com.  All dates, act(s) and ticket prices are subject to change without notice.  All tickets are subject to applicable taxes, service, handling and facility fee charges.  For Amway Center box office and ticket information, visitamwaycenter.com (phone purchases are not available through the Amway Center box office).  The Amway Center is located at 400 West Church Street and the box office is located on the north side of the Amway Center, near the intersection of Church Street and Hughey Avenue. 

ABOUT AMWAY CENTER

The Orlando Magic served as the developer of the Amway Center, which hosts major national events, concerts and family shows.  Opened in the fall of 2010, the facility is owned and operated by the City of Orlando on behalf of the Central Florida community. The Amway Center was designed to reflect the character of the community, meet the goals of the users and build on the legacy of sports and entertainment in Orlando. The building’s exterior features a modern blend of glass and metal materials, along with ever-changing graphics via a monumental wall along one facade. A 180-foot tall tower serves as a beacon amid the downtown skyline. The 875,000 square foot, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certified building features a sustainable, environmentally-friendly design and unmatched technology, including 1,100 digital monitors, the tallest high-definition video board in an NBA venue and multiple premium amenities available to all patrons in the building. Amway Center was recently honored with TheStadiumBusiness Awards’ 2013 Customer Experience Award and named SportsBusiness Journal’s 2012 Sports Facility of the Year. For more information about the Amway Center, visit www.amwaycenter.com.

 

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D23 Expo App Now Available

D23 Expo App

The Interactive Application Includes Schedule, Talent Bios, Trivia, Breaking News, and Much More About The Ultimate Disney Fan Event

 

Guests attending the D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event are now able to download the free D23 Expo app from the iTunes and Google Play stores. This multi-layered application will serve as a useful tool for those guests attending the event, which takes place at the Anaheim Convention Center August 9–11, 2013. Included in the app:

 D23 Expo App

  • The most up-to-date schedules for all Expo presentations
  • Sneak peeks at merchandise and collectibles that will be available for purchase exclusively at the event
  • The ability to push alerts of the latest Expo news including announcements and notifications when panels, presentations, and events are booked up
  • Map of the show floor

D23 Expo App

  • Answers to frequently asked questions
  • Loads of Disney trivia
  • Bios of all talent who will be attending the Expo
  • Additional fun features such as a D23 Photo Booth, a scavenger hunt, and more!

D23 Expo App

Tickets for the D23 Expo are $57 for a one-day adult admission and $47 for children 3–12. Tickets for members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club are $50 for a one-day adult admission and $42 for children. Multi-day money-saving tickets are also available for both D23 Members and the general public, and D23 Members can save as much as $84 off the price of admission, based on the purchase of four three-day tickets at the D23 Member rate. For more information on tickets and the ticket pricing structure for members and general admission, visit D23Expo.com.

D23 Expo

About D23 Expo 2013

The D23 Expo—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings the entire world of Disney under one roof, providing attendees with unprecedented access to Disney films, television, and theme parks. For the latest D23 Expo 2013 news, visitD23Expo.com. To be part of the D23 Expo conversation, make sure to follow @DisneyD23 and tag your tweets with #D23Expo.

 

D23 disney twenty-three

About D23

The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his fledgling studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s nearly 90-year history. D23 gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publicationDisney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com with members-only content; member-exclusive discounts and special events for D23 Members throughout the year, highlighted by the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, August 9–11, 2013.

Fans can join D23 at Gold, Silver, and Free Membership levels at D23.com and at www.DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow us @DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.

 

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Busch Gardens Celebrates International Tiger Day

Busch Gardens

Busch Gardens Celebrates International Tiger Day

July 27-29, 2013

Weekend-long Event Includes Face Painting, Keeper Talks and Endangered Malayan Tiger Cubs

In recognition of International Tiger Day on July 29, guests are invited to join a weekend-long celebration at Busch Gardens® Tampa.  The festivities take place daily from July 27-29 in the Jungala® area of the park.

With only 3,200 wild tigers in the world, International Tiger Day, also known as Global Tiger Day, is an annual celebration to raise awareness for tiger conservation.  Busch Gardens is celebrating with face painting, tiger keeper talks and feedings.  Also, a portion of the proceeds from the tigress and cubs plush toys sold in the Tiger Lodge gift shop in the Jungala area will be donated to the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund.

Additionally, three of Busch Gardens’ newest additions, endangered Malayan tiger cubs, are scheduled to make an appearance on the Jungala habitat all three days of the celebration.

 Busch Gardens

Keeper Talks

Stop by the Rainforest Research Station to find out what it’s like to be a tiger at Busch Gardens. The animal care team will demonstrate how they work with tigers from feedings to enrichment to playtime.

Malayan Tiger Cubs

In May, Busch Gardens announced the birth of three endangered Malayan tiger cubs to mother Bzui and father Mata.  The three cubs, named Cinta, meaning “love”, Bundar, meaning “round,” and Rukayah, meaning “delicate,” will be on the Jungala habitat throughout the celebration.

Species Survival Program (SSP)

The Malayan tiger births are part of park’s partnership in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan® (SSP). The mission of the SSP is to cooperatively manage specific, and typically threatened or endangered, species populations within AZA-accredited facilities. There are currently just over 50 Malayan tigers in the Species Survival Plan.

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Wordless Wednesday – The Lost Continent

Wordless Wednesday – July 24, 2013

This week’s Wordless Wednesday takes us to one of my favorite places in Universal Islands of Adventure, The Lost Continent. I love this area because you really can’t go wrong with Poseidon’s Fury & Mythos!

Wordless Wednesday

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