WBA Champ Alicia Napoleon Defends Her Title Against Hannah Rankin Saturday, August 4
*LONG ISLAND, NY* (July 16, 2018) – WBA Women’s Super Middleweight World
Champion*Alicia “The Empress” Napoleon,* (9-1, 5 KO’s), of Lindenhurst, NY
will make her first defense against WBC Silver Middleweight titlist *Hannah
Rankin*, (5-1, 1 KO) of Glasgow, Scotland on Saturday, August 4 at NYCB
LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Scheduled for ten rounds, Napoleon vs. Rankin is a special attraction
undercard bout on the stacked Premier Boxing Champions card headlined by
the welterweight showdown between former world champions *Andre Berto
*and *Devon
Alexander *on FOX and FOX Deportes (7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT).
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and DiBella
Entertainment, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting
www.ticketmaster.com
<r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001kD4oyi6QQmKfS7O_aYXh_VigMX2dfsS_IeMuuWQaJOu_Ex_HDCdQ6yUI860Qo4UZtgGhbfNc16WX7eZxkcK7cpF9Qg0ifScnhFG8F7NkSpmZhs-oIjk7SkuvKV_PTZx8cLRc5dyImEo2FD8P2k1tFY92pJ5FjiX1NPIEQu08732l_…>
, www.nycblive.com
<r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001kD4oyi6QQmKfS7O_aYXh_VigMX2dfsS_IeMuuWQaJOu_Ex_HDCdQ6yUI860Qo4UZNunJbqmYaqGilSeyDf_v_5c7qem-9ySN3byimYo7hhro1OCWUBixhyUtsLey6HK-LuQi7Pe10MTKGa89Fm_x2375XuUxVlUFVMzvEbSXsOvQs…>,
or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the
Ticketmaster Box Office at NYCB LIVE. Group discounts are available by
calling 516-231-4848.
“I’m thrilled for this opportunity to be able to defend my world title for
the first time on Long Island at NYCB LIVE,” said Napoleon. “It’s a special
moment in my career and truly an honor to be part of the first women’s bout
ever in this iconic venue.
“I know how good Hannah Rankin is. She just won the WBC Silver Middleweight
Title and she’s taller than me with a longer reach, plus she just finished
training with Cecilia Braekhus. I’ve been training the whole summer and
I’ll be ready to defend my title on August 4.”
“I’m very excited to announce this women’s world title fight between Alicia
Napoleon and Hannah Rankin on our stacked August 4 event at the Coliseum,”
said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Alicia is a Long
Island girl and a charismatic world champion with a legion of fans in the
New York City area. She won her world title at Barclays Center and will
defend it at NYCB LIVE. Hannah Rankin is a quality challenger from
Scotland, who is well known for her ring ambition as well as her
accomplishments as a professional musician. Women’s boxing in the United
States and internationally continues to rise in popularity and our
commitment to promoting it remains stronger than ever.”
The popular Napoleon, the owner of both Overthrow Gyms in Manhattan and
Brooklyn, won her world title on March 3 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn
with a dominant ten-round decision over previously undefeated Femke Hermans
in front of a huge contingent of supporters from both Long Island and New
York City. Napoleon had a previous fight scheduled for June 21 postponed
and has continued training in preparation to defend her world title.
Fighting in the paid ranks for just one-year, Rankin defeated
then-undefeated Sanna Turunen over ten rounds in June to capture the vacant
WBC Silver Women’s Middleweight Title and her third straight victory headed
into August 4.
A professional musician outside of the ring, the 27-year-old Rankin plays
the bassoon and has traveled the world in recent years playing with
numerous orchestras while also training and furthering her career in the
squared circle.
