When boxing superstar WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko from Ukraine is defending his title, it’s not just an event for sports or boxing enthusiasts. For the past two years, Germany has embraced these boxing events in their biggest arenas and have attracted thousands of spectators – reminiscent of old-style Greek Events when entire families, and often more women than men, gathering every second month for another fight.
On October 16, Klitschko battled American Shannon Briggs in Hamburg in front of a highly charged audience of 16,000 at the O2 World Hamburg Arena. The fight was televised by RTL German Television and packed with excitement, complimented by a punch from 28 Clay Paky Alpha Beam 1500 fixtures positioned directly above the ring. PRG supplied equipment and technical crew for the event. PRG Production Manager Felix Sandmann commented, “The fight was definitely a spectacle on its own accord, but the Clay Paky fixtures brought the event to a whole new level. They looked absolutely spectacular.”
“There are plenty of large arena sporting events on the horizon with PRG,” says Gerald Heise, Business Development Manager for Clay Paky. “The Alpha series, particularly the 1500s, are proving to be extremely popular for these events. We’re finding them specified more and more to compliment and even replace higher watt fixtures. We’re looking forward to more exciting shows like these.”