PokerWorks

The fight is on, but it has nothing to do with a hand of poker or floor ruling. It is a boxing match set to pit two female poker personalities against each other in a no-holds-barred fight to benefit charity. The “Rumble in the Rio” will feature Liv Boeree and Melissa Castello and take place on July 1st, with $1,000 being donated to the charity of the winner’s choice, and $500 to the second place finisher’s chosen organization.

Sponsored by PokerBattle, UltimateBet, and PokerNews.com, the pre-match press conference/weigh-in was held at the Rio on June 23, with the two opponents ready for a staged interview in front of ESPN cameras. Boeree is an UltimateBet-sponsored poker pro, and Castello is a video hostess for PokerNews.com, and both women came to the conference with attitudes to match their warm-up outfits. They jokingly spoke about their workout routines and readiness for the July 1st fight.

The location of the fight will be Wand Fight Team Mixed Martial Arts, a gym facility owned by MMA fighter Wanderlei Silva, located just south of the Rio on Dean Martin Drive. At 1:00pm on July 1st, the two women will take to the ring to fight for the win in front of ESPN cameras, presumably for a segment in an upcoming WSOP broadcast, and for PokerNews cameras, as the fight is supposed to be broadcast live on the internet. PokerRoad Radio is also scheduled to do a live podcast on the day of the fight.

Three rounds of three minutes each will determine the ultimate winner, and charities will be chosen beforehand. There will be seats available for members of the media, though it is not known if the general public is welcome to attend.