Ryan Garcia re-ups with Golden Boy |
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Apparently, 21 year-old lightweight Ryan Garcia (18-0) was playing the public with "fake news" tweets. Garcia roasted his promoter Golden Boy Promotions just days before extending his promotional relationship with Oscar De La Hoya's company. On Wednesday, Garcia tweeted, "Just signed one of the most lucrative boxing deals for a prospect in the history of the sport. Thank you to my team and Oscar De La Hoya." Golden Boy confirmed the signing and added that Garcia will fight on Noveber 2nd in the chief supporting bout for Sergey Kovalev's WBO light heavyweight defense against world middleweght champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
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Ryan Garcia re-ups with Golden Boy
Apparently, 21 year-old lightweight Ryan Garcia (18-0) was playing the public with "fake news" tweets. Garcia roasted his promoter Golden Boy Promotions just days before extending his promotional relationship with Oscar De La Hoya's company. On Wednesday, Garcia tweeted, "Just signed one of the most lucrative boxing deals for a prospect in the history of the sport. Thank you to my team and Oscar De La Hoya." Golden Boy confirmed the signing and added that Garcia will fight on Noveber 2nd in the chief supporting bout for Sergey Kovalev's WBO light heavyweight defense against world middleweght champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
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Dawejko accuses Gassiev of ducking him |
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Philadelphia heavyweight Joey Dawejko has accused former IBF/WBA cruiserweight champion Murat Gassiev of massively ducking him. Dawejko wrote on social media: "Ok, so this is the second time I was scheduled to fight Murat Gassiev. And like the first time, he pulled out again! The first time I gave him the benefit of the doubt and understood that with his injury he was not ready to compete. So I agreed to fight him on October 12th in Chicago. We found out he pulled out again claiming the same injury. Now there’s something fishy about this. I just think he doesn’t want to fight me. Let’s go Murat! I want to beat the chicken out of you now for playing games with me! When are you gonna fight me! Everybody share this!"
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Dawejko accuses Gassiev of ducking him
Philadelphia heavyweight Joey Dawejko has accused former IBF/WBA cruiserweight champion Murat Gassiev of massively ducking him. Dawejko wrote on social media: "Ok, so this is the second time I was scheduled to fight Murat Gassiev. And like the first time, he pulled out again! The first time I gave him the benefit of the doubt and understood that with his injury he was not ready to compete. So I agreed to fight him on October 12th in Chicago. We found out he pulled out again claiming the same injury. Now there’s something fishy about this. I just think he doesn’t want to fight me. Let’s go Murat! I want to beat the chicken out of you now for playing games with me! When are you gonna fight me! Everybody share this!"
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Shawn Porter: "Shawn Porter is going to leave the ring with two belts" |
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WBC welterweight champion "Showtime" Shawn Porter will headline a pay-per-view show in a highly anticipated welterweight title unification against IBF champion Errol Spence Jr. The show goes down on September 28th at Los Angeles' Staples Center. Porter hosted a media workout in Las Vegas Wednesday and here is what he had to say from Barry's Boxing Gym in Las Vegas:
SHAWN PORTER
"Shawn Porter is going to leave the ring with two belts. I'm going to hit him. I'm going to hit him hard and I'm going to do things you've never seen anyone do against Errol Spence.
"I'm expecting there to be adversity for Errol. There's going to be a moment where he realizes he's losing this fight. He has to be solid psychologically. I don't know if he's going to be in the ring. I believe I have the advantage there and that I know how to get into his head.
"I think Errol's confidence is natural like mine. But I think that he's fed his confidence to the point where some arrogance has come out. I think he's going to show that in the fight early on. He's going to have to adjust. Once he recognizes that, I expect the arrogance to go out the window and that he'll have to figure it out.
"I've never seen Errol go through any adversity in the ring. I don't think anyone has been able to challenge him the way I can challenge him. I'm really looking forward to it.
"There's a combination that comes from Shawn Porter that you can't get anywhere else. It's the speed, power, agility and intelligence. You have to make a lot of adjustments on the fly and be ready. I'm hard to prepare for. Spence probably has one or two things that he's expecting, but it's not going to go that way.
"I've been in Errol's position before and I know what it's like to think that all I had to do was show up and be me. I've gotten to a point where I realize now that I have to do more.
"I don't think there's too much to figure out with Errol. The game plan is to make him make the adjustments. Things don't always go to plan, but I still think I know what he wants to do in there. He's not going to give you a lot to adjust to, but what he does do, he's supreme and he's great at.
"Southpaws always bring the best out of me. I'm young again. You're going to see the best Shawn Porter.
"I think Errol has a lot more to lose in this fight. He's never had to deal with a loss, and most people aren't expecting him to lose. He's in the perfect position being considered a top welterweight. But from my perspective, I just have absolutely no intention on losing."
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Shawn Porter: "Shawn Porter is going to leave the ring with two belts"
WBC welterweight champion "Showtime" Shawn Porter will headline a pay-per-view show in a highly anticipated welterweight title unification against IBF champion Errol Spence Jr. The show goes down on September 28th at Los Angeles' Staples Center. Porter hosted a media workout in Las Vegas Wednesday and here is what he had to say from Barry's Boxing Gym in Las Vegas:
SHAWN PORTER
"Shawn Porter is going to leave the ring with two belts. I'm going to hit him. I'm going to hit him hard and I'm going to do things you've never seen anyone do against Errol Spence.
"I'm expecting there to be adversity for Errol. There's going to be a moment where he realizes he's losing this fight. He has to be solid psychologically. I don't know if he's going to be in the ring. I believe I have the advantage there and that I know how to get into his head.
"I think Errol's confidence is natural like mine. But I think that he's fed his confidence to the point where some arrogance has come out. I think he's going to show that in the fight early on. He's going to have to adjust. Once he recognizes that, I expect the arrogance to go out the window and that he'll have to figure it out.
"I've never seen Errol go through any adversity in the ring. I don't think anyone has been able to challenge him the way I can challenge him. I'm really looking forward to it.
"There's a combination that comes from Shawn Porter that you can't get anywhere else. It's the speed, power, agility and intelligence. You have to make a lot of adjustments on the fly and be ready. I'm hard to prepare for. Spence probably has one or two things that he's expecting, but it's not going to go that way.
"I've been in Errol's position before and I know what it's like to think that all I had to do was show up and be me. I've gotten to a point where I realize now that I have to do more.
"I don't think there's too much to figure out with Errol. The game plan is to make him make the adjustments. Things don't always go to plan, but I still think I know what he wants to do in there. He's not going to give you a lot to adjust to, but what he does do, he's supreme and he's great at.
"Southpaws always bring the best out of me. I'm young again. You're going to see the best Shawn Porter.
"I think Errol has a lot more to lose in this fight. He's never had to deal with a loss, and most people aren't expecting him to lose. He's in the perfect position being considered a top welterweight. But from my perspective, I just have absolutely no intention on losing."
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There will be a Ghost sighting on Sept. 28th in LA |
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On Saturday, September 28th at Staples Center in Los Angeles, former three-division title holder Robert Guerrero (35-6-1) will take on Jerry Thomas in a welterweight attraction that highlights FS1 PBC Fight Night Prelims preceding the pay-per-view and beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. Guerrero lost three straight in 2016-2017, but has won two straight lower-level fights since returning from an 18-month hiatus. Thomas is 14-1-1 with his only loss coming against Danny O'Connor in 2016. Here is what Guerreo had ro say about this latest stop on his comeback trail:
ROBERT GUERRERO
"I feel great right now. Everything has been going smoothly and I can't wait to just go to work out there. All the hard stuff is done, now it's just maintaining and staying ready.
"I'm excited for this opportunity. I'm well prepared and ready to go. It's like any other fight. You leave no stone unturned, execute your game plan and do what you have to do to win.
"The fans are going to get what they always get from me. I'm going to come to fight, take care of business and leave everyone with something to remember.
"In a lot of my fights, I just walked guys down. I've had guys like Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia fighting just to hang in there, and I wasn't even fighting to my full potential. I was just walking them down. But my skills are boxing, that's how I fought at the lighter weights. I got away from what I was good at.
Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing in association with GH3 Promotions, Garcia Promotions and Now Boxing Promotions can be purchased online at www.haciendamidland,com or by calling 432-563-3737.
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There will be a Ghost sighting on Sept. 28th in LA
On Saturday, September 28th at Staples Center in Los Angeles, former three-division title holder Robert Guerrero (35-6-1) will take on Jerry Thomas in a welterweight attraction that highlights FS1 PBC Fight Night Prelims preceding the pay-per-view and beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. Guerrero lost three straight in 2016-2017, but has won two straight lower-level fights since returning from an 18-month hiatus. Thomas is 14-1-1 with his only loss coming against Danny O'Connor in 2016. Here is what Guerreo had ro say about this latest stop on his comeback trail:
ROBERT GUERRERO
"I feel great right now. Everything has been going smoothly and I can't wait to just go to work out there. All the hard stuff is done, now it's just maintaining and staying ready.
"I'm excited for this opportunity. I'm well prepared and ready to go. It's like any other fight. You leave no stone unturned, execute your game plan and do what you have to do to win.
"The fans are going to get what they always get from me. I'm going to come to fight, take care of business and leave everyone with something to remember.
"In a lot of my fights, I just walked guys down. I've had guys like Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia fighting just to hang in there, and I wasn't even fighting to my full potential. I was just walking them down. But my skills are boxing, that's how I fought at the lighter weights. I got away from what I was good at.
Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing in association with GH3 Promotions, Garcia Promotions and Now Boxing Promotions can be purchased online at www.haciendamidland,com or by calling 432-563-3737.
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Q&A with welterweight Brandun Lee |
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Undefeated welterweight Brandun Lee has finished an abbreviated training camp as he travels to Midland, Texas to make his television debut against Nicaragua's Milton Arauz in the eight-round opening bout of a three-fight ShoBox: The New Generation telecast on Friday, September 20th. Lee (15-0, 13 KOs), of La Quinta, Calif., turned pro at 17 after a decorated amateur career (196-5). He will face a tough 27-year-old Arauz (10-1-1, 5 KOs), of Jinotega, Nicaragua, who was also a successful amateur and will be fighting in the U.S for the first time. Here is what Lee had to say:
Q: You are trained by your father Bobby, how did you two adjust to such a short training camp having just fought last on August 23?
A: “It’s really just been some bag work and staying loose. We’ve thrown in some sparring. At this point it’s really about maintaining your conditioning, but at the same time you can’t overwork it. We’ve been getting in some good work at the Indio Boys and Girls Club, which is really turning into a hotbed for upcoming boxing prospects.”
Q: Who have you been sparring with recently?
A: ‘Thomas Dulorme, JoJo Diaz and Shakhram Giyasov, who goes by the nickname ‘Wonder Boy’. He was a welterweight silver medalist in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. It’s mostly been Dulorme and ‘Wonder Boy.’”
Q: You are in a scheduled eight-round fight, are you prepared to go the distance?
A: “I’ve never done it, but I’m looking forward to it. I have knockout power, but I’m ready to showcase my skills and let the boxing world know what I bring to the table.”
Q: You have sparred with Mikey Garcia, Devin Haney and Mauricio Herrera, but you have a good story about sparring Timothy Bradley Jr., the former two-division champion.
Lee: “Yeah, it was different for sure. I was just an amateur and it’s totally different sparring a pro, especially someone like Tim Bradley. We worked out and it was of course an honor. The story was that he ended up calling me a few days after sparring and asking how I did something. It involved some foot movement, I think. It was just strange having this world champion ask for my advice on something. I’ve seen Tim around town since then. He gives me great advice. He says, ‘Keep it up. Stay in school, and don’t get in trouble.’ Just follow your dreams. What he did in boxing was awesome, but I want to create my own legacy.”
Q: What do you know about your opponent?
A: “I know he’s strong, he’s rugged. He loves to throw body shots. I read in an article that this is his first time in the United States. So, I know he wants a fight and he will bring his all.”
Q: Have you visualized fighting on national television for the first time?
A: “Of course. I’m only 20 years old and I’m extremely honored and grateful to [manager] Cameron Dunkin and SHOWTIME. But this is only the beginning.”
Q: What do you do when you are not in the gym training?
A: “I like to hike. I’m a big food guy. When I’m not in training. I enjoy trying new food, but my favorite is pizza and wings. I’m a full-time college student as well but boxing is my main focus. It’s all I want to do and it’s all that matters.”
Q: What courses are you currently taking?
A: “I’m at College of the Desert and have 12 units, including statistics, environmental geology, and public speaking.”
Q: The public speaking will serve you well speaking to the media.
A: “Yeah, that’s why I’m taking the class. It’s good practice for all my future press conferences. I love talking to the media.”
Q: Any final thoughts?
A: “I want to give Korean-American people a world champion someday. African-American people have champions. Mexican-American people have champions. The Korean-American community has never had one. I want to be a mentor to Korean kids one day and help them stay off the streets.”
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Q&A with welterweight Brandun Lee
Undefeated welterweight Brandun Lee has finished an abbreviated training camp as he travels to Midland, Texas to make his television debut against Nicaragua's Milton Arauz in the eight-round opening bout of a three-fight ShoBox: The New Generation telecast on Friday, September 20th. Lee (15-0, 13 KOs), of La Quinta, Calif., turned pro at 17 after a decorated amateur career (196-5). He will face a tough 27-year-old Arauz (10-1-1, 5 KOs), of Jinotega, Nicaragua, who was also a successful amateur and will be fighting in the U.S for the first time. Here is what Lee had to say:
Q: You are trained by your father Bobby, how did you two adjust to such a short training camp having just fought last on August 23?
A: “It’s really just been some bag work and staying loose. We’ve thrown in some sparring. At this point it’s really about maintaining your conditioning, but at the same time you can’t overwork it. We’ve been getting in some good work at the Indio Boys and Girls Club, which is really turning into a hotbed for upcoming boxing prospects.”
Q: Who have you been sparring with recently?
A: ‘Thomas Dulorme, JoJo Diaz and Shakhram Giyasov, who goes by the nickname ‘Wonder Boy’. He was a welterweight silver medalist in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. It’s mostly been Dulorme and ‘Wonder Boy.’”
Q: You are in a scheduled eight-round fight, are you prepared to go the distance?
A: “I’ve never done it, but I’m looking forward to it. I have knockout power, but I’m ready to showcase my skills and let the boxing world know what I bring to the table.”
Q: You have sparred with Mikey Garcia, Devin Haney and Mauricio Herrera, but you have a good story about sparring Timothy Bradley Jr., the former two-division champion.
Lee: “Yeah, it was different for sure. I was just an amateur and it’s totally different sparring a pro, especially someone like Tim Bradley. We worked out and it was of course an honor. The story was that he ended up calling me a few days after sparring and asking how I did something. It involved some foot movement, I think. It was just strange having this world champion ask for my advice on something. I’ve seen Tim around town since then. He gives me great advice. He says, ‘Keep it up. Stay in school, and don’t get in trouble.’ Just follow your dreams. What he did in boxing was awesome, but I want to create my own legacy.”
Q: What do you know about your opponent?
A: “I know he’s strong, he’s rugged. He loves to throw body shots. I read in an article that this is his first time in the United States. So, I know he wants a fight and he will bring his all.”
Q: Have you visualized fighting on national television for the first time?
A: “Of course. I’m only 20 years old and I’m extremely honored and grateful to [manager] Cameron Dunkin and SHOWTIME. But this is only the beginning.”
Q: What do you do when you are not in the gym training?
A: “I like to hike. I’m a big food guy. When I’m not in training. I enjoy trying new food, but my favorite is pizza and wings. I’m a full-time college student as well but boxing is my main focus. It’s all I want to do and it’s all that matters.”
Q: What courses are you currently taking?
A: “I’m at College of the Desert and have 12 units, including statistics, environmental geology, and public speaking.”
Q: The public speaking will serve you well speaking to the media.
A: “Yeah, that’s why I’m taking the class. It’s good practice for all my future press conferences. I love talking to the media.”
Q: Any final thoughts?
A: “I want to give Korean-American people a world champion someday. African-American people have champions. Mexican-American people have champions. The Korean-American community has never had one. I want to be a mentor to Korean kids one day and help them stay off the streets.”
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Dutchover, Villa wrap up training camp |
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Michael Dutchover and Ruben Villa, both undefeated, talked about their training camp and separate, upcoming matchups on this Friday's ShoBox: The New Generation tripleheader, which will take place at La Hacienda Event Center in Midland, Texas. Fighting in front of his hometown fans for the first time as a professional, Dutchover (13-0, 10 KOs) returns for his second consecutive test on ShoBox after making an impressive debut in May with a first-round knockout. The 21 year-old will face his toughest test to date in ShoBox veteran Thomas Mattice (14-1-1, 10 KOs), a fearless five-year pro who has displayed promising boxing skills in previous appearances on the developmental prospect series. The featherweight Villa (16-0, 5 KOs), a two-time Junior Olympic National Champion and two-time Golden Gloves Champion, will face Mexico's Enrique Vivas (17-0, 9 KOs) in a ten-round matchup. Here is what Dutchover and Villa, who are both co-promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing, had to say at the conclusion of training camp as they prepare for their fights on Friday night:
MICAHEL DUTCHOVER:
"This was my best camp. I feel very confident. We stepped it up a notch. Everything went smooth. It was pure hard work and dedication throughout this camp.
"I know that my fights are getting tougher and opponents are getting better. Thomas Mattice is going to bring out the best in me. A lot of my fights have been quick knockouts, and hopefully now with this fight, people will see that I bring a high skill level.
"I have been very focused on the fight, and not focusing on where the fight is taking place. My family, friends, coaches and teachers will all be there, but It doesn't matter where the ring is, I am at home.
"Every fight, I am looking to make a big statement being that it is a main event on ShoBox against a durable guy. I feel this win will catapult me into the rankings in the 135 lb. division."
RUBEN VILLA:
"It was a good training camp. We trained in Riverside, Calif., for the last four weeks of camp."
"I have sparred with Vivas in the past and from what I remember it was my first day back in the gym after a fight. He was an aggressive fighter, and I know I just have to be smart and execute to be successful on fight night.
"I am excited to be back on ShoBox. I know that I must be winning and doing my job for me to keep getting on ShoBox and getting this great exposure.
"I feel that a title shot is in reach. I see by mid-2020 that I will be fighting for a title."
Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing in association with GH3 Promotions, Garcia Promotions and Now Boxing Promotions, can be purchased online at www.haciendamidland,com or by calling 432-563-3737.
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Dutchover, Villa wrap up training camp
Michael Dutchover and Ruben Villa, both undefeated, talked about their training camp and separate, upcoming matchups on this Friday's ShoBox: The New Generation tripleheader, which will take place at La Hacienda Event Center in Midland, Texas. Fighting in front of his hometown fans for the first time as a professional, Dutchover (13-0, 10 KOs) returns for his second consecutive test on ShoBox after making an impressive debut in May with a first-round knockout. The 21 year-old will face his toughest test to date in ShoBox veteran Thomas Mattice (14-1-1, 10 KOs), a fearless five-year pro who has displayed promising boxing skills in previous appearances on the developmental prospect series. The featherweight Villa (16-0, 5 KOs), a two-time Junior Olympic National Champion and two-time Golden Gloves Champion, will face Mexico's Enrique Vivas (17-0, 9 KOs) in a ten-round matchup. Here is what Dutchover and Villa, who are both co-promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing, had to say at the conclusion of training camp as they prepare for their fights on Friday night:
MICAHEL DUTCHOVER:
"This was my best camp. I feel very confident. We stepped it up a notch. Everything went smooth. It was pure hard work and dedication throughout this camp.
"I know that my fights are getting tougher and opponents are getting better. Thomas Mattice is going to bring out the best in me. A lot of my fights have been quick knockouts, and hopefully now with this fight, people will see that I bring a high skill level.
"I have been very focused on the fight, and not focusing on where the fight is taking place. My family, friends, coaches and teachers will all be there, but It doesn't matter where the ring is, I am at home.
"Every fight, I am looking to make a big statement being that it is a main event on ShoBox against a durable guy. I feel this win will catapult me into the rankings in the 135 lb. division."
RUBEN VILLA:
"It was a good training camp. We trained in Riverside, Calif., for the last four weeks of camp."
"I have sparred with Vivas in the past and from what I remember it was my first day back in the gym after a fight. He was an aggressive fighter, and I know I just have to be smart and execute to be successful on fight night.
"I am excited to be back on ShoBox. I know that I must be winning and doing my job for me to keep getting on ShoBox and getting this great exposure.
"I feel that a title shot is in reach. I see by mid-2020 that I will be fighting for a title."
Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing in association with GH3 Promotions, Garcia Promotions and Now Boxing Promotions, can be purchased online at www.haciendamidland,com or by calling 432-563-3737.
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South African update: domestic champs to meet at catchweight |
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Golden Gloves of South Africa has confirmed two fights for its November 30th show at the Emperors Palace in Kempton Park. South African super middleweight Champion Rowan Campbell (11-0) will battle South African light heavyweight champion Nicholas Radley (9-0) at a catchweight in a ten-round non-title contest. On the same show, super flyweight Ricardo Malajika (5-0) will face Mnqobi Mkhiza (8-0) in another all-South African bout.
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South African update: domestic champs to meet at catchweight
Golden Gloves of South Africa has confirmed two fights for its November 30th show at the Emperors Palace in Kempton Park. South African super middleweight Champion Rowan Campbell (11-0) will battle South African light heavyweight champion Nicholas Radley (9-0) at a catchweight in a ten-round non-title contest. On the same show, super flyweight Ricardo Malajika (5-0) will face Mnqobi Mkhiza (8-0) in another all-South African bout.
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Late result: Ponce beats Mueller in Germany for IBO belt |
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Jeremias Nicolas Ponce W12 Rico Mueller... A new IBO champion was crowned last weekend in Germany when undefeated Argentinean Jeremias Nicolas Ponce (25-0) beat Rico Mueller (25-3-1) on the scorecards. Ponce won the vacant title by majority decision. Two of the cards were heavily in favor of Ponce: 118-110 and 116-111. The third card had it a draw at 114. Ponce, age 23, won the South American title earlier in the year. Mueller, from Germany, had won five in a row since losing to Jeff Horn in 2016. source ibo / ole.com.ar
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Late result: Ponce beats Mueller in Germany for IBO belt
Jeremias Nicolas Ponce W12 Rico Mueller... A new IBO champion was crowned last weekend in Germany when undefeated Argentinean Jeremias Nicolas Ponce (25-0) beat Rico Mueller (25-3-1) on the scorecards. Ponce won the vacant title by majority decision. Two of the cards were heavily in favor of Ponce: 118-110 and 116-111. The third card had it a draw at 114. Ponce, age 23, won the South American title earlier in the year. Mueller, from Germany, had won five in a row since losing to Jeff Horn in 2016. source ibo / ole.com.ar
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Spence-Porter conference call transcript |
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Ray Flores: Thank you very much, operator. We greatly appreciate the media joining us from around the world. We continue the countdown for the big night of boxing coming your way on Saturday, September 28th. That is a Fox pay-per-view from Staples Center in Los Angeles. We are joined by the main event participants in a welterweight title unification match-up, the IBF Champion Errol "The Truth" Spence, Jr. (pictured) and the WBC champion "Showtime" Shawn Porter.
Promoter Tom Brown
Well thank you, Ray, and thanks everyone for joining us today. Both Errol and Shawn are having great training camps. There's tremendous excitement about this fight and both fighters are in incredible shape. It's really a sensational matchup and one of the best fights that can be made in boxing's hottest division, the welterweights, with two world champions, unifying the title.
Errol Spence Jr. is one of the most talked about fighters in the sport. Many consider him to not only to be the best welterweight in the division but the best fighter in the world. But he's going to get all he can handle from Shawn Porter, who has always faced the best of the best in his illustrious career. This is really the type of fight that elevates the sport of boxing. So it's going to be a tremendous night of boxing, a big night on Saturday September 28. We have a great card and I hope everyone joins us. Thank you very much.
R. Flores
Thank you very much, Tom. And as Tom pointed out, both Shawn Porter and Errol Spence, Jr. are in impeccable shape. Now this man I'm getting ready to introduce, one of the champions, captured his title last September with a victory over Danny Garcia, also holds wins over the likes of Andre Berto, also Adrien Broner and Devon Alexander, while taking on the best in the division throughout his career, most recently coming off a title defense victory against Yordenis Ugas live on FOX in March. He is originally from Akron, Ohio but now living and training in Las Vegas alongside his father, Kenny Porter.
He is a two-time welterweight champion of the world. I know he's very happy on this Tuesday, especially with his Cleveland Browns picking up a very impressive victory over the New York Jets yesterday. His record 30 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw, 17 win by way of knockouts. Please welcome the always entertaining and charismatic "Showtime" Shawn Porter.
Shawn Porter
What's up, everybody? Thanks for having me on. We're about two weeks away and I couldn't be any more excited than I am right now. So I'm even excited to do these interviews right now with you guys, so let's go, let's do it.
Q: Where does that mentality come from you where there really does seem to be a genuine willingness to just look down the list and fight the best guys available that you and your team can make a match against, Spence being the next one?
S. Porter
It's how I grew up. It's how my dad raised me and it's where I come from. We were never allowed to shy away from any challenge and that's the way I've lived my life. So when it comes to taking on Errol Spence, to me it's like taking on any other fighter. It's not like taking on, as everyone has coined him, the boogeyman or the best welterweight in the world. To me I'm taking on another great, exciting fighter and I'm going to beat that great, exciting fighter.
Q: So it is Spence specifically that you wanted to fight or was it Spence was a guy that had one of the other world titles?
S. Porter
I think it's Spence specifically. I think it's specifically Spence because of not only him having a belt but who is and what he's done in the sport so far. Being undefeated and, again, being coined as the boogeyman of the division I'm like, "Yo, I need that. I need to beat that guy. I need to fight that guy." And so that's where the hunger really comes from for me.
Q
So then what was it can you say that put that in your mind or had your dad put that in your mind? Did you ever talk about that?
S. Porter
Again, it's how I was raised. I can tell you story after story that would confirm that that was how I was raised. But I was ten years old playing football against guys who were 12 and 13 years old and it doesn't sound that big but back then when you're ten going up against preteens it's a big deal.
So even at that young age, my dad has always challenged me and made sure I not only put out my best but I was going up against the best. And you look up, I'm 31 now and this is 100% familiar territory for me because it's where I come from.
Q
Did you just embrace fighting all those big names pretty much right off the bat as long as the business was right?
S. Porter
Yes. For me it was always about embracing the name or the opportunity or the fighter, whatever you may want to call it. I think for me coming into the game, the way that I came into the sport and the business being ran the way that it was ran for me, I was always told who I would fight and there was never really ever a fountain of guys to pick from. They were always hey this is who's next, this is when, this is where, and so that's how I've been bred into this sport.
So when you talk about fighting the mandatory challenger, Yordenis Ugas, and why would you fight him and a lot of different questions were posed to me, in my mind he's the mandatory, he's the guy they told me I had to fight. That's who I'm going to fight. So, again, I think it's the mindset that I've had a very young age from that seems to resonate for me.
Q
Tom, I was wondering if you could speak to that.
T. Brown
Where I really saw it with Shawn the first time was it was our second PBC show on March 13 back in 2015 when Roberto Garcia pulled out. We brought another opponent in. There was never any questioning; he was fighting. We brought Erick Bone in and he was a tough kid. Both Shawn and his father just said whoever you get, we're here to fight. So that's where he really showed me that he was a fighter, both he and his father, just what he talked about, the way he was raised back in Ohio.
Q
Could you talk a bit about your time fighting at that much higher weight and some of the fighters you specifically fought there and if that gives you confidence going into this fight with Spence?
S. Porter
I think fighting 165 pounds is no secret that the majority of the guys that I fought as an amateur were a lot bigger than Errol Spence, not just bigger than Errol, they were a lot bigger than Errol Spence and I'm talking about guys like Daniel Jacobs, who fights at 160 pounds, 168 pounds now. I fought against Oleksandr Usyk, who is unified champion over there in the Ukraine, a heavyweight now. I fought him at 165 pounds back in the day when we were about 20 years old and beat him.
I have wins against Jacobs and Demetrius Andrade. Me and Andrade were one and one in the amateur division. The last time that we fought we were 165 pounds and I beat him to go to a tournament as the amateur. The experience is there. The experience against taller, bigger opponents is there.
For me looking at Errol Spence, I don't look at him like he's a bigger guy than me. I don't think he's one of the bigger guys in the division. I think that he's been matched up against guys who have made him look a lot more powerful and bigger and stronger than he is. Trust me when I say he's met his match in this one.
Q
Can you talk about how you've balanced broadcasting and fighting and if you've had problems straddling those two professions and your focus going into this fight?
S. Porter
I'm blessed because FOX Studios is just a rock's throw away from Vegas so I can get there in just an hour. I do my thing. I actually have workouts and routines set around the filming and then on the ride home after we film. So it really has not been a hard thing for me to balance at all, the even more blessed part about it is I know the majority of the guys.
I've seen the majority of the fighters for a long, long time, then as amateurs and now I've known them as pros. So when it comes to things like being there to talk about these guys even that part of it is not strenuous for me because I know a lot of these guys, I know their styles, I know what they do, what they bring to the fight. So usually for me I'm just kind of shaping up on their statistics more than I am on who they are and who they bring to the ring. So it has not been a hard thing for me to balance and I've enjoyed it very, very much to this point.
Q
I know a couple weeks ago you mentioned that you were going to spar with Demetrius Andrade. I just wondered if you had the opportunity to do that and how it went if you did.
S. Porter
We're still working on getting Andrade to Vegas. We tried to get him in D.C. He had some family conflicts going on and now we're working on getting him into Vegas in the day or two so that we can get that last little bit of great work in. He's a tremendous athlete.
We've used him time and time again when I fought southpaws and even when I fought orthodox fighters because he gives us such great work and he's definitely a tough competitor and he makes it fun and enjoyable as well. So we do look forward to having him in Vegas and finishing up time with him in the next couple of days.
Q
Spence has said he's going to knock you out and there are other people who have said that he's going to be the first person to do that. Has that surprised your or driven you at all because you've always shown such a great chin?
S. Porter
I'm not surprised to hear him say he wants to knock me out. He's even said I'm going to knock you out. I'm not surprised to hear him say that because I know his mentality. I know who he is as a person. He's very, very driven and competitive, and I get that. The part about it for me is I think he may be trying to psyche himself out into thinking he can do it.
I think I have a proven chin. I've got a record for saying no fighter really wants to prove his chin. We never want to get hit, get hurt, anything like that but I've taken some pretty good shots from some top guys out there and I've managed to handle that and win and come out on top.
So when it comes to Errol Spence, I don't look at his power any different than anyone else I've been in the ring with and I'm going to go at him like I've gone at Keith Thurman, like I've gone at Danny Garcia, like I've gone at Yordenis Ugas, Devon Alexander and the list goes on from there.
Q
Shawn, he said that you were a dirty fighter obviously in one of those FOX shows. Does that bother you or what was your opinion of that?
S. Porter
No, it doesn't bother me. I think that's his perspective. I think there may have been looking at film of me maybe and pulling on some things that he can take advantage of and he may think that my roughness, he's misconstruing that for dirtiness.
If he can't handle the roughness then you will find out real soon, and if that's what's working for us well then that's what we'll do. We'll be rough, we'll be hard, we'll be rugged, we'll keep the pressure on him and we all know pressure bursts pipes.
Q
Shawn, do you think it's a psychological advantage for you a little bit that he's thinking about that and that he's mentioning this? Do you think that's in his head a little bit or how do you view that?
S. Porter
At this point, I do. I think that there's more than just that in his mind when it comes to fighting me. I think he knows that he's up against a lot. I think that those certain things that he's trying to be aware of or make the referee aware of, I think that that's a mistake on his behalf. I think he may be looking at those things and overlooking other things, like my skill and my talent and my speed and my quickness and my boxing ability, So I think that he's in trouble. I think it's only a matter of time before the world finds out.
Q
When you look at Errol's style, how do you see that faring against your style compared to when you fought Ugas? Do you see yourself having an easier or harder time dealing with Errol compared to Ugas?
S. Porter
No comparison. I think styles makes fights. I think you said it yourself. They're two completely different styles. I think that they both have or in Yordenis' case had, things that present problems for anyone that are in the ring.
I think for me I think my speed and my quickness against Errol Spence is definitely going to be superior. I think my foot movement is going to be superior and I think that it's going to open up a lot more opportunities. I think that Yordenis in the ring with me was a little confused. He was expecting me to have a different style than I came to him with and I think that really shook him up. I'm expecting to shake up Errol Spence.
Q
One of the things I remember when we spoke a couple of months ago was that you wanted to have a pay-per-view main event on your resume and now that you got that, especially in a title unification, how does it feel being on this type of unique platform that so few fighters have had the opportunity to headline a pay per view?
S. Porter
It's been a lot of fun. It definitely has been an eye-opener as well. Someone just sent me a picture telling me that the fights were going to be shown in theaters and I already knew that but to actually see it and have a preview of yourself at a movie theater is pretty cool. I'm at the theaters every other week so I'm going to do the best I can to sell the fight and let people know that they can go watch it at their local theater. I think that's awesome.
It's been a lot of fun and I've enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to fight week. I hope it gets even more fun and gets more exciting. Fight week is something that I've been looking forward to.
Q
Given that the winner will have two of the four world titles, do you see this fight as the winner should be considered the number one welterweight in the world?
S. Porter
I do. I think that myself and Errol Spence, are the number one and number two guys. You call who you want to be number one and number two but the best part about it is one is about to fight two and one is about to get eliminated. I think that after I beat Errol Spence, especially the way I beat Errol Spence, I think that this will see me as the number one guy in the division.
Q
Will you talk to us about what you gained from that sparring with Benavidez?
S. Porter
That's a big dude right there. That's a fast dude. He's competitive and honestly I really did enjoy the whole experience of being in the ring with him and being in the gym with him as well. He's a dynamite guy. Being in the ring with him, I think at that point challenging ourselves and finding out where we were in camp and I think we found out that the conditioning that I was in at that point was great and we knew that we still had a couple of steps that we could pick up. But being in the ring with a big guy like that we definitely were able to find out that we were exactly where we wanted to be in camp at that point in time.
Q
Now I see that you predicted -- do I have this right -- you predicted an eighth round knockout of Spence next week?
S. Porter
Well someone else came on the line and they predicted that knockout. I did say I liked the thought of that prediction but I myself did not make that prediction, no, sir.
But if you're asking me if I am going to knock him out, if I want to knock him out, heck yes. Do I have what it takes? Heck yes. And I think that we've come up with a great game plan and we definitely at some point will be looking at pressuring him and knocking him out.
Q
Is there anybody that you fought that's maybe a little bit similar to Errol Spence?
S. Porter
If I had to say it would be between Danny Garcia and Kell Brook. I think that Errol Spence has great boxing ability, a great one-two, great basic fundamentals. He's very, very fundamental structured, a lot like Kell Brook, and I think that that he tries to dictate the pace and do the things that he like to do in the ring, a lot like Danny Garcia. So I think he's a mixture of those two.
Q
Does it bother you that people say that Errol's on a whole different level as far as boxing and that you can't box with him?
S. Porter
I'm from where LeBron James is from, northeast Ohio. He said in northeast Ohio everything is earned, nothing is given. With that being said, I know how it feels to prove people wrong. I know what it feels like to do the impossible and do the things that people don't expect you to do.
So it doesn't bother me that people don't give me credit for my boxing ability or say things like me not being able to box with Errol Spence on the outside, things like that. It just leaves room for me to do what I do where I come from. Where I come from is proving people wrong and doing the impossible and that's what I'm looking forward on the 28th.
Q
I know you're always motivated but like is it motivations on another level right now because you want to prove so many different people wrong?
S. Porter
No. The odds, the betting odds, they don't give me any more energy or drive to do anything different. It's my understanding that I'm going to see a lot of people who say, "Hey, man, I bet on you, man. Thanks." And there's going to be a lot of people out there saying, "Man, I should have bet on you." That's always fun to hear and see. So I'm looking forward to that.
Q
Would you agree that the intensity in this fight is based on who's the best at 147, it's not personal. It's more business?
S. Porter
I think it's both and the reason why I say it's both is because I think the business part of it is just about showing who's the best fighter and who has the best style and who's more determined, all that good stuff. But I think that at the same time we both are challenged to show that we have a great team, great families, all that kind of stuff. So, I think it kind of mixes a little bit. But in terms of there's nothing personal in terms of me taking shots at him, at Errol or anybody else in the division based on what they do in their personal life. It's all based around the business and the training and all that kind of stuff.
Q
Do you see the perspective that this is a legacy fight for you?
S. Porter
Yes, I think it's cool to be in my position. I'm the only one that's taken on all those guys and still here to continue moving forward. I think if anything if we do want to talk about the betting odds and things like that. I think you take into consideration what I've done and who I've done it against. And how I've performed. I think that if you take into account that I've fought Danny Garcia at in his prime basically, Keith Thurman in his prime basically. Just recently Ugas who is a great boxer. I think that if you take in all that into account you might say, man, like, alright I think this fight is going to be a little more competitive and harder to choose the winner than I think it is going to be.
S. Porter
I'm looking forward to the 28th. I'm sure you guys are used to hearing that. But the thing you're not used to hearing is the world is about to be shocked. Team Porter has done a fantastic job at getting prepared for Errol Spence. We are overlooking anything that he can do in the ring. But we definitely feel like we are the superior athlete, the superior fighter. And we are all looking forward to the 29th and shocking the world on the 28th. Thank you, guys, so much for the interviews. And I'll see you all soon.
R. Flores
This next fighter just gets it done and at a very high level. As his level of opposition increases, he continues to wipe out his opponents, and he has a very tough test ahead of himself. His record, 25 and 0, 21 wins by way knockout. Please welcome the reigning and defending IBF welterweight champion of the world Errol "The Truth" Spence Jr.
Errol Spence Jr.
Hey how it's going? Happy to be here. Training camp has been really good. I am excited that it's only two weeks away. It's going to be a great match up between two great champions. I'm always ready to fight. So, I hope everybody's coming to the fight. It's going to be an amazing night and might be the Fight of the Year this year.
Q
Porter seems to be a guy that would be more your equal than maybe your past few opponents. What is your opinion of that?
E. Spence
I see him as a tough opponent. He's the world champion and he throws a lot of punches. He is very energetic. So that's why he's a success. He's a rough guy and he does whatever it takes to win. So from that aspect and him beating Danny Garcia, I see him as a tough test.
Q
How are you prepared to deal with that element of the physicality he brings that's not necessarily to the exact letter of the rules?
E. Spence
I'm a guy that I feel like I can ward it off or write it off. Or may do the exact same thing. So I feel like I've fought opponents just as physical as Shawn, or just just as strong as him. I feel like that won't really play a part in this fight.
Q
Were you disappointed you couldn't get Pacquiao next and sort of settled for Porter?
E. Spence
I was just looking for the next available guy. I wanted a unification fight too. Shawn Porter was the easiest fight to make and the quickest fight to make. So, that's why I decided with the fight, Shawn Porter.
I wanted the chance to beat Pacquiao. Pacquiao is a bigger name and a bigger fight. So, of course I wanted that fight. But Shawn Porter is the champion too. He has the build. So, I definitely wanted to unify too. I knew that if I wasn't going to get Pacquiao there was going to be a good chance I was going to fight Shawn Porter.
Q
Mikey Garcia had maybe a little bit of a bigger name, maybe a bigger fan base. I think most people would look at the fight between yourself and Shawn perhaps is the more competitive fight. Where do you stand on that? Which is the bigger fight in your mind?
E. Spence
I'd say Mike Garcia is the bigger name than Shawn Porter. But as a fan friendly fight or as an entertainment fight and tough fight, I would say this fight with Shawn Porter is going to be I feel like way more entertaining than the Mikey Garcia fight. I feel like the Shawn Porter fight is bigger just because it's a unification fight.
Q
Do you think that it's been easier this time around just because you have the experience of preparing for a Pay-Per-View event against Mikey Garcia? Or would you say it's more or less the same?
E. Spence
I think it's a lot easier. Because the first fight I was traveling to New York doing things and going back to California doing things. So I was basically going in and out of camp. I would say the first time it was harder than the second go around.
Q
Do you believe the winner of this fight should be considered the best welterweight in the world?
E. Spence
Definitely. There's no way around it. The winner is the unified champion. So, I definitely think the winner should be considered the top welterweight in the world and that makes me even more excited and hungry to win.
Q
This fight you've been a lot more vocal that you're going for a knockout. Usually you're' more reluctant to say that. Just wanted to know if that has to do with his style how your styles will mesh, your overall respect for him as a fighter, or just the mindset you're bringing to this fight?
E. Spence
It's just my overall mindset and something I want. I feel like the way he fights and the way he comes forward, I think I can exploit that. But I can't go in there and just force knock out. I'm going to try to work a bit and break him down.
Q
How do you prepare for that physicality that's going to come with that fight?
E. Spence
Mostly by preparing mentally for it and having sparring partners that bring the heat and bring the pressure. I feel like I'm ready. And I know that Shawn is going to bring it but that's why we work so hard to be ready for anything he brings at any time.
Q
Are you trying to probably make more of a statement in this fight, ?
E. Spence
Making that statement is something that I really want to do. It's one of my goals in this fight is to knock him out. I'd be the first person and that would make it a real statement. I'm ready to go in there and deliver. I want it to be a great knockout.
Q
Do you feel beating Porter will give you that respect that you deserve or seek?
E. Spence
About the way I beat Mikey Garcia, because I just didn't go in there. People thought I was just going to go in there and just bulldoze him. I just boxed and used my mind and made it a boxing match. So I think the people respect me from that standpoint. Where I just didn't try to use my size to beat him up. But I definitely see how I want to win against Shawn Porter. I think people give me more respect and value my skills and my abilities.
Q
How you want to beat up Shawn Porter.
E. Spence
I just want it to be a calculated knock out. I don't want to be going in just over anxious throwing a lot of punches and missing a lot of shots. I want to go for the knock out, be poised and pick my shots. I want to break him down and get a calculated knock out.
Q
What is it about Porter that has you working a little bit harder for this fight?
E. Spence
Porter's a guy trains hard and of course he has dad in his ear pushing him. So he's pushed to the limit every chance, every training. So that keeps me focused. Keeps me humbled. Because I know he's going to come in shape. I know going to throw punches. And I know he'll do whatever it takes to win. So, that keeps me basically on my toes. Keeping me training a little bit harder.
Q
How might Porter approach you as opposed to how he approached Ugás?
E. Spence
Shawn is the guy who just goes by the game plan. So I think the game plan is the try to beat me from the beginning and try to throw a lot of punches and bring me down. Try to stop me. So, I think that he's going to be more aggressive than he was against Ugas.
Q
Did you think he won that fight?
E. Spence
I think either guy could of won. I think it was super close where either guy could have won.
Q
Did it surprise you that Shawn approached that fight the way that he did?
E. Spence
Yes, a little bit. I would have thought he would be more aggressive like he did in the later rounds, in the early rounds. But they tried that strategy. He still won at the end of the day. So, that gives him the motivation heading into this fight.
Q
Errol, do you think you have gotten under his skin by calling him a dirty fighter?
E. Spence
No. Because I'm not the first person to call him dirty. I don't know if he's a dirty fighter but he has a dirty style. A lot of elbows and things like that. But he's good for a reason. Whatever works, he's doing it.
Q
How important is it for you in your fight, Errol, in the beginning of the fight if things get rough and he does some of the things that you've mentioned to do that right back to him to let him know that you're not going to tolerate that type of thing?
E. Spence
It could happen that way. But I'm not really worried about it. I think a lot of times, when he fights stronger, he isn't dirty like that. Danny Garcia, he wasn't dirty like that. I think he does that to fighters he can just push around. I'm not really concerned with his dirty tactics.
Q
How do you feel about getting this second pay per view?
E. Spence
Yes, of course. I started at SHOWTIME and I have a lot of love for SHOWTIME. Had my first fight on there. First title fight on there. So it's a lot of first moments on SHOWTIME. So now FOX has had amazing promotion for all their PBC fights. Really getting bigger than getting slots in between timeouts for the NFL. So it doesn't get bigger than that.
The promotion's been great and getting all the commercial slots. We're all very happy to have a promotion like this. It's been a great ride.
Q
Can you talk a little bit about what role you play in having your hand on Man Down promotions? You have a couple fighters fighting on this card, if you want to speak on that a little bit.
E. Spence
Yes, I have Man Down Promotions co-promoting. We have a couple fighters fighting on the card. We've got Burley Brooks, Amon Rashidi and Fernando Garcia all getting in the ring.
I'm a guy that I don't want to have a big stable of fighters. I want to have a few. So I can put my attention on just them and get them fights and make sure they're busy and things like that. So I'm not looking to really find any more fighters than what I have now. So, I can be focused on them.
Q
How will you balance whether it a dog fight or a chess match against Shawn?
E. Spence
It's just instinct. I feel like I know when to box and when to bang and how to pick and choose my spot and things like that. So it just happens naturally in a fight. I feel like at the first round, I'll know definitely where it's going. I'll figure him out, break him down and tear him apart or I'll beat him backing up.
E. Spence:
Everybody make sure you're there. Make sure you order the Fox Sports PBC Pay-Per-View September 28. It'll be an amazing event. I can't wait. I'm in great shape. Shawn Porter, he comes to fight. And like I said, I'm looking for the knock out. So it might be Fight of the Year if he can withstand my punches for all 12 rounds.
ABOUT SPENCE VS. PORTER
Spence vs. Porter pits unbeaten IBF Welterweight Champion Errol "The Truth" Spence Jr. against WBC Welterweight Champion "Showtime" Shawn Porter in a 147-pound title unification that headlines a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View event on Saturday, September 28 from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.
The pay-per-view event begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features WBC Super Middleweight World Champion Anthony "The Dog" Dirrell facing unbeaten former champion David "El Bandera Roja" Benavidez in the co-main event, unbeaten contenders Mario "El Azteca" Barrios and Batyr Akhmedov battling for the WBA Super Lightweight title, and rugged veteran Josesito "The Riverside Rocky" Lopez and brawler John Molina Jr. competing in a 10-round welterweight fight.
Tickets for the September 28th event, which is promoted by Man Down Promotions, TGB Promotions and Shawn Porter Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com.Thank you very much, operator. We greatly appreciate the media joining us from around the world. We continue the countdown for the big night of boxing coming your way on Saturday, September 28. That is a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. This is a stacked card from top to bottom.
It is a loaded event and our main event, which we are joined by the main event participants, is hotly anticipated welterweight title unification matchup, the IBF Champion Errol "The Truth" Spence, Jr. and the WBC champion "Showtime" Shawn Porter, get closer to their battle for welterweight supremacy.
The four-fight Pay-Per-View card starts at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. It is preceded by FS1 PBC prelims that come your way at 7:30 p.m. Et/4:30 p.m. PT. Tickets for the event are going quickly and they are promoted by Man Down Promotions, TGB Promotions and Shawn Porter Promotions. They're available right now at AXS.com or if you live in the Los Angeles area, at the STAPLES Center box office.
Now a man that has been very busy promoting big events all over the world, the President of TGB Promotions, a man who knows boxing better than anybody, here is Mr. Tom Brown.
Tom Brown
Well thank you, Ray, and thanks everyone for joining us today. Both Errol and Shawn are having great training camps. There's tremendous excitement about this fight and both fighters are in incredible shape. It's really a sensational matchup and one of the best fights that can be made in boxing's hottest division, the welterweights, with two world champions, unifying the title.
Errol Spence Jr. is one of the most talked about fighters in the sport. Many consider him to not only to be the best welterweight in the division but the best fighter in the world. But he's going to get all he can handle from Shawn Porter, who has always faced the best of the best in his illustrious career. This is really the type of fight that elevates the sport of boxing. So it's going to be a tremendous night of boxing, a big night on Saturday September 28. We have a great card and I hope everyone joins us. Thank you very much.
R. Flores
Thank you very much, Tom. And as Tom pointed out, both Shawn Porter and Errol Spence, Jr. are in impeccable shape. Now this man I'm getting ready to introduce, one of the champions, captured his title last September with a victory over Danny Garcia, also holds wins over the likes of Andre Berto, also Adrien Broner and Devon Alexander, while taking on the best in the division throughout his career, most recently coming off a title defense victory against Yordenis Ugas live on FOX in March. He is originally from Akron, Ohio but now living and training in Las Vegas alongside his father, Kenny Porter.
He is a two-time welterweight champion of the world. I know he's very happy on this Tuesday, especially with his Cleveland Browns picking up a very impressive victory over the New York Jets yesterday. His record 30 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw, 17 win by way of knockouts. Please welcome the always entertaining and charismatic "Showtime" Shawn Porter.
Shawn Porter
What's up, everybody? Thanks for having me on. We're about two weeks away and I couldn't be any more excited than I am right now. So I'm even excited to do these interviews right now with you guys, so let's go, let's do it.
Q
Where does that mentality come from you where there really does seem to be a genuine willingness to just look down the list and fight the best guys available that you and your team can make a match against, Spence being the next one?
S. Porter
It's how I grew up. It's how my dad raised me and it's where I come from. We were never allowed to shy away from any challenge and that's the way I've lived my life. So when it comes to taking on Errol Spence, to me it's like taking on any other fighter. It's not like taking on, as everyone has coined him, the boogeyman or the best welterweight in the world. To me I'm taking on another great, exciting fighter and I'm going to beat that great, exciting fighter.
Q
So it is Spence specifically that you wanted to fight or was it Spence was a guy that had one of the other world titles?
S. Porter
I think it's Spence specifically. I think it's specifically Spence because of not only him having a belt but who is and what he's done in the sport so far. Being undefeated and, again, being coined as the boogeyman of the division I'm like, "Yo, I need that. I need to beat that guy. I need to fight that guy." And so that's where the hunger really comes from for me.
Q
So then what was it can you say that put that in your mind or had your dad put that in your mind? Did you ever talk about that?
S. Porter
Again, it's how I was raised. I can tell you story after story that would confirm that that was how I was raised. But I was ten years old playing football against guys who were 12 and 13 years old and it doesn't sound that big but back then when you're ten going up against preteens it's a big deal.
So even at that young age, my dad has always challenged me and made sure I not only put out my best but I was going up against the best. And you look up, I'm 31 now and this is 100% familiar territory for me because it's where I come from.
Q
Did you just embrace fighting all those big names pretty much right off the bat as long as the business was right?
S. Porter
Yes. For me it was always about embracing the name or the opportunity or the fighter, whatever you may want to call it. I think for me coming into the game, the way that I came into the sport and the business being ran the way that it was ran for me, I was always told who I would fight and there was never really ever a fountain of guys to pick from. They were always hey this is who's next, this is when, this is where, and so that's how I've been bred into this sport.
So when you talk about fighting the mandatory challenger, Yordenis Ugas, and why would you fight him and a lot of different questions were posed to me, in my mind he's the mandatory, he's the guy they told me I had to fight. That's who I'm going to fight. So, again, I think it's the mindset that I've had a very young age from that seems to resonate for me.
Q
Tom, I was wondering if you could speak to that.
T. Brown
Where I really saw it with Shawn the first time was it was our second PBC show on March 13 back in 2015 when Roberto Garcia pulled out. We brought another opponent in. There was never any questioning; he was fighting. We brought Erick Bone in and he was a tough kid. Both Shawn and his father just said whoever you get, we're here to fight. So that's where he really showed me that he was a fighter, both he and his father, just what he talked about, the way he was raised back in Ohio.
Q
Could you talk a bit about your time fighting at that much higher weight and some of the fighters you specifically fought there and if that gives you confidence going into this fight with Spence?
S. Porter
I think fighting 165 pounds is no secret that the majority of the guys that I fought as an amateur were a lot bigger than Errol Spence, not just bigger than Errol, they were a lot bigger than Errol Spence and I'm talking about guys like Daniel Jacobs, who fights at 160 pounds, 168 pounds now. I fought against Oleksandr Usyk, who is unified champion over there in the Ukraine, a heavyweight now. I fought him at 165 pounds back in the day when we were about 20 years old and beat him.
I have wins against Jacobs and Demetrius Andrade. Me and Andrade were one and one in the amateur division. The last time that we fought we were 165 pounds and I beat him to go to a tournament as the amateur. The experience is there. The experience against taller, bigger opponents is there.
For me looking at Errol Spence, I don't look at him like he's a bigger guy than me. I don't think he's one of the bigger guys in the division. I think that he's been matched up against guys who have made him look a lot more powerful and bigger and stronger than he is. Trust me when I say he's met his match in this one.
Q
Can you talk about how you've balanced broadcasting and fighting and if you've had problems straddling those two professions and your focus going into this fight?
S. Porter
I'm blessed because FOX Studios is just a rock's throw away from Vegas so I can get there in just an hour. I do my thing. I actually have workouts and routines set around the filming and then on the ride home after we film. So it really has not been a hard thing for me to balance at all, the even more blessed part about it is I know the majority of the guys.
I've seen the majority of the fighters for a long, long time, then as amateurs and now I've known them as pros. So when it comes to things like being there to talk about these guys even that part of it is not strenuous for me because I know a lot of these guys, I know their styles, I know what they do, what they bring to the fight. So usually for me I'm just kind of shaping up on their statistics more than I am on who they are and who they bring to the ring. So it has not been a hard thing for me to balance and I've enjoyed it very, very much to this point.
Q
I know a couple weeks ago you mentioned that you were going to spar with Demetrius Andrade. I just wondered if you had the opportunity to do that and how it went if you did.
S. Porter
We're still working on getting Andrade to Vegas. We tried to get him in D.C. He had some family conflicts going on and now we're working on getting him into Vegas in the day or two so that we can get that last little bit of great work in. He's a tremendous athlete.
We've used him time and time again when I fought southpaws and even when I fought orthodox fighters because he gives us such great work and he's definitely a tough competitor and he makes it fun and enjoyable as well. So we do look forward to having him in Vegas and finishing up time with him in the next couple of days.
Q
Spence has said he's going to knock you out and there are other people who have said that he's going to be the first person to do that. Has that surprised your or driven you at all because you've always shown such a great chin?
S. Porter
I'm not surprised to hear him say he wants to knock me out. He's even said I'm going to knock you out. I'm not surprised to hear him say that because I know his mentality. I know who he is as a person. He's very, very driven and competitive, and I get that. The part about it for me is I think he may be trying to psyche himself out into thinking he can do it.
I think I have a proven chin. I've got a record for saying no fighter really wants to prove his chin. We never want to get hit, get hurt, anything like that but I've taken some pretty good shots from some top guys out there and I've managed to handle that and win and come out on top.
So when it comes to Errol Spence, I don't look at his power any different than anyone else I've been in the ring with and I'm going to go at him like I've gone at Keith Thurman, like I've gone at Danny Garcia, like I've gone at Yordenis Ugas, Devon Alexander and the list goes on from there.
Q
Shawn, he said that you were a dirty fighter obviously in one of those FOX shows. Does that bother you or what was your opinion of that?
S. Porter
No, it doesn't bother me. I think that's his perspective. I think there may have been looking at film of me maybe and pulling on some things that he can take advantage of and he may think that my roughness, he's misconstruing that for dirtiness.
If he can't handle the roughness then you will find out real soon, and if that's what's working for us well then that's what we'll do. We'll be rough, we'll be hard, we'll be rugged, we'll keep the pressure on him and we all know pressure bursts pipes.
Q
Shawn, do you think it's a psychological advantage for you a little bit that he's thinking about that and that he's mentioning this? Do you think that's in his head a little bit or how do you view that?
S. Porter
At this point, I do. I think that there's more than just that in his mind when it comes to fighting me. I think he knows that he's up against a lot. I think that those certain things that he's trying to be aware of or make the referee aware of, I think that that's a mistake on his behalf. I think he may be looking at those things and overlooking other things, like my skill and my talent and my speed and my quickness and my boxing ability, So I think that he's in trouble. I think it's only a matter of time before the world finds out.
Q
When you look at Errol's style, how do you see that faring against your style compared to when you fought Ugas? Do you see yourself having an easier or harder time dealing with Errol compared to Ugas?
S. Porter
No comparison. I think styles makes fights. I think you said it yourself. They're two completely different styles. I think that they both have or in Yordenis' case had, things that present problems for anyone that are in the ring.
I think for me I think my speed and my quickness against Errol Spence is definitely going to be superior. I think my foot movement is going to be superior and I think that it's going to open up a lot more opportunities. I think that Yordenis in the ring with me was a little confused. He was expecting me to have a different style than I came to him with and I think that really shook him up. I'm expecting to shake up Errol Spence.
Q
One of the things I remember when we spoke a couple of months ago was that you wanted to have a pay-per-view main event on your resume and now that you got that, especially in a title unification, how does it feel being on this type of unique platform that so few fighters have had the opportunity to headline a pay per view?
S. Porter
It's been a lot of fun. It definitely has been an eye-opener as well. Someone just sent me a picture telling me that the fights were going to be shown in theaters and I already knew that but to actually see it and have a preview of yourself at a movie theater is pretty cool. I'm at the theaters every other week so I'm going to do the best I can to sell the fight and let people know that they can go watch it at their local theater. I think that's awesome.
It's been a lot of fun and I've enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to fight week. I hope it gets even more fun and gets more exciting. Fight week is something that I've been looking forward to.
Q
Given that the winner will have two of the four world titles, do you see this fight as the winner should be considered the number one welterweight in the world?
S. Porter
I do. I think that myself and Errol Spence, are the number one and number two guys. You call who you want to be number one and number two but the best part about it is one is about to fight two and one is about to get eliminated. I think that after I beat Errol Spence, especially the way I beat Errol Spence, I think that this will see me as the number one guy in the division.
Q
Will you talk to us about what you gained from that sparring with Benavidez?
S. Porter
That's a big dude right there. That's a fast dude. He's competitive and honestly I really did enjoy the whole experience of being in the ring with him and being in the gym with him as well. He's a dynamite guy. Being in the ring with him, I think at that point challenging ourselves and finding out where we were in camp and I think we found out that the conditioning that I was in at that point was great and we knew that we still had a couple of steps that we could pick up. But being in the ring with a big guy like that we definitely were able to find out that we were exactly where we wanted to be in camp at that point in time.
Q
Now I see that you predicted -- do I have this right -- you predicted an eighth round knockout of Spence next week?
S. Porter
Well someone else came on the line and they predicted that knockout. I did say I liked the thought of that prediction but I myself did not make that prediction, no, sir.
But if you're asking me if I am going to knock him out, if I want to knock him out, heck yes. Do I have what it takes? Heck yes. And I think that we've come up with a great game plan and we definitely at some point will be looking at pressuring him and knocking him out.
Q
Is there anybody that you fought that's maybe a little bit similar to Errol Spence?
S. Porter
If I had to say it would be between Danny Garcia and Kell Brook. I think that Errol Spence has great boxing ability, a great one-two, great basic fundamentals. He's very, very fundamental structured, a lot like Kell Brook, and I think that that he tries to dictate the pace and do the things that he like to do in the ring, a lot like Danny Garcia. So I think he's a mixture of those two.
Q
Does it bother you that people say that Errol's on a whole different level as far as boxing and that you can't box with him?
S. Porter
I'm from where LeBron James is from, northeast Ohio. He said in northeast Ohio everything is earned, nothing is given. With that being said, I know how it feels to prove people wrong. I know what it feels like to do the impossible and do the things that people don't expect you to do.
So it doesn't bother me that people don't give me credit for my boxing ability or say things like me not being able to box with Errol Spence on the outside, things like that. It just leaves room for me to do what I do where I come from. Where I come from is proving people wrong and doing the impossible and that's what I'm looking forward on the 28th.
Q
I know you're always motivated but like is it motivations on another level right now because you want to prove so many different people wrong?
S. Porter
No. The odds, the betting odds, they don't give me any more energy or drive to do anything different. It's my understanding that I'm going to see a lot of people who say, "Hey, man, I bet on you, man. Thanks." And there's going to be a lot of people out there saying, "Man, I should have bet on you." That's always fun to hear and see. So I'm looking forward to that.
Q
Would you agree that the intensity in this fight is based on who's the best at 147, it's not personal. It's more business?
S. Porter
I think it's both and the reason why I say it's both is because I think the business part of it is just about showing who's the best fighter and who has the best style and who's more determined, all that good stuff. But I think that at the same time we both are challenged to show that we have a great team, great families, all that kind of stuff. So, I think it kind of mixes a little bit. But in terms of there's nothing personal in terms of me taking shots at him, at Errol or anybody else in the division based on what they do in their personal life. It's all based around the business and the training and all that kind of stuff.
Q
Do you see the perspective that this is a legacy fight for you?
S. Porter
Yes, I think it's cool to be in my position. I'm the only one that's taken on all those guys and still here to continue moving forward. I think if anything if we do want to talk about the betting odds and things like that. I think you take into consideration what I've done and who I've done it against. And how I've performed. I think that if you take into account that I've fought Danny Garcia at in his prime basically, Keith Thurman in his prime basically. Just recently Ugas who is a great boxer. I think that if you take in all that into account you might say, man, like, alright I think this fight is going to be a little more competitive and harder to choose the winner than I think it is going to be.
S. Porter
I'm looking forward to the 28th. I'm sure you guys are used to hearing that. But the thing you're not used to hearing is the world is about to be shocked. Team Porter has done a fantastic job at getting prepared for Errol Spence. We are overlooking anything that he can do in the ring. But we definitely feel like we are the superior athlete, the superior fighter. And we are all looking forward to the 29th and shocking the world on the 28th. Thank you, guys, so much for the interviews. And I'll see you all soon.
R. Flores
This next fighter just gets it done and at a very high level. As his level of opposition increases, he continues to wipe out his opponents, and he has a very tough test ahead of himself. His record, 25 and 0, 21 wins by way knockout. Please welcome the reigning and defending IBF welterweight champion of the world Errol "The Truth" Spence Jr.
Errol Spence Jr.
Hey how it's going? Happy to be here. Training camp has been really good. I am excited that it's only two weeks away. It's going to be a great match up between two great champions. I'm always ready to fight. So, I hope everybody's coming to the fight. It's going to be an amazing night and might be the Fight of the Year this year.
Q
Porter seems to be a guy that would be more your equal than maybe your past few opponents. What is your opinion of that?
E. Spence
I see him as a tough opponent. He's the world champion and he throws a lot of punches. He is very energetic. So that's why he's a success. He's a rough guy and he does whatever it takes to win. So from that aspect and him beating Danny Garcia, I see him as a tough test.
Q
How are you prepared to deal with that element of the physicality he brings that's not necessarily to the exact letter of the rules?
E. Spence
I'm a guy that I feel like I can ward it off or write it off. Or may do the exact same thing. So I feel like I've fought opponents just as physical as Shawn, or just just as strong as him. I feel like that won't really play a part in this fight.
Q
Were you disappointed you couldn't get Pacquiao next and sort of settled for Porter?
E. Spence
I was just looking for the next available guy. I wanted a unification fight too. Shawn Porter was the easiest fight to make and the quickest fight to make. So, that's why I decided with the fight, Shawn Porter.
I wanted the chance to beat Pacquiao. Pacquiao is a bigger name and a bigger fight. So, of course I wanted that fight. But Shawn Porter is the champion too. He has the build. So, I definitely wanted to unify too. I knew that if I wasn't going to get Pacquiao there was going to be a good chance I was going to fight Shawn Porter.
Q
Mikey Garcia had maybe a little bit of a bigger name, maybe a bigger fan base. I think most people would look at the fight between yourself and Shawn perhaps is the more competitive fight. Where do you stand on that? Which is the bigger fight in your mind?
E. Spence
I'd say Mike Garcia is the bigger name than Shawn Porter. But as a fan friendly fight or as an entertainment fight and tough fight, I would say this fight with Shawn Porter is going to be I feel like way more entertaining than the Mikey Garcia fight. I feel like the Shawn Porter fight is bigger just because it's a unification fight.
Q
Do you think that it's been easier this time around just because you have the experience of preparing for a Pay-Per-View event against Mikey Garcia? Or would you say it's more or less the same?
E. Spence
I think it's a lot easier. Because the first fight I was traveling to New York doing things and going back to California doing things. So I was basically going in and out of camp. I would say the first time it was harder than the second go around.
Q
Do you believe the winner of this fight should be considered the best welterweight in the world?
E. Spence
Definitely. There's no way around it. The winner is the unified champion. So, I definitely think the winner should be considered the top welterweight in the world and that makes me even more excited and hungry to win.
Q
This fight you've been a lot more vocal that you're going for a knockout. Usually you're' more reluctant to say that. Just wanted to know if that has to do with his style how your styles will mesh, your overall respect for him as a fighter, or just the mindset you're bringing to this fight?
E. Spence
It's just my overall mindset and something I want. I feel like the way he fights and the way he comes forward, I think I can exploit that. But I can't go in there and just force knock out. I'm going to try to work a bit and break him down.
Q
How do you prepare for that physicality that's going to come with that fight?
E. Spence
Mostly by preparing mentally for it and having sparring partners that bring the heat and bring the pressure. I feel like I'm ready. And I know that Shawn is going to bring it but that's why we work so hard to be ready for anything he brings at any time.
Q
Are you trying to probably make more of a statement in this fight, ?
E. Spence
Making that statement is something that I really want to do. It's one of my goals in this fight is to knock him out. I'd be the first person and that would make it a real statement. I'm ready to go in there and deliver. I want it to be a great knockout.
Q
Do you feel beating Porter will give you that respect that you deserve or seek?
E. Spence
About the way I beat Mikey Garcia, because I just didn't go in there. People thought I was just going to go in there and just bulldoze him. I just boxed and used my mind and made it a boxing match. So I think the people respect me from that standpoint. Where I just didn't try to use my size to beat him up. But I definitely see how I want to win against Shawn Porter. I think people give me more respect and value my skills and my abilities.
Q
How you want to beat up Shawn Porter.
E. Spence
I just want it to be a calculated knock out. I don't want to be going in just over anxious throwing a lot of punches and missing a lot of shots. I want to go for the knock out, be poised and pick my shots. I want to break him down and get a calculated knock out.
Q
What is it about Porter that has you working a little bit harder for this fight?
E. Spence
Porter's a guy trains hard and of course he has dad in his ear pushing him. So he's pushed to the limit every chance, every training. So that keeps me focused. Keeps me humbled. Because I know he's going to come in shape. I know going to throw punches. And I know he'll do whatever it takes to win. So, that keeps me basically on my toes. Keeping me training a little bit harder.
Q
How might Porter approach you as opposed to how he approached Ugás?
E. Spence
Shawn is the guy who just goes by the game plan. So I think the game plan is the try to beat me from the beginning and try to throw a lot of punches and bring me down. Try to stop me. So, I think that he's going to be more aggressive than he was against Ugas.
Q
Did you think he won that fight?
E. Spence
I think either guy could of won. I think it was super close where either guy could have won.
Q
Did it surprise you that Shawn approached that fight the way that he did?
E. Spence
Yes, a little bit. I would have thought he would be more aggressive like he did in the later rounds, in the early rounds. But they tried that strategy. He still won at the end of the day. So, that gives him the motivation heading into this fight.
Q
Errol, do you think you have gotten under his skin by calling him a dirty fighter?
E. Spence
No. Because I'm not the first person to call him dirty. I don't know if he's a dirty fighter but he has a dirty style. A lot of elbows and things like that. But he's good for a reason. Whatever works, he's doing it.
Q
How important is it for you in your fight, Errol, in the beginning of the fight if things get rough and he does some of the things that you've mentioned to do that right back to him to let him know that you're not going to tolerate that type of thing?
E. Spence
It could happen that way. But I'm not really worried about it. I think a lot of times, when he fights stronger, he isn't dirty like that. Danny Garcia, he wasn't dirty like that. I think he does that to fighters he can just push around. I'm not really concerned with his dirty tactics.
Q
How do you feel about getting this second pay per view?
E. Spence
Yes, of course. I started at SHOWTIME and I have a lot of love for SHOWTIME. Had my first fight on there. First title fight on there. So it's a lot of first moments on SHOWTIME. So now FOX has had amazing promotion for all their PBC fights. Really getting bigger than getting slots in between timeouts for the NFL. So it doesn't get bigger than that.
The promotion's been great and getting all the commercial slots. We're all very happy to have a promotion like this. It's been a great ride.
Q
Can you talk a little bit about what role you play in having your hand on Man Down promotions? You have a couple fighters fighting on this card, if you want to speak on that a little bit.
E. Spence
Yes, I have Man Down Promotions co-promoting. We have a couple fighters fighting on the card. We've got Burley Brooks, Amon Rashidi and Fernando Garcia all getting in the ring.
I'm a guy that I don't want to have a big stable of fighters. I want to have a few. So I can put my attention on just them and get them fights and make sure they're busy and things like that. So I'm not looking to really find any more fighters than what I have now. So, I can be focused on them.
Q
How will you balance whether it a dog fight or a chess match against Shawn?
E. Spence
It's just instinct. I feel like I know when to box and when to bang and how to pick and choose my spot and things like that. So it just happens naturally in a fight. I feel like at the first round, I'll know definitely where it's going. I'll figure him out, break him down and tear him apart or I'll beat him backing up.
E. Spence:
Everybody make sure you're there. Make sure you order the Fox Sports PBC Pay-Per-View September 28. It'll be an amazing event. I can't wait. I'm in great shape. Shawn Porter, he comes to fight. And like I said, I'm looking for the knock out. So it might be Fight of the Year if he can withstand my punches for all 12 rounds.
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Spence-Porter conference call transcript
Ray Flores: Thank you very much, operator. We greatly appreciate the media joining us from around the world. We continue the countdown for the big night of boxing coming your way on Saturday, September 28th. That is a Fox pay-per-view from Staples Center in Los Angeles. We are joined by the main event participants in a welterweight title unification match-up, the IBF Champion Errol "The Truth" Spence, Jr. (pictured) and the WBC champion "Showtime" Shawn Porter.
Promoter Tom Brown
Well thank you, Ray, and thanks everyone for joining us today. Both Errol and Shawn are having great training camps. There's tremendous excitement about this fight and both fighters are in incredible shape. It's really a sensational matchup and one of the best fights that can be made in boxing's hottest division, the welterweights, with two world champions, unifying the title.
Errol Spence Jr. is one of the most talked about fighters in the sport. Many consider him to not only to be the best welterweight in the division but the best fighter in the world. But he's going to get all he can handle from Shawn Porter, who has always faced the best of the best in his illustrious career. This is really the type of fight that elevates the sport of boxing. So it's going to be a tremendous night of boxing, a big night on Saturday September 28. We have a great card and I hope everyone joins us. Thank you very much.
R. Flores
Thank you very much, Tom. And as Tom pointed out, both Shawn Porter and Errol Spence, Jr. are in impeccable shape. Now this man I'm getting ready to introduce, one of the champions, captured his title last September with a victory over Danny Garcia, also holds wins over the likes of Andre Berto, also Adrien Broner and Devon Alexander, while taking on the best in the division throughout his career, most recently coming off a title defense victory against Yordenis Ugas live on FOX in March. He is originally from Akron, Ohio but now living and training in Las Vegas alongside his father, Kenny Porter.
He is a two-time welterweight champion of the world. I know he's very happy on this Tuesday, especially with his Cleveland Browns picking up a very impressive victory over the New York Jets yesterday. His record 30 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw, 17 win by way of knockouts. Please welcome the always entertaining and charismatic "Showtime" Shawn Porter.
Shawn Porter
What's up, everybody? Thanks for having me on. We're about two weeks away and I couldn't be any more excited than I am right now. So I'm even excited to do these interviews right now with you guys, so let's go, let's do it.
Q: Where does that mentality come from you where there really does seem to be a genuine willingness to just look down the list and fight the best guys available that you and your team can make a match against, Spence being the next one?
S. Porter
It's how I grew up. It's how my dad raised me and it's where I come from. We were never allowed to shy away from any challenge and that's the way I've lived my life. So when it comes to taking on Errol Spence, to me it's like taking on any other fighter. It's not like taking on, as everyone has coined him, the boogeyman or the best welterweight in the world. To me I'm taking on another great, exciting fighter and I'm going to beat that great, exciting fighter.
Q: So it is Spence specifically that you wanted to fight or was it Spence was a guy that had one of the other world titles?
S. Porter
I think it's Spence specifically. I think it's specifically Spence because of not only him having a belt but who is and what he's done in the sport so far. Being undefeated and, again, being coined as the boogeyman of the division I'm like, "Yo, I need that. I need to beat that guy. I need to fight that guy." And so that's where the hunger really comes from for me.
Q
So then what was it can you say that put that in your mind or had your dad put that in your mind? Did you ever talk about that?
S. Porter
Again, it's how I was raised. I can tell you story after story that would confirm that that was how I was raised. But I was ten years old playing football against guys who were 12 and 13 years old and it doesn't sound that big but back then when you're ten going up against preteens it's a big deal.
So even at that young age, my dad has always challenged me and made sure I not only put out my best but I was going up against the best. And you look up, I'm 31 now and this is 100% familiar territory for me because it's where I come from.
Q
Did you just embrace fighting all those big names pretty much right off the bat as long as the business was right?
S. Porter
Yes. For me it was always about embracing the name or the opportunity or the fighter, whatever you may want to call it. I think for me coming into the game, the way that I came into the sport and the business being ran the way that it was ran for me, I was always told who I would fight and there was never really ever a fountain of guys to pick from. They were always hey this is who's next, this is when, this is where, and so that's how I've been bred into this sport.
So when you talk about fighting the mandatory challenger, Yordenis Ugas, and why would you fight him and a lot of different questions were posed to me, in my mind he's the mandatory, he's the guy they told me I had to fight. That's who I'm going to fight. So, again, I think it's the mindset that I've had a very young age from that seems to resonate for me.
Q
Tom, I was wondering if you could speak to that.
T. Brown
Where I really saw it with Shawn the first time was it was our second PBC show on March 13 back in 2015 when Roberto Garcia pulled out. We brought another opponent in. There was never any questioning; he was fighting. We brought Erick Bone in and he was a tough kid. Both Shawn and his father just said whoever you get, we're here to fight. So that's where he really showed me that he was a fighter, both he and his father, just what he talked about, the way he was raised back in Ohio.
Q
Could you talk a bit about your time fighting at that much higher weight and some of the fighters you specifically fought there and if that gives you confidence going into this fight with Spence?
S. Porter
I think fighting 165 pounds is no secret that the majority of the guys that I fought as an amateur were a lot bigger than Errol Spence, not just bigger than Errol, they were a lot bigger than Errol Spence and I'm talking about guys like Daniel Jacobs, who fights at 160 pounds, 168 pounds now. I fought against Oleksandr Usyk, who is unified champion over there in the Ukraine, a heavyweight now. I fought him at 165 pounds back in the day when we were about 20 years old and beat him.
I have wins against Jacobs and Demetrius Andrade. Me and Andrade were one and one in the amateur division. The last time that we fought we were 165 pounds and I beat him to go to a tournament as the amateur. The experience is there. The experience against taller, bigger opponents is there.
For me looking at Errol Spence, I don't look at him like he's a bigger guy than me. I don't think he's one of the bigger guys in the division. I think that he's been matched up against guys who have made him look a lot more powerful and bigger and stronger than he is. Trust me when I say he's met his match in this one.
Q
Can you talk about how you've balanced broadcasting and fighting and if you've had problems straddling those two professions and your focus going into this fight?
S. Porter
I'm blessed because FOX Studios is just a rock's throw away from Vegas so I can get there in just an hour. I do my thing. I actually have workouts and routines set around the filming and then on the ride home after we film. So it really has not been a hard thing for me to balance at all, the even more blessed part about it is I know the majority of the guys.
I've seen the majority of the fighters for a long, long time, then as amateurs and now I've known them as pros. So when it comes to things like being there to talk about these guys even that part of it is not strenuous for me because I know a lot of these guys, I know their styles, I know what they do, what they bring to the fight. So usually for me I'm just kind of shaping up on their statistics more than I am on who they are and who they bring to the ring. So it has not been a hard thing for me to balance and I've enjoyed it very, very much to this point.
Q
I know a couple weeks ago you mentioned that you were going to spar with Demetrius Andrade. I just wondered if you had the opportunity to do that and how it went if you did.
S. Porter
We're still working on getting Andrade to Vegas. We tried to get him in D.C. He had some family conflicts going on and now we're working on getting him into Vegas in the day or two so that we can get that last little bit of great work in. He's a tremendous athlete.
We've used him time and time again when I fought southpaws and even when I fought orthodox fighters because he gives us such great work and he's definitely a tough competitor and he makes it fun and enjoyable as well. So we do look forward to having him in Vegas and finishing up time with him in the next couple of days.
Q
Spence has said he's going to knock you out and there are other people who have said that he's going to be the first person to do that. Has that surprised your or driven you at all because you've always shown such a great chin?
S. Porter
I'm not surprised to hear him say he wants to knock me out. He's even said I'm going to knock you out. I'm not surprised to hear him say that because I know his mentality. I know who he is as a person. He's very, very driven and competitive, and I get that. The part about it for me is I think he may be trying to psyche himself out into thinking he can do it.
I think I have a proven chin. I've got a record for saying no fighter really wants to prove his chin. We never want to get hit, get hurt, anything like that but I've taken some pretty good shots from some top guys out there and I've managed to handle that and win and come out on top.
So when it comes to Errol Spence, I don't look at his power any different than anyone else I've been in the ring with and I'm going to go at him like I've gone at Keith Thurman, like I've gone at Danny Garcia, like I've gone at Yordenis Ugas, Devon Alexander and the list goes on from there.
Q
Shawn, he said that you were a dirty fighter obviously in one of those FOX shows. Does that bother you or what was your opinion of that?
S. Porter
No, it doesn't bother me. I think that's his perspective. I think there may have been looking at film of me maybe and pulling on some things that he can take advantage of and he may think that my roughness, he's misconstruing that for dirtiness.
If he can't handle the roughness then you will find out real soon, and if that's what's working for us well then that's what we'll do. We'll be rough, we'll be hard, we'll be rugged, we'll keep the pressure on him and we all know pressure bursts pipes.
Q
Shawn, do you think it's a psychological advantage for you a little bit that he's thinking about that and that he's mentioning this? Do you think that's in his head a little bit or how do you view that?
S. Porter
At this point, I do. I think that there's more than just that in his mind when it comes to fighting me. I think he knows that he's up against a lot. I think that those certain things that he's trying to be aware of or make the referee aware of, I think that that's a mistake on his behalf. I think he may be looking at those things and overlooking other things, like my skill and my talent and my speed and my quickness and my boxing ability, So I think that he's in trouble. I think it's only a matter of time before the world finds out.
Q
When you look at Errol's style, how do you see that faring against your style compared to when you fought Ugas? Do you see yourself having an easier or harder time dealing with Errol compared to Ugas?
S. Porter
No comparison. I think styles makes fights. I think you said it yourself. They're two completely different styles. I think that they both have or in Yordenis' case had, things that present problems for anyone that are in the ring.
I think for me I think my speed and my quickness against Errol Spence is definitely going to be superior. I think my foot movement is going to be superior and I think that it's going to open up a lot more opportunities. I think that Yordenis in the ring with me was a little confused. He was expecting me to have a different style than I came to him with and I think that really shook him up. I'm expecting to shake up Errol Spence.
Q
One of the things I remember when we spoke a couple of months ago was that you wanted to have a pay-per-view main event on your resume and now that you got that, especially in a title unification, how does it feel being on this type of unique platform that so few fighters have had the opportunity to headline a pay per view?
S. Porter
It's been a lot of fun. It definitely has been an eye-opener as well. Someone just sent me a picture telling me that the fights were going to be shown in theaters and I already knew that but to actually see it and have a preview of yourself at a movie theater is pretty cool. I'm at the theaters every other week so I'm going to do the best I can to sell the fight and let people know that they can go watch it at their local theater. I think that's awesome.
It's been a lot of fun and I've enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to fight week. I hope it gets even more fun and gets more exciting. Fight week is something that I've been looking forward to.
Q
Given that the winner will have two of the four world titles, do you see this fight as the winner should be considered the number one welterweight in the world?
S. Porter
I do. I think that myself and Errol Spence, are the number one and number two guys. You call who you want to be number one and number two but the best part about it is one is about to fight two and one is about to get eliminated. I think that after I beat Errol Spence, especially the way I beat Errol Spence, I think that this will see me as the number one guy in the division.
Q
Will you talk to us about what you gained from that sparring with Benavidez?
S. Porter
That's a big dude right there. That's a fast dude. He's competitive and honestly I really did enjoy the whole experience of being in the ring with him and being in the gym with him as well. He's a dynamite guy. Being in the ring with him, I think at that point challenging ourselves and finding out where we were in camp and I think we found out that the conditioning that I was in at that point was great and we knew that we still had a couple of steps that we could pick up. But being in the ring with a big guy like that we definitely were able to find out that we were exactly where we wanted to be in camp at that point in time.
Q
Now I see that you predicted -- do I have this right -- you predicted an eighth round knockout of Spence next week?
S. Porter
Well someone else came on the line and they predicted that knockout. I did say I liked the thought of that prediction but I myself did not make that prediction, no, sir.
But if you're asking me if I am going to knock him out, if I want to knock him out, heck yes. Do I have what it takes? Heck yes. And I think that we've come up with a great game plan and we definitely at some point will be looking at pressuring him and knocking him out.
Q
Is there anybody that you fought that's maybe a little bit similar to Errol Spence?
S. Porter
If I had to say it would be between Danny Garcia and Kell Brook. I think that Errol Spence has great boxing ability, a great one-two, great basic fundamentals. He's very, very fundamental structured, a lot like Kell Brook, and I think that that he tries to dictate the pace and do the things that he like to do in the ring, a lot like Danny Garcia. So I think he's a mixture of those two.
Q
Does it bother you that people say that Errol's on a whole different level as far as boxing and that you can't box with him?
S. Porter
I'm from where LeBron James is from, northeast Ohio. He said in northeast Ohio everything is earned, nothing is given. With that being said, I know how it feels to prove people wrong. I know what it feels like to do the impossible and do the things that people don't expect you to do.
So it doesn't bother me that people don't give me credit for my boxing ability or say things like me not being able to box with Errol Spence on the outside, things like that. It just leaves room for me to do what I do where I come from. Where I come from is proving people wrong and doing the impossible and that's what I'm looking forward on the 28th.
Q
I know you're always motivated but like is it motivations on another level right now because you want to prove so many different people wrong?
S. Porter
No. The odds, the betting odds, they don't give me any more energy or drive to do anything different. It's my understanding that I'm going to see a lot of people who say, "Hey, man, I bet on you, man. Thanks." And there's going to be a lot of people out there saying, "Man, I should have bet on you." That's always fun to hear and see. So I'm looking forward to that.
Q
Would you agree that the intensity in this fight is based on who's the best at 147, it's not personal. It's more business?
S. Porter
I think it's both and the reason why I say it's both is because I think the business part of it is just about showing who's the best fighter and who has the best style and who's more determined, all that good stuff. But I think that at the same time we both are challenged to show that we have a great team, great families, all that kind of stuff. So, I think it kind of mixes a little bit. But in terms of there's nothing personal in terms of me taking shots at him, at Errol or anybody else in the division based on what they do in their personal life. It's all based around the business and the training and all that kind of stuff.
Q
Do you see the perspective that this is a legacy fight for you?
S. Porter
Yes, I think it's cool to be in my position. I'm the only one that's taken on all those guys and still here to continue moving forward. I think if anything if we do want to talk about the betting odds and things like that. I think you take into consideration what I've done and who I've done it against. And how I've performed. I think that if you take into account that I've fought Danny Garcia at in his prime basically, Keith Thurman in his prime basically. Just recently Ugas who is a great boxer. I think that if you take in all that into account you might say, man, like, alright I think this fight is going to be a little more competitive and harder to choose the winner than I think it is going to be.
S. Porter
I'm looking forward to the 28th. I'm sure you guys are used to hearing that. But the thing you're not used to hearing is the world is about to be shocked. Team Porter has done a fantastic job at getting prepared for Errol Spence. We are overlooking anything that he can do in the ring. But we definitely feel like we are the superior athlete, the superior fighter. And we are all looking forward to the 29th and shocking the world on the 28th. Thank you, guys, so much for the interviews. And I'll see you all soon.
R. Flores
This next fighter just gets it done and at a very high level. As his level of opposition increases, he continues to wipe out his opponents, and he has a very tough test ahead of himself. His record, 25 and 0, 21 wins by way knockout. Please welcome the reigning and defending IBF welterweight champion of the world Errol "The Truth" Spence Jr.
Errol Spence Jr.
Hey how it's going? Happy to be here. Training camp has been really good. I am excited that it's only two weeks away. It's going to be a great match up between two great champions. I'm always ready to fight. So, I hope everybody's coming to the fight. It's going to be an amazing night and might be the Fight of the Year this year.
Q
Porter seems to be a guy that would be more your equal than maybe your past few opponents. What is your opinion of that?
E. Spence
I see him as a tough opponent. He's the world champion and he throws a lot of punches. He is very energetic. So that's why he's a success. He's a rough guy and he does whatever it takes to win. So from that aspect and him beating Danny Garcia, I see him as a tough test.
Q
How are you prepared to deal with that element of the physicality he brings that's not necessarily to the exact letter of the rules?
E. Spence
I'm a guy that I feel like I can ward it off or write it off. Or may do the exact same thing. So I feel like I've fought opponents just as physical as Shawn, or just just as strong as him. I feel like that won't really play a part in this fight.
Q
Were you disappointed you couldn't get Pacquiao next and sort of settled for Porter?
E. Spence
I was just looking for the next available guy. I wanted a unification fight too. Shawn Porter was the easiest fight to make and the quickest fight to make. So, that's why I decided with the fight, Shawn Porter.
I wanted the chance to beat Pacquiao. Pacquiao is a bigger name and a bigger fight. So, of course I wanted that fight. But Shawn Porter is the champion too. He has the build. So, I definitely wanted to unify too. I knew that if I wasn't going to get Pacquiao there was going to be a good chance I was going to fight Shawn Porter.
Q
Mikey Garcia had maybe a little bit of a bigger name, maybe a bigger fan base. I think most people would look at the fight between yourself and Shawn perhaps is the more competitive fight. Where do you stand on that? Which is the bigger fight in your mind?
E. Spence
I'd say Mike Garcia is the bigger name than Shawn Porter. But as a fan friendly fight or as an entertainment fight and tough fight, I would say this fight with Shawn Porter is going to be I feel like way more entertaining than the Mikey Garcia fight. I feel like the Shawn Porter fight is bigger just because it's a unification fight.
Q
Do you think that it's been easier this time around just because you have the experience of preparing for a Pay-Per-View event against Mikey Garcia? Or would you say it's more or less the same?
E. Spence
I think it's a lot easier. Because the first fight I was traveling to New York doing things and going back to California doing things. So I was basically going in and out of camp. I would say the first time it was harder than the second go around.
Q
Do you believe the winner of this fight should be considered the best welterweight in the world?
E. Spence
Definitely. There's no way around it. The winner is the unified champion. So, I definitely think the winner should be considered the top welterweight in the world and that makes me even more excited and hungry to win.
Q
This fight you've been a lot more vocal that you're going for a knockout. Usually you're' more reluctant to say that. Just wanted to know if that has to do with his style how your styles will mesh, your overall respect for him as a fighter, or just the mindset you're bringing to this fight?
E. Spence
It's just my overall mindset and something I want. I feel like the way he fights and the way he comes forward, I think I can exploit that. But I can't go in there and just force knock out. I'm going to try to work a bit and break him down.
Q
How do you prepare for that physicality that's going to come with that fight?
E. Spence
Mostly by preparing mentally for it and having sparring partners that bring the heat and bring the pressure. I feel like I'm ready. And I know that Shawn is going to bring it but that's why we work so hard to be ready for anything he brings at any time.
Q
Are you trying to probably make more of a statement in this fight, ?
E. Spence
Making that statement is something that I really want to do. It's one of my goals in this fight is to knock him out. I'd be the first person and that would make it a real statement. I'm ready to go in there and deliver. I want it to be a great knockout.
Q
Do you feel beating Porter will give you that respect that you deserve or seek?
E. Spence
About the way I beat Mikey Garcia, because I just didn't go in there. People thought I was just going to go in there and just bulldoze him. I just boxed and used my mind and made it a boxing match. So I think the people respect me from that standpoint. Where I just didn't try to use my size to beat him up. But I definitely see how I want to win against Shawn Porter. I think people give me more respect and value my skills and my abilities.
Q
How you want to beat up Shawn Porter.
E. Spence
I just want it to be a calculated knock out. I don't want to be going in just over anxious throwing a lot of punches and missing a lot of shots. I want to go for the knock out, be poised and pick my shots. I want to break him down and get a calculated knock out.
Q
What is it about Porter that has you working a little bit harder for this fight?
E. Spence
Porter's a guy trains hard and of course he has dad in his ear pushing him. So he's pushed to the limit every chance, every training. So that keeps me focused. Keeps me humbled. Because I know he's going to come in shape. I know going to throw punches. And I know he'll do whatever it takes to win. So, that keeps me basically on my toes. Keeping me training a little bit harder.
Q
How might Porter approach you as opposed to how he approached Ugás?
E. Spence
Shawn is the guy who just goes by the game plan. So I think the game plan is the try to beat me from the beginning and try to throw a lot of punches and bring me down. Try to stop me. So, I think that he's going to be more aggressive than he was against Ugas.
Q
Did you think he won that fight?
E. Spence
I think either guy could of won. I think it was super close where either guy could have won.
Q
Did it surprise you that Shawn approached that fight the way that he did?
E. Spence
Yes, a little bit. I would have thought he would be more aggressive like he did in the later rounds, in the early rounds. But they tried that strategy. He still won at the end of the day. So, that gives him the motivation heading into this fight.
Q
Errol, do you think you have gotten under his skin by calling him a dirty fighter?
E. Spence
No. Because I'm not the first person to call him dirty. I don't know if he's a dirty fighter but he has a dirty style. A lot of elbows and things like that. But he's good for a reason. Whatever works, he's doing it.
Q
How important is it for you in your fight, Errol, in the beginning of the fight if things get rough and he does some of the things that you've mentioned to do that right back to him to let him know that you're not going to tolerate that type of thing?
E. Spence
It could happen that way. But I'm not really worried about it. I think a lot of times, when he fights stronger, he isn't dirty like that. Danny Garcia, he wasn't dirty like that. I think he does that to fighters he can just push around. I'm not really concerned with his dirty tactics.
Q
How do you feel about getting this second pay per view?
E. Spence
Yes, of course. I started at SHOWTIME and I have a lot of love for SHOWTIME. Had my first fight on there. First title fight on there. So it's a lot of first moments on SHOWTIME. So now FOX has had amazing promotion for all their PBC fights. Really getting bigger than getting slots in between timeouts for the NFL. So it doesn't get bigger than that.
The promotion's been great and getting all the commercial slots. We're all very happy to have a promotion like this. It's been a great ride.
Q
Can you talk a little bit about what role you play in having your hand on Man Down promotions? You have a couple fighters fighting on this card, if you want to speak on that a little bit.
E. Spence
Yes, I have Man Down Promotions co-promoting. We have a couple fighters fighting on the card. We've got Burley Brooks, Amon Rashidi and Fernando Garcia all getting in the ring.
I'm a guy that I don't want to have a big stable of fighters. I want to have a few. So I can put my attention on just them and get them fights and make sure they're busy and things like that. So I'm not looking to really find any more fighters than what I have now. So, I can be focused on them.
Q
How will you balance whether it a dog fight or a chess match against Shawn?
E. Spence
It's just instinct. I feel like I know when to box and when to bang and how to pick and choose my spot and things like that. So it just happens naturally in a fight. I feel like at the first round, I'll know definitely where it's going. I'll figure him out, break him down and tear him apart or I'll beat him backing up.
E. Spence:
Everybody make sure you're there. Make sure you order the Fox Sports PBC Pay-Per-View September 28. It'll be an amazing event. I can't wait. I'm in great shape. Shawn Porter, he comes to fight. And like I said, I'm looking for the knock out. So it might be Fight of the Year if he can withstand my punches for all 12 rounds.
ABOUT SPENCE VS. PORTER
Spence vs. Porter pits unbeaten IBF Welterweight Champion Errol "The Truth" Spence Jr. against WBC Welterweight Champion "Showtime" Shawn Porter in a 147-pound title unification that headlines a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View event on Saturday, September 28 from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.
The pay-per-view event begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features WBC Super Middleweight World Champion Anthony "The Dog" Dirrell facing unbeaten former champion David "El Bandera Roja" Benavidez in the co-main event, unbeaten contenders Mario "El Azteca" Barrios and Batyr Akhmedov battling for the WBA Super Lightweight title, and rugged veteran Josesito "The Riverside Rocky" Lopez and brawler John Molina Jr. competing in a 10-round welterweight fight.
Tickets for the September 28th event, which is promoted by Man Down Promotions, TGB Promotions and Shawn Porter Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com.Thank you very much, operator. We greatly appreciate the media joining us from around the world. We continue the countdown for the big night of boxing coming your way on Saturday, September 28. That is a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. This is a stacked card from top to bottom.
It is a loaded event and our main event, which we are joined by the main event participants, is hotly anticipated welterweight title unification matchup, the IBF Champion Errol "The Truth" Spence, Jr. and the WBC champion "Showtime" Shawn Porter, get closer to their battle for welterweight supremacy.
The four-fight Pay-Per-View card starts at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. It is preceded by FS1 PBC prelims that come your way at 7:30 p.m. Et/4:30 p.m. PT. Tickets for the event are going quickly and they are promoted by Man Down Promotions, TGB Promotions and Shawn Porter Promotions. They're available right now at AXS.com or if you live in the Los Angeles area, at the STAPLES Center box office.
Now a man that has been very busy promoting big events all over the world, the President of TGB Promotions, a man who knows boxing better than anybody, here is Mr. Tom Brown.
Tom Brown
Well thank you, Ray, and thanks everyone for joining us today. Both Errol and Shawn are having great training camps. There's tremendous excitement about this fight and both fighters are in incredible shape. It's really a sensational matchup and one of the best fights that can be made in boxing's hottest division, the welterweights, with two world champions, unifying the title.
Errol Spence Jr. is one of the most talked about fighters in the sport. Many consider him to not only to be the best welterweight in the division but the best fighter in the world. But he's going to get all he can handle from Shawn Porter, who has always faced the best of the best in his illustrious career. This is really the type of fight that elevates the sport of boxing. So it's going to be a tremendous night of boxing, a big night on Saturday September 28. We have a great card and I hope everyone joins us. Thank you very much.
R. Flores
Thank you very much, Tom. And as Tom pointed out, both Shawn Porter and Errol Spence, Jr. are in impeccable shape. Now this man I'm getting ready to introduce, one of the champions, captured his title last September with a victory over Danny Garcia, also holds wins over the likes of Andre Berto, also Adrien Broner and Devon Alexander, while taking on the best in the division throughout his career, most recently coming off a title defense victory against Yordenis Ugas live on FOX in March. He is originally from Akron, Ohio but now living and training in Las Vegas alongside his father, Kenny Porter.
He is a two-time welterweight champion of the world. I know he's very happy on this Tuesday, especially with his Cleveland Browns picking up a very impressive victory over the New York Jets yesterday. His record 30 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw, 17 win by way of knockouts. Please welcome the always entertaining and charismatic "Showtime" Shawn Porter.
Shawn Porter
What's up, everybody? Thanks for having me on. We're about two weeks away and I couldn't be any more excited than I am right now. So I'm even excited to do these interviews right now with you guys, so let's go, let's do it.
Q
Where does that mentality come from you where there really does seem to be a genuine willingness to just look down the list and fight the best guys available that you and your team can make a match against, Spence being the next one?
S. Porter
It's how I grew up. It's how my dad raised me and it's where I come from. We were never allowed to shy away from any challenge and that's the way I've lived my life. So when it comes to taking on Errol Spence, to me it's like taking on any other fighter. It's not like taking on, as everyone has coined him, the boogeyman or the best welterweight in the world. To me I'm taking on another great, exciting fighter and I'm going to beat that great, exciting fighter.
Q
So it is Spence specifically that you wanted to fight or was it Spence was a guy that had one of the other world titles?
S. Porter
I think it's Spence specifically. I think it's specifically Spence because of not only him having a belt but who is and what he's done in the sport so far. Being undefeated and, again, being coined as the boogeyman of the division I'm like, "Yo, I need that. I need to beat that guy. I need to fight that guy." And so that's where the hunger really comes from for me.
Q
So then what was it can you say that put that in your mind or had your dad put that in your mind? Did you ever talk about that?
S. Porter
Again, it's how I was raised. I can tell you story after story that would confirm that that was how I was raised. But I was ten years old playing football against guys who were 12 and 13 years old and it doesn't sound that big but back then when you're ten going up against preteens it's a big deal.
So even at that young age, my dad has always challenged me and made sure I not only put out my best but I was going up against the best. And you look up, I'm 31 now and this is 100% familiar territory for me because it's where I come from.
Q
Did you just embrace fighting all those big names pretty much right off the bat as long as the business was right?
S. Porter
Yes. For me it was always about embracing the name or the opportunity or the fighter, whatever you may want to call it. I think for me coming into the game, the way that I came into the sport and the business being ran the way that it was ran for me, I was always told who I would fight and there was never really ever a fountain of guys to pick from. They were always hey this is who's next, this is when, this is where, and so that's how I've been bred into this sport.
So when you talk about fighting the mandatory challenger, Yordenis Ugas, and why would you fight him and a lot of different questions were posed to me, in my mind he's the mandatory, he's the guy they told me I had to fight. That's who I'm going to fight. So, again, I think it's the mindset that I've had a very young age from that seems to resonate for me.
Q
Tom, I was wondering if you could speak to that.
T. Brown
Where I really saw it with Shawn the first time was it was our second PBC show on March 13 back in 2015 when Roberto Garcia pulled out. We brought another opponent in. There was never any questioning; he was fighting. We brought Erick Bone in and he was a tough kid. Both Shawn and his father just said whoever you get, we're here to fight. So that's where he really showed me that he was a fighter, both he and his father, just what he talked about, the way he was raised back in Ohio.
Q
Could you talk a bit about your time fighting at that much higher weight and some of the fighters you specifically fought there and if that gives you confidence going into this fight with Spence?
S. Porter
I think fighting 165 pounds is no secret that the majority of the guys that I fought as an amateur were a lot bigger than Errol Spence, not just bigger than Errol, they were a lot bigger than Errol Spence and I'm talking about guys like Daniel Jacobs, who fights at 160 pounds, 168 pounds now. I fought against Oleksandr Usyk, who is unified champion over there in the Ukraine, a heavyweight now. I fought him at 165 pounds back in the day when we were about 20 years old and beat him.
I have wins against Jacobs and Demetrius Andrade. Me and Andrade were one and one in the amateur division. The last time that we fought we were 165 pounds and I beat him to go to a tournament as the amateur. The experience is there. The experience against taller, bigger opponents is there.
For me looking at Errol Spence, I don't look at him like he's a bigger guy than me. I don't think he's one of the bigger guys in the division. I think that he's been matched up against guys who have made him look a lot more powerful and bigger and stronger than he is. Trust me when I say he's met his match in this one.
Q
Can you talk about how you've balanced broadcasting and fighting and if you've had problems straddling those two professions and your focus going into this fight?
S. Porter
I'm blessed because FOX Studios is just a rock's throw away from Vegas so I can get there in just an hour. I do my thing. I actually have workouts and routines set around the filming and then on the ride home after we film. So it really has not been a hard thing for me to balance at all, the even more blessed part about it is I know the majority of the guys.
I've seen the majority of the fighters for a long, long time, then as amateurs and now I've known them as pros. So when it comes to things like being there to talk about these guys even that part of it is not strenuous for me because I know a lot of these guys, I know their styles, I know what they do, what they bring to the fight. So usually for me I'm just kind of shaping up on their statistics more than I am on who they are and who they bring to the ring. So it has not been a hard thing for me to balance and I've enjoyed it very, very much to this point.
Q
I know a couple weeks ago you mentioned that you were going to spar with Demetrius Andrade. I just wondered if you had the opportunity to do that and how it went if you did.
S. Porter
We're still working on getting Andrade to Vegas. We tried to get him in D.C. He had some family conflicts going on and now we're working on getting him into Vegas in the day or two so that we can get that last little bit of great work in. He's a tremendous athlete.
We've used him time and time again when I fought southpaws and even when I fought orthodox fighters because he gives us such great work and he's definitely a tough competitor and he makes it fun and enjoyable as well. So we do look forward to having him in Vegas and finishing up time with him in the next couple of days.
Q
Spence has said he's going to knock you out and there are other people who have said that he's going to be the first person to do that. Has that surprised your or driven you at all because you've always shown such a great chin?
S. Porter
I'm not surprised to hear him say he wants to knock me out. He's even said I'm going to knock you out. I'm not surprised to hear him say that because I know his mentality. I know who he is as a person. He's very, very driven and competitive, and I get that. The part about it for me is I think he may be trying to psyche himself out into thinking he can do it.
I think I have a proven chin. I've got a record for saying no fighter really wants to prove his chin. We never want to get hit, get hurt, anything like that but I've taken some pretty good shots from some top guys out there and I've managed to handle that and win and come out on top.
So when it comes to Errol Spence, I don't look at his power any different than anyone else I've been in the ring with and I'm going to go at him like I've gone at Keith Thurman, like I've gone at Danny Garcia, like I've gone at Yordenis Ugas, Devon Alexander and the list goes on from there.
Q
Shawn, he said that you were a dirty fighter obviously in one of those FOX shows. Does that bother you or what was your opinion of that?
S. Porter
No, it doesn't bother me. I think that's his perspective. I think there may have been looking at film of me maybe and pulling on some things that he can take advantage of and he may think that my roughness, he's misconstruing that for dirtiness.
If he can't handle the roughness then you will find out real soon, and if that's what's working for us well then that's what we'll do. We'll be rough, we'll be hard, we'll be rugged, we'll keep the pressure on him and we all know pressure bursts pipes.
Q
Shawn, do you think it's a psychological advantage for you a little bit that he's thinking about that and that he's mentioning this? Do you think that's in his head a little bit or how do you view that?
S. Porter
At this point, I do. I think that there's more than just that in his mind when it comes to fighting me. I think he knows that he's up against a lot. I think that those certain things that he's trying to be aware of or make the referee aware of, I think that that's a mistake on his behalf. I think he may be looking at those things and overlooking other things, like my skill and my talent and my speed and my quickness and my boxing ability, So I think that he's in trouble. I think it's only a matter of time before the world finds out.
Q
When you look at Errol's style, how do you see that faring against your style compared to when you fought Ugas? Do you see yourself having an easier or harder time dealing with Errol compared to Ugas?
S. Porter
No comparison. I think styles makes fights. I think you said it yourself. They're two completely different styles. I think that they both have or in Yordenis' case had, things that present problems for anyone that are in the ring.
I think for me I think my speed and my quickness against Errol Spence is definitely going to be superior. I think my foot movement is going to be superior and I think that it's going to open up a lot more opportunities. I think that Yordenis in the ring with me was a little confused. He was expecting me to have a different style than I came to him with and I think that really shook him up. I'm expecting to shake up Errol Spence.
Q
One of the things I remember when we spoke a couple of months ago was that you wanted to have a pay-per-view main event on your resume and now that you got that, especially in a title unification, how does it feel being on this type of unique platform that so few fighters have had the opportunity to headline a pay per view?
S. Porter
It's been a lot of fun. It definitely has been an eye-opener as well. Someone just sent me a picture telling me that the fights were going to be shown in theaters and I already knew that but to actually see it and have a preview of yourself at a movie theater is pretty cool. I'm at the theaters every other week so I'm going to do the best I can to sell the fight and let people know that they can go watch it at their local theater. I think that's awesome.
It's been a lot of fun and I've enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to fight week. I hope it gets even more fun and gets more exciting. Fight week is something that I've been looking forward to.
Q
Given that the winner will have two of the four world titles, do you see this fight as the winner should be considered the number one welterweight in the world?
S. Porter
I do. I think that myself and Errol Spence, are the number one and number two guys. You call who you want to be number one and number two but the best part about it is one is about to fight two and one is about to get eliminated. I think that after I beat Errol Spence, especially the way I beat Errol Spence, I think that this will see me as the number one guy in the division.
Q
Will you talk to us about what you gained from that sparring with Benavidez?
S. Porter
That's a big dude right there. That's a fast dude. He's competitive and honestly I really did enjoy the whole experience of being in the ring with him and being in the gym with him as well. He's a dynamite guy. Being in the ring with him, I think at that point challenging ourselves and finding out where we were in camp and I think we found out that the conditioning that I was in at that point was great and we knew that we still had a couple of steps that we could pick up. But being in the ring with a big guy like that we definitely were able to find out that we were exactly where we wanted to be in camp at that point in time.
Q
Now I see that you predicted -- do I have this right -- you predicted an eighth round knockout of Spence next week?
S. Porter
Well someone else came on the line and they predicted that knockout. I did say I liked the thought of that prediction but I myself did not make that prediction, no, sir.
But if you're asking me if I am going to knock him out, if I want to knock him out, heck yes. Do I have what it takes? Heck yes. And I think that we've come up with a great game plan and we definitely at some point will be looking at pressuring him and knocking him out.
Q
Is there anybody that you fought that's maybe a little bit similar to Errol Spence?
S. Porter
If I had to say it would be between Danny Garcia and Kell Brook. I think that Errol Spence has great boxing ability, a great one-two, great basic fundamentals. He's very, very fundamental structured, a lot like Kell Brook, and I think that that he tries to dictate the pace and do the things that he like to do in the ring, a lot like Danny Garcia. So I think he's a mixture of those two.
Q
Does it bother you that people say that Errol's on a whole different level as far as boxing and that you can't box with him?
S. Porter
I'm from where LeBron James is from, northeast Ohio. He said in northeast Ohio everything is earned, nothing is given. With that being said, I know how it feels to prove people wrong. I know what it feels like to do the impossible and do the things that people don't expect you to do.
So it doesn't bother me that people don't give me credit for my boxing ability or say things like me not being able to box with Errol Spence on the outside, things like that. It just leaves room for me to do what I do where I come from. Where I come from is proving people wrong and doing the impossible and that's what I'm looking forward on the 28th.
Q
I know you're always motivated but like is it motivations on another level right now because you want to prove so many different people wrong?
S. Porter
No. The odds, the betting odds, they don't give me any more energy or drive to do anything different. It's my understanding that I'm going to see a lot of people who say, "Hey, man, I bet on you, man. Thanks." And there's going to be a lot of people out there saying, "Man, I should have bet on you." That's always fun to hear and see. So I'm looking forward to that.
Q
Would you agree that the intensity in this fight is based on who's the best at 147, it's not personal. It's more business?
S. Porter
I think it's both and the reason why I say it's both is because I think the business part of it is just about showing who's the best fighter and who has the best style and who's more determined, all that good stuff. But I think that at the same time we both are challenged to show that we have a great team, great families, all that kind of stuff. So, I think it kind of mixes a little bit. But in terms of there's nothing personal in terms of me taking shots at him, at Errol or anybody else in the division based on what they do in their personal life. It's all based around the business and the training and all that kind of stuff.
Q
Do you see the perspective that this is a legacy fight for you?
S. Porter
Yes, I think it's cool to be in my position. I'm the only one that's taken on all those guys and still here to continue moving forward. I think if anything if we do want to talk about the betting odds and things like that. I think you take into consideration what I've done and who I've done it against. And how I've performed. I think that if you take into account that I've fought Danny Garcia at in his prime basically, Keith Thurman in his prime basically. Just recently Ugas who is a great boxer. I think that if you take in all that into account you might say, man, like, alright I think this fight is going to be a little more competitive and harder to choose the winner than I think it is going to be.
S. Porter
I'm looking forward to the 28th. I'm sure you guys are used to hearing that. But the thing you're not used to hearing is the world is about to be shocked. Team Porter has done a fantastic job at getting prepared for Errol Spence. We are overlooking anything that he can do in the ring. But we definitely feel like we are the superior athlete, the superior fighter. And we are all looking forward to the 29th and shocking the world on the 28th. Thank you, guys, so much for the interviews. And I'll see you all soon.
R. Flores
This next fighter just gets it done and at a very high level. As his level of opposition increases, he continues to wipe out his opponents, and he has a very tough test ahead of himself. His record, 25 and 0, 21 wins by way knockout. Please welcome the reigning and defending IBF welterweight champion of the world Errol "The Truth" Spence Jr.
Errol Spence Jr.
Hey how it's going? Happy to be here. Training camp has been really good. I am excited that it's only two weeks away. It's going to be a great match up between two great champions. I'm always ready to fight. So, I hope everybody's coming to the fight. It's going to be an amazing night and might be the Fight of the Year this year.
Q
Porter seems to be a guy that would be more your equal than maybe your past few opponents. What is your opinion of that?
E. Spence
I see him as a tough opponent. He's the world champion and he throws a lot of punches. He is very energetic. So that's why he's a success. He's a rough guy and he does whatever it takes to win. So from that aspect and him beating Danny Garcia, I see him as a tough test.
Q
How are you prepared to deal with that element of the physicality he brings that's not necessarily to the exact letter of the rules?
E. Spence
I'm a guy that I feel like I can ward it off or write it off. Or may do the exact same thing. So I feel like I've fought opponents just as physical as Shawn, or just just as strong as him. I feel like that won't really play a part in this fight.
Q
Were you disappointed you couldn't get Pacquiao next and sort of settled for Porter?
E. Spence
I was just looking for the next available guy. I wanted a unification fight too. Shawn Porter was the easiest fight to make and the quickest fight to make. So, that's why I decided with the fight, Shawn Porter.
I wanted the chance to beat Pacquiao. Pacquiao is a bigger name and a bigger fight. So, of course I wanted that fight. But Shawn Porter is the champion too. He has the build. So, I definitely wanted to unify too. I knew that if I wasn't going to get Pacquiao there was going to be a good chance I was going to fight Shawn Porter.
Q
Mikey Garcia had maybe a little bit of a bigger name, maybe a bigger fan base. I think most people would look at the fight between yourself and Shawn perhaps is the more competitive fight. Where do you stand on that? Which is the bigger fight in your mind?
E. Spence
I'd say Mike Garcia is the bigger name than Shawn Porter. But as a fan friendly fight or as an entertainment fight and tough fight, I would say this fight with Shawn Porter is going to be I feel like way more entertaining than the Mikey Garcia fight. I feel like the Shawn Porter fight is bigger just because it's a unification fight.
Q
Do you think that it's been easier this time around just because you have the experience of preparing for a Pay-Per-View event against Mikey Garcia? Or would you say it's more or less the same?
E. Spence
I think it's a lot easier. Because the first fight I was traveling to New York doing things and going back to California doing things. So I was basically going in and out of camp. I would say the first time it was harder than the second go around.
Q
Do you believe the winner of this fight should be considered the best welterweight in the world?
E. Spence
Definitely. There's no way around it. The winner is the unified champion. So, I definitely think the winner should be considered the top welterweight in the world and that makes me even more excited and hungry to win.
Q
This fight you've been a lot more vocal that you're going for a knockout. Usually you're' more reluctant to say that. Just wanted to know if that has to do with his style how your styles will mesh, your overall respect for him as a fighter, or just the mindset you're bringing to this fight?
E. Spence
It's just my overall mindset and something I want. I feel like the way he fights and the way he comes forward, I think I can exploit that. But I can't go in there and just force knock out. I'm going to try to work a bit and break him down.
Q
How do you prepare for that physicality that's going to come with that fight?
E. Spence
Mostly by preparing mentally for it and having sparring partners that bring the heat and bring the pressure. I feel like I'm ready. And I know that Shawn is going to bring it but that's why we work so hard to be ready for anything he brings at any time.
Q
Are you trying to probably make more of a statement in this fight, ?
E. Spence
Making that statement is something that I really want to do. It's one of my goals in this fight is to knock him out. I'd be the first person and that would make it a real statement. I'm ready to go in there and deliver. I want it to be a great knockout.
Q
Do you feel beating Porter will give you that respect that you deserve or seek?
E. Spence
About the way I beat Mikey Garcia, because I just didn't go in there. People thought I was just going to go in there and just bulldoze him. I just boxed and used my mind and made it a boxing match. So I think the people respect me from that standpoint. Where I just didn't try to use my size to beat him up. But I definitely see how I want to win against Shawn Porter. I think people give me more respect and value my skills and my abilities.
Q
How you want to beat up Shawn Porter.
E. Spence
I just want it to be a calculated knock out. I don't want to be going in just over anxious throwing a lot of punches and missing a lot of shots. I want to go for the knock out, be poised and pick my shots. I want to break him down and get a calculated knock out.
Q
What is it about Porter that has you working a little bit harder for this fight?
E. Spence
Porter's a guy trains hard and of course he has dad in his ear pushing him. So he's pushed to the limit every chance, every training. So that keeps me focused. Keeps me humbled. Because I know he's going to come in shape. I know going to throw punches. And I know he'll do whatever it takes to win. So, that keeps me basically on my toes. Keeping me training a little bit harder.
Q
How might Porter approach you as opposed to how he approached Ugás?
E. Spence
Shawn is the guy who just goes by the game plan. So I think the game plan is the try to beat me from the beginning and try to throw a lot of punches and bring me down. Try to stop me. So, I think that he's going to be more aggressive than he was against Ugas.
Q
Did you think he won that fight?
E. Spence
I think either guy could of won. I think it was super close where either guy could have won.
Q
Did it surprise you that Shawn approached that fight the way that he did?
E. Spence
Yes, a little bit. I would have thought he would be more aggressive like he did in the later rounds, in the early rounds. But they tried that strategy. He still won at the end of the day. So, that gives him the motivation heading into this fight.
Q
Errol, do you think you have gotten under his skin by calling him a dirty fighter?
E. Spence
No. Because I'm not the first person to call him dirty. I don't know if he's a dirty fighter but he has a dirty style. A lot of elbows and things like that. But he's good for a reason. Whatever works, he's doing it.
Q
How important is it for you in your fight, Errol, in the beginning of the fight if things get rough and he does some of the things that you've mentioned to do that right back to him to let him know that you're not going to tolerate that type of thing?
E. Spence
It could happen that way. But I'm not really worried about it. I think a lot of times, when he fights stronger, he isn't dirty like that. Danny Garcia, he wasn't dirty like that. I think he does that to fighters he can just push around. I'm not really concerned with his dirty tactics.
Q
How do you feel about getting this second pay per view?
E. Spence
Yes, of course. I started at SHOWTIME and I have a lot of love for SHOWTIME. Had my first fight on there. First title fight on there. So it's a lot of first moments on SHOWTIME. So now FOX has had amazing promotion for all their PBC fights. Really getting bigger than getting slots in between timeouts for the NFL. So it doesn't get bigger than that.
The promotion's been great and getting all the commercial slots. We're all very happy to have a promotion like this. It's been a great ride.
Q
Can you talk a little bit about what role you play in having your hand on Man Down promotions? You have a couple fighters fighting on this card, if you want to speak on that a little bit.
E. Spence
Yes, I have Man Down Promotions co-promoting. We have a couple fighters fighting on the card. We've got Burley Brooks, Amon Rashidi and Fernando Garcia all getting in the ring.
I'm a guy that I don't want to have a big stable of fighters. I want to have a few. So I can put my attention on just them and get them fights and make sure they're busy and things like that. So I'm not looking to really find any more fighters than what I have now. So, I can be focused on them.
Q
How will you balance whether it a dog fight or a chess match against Shawn?
E. Spence
It's just instinct. I feel like I know when to box and when to bang and how to pick and choose my spot and things like that. So it just happens naturally in a fight. I feel like at the first round, I'll know definitely where it's going. I'll figure him out, break him down and tear him apart or I'll beat him backing up.
E. Spence:
Everybody make sure you're there. Make sure you order the Fox Sports PBC Pay-Per-View September 28. It'll be an amazing event. I can't wait. I'm in great shape. Shawn Porter, he comes to fight. And like I said, I'm looking for the knock out. So it might be Fight of the Year if he can withstand my punches for all 12 rounds.
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Congratulations to Russell Peltz: 50 years in the game |
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For 50 years, J Russell Peltz has lived and breathed boxing. On October 4th, he will celebrate his Golden Anniversary as a Philadelphia promoter with an eight-bout card titled "Blood, Sweat & 50 Years," at the 2300 Arena. Since Sept. 30, 1969, he's been an institution in the city, providing a platform for hundreds, if not thousands of Philadelphia fighters to showcase their talent. He's promoted over a thousand boxing events and over 40 world title bouts. For half a century, Peltz has ridden the roller coaster of small- and big-time boxing, with stops all over the world.
Peltz' love for boxing has outlived mentors, parents, a sister, a son and a marriage. It's been the constant throughout the entirety of his adult life, and a refuge from guilt, sadness and loss. It was the cane he used when he couldn't stand, and the mountain from which he screamed his successes. It has been an enduring passion and a safe, faceless pool where he could pour out an immense amount of love, out loud, and without guilt or fear of judgement.
He has a savant-like ability to recall dates of fights, who was on every card, and what happened in every round. He remembers detailed 40-year-old stories, fights, conversations and events like they happened yesterday.
For his 14th birthday, his dad took him to his first fight and it was love at first bell. He knew he was going to be a part of the beautiful brutality of boxing. His mom refused to allow him to go to more fights; she didn't want him to be part of "that element." He would lie and say he was out with friends or at parties, then go to the fights. Eventually she relented, and his father took him to more fights. He would abandon a burgeoning sports journalism career and promote his first event on Sept. 30, 1969.
J Russell Peltz grew up in an upper middle-class family, moving from Philadelphia to the wealthy community of Bala Cynwyd on Philadelphia's Main Line when he entered third grade. His father, Bernard Peltz, a plumber like his own dad, had expanded Peltz Plumbing to include heating and air-conditioning. By all measurements, his business was successful, catering to both residential repairs and large company and government installations. His father was beloved by his employees.
Peltz had a taste of the plumbing life over two summers in 1963 and '64 and was decidedly bad at it. It was a disastrous endeavor for teenage Peltz, who was not mechanically inclined. One error resulted in the destruction of several oil paintings belonging to a wealthy client, and a large bill for his father to foot.
His father wasn't much of a sports fan outside of boxing. His father, Peltz' grandfather, was an avid fan and worked for Western Union. On fight nights, including during the Jack Dempsey vs. Gene Tunney fight in 1926 in Philadelphia, he would be ringside, gathering updates and copy and communicating them to the wire services.
As Peltz tells it, his father, like many parents of kids who came of age in the 50s and 60s, was not expressive with his emotions. "He was just not the kind of person," Peltz began, then paused. "Any more than I am, that could show it. My mom was the emotional, loving one."
What shines through when conversing with Peltz, is how much his parents loved each other. In a time where men were not supposed to cry, Peltz's father, who he described as a "man's man," took care of his wife while she was sick for years with emphysema. "They were passionately in love," said Peltz. "Things became rocky later, especially when my mother became sick, but he always loved her.
"She was so weak he would have to cut her meat and pre-chew it, so she would be strong enough to chew the rest of it," remembers Peltz. "He would do those things and you could see that he loved her."
After his mother passed away in 1975, Peltz found a box among her belongings: "When my mom died, I found a box of newspaper clippings of stories about me, some of which I'd never seen before. I knew she loved me."
His father gave him an office to work from, and twice lent him money when Peltz needed a boost to get through a show or a bad year. If Peltz hadn't been weighed down with remorse, he might have seen these gestures and support of his son's boxing promoter career, of which he outwardly didn't approve, as his father's way of saying I love you.
A rift developed in the family when Peltz married his first wife, a non-Jewish girl, in 1969, against the wishes of his parents. This disagreement would color the remainder of their years together.
At 72 years old, Peltz looks back over those years and sees a selfish, immature version of himself, who didn't treat his parents all that well. "I never had a mature relationship with my parents," Peltz would say more than once. "I have terrible regrets about that." His uncle had told him that his decision to marry his first wife was killing his mother, and Peltz believed him. The guilt is palpable as he describes his mother's final days.
The bitterness he had felt at his parents' reaction to his marriage and their nagging "get a real job" attitude toward his chosen profession put space in between them. After both had passed, pride and resentment quickly gave way to guilt and regret.
In the end, it was his sister's home and then his parents' home he'd go to when his first marriage fell apart. Every day he'd stop in and say hello to his father, who had built him an office over his plumbing company. His family's foundation, which had been built on silent love and commitment, proved unyielding throughout the years.
It wasn't long after his mother's death that he met the woman who would become his current wife--a former classmate at Lower Merion High School. Peltz knew from their first date that he would marry Linda Sablosky. All the nagging feelings of doubt he had going into his first marriage were nowhere to be found. For someone who sees himself as unemotional and unexpressive, the enormity of his love and devotion to Linda from that first date until this day is evident. In four hours of interviews, it was when he spoke about Linda that he sounded the most fulfilled and uplifted.
"Family is everything to Linda," said Peltz. "She brought together estranged cousins and other family members and she became very close to my father, calling him every day.
"If my mom had met Linda," he continued, weeping softly, "she would have had a reason to live."
Linda fit effortlessly into his boxing world. She would often attend events, traveling with Peltz. "Linda is the kind of person who can exist in any world, in any atmosphere, and everybody loves her." Peltz said. "It helped me in boxing. People say, 'How bad can he be? She married him!'
"Linda is never idle. She can fill up 24 hours a day. She's the Queen of the Dollar Store. She can't stand sitting around doing nothing. If Linda has 400 things to do and I only want to do 200 of them, she says I'm boring."
The two would have two sons, Matthew and Daniel. Matthew, the oldest, was interested in music and girls. He was a 'Deadhead,' the moniker bestowed upon Grateful Dead fans, and traveled with them for a summer. He eventually moved to Israel and became a Rabbi. He married and had four children.
Daniel was the athlete, participating in various sports, including a short amateur boxing career that Peltz hid from Daniel's mother for a short period of time.
Peltz did his best to never miss a game. "He was always there for me," said Daniel. "He traveled a lot, but he always made time for my sporting events. He didn't miss a milestone."
Peltz and his wife lost Matthew to a drug overdose in 2017. He was only 38. The pain in Peltz' voice when he talks about the years they tried to save their son is heart-wrenching. Countless trips to rehab, broken promises and relapses litter the last years of their time together. He loved Matthew as hard and as completely as any parent could have, but the thief that is drug addiction took Matthew away from his parents, his brother and his children.
At his son's funeral Peltz told the story of a bidding scandal that rocked the plumbing industry in Philadelphia when he was a kid. The story had hit the newspapers, and when he was able to get his hands on the article, he read every word, looking for his dad's name among those involved, hoping and praying it wasn't there. His voice cracks again as he retells it. "When I got to the bottom of the story, it listed all those companies involved in the fix... and his name wasn't in there. I felt so proud.of him.
"So it's just that I knew that Bernie Peltz provided a hard day's work for a fair day's wage. Thirty years later, I came home from work one day and Linda hands me the phone. Your son wants to talk to you. I said 'What's up Matt.' He said 'Dad, how come when the sports writers write about boxing promoters, they always write bad things like they cheat the fighters, they steal their money, they pay off the judges and the referees, they fix the rankings... but whenever they write about you," he paused and sniffed heavily as tears fell, "they always write nice things. He finished by saying 'that's so cool.' I didn't realize it at the time but as the years went by I realized that my son felt the same way about me that I felt about my dad."
Peltz carries the weight of his Linda's pain in addition to his own at the loss of their son. "All Linda ever wanted was to be a mother. To be there when the kids came home from school," Peltz recalled. "That's what made losing Matthew so devastating for her. She questioned her ability as a mother.
"If Matthew had had any other mother," Peltz said, his voice cracking with emotion, "he wouldn't have made it to even 20."
Peltz finds comfort in his grandchildren. "Pop Pop is very affectionate with the kids," said Daniel, who has two daughters. "He has six grandchildren -- he loves them and they adore him."
Over the years, Peltz has brought many boxers into his inner circle, many of them becoming family. Osnel Charles, who fights on October 4, asked Peltz to be the co-best man in his wedding. He spoke at many hall-of-fame inductions, weddings and funerals over the past half century.
He talks about one of his more recent charges, Jason Sosa, with affection. One of the highest points in his long career was witnessing underdog Sosa stop Javier Fortuna to win a world title in 2016 in Beijing, China.
"When that fight was over we walked back to the hotel," he remembered. "Linda went up to the room because she was tired. I went into a bar in the hotel. One of these really modern neon lit bars. I sat at that empty bar and I felt so on top of the world. People back in the states are just getting the news and here I am in Beijing having a beer by myself and I felt so good. You know why? Mostly because at the time of my career that it happened. To win a world title like that, in a foreign land, coming from behind off the canvas, with no shot to win except by knockout...with Linda screaming and crying and she jumped up because she loves Jason. It was just like so great. Such a wonderful feeling. One of the highlights of my career. It's not number one but it's like 1A."
Number one, he added, was when his first charge, Bennie Briscoe, knocked out Tony Mundine in Paris in 1974: "That will always be number one. It was an eliminator. We were underdogs. It was my first trip to Europe and it was the biggest fight you could have without it being for the title. It was just such a wonderful night."
His protege, Raging Babe Michelle Rosado, who is promoting "Love, Sweat & 50 Years," is one of many who see Peltz as a father figure. His seven-year mentorship of Rosado will culminate in his passing the torch to his hardworking mentee. "Leaders build leaders. Because he doesn't have an ego, and wasn't inclined to protect his secrets at all costs like so many of his peers, he was able to mentor BAM [Brittany Rogers] and I and teach us the ropes. I'm honored that he trusts me to continue his legacy." Peltz is known to brag about Rosado to his colleagues in the business. When he talks about her, his tone alternates between that of a proud father and professional respect and admiration. They may fight and scream but will always eventually reconcile like family so often does.
Peltz is ready to slow down after his 50th anniversary celebration. The changes to the sport have worn thin his desire to keep going. "It's not the sport I fell in love with," he says. "It's not like it used to be. Guys just wanted to fight. If guys were within 10 pounds we had a fight."
On October 4th, he will wind down his matchmaking career with the kind of card that he's become known for in Philadelphia over the last 50 years. Tough, Philly versus Philly toss-up matches. The kind of card that drew him to boxing and kept him there for half a century.
These relationships, the ones that Peltz has with Linda, Daniel and his grandchildren, with Michelle, with Osnel Charles, Bennie Briscoe, Jason Sosa and countless other boxers--these relationships don't happen by accident. They're built on respect and on love. Love that isn't screamed out loud, but is felt by actions. Love that is disguised as feeling proud, or as the weight of guilt and regret. A love that's equal to or perhaps even more than that of his love for boxing. Boxing will always be the place where Peltz can love out loud, but his legacy will forever be the quiet way he loved those he touched over the past 50 years.
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Congratulations to Russell Peltz: 50 years in the game
For 50 years, J Russell Peltz has lived and breathed boxing. On October 4th, he will celebrate his Golden Anniversary as a Philadelphia promoter with an eight-bout card titled "Blood, Sweat & 50 Years," at the 2300 Arena. Since Sept. 30, 1969, he's been an institution in the city, providing a platform for hundreds, if not thousands of Philadelphia fighters to showcase their talent. He's promoted over a thousand boxing events and over 40 world title bouts. For half a century, Peltz has ridden the roller coaster of small- and big-time boxing, with stops all over the world.
Peltz' love for boxing has outlived mentors, parents, a sister, a son and a marriage. It's been the constant throughout the entirety of his adult life, and a refuge from guilt, sadness and loss. It was the cane he used when he couldn't stand, and the mountain from which he screamed his successes. It has been an enduring passion and a safe, faceless pool where he could pour out an immense amount of love, out loud, and without guilt or fear of judgement.
He has a savant-like ability to recall dates of fights, who was on every card, and what happened in every round. He remembers detailed 40-year-old stories, fights, conversations and events like they happened yesterday.
For his 14th birthday, his dad took him to his first fight and it was love at first bell. He knew he was going to be a part of the beautiful brutality of boxing. His mom refused to allow him to go to more fights; she didn't want him to be part of "that element." He would lie and say he was out with friends or at parties, then go to the fights. Eventually she relented, and his father took him to more fights. He would abandon a burgeoning sports journalism career and promote his first event on Sept. 30, 1969.
J Russell Peltz grew up in an upper middle-class family, moving from Philadelphia to the wealthy community of Bala Cynwyd on Philadelphia's Main Line when he entered third grade. His father, Bernard Peltz, a plumber like his own dad, had expanded Peltz Plumbing to include heating and air-conditioning. By all measurements, his business was successful, catering to both residential repairs and large company and government installations. His father was beloved by his employees.
Peltz had a taste of the plumbing life over two summers in 1963 and '64 and was decidedly bad at it. It was a disastrous endeavor for teenage Peltz, who was not mechanically inclined. One error resulted in the destruction of several oil paintings belonging to a wealthy client, and a large bill for his father to foot.
His father wasn't much of a sports fan outside of boxing. His father, Peltz' grandfather, was an avid fan and worked for Western Union. On fight nights, including during the Jack Dempsey vs. Gene Tunney fight in 1926 in Philadelphia, he would be ringside, gathering updates and copy and communicating them to the wire services.
As Peltz tells it, his father, like many parents of kids who came of age in the 50s and 60s, was not expressive with his emotions. "He was just not the kind of person," Peltz began, then paused. "Any more than I am, that could show it. My mom was the emotional, loving one."
What shines through when conversing with Peltz, is how much his parents loved each other. In a time where men were not supposed to cry, Peltz's father, who he described as a "man's man," took care of his wife while she was sick for years with emphysema. "They were passionately in love," said Peltz. "Things became rocky later, especially when my mother became sick, but he always loved her.
"She was so weak he would have to cut her meat and pre-chew it, so she would be strong enough to chew the rest of it," remembers Peltz. "He would do those things and you could see that he loved her."
After his mother passed away in 1975, Peltz found a box among her belongings: "When my mom died, I found a box of newspaper clippings of stories about me, some of which I'd never seen before. I knew she loved me."
His father gave him an office to work from, and twice lent him money when Peltz needed a boost to get through a show or a bad year. If Peltz hadn't been weighed down with remorse, he might have seen these gestures and support of his son's boxing promoter career, of which he outwardly didn't approve, as his father's way of saying I love you.
A rift developed in the family when Peltz married his first wife, a non-Jewish girl, in 1969, against the wishes of his parents. This disagreement would color the remainder of their years together.
At 72 years old, Peltz looks back over those years and sees a selfish, immature version of himself, who didn't treat his parents all that well. "I never had a mature relationship with my parents," Peltz would say more than once. "I have terrible regrets about that." His uncle had told him that his decision to marry his first wife was killing his mother, and Peltz believed him. The guilt is palpable as he describes his mother's final days.
The bitterness he had felt at his parents' reaction to his marriage and their nagging "get a real job" attitude toward his chosen profession put space in between them. After both had passed, pride and resentment quickly gave way to guilt and regret.
In the end, it was his sister's home and then his parents' home he'd go to when his first marriage fell apart. Every day he'd stop in and say hello to his father, who had built him an office over his plumbing company. His family's foundation, which had been built on silent love and commitment, proved unyielding throughout the years.
It wasn't long after his mother's death that he met the woman who would become his current wife--a former classmate at Lower Merion High School. Peltz knew from their first date that he would marry Linda Sablosky. All the nagging feelings of doubt he had going into his first marriage were nowhere to be found. For someone who sees himself as unemotional and unexpressive, the enormity of his love and devotion to Linda from that first date until this day is evident. In four hours of interviews, it was when he spoke about Linda that he sounded the most fulfilled and uplifted.
"Family is everything to Linda," said Peltz. "She brought together estranged cousins and other family members and she became very close to my father, calling him every day.
"If my mom had met Linda," he continued, weeping softly, "she would have had a reason to live."
Linda fit effortlessly into his boxing world. She would often attend events, traveling with Peltz. "Linda is the kind of person who can exist in any world, in any atmosphere, and everybody loves her." Peltz said. "It helped me in boxing. People say, 'How bad can he be? She married him!'
"Linda is never idle. She can fill up 24 hours a day. She's the Queen of the Dollar Store. She can't stand sitting around doing nothing. If Linda has 400 things to do and I only want to do 200 of them, she says I'm boring."
The two would have two sons, Matthew and Daniel. Matthew, the oldest, was interested in music and girls. He was a 'Deadhead,' the moniker bestowed upon Grateful Dead fans, and traveled with them for a summer. He eventually moved to Israel and became a Rabbi. He married and had four children.
Daniel was the athlete, participating in various sports, including a short amateur boxing career that Peltz hid from Daniel's mother for a short period of time.
Peltz did his best to never miss a game. "He was always there for me," said Daniel. "He traveled a lot, but he always made time for my sporting events. He didn't miss a milestone."
Peltz and his wife lost Matthew to a drug overdose in 2017. He was only 38. The pain in Peltz' voice when he talks about the years they tried to save their son is heart-wrenching. Countless trips to rehab, broken promises and relapses litter the last years of their time together. He loved Matthew as hard and as completely as any parent could have, but the thief that is drug addiction took Matthew away from his parents, his brother and his children.
At his son's funeral Peltz told the story of a bidding scandal that rocked the plumbing industry in Philadelphia when he was a kid. The story had hit the newspapers, and when he was able to get his hands on the article, he read every word, looking for his dad's name among those involved, hoping and praying it wasn't there. His voice cracks again as he retells it. "When I got to the bottom of the story, it listed all those companies involved in the fix... and his name wasn't in there. I felt so proud.of him.
"So it's just that I knew that Bernie Peltz provided a hard day's work for a fair day's wage. Thirty years later, I came home from work one day and Linda hands me the phone. Your son wants to talk to you. I said 'What's up Matt.' He said 'Dad, how come when the sports writers write about boxing promoters, they always write bad things like they cheat the fighters, they steal their money, they pay off the judges and the referees, they fix the rankings... but whenever they write about you," he paused and sniffed heavily as tears fell, "they always write nice things. He finished by saying 'that's so cool.' I didn't realize it at the time but as the years went by I realized that my son felt the same way about me that I felt about my dad."
Peltz carries the weight of his Linda's pain in addition to his own at the loss of their son. "All Linda ever wanted was to be a mother. To be there when the kids came home from school," Peltz recalled. "That's what made losing Matthew so devastating for her. She questioned her ability as a mother.
"If Matthew had had any other mother," Peltz said, his voice cracking with emotion, "he wouldn't have made it to even 20."
Peltz finds comfort in his grandchildren. "Pop Pop is very affectionate with the kids," said Daniel, who has two daughters. "He has six grandchildren -- he loves them and they adore him."
Over the years, Peltz has brought many boxers into his inner circle, many of them becoming family. Osnel Charles, who fights on October 4, asked Peltz to be the co-best man in his wedding. He spoke at many hall-of-fame inductions, weddings and funerals over the past half century.
He talks about one of his more recent charges, Jason Sosa, with affection. One of the highest points in his long career was witnessing underdog Sosa stop Javier Fortuna to win a world title in 2016 in Beijing, China.
"When that fight was over we walked back to the hotel," he remembered. "Linda went up to the room because she was tired. I went into a bar in the hotel. One of these really modern neon lit bars. I sat at that empty bar and I felt so on top of the world. People back in the states are just getting the news and here I am in Beijing having a beer by myself and I felt so good. You know why? Mostly because at the time of my career that it happened. To win a world title like that, in a foreign land, coming from behind off the canvas, with no shot to win except by knockout...with Linda screaming and crying and she jumped up because she loves Jason. It was just like so great. Such a wonderful feeling. One of the highlights of my career. It's not number one but it's like 1A."
Number one, he added, was when his first charge, Bennie Briscoe, knocked out Tony Mundine in Paris in 1974: "That will always be number one. It was an eliminator. We were underdogs. It was my first trip to Europe and it was the biggest fight you could have without it being for the title. It was just such a wonderful night."
His protege, Raging Babe Michelle Rosado, who is promoting "Love, Sweat & 50 Years," is one of many who see Peltz as a father figure. His seven-year mentorship of Rosado will culminate in his passing the torch to his hardworking mentee. "Leaders build leaders. Because he doesn't have an ego, and wasn't inclined to protect his secrets at all costs like so many of his peers, he was able to mentor BAM [Brittany Rogers] and I and teach us the ropes. I'm honored that he trusts me to continue his legacy." Peltz is known to brag about Rosado to his colleagues in the business. When he talks about her, his tone alternates between that of a proud father and professional respect and admiration. They may fight and scream but will always eventually reconcile like family so often does.
Peltz is ready to slow down after his 50th anniversary celebration. The changes to the sport have worn thin his desire to keep going. "It's not the sport I fell in love with," he says. "It's not like it used to be. Guys just wanted to fight. If guys were within 10 pounds we had a fight."
On October 4th, he will wind down his matchmaking career with the kind of card that he's become known for in Philadelphia over the last 50 years. Tough, Philly versus Philly toss-up matches. The kind of card that drew him to boxing and kept him there for half a century.
These relationships, the ones that Peltz has with Linda, Daniel and his grandchildren, with Michelle, with Osnel Charles, Bennie Briscoe, Jason Sosa and countless other boxers--these relationships don't happen by accident. They're built on respect and on love. Love that isn't screamed out loud, but is felt by actions. Love that is disguised as feeling proud, or as the weight of guilt and regret. A love that's equal to or perhaps even more than that of his love for boxing. Boxing will always be the place where Peltz can love out loud, but his legacy will forever be the quiet way he loved those he touched over the past 50 years.
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A look back at the career of South Africa's Zolani Marali |
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With a bronze medal in the 1999 All-Africa games as his biggest amateur accomplishment, Zolani Marali turned professional at twenty-three in February of 2001. An awkward southpaw with good power in both hands, from Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, Marali was nicknamed “untouchable” and considered to have a style probably more suited for the pro game. But in reality, he was headed for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia when he tested positive for cannabis and was kicked off the South African team. Not willing to wait another four years for the next Olympics, he decided to turn pro. From a family of five kids, Zolani was mainly raised by his single father, as his mother left the family when he was twelve. While things were not always easy, his hard-working father brought them up well and was able to send the children to school.
As a teenager, Zolani was inspired to take up boxing by his older brother Mzukisi Marali, a world class professional who challenged for the WBC 108-pound crown in 1997 and fought Peter Culshaw in 1998. When Zolani made his pro debut on February 25, 2001 at the Mdantsane Indoor Centre, stopping Andile Sota (7-7-4) in six rounds, Mzukisi was in the final stages of his own career, and had fought his penultimate bout just a week earlier. Inside eighteen months Zolani developed into one of the most promising prospects in South Africa, and beat the likes of Torina Ngqiyasa (11-2-1), Lulama Titise (11-3) and former South African national champion Xolani Ndleleni (14-3-4) on his way to a 9-0 record and a crack at the South African super bantamweight title.
On November 15, 2002 at the Graceland Hotel Casino in Secunda, Marali prevailed in a hard fight to dethrone reigning title-holder Oupa Lubisi (13-3-1) by unanimous decision. After only ten pro fights, he was already knocking on the door of the world scene.The following April, Marali stayed busy with a first round destruction of Zuko Mtyongwe (12-2-1), and not long after it was announced by promoter Rodney Berman that he would be thrown in at the deep end against Argentinean Pastor Maurin (47-5) in Carnival City. On the line would be the vacant IBO super bantamweight title, and Maurin, who had lost on points to Michael Brodie the previous year, was by far the best opponent so far for Marali. But the South African passed the test with flying colors and prevailed by unanimous decision.
Unfortunately, he lost the title already in his first defense, ten months later back in Carnival City, when compatriot Thomas “The Rock” Mashaba (14-1-4), who had taken over as South African champion, stopped him in eight rounds in something of an upset.The loss was a major setback for Marali, but, while the ride would be up and down, he had many more big nights ahead of him.
Before 2004 was out he regained the South African 122-pound title against Bonani Hlwatika (17-3-1), and, while he was not as active as he would have liked, kept winning against good opponents as he moved up in weight to secure a shot at the IBO super featherweight title in July of 2008. In Newcastle, Australia he faced Billy Dib (20-0) and floored the local man in the third round, before losing a close and controversial decision. Many felt Marali clearly deserved the victory, and after protesting the result a rematch was ordered.
Dib chose to relinquish the title rather than face Marali again, so on April 2, 2009 “Untouchable” became a two-weight champion when he widely outpointed Mexican Gamaliel Diaz (24-8-2) for the vacant title in Kempton Park, South Africa.
Five months later at the same venue, again in his first title-defense, Marali lost the IBO 130-pound title to yet another underdog, this time Ji Hoon Kim (18-5), a hard-punching South Korean nicknamed “Volcano” who was riding a ten-fight winning streak but not expected to trouble the champion. Kim stopped Marali in nine rounds of a tough fight, so when the now former two-time world champion was somehow allowed tofight Mlungisi Dlamini (20-0-1) for the vacant IBO lightweight title only six weeks later it was no surprise when he lost again, this time in the fourth round.
At this point it would have been easy to write Marali off, after two devastating defeats. But in April 2010, he revived his careerwhen he upset hot prospect Kgotla “Bang Bang” Baeti (19-1) via split decision. Suddenly he was back in the mix. Marali was looking to get a second chance to win a lightweight title, but instead he was sidelined and had to move up in weight yet again. Finally, in the fall of 2011 he secured the big fight he was looking for, against Ali Funeka (30-3-3) for the vacant WBF light welterweight title.The fight took place at the Monte Casino in Johannesburg, on a huge bill. Both boxers fought valiantly in what was a close affair, but in the end Funeka got the nod and was declared the winner by split decision.
Again believing he was wrongfully denied victory, Marali immediately called for a rematch. Negotiations started, but it would be more than a year before the two rivals finally squared off again, on December 8, 2012, at the Orient Theater in East London (S.A.). A few days after the first fight with Funeka, Zolani´s brother Mzukisi, his biggest role model and supporter, was stabbed to death, bringing the entire Marali family into turmoil and grief. His world in tatters, Zolani would not have been in a state to fight in the months that followed, but he eventually used the tragedy as his inspiration and put everything into reaching his goal of winning a third championship in his brother's honor. And win he did, taking home the WBF 140-pound title by unanimous decision after an excellent performance.
Marali was far from done. He made two successful defenses, both in East London. In September of 2013 he outboxed Mzolisi Yoyo (21-4), and in July 2014, he edged former IBF champion Kaizer Mabuza (25-11-3) by split decision. For whatever reason, a long spell of inactivity followed and Marali never lost the WBF World title in the ring. His final fight was in October 2015, losing a decision to undefeated future unified world champion (IBF & WBA) Julius Indongo (17-0) in Namibia. A former two-time South African 122-pound champion, IBO 122-pound champion, IBO 130-pound champion and WBF 140-pound champion, Zolani Marali´s final record stands at 24-6 with 13 KOs.
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A look back at the career of South Africa's Zolani Marali
With a bronze medal in the 1999 All-Africa games as his biggest amateur accomplishment, Zolani Marali turned professional at twenty-three in February of 2001. An awkward southpaw with good power in both hands, from Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, Marali was nicknamed “untouchable” and considered to have a style probably more suited for the pro game. But in reality, he was headed for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia when he tested positive for cannabis and was kicked off the South African team. Not willing to wait another four years for the next Olympics, he decided to turn pro. From a family of five kids, Zolani was mainly raised by his single father, as his mother left the family when he was twelve. While things were not always easy, his hard-working father brought them up well and was able to send the children to school.
As a teenager, Zolani was inspired to take up boxing by his older brother Mzukisi Marali, a world class professional who challenged for the WBC 108-pound crown in 1997 and fought Peter Culshaw in 1998. When Zolani made his pro debut on February 25, 2001 at the Mdantsane Indoor Centre, stopping Andile Sota (7-7-4) in six rounds, Mzukisi was in the final stages of his own career, and had fought his penultimate bout just a week earlier. Inside eighteen months Zolani developed into one of the most promising prospects in South Africa, and beat the likes of Torina Ngqiyasa (11-2-1), Lulama Titise (11-3) and former South African national champion Xolani Ndleleni (14-3-4) on his way to a 9-0 record and a crack at the South African super bantamweight title.
On November 15, 2002 at the Graceland Hotel Casino in Secunda, Marali prevailed in a hard fight to dethrone reigning title-holder Oupa Lubisi (13-3-1) by unanimous decision. After only ten pro fights, he was already knocking on the door of the world scene.The following April, Marali stayed busy with a first round destruction of Zuko Mtyongwe (12-2-1), and not long after it was announced by promoter Rodney Berman that he would be thrown in at the deep end against Argentinean Pastor Maurin (47-5) in Carnival City. On the line would be the vacant IBO super bantamweight title, and Maurin, who had lost on points to Michael Brodie the previous year, was by far the best opponent so far for Marali. But the South African passed the test with flying colors and prevailed by unanimous decision.
Unfortunately, he lost the title already in his first defense, ten months later back in Carnival City, when compatriot Thomas “The Rock” Mashaba (14-1-4), who had taken over as South African champion, stopped him in eight rounds in something of an upset.The loss was a major setback for Marali, but, while the ride would be up and down, he had many more big nights ahead of him.
Before 2004 was out he regained the South African 122-pound title against Bonani Hlwatika (17-3-1), and, while he was not as active as he would have liked, kept winning against good opponents as he moved up in weight to secure a shot at the IBO super featherweight title in July of 2008. In Newcastle, Australia he faced Billy Dib (20-0) and floored the local man in the third round, before losing a close and controversial decision. Many felt Marali clearly deserved the victory, and after protesting the result a rematch was ordered.
Dib chose to relinquish the title rather than face Marali again, so on April 2, 2009 “Untouchable” became a two-weight champion when he widely outpointed Mexican Gamaliel Diaz (24-8-2) for the vacant title in Kempton Park, South Africa.
Five months later at the same venue, again in his first title-defense, Marali lost the IBO 130-pound title to yet another underdog, this time Ji Hoon Kim (18-5), a hard-punching South Korean nicknamed “Volcano” who was riding a ten-fight winning streak but not expected to trouble the champion. Kim stopped Marali in nine rounds of a tough fight, so when the now former two-time world champion was somehow allowed tofight Mlungisi Dlamini (20-0-1) for the vacant IBO lightweight title only six weeks later it was no surprise when he lost again, this time in the fourth round.
At this point it would have been easy to write Marali off, after two devastating defeats. But in April 2010, he revived his careerwhen he upset hot prospect Kgotla “Bang Bang” Baeti (19-1) via split decision. Suddenly he was back in the mix. Marali was looking to get a second chance to win a lightweight title, but instead he was sidelined and had to move up in weight yet again. Finally, in the fall of 2011 he secured the big fight he was looking for, against Ali Funeka (30-3-3) for the vacant WBF light welterweight title.The fight took place at the Monte Casino in Johannesburg, on a huge bill. Both boxers fought valiantly in what was a close affair, but in the end Funeka got the nod and was declared the winner by split decision.
Again believing he was wrongfully denied victory, Marali immediately called for a rematch. Negotiations started, but it would be more than a year before the two rivals finally squared off again, on December 8, 2012, at the Orient Theater in East London (S.A.). A few days after the first fight with Funeka, Zolani´s brother Mzukisi, his biggest role model and supporter, was stabbed to death, bringing the entire Marali family into turmoil and grief. His world in tatters, Zolani would not have been in a state to fight in the months that followed, but he eventually used the tragedy as his inspiration and put everything into reaching his goal of winning a third championship in his brother's honor. And win he did, taking home the WBF 140-pound title by unanimous decision after an excellent performance.
Marali was far from done. He made two successful defenses, both in East London. In September of 2013 he outboxed Mzolisi Yoyo (21-4), and in July 2014, he edged former IBF champion Kaizer Mabuza (25-11-3) by split decision. For whatever reason, a long spell of inactivity followed and Marali never lost the WBF World title in the ring. His final fight was in October 2015, losing a decision to undefeated future unified world champion (IBF & WBA) Julius Indongo (17-0) in Namibia. A former two-time South African 122-pound champion, IBO 122-pound champion, IBO 130-pound champion and WBF 140-pound champion, Zolani Marali´s final record stands at 24-6 with 13 KOs.
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Late results from Monticello, New York |
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Carlos Takam W10 Craig Lewis ... Over the weekend at Resorts World Catskills in Monticello, New York, the US debut of heavyweight Carlos Takam (now 37-5-1 28 KOs) was a success. Takam defeated Detroit's Craig Lewis (14-4, 7 KOs). The two went to battle from the opening bell. By round two, the 255-pound Takam took control, landing an overhand right. However, Lewis stood tall, proving his ability to take a punch. Takam continued his attack for the remaining eight rounds of the scheduled ten rounder, earning the unanimous decision victory by scores of 99-91 (twice) and 96-94. A reisdent of France, Takam had this to say about his US debut, "I'm very happy to have made my first fight in the United States last Saturday. It is a beautiful entrance. It's a dream for me to box in the United States, in the the field of legends like Ali, Holyfield and Mike Tyson. Many thanks to my promoter Joe [DeGuardia], my team and all my fans around the world. US fans get ready for more exciting moments coming soon."
Anthony Laurano W8 Brian Jones... In the co-feature, Connecticut's "Action" Anthony Laureano (12-0, 4 KOs) lived up to his name by defeating Brian Jones (now 15-11, 9 KOs) of Texas. The two junior welterweights had a feel-out round in the first, but it was all action for the remainder of the eight-round fight. Early in the seventh, Laureano pounced on Jones with his signature body attack, but Jones would not back down, pinning Laureano against the ropes, as both men traded freely to close out the round. When the final bell rang, the crowd was on their feet and Laureano retained his unbeaten record with a hard-fought but clear victory. It was a unamimous decision by scores of 80-72 (twice) and 78-74. Laureano said this about the incredible atmosphere at Resorts World Catskills, "It was Great to be back at Resort World Catskills. To win... at Catskills was truly amazing. The energy in the crowd was like no other. It has become my home and I can't wait to return."
MORE RESULTS
Massachusetts' Richie "Popeye The Sailor Man" Rivera (13-0, 10 KOs) went toe-to-toe with fellow slugger in Israel Duffus (Los Angeles, CA now 19-6 16KO's). In the middle rounds of the scheduled cruiserweight eight rounder, both fighters began to open up, to the pleasure of the crowd. Richie landed a strong overhand right in the sixth round. However, Duffus, would not go out quietly, attempting to force the action and stop Rivera. While the effort was a valiant one, Rivera controlled the action, and earninged the unanimous decision victory by scores of 80-72 (twice) and 78-74). Rivera had this to say about his victory, "I really enjoy the opportunity that Star Boxing has been giving me. I was able to show the crowd good boxing skills such as hit and dont get hit. I always like putting on a good show and I want to make my fans proud, but also to be a great representative to Star Boxing and Joe DeGuardia."
Welterweight Boubacar Sylla (Cincinnati, OH now 11-0 with 7 KOs) took on Jermaine Corley (Mount Vernon, NY now 3-7 with 1 KO) in a six-round brawl. Sylla used his boxing skill and IQ to subdue the come-forward attack of Corley. At the final bell, Sylla would remain undefeated, winning a split decision with two scores of 59-55 overruling a 58-56 tally for Corley.
Hometown boxer Bryant Costello (Liberty, NY now 1-1 with 1 KO) took on Anthony Everette (Lawrence, MA now 1-8) in the junior middleweight division. Costello controlled the action, landing overhand rights at will, as well as solid combinations from the body to the head. At 42 seconds of the third round, Costello landed a three-punch combination to the head of Everette, causing the referee to see enough, stopping the bout.
The Catskills came alive with boxing once more in no small part to the action and the sold-out crowd that packed Resorts World Catskills. CEO of Star Boxing Joe DeGuardia said this: "It was a pleasure to be back at the Catskills and have another night of truly impressive fights. To be able to not only continue the rebirth of boxing in the Catskills but do so with a top heavyweight contender in Carlos Takam, was a perfect match." DeGuardia continued, "The crowd was electric, and truly showed that the love for our sport is still deeply engrained in Sullivan County and the Catskills, and we hope to be a part of this growth for many years to come." source for all results: star boxing
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Late results from Monticello, New York
Carlos Takam W10 Craig Lewis ... Over the weekend at Resorts World Catskills in Monticello, New York, the US debut of heavyweight Carlos Takam (now 37-5-1 28 KOs) was a success. Takam defeated Detroit's Craig Lewis (14-4, 7 KOs). The two went to battle from the opening bell. By round two, the 255-pound Takam took control, landing an overhand right. However, Lewis stood tall, proving his ability to take a punch. Takam continued his attack for the remaining eight rounds of the scheduled ten rounder, earning the unanimous decision victory by scores of 99-91 (twice) and 96-94. A reisdent of France, Takam had this to say about his US debut, "I'm very happy to have made my first fight in the United States last Saturday. It is a beautiful entrance. It's a dream for me to box in the United States, in the the field of legends like Ali, Holyfield and Mike Tyson. Many thanks to my promoter Joe [DeGuardia], my team and all my fans around the world. US fans get ready for more exciting moments coming soon."
Anthony Laurano W8 Brian Jones... In the co-feature, Connecticut's "Action" Anthony Laureano (12-0, 4 KOs) lived up to his name by defeating Brian Jones (now 15-11, 9 KOs) of Texas. The two junior welterweights had a feel-out round in the first, but it was all action for the remainder of the eight-round fight. Early in the seventh, Laureano pounced on Jones with his signature body attack, but Jones would not back down, pinning Laureano against the ropes, as both men traded freely to close out the round. When the final bell rang, the crowd was on their feet and Laureano retained his unbeaten record with a hard-fought but clear victory. It was a unamimous decision by scores of 80-72 (twice) and 78-74. Laureano said this about the incredible atmosphere at Resorts World Catskills, "It was Great to be back at Resort World Catskills. To win... at Catskills was truly amazing. The energy in the crowd was like no other. It has become my home and I can't wait to return."
MORE RESULTS
Massachusetts' Richie "Popeye The Sailor Man" Rivera (13-0, 10 KOs) went toe-to-toe with fellow slugger in Israel Duffus (Los Angeles, CA now 19-6 16KO's). In the middle rounds of the scheduled cruiserweight eight rounder, both fighters began to open up, to the pleasure of the crowd. Richie landed a strong overhand right in the sixth round. However, Duffus, would not go out quietly, attempting to force the action and stop Rivera. While the effort was a valiant one, Rivera controlled the action, and earninged the unanimous decision victory by scores of 80-72 (twice) and 78-74). Rivera had this to say about his victory, "I really enjoy the opportunity that Star Boxing has been giving me. I was able to show the crowd good boxing skills such as hit and dont get hit. I always like putting on a good show and I want to make my fans proud, but also to be a great representative to Star Boxing and Joe DeGuardia."
Welterweight Boubacar Sylla (Cincinnati, OH now 11-0 with 7 KOs) took on Jermaine Corley (Mount Vernon, NY now 3-7 with 1 KO) in a six-round brawl. Sylla used his boxing skill and IQ to subdue the come-forward attack of Corley. At the final bell, Sylla would remain undefeated, winning a split decision with two scores of 59-55 overruling a 58-56 tally for Corley.
Hometown boxer Bryant Costello (Liberty, NY now 1-1 with 1 KO) took on Anthony Everette (Lawrence, MA now 1-8) in the junior middleweight division. Costello controlled the action, landing overhand rights at will, as well as solid combinations from the body to the head. At 42 seconds of the third round, Costello landed a three-punch combination to the head of Everette, causing the referee to see enough, stopping the bout.
The Catskills came alive with boxing once more in no small part to the action and the sold-out crowd that packed Resorts World Catskills. CEO of Star Boxing Joe DeGuardia said this: "It was a pleasure to be back at the Catskills and have another night of truly impressive fights. To be able to not only continue the rebirth of boxing in the Catskills but do so with a top heavyweight contender in Carlos Takam, was a perfect match." DeGuardia continued, "The crowd was electric, and truly showed that the love for our sport is still deeply engrained in Sullivan County and the Catskills, and we hope to be a part of this growth for many years to come." source for all results: star boxing
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Saul Alvarez-Sergey Kovalev Preview: Canelo opens as betting favorite as he dares to be great |
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On Saturday, Nov. 2nd, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (51-1-2, 35 KOs) will try to do something few fighters have ever done: win a world title in a third weight class. Canelo – who has already captured world titles at 154 and 160 pounds – is continuing his climb up the divisions, recently inking a fight against current WBO 175-pound champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. According to MyTopSportsbooks.com the opening odds for the fight are heavily in favor of Alvarez making history. The Mexican challenger is a -450 favorite against the Russian champ.
Can Alvarez Overcome Height, Weight, and Reach Gap? Canelo was always huge for a junior middleweight, but fighting at 175 pounds represents a nearly twenty-pound jump from his original weight class.
Alvarez will likely be about 5-10 pounds lighter than Kovalev on fight night, when the Russian will step into the ring around 185-190 pounds. Yet oddsmakers don’t seem worried, and that’s likely because they have already seen Canelo survive some of the hardest shots in the boxing world.
Canelo stepped into the ring twice with Gennady Golovkin, ate a few of GGG’s biggest power punches both times, and stayed on his feet for 24 straight rounds. Only one other boxer has ever survived a full 12 rounds with the Kazakh (Daniel Jacobs circa 2017), and no other fighter has ever defeated GGG, which Canelo did in the rematch after the pair fought to a draw the first go-around.
Alvarez will not just be at a weight disadvantage to Kovalev on fight night, of course. The Mexican will, for one of the first times in his career, be at a significant disadvantage in terms of height and reach.
Kovalev stands 6’0 with a 72” (184 cm) reach. Canelo is just 5’8 with a 70.5” (179 cm) reach. GGG had a couple inches on Canelo, height-wise, but Canelo actually had slightly longer arms.
But again, oddsmakers don’t see this as a problem area, likely because of Alvarez’s preferred style.
Canelo has never been one to stand on the perimeter and keep opponents at a distance with his jab. He thrives in close, andworks the body to great effect.
In his victory in the GGG rematch, he threw just 256 jabs to Golovkin’s 547. But he landed 46 power punches to the body to just 6 for GGG.
That raises the somewhat counter-intuitive question: will the smaller, less-powerful Alvarez be able to close the distance on the stronger Kovalev and bring the fight into his comfort zone?
This is where things could get tricky for the challenger, depending on how the champion plays it. Kovalev has a very effective jab – better than Golovkin’s – and while he also possesses great KO ability in his power shots, he’ll be keenly aware that Canelo is most-dangerous from close range, where he can use his considerably better hand speed to outpoint Kovalevin exchanges.
While Kovalev is a ripe old 37, Canelo is no spring chicken, either, now nearly 30. His movement around the ring is not been as spry as it once was, as his knee continues to slow him somewhat. If he cuts a large, immobile target for Kovalev’s jab on the way in, he could wind up suffering quite a lot of damage each time he tries to get in range.
All in all, the matchup is a fascinating one which will create an in-ring dynamic we rarely see. But one thing is certain, and is likely playing a big part in the early odds (which, again, are heavily skewed towards Canelo): if Kovalev is going to win, it may have to be by stoppage.
Alvarez is a fan-favorite, fighting in his usual confines of Las Vegas, where judges have always treated him favorably. Kovalev has already been on the losing end of one controversial decision in Nevada, a 2016 UD loss to Andre Ward in which all three judges scored it 114-113, and his camp has to be concerned about what will happen if the Canelo fight winds up in the judges’ hands, as well.
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Saul Alvarez-Sergey Kovalev Preview: Canelo opens as betting favorite as he dares to be great
On Saturday, Nov. 2nd, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (51-1-2, 35 KOs) will try to do something few fighters have ever done: win a world title in a third weight class. Canelo – who has already captured world titles at 154 and 160 pounds – is continuing his climb up the divisions, recently inking a fight against current WBO 175-pound champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. According to MyTopSportsbooks.com the opening odds for the fight are heavily in favor of Alvarez making history. The Mexican challenger is a -450 favorite against the Russian champ.
Can Alvarez Overcome Height, Weight, and Reach Gap? Canelo was always huge for a junior middleweight, but fighting at 175 pounds represents a nearly twenty-pound jump from his original weight class.
Alvarez will likely be about 5-10 pounds lighter than Kovalev on fight night, when the Russian will step into the ring around 185-190 pounds. Yet oddsmakers don’t seem worried, and that’s likely because they have already seen Canelo survive some of the hardest shots in the boxing world.
Canelo stepped into the ring twice with Gennady Golovkin, ate a few of GGG’s biggest power punches both times, and stayed on his feet for 24 straight rounds. Only one other boxer has ever survived a full 12 rounds with the Kazakh (Daniel Jacobs circa 2017), and no other fighter has ever defeated GGG, which Canelo did in the rematch after the pair fought to a draw the first go-around.
Alvarez will not just be at a weight disadvantage to Kovalev on fight night, of course. The Mexican will, for one of the first times in his career, be at a significant disadvantage in terms of height and reach.
Kovalev stands 6’0 with a 72” (184 cm) reach. Canelo is just 5’8 with a 70.5” (179 cm) reach. GGG had a couple inches on Canelo, height-wise, but Canelo actually had slightly longer arms.
But again, oddsmakers don’t see this as a problem area, likely because of Alvarez’s preferred style.
Canelo has never been one to stand on the perimeter and keep opponents at a distance with his jab. He thrives in close, andworks the body to great effect.
In his victory in the GGG rematch, he threw just 256 jabs to Golovkin’s 547. But he landed 46 power punches to the body to just 6 for GGG.
That raises the somewhat counter-intuitive question: will the smaller, less-powerful Alvarez be able to close the distance on the stronger Kovalev and bring the fight into his comfort zone?
This is where things could get tricky for the challenger, depending on how the champion plays it. Kovalev has a very effective jab – better than Golovkin’s – and while he also possesses great KO ability in his power shots, he’ll be keenly aware that Canelo is most-dangerous from close range, where he can use his considerably better hand speed to outpoint Kovalevin exchanges.
While Kovalev is a ripe old 37, Canelo is no spring chicken, either, now nearly 30. His movement around the ring is not been as spry as it once was, as his knee continues to slow him somewhat. If he cuts a large, immobile target for Kovalev’s jab on the way in, he could wind up suffering quite a lot of damage each time he tries to get in range.
All in all, the matchup is a fascinating one which will create an in-ring dynamic we rarely see. But one thing is certain, and is likely playing a big part in the early odds (which, again, are heavily skewed towards Canelo): if Kovalev is going to win, it may have to be by stoppage.
Alvarez is a fan-favorite, fighting in his usual confines of Las Vegas, where judges have always treated him favorably. Kovalev has already been on the losing end of one controversial decision in Nevada, a 2016 UD loss to Andre Ward in which all three judges scored it 114-113, and his camp has to be concerned about what will happen if the Canelo fight winds up in the judges’ hands, as well.
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Shields-Habazin undercard features Motor City talent |
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An all-Detroit shootout and an appearance by an exciting and popular international female fighter will highlight the non-televised undercard of the Saturday, October 5th event at the Dort Federal Event Center in Flint, Mich that is headlined by the Claressa Shields vs. Ivana Habazin 154-pound title fight live on Showtime. In addition to the main event, which will be for the WBO junior middleweight championship, the Showtime broadcast will also see Saginaw, Michigan heavyweight Jermaine Franklin (19-0, 13 KOs) facing Czech Republic's Pavel Sour (11-1, 6 KOs). The show will also feature a five-fight mix of local and international talent, topped by a classic "All Detroit" ten-round super flyweight showdown between West Detroit's Jarico "Great Lakes King" O'Quinn (12-0-1, 8 KOs) and East Detroit's James "O.G." Smith (13-2, 7 KOs).
Stepping in for her third pro fight in the U.S., IBO 154-pound champion Hannah Rankin (7-3, 1 KO) from Glasgow Scotland takes on California-based veteran Erin Toughill (7-5-1) in a six-round showcase...
Also scheduled for action will be Saginaw, Mich. cruiserweight Robert Simms (9-3, 3 KOs) going into a six-round battle against Columbus, Ohio's Michael Glasscox (6-3-2, 5 KOs)...
Kazakhstani heavyweight Izim Izbaki (2-0, 1 KO) faces Mount Morris, Michigan's Troy Albring (0-2) over four rounds and...
Welterweight Jacob Bonas (3-0-1, 2 KOs), one of the last of the young fighters trained by the late, great Emanuel Steward, takes on Indiana's Norfleet Stitts (1-3) in a four-rounder to open the card.
"Homecoming for Herstory" is promoted by Salita Promotions. Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and at the Dort Center box office.
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Shields-Habazin undercard features Motor City talent
An all-Detroit shootout and an appearance by an exciting and popular international female fighter will highlight the non-televised undercard of the Saturday, October 5th event at the Dort Federal Event Center in Flint, Mich that is headlined by the Claressa Shields vs. Ivana Habazin 154-pound title fight live on Showtime. In addition to the main event, which will be for the WBO junior middleweight championship, the Showtime broadcast will also see Saginaw, Michigan heavyweight Jermaine Franklin (19-0, 13 KOs) facing Czech Republic's Pavel Sour (11-1, 6 KOs). The show will also feature a five-fight mix of local and international talent, topped by a classic "All Detroit" ten-round super flyweight showdown between West Detroit's Jarico "Great Lakes King" O'Quinn (12-0-1, 8 KOs) and East Detroit's James "O.G." Smith (13-2, 7 KOs).
Stepping in for her third pro fight in the U.S., IBO 154-pound champion Hannah Rankin (7-3, 1 KO) from Glasgow Scotland takes on California-based veteran Erin Toughill (7-5-1) in a six-round showcase...
Also scheduled for action will be Saginaw, Mich. cruiserweight Robert Simms (9-3, 3 KOs) going into a six-round battle against Columbus, Ohio's Michael Glasscox (6-3-2, 5 KOs)...
Kazakhstani heavyweight Izim Izbaki (2-0, 1 KO) faces Mount Morris, Michigan's Troy Albring (0-2) over four rounds and...
Welterweight Jacob Bonas (3-0-1, 2 KOs), one of the last of the young fighters trained by the late, great Emanuel Steward, takes on Indiana's Norfleet Stitts (1-3) in a four-rounder to open the card.
"Homecoming for Herstory" is promoted by Salita Promotions. Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and at the Dort Center box office.
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Katie Taylor ducks Delfine Persoon rematch |
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[After a dubious win over Delfine Persoon, world lightweight champion Katie Taylor has decided to avoid a rematch and move up in weight. Instead, Taylor] will meet Christina Linardatou for the WBO 140-pound title at Manchester Arena on Saturday November 2nd, shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US. Linardatou (12-1, 6 KOs) landed the WBO crown with a sixth-round TKO win over Kandi Wyatt in her home city of Athens in March. The 31-year-old made the first defense against Deanha Hobbs three months later , dominating the Australian over ten rounds. Linardatou's sole career loss came against Persoon in June 2016 when she was outpointed in a challenge for the former champion’s WBC title in Belgium – her first world title attempt before moving up in weight to 140 pounds. [Now Taylor seeks out someone who lost to Persoon rather than Persoon herself].
Taylor (14-0, 6 KOs) completed her journey from Olympic gold to undisputed lightweight champion with a thrilling and controversial points win over Belgium’s Delfine Persoon on the blockbuster Joshua vs. Ruiz card at Madison Square Garden on June 1st. The win gave her all four major titles.
On the same bill, Manchester favourite Anthony Crolla bids farewell at the venue he was crowned WBA champion, rising Light-Heavyweight star Joshua Buatsi steps up again to take on another former World title challenger in Blake Caparello, Felix Cash defends his Commonwealth Middleweight title against English Champion Jack Cullen and Gamal Yafai and Qais Ashfaq continue their march towards titles.
Taylor (14-0, 6 KOs) completed her journey from Olympic gold to undisputed lightweight champion with a thrilling and controversial points win over Belgium’s Delfine Persoon on the blockbuster Joshua vs. Ruiz card at Madison Square Garden on June 1st.
After a bloody and brutal battle that captivated the New York crowd, the Irish star added Persoon’s WBC belt to her IBF, WBO and WBA titles to hold all four at 135lbs and cement her place as the number one Lightweight on the planet.
“I had some of my early pro fights at Manchester Arena and to come back in November and headline a card there a couple of years on is amazing,” said Taylor. “It’s played host to some huge nights in boxing history so I’m honoured to be part of that tradition.
“It’s a new challenge at a new weight and something I’m really excited about. I still feel like I have so much left to achieve in the sport and becoming a two-weight World Champion is one of those goals.
“There are still so many huge fights out there for me like the Amanda Serrano fight, a rematch with Delfine Persoon and a fight with Cecilia Brækhus but the first goal is November 2nd and winning another world title. I don’t have any issues making lightweight so I think I can move comfortably between the two weights. I always want to push myself and Christina’s an excellent champion so it will be a big test for me.”
Linardatou said: “I plan on leaving England with my title. If I need to knock Katie Taylor out in order to retain the title, that’s what I’ll do.”
OTHER BOUTS ON THE SHOW:
On the same bill, rising light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi steps up again to take on Blake Caparello. Croydon’s Buatsi (12-0, 10 KOs) fights in Manchester for the first time as a professional after extending his explosive KO streak to seven fights as he stopped Canada’s Ryan Ford in seven rounds at The O2 in London on the Lomachenko vs. Campbell card. Next up on his World title quest is Australia’s Caparello (30-3-1, 13 KOs), a former opponent of WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev and former IBF super middleweight ruler Andre Dirrell, who arrives on these shores coming off four wins...
Felix Cash defends his Commonwealth middleweight title against Jack Cullen. Cash (11-0, 7 KOs) was due to defend his Commonwealth title against Little Lever’s Cullen (17-1, 8 KOs) in July before an injury ruled him out but the pair will now clash in November after Cullen stopped John Harding Jr in eight rounds in Liverpool...
Former WBA lightweight champion Anthony Crolla (34-7-3, 13 KOs) fittingly returns to the scene of his greatest triumph to call the curtains on a memorable career after challenging pound-for-pound star Vasiliy Lomachenko for the WBA and WBO lightweight titles in Los Angeles earlier this year. The Mancunian hero won the WBA lightweight crown against Darleys Perez on a hugely emotional evening at Manchester Arena in November 2015 and successfully defended his title against Ismael Barroso at the same venue the following year.
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“I’m so happy to be back in Manchester for this huge show,” said Eddie Hearn. “Katie Taylor is now established as one of the biggest stars in world boxing and she bids to make more history by becoming a multi weight World Champion by challenging WBO Super-Lightweight champ Christina Linardatou.
“Hometown hero Anthony Crolla rolls the dice one more time as he takes part in his final fight in the sport in the arena that has hosted so many epic Anthony Crolla nights. The stabilisers are off for Joshua Buatsi as he takes a huge step up against tough Australian BC in a WBA World title eliminator and there is a brilliant domestic Middleweight clash between Commonwealth champ Felix Cash and English champ Jack Cullen – there’s plenty more beneath these four fights on what will be a huge night of boxing.”
Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be showing the best female boxer in the world back on Sky Sports on this huge show. This is another major test for Katie Taylor as the undisputed Lightweight champion takes on all comers and continues to cement her extraordinary legacy in the sport.
“Katie is a marvellous ambassador and inspiration to so many and we are delighted to be working so closely with her as we look to feature both the very best in boxing and also in women’s sport on Sky.”
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Katie Taylor ducks Delfine Persoon rematch
[After a dubious win over Delfine Persoon, world lightweight champion Katie Taylor has decided to avoid a rematch and move up in weight. Instead, Taylor] will meet Christina Linardatou for the WBO 140-pound title at Manchester Arena on Saturday November 2nd, shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US. Linardatou (12-1, 6 KOs) landed the WBO crown with a sixth-round TKO win over Kandi Wyatt in her home city of Athens in March. The 31-year-old made the first defense against Deanha Hobbs three months later , dominating the Australian over ten rounds. Linardatou's sole career loss came against Persoon in June 2016 when she was outpointed in a challenge for the former champion’s WBC title in Belgium – her first world title attempt before moving up in weight to 140 pounds. [Now Taylor seeks out someone who lost to Persoon rather than Persoon herself].
Taylor (14-0, 6 KOs) completed her journey from Olympic gold to undisputed lightweight champion with a thrilling and controversial points win over Belgium’s Delfine Persoon on the blockbuster Joshua vs. Ruiz card at Madison Square Garden on June 1st. The win gave her all four major titles.
On the same bill, Manchester favourite Anthony Crolla bids farewell at the venue he was crowned WBA champion, rising Light-Heavyweight star Joshua Buatsi steps up again to take on another former World title challenger in Blake Caparello, Felix Cash defends his Commonwealth Middleweight title against English Champion Jack Cullen and Gamal Yafai and Qais Ashfaq continue their march towards titles.
Taylor (14-0, 6 KOs) completed her journey from Olympic gold to undisputed lightweight champion with a thrilling and controversial points win over Belgium’s Delfine Persoon on the blockbuster Joshua vs. Ruiz card at Madison Square Garden on June 1st.
After a bloody and brutal battle that captivated the New York crowd, the Irish star added Persoon’s WBC belt to her IBF, WBO and WBA titles to hold all four at 135lbs and cement her place as the number one Lightweight on the planet.
“I had some of my early pro fights at Manchester Arena and to come back in November and headline a card there a couple of years on is amazing,” said Taylor. “It’s played host to some huge nights in boxing history so I’m honoured to be part of that tradition.
“It’s a new challenge at a new weight and something I’m really excited about. I still feel like I have so much left to achieve in the sport and becoming a two-weight World Champion is one of those goals.
“There are still so many huge fights out there for me like the Amanda Serrano fight, a rematch with Delfine Persoon and a fight with Cecilia Brækhus but the first goal is November 2nd and winning another world title. I don’t have any issues making lightweight so I think I can move comfortably between the two weights. I always want to push myself and Christina’s an excellent champion so it will be a big test for me.”
Linardatou said: “I plan on leaving England with my title. If I need to knock Katie Taylor out in order to retain the title, that’s what I’ll do.”
OTHER BOUTS ON THE SHOW:
On the same bill, rising light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi steps up again to take on Blake Caparello. Croydon’s Buatsi (12-0, 10 KOs) fights in Manchester for the first time as a professional after extending his explosive KO streak to seven fights as he stopped Canada’s Ryan Ford in seven rounds at The O2 in London on the Lomachenko vs. Campbell card. Next up on his World title quest is Australia’s Caparello (30-3-1, 13 KOs), a former opponent of WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev and former IBF super middleweight ruler Andre Dirrell, who arrives on these shores coming off four wins...
Felix Cash defends his Commonwealth middleweight title against Jack Cullen. Cash (11-0, 7 KOs) was due to defend his Commonwealth title against Little Lever’s Cullen (17-1, 8 KOs) in July before an injury ruled him out but the pair will now clash in November after Cullen stopped John Harding Jr in eight rounds in Liverpool...
Former WBA lightweight champion Anthony Crolla (34-7-3, 13 KOs) fittingly returns to the scene of his greatest triumph to call the curtains on a memorable career after challenging pound-for-pound star Vasiliy Lomachenko for the WBA and WBO lightweight titles in Los Angeles earlier this year. The Mancunian hero won the WBA lightweight crown against Darleys Perez on a hugely emotional evening at Manchester Arena in November 2015 and successfully defended his title against Ismael Barroso at the same venue the following year.
***
“I’m so happy to be back in Manchester for this huge show,” said Eddie Hearn. “Katie Taylor is now established as one of the biggest stars in world boxing and she bids to make more history by becoming a multi weight World Champion by challenging WBO Super-Lightweight champ Christina Linardatou.
“Hometown hero Anthony Crolla rolls the dice one more time as he takes part in his final fight in the sport in the arena that has hosted so many epic Anthony Crolla nights. The stabilisers are off for Joshua Buatsi as he takes a huge step up against tough Australian BC in a WBA World title eliminator and there is a brilliant domestic Middleweight clash between Commonwealth champ Felix Cash and English champ Jack Cullen – there’s plenty more beneath these four fights on what will be a huge night of boxing.”
Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be showing the best female boxer in the world back on Sky Sports on this huge show. This is another major test for Katie Taylor as the undisputed Lightweight champion takes on all comers and continues to cement her extraordinary legacy in the sport.
“Katie is a marvellous ambassador and inspiration to so many and we are delighted to be working so closely with her as we look to feature both the very best in boxing and also in women’s sport on Sky.”
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WBA delays minimumweight purse bid |
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The WBA purse bid for the fight between WBA 105-pound champion Thammanoon Niyomtrong a/k/a Knockout CP Freshmart and Jose Argumedo, initially scheduled for Monday, September 16th, was suspended because the parties requested an extension of the period for negotiations. The WBA called for the fight weeks ago for Thailand's Niyomtrong to make his mandatory defense against the Mexican challenger. Both parties requested that the WBA allow a little more time to reach an agreement, and the request was approved by the WBA. Niyomtrong won the WBA interim belt in 2016 and became the WBA champion in 2016. Argumendo is a former IBF champion with a pro record of 23-4-1. He deafeated Venezuela's Alexis Diaz by knockout in his last fight in March to earn the right to face Niyomtrong. Both parties will continue to work on an agreement to carry out the fight under the terms of the WBA regulations.
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WBA delays minimumweight purse bid
The WBA purse bid for the fight between WBA 105-pound champion Thammanoon Niyomtrong a/k/a Knockout CP Freshmart and Jose Argumedo, initially scheduled for Monday, September 16th, was suspended because the parties requested an extension of the period for negotiations. The WBA called for the fight weeks ago for Thailand's Niyomtrong to make his mandatory defense against the Mexican challenger. Both parties requested that the WBA allow a little more time to reach an agreement, and the request was approved by the WBA. Niyomtrong won the WBA interim belt in 2016 and became the WBA champion in 2016. Argumendo is a former IBF champion with a pro record of 23-4-1. He deafeated Venezuela's Alexis Diaz by knockout in his last fight in March to earn the right to face Niyomtrong. Both parties will continue to work on an agreement to carry out the fight under the terms of the WBA regulations.
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British middleweight Jimmy Kelly Jr. signs with stateside promoter |
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Greg Cohen Promotions announced the signing of British middleweight Jimmy Kelly Jr., to a long-term promotional contract. The 27 year-old Kelly (24-2, 9 KOs), from Manchester, recently moved up to middleweight under the guidance of trainer Anthony Farnell and has also linked up with Clearwater Management and Havoc Management and Advisory. Kelly's two losses are a failed 154-pound title bid vs. Liam Smith and a 2018 loss to Dennis Hogan, who went on to outbox WBO 154-pound champ Jaime Munguia only to get robbed on the scorecards.
Kelly discussed his link up with Greg Cohen Promotions, "I am absolutely over the moon to be working with Greg Cohen Promotions and I have to thank the team at GCP for giving me this amazing opportunity along with my management team headed up by James Mulvilli and Andre Rozier who have done a brilliant job with me so far.
"Greg Cohen Promotions have always been a mainstay in world boxing and have a great record in taking fighters to the next level and getting them the right opportunities. That's what I need in my career right now and I believe that my new team is capable of delivering me the opportunity to fight for a world title when they feel the time is correct."
Cohen weighed in on his latest trans-Atlantic acquisition: "Jimmy Kelly Jr is a great young fighter who still has his best years ahead of him. I have followed Jimmy's career for some years now and I always believed that with the correct promotional team around him he would become a world champion and a global star.
"Jimmy now has that team around him and I am really excited to be working alongside Andre Rozier, James Mulvilli and their respective teams as now put the wheels in motion to deliver Jimmy the big fights he craves."
Andre Rozier also gave his take on Kelly Jr's link up with Greg Cohen Promotions. The Brooklyn native said, "Jimmy Kelly Jr is a wonderful young man with lots of potential and we at Havoc Management and Advisory believed that Greg Cohen Promotions would be a perfect fit for Jimmy as Greg and the team have deep-rooted experience in working with non US-based fighters and getting them the right opportunities at the right times.
"I am delighted that we could bring this deal to fruition and I have very high hopes for Jimmy Kelly Jr going forward."
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British middleweight Jimmy Kelly Jr. signs with stateside promoter
Greg Cohen Promotions announced the signing of British middleweight Jimmy Kelly Jr., to a long-term promotional contract. The 27 year-old Kelly (24-2, 9 KOs), from Manchester, recently moved up to middleweight under the guidance of trainer Anthony Farnell and has also linked up with Clearwater Management and Havoc Management and Advisory. Kelly's two losses are a failed 154-pound title bid vs. Liam Smith and a 2018 loss to Dennis Hogan, who went on to outbox WBO 154-pound champ Jaime Munguia only to get robbed on the scorecards.
Kelly discussed his link up with Greg Cohen Promotions, "I am absolutely over the moon to be working with Greg Cohen Promotions and I have to thank the team at GCP for giving me this amazing opportunity along with my management team headed up by James Mulvilli and Andre Rozier who have done a brilliant job with me so far.
"Greg Cohen Promotions have always been a mainstay in world boxing and have a great record in taking fighters to the next level and getting them the right opportunities. That's what I need in my career right now and I believe that my new team is capable of delivering me the opportunity to fight for a world title when they feel the time is correct."
Cohen weighed in on his latest trans-Atlantic acquisition: "Jimmy Kelly Jr is a great young fighter who still has his best years ahead of him. I have followed Jimmy's career for some years now and I always believed that with the correct promotional team around him he would become a world champion and a global star.
"Jimmy now has that team around him and I am really excited to be working alongside Andre Rozier, James Mulvilli and their respective teams as now put the wheels in motion to deliver Jimmy the big fights he craves."
Andre Rozier also gave his take on Kelly Jr's link up with Greg Cohen Promotions. The Brooklyn native said, "Jimmy Kelly Jr is a wonderful young man with lots of potential and we at Havoc Management and Advisory believed that Greg Cohen Promotions would be a perfect fit for Jimmy as Greg and the team have deep-rooted experience in working with non US-based fighters and getting them the right opportunities at the right times.
"I am delighted that we could bring this deal to fruition and I have very high hopes for Jimmy Kelly Jr going forward."
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After Ryan Garcia falls through, Petr Petrov lands a September 20th fight |
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In a chaotic turn of events, lightweight Petr Petrov (40-6-2, 21 KOs) is back on Thompson Boxing's "Locked n' Loaded" main event scheduled for this Friday, Sept. 20th at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif. Over the weekend, Petrov, 36, was close to finalizing a deal as a last minute replacement for Ryan Garcia, but the agreement never materialized and left Garcia off the Los Angeles-area card he was headlining on Saturday. "Things like this happen," said Petrov, who will face Tennessee's Dedrick Bell (23-30-1, 11 KOs) on Friday night. "I've switched my focus back onto Bell and making sure I'm ready for whatever he brings."
Petrov, who lives in Madrid, Spain, but conducts most of his training camp in sparring-rich Los Angeles, is back on the title hunt after coming up empty two years ago against then WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan. His eight-round fight against Bell will be his third fight of the year after scoring two knockout wins in March and May.
Bell, on the other hand, is in the midst of his best run since turning professional ten years ago. He has won five in a row and 11 of his last 12.
Tickets are available for purchase at ThompsonBoxing.com, or by calling 714-935-0900. All fights will be streamed live on TB Presents: Locked n' Loaded via our Facebook page, YouTube channel and ThompsonBoxing.com. Beto Duran will handle blow-by-blow duties, while Doug Fischer provides expert, color commentary. The livestream starts at 8:00 p.m. PT / 11:00 p.m. ET.
In the co-feature, junior bantamweight prospect Mario Hernandez (9-1-1, 3 KOs) of Santa Ana, Calif. faces Jesse Ruiz (6-3-2, 5 KOs) of Tucson, Ariz. is a bout set for six-rounds.
Featherweight veteran Isaac Zarate (16-5-3, 2 KOs) of San Pedro, Calif. meets Roberto Meza (12-2, 6 KOs) of Temecula, Calif. in a scheduled six-rounder.
Also on "Locked n' Loaded," featherweight Anthony Chavez (8-0, 3 KOs) of Redlands, Calif. fights Aleem Jumakhonov (7-2-2, 4 KOs) of Reseda, Calif. (six-rounds).
Opening the show are featherweights Arnold Dinong (5-0, 1 KO) of Daly City, Calif. and Prisco Marquez (4-1-1, 1 KO) of Austin, Tex. (six-rounds).
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After Ryan Garcia falls through, Petr Petrov lands a September 20th fight
In a chaotic turn of events, lightweight Petr Petrov (40-6-2, 21 KOs) is back on Thompson Boxing's "Locked n' Loaded" main event scheduled for this Friday, Sept. 20th at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif. Over the weekend, Petrov, 36, was close to finalizing a deal as a last minute replacement for Ryan Garcia, but the agreement never materialized and left Garcia off the Los Angeles-area card he was headlining on Saturday. "Things like this happen," said Petrov, who will face Tennessee's Dedrick Bell (23-30-1, 11 KOs) on Friday night. "I've switched my focus back onto Bell and making sure I'm ready for whatever he brings."
Petrov, who lives in Madrid, Spain, but conducts most of his training camp in sparring-rich Los Angeles, is back on the title hunt after coming up empty two years ago against then WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan. His eight-round fight against Bell will be his third fight of the year after scoring two knockout wins in March and May.
Bell, on the other hand, is in the midst of his best run since turning professional ten years ago. He has won five in a row and 11 of his last 12.
Tickets are available for purchase at ThompsonBoxing.com, or by calling 714-935-0900. All fights will be streamed live on TB Presents: Locked n' Loaded via our Facebook page, YouTube channel and ThompsonBoxing.com. Beto Duran will handle blow-by-blow duties, while Doug Fischer provides expert, color commentary. The livestream starts at 8:00 p.m. PT / 11:00 p.m. ET.
In the co-feature, junior bantamweight prospect Mario Hernandez (9-1-1, 3 KOs) of Santa Ana, Calif. faces Jesse Ruiz (6-3-2, 5 KOs) of Tucson, Ariz. is a bout set for six-rounds.
Featherweight veteran Isaac Zarate (16-5-3, 2 KOs) of San Pedro, Calif. meets Roberto Meza (12-2, 6 KOs) of Temecula, Calif. in a scheduled six-rounder.
Also on "Locked n' Loaded," featherweight Anthony Chavez (8-0, 3 KOs) of Redlands, Calif. fights Aleem Jumakhonov (7-2-2, 4 KOs) of Reseda, Calif. (six-rounds).
Opening the show are featherweights Arnold Dinong (5-0, 1 KO) of Daly City, Calif. and Prisco Marquez (4-1-1, 1 KO) of Austin, Tex. (six-rounds).
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McCaskill-Farias II added to DAZN's Oct. 12th show |
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Jessica McCaskill will defend her WBA and WBC 140-pound titles against old foe Erica Farias at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago on Saturday October 12th, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK. McCaskill (7-2 3 KOs) ripped the WBC crown from Farias (26-3 10 KOs) last October, putting in a then career-best performance to dethrone the Argentine in her first defense. She went on to add the WBA crown in her next fight in May, arguably surpassing that win over Farias with another mix of guts and skill unifying the titles against another Argentinian in Anahi Sanchez.
Chicago’s McCaskill has voiced her desire to rematch undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor and also face seven-weight ruler Amanda Serrano, but Farias is determined to gain revenge in her first fight since defeat in Chicago.
“I’m delighted to have the chance to defend my titles back at the Wintrust Arena,” said McCaskill. “It was a great night there when I beat Erica first time around. I know she will be determined to win her title back but I feel I am a better fighter since that first fight and I can’t wait to show that.
“It’s amazing to be in this position and we have a lot more goals that I want to reach, there’s more hard work to put in and more to come. Female boxers need to keep their level of professionalism up, keep training hard, take no days off. Female boxing is volatile, and you can get a call to fight any day, we’d often hear ‘I haven’t been in the gym’ and stuff like that. The fans are there, they want to watch great women fight and promoters want to put the fights on, so we must be ready to fight, and I always am.
“There are a lot of names that we want to mark off the list. Amanda Serrano won on Saturday, we’ve talked to her team and I think she’s done a lot for female boxing and I would love to share the ring with her. McCaskill-Taylor 2 is something that we want and there’s the other belts out there too so there’s a lot that we can build towards and target over the next year or so, but I am fully focused on Erica and October 12th.”
“I am happy to have the chance to come back to Chicago and fight Jessica again,” said Farias. “The last fight was close and I have been waiting for a shot at winning the title back – I am coming to Chicago to take back what is mine.”
McCaskill and Farias clash on a night of boxing on October 12th in Chicago, headlined by former undisputed cruiserweight king Oleksandr Usyk making hisheavyweight debut against unbeaten Tyrone Spong.
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McCaskill-Farias II added to DAZN's Oct. 12th show
Jessica McCaskill will defend her WBA and WBC 140-pound titles against old foe Erica Farias at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago on Saturday October 12th, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK. McCaskill (7-2 3 KOs) ripped the WBC crown from Farias (26-3 10 KOs) last October, putting in a then career-best performance to dethrone the Argentine in her first defense. She went on to add the WBA crown in her next fight in May, arguably surpassing that win over Farias with another mix of guts and skill unifying the titles against another Argentinian in Anahi Sanchez.
Chicago’s McCaskill has voiced her desire to rematch undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor and also face seven-weight ruler Amanda Serrano, but Farias is determined to gain revenge in her first fight since defeat in Chicago.
“I’m delighted to have the chance to defend my titles back at the Wintrust Arena,” said McCaskill. “It was a great night there when I beat Erica first time around. I know she will be determined to win her title back but I feel I am a better fighter since that first fight and I can’t wait to show that.
“It’s amazing to be in this position and we have a lot more goals that I want to reach, there’s more hard work to put in and more to come. Female boxers need to keep their level of professionalism up, keep training hard, take no days off. Female boxing is volatile, and you can get a call to fight any day, we’d often hear ‘I haven’t been in the gym’ and stuff like that. The fans are there, they want to watch great women fight and promoters want to put the fights on, so we must be ready to fight, and I always am.
“There are a lot of names that we want to mark off the list. Amanda Serrano won on Saturday, we’ve talked to her team and I think she’s done a lot for female boxing and I would love to share the ring with her. McCaskill-Taylor 2 is something that we want and there’s the other belts out there too so there’s a lot that we can build towards and target over the next year or so, but I am fully focused on Erica and October 12th.”
“I am happy to have the chance to come back to Chicago and fight Jessica again,” said Farias. “The last fight was close and I have been waiting for a shot at winning the title back – I am coming to Chicago to take back what is mine.”
McCaskill and Farias clash on a night of boxing on October 12th in Chicago, headlined by former undisputed cruiserweight king Oleksandr Usyk making hisheavyweight debut against unbeaten Tyrone Spong.
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Reno, Nevada to host Oct. 25th show |
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On October 25th, UFC Fight Pass comes to the Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada. Kendo "Tremendo" Castaneda (16-0, 7 KOs), fighting out of San Antonio against Estonia's Stan Martyniouk (20-2, 6 KOs), who lives in Belmont, California. It will be a junior welterweight eight rounder... The co-feature has Sacramento cruiserweight Blake McKernan (10-0, 2 KOs) against Francisco Rivas (15-2, 5 KOs) of Mexico, in an eight-round bout... Female bantamweight Rosalindo Rodriguez (10-0, 2 KOs) of Miami takes on Las Vegas' unbeaten Jamie "The Miracle" Mitchell (5-0-2, 3 KOs) in a six-round non-title fight... Featherweight Ricardo Lucio Galvan (2-0, 2 KOs) is matched against Sacramento's pro-debuting Samir McQueen.
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Reno, Nevada to host Oct. 25th show
On October 25th, UFC Fight Pass comes to the Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada. Kendo "Tremendo" Castaneda (16-0, 7 KOs), fighting out of San Antonio against Estonia's Stan Martyniouk (20-2, 6 KOs), who lives in Belmont, California. It will be a junior welterweight eight rounder... The co-feature has Sacramento cruiserweight Blake McKernan (10-0, 2 KOs) against Francisco Rivas (15-2, 5 KOs) of Mexico, in an eight-round bout... Female bantamweight Rosalindo Rodriguez (10-0, 2 KOs) of Miami takes on Las Vegas' unbeaten Jamie "The Miracle" Mitchell (5-0-2, 3 KOs) in a six-round non-title fight... Featherweight Ricardo Lucio Galvan (2-0, 2 KOs) is matched against Sacramento's pro-debuting Samir McQueen.
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Franchon Crews Dezurn retains title |
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Franchon Crews Dezurn W10 Maricela Cornejo... WBC super middleweight champion Franchon Crews Dezurn (6-1) had to battle for ten rounds to beat late substitute Maricela Cornejo, but she came through, successfully defending her crown for the first time. Crews Dezurn faced a durable opponent, who accepted the title fight just this week, when Alejandra Jiménez could not travel to the United States due to problems with her work visa. Cornejo (13-4) was a worthy rival, soaking up a lot of overhead rights, and exchanging counters but she was totally outgunned and outmuscled by the sturdy, hard-hitting Crews. The scores of 98-92 (twice) and 97-93 mapped a picture of Crews Dezurn's dominance. source: wbc
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Franchon Crews Dezurn retains title
Franchon Crews Dezurn W10 Maricela Cornejo... WBC super middleweight champion Franchon Crews Dezurn (6-1) had to battle for ten rounds to beat late substitute Maricela Cornejo, but she came through, successfully defending her crown for the first time. Crews Dezurn faced a durable opponent, who accepted the title fight just this week, when Alejandra Jiménez could not travel to the United States due to problems with her work visa. Cornejo (13-4) was a worthy rival, soaking up a lot of overhead rights, and exchanging counters but she was totally outgunned and outmuscled by the sturdy, hard-hitting Crews. The scores of 98-92 (twice) and 97-93 mapped a picture of Crews Dezurn's dominance. source: wbc
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Post-fight Interview: Mykal Fox |
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Greg Leon: Congrats on your shutout victory over Eudy Bernando (25-5, 18 KOs). Can you give us some thoughts on your performance? Mykal Fox: "I think I did very well. I was trying to get the stoppage, but I did pitch the shutout. It was a ten round fight and I won them all. I was trying to get a stoppage, he had a lot of damage, he had a bloody and broken nose and swelling around his eye, but he was tough and surprised the ten rounds." Greg Leon: Did his durability surprise you at all? Mykal Fox: "Just a tad bit, because I had seen him get his lights put out against Mason Menard and Barrios, so I tried to put a little extra something on my punches to get him out of there, but yeah, his durability did surprise me. He started to get into a survival mode, so he became a bit harder to find down the stretch."
GL: Does that fact that you couldn't get the stoppage point towards the fact that styles make fights, or is it because you're not really a puncher?
MF: "It could be either one, but if I'm not that big a puncher then get somebody in the ring with me. These guys don't seem to be in a rush to fght me, so if I'm not a big puncher, that's just one less excuse they could use."
GL: Will there be another fight before the end of the year following these ten rounds?
MF: "I spoke to Marshall (Kauffman) and we were talking about a date in December. I'm not sure of the details at the moment, but I'd love to get back in the ring before the end of the year."
GL: How more regular fights will there be before you start to get really frustrated that none of the top guys are in a rush to dance with you?
MF: "It would tell me that I'm considered a threat and dangerous, which I would take as a compliment because I have an optimistic mind."
GL: It's funny how that second oppotunity came after the loss to Ergashev ain't it?
MF: (laughs) "Exactly."
GL: "Can you describe the fight for people who were unable to see it?
MF: "In the first round I came out on the jab. I wanted to establish that early. He was trying to jab back with me, but he had a lazy jab and I countered him all night and was able to land my lead hook with the left hand right behind it. I hurt him in the eighth and I was trying to get him out of there, but he withstood the barrage and was able to tie me up. He went into the survival mode after that. I kept landing shots when they were available, but we wound up going the distance."
GL: What do you feel like you need to improve on the most moving forward?
MF: "Keeping somebody on their back foot when I have them there. I know a lot of these guys have trouble fighting backwards. I know I can be a tremendous fighter coming forward, I'm already a great counter puncher, I'm just looking to improve being effective being on the front foot."
GL: Is it still easy to make 140?
MF: "It gets a little difficult sometimes because the body is still growing and I feel like I'm just starting to come into my man strength now."
GL: Closing thoughts.
MF: "I'm world ranked in 2019 and I"m looking to become a mainstay in boxing in 2020, so just stay tuned because we're ready."
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Post-fight Interview: Mykal Fox
Greg Leon: Congrats on your shutout victory over Eudy Bernando (25-5, 18 KOs). Can you give us some thoughts on your performance? Mykal Fox: "I think I did very well. I was trying to get the stoppage, but I did pitch the shutout. It was a ten round fight and I won them all. I was trying to get a stoppage, he had a lot of damage, he had a bloody and broken nose and swelling around his eye, but he was tough and surprised the ten rounds." Greg Leon: Did his durability surprise you at all? Mykal Fox: "Just a tad bit, because I had seen him get his lights put out against Mason Menard and Barrios, so I tried to put a little extra something on my punches to get him out of there, but yeah, his durability did surprise me. He started to get into a survival mode, so he became a bit harder to find down the stretch."
GL: Does that fact that you couldn't get the stoppage point towards the fact that styles make fights, or is it because you're not really a puncher?
MF: "It could be either one, but if I'm not that big a puncher then get somebody in the ring with me. These guys don't seem to be in a rush to fght me, so if I'm not a big puncher, that's just one less excuse they could use."
GL: Will there be another fight before the end of the year following these ten rounds?
MF: "I spoke to Marshall (Kauffman) and we were talking about a date in December. I'm not sure of the details at the moment, but I'd love to get back in the ring before the end of the year."
GL: How more regular fights will there be before you start to get really frustrated that none of the top guys are in a rush to dance with you?
MF: "It would tell me that I'm considered a threat and dangerous, which I would take as a compliment because I have an optimistic mind."
GL: It's funny how that second oppotunity came after the loss to Ergashev ain't it?
MF: (laughs) "Exactly."
GL: "Can you describe the fight for people who were unable to see it?
MF: "In the first round I came out on the jab. I wanted to establish that early. He was trying to jab back with me, but he had a lazy jab and I countered him all night and was able to land my lead hook with the left hand right behind it. I hurt him in the eighth and I was trying to get him out of there, but he withstood the barrage and was able to tie me up. He went into the survival mode after that. I kept landing shots when they were available, but we wound up going the distance."
GL: What do you feel like you need to improve on the most moving forward?
MF: "Keeping somebody on their back foot when I have them there. I know a lot of these guys have trouble fighting backwards. I know I can be a tremendous fighter coming forward, I'm already a great counter puncher, I'm just looking to improve being effective being on the front foot."
GL: Is it still easy to make 140?
MF: "It gets a little difficult sometimes because the body is still growing and I feel like I'm just starting to come into my man strength now."
GL: Closing thoughts.
MF: "I'm world ranked in 2019 and I"m looking to become a mainstay in boxing in 2020, so just stay tuned because we're ready."
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More results from Bethlehem, PA |
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Courtney Pennington W8 Erik Spring ... In Bethlehem, PA over the weekend, Courtney Pennington defeated Erik Spring by pounding out an eight-round unanimous decision in the junior middleweight division. Pennington got inside at will on the taller Spring. When inside, Pennington landed hard combinations that were mostly finished off by right hands that snapped back the head of Spring. Spring was game in defeat, but Pennington took the contest by scores of 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74. Pennington, 152.5 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 13-4-3. Spring, 154.3 of Reading, PA is 13-3-2.
Nicholas Hernandez W8 Terrance Williams ... Nicholas Hernandez and Terrance Williams waged an eight-round war that saw Hernandez take a unanimous decision in a junior middleweight bout.Hernandez pushed the action and the fight between the two Pennsylvania natives brought out high-intensity from the raucous crowd. Williams had some moments during the contest, but he could not overcome knockdowns in round's three and four. Hernandez, 154.5 lbs of Lebanon, PA won by scores 77-73 twice and 76-74, and is now 10-4-1. Williams, 154 lbs of Harrisburg, PA is 5-4-1.
Mykal Fox W10 Eudy Bernardo ... As reported above, junior welterweight Mykal Fox kept on the path towards a major fight with a ten-round unanimous decision over Eudy Bernardo in the main event of an exciting nine-bout card at The Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem, Pa. Fox of Forestville, Maryland used his height and reach by keeping Bernardo at the end of his punches. As each round progressed, Fox moved closer and started landing solid four- and five-punch combinations that eventually started to make Bernardo move backwards towards the corner and ropes. Fox showed his class and superior skills and won by shutout tallies of 100-90 on all cards. Fox,141.8 lbs is now 21-1. Bernardo 141.5 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 25-5.
UNDERCARD
Jonathan Torres thrilled his hometown fans by stopping Kaylin Waites 79 seconds into their scheduled four round bantamweight bout. Torres, 118.6 lbs of Bethlehem, PA is now 6-0 with two knockouts. Waites, 116.6 lbs of Dallas, Texas is 1-4...
Fellow Bethlehem favorite Martino Jules scored an explosive third-round stoppage over Michael Stoute at featherweight. Jules landed a perfect uppercut that sent Stoute down for the count at 1:54.Jules, 126.9 lbs is now 7-0 with one knockout. Michael Stoute, 125.7 lbs of Long Island, NY is 3-2...
Kashon Hutchinson won a six-round unanimous decision over Rasheed Johnson in a welterweight bout. Hutchinson, 143.9 lbs of Reading, PA won by 58-56 scores on all cards, and is 6-5...
Brandon Mullins remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Brent Oren in a middleweight fight. Mullins, 159.9 lbs of Newark, DE won all cards 39-37, and is now 6-0... Oren, 157.7 lbs of Harrisburg, PA 157.7 is 1-2.
Jose Lopez won a four-round unanimous decision over Jerrod Miner in a bantamweight fight. Lopez, 115.7 lbs of New York, NY won by tallies of 40-36 twice and 39-37 to even his record at 1-1-1. Miner, 117.6 lbs of Philadelphia is 1-7-2...
Khainell Wheeler opened the show with his 3rd consecutive opening round stoppage by taking out Juan Zapata in 78 seconds of their super middleweight fight. Wheeler dropped Zapata three times and his now 3-0 with three knockouts. Zapata, 167 lbs of Bronx, NY is 6-16-2. source for all results: king's promotions
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More results from Bethlehem, PA
Courtney Pennington W8 Erik Spring ... In Bethlehem, PA over the weekend, Courtney Pennington defeated Erik Spring by pounding out an eight-round unanimous decision in the junior middleweight division. Pennington got inside at will on the taller Spring. When inside, Pennington landed hard combinations that were mostly finished off by right hands that snapped back the head of Spring. Spring was game in defeat, but Pennington took the contest by scores of 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74. Pennington, 152.5 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 13-4-3. Spring, 154.3 of Reading, PA is 13-3-2.
Nicholas Hernandez W8 Terrance Williams ... Nicholas Hernandez and Terrance Williams waged an eight-round war that saw Hernandez take a unanimous decision in a junior middleweight bout.Hernandez pushed the action and the fight between the two Pennsylvania natives brought out high-intensity from the raucous crowd. Williams had some moments during the contest, but he could not overcome knockdowns in round's three and four. Hernandez, 154.5 lbs of Lebanon, PA won by scores 77-73 twice and 76-74, and is now 10-4-1. Williams, 154 lbs of Harrisburg, PA is 5-4-1.
Mykal Fox W10 Eudy Bernardo ... As reported above, junior welterweight Mykal Fox kept on the path towards a major fight with a ten-round unanimous decision over Eudy Bernardo in the main event of an exciting nine-bout card at The Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem, Pa. Fox of Forestville, Maryland used his height and reach by keeping Bernardo at the end of his punches. As each round progressed, Fox moved closer and started landing solid four- and five-punch combinations that eventually started to make Bernardo move backwards towards the corner and ropes. Fox showed his class and superior skills and won by shutout tallies of 100-90 on all cards. Fox,141.8 lbs is now 21-1. Bernardo 141.5 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 25-5.
UNDERCARD
Jonathan Torres thrilled his hometown fans by stopping Kaylin Waites 79 seconds into their scheduled four round bantamweight bout. Torres, 118.6 lbs of Bethlehem, PA is now 6-0 with two knockouts. Waites, 116.6 lbs of Dallas, Texas is 1-4...
Fellow Bethlehem favorite Martino Jules scored an explosive third-round stoppage over Michael Stoute at featherweight. Jules landed a perfect uppercut that sent Stoute down for the count at 1:54.Jules, 126.9 lbs is now 7-0 with one knockout. Michael Stoute, 125.7 lbs of Long Island, NY is 3-2...
Kashon Hutchinson won a six-round unanimous decision over Rasheed Johnson in a welterweight bout. Hutchinson, 143.9 lbs of Reading, PA won by 58-56 scores on all cards, and is 6-5...
Brandon Mullins remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Brent Oren in a middleweight fight. Mullins, 159.9 lbs of Newark, DE won all cards 39-37, and is now 6-0... Oren, 157.7 lbs of Harrisburg, PA 157.7 is 1-2.
Jose Lopez won a four-round unanimous decision over Jerrod Miner in a bantamweight fight. Lopez, 115.7 lbs of New York, NY won by tallies of 40-36 twice and 39-37 to even his record at 1-1-1. Miner, 117.6 lbs of Philadelphia is 1-7-2...
Khainell Wheeler opened the show with his 3rd consecutive opening round stoppage by taking out Juan Zapata in 78 seconds of their super middleweight fight. Wheeler dropped Zapata three times and his now 3-0 with three knockouts. Zapata, 167 lbs of Bronx, NY is 6-16-2. source for all results: king's promotions
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Michael Hunter calls out Alex Povetkin |
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Michael Hunter W12 Sergey Kuzmin... Heavyweight Michael Hunter produced another fine performance over the weekend, handing a first career defeat to Russia's Sergey Kuzmin. Hunter (18-1, 12 KOs) started brightly and punctuated his early dominance with a left hook knockdown at the start of fifth. Hunter invested heavily in the body of the Russian (15-1, 11 KOs) and was rewarded by three cards of 117-110 in his favor. The 31 year-old Hunter is targeting a showdown with Alexander Povetkin next. “I wanted to stop the boy, but he’s a tough opponent, I didn’t get him,” said Hunter. “I am pleased with my performance, but I saw things I need to sharpen up on. He was a strong dude with a lot of weight. He absorbed it very well. Their guard is tight, I just have to go back to the drawing board and dissect these guys again. I want Povetkin. If you see me Povetkin, I’m coming for you.” source: matchroom
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Michael Hunter calls out Alex Povetkin
Michael Hunter W12 Sergey Kuzmin... Heavyweight Michael Hunter produced another fine performance over the weekend, handing a first career defeat to Russia's Sergey Kuzmin. Hunter (18-1, 12 KOs) started brightly and punctuated his early dominance with a left hook knockdown at the start of fifth. Hunter invested heavily in the body of the Russian (15-1, 11 KOs) and was rewarded by three cards of 117-110 in his favor. The 31 year-old Hunter is targeting a showdown with Alexander Povetkin next. “I wanted to stop the boy, but he’s a tough opponent, I didn’t get him,” said Hunter. “I am pleased with my performance, but I saw things I need to sharpen up on. He was a strong dude with a lot of weight. He absorbed it very well. Their guard is tight, I just have to go back to the drawing board and dissect these guys again. I want Povetkin. If you see me Povetkin, I’m coming for you.” source: matchroom
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Tyson Fury fights through nasty gash to outpoint Otto Wallin |
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Tyson Fury W12 Otto Wallin... Tyson Fury overcame a terrible cut and a stiff challenge from Otto Wallin to win via unanimous decision (116-112, 117-111, 118-110) in front of 8,249 fans at T-Mobile Arena Saturday evening. Fury, cut from a punch in the third round, survived some anxious moments and rebounded to take control of the bout. Wallin buzzed Fury in the 12th round with a left hand, but Fury weathered the last-ditch effort. Fury now has his sights set on a much-discussed early 2020 rematch with WBC champion Deontay Wilder.
"Congrats to Otto – and God bless his father and let him rest in peace," Fury said. "He would be very proud of Otto’s performance. "It was a great fight I got cut earlier on the eyelid and changed the fight completely. I couldn’t see out of the left eye and there was a lot of clashes.... Deontay Wilder, I want you next, bum! source: top rank
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Tyson Fury fights through nasty gash to outpoint Otto Wallin
Tyson Fury W12 Otto Wallin... Tyson Fury overcame a terrible cut and a stiff challenge from Otto Wallin to win via unanimous decision (116-112, 117-111, 118-110) in front of 8,249 fans at T-Mobile Arena Saturday evening. Fury, cut from a punch in the third round, survived some anxious moments and rebounded to take control of the bout. Wallin buzzed Fury in the 12th round with a left hand, but Fury weathered the last-ditch effort. Fury now has his sights set on a much-discussed early 2020 rematch with WBC champion Deontay Wilder.
"Congrats to Otto – and God bless his father and let him rest in peace," Fury said. "He would be very proud of Otto’s performance. "It was a great fight I got cut earlier on the eyelid and changed the fight completely. I couldn’t see out of the left eye and there was a lot of clashes.... Deontay Wilder, I want you next, bum! source: top rank
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Navarrete retains title for second time in two weeks |
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Emanuel Navarrete TKO4 Juan Miguel Elorde... Four weeks removed from his last fight, Mexico's Emanuel "Vaquero" Navarrete stopped Juan Miguel Elorde of the Philippines in four rounds to retain his WBO junior featherweight world title for the third time. Navarrete knocked down Elorde in the third round and had him in trouble in the fourth, forcing referee Russell Mora to stop the fight. “I’m happy because I think I put on a great performance. Fortunately, my opponent is OK, and I came out here to put on a show," Navarrete said. "I hope the fans enjoyed it on my very first Las Vegas show on Mexican Independence Day Weekend. ‘Vaquero’ Navarrete is here to stay.” source: top rank
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Navarrete retains title for second time in two weeks
Emanuel Navarrete TKO4 Juan Miguel Elorde... Four weeks removed from his last fight, Mexico's Emanuel "Vaquero" Navarrete stopped Juan Miguel Elorde of the Philippines in four rounds to retain his WBO junior featherweight world title for the third time. Navarrete knocked down Elorde in the third round and had him in trouble in the fourth, forcing referee Russell Mora to stop the fight. “I’m happy because I think I put on a great performance. Fortunately, my opponent is OK, and I came out here to put on a show," Navarrete said. "I hope the fans enjoyed it on my very first Las Vegas show on Mexican Independence Day Weekend. ‘Vaquero’ Navarrete is here to stay.” source: top rank
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Undercard results from Las Vegas: Zepeda beats Pedraza |
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Jose Zepeda W10 Jose Pedraza... On the Top Rank undercard shown on ESPN+ on Saturday, Jose "Chon" Zepeda won a clear ten-round unanimous decision over former two-weight champion Jose "Sniper" Pedraza. It was Pedraza's first fight at 140 pounds. All three judges scored the bout 97-93. “It’s probably one of the best days of my life. It’s Mexican Independence Day. I was giving everything for Mexico," Zepeda said. “I guess persistence {was the key to victory}. The people here were giving me excitement to go get him, to go after this guy. We knew that he was a hell of a boxer. Thank God I’m the third one that beat him. The other two were elite fighters. I’m happy for that." Zepeda gave current WBC/WBO 140-pound champion Jose Ramirez all he could handle in February. “There were talks that maybe the winner of this fight would go after Ramirez. For me, the rematch, I would like that. It was a very close fight. A lot of people thought I won, a lot of people thought he won. I would love a rematch. I think the people would love it, too.”
Said Pedraza: “It was a very good fight. He looked very well, and I just couldn't do any of the things I wanted to do. Nothing came out the way I wanted. The instruction from my corner was to throw more punches, but nothing was going my way. This was my debut at 140. I felt good. I will meet with my team to evaluate if we stay at 140, or if we move down in weight."
Carlos Cuadras W10 Jose Maria Cardenas... Former WBC super flyweight champion Carlos Cuadras (39-3-1, 27 KOs) scraped by veteran Jose Maria Cardenas (17-5, 14 KOs) via ten-round majority decision. Official scores were 95-95 and 96-94 (twice). Cuadras has now won three in a row and is position to challenge for another world title. “I did what I had to do to get the win," Cuadras said. "I don’t care what he says. I connected the most powerful and definitive shots. I won the fight.”
“This was a total robbery," Cardenas said. "I clearly won the fight. I want an immediate rematch.”
MORE RESULTS
Undefeated 19-year-old Gabriel Flores Jr. (15-0, 6 KOs) secured a workmanlike six-round unanimous decision over Miguel Angel Aispuro (12-9-2, 8 KOs) by identical scores of 60-54. “It’s always a thrill to fight here in Las Vegas," Flores said. "This has been a great year for me as I continue to develop as a fighter. I’ll be back soon.”
Tyson Fury stablemate Isaac Lowe (19-0-3, 6 KOs) overcame a difficult challenge from Mexican veteran Ruben Garcia Hernandez (25-5-2, 11 KOs), but he closed the show strong to earn the eight-round unanimous decision (77-75 2x and 78-74) in a super featherweight bout.
In matchup of unbeaten super bantamweights, Iskander Kharsan (7-0, 6 KOs) knocked down and punished Isidro Ochoa (7-1, 3 KOs) until Ochoa’s corner stopped the bout following the fifth round. source for all results: top rank
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Undercard results from Las Vegas: Zepeda beats Pedraza
Jose Zepeda W10 Jose Pedraza... On the Top Rank undercard shown on ESPN+ on Saturday, Jose "Chon" Zepeda won a clear ten-round unanimous decision over former two-weight champion Jose "Sniper" Pedraza. It was Pedraza's first fight at 140 pounds. All three judges scored the bout 97-93. “It’s probably one of the best days of my life. It’s Mexican Independence Day. I was giving everything for Mexico," Zepeda said. “I guess persistence {was the key to victory}. The people here were giving me excitement to go get him, to go after this guy. We knew that he was a hell of a boxer. Thank God I’m the third one that beat him. The other two were elite fighters. I’m happy for that." Zepeda gave current WBC/WBO 140-pound champion Jose Ramirez all he could handle in February. “There were talks that maybe the winner of this fight would go after Ramirez. For me, the rematch, I would like that. It was a very close fight. A lot of people thought I won, a lot of people thought he won. I would love a rematch. I think the people would love it, too.”
Said Pedraza: “It was a very good fight. He looked very well, and I just couldn't do any of the things I wanted to do. Nothing came out the way I wanted. The instruction from my corner was to throw more punches, but nothing was going my way. This was my debut at 140. I felt good. I will meet with my team to evaluate if we stay at 140, or if we move down in weight."
Carlos Cuadras W10 Jose Maria Cardenas... Former WBC super flyweight champion Carlos Cuadras (39-3-1, 27 KOs) scraped by veteran Jose Maria Cardenas (17-5, 14 KOs) via ten-round majority decision. Official scores were 95-95 and 96-94 (twice). Cuadras has now won three in a row and is position to challenge for another world title. “I did what I had to do to get the win," Cuadras said. "I don’t care what he says. I connected the most powerful and definitive shots. I won the fight.”
“This was a total robbery," Cardenas said. "I clearly won the fight. I want an immediate rematch.”
MORE RESULTS
Undefeated 19-year-old Gabriel Flores Jr. (15-0, 6 KOs) secured a workmanlike six-round unanimous decision over Miguel Angel Aispuro (12-9-2, 8 KOs) by identical scores of 60-54. “It’s always a thrill to fight here in Las Vegas," Flores said. "This has been a great year for me as I continue to develop as a fighter. I’ll be back soon.”
Tyson Fury stablemate Isaac Lowe (19-0-3, 6 KOs) overcame a difficult challenge from Mexican veteran Ruben Garcia Hernandez (25-5-2, 11 KOs), but he closed the show strong to earn the eight-round unanimous decision (77-75 2x and 78-74) in a super featherweight bout.
In matchup of unbeaten super bantamweights, Iskander Kharsan (7-0, 6 KOs) knocked down and punished Isidro Ochoa (7-1, 3 KOs) until Ochoa’s corner stopped the bout following the fifth round. source for all results: top rank
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JoJo Diaz takes Facebook fight instead of Tevin Farmer title shot |
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Joseph "JoJo"' Diaz Jr. (29-1, 15 KOs) will return to the ring against Venezuela's Jesus Cuadro (18-5, 14 KOs) on Sept. 21st at The Auditorio del Estado in Mexicali, Mexico. The fights will be streamed live globally on Facebook Watch via the Golden Boy Fight Night Page. Diaz Jr. is a 26 year-old southpaw who represented the U.S. at the 2012 Olympic games in London. Immediately after, Diaz Jr. signed with Golden Boy and began a stellar career that has included fights against Gary Russell Jr. (his only loss), Jesus Rojas, and Rafael "Big Bang" Rivera. Now at 130 pounds, the native of South El Monte, Calif. said, "I want to show everyone that I am proud to be Mexican American. I'm ready to put on an entertaining performance for my raza. I'm going to put everything on the line for those who have been with me since the beginning." [Tevin Farmer, the IBF 130-pound champion, and Farmer's promoter, Lou DiBella showed interest in fighting Diaz, but the interest was apparently not reciprocated].
Nicknamed "The Shotgun," Cuadro is a 33-year-old puncher who has traveled to places like Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Argentina and Russia. [Cuadro's record shows only one win against a boxer with a winning record] .
"Joseph Diaz Jr. is an elite fighter, so we have to defeat him," said Jesus Cuadro. "I'm a natural 130-pounder, and I've even fought at lightweight. That will give me an advantage because I'm going to go into the fight with a lot of strength. I can't tell you how the fight will finish, but I can tell you that I'll be walking away with my hand raised in victory."
ADDITIONAL BOUTS
In the co-feature, Leonardo "Leon" Baez (16-2, 9 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico battles another Venezuelan, Edison "El Cabezon" Perez (19-4, 14 KOs) in a ten-round super bantamweight fight. Baez is returning after his dominant victory against two-time Olympian Alberto "Impacto" Melian...
Jan "Nito" Salvatierra (2-0, 1 KO) of Los Cabos, Mexico will battle Juan Borja (0-1) of La Paz, Mexico in a four-round flyweight bout...
Angel Villa (6-0, 4 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico will return against Dilan Loza (15-2, 9 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico in an eight-round welterweight battle...
Genaro Rodriguez (5-5-1, 1 KO) of Guadalupe Victoria, Mexico will fight Gustavo Guerrero (10-2, 3 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico in a six-round super bantamweight fight...
Roberto Perez (4-0, 4 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico to fight Victor Perez (1-2) of Mexicali, Mexico in a super bantamweight bout scheduled for six rounds...
Arturo Torres (4-0, 2 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico will return against Esteban Vargas (1-1, 1 KO) of Mexicali, Mexico in a four-round super flyweight fight...
Jose Adame (2-0, 1 KO) of Mexicali, Mexico will face Jorge Rios (2-11, 1 KO) of Mexicali, Mexico in a four-round middleweight battle...
Melissa Meras (5-0, 1 KO) of Mexicali, Mexico will return against Jazmin Medina (1-0, 1 KO) of Calexico, Mexico in a four-round super flyweight bout...
Cristian Bielma (13-3, 5 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico will participate in a ten-round lightweight fight against a soon-to-be-announced opponent.
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JoJo Diaz takes Facebook fight instead of Tevin Farmer title shot
Joseph "JoJo"' Diaz Jr. (29-1, 15 KOs) will return to the ring against Venezuela's Jesus Cuadro (18-5, 14 KOs) on Sept. 21st at The Auditorio del Estado in Mexicali, Mexico. The fights will be streamed live globally on Facebook Watch via the Golden Boy Fight Night Page. Diaz Jr. is a 26 year-old southpaw who represented the U.S. at the 2012 Olympic games in London. Immediately after, Diaz Jr. signed with Golden Boy and began a stellar career that has included fights against Gary Russell Jr. (his only loss), Jesus Rojas, and Rafael "Big Bang" Rivera. Now at 130 pounds, the native of South El Monte, Calif. said, "I want to show everyone that I am proud to be Mexican American. I'm ready to put on an entertaining performance for my raza. I'm going to put everything on the line for those who have been with me since the beginning." [Tevin Farmer, the IBF 130-pound champion, and Farmer's promoter, Lou DiBella showed interest in fighting Diaz, but the interest was apparently not reciprocated].
Nicknamed "The Shotgun," Cuadro is a 33-year-old puncher who has traveled to places like Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Argentina and Russia. [Cuadro's record shows only one win against a boxer with a winning record] .
"Joseph Diaz Jr. is an elite fighter, so we have to defeat him," said Jesus Cuadro. "I'm a natural 130-pounder, and I've even fought at lightweight. That will give me an advantage because I'm going to go into the fight with a lot of strength. I can't tell you how the fight will finish, but I can tell you that I'll be walking away with my hand raised in victory."
ADDITIONAL BOUTS
In the co-feature, Leonardo "Leon" Baez (16-2, 9 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico battles another Venezuelan, Edison "El Cabezon" Perez (19-4, 14 KOs) in a ten-round super bantamweight fight. Baez is returning after his dominant victory against two-time Olympian Alberto "Impacto" Melian...
Jan "Nito" Salvatierra (2-0, 1 KO) of Los Cabos, Mexico will battle Juan Borja (0-1) of La Paz, Mexico in a four-round flyweight bout...
Angel Villa (6-0, 4 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico will return against Dilan Loza (15-2, 9 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico in an eight-round welterweight battle...
Genaro Rodriguez (5-5-1, 1 KO) of Guadalupe Victoria, Mexico will fight Gustavo Guerrero (10-2, 3 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico in a six-round super bantamweight fight...
Roberto Perez (4-0, 4 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico to fight Victor Perez (1-2) of Mexicali, Mexico in a super bantamweight bout scheduled for six rounds...
Arturo Torres (4-0, 2 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico will return against Esteban Vargas (1-1, 1 KO) of Mexicali, Mexico in a four-round super flyweight fight...
Jose Adame (2-0, 1 KO) of Mexicali, Mexico will face Jorge Rios (2-11, 1 KO) of Mexicali, Mexico in a four-round middleweight battle...
Melissa Meras (5-0, 1 KO) of Mexicali, Mexico will return against Jazmin Medina (1-0, 1 KO) of Calexico, Mexico in a four-round super flyweight bout...
Cristian Bielma (13-3, 5 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico will participate in a ten-round lightweight fight against a soon-to-be-announced opponent.
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September 28th show booked in Zimbabwe |
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On Saturday September 28 at the Harare International Convention Center in Harare, Zimbabwe, local middleweight Charles Manyushi (23-4-1 with 14 KOs) takes on Argentina's Diego Diaz Gallardo (22-6-1 with 13 KOs). Manyushi is aiming to make a break-through, while Diaz Gallardo will attempt to resurrect his career after a 2018 domestic setback to Billi Facundo Godoy.
A professional since 2009, Manyushi (age 30) had a nice roll in 2017, including a win over decent Michael Mothmora in France. After anither win, he was upset by compatriot Billi Facundo Gody in a non-title fight late last year.
Also on the Zimbabwe show, local junior welterweight Brandon Denes (6-0, 3 KOs) clashes with Malawi's Byson Gwayani (12-6 with 5 KOs). Gwayani, a 23 year-old southpaw from Malawi, made his pro debut in March of 2016. source: wbf
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September 28th show booked in Zimbabwe
On Saturday September 28 at the Harare International Convention Center in Harare, Zimbabwe, local middleweight Charles Manyushi (23-4-1 with 14 KOs) takes on Argentina's Diego Diaz Gallardo (22-6-1 with 13 KOs). Manyushi is aiming to make a break-through, while Diaz Gallardo will attempt to resurrect his career after a 2018 domestic setback to Billi Facundo Godoy.
A professional since 2009, Manyushi (age 30) had a nice roll in 2017, including a win over decent Michael Mothmora in France. After anither win, he was upset by compatriot Billi Facundo Gody in a non-title fight late last year.
Also on the Zimbabwe show, local junior welterweight Brandon Denes (6-0, 3 KOs) clashes with Malawi's Byson Gwayani (12-6 with 5 KOs). Gwayani, a 23 year-old southpaw from Malawi, made his pro debut in March of 2016. source: wbf
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Ryan Garcia angry with Golden Boy over fight falling out |
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Golden Boy Promotions lost the co-feature on tonight's DAZN-broadcast show at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. Avery Sparrow was reportedly arrested on an oustanding warrant, leaving Ryan Garcia without an opponent. Golden Boy was unable to arrange for a late-minute replacement on terms accpetable to Garcia, a huge draw and social media presence. Garcia was very unhappy with his promoter, tweeting, "Due to unfortunate events, I will not be fighting and they will not be compromising on their mistakes! I did everything in my power. I came in on weight and trained my ass off. God’s in control now the rest will take care of itself... Thank you for everyone’s support!" The show goes on with a main event iof WBO 154-pound champion Jaime Munguia (33-0, 26 KOs) defending against African warrior Patrick Allotey (40-3, 30 KOs).
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Ryan Garcia angry with Golden Boy over fight falling out
Golden Boy Promotions lost the co-feature on tonight's DAZN-broadcast show at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. Avery Sparrow was reportedly arrested on an oustanding warrant, leaving Ryan Garcia without an opponent. Golden Boy was unable to arrange for a late-minute replacement on terms accpetable to Garcia, a huge draw and social media presence. Garcia was very unhappy with his promoter, tweeting, "Due to unfortunate events, I will not be fighting and they will not be compromising on their mistakes! I did everything in my power. I came in on weight and trained my ass off. God’s in control now the rest will take care of itself... Thank you for everyone’s support!" The show goes on with a main event iof WBO 154-pound champion Jaime Munguia (33-0, 26 KOs) defending against African warrior Patrick Allotey (40-3, 30 KOs).
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Haney breezes through Abdullaev |
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Devin Haney TKO4 Zaur Abdullaev... Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York City, lightweight contender Devin Haney made previously unbeaten Russian Zaur Abdullaev quit on his stool after four-one sided rounds. Haney (23-0, 15 KOs) may have broken Abdullaev's (11-1) orbital bone. Haney was announced as the new WBC interim champion, a true paper title. Although a potential superfight is at least a year away, Haney genuinely seems to want to fight WBA/WBC/WBO lightweight champion Vasily Lomachenko or prospect Ryan Garcia, who has a huge social media following. source: dazn
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Haney breezes through Abdullaev
Devin Haney TKO4 Zaur Abdullaev... Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York City, lightweight contender Devin Haney made previously unbeaten Russian Zaur Abdullaev quit on his stool after four-one sided rounds. Haney (23-0, 15 KOs) may have broken Abdullaev's (11-1) orbital bone. Haney was announced as the new WBC interim champion, a true paper title. Although a potential superfight is at least a year away, Haney genuinely seems to want to fight WBA/WBC/WBO lightweight champion Vasily Lomachenko or prospect Ryan Garcia, who has a huge social media following. source: dazn
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Serrano easily defeats Hardy |
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Amanda Serrano W10 Heather Hardy... At New York City's Madison Square Garden, Amanda Serrano (37-1-1) added yet another championship belt to her crowded trophy case, lifting the WBC featherweight title from fellow New Yorker Heather Hardy (22-1). Serrano battered Hardy in round one and the fight seemed like it was on the verge of being stopped. Serrano bloodied Hardy over the remaining ten rounds. Hardy seemed to work herself back into the fight, but didn't enough to win many rounds. Perhaps Serrano took her foot off the gas just a bit to save her good friend Hardy from getting knocked out. Official scores were 98-91 (twice) and 98-92. Punchstats had Serrano outlanding Hardy 222 punches to 131. Hopefully, Serrano can face one of the top lightweights next, either world champion Katie Taylor or Delfine Persoon, who arguably defeated Taylor in their last fight.
Hardy tweeted afterwards, "I wanna thank everyone for the overwhelming love and support... I’m OK. Amanda was better, and we knew that going in... but risk over regret. [I got] ten stitches, a split lip and a hella headache, but life goes on."
Serrano, already a seven-division champion, showed respect for the courage shown by Hardy. Serrano tweeted, "Like I told everyone, it was going to be a great fight. She proved my theory right... she was tough as hell... I love you Heather. Thank you for sharing the ring with me. No losers here."
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Serrano easily defeats Hardy
Amanda Serrano W10 Heather Hardy... At New York City's Madison Square Garden, Amanda Serrano (37-1-1) added yet another championship belt to her crowded trophy case, lifting the WBC featherweight title from fellow New Yorker Heather Hardy (22-1). Serrano battered Hardy in round one and the fight seemed like it was on the verge of being stopped. Serrano bloodied Hardy over the remaining ten rounds. Hardy seemed to work herself back into the fight, but didn't enough to win many rounds. Perhaps Serrano took her foot off the gas just a bit to save her good friend Hardy from getting knocked out. Official scores were 98-91 (twice) and 98-92. Punchstats had Serrano outlanding Hardy 222 punches to 131. Hopefully, Serrano can face one of the top lightweights next, either world champion Katie Taylor or Delfine Persoon, who arguably defeated Taylor in their last fight.
Hardy tweeted afterwards, "I wanna thank everyone for the overwhelming love and support... I’m OK. Amanda was better, and we knew that going in... but risk over regret. [I got] ten stitches, a split lip and a hella headache, but life goes on."
Serrano, already a seven-division champion, showed respect for the courage shown by Hardy. Serrano tweeted, "Like I told everyone, it was going to be a great fight. She proved my theory right... she was tough as hell... I love you Heather. Thank you for sharing the ring with me. No losers here."
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It's official: Canelo Alvarez to challenge Sergey Kovalev at 175 pounds |
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Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (51-1-2, 34 KOs), the world middleweight champion, will take on a new challenge as he moves into the 175-pound weight class to challenge WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev (34-3-1, 28 KOs). The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be streamed exclusively live on DAZN in all of its nine markets, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Japan. Alvarez was also a 154-pound champion. "We promised to make this fight happen, and now we are delivering it," said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. "Historic fights have been a hallmark of this company, and we are pleased to once again live up to the high expectations we've set for our fans. The best pound-for-pound fighter is also boxing's biggest star. Few fighters in boxing's history can claim to be both-- like Canelo Alvarez. Now, he'll look to become a four-division world champion against one of the most dangerous fighters of recent years, and I'm certain that he will stop him. There's no better home for this than on the DAZN platform or live at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas."
Canelo, the 29-year-old native of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, became the face of boxing by taking on some of the biggest names in the sport. At 154 pounds, Canelo captured several world titles and defeated the likes of Austin "No Doubt" Trout, Sugar Shane Mosley, Alfredo "El Perro" Angulo, Erislandy "The American Dream" Lara and Liam "Beefy" Smith.
At 160 pounds, Canelo defeated Gennady "GGG" Golovkin and Daniel "Miracle Man" Jacobs to establish himself as the king of the middleweight division. And, shortly after signing a groundbreaking partnership with global sports streaming giant DAZN, Canelo moved into the 168-pound division by stopping Rocky Fielding in three rounds to become the WBA Super Middleweight World Champion.
Canelo will now look to make history once again by becoming the second Mexican boxer to hold a world title in the light heavyweight division, a feat only done by Julio Cesar Gonzalez in 2003.
"The second phase of my career is continuing just as we had planned, and that's why we are continuing to make great fights to enter into the history books of boxing," said Canelo Alvarez. "That's also why I've decided to jump two weight classes against one of the most feared champions of recent years. Kovalev is a dangerous puncher, and he's naturally the bigger man, but that's the kind of challenges and risks that I like to face."
On November 2nd, Kovalev, 36, will participate in his 17th consecutive world title bout and the most lucrative fight of his career against the biggest star in boxing. A Russian knockout artist and three-time light heavyweight world champion, "Krusher" is no stranger to fighting in hostile territory. He captured the WBO title in 2013 when he traveled to Wales and scored a knockout of Nathan Cleverly. Kovalev traveled to Atlantic City to meet future Hall of Famer Bernard "The Alien" Hopkins near his Philadelphia home to unify the WBO, WBA and IBF titles with a lopsided unanimous decision victory in 2014. As unified champion, "Krusher" successfully defended his titles twice against a former world champion, Jean Pascal in Pascal's hometown of Montreal, scoring a stoppage victory both times.
Kovalev suffered two controversial losses to former Olympic Gold medalist Andre Ward (in 2016 and 2017) and a surprise upset to Eleider Alvarez last year, but quickly regained his WBO Light Heavyweight Title each time. In August, the road warrior finally got the chance to fight in his own hometown of Chelyabinsk, Russia, stopping undefeated mandatory challenger Anthony Yarde in a sold-out arena.
When asked about this fight, Kovalev said, "In order to be the best you have to beat the best. I have always tried to fight the toughest opponents in my division, but many have ducked me throughout my career. Canelo wanted to fight me; to step up to higher weight and challenge for my belt. I will be ready on November 2nd. Thank you, Main Events, Kathy Duva, Egis Klimas, DAZN and Canelo for making this fight happen."
"Canelo is to be praised for asking to challenge Sergey Kovalev," added Main Events' CEO Kathy Duva. "Win or lose, he will make history and Sergey is extremely pleased to get the chance to test his mettle against another future Hall of Famer." She continued, "Anyone who cares at all about the Sweet Science should circle November 2nd on their calendar. I have a feeling that this will be one for the ages."
"Canelo vs. Kovalev is a fascinating matchup between champions that will highlight our entire season of premium fights on DAZN over the next several months," said DAZN Group Executive Chairman John Skipper. "Simply stated, this is the best schedule in boxing history."
Richard Sturm, President of Las Vegas Live Entertainment and Sports, said, "We look forward to hosting this tremendous matchup between Canelo and Kovalev at MGM Grand in November. These two great fighters always put on a fantastic show and we are confident they will, once again, provide boxing fans worldwide a thrilling fight when they return to Las Vegas."
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It's official: Canelo Alvarez to challenge Sergey Kovalev at 175 pounds
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (51-1-2, 34 KOs), the world middleweight champion, will take on a new challenge as he moves into the 175-pound weight class to challenge WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev (34-3-1, 28 KOs). The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be streamed exclusively live on DAZN in all of its nine markets, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Japan. Alvarez was also a 154-pound champion. "We promised to make this fight happen, and now we are delivering it," said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. "Historic fights have been a hallmark of this company, and we are pleased to once again live up to the high expectations we've set for our fans. The best pound-for-pound fighter is also boxing's biggest star. Few fighters in boxing's history can claim to be both-- like Canelo Alvarez. Now, he'll look to become a four-division world champion against one of the most dangerous fighters of recent years, and I'm certain that he will stop him. There's no better home for this than on the DAZN platform or live at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas."
Canelo, the 29-year-old native of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, became the face of boxing by taking on some of the biggest names in the sport. At 154 pounds, Canelo captured several world titles and defeated the likes of Austin "No Doubt" Trout, Sugar Shane Mosley, Alfredo "El Perro" Angulo, Erislandy "The American Dream" Lara and Liam "Beefy" Smith.
At 160 pounds, Canelo defeated Gennady "GGG" Golovkin and Daniel "Miracle Man" Jacobs to establish himself as the king of the middleweight division. And, shortly after signing a groundbreaking partnership with global sports streaming giant DAZN, Canelo moved into the 168-pound division by stopping Rocky Fielding in three rounds to become the WBA Super Middleweight World Champion.
Canelo will now look to make history once again by becoming the second Mexican boxer to hold a world title in the light heavyweight division, a feat only done by Julio Cesar Gonzalez in 2003.
"The second phase of my career is continuing just as we had planned, and that's why we are continuing to make great fights to enter into the history books of boxing," said Canelo Alvarez. "That's also why I've decided to jump two weight classes against one of the most feared champions of recent years. Kovalev is a dangerous puncher, and he's naturally the bigger man, but that's the kind of challenges and risks that I like to face."
On November 2nd, Kovalev, 36, will participate in his 17th consecutive world title bout and the most lucrative fight of his career against the biggest star in boxing. A Russian knockout artist and three-time light heavyweight world champion, "Krusher" is no stranger to fighting in hostile territory. He captured the WBO title in 2013 when he traveled to Wales and scored a knockout of Nathan Cleverly. Kovalev traveled to Atlantic City to meet future Hall of Famer Bernard "The Alien" Hopkins near his Philadelphia home to unify the WBO, WBA and IBF titles with a lopsided unanimous decision victory in 2014. As unified champion, "Krusher" successfully defended his titles twice against a former world champion, Jean Pascal in Pascal's hometown of Montreal, scoring a stoppage victory both times.
Kovalev suffered two controversial losses to former Olympic Gold medalist Andre Ward (in 2016 and 2017) and a surprise upset to Eleider Alvarez last year, but quickly regained his WBO Light Heavyweight Title each time. In August, the road warrior finally got the chance to fight in his own hometown of Chelyabinsk, Russia, stopping undefeated mandatory challenger Anthony Yarde in a sold-out arena.
When asked about this fight, Kovalev said, "In order to be the best you have to beat the best. I have always tried to fight the toughest opponents in my division, but many have ducked me throughout my career. Canelo wanted to fight me; to step up to higher weight and challenge for my belt. I will be ready on November 2nd. Thank you, Main Events, Kathy Duva, Egis Klimas, DAZN and Canelo for making this fight happen."
"Canelo is to be praised for asking to challenge Sergey Kovalev," added Main Events' CEO Kathy Duva. "Win or lose, he will make history and Sergey is extremely pleased to get the chance to test his mettle against another future Hall of Famer." She continued, "Anyone who cares at all about the Sweet Science should circle November 2nd on their calendar. I have a feeling that this will be one for the ages."
"Canelo vs. Kovalev is a fascinating matchup between champions that will highlight our entire season of premium fights on DAZN over the next several months," said DAZN Group Executive Chairman John Skipper. "Simply stated, this is the best schedule in boxing history."
Richard Sturm, President of Las Vegas Live Entertainment and Sports, said, "We look forward to hosting this tremendous matchup between Canelo and Kovalev at MGM Grand in November. These two great fighters always put on a fantastic show and we are confident they will, once again, provide boxing fans worldwide a thrilling fight when they return to Las Vegas."
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Top Rank announces Herring-Roach for Nov. 9th |
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On November 9th, Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring, the U.S. Marine veteran who upset Masayuki Ito in on Memorial Day weekend to win the WBO junior lightweight title, is set to honor his comrades by returning on Veterans Day weekend. Herring will make his first title defense against the undefeated Lamont Roach Jr. at Chukchansi Park in Fresno, California. This is a return engagement for Herring, who fought at Fresno’s Save Mart Center last September and had more than 1,000 active, retired and aspiring service members in the crowd cheering him on. ESPN+ will broadcast live.
“Our camps have gone back and forth, and I’m just ready to get to work,” Herring said. “I have a great team, and Terence Crawford will also be in camp to make sure I’m at my best. Overall, the night means much more than trash-talking, since it’s the weekend of both Veterans Day and the Marine Corps birthday.
“I’m glad to be back in Fresno. I had a huge crowd supporting me last time I fought in the area. I know a victory here will lead to bigger and better things.”
“I know Jamel very well and he knows me,” Roach Jr. said. “I’m super excited, and I’ve been waiting for this moment my entire life. This victory will be only the beginning of my legacy. I’m here for a reason, and I can’t wait to show the world why! I will be the WBO junior lightweight world champion on November 9.”
Herring (20-2, 10 KOs) served two tours of duty with the Marines in Iraq and captained the 2012 U.S. Olympic boxing team. His pro career stalled with a 1-2 skid from 2016-2017, but after signing with Top Rank and moving down to 130 pounds, he won three straight fights to earn the title shot against Ito. His September 2018 fight against John Vincent Moralde was a particularly special occasion, as dozens of Marines lined the Save Mart Center walkway as Herring made his entrance. He shut out Moralde as the ESPN-televised co-feature, and now he returns to California’s Central Valley ready to put on a clinic under the lights.
Roach (19-0-1, 7 KOs) is one of the best young fighters to emerge from the boxing hotbed of Washington, D.C. in recent years. His only hiccup as a pro — an April 2018 draw against Orlando Cruz in Cruz’s home country of Puerto Rico — was a minor speed bump in what has been an otherwise sterling run up the ranks. He is 3-0 since the Cruz fight, winning a pair of regional belts and putting forth his best performances on high-profile cards. He last fought May 4 on the Canelo Alvarez-Danny Jacobs undercard in Las Vegas, scoring a 10-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Jonathan Oquendo. Roach is trained by his father, Lamont Roach Sr., who has been the head man in his corner for his past five bouts.
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Top Rank announces Herring-Roach for Nov. 9th
On November 9th, Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring, the U.S. Marine veteran who upset Masayuki Ito in on Memorial Day weekend to win the WBO junior lightweight title, is set to honor his comrades by returning on Veterans Day weekend. Herring will make his first title defense against the undefeated Lamont Roach Jr. at Chukchansi Park in Fresno, California. This is a return engagement for Herring, who fought at Fresno’s Save Mart Center last September and had more than 1,000 active, retired and aspiring service members in the crowd cheering him on. ESPN+ will broadcast live.
“Our camps have gone back and forth, and I’m just ready to get to work,” Herring said. “I have a great team, and Terence Crawford will also be in camp to make sure I’m at my best. Overall, the night means much more than trash-talking, since it’s the weekend of both Veterans Day and the Marine Corps birthday.
“I’m glad to be back in Fresno. I had a huge crowd supporting me last time I fought in the area. I know a victory here will lead to bigger and better things.”
“I know Jamel very well and he knows me,” Roach Jr. said. “I’m super excited, and I’ve been waiting for this moment my entire life. This victory will be only the beginning of my legacy. I’m here for a reason, and I can’t wait to show the world why! I will be the WBO junior lightweight world champion on November 9.”
Herring (20-2, 10 KOs) served two tours of duty with the Marines in Iraq and captained the 2012 U.S. Olympic boxing team. His pro career stalled with a 1-2 skid from 2016-2017, but after signing with Top Rank and moving down to 130 pounds, he won three straight fights to earn the title shot against Ito. His September 2018 fight against John Vincent Moralde was a particularly special occasion, as dozens of Marines lined the Save Mart Center walkway as Herring made his entrance. He shut out Moralde as the ESPN-televised co-feature, and now he returns to California’s Central Valley ready to put on a clinic under the lights.
Roach (19-0-1, 7 KOs) is one of the best young fighters to emerge from the boxing hotbed of Washington, D.C. in recent years. His only hiccup as a pro — an April 2018 draw against Orlando Cruz in Cruz’s home country of Puerto Rico — was a minor speed bump in what has been an otherwise sterling run up the ranks. He is 3-0 since the Cruz fight, winning a pair of regional belts and putting forth his best performances on high-profile cards. He last fought May 4 on the Canelo Alvarez-Danny Jacobs undercard in Las Vegas, scoring a 10-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Jonathan Oquendo. Roach is trained by his father, Lamont Roach Sr., who has been the head man in his corner for his past five bouts.
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Wallin: "I know I'm on this level and it's my time to show I belong" |
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What is Otto Wallin thinking as he prepares for the biggest fight of his life, a challenge against former world heavyweght champion Tyson Fury on Sautrday, September 14th in Las Vegas? Check out this Salita Promotions video to find out.
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Wallin: "I know I'm on this level and it's my time to show I belong"
What is Otto Wallin thinking as he prepares for the biggest fight of his life, a challenge against former world heavyweght champion Tyson Fury on Sautrday, September 14th in Las Vegas? Check out this Salita Promotions video to find out.
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Atlantic City HOF to help inductees sell memorabilia |
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The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame (ACBHOF) announced it will launch a Legends Corner section on the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame website. The ACBHOF and its exclusive apparel partner Fight Night Apparel have teamed up with a few boxing legends who've helped make Atlantic City a recognizable boxing destination. "Merciless" Ray Mercer will be the first Atlantic City Boxing Legend to introduce his new fan gear to his many boxing fans around the world on ACBHOF Website. "I am honored to be the first to partner with the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame and I believe this collaboration will be a winning combination, especially for my fans," said Ray Mercer.
Ray Mercer was a 2018 ACBHOF Inductee, the 1988 Olympic Gold Medal winner, as well WBO heavyweight champion. Stay tuned for more announcements about upcoming events and the unveiling of 2020 ACBHOF Induction Class.
The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame continues to celebrate our 3rd Annual Induction Weekend which took place this past June, where we enshrined our 2019 Induction Class into the Atlantic City Hall of Fame. The 2019 luminaries: Bernard Hopkins, Tim Witherspoon, Iran Barkley, Roberto Duran, Micky Ward, Kevin Watts, John Brown, Virgil Hill, Butch Lewis, English Bouie Fisher, Bobby Goodman, Ace Marotta, Jimmy Binns, Sr., Stan Hoffman, Nigel Collins, Henry Hascup, Tom Kaczmarek, Tony Orlando Jr., and Rhonda Utley-Herring.
Graphics and website developed by Jay Torres, Expressions Web Graphic Specialist & Fight Night Apparel.
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Atlantic City HOF to help inductees sell memorabilia
The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame (ACBHOF) announced it will launch a Legends Corner section on the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame website. The ACBHOF and its exclusive apparel partner Fight Night Apparel have teamed up with a few boxing legends who've helped make Atlantic City a recognizable boxing destination. "Merciless" Ray Mercer will be the first Atlantic City Boxing Legend to introduce his new fan gear to his many boxing fans around the world on ACBHOF Website. "I am honored to be the first to partner with the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame and I believe this collaboration will be a winning combination, especially for my fans," said Ray Mercer.
Ray Mercer was a 2018 ACBHOF Inductee, the 1988 Olympic Gold Medal winner, as well WBO heavyweight champion. Stay tuned for more announcements about upcoming events and the unveiling of 2020 ACBHOF Induction Class.
The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame continues to celebrate our 3rd Annual Induction Weekend which took place this past June, where we enshrined our 2019 Induction Class into the Atlantic City Hall of Fame. The 2019 luminaries: Bernard Hopkins, Tim Witherspoon, Iran Barkley, Roberto Duran, Micky Ward, Kevin Watts, John Brown, Virgil Hill, Butch Lewis, English Bouie Fisher, Bobby Goodman, Ace Marotta, Jimmy Binns, Sr., Stan Hoffman, Nigel Collins, Henry Hascup, Tom Kaczmarek, Tony Orlando Jr., and Rhonda Utley-Herring.
Graphics and website developed by Jay Torres, Expressions Web Graphic Specialist & Fight Night Apparel.
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Denmark's Kem Ljungquist reflects on camp with Tyson Fury |
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Danish heavyweight hope Kem Ljungquist (9-0, 5 KOs) has returned home full of ambition following a five-week training camp in Las Vegas with former world champion Tyson Fury. Fury, who faces Sweden's Otto Wallin at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, enlisted the help of Ljungquist, another undefeated heavyweight southpaw, as one of his chief sparring partners in preparation for Saturday's crunch clash. “It’s a big deal when the greatest heavyweight in the world asks you to come and spar before his fight to help him get ready," says Ljungquist.
"It was just me and two others and Tyson treated us really well. He rented us a house and got us a car so we could drive ourselves around. I definitely don’t think it’s a regular thing to be treated so well when you're a sparring partner.
“It was really motivating for me to be around Tyson. He was very good at complimenting me on my boxing when I had done something good, and his trainer Ben Davison too. They were both really open with me and I learnt a lot.
"I’ve never trained with a man like Tyson before. He’s definitely the best in the world in my opinion. He's got something that not many boxers have. He's got the size, he's very strong and durable, but he also moves very well, and it's not often you have that in heavyweights. He’s also very strong mentally.
"He seems like he really has it together right now, and is really on top of his game. It’s great to be sparring him when he’s at this level because it’s very good for my game, and I can see what I have to work on to get to that stage."
The 29 year-old, who has enjoyed a fine start to his professional career, most recently outpointing Spanish Champion Gabriel Enguema, admits he has been inspired by his Vegas experience and is eager to follow in the footsteps of Fury to become a future star of the heavyweight division.
"I want to become one of the greats," he says. "I know I'll have to start from the bottom and work my way up, but I'm just so motivated. I'm ready for whatever and I can't wait to fight again. I want to prove to people that I'm serious. I’m not here for fun. I want to be the best and I’m not settling for anything less."
Having also previously sparred Fury's opponent Wallin, Ljungquist is uniquely placed to offer his prediction on Saturday's heavyweight showdown.
"I don't give Otto much of a chance," he says. "I think Tyson's experience and movement will work in his favour, but anyone can surprise you in boxing!"
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Denmark's Kem Ljungquist reflects on camp with Tyson Fury
Danish heavyweight hope Kem Ljungquist (9-0, 5 KOs) has returned home full of ambition following a five-week training camp in Las Vegas with former world champion Tyson Fury. Fury, who faces Sweden's Otto Wallin at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, enlisted the help of Ljungquist, another undefeated heavyweight southpaw, as one of his chief sparring partners in preparation for Saturday's crunch clash. “It’s a big deal when the greatest heavyweight in the world asks you to come and spar before his fight to help him get ready," says Ljungquist.
"It was just me and two others and Tyson treated us really well. He rented us a house and got us a car so we could drive ourselves around. I definitely don’t think it’s a regular thing to be treated so well when you're a sparring partner.
“It was really motivating for me to be around Tyson. He was very good at complimenting me on my boxing when I had done something good, and his trainer Ben Davison too. They were both really open with me and I learnt a lot.
"I’ve never trained with a man like Tyson before. He’s definitely the best in the world in my opinion. He's got something that not many boxers have. He's got the size, he's very strong and durable, but he also moves very well, and it's not often you have that in heavyweights. He’s also very strong mentally.
"He seems like he really has it together right now, and is really on top of his game. It’s great to be sparring him when he’s at this level because it’s very good for my game, and I can see what I have to work on to get to that stage."
The 29 year-old, who has enjoyed a fine start to his professional career, most recently outpointing Spanish Champion Gabriel Enguema, admits he has been inspired by his Vegas experience and is eager to follow in the footsteps of Fury to become a future star of the heavyweight division.
"I want to become one of the greats," he says. "I know I'll have to start from the bottom and work my way up, but I'm just so motivated. I'm ready for whatever and I can't wait to fight again. I want to prove to people that I'm serious. I’m not here for fun. I want to be the best and I’m not settling for anything less."
Having also previously sparred Fury's opponent Wallin, Ljungquist is uniquely placed to offer his prediction on Saturday's heavyweight showdown.
"I don't give Otto much of a chance," he says. "I think Tyson's experience and movement will work in his favour, but anyone can surprise you in boxing!"
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Mexico's Navarrete surprised to be defending twice in one month |
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In support of the big Las Vegas fight in which former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury takes the mantle of Mexican Independence Day Weekend headliner against Otto Wallin, Mexico's Emanuel Navarrete will make the third defense of this WBO junior featherweight title against Juan Miguel Elorde, grandson of the late Filipino boxing icon "Flash" Elorde. Navarrete last fought August 17th, knocking out Francisco De Vaca in the third round. Also on ths show, Puerto Rico's former two-division champion Jose Pedraza will make his 140-pound debut against Jose Zepeda in a ten-rounder, former WBC super flyweight champion Carlos Cuadras will battle the Jose Maria Cardenas, and 19-year-old lightweight Gabriel Flores Jr. will face Miguel Angel Aispuro in a bout scheduled for eight or six rounds. This is what the fighters had to say"
Emanuel Navarrete
"I was very surprised {to get the offer to fight on short notice, less than a month after his last fight}, but I knew it was a great opportunity so we took it. My mentality was I had to train harder and not take a long break because we knew the opportunity that was in front of us."
"I want to thank Bob Arum. He gave me the opportunity to fight for the title against {Isaac} Dogboe, then the rematch, then De Vaca. Now I'm here, a big card. I just want to tell {Bob}, if he lets me, I want to fight in December, too. I will give it my all and show everyone I'm doing things the right way."
"I want to do my best at 122 {pounds}, and the biggest thing in the division is to unify titles. If my body permits it, I'm going to stay here and unify titles. But if not, I am going to move up, and I have a great career in front of me."
Promoter Bob Arum on Navarrete
"If you're a fighter, you want to fight as much as possible. This kid here, if he could, {if it wasn't for} injuries and so forth, would fight eight times a year and be happy."
Juan Miguel Elorde
"It's a big opportunity, a great experience for me. I'd like to thank everyone for giving me this chance."
On taking the fight on short notice: "We're ready because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. When they called, we accepted the challenge because every boxer wants to be a world champion. This is my dream, to become a world champion. I think it's coming to reality.
Jose Pedraza
"I moved up in weight because of the opportunities that are at 140 pounds. That's why I moved up."
"It would be great for me, great for Puerto Rico, and that's one of my goals, to be a three-weight world champion."
"We have to do one fight at a time. We are going up to a division with a lot of world-caliber fighters, but we have to get past Zepeda first to {earn} that world title opportunity."
Jose Zepeda
"It's an honor to be fighting on Mexican Independence Day. I always see this date, big fighters, Mexican fighters fighting on this day. It's my turn to rep, especially against {a Puerto Rican} fighter. I put all the work in the gym. We're ready to give the fans a good fight, hopefully the best fight of the night."
"He's a smart fighter. He likes to box. He has some speed. We've been watching some fights of his, but I believe I have the same thing. I'm a smart fighter as well. Both of us will give it our all in the ring."
"If everything goes good, first I gotta think about Pedraza. There was a lot of talk about Ramirez and I {fighting a rematch}. A lot of people thought I won, a lot of people thought he won. It was for sure a close fight. If I win this fight, hopefully we could do a rematch."
Carlos Cuadras
"I am very happy to be on a big card in Vegas. I want to become a world champion again, and I have my medicine for Cardenas in my punches."
"Cardenas is a great fighter, and a win against him will give me a title opportunity. I am coming here to get the win."
Jose Maria Cardenas
"That was a great fight. I prepared myself very well, and we know big things are coming. We're coming for that right now."
"It will be a war. Every time two Mexicans are in the ring, a big show is promised. I am going to take this fight."
"Cuadras is a very tough, good fighter. He's experienced, but I am also a very good fighter."
Gabriel Flores Jr.
"Each fight I keep improving. I always learn from my mistakes. After every fight, we don't focus on what I did good. We focus on what I did bad, so we can make sure we fix it every time. Each time I step in the ring, I do better. And when the lights hit, I always react."
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Mexico's Navarrete surprised to be defending twice in one month
In support of the big Las Vegas fight in which former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury takes the mantle of Mexican Independence Day Weekend headliner against Otto Wallin, Mexico's Emanuel Navarrete will make the third defense of this WBO junior featherweight title against Juan Miguel Elorde, grandson of the late Filipino boxing icon "Flash" Elorde. Navarrete last fought August 17th, knocking out Francisco De Vaca in the third round. Also on ths show, Puerto Rico's former two-division champion Jose Pedraza will make his 140-pound debut against Jose Zepeda in a ten-rounder, former WBC super flyweight champion Carlos Cuadras will battle the Jose Maria Cardenas, and 19-year-old lightweight Gabriel Flores Jr. will face Miguel Angel Aispuro in a bout scheduled for eight or six rounds. This is what the fighters had to say"
Emanuel Navarrete
"I was very surprised {to get the offer to fight on short notice, less than a month after his last fight}, but I knew it was a great opportunity so we took it. My mentality was I had to train harder and not take a long break because we knew the opportunity that was in front of us."
"I want to thank Bob Arum. He gave me the opportunity to fight for the title against {Isaac} Dogboe, then the rematch, then De Vaca. Now I'm here, a big card. I just want to tell {Bob}, if he lets me, I want to fight in December, too. I will give it my all and show everyone I'm doing things the right way."
"I want to do my best at 122 {pounds}, and the biggest thing in the division is to unify titles. If my body permits it, I'm going to stay here and unify titles. But if not, I am going to move up, and I have a great career in front of me."
Promoter Bob Arum on Navarrete
"If you're a fighter, you want to fight as much as possible. This kid here, if he could, {if it wasn't for} injuries and so forth, would fight eight times a year and be happy."
Juan Miguel Elorde
"It's a big opportunity, a great experience for me. I'd like to thank everyone for giving me this chance."
On taking the fight on short notice: "We're ready because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. When they called, we accepted the challenge because every boxer wants to be a world champion. This is my dream, to become a world champion. I think it's coming to reality.
Jose Pedraza
"I moved up in weight because of the opportunities that are at 140 pounds. That's why I moved up."
"It would be great for me, great for Puerto Rico, and that's one of my goals, to be a three-weight world champion."
"We have to do one fight at a time. We are going up to a division with a lot of world-caliber fighters, but we have to get past Zepeda first to {earn} that world title opportunity."
Jose Zepeda
"It's an honor to be fighting on Mexican Independence Day. I always see this date, big fighters, Mexican fighters fighting on this day. It's my turn to rep, especially against {a Puerto Rican} fighter. I put all the work in the gym. We're ready to give the fans a good fight, hopefully the best fight of the night."
"He's a smart fighter. He likes to box. He has some speed. We've been watching some fights of his, but I believe I have the same thing. I'm a smart fighter as well. Both of us will give it our all in the ring."
"If everything goes good, first I gotta think about Pedraza. There was a lot of talk about Ramirez and I {fighting a rematch}. A lot of people thought I won, a lot of people thought he won. It was for sure a close fight. If I win this fight, hopefully we could do a rematch."
Carlos Cuadras
"I am very happy to be on a big card in Vegas. I want to become a world champion again, and I have my medicine for Cardenas in my punches."
"Cardenas is a great fighter, and a win against him will give me a title opportunity. I am coming here to get the win."
Jose Maria Cardenas
"That was a great fight. I prepared myself very well, and we know big things are coming. We're coming for that right now."
"It will be a war. Every time two Mexicans are in the ring, a big show is promised. I am going to take this fight."
"Cuadras is a very tough, good fighter. He's experienced, but I am also a very good fighter."
Gabriel Flores Jr.
"Each fight I keep improving. I always learn from my mistakes. After every fight, we don't focus on what I did good. We focus on what I did bad, so we can make sure we fix it every time. Each time I step in the ring, I do better. And when the lights hit, I always react."
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ESPN+ to air London show on Saturday |
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Sunny “Showtime” Edwards, brother of WBC flyweight champion Charlie Edwards, will face off against Mexico's Rosendo Guarneros (16-2-2, 8 KOs) in a flyweight battle on Saturday afternoon from London’s historic York Hall. The card, presented by Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, will begin streaming at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT on ESPN+. The Edwards-Guarneros card will set the stage for Saturday’s most significant fight, a Las Vegas contest between former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and unbeaten Otto Wallin (ESPN+, 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT). Sunny Edwards (12-0, 4 KOs) is dropping down in weight from 115 pounds.
He is 2-0 thus far in 2019, defeating Hiram Gallardo and Pedro Matos in statement-making performances that streamed live on ESPN+. Guarneros will be making his first ring appearance outside of Mexico but is coming off perhaps his most significant win to date, an eight-round unanimous decision over Luis Gerardo Castillo (26-1 at the time).
In other action from London:
A pair of unbeatens look to take the next step, as Brad “The Blade” Foster (11-0-1, 4 KOs) will defend his British and Commonwealth super bantamweight titles in a twelve-rounder against Lucien Reid (8-0-1, 4 KOs). A young pro who has sparred the likes of WBA super flyweight world champion Kal Yafai, Foster hopes to close out his banner year with a win against Reid, a 25-year-old London native...
Light heavyweight Zak Chelli (7-0, 3 KOs), a 21-year-old London native, will fight fellow unbeaten Kody Davies (9-0, 3 KOs) in a high-stakes bout scheduled for ten rounds...
Dec Spelman (16-2, 8 KOs) is matched against Shakan Pitters (12-0, 4 KOs) in a ten-round showdown. Pitters defeated Spelman via three-round unanimous decision last November as part of the Ultimate Boxxer II tournament. Pitters knocked down Spelman in the opening round...
Lightweight Mark Chamberlain (3-0, 2 KOs) will see action in a four-rounder against Lee Connelly (7-48-4, 0 KOs).
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ESPN+ to air London show on Saturday
Sunny “Showtime” Edwards, brother of WBC flyweight champion Charlie Edwards, will face off against Mexico's Rosendo Guarneros (16-2-2, 8 KOs) in a flyweight battle on Saturday afternoon from London’s historic York Hall. The card, presented by Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, will begin streaming at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT on ESPN+. The Edwards-Guarneros card will set the stage for Saturday’s most significant fight, a Las Vegas contest between former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and unbeaten Otto Wallin (ESPN+, 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT). Sunny Edwards (12-0, 4 KOs) is dropping down in weight from 115 pounds.
He is 2-0 thus far in 2019, defeating Hiram Gallardo and Pedro Matos in statement-making performances that streamed live on ESPN+. Guarneros will be making his first ring appearance outside of Mexico but is coming off perhaps his most significant win to date, an eight-round unanimous decision over Luis Gerardo Castillo (26-1 at the time).
In other action from London:
A pair of unbeatens look to take the next step, as Brad “The Blade” Foster (11-0-1, 4 KOs) will defend his British and Commonwealth super bantamweight titles in a twelve-rounder against Lucien Reid (8-0-1, 4 KOs). A young pro who has sparred the likes of WBA super flyweight world champion Kal Yafai, Foster hopes to close out his banner year with a win against Reid, a 25-year-old London native...
Light heavyweight Zak Chelli (7-0, 3 KOs), a 21-year-old London native, will fight fellow unbeaten Kody Davies (9-0, 3 KOs) in a high-stakes bout scheduled for ten rounds...
Dec Spelman (16-2, 8 KOs) is matched against Shakan Pitters (12-0, 4 KOs) in a ten-round showdown. Pitters defeated Spelman via three-round unanimous decision last November as part of the Ultimate Boxxer II tournament. Pitters knocked down Spelman in the opening round...
Lightweight Mark Chamberlain (3-0, 2 KOs) will see action in a four-rounder against Lee Connelly (7-48-4, 0 KOs).
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Takam-Lewis presser quotes from Monticello, New York |
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Fighters, media and fans gathered for the final press conference for Star Boxing's "Catskills Clash II" at Resorts World Catskills, in Monticello, NY, taking place Saturday night, September 14th. The card features French heavyweight Carlos Takam (36-5-1, 28 KOs) against Detroit's Craig Lewis (14-3-1, 7 KOs). Here is what the fights, and promoters, had to say:
CARLOS TAKAM:
"I am ready for the fight Saturday, I came here to win, so let's go, lets box. I hope you come Saturday to watch this heavyweight fight."
CRAIG LEWIS:
"I took this fight on short notice, and the thing is, I have to stay ready. You never know when you get the opportunity to fight a top fighter. I am here to showcase my skills. I appreciate the promotion, I appreciate everyone here, and I am ready to show you my skills Saturday night."
"ACTION" ANTHONY LAUREANO (who faces Brian Jones):
"I used to work in a factory job, and it sucked. God put me there to see how it was and to respect those people. Right now, I am blessed. I am loving this environment; I am loving this casino and I am blessed to have my team. I am ready to bring the action."
RICHIE "POPEYE THE SAILOR MAN" RIVERA (who faces Israel Duffus):
"I enjoy the whole boxing experience, training, fighting, staying discipline. There is a glow in me that people see, and I hope we can bring it further than boxing. I hope people can admire the hard work. I am ready to display my craft on Saturday. "
ISRAEL DUFFUS:
"Thank you for the opportunity. I am very happy to be here. I hope you have a good night, a good show. See you Saturday."
BOUBACAR SYLLA (who faces Dennis Okoth):
"I want to thank Joe DeGuardia and Split-T-Management, for this opportunity. I am ready for this fight, keeping the mission the same. I feel good, I belong here and you all will get to see more of me in the near future."
BRYANT COSTELLO (who faces Jeffrey Gonzalez):
"I am blessed to be here; I am from the neighborhood. It was a funny story on how I made it here, I met Joe DeGuardia here in June, and I told him I was ready to fight and put on for my hometown fans, and now here I am."
PROMOTER JOE DEGUARDIA, Star Boxing:
"We are going to be bringing another great night of action to Resorts World Catskills. We are going to be putting on a fight in the main event between two big heavyweight fighters, Carlos Takam and Craig Lewis." DeGuardia continued, "we have a great card, with some returning faces who put on a fantastic show here at Resorts World Catskills in June, that really had an electric atmosphere."
MATT GROGAN, Resorts World Catskills:
"The last time we saw several of these guys fight, they put on a tremendous show, and we are expecting these to be even better. Thank you to everyone for joining us today. I want to thank Joe and Star Boxing for Saturday, and I look forward to future fights."
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Takam-Lewis presser quotes from Monticello, New York
Fighters, media and fans gathered for the final press conference for Star Boxing's "Catskills Clash II" at Resorts World Catskills, in Monticello, NY, taking place Saturday night, September 14th. The card features French heavyweight Carlos Takam (36-5-1, 28 KOs) against Detroit's Craig Lewis (14-3-1, 7 KOs). Here is what the fights, and promoters, had to say:
CARLOS TAKAM:
"I am ready for the fight Saturday, I came here to win, so let's go, lets box. I hope you come Saturday to watch this heavyweight fight."
CRAIG LEWIS:
"I took this fight on short notice, and the thing is, I have to stay ready. You never know when you get the opportunity to fight a top fighter. I am here to showcase my skills. I appreciate the promotion, I appreciate everyone here, and I am ready to show you my skills Saturday night."
"ACTION" ANTHONY LAUREANO (who faces Brian Jones):
"I used to work in a factory job, and it sucked. God put me there to see how it was and to respect those people. Right now, I am blessed. I am loving this environment; I am loving this casino and I am blessed to have my team. I am ready to bring the action."
RICHIE "POPEYE THE SAILOR MAN" RIVERA (who faces Israel Duffus):
"I enjoy the whole boxing experience, training, fighting, staying discipline. There is a glow in me that people see, and I hope we can bring it further than boxing. I hope people can admire the hard work. I am ready to display my craft on Saturday. "
ISRAEL DUFFUS:
"Thank you for the opportunity. I am very happy to be here. I hope you have a good night, a good show. See you Saturday."
BOUBACAR SYLLA (who faces Dennis Okoth):
"I want to thank Joe DeGuardia and Split-T-Management, for this opportunity. I am ready for this fight, keeping the mission the same. I feel good, I belong here and you all will get to see more of me in the near future."
BRYANT COSTELLO (who faces Jeffrey Gonzalez):
"I am blessed to be here; I am from the neighborhood. It was a funny story on how I made it here, I met Joe DeGuardia here in June, and I told him I was ready to fight and put on for my hometown fans, and now here I am."
PROMOTER JOE DEGUARDIA, Star Boxing:
"We are going to be bringing another great night of action to Resorts World Catskills. We are going to be putting on a fight in the main event between two big heavyweight fighters, Carlos Takam and Craig Lewis." DeGuardia continued, "we have a great card, with some returning faces who put on a fantastic show here at Resorts World Catskills in June, that really had an electric atmosphere."
MATT GROGAN, Resorts World Catskills:
"The last time we saw several of these guys fight, they put on a tremendous show, and we are expecting these to be even better. Thank you to everyone for joining us today. I want to thank Joe and Star Boxing for Saturday, and I look forward to future fights."
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