Posts Tagged ‘press conference’

[Video] Zab Judah Goes Off On Team Garcia and De La Hoya at Final Presser

Posted: April 25, 2013 in Fight News
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
0

Judah_Garcia

It comes as no surprise that the final press conference between Zab Judah and Danny Garcia had some more drama. Long story short, Judah is claiming that Garcia’s team and Golden Boy requested that the fighters hold separate press conference. During Garcia’s time to speak, De La Hoya referred to Judah as “unprofessional” for not being there.

Judah was in the venue’s basement and after reading De La Hoya’s comments on Twitter, he quickly made his way to the stage to confront the Golden Boy. Bernard Hopkins tried his best to defuse the situation to no avail.

If the circulated story about the separate press conferences is true, Zab has a very legit gripe. The talking ceases Saturday night on Showtime.

About these ads

[Video] Ishe Smith vs. Cornelius Bundrage Press Conference Highlights

Posted: February 22, 2013 in Fight News
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

Bundrage_Smith

IBF junior middleweight titlist Cornelius “K9″ Bundrage and Ishe Smith had much to say during their final press conference yesterday for Saturday’s (February 23) Showtime-headlining bout. Don’t expect this one to be pretty considering their in-ring styles.

[Video] Timothy Bradley vs. Ruslan Provodnikov Press Conference

Posted: February 7, 2013 in Fight News
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

Bradley_Provodnikov

The “forgotten champion” Timothy Bradley, who’s been inactive since June 2012 after his controversial decision victory over Manny Pacquiao, will return to the ring on March 16 against bruising slugger Ruslan Provodnikov. This fight isn’t going to resonate with the casual public, but Provodnikov’s style should make for a entertaining fight despite the skill level gap in Bradley’s favor. This fight card will be televised on HBO live from the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

Source: Fight Hub TV

 

[Video] Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler II Press Conference

Posted: February 4, 2013 in Fight News
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

Froch_Kessler

Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler officially announced their much-anticipated rematch earlier todayvia a press conference in London. Froch spoke at length about wanting to avenge the first loss of his professional career while Kessler mused on wanting to hand Froch a more decisive defeat. This fight is a unification bout with Froch’s IBF and Kessler’s WBA super middleweight titles on the line.

The fight takes place in London on May 25 at the O2 Arena. Tickets can be purchased HERE.

[Video] Salido vs. Garcia, Golovkin vs. Rosado: Final Press Conference News & Notes

Posted: January 17, 2013 in Fight News
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Salido, Garcia, Golovkin, Rosado

NEW YORK CITY, NY — This afternoon, the main participants of the first HBO card of 2013, January 19′s “Boxing After Dark,” made their ending statements to the media with their final press conference. As expected, the fighters are at their wits end and were short of commentary. Nonetheless, there was still a lot of interesting news that came out of today’s media event. In the word’s of the late Stringer Bell, “well get on with it…”

BOB ARUM STILL HATES GOLDEN BOY AND SHOWTIME GETS SOME SHOTS TOO: The Bobfather decided to kick off the press conference with what else but a shot at Golden Boy. He said that the combined ages of all the fighters on the card (keep in mind the entire card is 10 fights) is still less than the age of Bernard Hopkins. You have to admit that one was pretty damn funny. He also name-checked Shane Mosley as a washed-up fighter still living off his name, an obvious allusion to the upcoming Golden Boy card at Barclays that will feature Shane taking on Paulie Malignaggi. Gabriel Rosado’s manager, Russell Peltz, told a captivating story of how a Showtime exec rejected a proposed fighter because his record was an unglamorous 13-5. He made an excellent point in emphasizing the obsession with hollow undefeated records needs to stop and cited Rosado as a clear example of a fighter that’s better than his record would indicate. Obvious Arum hypocrisy aside (Mosley was good enough for Pacquiao less than 2 years ago), the wily Top Rank founder has reason to be cocky. This card promises to be action-packed. Which leads me to my next point…

CAN THE FANS GET SOME LOVE: This card isn’t getting the mainstream attention it deserves and it’s partly due to the fact there isn’t any big names involved. But the other head-scratching aspect has to do with the promotional end. The biggest blunder is that the weigh-in tomorrow will not be open to the public. Arum seemed surprised when informed by the MSG brass, prompting him to chalk it up to the regulations of New York. Well, anybody who’s attended a big Las Vegas fight knows how important the weigh-in is to hyping and building the anticipation for fight night. Considering the strong nationalistic fans of Puerto Rico and Mexico, Saturday’s card could have received a nice boost via a raucous weigh-in crowd. That’s needs to change for Top Rank’s next MSG appearance.

ROSADO’S CAMP SAYING ALL THE RIGHT THINGS: Between Peltz’s speech and that of Rosado trainer Billy Briscoe, you left the press conference giving Rosado just a little more of a chance to pull the upset. The odds are still highly stacked against him, but mentally he’s taken himself to a zone completely focused on defeating Gennday Golovkin. For the past week, Rosado had ceased all interviews and the rumor mill is that he’s bet his entire purse on a victory. Now that’s confidence (or insanity).

Golovkin_Rangers

GOLOVKIN THE MEDIA DARLING:  Everyone loves Gennady! That was pretty much the sentiment today. From writers scrambling for pictures with him to getting additional photo-ops with his arms filled with Tecate girls, Golovkin’s care-free attitude never wavered. He actually sat with the media for a bit before getting on stage where I could hear his advisers coaching him on English translations and what to cover. I also found out that English is the fourth language Golovkin is learning. It was nice to see him show up in a Rangers jersey, but it’d really warm my heart to see him in the Knicks orange and blue on fight night. It’s only right for MSG.

MARTINEZ VS. BURGOS MIGHT STEAL THE SHOW: Yes, I’ll admit I’ve been overlooking this fight myself. A Mexican against a Puerto Rican is always good money, and it never hurts when you have two guys with good power and huge hearts. And in Juan Carlos Burgos’s case, he has a little more incentive in the form of relative Jose Victor Burgos, who had his career ended in 2007 after suffering brain swelling following a 12th round TKO at the hands of Vic Darchinyan. Burgos won the IBF flyweight title 10 years ago against Puerto Rico’s Alex Sanchez. According to Juan, Victor told him to remember it’s in his family tradition to take titles off Puerto Rican champions, so you best believe there will be no give in him until he has nothing left.

EXPECT NO MERCY FROM SALIDO: Now this comes as no surprise. WBO featherweight champ Orlando Salido wore a deadpan expression the entire press conference and with his black scully looked the part of a goon ready to put in work. In our interview that will be posted tomorrow, it’s clear that while he respects his opponent Mikey Garcia, he’s not convinced his young challenger has the durability nor the will to survive a fire fight. We saw what happened to Juan Manuel Lopez, twice at that, when forced to brawl with the merciless Salido. Garcia may just prove Salido wrong, but he’ll undoubtedly walk through hell to do it.

Be sure to check back here tomorrow for coverage of the afternoon weigh-in and predictions on the tripleheader.

MSG

*********************************************************

Cotto vs. Trout Final Press Conference Notes: Cotto Looks Ahead to Canelo, Trout to “Quiet” MSG Crowd

Posted: November 29, 2012 in Fight News
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

We’re just a few days away from Showtime’s intriguing December 1 main event featuring Miguel Cotto vs. Austin Trout. You’ll notice from the below quotes that Cotto, who was very respectful of Trout’s abilities once the fight was announced, has become outright dismissive and expects to have no serious problems coming Saturday. Trout is relishing the opportunity, but it’s hard to tell if he’s just happy to be there, or really expects to walk out of New York as the first man to defeat Cotto Madison Square Garden. One hint we did get from Trout is that he plans to quiet the crowd, which can only happen from a fast start and putting some heavy leather on Cotto.

MIGUEL COTTO

Austin’s team mentioned that he went to Panama and beat a Panamanian guy and they were in Guadalajara to fight Rigoberto Alvarez.  He doesn’t have any of them in front of him.  He’s in New York and he is going to have Miguel Cotto in front of him.  It’s going to be a great fight.

 Saturday night is going to be a great night for Puerto Rico and for New York.

 I have seen tape on Austin Trout, but not much.  Maybe three or four rounds of him fighting, but that is about it.  I leave watching tape up to [my trainer] Pedro [Diaz].  He has seen a lot of Trout’s fights and has prepared a game plan for us.

 We looked at our options for this fight and felt that Trout was the best option. 

 People here are different to me than in other places.  People here help me a lot with their support and cheering.  Actually, when people expect so much, that motivates me.  I felt that in training camp already.  I am very excited.

 People here enjoy every aspect of my boxing style.  They enjoy when I move, going after my opponents the way I do.

 Fighting southpaws is not difficult for me.  Actually, I’m a converted southpaw.  I used to fight southpaw, but converted into an orthodox stance.  I have already fought many southpaws and didn’t really have any problems with them.  I don’t expect to have any problems with Austin either.

 We had a great training camp with sparring partners with real skills.  I think my sparring partners have more skills than Austin.  I think they showed me more skills and gave me more problems

 The toughest guy I ever fought was Carlos Quintana.  He gave me a lot of problems and gave me two very tough rounds. 

 I don’t mind fighting anyone really.  You have to do what you have to do.  I look at the best option for my career at the time and make a decision based on those options.

 I watched the [Floyd] Mayweather fight a couple of times since we fought.  I thought it was a good fight, a close fight.  The judges gave it to him on the scorecards, but after watching it, I feel like I gave him a good fight and I am proud of my performance.

 If I were to fight Canelo next, everyone knows that a fight like that would stir up the great rivalry between Puerto Rican and Mexican fans.  It’s an all-time rivalry.  They also know what a Mexican fighter and a Puerto Rican fighter can do in the ring too. 

 Austin is [my opponent] Saturday night and once I am done with that fight, I can sit back and look at my options and decide who my next fight will be against. 

 God brings second opportunities.  I wait for mine. 

 There is a balance of being a fighter and a promoter.  This was an idea my father had and I am happy we are doing a good job of making the company as successful as it is.  My father picked three excellent people to run the company.  I don’t have to occupy too much of my time to help them with the day to day.  They make it easy for me and I am really happy they are there for me.

 It feels good to be able to prepare for a fight and train when there are no other distractions like I had last year with the Margarito fight.  Margarito, stole a lot of things from me in 2008, and I got them back last year.  This fight, the only thing I want is the belt and that is what I trained for during this training camp…to win the belt.”

 I know on Saturday I’m going to be able to give fans and the crowd all they are expecting.

AUSTIN TROUT

Miguel Cotto is doing what other champions in this weight class won’t do by fighting me.  I thank him for this opportunity.

All we wanted was a chance.  We had to go above and beyond, under the radar for this chance.

I plan on making history.  Not because I made Miguel Cotto a five-time world champion, but because I will be the only person to beat Miguel Cotto in New York.

We didn’t get in this game for it to be easy. The harder the hurdle is for me, the greater the victory.  I think the things we go through are what makes us who we are.

Once the fight was confirmed, it took a while to sink in.”

My goal on Saturday is to get the crowd quiet.  I don’t want to give them anything to cheer for.

I feel great.  I feel like this is my time.  I have wanted this fight for years.  This was preordained and I don’t think God brought me here to fail. 

My mom was in the army.  She met my father there on a base in Texas, but she was born in Brooklyn.  I have a lot of family here.  I feel like I am more of a New Yorker than Miguel Cotto.

This fight is allowing all my dreams to come true.  I am crossing a lot off of my bucket list with this one.  After Saturday night, I’m either going to become a big star or it could stop here.

“Showdown: Cotto vs. Trout” is a 12-round battle between Four-Time and Three-Division World Champion Miguel Cotto and undefeated WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Austin Trout taking place on Saturday, December 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  The co-featured fights will see Jayson Velez take on Salvador Sanchez in a 10-round fight for the vacant WBC Silver Featherweight title and Danny “Miracle Man” Jacobs battle Chris “The Irish Ghost” Fitzpatrick in an eight-round middleweight fight.  The event is promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Greg Cohen Promotions, sponsored by The Puerto Rican Tourism Board and Corona and will be televised live on SHOWTIME at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

Tickets priced at $500, $300, $200, $100 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are available for purchase at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.thegarden.com.

 

[VIDEO] Amir Khan vs. Carlos Molina LA Press Conference: Khan Cites Improved Boxing IQ, Molina Says He’s Hungrier

Posted: October 31, 2012 in Fight News
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

LOS ANGELES, CA — Amir Khan and Carlos Molina held the first official U.S. press conference yesterday for their December 15 bout at the LA Sports Arena. Khan is on yet another comeback trail after his superfight-derailing KO loss to Danny Garcia in July. While Molina is an undefeated fighter, the most intriguing aspect of this contest is the fact it’s Khan’s first bout under new trainer Virgil Hunter. Can Khan be transformed into a thinking man’s fighter? Will Molina enact another, and this time possibly career ending upset on Khan? Below is the entire press conference courtesy of FightHubtv.com.

*****************************************

Khan vs. Molina is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Khan Promotions and sponsored by Corona.  The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) with preliminary fights live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).  The Sky Sports 1HD telecast begins live at 1:00 a.m. GMT on Sunday, December 16.

[Photos] Andre Berto vs. Robert Guerrero L.A. Press Conference – Both “Hungry” for Statement Win

Posted: October 24, 2012 in Fight News
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
0

LOS ANGELES, CA — Andre Berto and Robert Guerrero have officially announced their November 24, interim WBC welterweight title match that will take place at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California.

Both claimed to be very “hungry” for this bout. For Berto, he needs a big statement to redeem his name and momentum after missing out on a high-profile rematch with Victor Ortiz this summer over a positive steroid test. Guerrero is still trying to establish himself as a player in the welterweight division even after a competitive points victory over Selcuk Aydin in July. Below are quotes and photo highlights from yesterday’s press conference.

PHOTO CREDIT: Gene Blevins - Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions

 

Andre Berto

 I’ll use my speed, power and I’ll be smart against Guerrero. I’m already in shape and ready to work.

I’m hungry. Sometimes you have to go through tough times, sit back, appreciate what you have in life and move forward.

I went through a hell of a year for me. Now I’m back to the basics. This is what I needed.

I want to make statements with my fights, not take tune up fights. I know the level of fighter that I am and that’s what I expect from my opponents too.

Robert Guerrero

I believe I can knock him out. I want to send him home hurting and damaged.

They don’t give me the credit I deserve, so I just have to keep winning. I wanted to find one of the strongest guys out there that no one else wanted to fight to prove I’m the best.

I know Berto is coming to fight and he’s hungry, but so am I. I’m always hungry. I’m hungry all the time because I want to be the best in the world, not just a world champion. I don’t want to settle, I want to be the best.

I’m looking forward to taking care of business on November 24.

Richard Schaefer, CEO Golden Boy Promotions

Robert Guerrero is one of the most underrated champions in the world. I can’t understand why he’s not at the top of the pound for pound list.

We have Andre Berto vs. Robert Guerrero, Keith Thurman vs. Carlos Quintana and Richar Abril vs. Sharif Bogere. This is a huge event.

The fights on November 24 are ‘pick em’ bouts where either fighter can win.

“November 24 is a ‘thank you’ to fight fans on Thanksgiving weekend. Tickets are priced extremely low, starting at $25.00. 

Tony Morgan, Berto’s Trainer

He can call himself whatever he wants (“The Ghost”), but at the end of the night, he’ll be calling himself a loser.

Guerrero is a great fighter, but he’s never been hit by someone as hard as Berto can hit in the 147 lb. division.

Ruben Guerrero Sr., Guerrero’s Father/Trainer

We’re going to have the advantages in all aspects against Berto.

Robert is hungry, like a lion. He’s going to swallow him up on November 24.

We’re going to be 100% ready for Berto and I promise it’s going to be a great fight.

Berto vs. Guerrero, a 12-round welterweight bout, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T.  Also featured will be a junior middleweight bout between rising star Keith Thurman and former World Champion Carlos Quintana and a 12-round battle between WBA Interim Lightweight World Champion Richar Abril and number 3 rated WBA lightweight contender Sharif Bogere for the WBA Lightweight World Championship.  The event will take place at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif. and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. 

Tickets priced at $200, $100, $75, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are on sale now and are available for purchase by calling (888) 9AXS TIX (888-929-7849), at the Citizens Bank Arena box office or online at www.cbbankarena.com or www.axs.com.

Manny Pacquiao vs Juan Manuel Marquez IV: Los Angeles Press Tour Stop

Posted: September 18, 2012 in Fight News
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Yesterday, Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez began their press tour in Los Angeles for their December 8 fight at the MGM Grand. Pacquiao made it clear that choosing Marquez over Bradley, who defeated him by a controversial split decision in June, because he feels Bradley’s victory is illegitimate. Marquez, who stated he’s not keen on having to fight Pacquiao again in Vegas, has vowed that he’ll eliminate the questionable judging that clouded their 2011 meeting by gunning for the knockout.

Tickets go on sale September 28.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Josesito Lopez L.A. Press Conference

Posted: July 19, 2012 in Fight News
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

LOS ANGELES, CA — The main players of Showtime and Golden Boy’s September 15 “Knockout Kings” card met the media yesterday at Placita Olvera for the first official press conference.

Taking place at the MGM Grand, the card features a main event of WBC junior middleweight titlist Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Josesito Lopez, WBC featherweight title-holder Jhonny Gonzalez vs. Daniel Ponce de Leon and Jesus Soto Karass vs. Marcos Maidana.

Below are highlights from the press conference. While Maidana was short on words, his fight against Soto Karass has a very strong chance to be the show-stealer.

Canelo Alvarez, WBC Super Welterweight World Champion

I want to thank all of the fans who are here. This is going to be a great fight…a great event. I am very happy with this fight.

I think Josesito Lopez won his way here. He won his way to getting this shot September 15th.

I am not going to be over confident. I know that inside that ring, there is no opponent that can be taken lightly. I am going to train very hard for this fight so I can come out victorious. I am very happy to be representing Mexico and on September 15th, we will be yelling ‘Viva Mexico!

 

Josesito Lopez, Breakout Super Welterweight Star

September 15th is a very big day in boxing. We will have championship fights with great fighters on SHOWTIME.

I will train my hardest. I trained really hard for the great opportunity I had on June 23rd. On September 15th I have an even bigger opportunity with an even bigger fighter.

All I can do is train as hard as I can and give it my all. September 15th, the better man will win.

 

Johnny Gonzalez, WBC Featherweight World Champion

It is going to be a great fight. This is for all of the Mexicans, but it’s going to be special for everyone.

As a world champion, I want to face nothing but the best. I think Ponce De Leon is one of the best and that is why he is getting this opportunity.

 

Daniel Ponce De Leon, Former World Champion

I am very happy to be fighting on September 15th and to be fighting for a world title.

I have been waiting for a long time for an opportunity like this. I have been number one in the world for a while in different organizations and I am going to take full advantage of this fight.

 

Marcos Maidana, Former World Champion

What can I say about Soto Karass? He’s a good fighter and a tough fighter.

I like fighting in Las Vegas. Soto Karass is a very good fighter. He is a tough fighter. Thank you.

 

Jesus Soto Karass, Welterweight Contender

I want to thank Golden Boy Promotions and Marcos Maidana for this opportunity. I am going to be ready.

Maidana is one of the greatest fighters in this weight [class].

I have to train hard for this fight because I know it is going to be a hard fight. I will be prepared.

Hopefully everyone has a chance to come to Las Vegas on September 15th. I will put on a good show.

  

Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions

This fight is called ‘Knockout Kings.’ For an extra incentive, the best knockout of the night gets an extra 100,000 dollars. The fans at home are going to vote on who deserves 100,000 dollars. They can only see it on SHOWTIME.

Josesito Lopez has the desire and the heart. He is living that ‘Rocky Moment.’ I am sure that Team Canelo is training very serious for this very serious challenge.

 

Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions

This card will be like a pay-per-view, but the good news is that you won’t have to pay for it. It will be like a free-per-view.

Heart counts for a lot in boxing. We told Canelo that he better be careful because Josesito is going to come to win. He is going to come to break Canelo’s jaw just like he did with Victor Ortiz. Josesito Lopez has earned my respect. He is an amazing fighter.

This is boxing. In boxing, you never know what can happen. These two guys are true warriors who deserve to fight on this day. Josesito Lopez has earned the right to fight Canelo Alvarez and he has earned it the hard way, with his fists.

 

Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports

On September 15th, we have the biggest new star in boxing in Canelo Alvarez. We have the most inspiring story in Josesito Lopez. We have some of the biggest punchers in the sport in Jhonny Gonzalez, Daniel Ponce de Leon, Marcos Maidana and Jesus Soto Karass. My goal is to deliver the best fights to the broadest possible audience and we are doing just that on September 15th.

We won’t gauge you on prices. This is free on SHOWTIME. It will be a night to remember. Don’t miss it.

Older Entries