LAS VEGAS (Aug. 29, 2014) – The six fighters who will compete in tomorrow’s Special Saturday presentation of ShoBox: The New Generation live on SHOWTIME® (immediately following the Premiere of “ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2” Episode 1 at 9:30 p.m. PT/ET) made weight Friday at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
In the main event of a ShoBox tripleheader from The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort tomorrow, undefeated super middleweight contender J’Leon Love (18-0, 10 KOs), of Inkster, Mich., will take on Rogelio “Porky” Medina (32-6, 26 KOs), of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, in a 10-round bout. In other bouts, also featuring Mayweather Promotions’ super middleweights, once-beaten, hard-hitting Badou Jack 16-1-1, 11 KOs), of Stockholm, Sweden, will be opposed by Jason Escalera (15-2-1, 12 KOs) of Union City, N.J., in a 10-round match and Romanian Ronald “Thrill” Gavril (9-0, 7 KOs), who is making his ShoBox debut, will risk his unblemished record against Thomas Falowo (12-2, 8 KOs) of Pawtucket, R.I., in the eight-rounder that will open the telecast.
WEIGHTS: Love weighed 167.5 pounds, Medina tipped scale at 168.6 pounds; Jack weighed 169.4 pounds, Escalera 169.2 pounds; Gavril and Falowo both tipped the scale at 166 pounds.
Tickets for the event, sponsored by Corona, are priced at $25, $50, $75 and $100, plus applicable taxes, fees and service are on sale now and available for purchase by clicking HERE. The first live, non-televised preliminary fight starts at 3 p.m. PT.
Below is what the fighters had to say prior to Friday’s weigh-in:
J’LEON LOVE:
“I’ve been caught with punches in the past and have been able to bounce back and get the victory. It shows that I can make improvements on the fly and overcome adversity.
“I believe that I am two fights away from a title shot. I will take care of business in this fight and go from there. I just need to be myself and execute. I believe in my punches, and when I am in that ring there is never any fear that comes into my body.
“Badou [Jack] let me know about [Rogelio] Medina. He’s a tough guy who will come prepared to fight. I respect that, but I would do the same,
“Each and every day that I train, I learn something new. I have a great team and trainer that constantly tell me that I am only as good as my last fight.
“I must keep my hands up, stay consistent with my punches and not throw any lazy jabs, because that’s what caught me in my last fight. I want to keep excelling as a fighter, silence my critics and stay humble.
“There is a certain level of expectation when you’re a part of TMT [The Money Team]. I know that everyone associated with this team doesn’t accept anything less than the best.”
ROGELIO MEDINA:
“I feel very strong going into this fight. I am very well prepared.
“In the past when I moved up a weight class I fought well, but didn’t win. The reason for that was I wasn’t properly prepared going into those fights to take the punches, but for this fight I have constantly been training for the past three months.
“I feel that I can beat anyone in the 168-pound weight class.
“My opponent likes to trade punches, has no fear and is in great shape. But, he isn’t always consistent with his punches and has a suspect chin. I am ready to pressure him every round and I am prepared for a 10-round fight.
“All the fighters on TMT want to fight like Floyd [Mayweather]. The problem with that is there is only one Floyd and you must be yourself and not try to fight like someone else.
“I will give it everything I have in the ring tomorrow and a victory would be huge for me and open up many doors.”
BADOU JACK
“In my last fight [loss to Derek Edwards], he caught me cold when I ran into his punch. I have learned a great deal from that fight that I will use to my advantage in fighting my opponent tomorrow. I must keep my distance and use my height and range.
“A title fight is definitely a possibility in the future, but I never look past my next opponent. I am focused solely on him and there is nothing else going through my mind.
“My opponent puts constant pressure on and doesn’t move his head. I feel like his style fits well into my style. I plan to wear him down with body shots, use my range and height to my advantage. I have no fear.
“I am very focused on my career and I don’t worry about anything else. You will see a very different Badou in this fight in relation to my last bout.”
JASON ESCALERA
“This is the biggest fight of my career and I am very excited and ready for this opportunity.
“I must keep pressure on him with constant punches and refresh him about his last fight.
“I am honestly surprised that I got this fight. Since [Badou] Jack is coming off of a loss, I figured he would want to fight someone who wasn’t a puncher, but I will not back down.”
RONALD GAVRIL:
“I had a great amateur career for 10 years in Romania, but the United States is the best place to fight. I couldn’t be happier with the decision I made to come over here to advance my professional career.
“I am a workhorse that is all business and no flash. I am very focused on my goals and won’t let anything get in my way. I have a great attitude and work ethic with technique and skill.
“With my trainer [Eddie Mustafa Muhammad], I am learning how to shorten up my punches, but I have always been a big puncher. My defense is also improving every day.
“My opponent is a solid fighter and I believe that he is going to be the toughest test of my professional career to date. I want to make him tired and uncomfortable in the ring.
“My team says I may have a shorter road to the title than other fighters. I believe I have what it takes to one day be world champion.”
THOMAS FALOWO:
“I’m very excited about fighting on ShoBox and grateful for the opportunity. I’m ready to prove that I belong to fight on the big stage.
“I’ve had tougher fights, but this is definitely my biggest fight. I feel that I’m more ready than ever and that this fight came along at a perfect time.
“This would be a huge step in the right direction if I come out with the victory. I know that everything will fall into place for me if I stay focused in the ring.
“My opponent has a similar style; we both like to throw big punches. He had a good amateur career and has been doing OK as a pro. But he’s definitely never a fighter of my caliber.
“I know that the fans will really enjoy watching our fight. I have always been a fan favorite and Saturday night I will not disappoint.”
Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with boxing historian Steve Farhood and former World Champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
