THE LEADING CAST for the ‘Heavy Impact’ card that will take place on Saturday at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester gathered at the venue today for the final press conference ahead of fight night, being broadcast live on DAZN.
Joe Joyce goes up against Filip Hrgovic in the headline attraction, with the British heavyweight title being fought for between David Adeleye and Jeamie TKV
Below are a selection of key quotes from today’s media event:
Frank Warren
“Saturday is a new era for us, we are on DAZN and we will be seen worldwide, which is a great, great showcase for all the fighters. We are competitive, like the boxers and certainly like the rest of the promoters on DAZN, we aim to be the best and put the best shows on and our start is a fabulous one.
“The main event between Joe and Filip is a cracker of a fight, it is a fight with jeopardy involved where the winner will go on and the loser will have a hard, hard task to get back into the mix at the top. We all know what is on the line and they know that better than anybody else in this room. So I am looking forward to a great fight and a fabulous, fabulous undercard.”
Joe Joyce
“It is a great fight, entertainment, and I expect a great performance. It is good to share the ring with Hrgovic again, we had a good scrap last time about 12 years ago. The same result is going to happen, I’m going to win and then get elevated back up to the top of the sport. I am really excited to be here again, there is a lot of excitement here and it is going to be a great night of boxing.
“I know exactly what to expect from him and I have worked with Abel (trainer, Sanchez) before. He’s got a lot of mileage and has been in the sport a long time and had a lot of hard fights. I look forward to knocking him out on Saturday night.”
Filip Hrgovic
“Are we still main event after this? It was short notice, a few weeks, but I was already in good shape. That is why I accepted this fight and I think this is a good opportunity for me. This win, hopefully on Saturday, brings me back to the top and it is good to be part of this.
“Thanks to Queensberry and DAZN and I am looking forward to the win on Saturday, to knock him out and get back to the top. That is the plan. My motivation is big, for sure. I want to be back at the top and, like Frank said, the loser will be in a very bad position. I don’t want to lose.
“Man he is 40 years old. If he is 39 then he is young, I didn’t know that. Look, he is definitely not in the peak of his career, fighters get older and that is the reality, I am seven years younger. I think it will play a role in this fight.”
Jeamie TKV
“I am even more excited about this fight, To be honest, I am offended. I am offended by David’s behaviour. He knows me and I know him and the way he has been going about talking I am offending. The way he has been behaving is very disrespectful. I don’t take that lightly and I’m going to show him on Saturday.
“This persona that he is putting on, this bad boy persona. We are both educated men, both raised by great parents. So what are you? An academic gangster? I don’t know where this persona comes from my brother. You say you are going to knock me out, but when I say it I am being disrespectful?
“You are taking it personally that I am taking this fight. I see a scared man and I know when I see a scared man. What happened at Talksport was he couldn’t get to me, he tried saying I had lost too much weight and wouldn’t hold his shots. He got frustrated because I’m not reacting to him, so he decided to pipe up for no reason. He tried to pull up in my face.”
David Adeleye
“All this educated gangster, I am just being myself. Of course it is personal, we are fighting in 48 hours. You don’t see a scared man, where do you see fear in me? Scared of what?
“You can ask me what happened at Talksport on Monday, I just cussed his weight, I cussed his appearance and he is obviously insecure about it. He’s got this cameraman, this Harry Hill looking guy recording and editing in a certain way. I did want to take this fight, me and you spoke on the phone and your managers were calling mine. What are you talking about?
“You called me and said I know you’re going to do Dacres and after that you were saying ‘you’re the truth’. Your manager said to me there is nothing for Jeamie, nothing going on for Jeamie and we know he ain’t getting nothing. Let’s be real about it. You’re a bitch. Every time I fight security come because they know I’m on smoke, with you there is no security.”
Delicious Orie
“I am just happy to be here, to be honest. When I started boxing in 2016 I saw Joyce win his silver medal, Hrgovic his bronze, David Adeleye and Jeamie TKV doing their thing as elite amateurs, so I was looking up to these guys. Here I am sat with them at the table, on the same card, I am living life at the moment.
“It will be different, there is a slight adaptation and for the last eight years I have just been focused on the Olympics, so for the last three months I have been working with Grant Smith in Sheffield just working on digging in a little bit more, planting my feet, getting used to the smaller gloves as well. I just can’t wait to put it all together this Saturday.
“Professional boxing is different. As an amateur I go in there to score the points to get my hand raised. It is different now, I actually have to hurt my opponent. That is the kind of spite I have been talking about.”
