Victor Guerrero to Make U.S. Debut in Sacramento on Saturday

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

One month removed from Robert Guerrero’s unanimous decision win over Andre Berto, the next generation of fighting Guerreros from California’s Central Coast are poised to make their mark as they showcase their talents before their home state fans in the coming days. On January 30th, Jesse James Guerrero will take to the ring in San Jose. Getting the jump on his cousin, Victor Guerrero returns to the ring to make his United States debut this coming Saturday night as he takes on Matthew Monroe at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Sacramento.

Guerrero (6-0, 5 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada by way of Morgan Hill, California launched his pro career in Mexico in 2019. After years of plying his trade on the road, the young Guerrero is excited to showcase his talents before his local supporters this weekend.

“Sacramento is only about two hours from my hometown of Gilroy, so I have a lot of family and friends that are going to come out and support,” says Guerrero. “It pushes me that little extra to put on a performance for everyone out there and to make them proud. Obviously, fighting out there in Mexico, it was a pretty long drive, but right there in Sacramento, that is pretty much my backyard, so I am grateful to Upper Cut Promotions for this opportunity and having me on the card. I am ready to make my hometown proud and I am very excited.”

By design, Guerrero would have made his debut in the States last year, if it were not for a bit of bad luck. As can be the case, several fights fell out on short notice. Guerrero’s last scheduled bout in November was canceled by the threat of rain in Fresno.

“It is just part of the game,” explains Guerrero. “Fights get canceled. I just get ready and stay in the gym. I train year-round. I stay out here in Vegas, training with a lot of the big names out here. I got a lot of good work and I feel that I have improved, even though I didn’t get to fight and show the people [those improvements.] On January 20th, I am ready to show what I have been working for and that all this training has been for a reason.”

Despite not getting the opportunity to add to his official record in 2023, Guerrero continued his development as a fighter by gaining ring experience in the gym with top fighters and trainers. “I have been training out of Pound 4 Pound in Vegas and they have a lot of good guys there,” says Guerrero. “I was in camp with Carlos Adames this summer, getting him ready for one of his fights. I got a lot of good experience working with him and learning from him. I was grateful to be a part of his camp. I was also working with Sports Illustrated Trainer of the Year Bob Santos as well. So being in there with those experienced guys, I feel like I learned a lot. I feel like I added a lot of tools to my arsenal and now I am ready to show out.”

Guerrero, the grandson of respected trainer Ruben Sr. and nephew of former world champion Robert, is trained by his father and former fighter himself Victor Guerrero Sr. Many of the most successful fighters in recent history have been trained by their fathers. At times it can be a difficult dynamic to navigate, but the young Guerrero is grateful to have his father guiding him.

“For the most part it has been great,” explains Guerrero. “We are undefeated right now and we are going to keep the streak going. There’s times that we bump heads, but that is only natural for a father-son. My dad pushes me and I like that he pushes me. There have been things that I wasn’t comfortable with yet and he shows me and guides me. He’s been in the ring as well, so he understands what to expect. Me and my dad’s relationship, we’ve always been close but sharing the sport of boxing together brings us even that much closer. I am thankful to have him in my corner. We are going to keep on rising from this fight on.”

Victor is just one of young pugilists the Guerrero family has in the pipeline. “It is exciting,” says Victor. “We’ve got Jesse. His fight got pushed back to the 30th, but he’s been training extremely hard. He was in camp out here in Vegas too for a little bit. We’ve got my cousin, little Robert, he’s on the come up as well. He should be turning pro in March, so I am excited for that. We can’t really get work like that in the ring, because I am a little bigger than them, but I go with them when they get sparring and they are coming along really good. I’ve even got my little brother Andre, he just turned twelve yesterday, so he’s a little guy, but he’s coming up too. We are the next generation and we are ready to take over the sport of boxing. Pretty soon the whole world will know who us Guerreros are.”

In addition to making his home state debut, Guerrero will be taking on a southpaw for the first time as a professional on Saturday. However, Guerrero feels well prepared as he heads into battle against Monroe.

“I’ve been sparring a lot of southpaws out here in Vegas,” explains Guerrero. “That is the good thing about Vegas, you see every type of style: southpaws, orthodox, awkward guys. I’ve been sparring a few different southpaws here and my uncle Robert is a southpaw too, so he’s been showing me some things on how to move with a southpaw, what to do and what not to do. So I feel really good and confident going into this fight. I am just ready to go.”

After a year of training without the reward of stepping into the ring under the bright lights, Guerrero is primed and ready to get his career rolling again beginning this Saturday in Sacramento.

“After this fight, we are going to just keep going,” says Guerrero. I have a fight lined up in San Jose after this one, so I will probably take a couple days off and then get right back to it. I hope to fight at least 4 or 5 times this year to help make up for the fights I didn’t have this past year. I want to stay active and I want to stay busier. That’s the goal this year. In 2024 we are going to come out with a bang.”

Tickets for the event, promoted by Upper Cut Promotions, are available online at uppercutpro.com

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected]

Morrell Stops Agbeko in 6

Valenzuela Knocks Out Colbert in 6

In the night’s co-feature lightweights Chris Colbert and Jose Valenzuela met in an anticipated rematch that was dominated from wire to wire by Valenzuela. Colbert was blitzed in the first and hit the canvas early, needing to shift to survival mode to make it to the first bell.

Colbert had moments, and stood in valiantly for the duration of the bout but continued to eat power shots consistently with little resistance.

The action culminated with a devastating hook at 1:36 of round six that left Colbert laying motionless for more than a minute. The Brooklyn product was eventually able to rise to his feet and leave the ring under his own power, but would take home a KO6 loss to rival Valenzuela in the WBA eliminator.

al3nzGuerrero Decisions Berto

Showtime boxing veterans Robert Guerrero and Andre Berto met in a rematch ten years in the making to kick off the Showtime Boxing swans song at the Minneapolis Armory.

The meeting, as one would expect of two 40 year old combatants off of long layoffs, lacked the fireworks of the original classic, but Guerrero was able to bring the crowd to a rise in the fifth with a flurry behind a shoveling uppercut.

Berto continued to stalk Guerrero from a crouched guard but was not able to fire off the trademarked fast twitch muscle power punches that propelled him to elite ranks in his fighting prime. The two continued to trade spirited exchanges into the late rounds with Guerrero primarily getting the better of Berto. The fight was rounded out with an embrace dripping with mutual respect between the two former world champions and Showtime PPV headliners.

Scorecards read 98-92, 99-91 all in favor of “The Ghost”, Robert Guerrero.

Alberot Puello def Ector Madera via UD

Super Lightweights Alberto Puello and Ector Madera engaged in a tactical affair, with the former cruising to an easy victory. Puello worked the rust off of a long layoff cleanly, and was sharp behind a jab, creating distance and comfortably picking away at the Stockton, CA native Madera.

Scorecards showed a comfortable margin for Puello at 80-72 twice and 79-73

Kyrone Davis (18-3-1) def Cruse Stewart (8-3) UD 77-75

Kyrone Davis and Cruse Stewart engaged in a methodical battle for the center of the ring, trading flurries in the pocket, with Cruse opening strong in the first two rounds, but showing some fatigue in the middle rounds. Davis affirmed his presence with steady jabbing to put Stewart on the backstep as the fight entered the later rounds.

Davis was off his stool well before the beginning of the final round, signifying a preserved stamina heading into the fight’s conclusion. Stewart valiantly pressed forward with combinations, and even brought the Minneapolis crowd to their feet with a late rally, likely winning the round, but was ultimately smothered before a knockdown could be scored to bridge the scorecard gap.

Davis prevailed with a 5-3 win on all three cards.

Lawrence King (13-1) def Alex Theran (23-13) KO4 (18 seconds)

Lawrence King battered Alex Theran to the body with a crisp and sustained two fisted attack to move to 13-1. Theran absorbed the onslaught through three rounds but was clearly weakened by the offensive assault. King overwhelmed Theran 18 seconds into the fourth, scoring a knockout after dropping Theran prompting a halt to the action.

Michael Angeletti(10-0) Def Angel Contreras (13-9-2) UD 78-74 (3x)

Michael Angeletti and Angel Contreras traded shots in a back and forth affair over eight rounds. Contreras was game and had his moments, but Angeletti controlled the action, banking 6 rounds en route to an easy decision to remain undefeated.

Joey Spencer (17-1) UD Marcio Bzowski (11-25-4) 60-54 on all cards.

Joey Spencer controlled the pace of the bout for 6 rounds with a steady attack. Bzowski showed signs of fatigue but remained sturdy and could not be put away. Spencer advances to 17-1.

Charles Harris Jr(now 8-1) rtd Marlin Sims(8-3)

The referee waved off the action after Simms’ second knee in the 6th round. Sims took a glove to the eye resulting in obstructed vision. Harris hit a visually impaired Sims with a barrage that prompted a second knee, bringing a halt to the action in the 6th round

WBA SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION AND MINNEAPOLIS FAN-FAVORITE DAVID MORRELL JR. BATTLES KNOCKOUT ARTIST SENA AGBEKO IN SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® MAIN EVENT SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16 FROM THE ARMORY IN MINNEAPOLIS TOPPING PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS EVENT

MINNEAPOLIS.- December 8, 2023 – Undefeated WBA Super Middleweight Champion and Minneapolis fan-favorite David Morrell Jr. will battle knockout artist Sena Agbeko headlining action live on SHOWTIME^® on Saturday, December 16 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from The Armory in Minneapolis.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will feature exciting contenders Chris “Primetime” Colbert and Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela in a 12-round WBA Lightweight Title Eliminator as they rematch in the co-main event, and WBC Flyweight World Champion Julio Cesar Martinez defends his world title against unbeaten contender Angelino Cordova. Plus, in a special attraction telecast opener, all-action former world champions Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and Andre Berto will square off in a 10-round welterweight rematch. The show will be the final boxing telecast from SHOWTIME SPORTS^® after 37 years.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Warriors Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster.

“David Morrell has built a truly dedicated fanbase in Minneapolis and will look to show his legions of fans, and fans around the world, why he’s undeniably one of the most dangerous super middleweights in the sport,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “It’ll be bombs away in the main event because Sena Agbeko comes to end fights early and will look to inflict damage for as long as the fight lasts. With three more highly competitive fights on the SHOWTIME undercard, fight fans will be in for another loaded night of action on December 16.”

A Cuban-native who came to Minneapolis to begin his pro career in 2019, Morrell (9-0, 8 KOs) has quickly shown off the talents that made him a standout in Cuba’s storied amateur scene. The 25-year-old recently scored a violent first-round knockout of Olympic Bronze medalist Yamaguchi Falcao in their April clash. He captured an interim title by dominating then-unbeaten Lennox Allen in August 2020 in just his third pro fight. Morell, who trains in Texas with renowned coach Ronnie Shields, added two dominant knockout victories in 2022 as he stopped Kalvin Henderson in June before a 12th-round TKO of the previously unbeaten Aidos Yerbossynuly in November. December 16 will mark Morrell’s sixth appearance at The Armory, and his fourth headlining slot.

“It’s a great honor to be fighting in the main event on SHOWTIME’s final show, especially in Minneapolis at The Armory where I call home,” said Morrell. “I’m going to bring my best effort forward and give the fans a spectacular performance worthy of this occasion. I specifically asked for the Sena Agbeko fight because he was saying I was avoiding him. Now that the fight is on, I’m going to punish him. I’m dedicating this fight to my family and all the fans that will be watching this event.”

Originally from Ghana and now fighting out of Nashville, Tennessee, Agbeko (28-2, 22 KOs) enters this fight having won his last five contests and 13 of his last 14. The 31-year-old won three times in 2022, including earning a unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Isaiah Steen last October on SHOBOX: The New Generation^®. The only blemish on Agbeko’s record since 2014 is a decision loss in 2021 against top 168-pound contender Vladimir Shishkin. Most recently, Agbeko stopped Bruno Leonardo Romay in two rounds in October.

“This fight against Morrell is career defining for me as it will determine where I stand in the super middleweight hierarchy of boxing,” said Agbeko. “With 30 fights under my belt, it’s now or never, and more than anything, it’s an opportunity to be etched in the history books, so it is absolutely important to me that I win. I’m very happy to have this opportunity to fight for the WBA belt on SHOWTIME where I’ve fought throughout my career. My objective is to win and end the year on a very high note and also use it as a catalyst to even greater fights next year against the very best in the division. Fight fans should definitely expect a thriller to end the year.”

Representing his native Brooklyn, N.Y., Colbert (17-1, 6 KOs) bounced back from a first-round knockdown in the first fight against Valenzuela to emerge victorious with a 95-94 score on all three cards, a decision disputed by Valenzuela and others. The 27-year-old will hope to repeat the victory and establish himself as a top contender at 135 pounds. Colbert entered the first fight off a hard-fought defeat to former super featherweight world champion Hector Luis Garcia in February 2022. After a decorated amateur career, Colbert turned pro in 2015 and took out three undefeated fighters in his first eight bouts. Since then, he took care of a slew of former champions and contenders including Jezzrel Corrales, Jaime Arboleda and Tugstsogt Nyambayar to establish himself as a potential future world champion.

“I’m happy to be back to quiet this sucker once and for all,” said Colbert. “I’m going to show him that there are levels to this boxing game. See you on December 16.”

The 24-year-old Valenzuela (12-2, 8 KOs) appeared to have Colbert hurt and nearly out after the first round knockdown in their first fight. He will look to finish the job if presented the opportunity in the rematch. Born in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, Valenzuela would have earned a big bounce back victory had he finished Colbert, following a September 2022 defeat to Edwin De Los Santos. Valenzuela, who turned pro in 2018, was sensational prior to that loss, including a first-round knockout of former world champion Francisco Vargas in April 2022 and a five-bout knockout streak before earning his first 10-round decision in a victory over Deiner Berrio in September 2021.

“Training camp is going great so far and I’m preparing really hard for this fight,” said Valenzuela. “I’ve improved a lot. I’m very excited to come back, put it all on display and settle the score when we get into the ring on December 16.”

Trained by the renowned Eddy Reynoso, Martinez (20-2, 15 KOs) first captured his flyweight world title with a ninth-round stoppage of Cristofer Rosales in his stateside debut in December 2019. The 28-year-old has gone on to defend the title five times, besting previously unbeaten opponents Jay Harris and Samuel Carmona, while most recently stopping Ronal Batista in May. A native of Mexico City, Martinez’s only blemish since a split-decision loss in his pro debut was a decision loss to future Hall of Famer Roman Gonzalez in March 2022.

“I’m very excited to return to the ring and I’m having a great training camp to prepare for this fight,” said Martinez. “My goal is to unify titles in this division next year, and I know that I have to beat Cordova to reach that goal. I’m fully focused on him right now, because I can’t get the biggest fights without being impressive on December 16. I’m planning to deliver a spectacular performance.”

The 28-year-old Cordova (18-0-1, 12 KOs) earned a career-best victory in his last outing, as he bested former world champion Angel Acosta on his way to a 10-round unanimous decision victory in April. A native of Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela, Cordova has yet to taste defeat since debuting in 2017, with a draw in just his fourth fight as the only blemish. He made his U.S. debut in June 2022, defeating Axel Aragon Vega by decision before the triumph over Acosta.

“I’m blessed to have this great opportunity to fight for the WBC world title,” said Cordova. “I want to thank Miguel Cotto and the rest of my team for their support. It’s a dream come true. I have worked very hard for this fight on December 16 and I’m ready to show my skills and become the new WBC Flyweight World Champion.”

Guerrero (37-6-1, 20 KOs) is a three-time world champion who has won world titles at featherweight and super featherweight, and has fought a stacked lineup of elite fighters, including Floyd Mayweather, during a superb career. The Gilroy, California native most recently defeated former champion Victor Ortiz in August 2021, running his current winning streak up to four. His 2012 triumph over Berto saw him drop his opponent in rounds one and two on his way to earning the interim WBC welterweight title. That win led directly to the Mayweather fight, as Guerrero would eventually go on to challenge other great welterweights of the era including Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia.

“I won my first world title on SHOBOX, so it’s an honor to be fighting on the last SHOWTIME Boxing event,” said Guerrero. “I’m ready to give the fans another great performance. Everyone knows that when I step into the ring, it’s going to be all action. Berto and I already went to war once, and now we’re gonna meet again. At the end of the day, the fans are gonna win.”

A long-time mainstay of the sport who’s delivered memorable moments, fights and knockouts again and again, Winter Haven, Florida’s Berto (32-5, 24 KOs) returns for revenge against Guerrero, who edged him out via decision in their all-action 2012 brawl. A 2004 Olympian representing Haiti, Berto twice held a 147-pound world championship, first winning the WBC belt with a 2008 stoppage of Miguel Angel Rodriguez. He would go on to defend the title five times, and reclaimed his status by winning the IBF title over Jan Zaveck in 2011. Berto owns victories over Victor Ortiz, Devon Alexander, Josesito Lopez and has challenged Floyd Mayweather and Shawn Porter in a career that has seen Berto engage in numerous Fight of the Year bouts.

“I’m excited to be performing again and to help close out a legendary chapter of SHOWTIME boxing,” said Berto. “This rematch with Robert Guerrero has been looming in my spirit for years. It’s a fight that I always wanted to get back before I left this game. I’m the type of man who loves to right his wrongs, the same way that I did with Victor Ortiz. I’ve had a hell of a camp and I’m looking forward to putting on a hell of a performance on December 16.”

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For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #MorrellAgbeko follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.

Two-Time Welterweight Champion Andre Berto Withdraws From Bout Against Miguel Cruz Due to Injury

BROOKLYN (July 29, 2019) – Two-time former welterweight world champion Andre Berto suffered an injury during sparring on Saturday that resulted in a torn bicep muscle and is forced to withdraw from his bout against Miguel Cruz that was scheduled for this Saturday as part of FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.

Undefeated Polish star and Brooklyn-native Adam Kownacki will meet Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola in a 12-round heavyweight showdown in the main event and unbeaten interim WBA Light Heavyweight Champion “Sir” Marcus Browne battles former champion Jean Pascal in a 12-round bout in the co-feature. The broadcast starts at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will now feature Brooklyn’s Curtis Stevens making his 154-pound debut against Wale “Lucky Boy” Omotoso in a 10-round bout.

Berto tweaked his left bicep muscle during sparring earlier last week and tore the tendon during his final sparring session on Saturday in preparation for the Cruz bout. After an MRI revealed the extent of the injury, doctors advised Berto to withdraw from the fight and have surgery as soon as possible.

“Saturday was the last day of sparring and I was trying to finish and keep going strong,” said Berto. “I threw a left hook and I felt a squeeze and a pop. I started yelling and cursing, because I knew what happened. I’ve had injuries before. Even though it was bad, I thought it was something that I could get a cortisone shot and fight with. But the MRI showed that the tendon was torn from the bone and I need surgery as soon as possible.

“It’s devastating because I worked hard for eight weeks and I’m in dog shape. I was just ready to go. This just kills me. It’s so freaky that it happened on the last day of sparring. When I hurt it on Tuesday, I just taped it up and went back to work. The doctors say there was a slight tear on Tuesday because there was still some inflammation when I came back to spar on Thursday and Saturday. They say it would have torn during the fight.”

Berto went into his match against Jesus Soto Karass with a shoulder injury, tore muscles during the match and had to fight with one arm. He had shoulder surgery to repair torn tendons and ligaments and spent eight months recovering. He was out of the ring for 14 months.

“This injury and the surgery won’t be as bad as the shoulder,” Berto said. “The shoulder was a lot of different muscles and tendons that were torn. I had a sling on for six weeks, and I was immobilized for so long that I had frozen shoulder syndrome and I had to go through three or four weeks with therapy to just get it to moving. It took eight or nine months with the shoulder. If I do it right with this injury, I’ll be good in two or three months.”

Berto (32-5, 24 KOs) has fought some of the top welterweight champions of this generation, including Floyd Mayweather. The 35-year-old won a welterweight world title with TKO victory over Miguel Angel Rodriguez in 2008 and successfully defended it five times before losing it to Victor Ortiz in 2011. He later avenged that loss to Ortiz with a knockout victory in 2016 on FOX. Heading into the fight against Cruz, Berto was coming off a split decision victory over former welterweight champion Devon Alexander in his last fight in August on FOX.

ANDRE BERTO TRAINING CAMP NOTES

BROOKLYN (July 25, 2019) – Two-time welterweight world champion Andre Berto will return to the ring and look to make a statement on his way toward another world title when he takes on Miguel Cruz in FOX PBC Fight Night action Saturday, August 3 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.

“I’m at a point in my career where every time I step into the ring, I need to make a statement,” said Berto. “I’m a fighter who has spent a lot of years at the top of the welterweight division and that’s something to be proud of. I have to continue earning my stripes and I plan to do that on August 3.”

Berto will be fighting for the first time since the passing of his father, who has been influential throughout his career, and for the first time since the birth of his daughter Legaci. With these new factors in his life, Berto promises to show a new fire on August 3.

“I definitely have a ton of motivation this camp,” said Berto. “This is the first fight since my father passed away, and he’s been in my corner my whole life. I’m also fighting for the first time as a father myself. I’m taking that honor into the ring and it’s a huge motivation. I have more motivation for this fight than I’ve had in a very long time.”

While he trains in the Bay Area with longtime coach Virgil Hunter, Berto represents his hometown of Winter Haven, Florida. His opponent Miguel Cruz is from nearby Lake Mary, Florida, creating a ‘turf war’ of sorts that came to fruition in the announcement press conference for the fight, with both men staking claim to the area and their side of the generational battle.

“I wasn’t surprised at all that we got into it at the press conference,” said Berto. “I saw someone that was nervous. I was doing a lot of barking, so the only thing he could do was defend himself.

“I don’t really consider this a ‘turf war’ because I’ve been doing this for so long. He’s watched me do it for a very long time. Everyone in Central Florida knows who the big dog in that area has been for a whole. He’s one of the young fighters that’s trying to come up, and we are going to have to tame him.”

Cruz most recently scored a second round stoppage at Barclays Center in January to bounce back from his lone pro defeat, a decision loss to Josesito Lopez last April on FOX. Prior to that, the 29-year-old had beaten a slew of prospects and contenders, and will now look to put himself back in the title mix with a win against a big name in Berto.

For Berto, he will be facing a new challenge after a run that has seen him take on former and current champions in Devon Alexander, Shawn Porter, Victor Ortiz and Floyd Mayweather, dating back to 2015.

“I know that I’m facing a fighter who is trying to make a name for himself,” said Berto. “That’s always dangerous. He’s tough, rugged and he’s going to come to fight. I have to make sure I’m on point with all parts of my game.”

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ABOUT KOWNACKI VS. ARREOLA
Kownacki vs. Arreola pits undefeated Polish star and Brooklyn-native Adam Kownacki against veteran former title challenger Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola for a 12-round heavyweight showdown that headlines FOX PBC Fight Night on FOX and FOX Deportes Saturday, August 3 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.

The broadcast starts at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features former world champion Andre Berto taking on Miguel Cruz in a 10-round welterweight clash and unbeaten interim WBA Light Heavyweight Champion “Sir” Marcus Browne battling former world champion Jean Pascal in a 12-round bout.

Viewers can live stream the PBC shows on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. In addition, all programs are available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.

ADAM KOWNACKI VS. CHRIS ARREOLA, ANDRE BERTO VS. MIGUEL CRUZ & MARCUS BROWNE VS. JEAN PASCAL NEW YORK PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

BROOKLYN (June 18, 2019) – Polish star and heavyweight contender Adam Kownacki and former title challenger Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola went face to face Tuesday at a press conference in Brooklyn as they previewed their showdown that headlines FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes Saturday, August 3 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.

Also going face to face Tuesday were two-time world champion Andre Berto and Miguel Cruz, who meet in a welterweight attraction, and interim WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Marcus Browne and former world champion Jean Pascal, who kick off FOX PBC Fight Night action at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center.

Here is what the press conference participants had to say Tuesday from the Barclays Center GEICO Atrium:

ADAM KOWNACKI

“This is an exciting moment for me. When I first fought at Barclays Center, I fought after the main event, so this is just an amazing feeling to be headlining.

“Arreola has been in there with everyone, so I know it’s a tough test. He’s coming off two knockout wins, so I know he’ll be ready, but I’m more ready.

“I’ve worked very hard to get to this moment. This is another step toward me becoming a world champion. I’m looking to put myself in line for a world title shot.

“I can’t wait for this one. It’s another step in the right direction, I know it’s going to be competitive because Arreola is coming off of two knockout wins. It’s a do or die mood for him. I know he’ll be in the best shape possible and I can’t wait to show off my skills.

“Arreola is a good fighter. He has fought everybody from Deontay Wilder to Vitali Klitschko. Hopefully I will be able to do a good job and get the win.

“Chris Arreola and I are going to put on the Fight of the Year. We’re going to show that the big guys can really fight.

“The heavyweight division is hot right now and this is going to add to it. With our styles being guys who come forward, it doesn’t get better as a boxing fan.

“This is the third fighter I’ve had in common with Deontay Wilder. I knocked out Artur Szpilka and Gerald Washington faster than he did, and I’m looking to do the same August 3.”

CHRIS ARREOLA

“Adam and I are going to put on a great fight. I’m really excited for this one. As a fan, this is the kind of fight I’d want to watch. It’s going to be a fight that’s talked about for years.

“Everyone knows this is going to be a great fight. People always have something negative to say anyway, so I’m only controlling what I can. I’m really looking forward to this fight and displaying the new tricks of the trade that I’ll be implementing into this fight.

“I’m nothing like the fighter’s he’s fought. I’m not an opponent. I’m here to fight. He’s going to have a tough time trying to put me out. A lot of people underestimate me, but you’ll see on August 3 that I’m a heavyweight to be reckoned with.

“The main thing that I’ve seen from Kownacki is that he throws a lot of punches. He throws a bunch of punches. You just keep throwing punches and one of them is going to land and that’s what I see from him.

“Training camp has been going great. I’m loving it. I’m learning a lot of new tricks of the trade and working on the old things also. I’m looking forward to this fight because the things that I’ve been working on with Joe Goossen, are going to come out in this fight.

“I’m going to be in the best shape possible on August 3. I’m saying it now, if I lose, I’m retiring. But I’m not going to lose. I’m coming guns blazing to get this win.”

ANDRE BERTO

“I started my career right here in New York after the Olympics and it always feels great to be back. This is going to be a great night of fighting. This is great event with a lot of fighters I know well, but this is going to be my show. I’m going to put on a great performance.

“Miguel Cruz I just found out is from Florida and basically my hometown. So it just got real personal and it’s going to be explosive.

“At the end of the day, I’ve never stopped working. I’m in fight shape right now. This is a lifestyle for me. I don’t care what Miguel Cruz’s plans are. I have too much to fight for me to lose.

“You have to find different levels of motivation for yourself for every fight. Whether its family or whatever it is. I have my new baby girl, I lost my dad. So it’s coming from a lot of different areas right now.

“I’m going to be a whole other animal on August 3. I know what’s been going on in his camp and I know how his sparring is going. So I hope he just stays focused.

“I’m just looking to go out and put on a show. I’m looking forward to going out there and just making it happen. It’s going to be big. I’ve done a lot within the last few months. Any great performance I come back with puts me in contention.

“I’ve had a lot happen in my life in the last year. A lot of great things and some tragedies. I believe that I’m really in a position where everything is bottled up and I can’t wait to let it out on August 3.”

MIGUEL CRUZ

“It’s going to be fireworks and we’re going to bring the house down. I expect both of us to have amazing performances, but especially myself.

“I’m coming for Andre Berto and then I’m looking at Keith Thurman and that world title. I’m ready to leave it all in the ring. I have nothing to lose. I’m going to show that I’m a very dangerous man.

“This is a new era of boxing. That’s the nature of the game. One day I’ll be the old lion. This is just what happens. It’s going to happen to Andre Berto on August 3.

“I don’t have any real personal feelings towards him. I’m very focused on my mission, so if he wants to get personal I believe it’s going to cause him to make mistakes. I believe that it’s going to be a disadvantage in many different ways. I’m going to continue my training camp in the way I’ve been doing it.

“We did grow up in the same area relatively so it does spark up that inner city rivalry. I think that’s how he feels. And it’s fine. I know a lot about him and he doesn’t know much about me. I feel like I have a lot of advantages in this fight. I feel like I have the youth, the strength, and the power to do a lot of damage in this fight. I feel like he’s underestimating me, he’s going to make some mistakes and get emotional.

“I’m sure I’ve sparked a little fire in him and he’s going to train harder but that’s not going to change the fact that his mind isn’t really prepared for exactly what’s going to happen.

“I already feel like Brooklyn is my home and I’m going to make it my home going forward. I like the warmth that I feel from the fans and I especially know there’s going to be a lot of Puerto Rican support for this one. There’s going to be three stellar fights and I plan on stealing the show.”

MARCUS BROWNE

“I just want to thank everyone for allowing me to display my talents on this stage. I’m going to be in the best shape possible. I’m coming in shape for 15 rounds.

“I am always going to be underestimated in a sense, especially to a veteran like Pascal. He has to keep himself in the fight and the only way to do that is to downplay what I do. Come August 3, I will just display my talents and take care of business.

“This is a great card. You know Adam always comes with the thunder and excitement. Andre has always been in exciting fights. But when you’re watching my fight, make sure you don’t blink.

“The division has no one else like me. Pascal has fought a lot of great fighters, but he hasn’t faced anyone like me. It’s going to be something he’s never seen before in that ring.

“I am not focused on the future right now. The only thing I am focused on is Jean Pascal, because we won’t get there if we don’t take care of business with him the right way. It’s not about just winning it’s about winning the right way. We are going to focus on him right now and after that it is what it is.

“Jean Pascal always comes to fight and he comes in great shape. But he’s in my way right now. I’m going to knock you out, I promise you. I’m making sure I’m ready for him. I know exactly what he possesses and we respect that. August 3 it will be my time.

“I remember sparring Jean Pascal and he said I was green. But the fruit is ripe now. He knows what time it is.”

JEAN PASCAL

“This is going to be a great fight. Marcus is a tremendous fighter who’s going to train very well. We both know we’ll be at our best. I’ve been there and one that before. I’m up for any challenge.

“Marcus is the rookie and I’m the veteran. I’m going to show him who’s the boss.

“This show is very special for me because you will see the two best Haitian boxers on earth in Andre Berto and myself. I hope the big Haitian community in New York shows up to see us.

“I’m one of the best in the world. I always train hard and I’m always ready for a challenge. I know it’s not going to be easy. I don’t take any easy fight at any point in my career.

“I love the sport and I love to display all of my talent. It’s going to be technical fight and a chess match on fight night.

“I’m very happy to be here. I want to thank everyone who made this dream come true for me to fight at Barclays Center. This is a tremendous place to fight and many champions have fought here. I’m going to be part of history.”

BRETT YORMARK, CEO of BSE Global

“I’m excited to kick off another heavyweight fight promotion right here in Brooklyn. This is our 5th event headlined by a heavyweight fight but our first headlined by a heavyweight from Brooklyn.

“Brooklyn loves their heavyweights. Adam is undefeated in eight fights at Barclays and this has certainly become his home and we welcome him back. There aren’t many fighters I know with the grassroots fan base that you have. We’re also excited to have Chris Arreola here for a fight that will have a great atmosphere on August 3.

“We also welcome back Andre Berto and Miguel Cruz for what we know will be an exciting welterweight matchup. I’m also thrilled that Marcus Browne is back for his 13th appearance at our venue. Thank you for being a fixture here and we also welcome Jean Pascal to challenge for your interim title.

“This is our 35th fight night. It’s been an incredible journey and PBC has continued to give us some of the best fights out there. FOX is the biggest platform in the sport of boxing today and we’re happy to have them come here on August 3.”

# # #

Undefeated Polish Star Adam Kownacki Battles Chris Arreola in Heavyweight Showdown in Front of Hometown Fans Saturday, August 3 Headlining FOX PBC Fight Night on FOX & FOX Deportes from Barclays Center in Brooklyn

BROOKLYN (June 6, 2019) – Undefeated Polish star and Brooklyn-native Adam Kownacki will look to thrill in front of a hometown crowd when he steps into the ring against veteran former title challenger Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola for a 12-round heavyweight showdown that headlines FOX PBC Fight Night on FOX and FOX Deportes Saturday, August 3 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.

The heavyweight division is red hot and Kownacki is a top rising challenger who will look to continue his ascent up the rankings with a win over the all-action veteran Arreola. This will be Kownacki’s ninth fight at Barclays Center, and his first as the headlining attraction.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, go on sale on Friday, June 7 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center starting Saturday, June 8 at noon.

“This action-packed tripleheader is full of high stakes, toe-to-toe matchups with fighters highly-motivated to make a statement on the big stage,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Brooklyn’s Polish star Adam Kownacki has become a fan-favorite in his hometown and is surely in for a challenge from the always exciting Chris Arreola, as he looks to make a heavyweight statement. Andre Berto is always in action fights and he’ll be looking to hold off the young challenger Miguel Cruz, while Marcus Browne returns off his career-best victory to face battle-tested former champion Jean Pascal.”

“All eyes are on boxing’s heavyweight division, and I am thrilled to welcome Brooklyn’s own contender Adam Kownacki back to our ring for his first time as the headliner,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of BSE Global. “Adam has built an enthusiastic fan base in the borough, and I am confident they will be out in full force to support him as he takes on veteran Chris Arreola to earn a title shot in the near future. It will be yet another heavyweight night to remember in Brooklyn.”

Kownacki (19-0, 15 KOs) is noted for his tenacity and has been progressing towards a world title shot with knockouts in five of his last six fights. The 30-year-old, who was born in Lomza, Poland and moved to Brooklyn when he was seven, was an accomplished amateur in New York City before turning pro. He scored an impressive unanimous decision victory over former world champion Charles Martin last year and is coming off of a devastating knockout victory against Gerald Washington in January on FOX. His last three fights and six of his last seven have taken place at Barclays Center, where he has routinely brought out the area’s passionate Polish sports fans.

“I’m excited to be back in the ring and back at home in Barclays Center, live on FOX and FOX Deportes,” said Kownacki. “Fighting Chris Arreola will be another step on my journey to become a world champion. It will be a Polish-Mexican War that will bring fireworks to Brooklyn. Make sure you’re there in Brooklyn or watching in primetime!”

Arreola (38-5-1, 33 KOs), a veteran of the heavyweight division, has contended for the world title three times, most recently against WBC champion Deontay Wilder in 2016. Since losing to Wilder, the 38-year-old Arreola from Los Angeles, California has put together back-to-back victories, including a stoppage of then unbeaten Jean Pierre Augustin on a PBC on FOX Sports pay-per-view undercard in March.

“I can’t wait to step into the ring on August 3 and show everyone I’m still one of the best heavyweights in the world,” said Arreola. “I feel rejuvenated and ready to upset Adam Kownacki in front of his fans. He better be ready, because I’m going to bring it to him like he’s never seen before. This is going to be a war and I will leave with my hand raised.”

Berto (32-5, 24 KOs) has fought some of the top welterweight champions of this generation, including Floyd Mayweather. The 35-year-old won a welterweight world title with TKO victory over Miguel Angel Rodriguez in 2008 and successfully defended it five times before losing it to Victor Ortiz in 2011. He later avenged that loss to Ortiz with a knockout victory in 2016 on FOX. A native of Winter Haven Florida, Berto is coming off a split decision victory over former welterweight champion Devon Alexander in his last fight in August on FOX.

“I’m looking forward to this fight on August 3,” said Berto. “My focus is different, my motivation is different and my hunger is different. I’ve had a lot happen in my life in a short period of time with the loss of my father and the birth of my new baby girl, Legaci. It’s definitely turned me in to a whole different type of animal. August 3 is going to be cinematic. Barclays Center – see you soon. I’ve got some payback.”

Cruz (18-1, 12 KOs) is among a group of promising welterweights prepared to burst onto the scene in one of the most talent-rich division in boxing. The 28-year-old from Lake Mary, Florida will be stepping up a level with his bout against Berto. He scored a TKO victory over Luis Eduardo Florez in his last fight in January to bounce back from a decision loss to Josesito Lopez on FOX in April 2018.

“I’m excited for all my Boricuas and NYC fight fans to come out and show love in August 3,” Cruz said. “I want to thank everyone who made this opportunity possible, and I’m definitely going to make the most if it. This is a different era in boxing and I’m here to prove it to the world and to Andre Berto. Don’t miss this night of boxing.”

The 28-year-old Browne (23-0, 16 KOs) won the interim title with a rousing unanimous decision victory over former two-division champion Badou Jack in January. A 2012 U.S. Olympian from Staten Island, Browne has fought at Barclays Center 12 times in his career as he made his steady climb up the light heavyweight ranks. Pascal will be the second straight former world champion that he has faced.

“I’m honored and grateful to be able to display my skills on this huge platform on FOX and at Barclays Center, which is a second home for me and my boxing career,” said Browne, who will be fighting at Barclays Center for the 13th time. “I anticipate Pascal bringing everything that he has into this fight because this is make or break for him. Unfortunately for him, he will break, as I plan to win this fight decisively and continue my quest for a long and successful championship reign. I expect him to come in as prepared as a championship-caliber fighter and I’m staying motivated to get the win on August 3.”

Pascal (33-6-1, 20 KOs) has been in the ring with the top fighters of his era during his brilliant career, including Bernard Hopkins, Sergey Kovalev, Carl Froch, Lucian Bute and Chad Dawson. The 36-year-old, who was born in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti and now lives in Laval, Quebec, Canada, won the light heavyweight world title with a unanimous decision over Adrian Diaconu in 2009. He is coming off a loss to Dmitry Bivol in his last fight after putting together back-to-back TKO victories over Ahmed Elbiali and Steve Bosse.

“Marcus Browne is one of the most talented fighters in the world and I will have to be at my best to beat him,” said Pascal. “I’ve been training and I will be ready. I’ve got some veteran tricks he’s never seen before. I plan on out boxing him just like every other southpaw I’ve ever fought. I’ve never lost to a lefty and it’s going to stay that way come August 3.”

# # #

Andre Berto vs. Devon Alexander & Peter Quillin vs. J’Leon Love Final Press Conference Quotes & Photos

LONG ISLAND, NY. (August 2, 2018) – Former welterweight world champions Andre Berto and Devon Alexander went face-to-face Thursday at the final press conference before their primetime main event Saturday, August 4 in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on FOX & FOX Deportes from NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Also competing on Saturday’s telecast that starts at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT and squaring-off Thursday were former champion Peter Quillin and super middleweight contender J’Leon Love. Additional action on FOX and FOX Deportes will feature rising unbeaten prospect Joey Spencer in a super welterweight attraction.

Headlining the FS2 and FOX Deportes telecast beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. ET is unbeaten contender Marcus Browne of Staten Island, who takes on Lenin Castillo, and former champion Luis Collazo, who battles Bryant Perrella in welterweight action, who were both in attendance at Thursday’s press conference.

Competing in undercard action and participating in Thursday’s press conference in her hometown was WBA Super Middleweight Women’s World Champion Alicia Napoleon, who defends her title against Scotland’s Hannah Rankin.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, DiBella Entertainment and Mayweather Promotions, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.nycblive.com, or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the Ticketmaster Box Office at NYCB LIVE. Group discounts are available by calling 516-231-4848.

Here is what the participants had to say Thursday from The JetBlue Overlook at NYCB Live, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum:

ANDRE BERTO

“A lot of these people on this card have been guys I’ve been around since they were coming up. I’ve been in the game for a while and I’ve been cracking heads for a while.

“We had a tremendous training camp for this fight. I took time to rejuvenate myself and I’ve come back and gotten myself into great shape. I appreciate what Devon Alexander has been through, but he’s dealing with a different animal on Saturday night.

“I’ve pushed hard to give myself the best chance to win on Saturday. We’ve prepared for everything that we think Devon can bring. I’m physically and mentally prepared for a battle.

“I’m going to push Devon. I don’t think he’s fought any that brings what I do since he came back from his layoff. We’re going to see if he’s back. If he’s not ready, then I’m going to make it a long night for him.

“It’s all business on Saturday night. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s going to be dynamite. It’s going to be a good time.”

DEVON ALEXANDER

“I’m thankful that I can continue to fight, build my legacy and do something I love. I’m grateful to be here and show off my talent. I’m still writing my legacy and Berto is just another stepping stone in my way. I have to get past him.

“We had a great training camp down in Florida. Coach Cunningham has prepared me as well as for any fight in my career. The focus and dedication we put into camp will all show in the ring on fight night.

“Andre Berto was a great champion and I definitely respect what he’s done in this sport. Both of us need this win badly though and I’m sure neither of us will look to take a step back on our way to a victory.

“I love being in New York. I always get a lot of love from the fans, and they’re definitely a passionate group of fans. I’m going to be ready for the bright lights on Saturday.

“I have to thank Berto for accepting the challenge. We go way back to the amateur days. I’m up for the challenge. Everyone knows I will fight anybody. It’s going to be a great fight. There’s going to be fireworks.”

PETER QUILLIN

“I am more than ready for this fight. I have a lot of history with J’Leon Love. I’m going to be ready for him and it’s going to be a fight the fans won’t want to miss.

“I’m very blessed to be back in this position. Coach Sosa has really been a great gift for me. He’s helped me mentally and physically build on everything I had done with Virgil Hunter in the two years prior.

“Being back in New York definitely helps make me feel like I’ve made it back. I can be back in front of my fans, and most importantly my family, so that I can feel their support and let it carry me in the ring.

“We’ve worked on everything in camp and we’re ready to put on a show Saturday. I’m ready to show everyone that I still have what it takes to compete for a world title. This is something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time now.

JLEON LOVE

“I appreciate people coming out. I love coming to New York. This is a great card with so many great fighters and I’m grateful for the opportunity.

“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. Come August 4, you will see me display my talent. I have nothing but respect for Peter Quillin, but this is why they call it the crossroads. We have to run into each other.

“I’m not worried about anything Peter has done in past fights. I’m prepared for the best Peter Quillin we’ve seen. He’s not going to catch me by surprise in there.

“I just have to be smart, listen to my corner and impose my game plan. I know that I have the skills to win and win convincingly. If I follow the game plan, I’m going to show everyone I’m ready for the best in the division.

“I’m excited to be back in New York. I’m planning on riding the energy from the crowd, whether it’s rooting against me or with me, and giving everyone something to remember.”

MARCUS BROWNE

“It’s been a while but I’m thankful to be back. I’m super ready to go in there on Saturday night and put on a show for you guys. I’m going to do what I do best, and keep my name in title contention.

“I know that my opponent is skilled and he’s going to be ready to try to upset me. But I’ve worked too hard in camp to let anyone walk into my home and beat me. It’s just not happening.

“I’ve made sure to just stay patient and know that my time is coming. I’m going to keep adding to my resume until there’s no one who can deny my shot.

“I’m trying to get this done impressively, but I’ll take the win however I can get it. At this point it’s about continuing to win so that I can keep myself at the top of the rankings. I want a world title shot and I’m ready for it.”

LUIS COLLAZO

“It’s great to be here. I want to give thanks for everyone who has helped me in the last 18 months while I recovered from my injury. It was hard, but it was a process I had to go to.

“My team has supported me through thick and thin no matter what I’ve been through. That included my dad, who originally brought me into the gym when I was a kid. This is just what I love to do.

“My opponent is young and desperate to put a name on his record. He’s got some skills that we’ve prepared for. I’m confident he doesn’t have anything I haven’t seen before.

“I’m ready to go to work on August 4. I’m going to give the fans a great fight and another night to remember with me in the ring.”

ALICIA NAPOLEON

“This is a big card with a lot of action and I’m proud to be on it. Hannah is a wonderful champion and this is going to be a great fight. This is a tremendous opportunity and we’re going to continue to push for better and better opportunities for female fighters.

“This is a fight you won’t want to miss. I’ve had a great camp and I’m prepared for another war. I won this title at Barclays Center in March and I can’t wait to see everyone out cheering for us on Saturday.

“It’s an honor to be fighting at home. I really take it to heart that there are young female fighters out there who watch me for inspiration. It helps motivate me and I believe it’s going to help me defend my title successfully on Saturday.”

HANNAH RANKIN

“It’s fantastic to be on such a great card. I’ve been looking for a big fight like this and it couldn’t have come at a better time for me.

“When I got the call for this fight I was obviously going to say yes. Camp has been amazing and I can’t wait to go in there on Saturday night and show everyone what I’m capable of.

“This is a worthy opponent and I’m glad that she accepted the challenge. I’ve come too far to leave New York without the championship belt.”

LOU DIBELLA, President of DiBella Entertainment

“This should be a sensational show on Saturday, live on FOX and FOX Deportes beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. There is also a terrific show that actually begins on FS2 and FOX Deportes at 5:30 p.m. ET. This is a loaded card from top to bottom, as you can see from the dais here. It features a number of the best fighters in the world.

“The main event features two men in Andre Berto and Devon Alexander who are both multiple time world champions, well known fighters and fighters who need this win. The recipe for a great fight is two terrific boxers who must win.

“The co-featured event is a similar bout. Peter Quillin and J’Leon Love are guys who are in the championship picture at 168-pounds. The reality is the winner of this fight will have a chance to fight for the title soon.

“There’s a women’s title fight on this card that features Long Island’s only boxing world champion, in Alicia Napoleon. She’s a popular local fighter who is going to make the first defense of her title on Saturday. She will fight the pride of Scotland, in Hannah Rankin, in what should be a great bout. These are two champions of the sport and we’re honored to have them in the ring Saturday.”

# # #

Fans can live stream the fights on the FOX Sports app, available in English or Spanish through the FOX or FOX Deportes feeds. The fights are available on desktop at FOXSports.com and through the app store, or connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @FOXTV, @FOXDeportes, @TGBPromotions, @LouDiBella, @NYCBLive and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports and www.facebook.com/foxdeportes. www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment, www.Facebook.com/NYCBLive. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina. BROOKLYN BOXING on Long Island is an extension of BSE’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ brand. For more information, visit brooklynboxingshop.com.

Andre Berto vs. Devon Alexander & Peter Quillin vs. J’Leon Love Media Conference Call Transcript

Lou DiBella
Thanks everybody for joining us. This is a terrific PBC on FOX and FOX Deportes card live at 7:30 pm ET/4:30 pm PT. Preceding it on FS2 and FOX Deportes at 5:30 pm ET/2:30 pm PT, there’ll be a show that features Marcus Browne versus Lenin Castillo and Brooklyn’s Luis Collazo versus Bryant Perrella, in what will be a good lead in to our two main event fights.

Tickets for the live event, which is co-promoted with TGB Promotions, are on sale now. They can be purchased online ticketmaster.com, nycblive.com, or by calling 1-800-745-3000, and also the Ticketmaster box office at NYCB Live. And for those who don’t know, NYBC Live is what we used to call the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.

This is really a very meaningful fight card because pretty much every fighter on this card understands that they’re in a must-win situation. In Andre Berto and Devon Alexander you have two, two-time former world champions, both of whom want to fight under the biggest lights in the biggest fights possible and they must win in this battle against each other in the welterweight division.

Andre Berto I’m very acquainted with. I promoted him coming out of 2004 Olympics. He’s had a terrific career and he’s looking to continue that career on the highest levels, and he is certainly going to have his hands full with Devon Alexander on August 4th. Andre and Devon, want to say a couple words?

Andre Berto
It’s going to be a tremendous fight card. I’m looking forward to it. We’ve had a tremendous training camp and I know the other side is ready and like I said I’m excited and look forward to it.

Devon Alexander
For me I’m just trying to get back in the ring. I’m excited to show people why I’m still one of the top, elite welterweights in the world. I want to prove to people that I’m still in my prime and every fight is meaningful in my career at this point. So I just want to thank everybody who made this possible. I want to thank Lou and TGB and New York for hosting this fight, and I’m just excited, excited to be against Berto and I’m excited to see what he’s got. I’m preparing for a lot of Berto so training camp was tremendous and I’m just ready.

L. DiBella
We also have on the line trainer extraordinaire, Kevin Cunningham, trainer of Devon Alexander, one of the best trainers, best guys in this business. So if anyone has questions for Kevin you can also throw those out, but I’m going to open it up for questions to Andre Berto and Devon Alexander. So moderator we can go to the queue.

Q
Andre, what is your motivation these days to keep going?

A. Berto
Everything is motivation nowadays is to, finish off the way we want to finish off. The fight with Porter, Devon knows as well, he’s an MMA fighter and he does a lot of rough things and rough tactics. And for me that’s not the way I really wanted to try to finish things off towards the end of my career, and that’s the situation.

I’ve had a tremendous career and for me I believe that I’m in the right head space now just to finish this thing off the way we want to finish it off and that’s strong.

Q
What would then be the ideal way to finish it off?

A. Berto
I’m just 34 years old and we’re still young, we’re still vibrant. We still have all our marbles, still have all our money, and we just want to really try to start and try to make it the new trend to try to step away from this game early and with all our marbles. But of course we want to try to make sure just to put everything into this game towards the end and that’s where I am right now.

I had a nice bit of time off to really heal and really just get in a new type of vibrant mode for this upcoming camp and it’s definitely showed in boot camp. And so I’m looking forward to showing all the skills fight night.

Q
Where do you believe a win would lead to?

A.Berto
I believe in myself and Devon. We’re at a place that our names are heavy enough in the game that it could lead us directly to a title shot. This is an important fight. I’ve known Devon for a long time, since the amateurs, I’ve known Kevin since the amateurs, and Devon’s brother too.

I’ve got much respect for those guys. I haven’t really got too much of the trash talking and crazy stuff to say, but I know they’re going to come prepared because on this side we’re definitely prepared. So I believe it’s just going to be a tremendous fight.

Q
Devon, do you think that most people look at your last fight and even though they may see a draw they say that you won the fight?

D. Alexander
I think so. Soon after the fight I think everybody know that I won convincingly. I was going out there to dominate completely. He had a lot of fans down there and I’m not making no excuse but I thought I wo, but, that’s part of the game. I’m glad a lot of people saw it as a win and they got to make their own conclusion from the fight. So I was happy about that. But I’m just glad everybody got a chance to see it.

Q
Are you of that same opinion that even though it’s not an official eliminator it could potentially lead you to another title shot?

D. Alexander
Absolutely, absolutely. Me and my coach never shy away from any challenge, any opponent, anybody, my whole career. So this fight can catapult us to a world title shot and that’s my goal. That’s my goal. That’s what I mean by comeback. That was my goal to get a world title and that’s what I’m focusing on. I’m hungry. I just turned 31. I’m hungry and I feel refreshed, I feel vibrant, and I just want to show people that I’m still one of the elite welterweights in the division. I’m still right here. I’m still the same guy that people saw four or five years ago. So this fight, this win will, and it should, put me in a title fight soon.

Q
Devon, how confident are you going into this fight and how do you assess the threat level of Andre Berto at this stage in his career?

D. Alexander
Well the threat level from Berto is I’m go into this fight like he was 25 years old. This is the elite level. So I’ll be prepared for whatever he brings, whatever he’s going to be doing in there. So I’m preparing for a 25-year-old Berto. I’m preparing for a big bad Berto and that’s where my mind’s at. I’m not taking this fight lightly. I’m not taking nothing away from Berto. This is going to be an awesome, extremely good fight and that’s what I’m preparing for.

Q
Errol Spence in particular has been very avoided at 147, or at least that’s the perception. Would you take a fight with him going forward?

D. Alexander
Oh absolutely, absolutely. It just depends on what my coach and my team want for me. I’d love to get in there with Errol Spence. I’d love to get in there with Keith Thurman. It depends who’s available at that particular time. A lot of people they like to pick the easiest opponent nowadays so we’ll just have to see when we cross that road. What I’m focusing on is Andre Berto and getting the job done August 4.

Q
For Kevin Cunningham, I’d like to ask you the same question I asked Devon upfront. How do you rate Andre Berto at this stage in his career?

Kevin Cunningham
It’s a serious threat. Any time that you are an Olympian, any time that you are multiple time world champion, the threat is real. He’s still got speed, he’s always got power, and he’s got a huge heart. So he’s a serious threat. Anybody that takes him as a joke obviously doesn’t know boxing and doesn’t know to evaluate fighters.

This fight is going to be a fan-friendly fight because there haven’t been too many fights where Devon or Andre Berto has been in where you would call it boring. Everybody has one or two here and there if they had illustrious careers like both of these guys, but for the most part, both of them have had fan-friendly fights and I think this one’s going to be great. They’re two of the biggest names in the welterweight division and I think it was great for this fight to be put on network television because people like watching names that they’re familiar with.

Q
Andre can you assess Devon’s threat level at this point in his career?

A. Berto
Of course my confidence is high but at the same time, when you got a guy that’s a two-time world champion and he has high level amateur experience under his belt, you have to bring your best. He had the draw with Victor Ortiz but I believe he got the win there.

Victor Ortiz is the type of guy that either he’s going to be alive one night or another night he’ll fall apart. You just never know which one that’ll you’ll get. He’s a former world champion as well. I just know that in situations like this, it’s the fight game so anything can happen that night.

It just bugs me out at times how people will downplay another fighter just because of their last performance and not knowing what they’ve achieved and just really just kind of discard their skills. Devon Alexander, he’s highly skilled and he took some time off. I know about his situation. I know about that whole situation that happened. But he’s here and he’s a very good fighter and he’s at a point in his life that I believe he took a lot of flak, because of the Ortiz fight. So I think think he took that energy into this camp. And that’s all I’m looking for.

Same thing with when I fought Victor Ortiz the first time. I overlooked him and he beat me. But when I went into the second fight, I didn’t care how he looked, the fight before or two fights before, I came in there to handle business. I came there as a dog for whichever Victor Ortiz showed up, and that’s the same situation here.

I believe that Devon Alexander is going to be at his best. I know Kevin Cunningham. He’s a great coach as well and he’s a different type of coach. He’s going to drill that stuff in your head, and he’s going to let him know that this is a do-or-die opportunity for him and he’s going to voice it a lot and he’s going to let you understand. So it’s going to be up to Devon if he’s going to rise up to the occasion, and the same thing on my end. We had a great camp and I’m ready to do what I got to do. I need to come out with a win.

Q
Devon, how do you expect the long layoff to affect Andre in this fight?

D. Alexander
We’ve been doing this our whole lives so it affects everybody different. Everybody’s body is different and I can’t say how it’s going to affect him. But for me, it took me a couple rounds to get my legs under me. I was like okay I’m feeling decent and after the fourth or fifth round I was like this is a breeze, and I struck something good and I felt like I was there. So everybody’s different and I know for me it only took me a short time to snap back into my groove and get the job done.

Q
Andre, how do you expect to feel in the ring that night after being off for 15, 16 months?

A. Berto
I think I’m going to feel great because I’ve had a tremendous training camp. When you get to this point in your career, we’re not 22, 23 anymore, so I believe that rest is key. I believe that at times recovery is key because the knowledge isn’t going anywhere. It’s almost like muscle memory getting back in there, and we’ve been doing it for so long.

But the rest and the recovery is key and I believe I just came back into camp just vibrant and just felt great. It showed all training camp and I’ve had an extensive training camp and I’ve had a lot of great small fighters to spar. I even brought in a few of these Olympic guys to come in and work as well. I feel sharp, fast and strong.

Q
Andre, after you lost to Porter, how close did you come to retiring? How much of that enter you mind and how did you wrestle with that?

A. Berto
I mean with the Porter fight it was just a lot. There was just a lot going on. It was my first time realistically being in a fight and taking that type of damage when it comes to headbutts. He didn’t punch hard at all. He didn’t really hurt me on any punches.

I was just so confused at the time on how many headbutts I was taking and the referee just wasn’t saying nothing about it, and Virgil was just trying to keep me calm because he knows me. He knows I was going to go right back with some other type of foul, but he just tried to keep me, on task.

I just really just wanted to take some time off after that because I took some hard butts and that was the first time in all my fights, to be realistic, even though I had a few tough scraps, that was the first time I had a concussion. I just really just wanted to take some time off and really heal up nice like I needed to and spend time with the family.

So I just really didn’t really dwell on it too long. I think everybody got a chance to see and I believe everybody put Shawn Porter in the place as well where they don’t want to fight him neither. That’s why it took him so long to had to get a fight now as well. After coming off a win nobody wanted to fight that guy, man. Nobody want to deal with that type of mess.

L. DiBella
We’re going to move on to the co-featured bout. And I before I introduce the combatants in the co-featured bout, I just want to point out there are some terrific world-class fighters fighting on the undercard on the show. Sergey Lipinets will be on the card opening up the FOX and FOX Deportes telecast, plus Richard Commey will be on the card, and Alicia Napoleon will be defending her WBA Middleweight title against Hannah Rankin in a very significant female fight.

The co-feature, much like the main event, features two well-known fighters that need to win, that are on the comeback trails, that are looking for a shot at a world title, and this is a critical crossroads fight for both of these gentlemen. I promoted a number of fights for both of these fighters. I go back with Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin since he was a kid. I promoted J’Leon Love before my friends at Mayweather Promotions, who now promote him.

They’re two guys I like a lot and also two fighters that know what’s at stake, and I know you’re going to see the best out of both Peter Quillin and J’Leon Love on August 4 at Nassau Coliseum, or what’s now known as NYCB Live. First Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin. Pete and J’Leon, can you say a few words?

Peter Quillin
Yes. I want to thank you, Lou, for having me on this card. When I went pro, I turned pro with Lou on his first card at Broadway Boxing, and it’s such a pleasure to be on this card again in front of my hometown fans. I’m hoping I’m going to be blessed that everybody come out and see Kid Chocolate get on the road back to the top.

J’Leon Love
Hey, what’s going on, Lou? Hello. Hello to everybody. Yes, listen, it’s a blessing to be back on the stage again with Berto, Devon Alexander, Peter Quillin, Commey and Lipinets, all of those guys on the card. It’s a blessing to be on this great card as the co-feature. Shout out to Lou. We’ve always had a good relationship. He’s done very well with me early in parts of my career. There’s nothing but respect for everybody on here.

Q
Do you feel more comfortable fighting at 168 since you don’t have to cut as much weight as you did at Middleweight?

P. Quillin
Of course, yes. I thought maybe I should have went up in weight a long time ago but timing tells everything and timing heals everything, so I guess we went 168 at this time it’s probably the best time for me to do it. I think J’Leon is the perfect guy for me to mix it up with. He’s been at 168 for a while and if I want to mix it up with those big guys I have to be able to get through him.

Q
How does it feel to be fighting and not just back in New York but also fighting in a marquee matchup on FOX?

P. Quillin
Man, it’s a special privilege to be on primetime on FOX as well as being in front of my hometown fans here in New York. It’s going to be my first time being here at the Nassau Coliseum and I can’t wait. This is where I built my name. I’m just excited to be back. The level of intensity for this fight is right there. So I just got to put my best foot forward.

Q
J’Leon, what would a win over Peter Quillin mean for you?

J. Love
Peter Quillin is a former world champion at 160. He’s done a great job when he was there. He took some time off but he’s back and so we’re looking at him as the same world champion Peter Quillin. So a win over him will definitely set me up and is exactly what I need to challenge for a title.

Q
Do you feel that there’s more pressure to win this fight or are you approaching this as you would any other fight with the same mentality and same preparation?

J. Love
I’m definitely not approaching it as just the same. This is it. This is my chance to make it happen for myself and I’m fighting with one of the elites out there. So at the end of the day this is definitely my time to shine and I’ll definitely do what I need to do to be at the top of the game and challenge for one of these titles. So I can’t look at it as this is just a regular fight or a regular person I’m trying to get in there with.

Q
Peter, I was just wondering where you see yourself now at 168. Do you see yourself in the top three? Do you see yourself as having to do more to establish yourself and would you be ready for a title shot if given the opportunity after this fight?

P. Quillin
Yes, I will be ready for a title shot after this fight. If that is what is meant for me, yes I’ll be ready. Being at 160 was very hard to make the weight. I feel very comfortable at 168. I feel like this is my place, and I’m always trying to establish myself. We can never say we’re ready for something, I just got to be well prepared. So that’s how my vision is.

Of course down the line maybe in the future maybe me and Danny Jacobs having a rematch but it cannot be at 160 pounds. I want to campaign at 168 and I’m going to see how I feel at this weight. I’m going to close with progress. I’ve been out of the ring for such a long time. I was in California training with Virgil Hunter.

I made the decision to come back home to be closer to my family, my wife and my kids, and now I’m here and I’m training under the watchful eye of Aureliano Sosa, who is working with like guys like Chris Colbert, he has a lot of passion and he’s very dedicated. So I feel very motivated, feel positive and I feel like I’m ready to go.

Q
Are you wanting to be more active or is this partly factors outside of your control that have led these gaps?

P. Quillin
Well a lot of these things happen, you would figure like the business, the boxing would have kept it out but it wasn’t the business or boxing, it was a lot of personal issues with my family but also who I would decide to train with, and then when I decide to train with Virgil it was his scheduling. He had a very busy schedule working with other fighters.

Me and J’Leon, we’ve been training since January for this fight. Some mishaps came about and, I didn’t want to keep letting this type of fight be on the stove and getting too hot and then eventually burn out. So I made like a decision to come back home, find somebody comfortable close to home for me to be able to train with and look to put my best foot forward.

We’ll see how Kid Chocolate look. I’ve been looking phenomenal in the gym but, I think the fight is always different from the gym. So I’m looking to go ahead and showcase my talent and you can guys can decide how well I do and we can take it from there.

Q
J’Leon, from my perspective this is by far your biggest fight thus far. How do rate the stakes of this?

J. Love
I only have one loss. It’s not like the end of the road. Even with Peter Quillin like it’s one loss to a really good elite fighter. I mean that’s it. So it’s definitely not the end of the road, just what you guys make it to be. But at the end of the day, there’s definitely pressure on anybody to win any fight, whether it’s a mediocre fight or a big fight, it doesn’t matter.

You want to put your best foot forward and come out with the win and keep moving from there. I’m going to come out and be the best J’Leon Love I’m going to be. I’m well prepared. I’ve been wanting to fight Peter for a long time. And nothing against Peter, he’s a former title holder. I was chasing the title so nothing against him, I just want to be champion.

I’ve been wanting this fight. So I’ve been busting my ass for a long time and I’m sure he has too. I don’t look at it as there’s too much pressure. I don’t take it as pressure. I’m just going to go out there, do what I need to do in this gym, do what I need to do on the road and continue to grind and whatever God has planned for me, that’s where it’s going to be. So at the end of the day, I don’t put no pressure on myself to go out there deliver like I’m supposed to.

Q
Do you think you’ll have any relative size advantage between both of you if you think you’re both about the same size?

J. Love
Yes. I’ve been at 168 for a while. At 160, it was a little bit of a struggle. As I got older and stronger and moved more, it became more hard to make 160. So yes it was the best thing for me to move up to 168. I make it there and there’s no struggle me for, but I’m strong, I feel good, and I’m doing it the healthy way.

I don’t think it’s an advantage. Everybody isn’t walking around like okay Peter Quillin is fighting other 168 but it’s not like he’s walking around at 154 fighting at 68, he’s coming down to 168. So he’s a grown man. I don’t think it’s an advantage at all. I think Peter Quillin’s going to be the best Peter Quillin he can be and I’m going to be the best J’Leon Love I can be.

So this is going to be a really good fight. I can’t wait. I know Peter can’t wait. This has been a long time coming. These camps on top of camps, it’s going to be a good fight. No advantage for anybody I think. I can’t wait to fight him. And New York is not my first time so I’m looking forward to this whole thing.

Q
J’Leon do you consider this fight a must-win?

J. Love
Sure. If anybody wants a title shot and to win a belt or even be a contender to go for a belt, you better win. That’s it. This is it. You’d better win. You got to go out there, put it all on the line and win. Period. That’s what it takes. We’re fighters, we’re gladiators. We’re elite. This is what it is right here.

Go out there show that you want a title, it’s the difference between a prospect and a contender. Go out there and bust your ass in front of everybody and do what you’re supposed to do. like to look at it that way.

There’s no pressure for me because I know what I want. I’ve been ready for this. So at the end of the day, here’s my chance to go out there and do it. You never get a free chance in this game. It ain’t like basketball, where you can lose and it’s a team loss and hey don’t worry you got a chance to still make it to the playoffs or the championship. No.

If you lose too many times, it’s over with. People don’t look at you like that anymore. People think you’re a has been or he’s old, he’s done, this, that and the other, and it’s over. That’s what boxing is. So go out there and dominate. Do what you’re supposed to: win. Period.

Q
How difficult is it at this point in your career to transition from being in training to balancing the family life?

P. Quillin
The motivation has definitely changed. I’m 35. I’ve gotten to witness what old age can feel like, but I’m very fortunate to say I haven’t partied a lot in my career. I’ve been in the gym a lot, many years of my life. Being around my family I think the hardest thing was letting another man tell me how to sacrifice for my family.

So I was like on the road all the time. I was traveling and I miss some very special moments with my kids growing up. I feel like a FaceTime dad at the time and for the most part a lot of special fighters reached out to me when I was making the decision to be closer to my family, I was asking for advice as far as how many fighters train at home with their family, and what I found out is a lot of fighters train at home with their family.

Early in my career I basically sacrificed going to camp and being away, being secluded, not around people but now I don’t need that because I don’t have problems with partying. It’s a schedule. And my family kind of work around my schedule. My kids they eat around their dad.

We all pretty much eat healthy outside of when I’m getting ready for a camp so it is much easier when I have a whole family who don’t eat like fast foods and they kind of understand what I do. My kids know that I’m a boxer. My son definitely knows. He comes to the gym once a week with me just kicking it with me and just to experience what Dad do for a living.

My wife has been probably one of the biggest supporters I have. She’s got a full time job and she basically makes herself available for whatever I need her for. I got all the real support system that at the end of the day if anything ever happened in a boxing match, I usually come back home to my family anyway and they accept me in my condition.

My biggest thing was learning what kind of leader I’m trying to be for my household. Everybody pretty much follows my lead in my household, my wife and my kids. I just want to do stuff out of the goodness of my family and most importantly out of sense of God, being righteous to what God is doing with my family and staying obedient to His plan.

L. DiBella
I just again want to point out this great card. August 4, NYCB Live, home of the Nassau Coliseum on Uniondale Long Island. PBC on FOX and FOX Deportes fights begin at 7:30 pm ET/4:30 pm PT, FS2 and FOX Deportes at 5:30 pm ET/2:30 pm PT with Marcus Browne against Lenin Castillo, and Luis Collazo versus Bryant Perrella. Tickets can be purchases ticketmaster.com, nycblive.com, at the Ticketmaster box office at NYCB Live or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

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Former World Champion Sergey Lipinets Meets Erick Bone in 147-Pound Showdown in Primetime on FOX & FOX Deportes Saturday August 4 Presented by Premier Boxing Champions from NYCB LIVE, Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

LONG ISLAND, NY (July 20, 2018) – Former super lightweight champion Sergey Lipinets will battle Erick Bone in a 147-pound 10-round showdown live in primetime on FOX and FOX Deportes Saturday, August 4 from NYCB Live, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The Lipinets vs. Bone clash will kick off the primetime broadcast, which begins at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT and is headlined by former 147-pound world champions Andre Berto and Devon Alexander in a 12-round showdown and former world champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin facing 168-pound contender J’Leon Love. Sensational junior middleweight prospect Joey Spencer will also be in action.

A special edition of Premier Boxing Champions on FS2 and FOX Deportes begins at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT and will feature unbeaten 2016 U.S. Olympian Antuanne Russell (6-0, 6 KOs) taking on Jose Arturo Esquivel (10-7, 2 KOs), plus, time permitting on the telecast, his brother Antonio Russell (11-0, 9 KOs) in an eight-round bantamweight fight. The FS2 and FOX Deportes telecast is headlined by unbeaten light heavyweight contender Marcus Browne taking on once-beaten Lenin Castillo in a 10-round match and a welterweight fight between former world champion Luis Collazo and Bryant Perrella.

The 29-year-old Lipinets (13-1, 10 KOs) is looking to bounce back from a unanimous decision loss to pound-for-pound star Mikey Garcia in an IBF 140-pund t title fight in March. Lipinets, who was born in Martuk, Kazakhstan and now lives in Beverly Hills, California, had won the vacant title against Akihiro Kondo last November and will be moving up to welterweight for the matchup against Bone.

Bone (20-5, 8 KOs) enters the match with Lipinets on a four-bout win streak since losing by split decision to Eddie Ramirez in 2017. The 29-year-old from Manabi, Ecuador is coming off a split decision victory over Cameron Krael on May 11. Bone is a tough veteran who has tangled with former world champions Shawn Porter and Chris Algieri.

Additional action inside the arena will see unbeaten rising contender Brandon Figueroa (15-0, 10 KOs) battling fellow unbeaten Luis Roy Suarez Cruz (13-0, 8 KOs) in an eight round bantamweight fight, top lightweight contender Richard Commey (26-2, 23 KOs) in a 10-round showdown against Mexico’s Yardley Cruz (24-10, 14 KOs) and heavyweight Marlo Moore (1-0, 1 KO) in a four-round fight against Thomas Hawkins (4-2, 1 KO).

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For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @FOXTV, @FOXDeportes, @TGBPromotions, @LouDiBella, @NYCBLive and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports and www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment, www.Facebook.com/NYCBLive. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina. BROOKLYN BOXING on Long Island is an extension of BSE’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ brand. For more information, visit brooklynboxingshop.com.

Former Welterweight World Champions Andre Berto & Devon Alexander Square Off Live in Prime Time on FOX & FOX Deportes Saturday, August 4 in a Premier Boxing Champions Event from NYCB LIVE, Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and Former World Champion Peter Quillin Takes on 168-Pound Contender J’Leon Love Also in Prime Time

LONG ISLAND, NY (July 5, 2018) – Former 147-pound world champions Andre Berto (31-5, 24 KOs)and Devon Alexander (27-4-1, 14 KOs)will battle in a 12-round showdown that headlines a stacked night of Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes live in prime time on Saturday, August 4 from NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The telecast begins at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT with former world champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (33-1-1, 23 KOs)facing 168-pound contender J’Leon Love (24-1-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-round bout. Also in action will be former amateur standout and fast-rising unbeaten prospect Joey Spencer (3-0, 3 KOs) in a super welterweight match.

The exciting night of fights begins with a special edition of PBC on FS2 & FOX Deportes at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT with unbeaten light heavyweight contender Marcus Browne (21-0, 16 KOs) taking on once-beaten Lenin Castillo (18-1-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-round match. The FS2 & FOX Deportes telecast will begin with a welterweight showdown between former world champion Luis Collazo (37-7, 20 KOs) against Bryant Perrella (15-1, 13 KOs).

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, go on sale Friday, July 6 at 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.nycblive.com, or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the Ticketmaster Box Office at NYCB LIVE beginning Saturday, July 7 at noon. Group discounts are available by calling 516-231-4848.

“This is an outstanding card from top to bottom with matches that figure prominently in the 147-pound, 168-pound and 175-pound divisions,” said Tom Brown of TGB Promotions. “Berto and Alexander are two former champions who are fighting to get back into the crowded welterweight title picture. The Peter Quillin and J’Leon Love winner factors heavily in the super middleweight championship mix. It’s compelling action for the fans at Nassau Coliseum and the ones tuned in to FOX in prime time.”

“I’m happy to bring another action-packed event back to NYCB Live on Long Island,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Headlining the FOX and FOX Deportes telecast, former world champions Andre Berto and Devon Alexander meet in a high-stakes crossroads battle with the winner emerging one step closer to another shot at the welterweight crown. Former middleweight champion Peter Quillin continues his comeback facing the talented J’Leon Love and Staten Island’s unbeaten light heavyweight contender Marcus Browne also appears on the card. Long Island boxing fans will want to arrive early for a tremendous undercard, with local talent as well.”

An exciting and accomplished fighter from Florida, Berto returns to the ring after dropping a contest last April to Shawn Porter. Berto represented Haiti in the 2004 Olympics and picked up his biggest recent triumph on FOX in April 2016 as Berto scored a fourth-round knockout of former champion Victor Ortiz in their high-octane rematch.

Berto previously challenged retired legend Floyd Mayweather in September 2015 and has engaged in numerous Fight of the Year-worthy bouts, including a 2012 war with Robert Guerrero and his first fight with Ortiz. He has twice held a welterweight title, first the WBC belt, which he successfully defended five times between 2008 and 2011, plus the IBF crown he picked up in 2011 with a victory over Jan Zaveck.

“This is a great fight that has been a long time coming,” said Berto. “We share some common opponents, but we have different styles of fighting and styles make fights. I’ve had a lot of success with southpaws. I’m looking forward to seeing him in front of me and capitalizing on what I’m working on now.”

Alexander returned to the spotlight in February after only fighting once since 2015 while he sought treatment for an addiction to painkillers. He looked sharp in his first big fight in years, displaying similar speed and skills that had made him a two-weight champion before being given a controversial draw against former champion Victor Ortiz on FOX, in a fight most thought Alexander had won.

The 31-year-old emerged onto the scene with a unanimous decision victory over Randall Bailey to add the welterweight crown to the 140-pound title he had won three years prior. Originally from St. Louis, but now training in Florida with longtime coach Kevin Cunningham, Alexander has defeated the likes of Marcos Maidana, Lucas Matthysse and Jesus Soto Karass throughout his accomplished career.

“I’m very excited about this fight. Berto and I have history going back to the amateurs,” Alexander said. “I know him very well, but we’ve never fought. I have to show that I’m still one of the best in a stacked division. This is all business for me, because at this point in my career, I’m approaching every fight as if it’s my last. This is prime time for me.

“My mentality is that Berto is still the killer that he was 10 years ago. So I’m looking at him like he’s lost nothing. I’ve got one mission, and that’s to beat Berto. I’ll be technically sound and 100 percent focused on accomplishing that task.”

A Brooklyn-resident who has made the borough home for his whole career, Quillin returned to the ring last September when he defeated Dashon Johnson by unanimous decision. The former middleweight champion made three title defenses after winning his title from Hassan N’Dam in Brooklyn and his only loss came at the hands of former champion Daniel Jacobs.

“I’m excited to be back at home in New York in front of my fans and people I love so dearly,” Quillin said. “I’m coming back more polished and more seasoned and a man of God. I’ve definitely always been a guy who steps out and does what people think I can’t do. I know J’Leon is looking to make a splash. He needs a name on his resume. I have to do everything in my power to make sure that doesn’t happen. Either he’s going to have to learn a hard lesson or give me a hard lesson.”

The 30-year-old Love enters this fight unbeaten in his last seven contests after most recently defeating Jaime Barboza in May. The Michigan-native who now trains and lives in Las Vegas had previously defeated a slew of contenders and will look to move closer to a world title shot with a victory over Quillin on August 4.

“I think this is a really good matchup,” said Love. “Peter Quillin is a very talented fighter and a former world champion who is always in great shape. He’s someone you have to train very hard for and that you definitely cannot take lightly. I’m just grateful for the opportunity to fight a spectacular fighter like him. We’ll put on a great fight.”

Browne has put together three-straight impressive knockout victories to continue his rapid rise up the highly competitive 175-pound division. The 27-year-old southpaw has sandwiched knockouts of Thomas Williams, Jr. last February and Francy Ntetu this January around a second-round destruction of then unbeaten Seanie Monaghan in the inaugural boxing event at Nassau Coliseum on a FOX primetime telecast last July. The 2012 U.S. Olympian will look to put himself in position for a world title fight with a convincing win on August 4.

“I feel good about fighting close to home in New York,” said Browne. “Lenin Castillo is definitely a good, hungry, up-and-coming fighter who has one loss to Joseph Williams. I’m not overlooking him, but right now I’m trying to keep my top position in order to vie for a title, so I have to destroy him.”

The 29-year-old Castillo fights out of his native Dominican Republic and enters this bout with three straight victories by stoppage. Castillo’s recent wins followed his first professional loss, a majority decision defeat to unbeaten Joseph Williams last February. Castillo has fought professionally since 2010 and was unbeaten in his first 12 fights. The only other blemish on his pro resume was a majority draw in Brooklyn against then unbeaten Travis Peterkin in 2015.

“Marcus Browne is a boxer I’ve been following a long time because we were both Olympians,” said Castillo. “This is a good style matchup that I think will make a fun fight for the fans. We’re looking for the victory. Both of us know that a win here can take us to a world title shot and I’m not planning on wasting my opportunity.”

Collazo is a former world champion hailing from Brooklyn who has fought top welterweights from Berto and Shane Mosley to Keith Thurman and Ricky Hatton. His most recent fight saw him score a sensational knockout victory over Sammy Vasquez in February 2017. He returns to the ring after recovering from injuries sustained during training and will face Perrella of Fort Myers, FL. The 29-year-old defeated Alex Martin in his home state in December via a unanimous decision in his last outing.

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For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @FOXTV, @FOXDeportes, @TGBPromotions, @LouDiBella, @NYCBLive and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports and www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment, www.Facebook.com/NYCBLive. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina. BROOKLYN BOXING on Long Island is an extension of BSE’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ brand. For more information, visit brooklynboxingshop.com.

DIBELLA ENTERTAINMENT WRAPS UP ALL-ACTION WEEKEND

New York, NY (4/25/17) – It was an eventful weekend for DiBella Entertainment (DBE) that spanned two continents, and saw the beginning of one career and a career-best victory for another. In addition to promoting the Showtime Championship Boxing event, headlined by Shawn Porter vs. Andre Berto at Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, NY, DBE saw one of its fighters, 2016 United States Olympian Charles Conwell, make his pro debut and begin his journey toward a world title, while another, Avtandil Khurtsidze, capture the interim WBO world middleweight championship across the pond in Leicester, England.

Avtandil Khurtsidze (33-2-2, 22 KOs), who hails from Kutaisi, Georgia, but now lives in Brooklyn, traveled to England to face Tommy Langford (18-1, 6 KOs) in a 12-round affair. The contest ended early in the fifth round when Khurtsidze, who stalked his opponent mercilessly, landed a left hook that sent the previously unbeaten Langford to the canvas. He would not recover and Khurtsidze was crowned the interim WBO world middleweight champion. He is now first in line to challenge Billy Joe Saunders (24-0, 12 KOs) for the WBO world middleweight title in July.

“Whether you call him ‘Mini Tyson,’ ‘Homicide,’ or ‘Suicide,’ Avtandil Khurtsidze is a man with bad intentions by any name,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “He put British boxing on notice by knocking out Tommy Langford. I look forward to working with Frank Warren so that he can deliver the same message to Billy Joe Saunders.”

Stateside, in Miami, OK, one of DiBella Entertainment’s newest prospects Charles Conwell made his long awaited debut, sensationally ending his first professional bout inside of a minute with a knockout win versus Jeremiah Page, of Andover, KS. The super welterweight, who inked a co-promotional pact with DiBella Entertainment and Holden Productions in March, ended the bout with a barrage of punches that left Page on the canvas and unable to continue.

“In 41 seconds, Charles Conwell sent the world a clear message that he won’t have any trouble adjusting from the amateur to professional ranks,” said DiBella. “Tony Holden and I hope to have him back in the ring in May and plan to make him one of the most active young prospects in boxing.”

Conwell’s half-brother, and fellow DBE stable mate, Isaiah Steen (7-0, 6 KOs) finished his super middleweight contest in four rounds, knocking down his foe three times en route to a stoppage. Also on the card, Cleveland’s Yuandale Evans (19-1, 14 KOs) was crowned the WBA-NABA-US junior lightweight champion, earning a unanimous decision over Billel Dib (21-2, 10 KOs).

Porter stops Berto in 9

BROOKLYN, NY — In an ugly fight marred by headbutts, Shawn Porter scored a hard-nosed TKO stoppage over Andre Berto.

After a first round where both fighters jockeyed for position, the action picked up in the second round. Early in the second round, Porter charged forward and pinned Berto against the ropes. Once Berto had nowhere to go, Porter went to work. The Akron, Ohio native unloaded shots with both hands, finding success to the body and head of Berto. At some point during the inside exchange, a clash of heads caused a deep cut over Porter’s right eye. With about twenty seconds left in the round, both fighters threw right hands, but it was Porter’s punch that landed with impact, catching Berto high atop his head and sending him to the mat.

The following rounds played out like a street fight with Porter continuously bull-rushing Berto, forcing the action to take place inside the proverbial phone booth. Towards the end of the fourth round, both fighters received cuts courtesy of headbutts. Berto’s cut appeared just above his left eye and Porter’s fresh gash left him with slits over both eyes.

It was clear that Porter wanted to fight close, to fight nose-to-nose. Somewhat surprisingly, Berto seemed helpless to prevent Porter’s forward charges. In the past, Berto has uncoiled fight-ended uppercuts that would have been the perfect remedy to Porter’s head-down bull-rushes. Tonight, those punches never landed because they were never thrown.

Henceforth, the brawl continued through the middle rounds with Porter continuing to do his best work in tight spaces. Seemingly all of round eight was spent with Berto’s back to the ropes while Porter banged away at his body.

In the ninth round, Porter kept the heat on, firing away while charging forward. After a combination of punches, some of which got through Berto’s defense cleanly, a straight right sent Berto flailing backward where he was held upright by the ropes. Referee Mark Nelson scored a knockdown and administered a count.

In complete control of the fight, Porter kept his foot on the gas and continued to rain down punches on a defenseless Berto. At the 1:31 mark of the ninth round, referee Mark Nelson decided Berto had been punished enough and called a halt to the bout.

After the fight, Porter spoke about the headbutts. “I got to clean up those head butts. We tried to use the whole ring, but sometimes in the heat of the battle, I’m a fighter and Mr. Berto is a fighter as well, those head butts were just the two of us going in and fighting,” he said.

Berto, clearly upset about the headbutts also spoke after the contest. “I have to give him credit, but he’s a rough fighter. He has great skills but, at the same time, he’s going to be rough and try to handle me anyway he can…We had a good, competitive fight until the head butts got to be a little too much for me. But I thought it was a really good fight before that.”

With the TKO loss, Berto suffers his fifth professional defeat. Porter’s record improves to 27-2, 17KO.

Jermell Charlo made a statement. In what was arguably the biggest fight of his career, Charlo one-punch KO’d Charles Hatley to retain his WBC Welterweight Championship. It was a scary ending to a fight that seemed to be leading up to that dramatic moment from the get-go.

The opening round started slow with neither fighter landing any punches of significance. The fighters continued to jockey for position through much of the second round, but as it drew to a close Charlo unleashed a straight right that caught Hatley where the neck meets the collarbone and sent him stumbling backwards to the ropes. Charlo hustled toward the off-balance Hatley, but the bell sounded before Charlo could inflict any more damage.

Charlo, perhaps gaining confidence from how the previous round concluded, started round three aggressively. About a minute into the round, Charlo rocked Hatley with a huge one-two – the right landed flush on the side of Hatley’s head and set him crashing hard to the canvas. Hatley beat the ten count, regained his legs, and was able to escape further punishment for the rest of the round.

Rounds four and five saw Charlo turn up the heat and keep the pressure on. He controlled the pace and tempo of both rounds and continued to look for openings where he could unleash that straight right.

Charlo came out of the corner in round six like a man possessed. From the bell Charlo let both hands fly, unleashing a swarm of punches that seemed to overwhelm Hatley. Hatley decided to try and bang back with Charlo, but during an exchange near the corner of the ring Charlo delivered a murderous right that knocked Hatley out cold before his body hit the canvas. Referee Harvey Dock immediately stopped the bout. The official time of stoppage was :32 of round six.

“I used that jab to set up the right hand,” Charlo said after the fight. “I knew Charles Hatley goes down and he gets back up – he’s a warrior – and I knew I had to get in there and be a lion.”

With that spectacular KO victory, Charlo continues to win and do so in style. His record now reads 29-0, 14KO. Hatley, who was coming off two solid wins against veterans Saul Roman and Anthony Mundine, suffers his first defeat since 2012 and drops to 26-2-1, 18KO.

Home crowd favorite Amanda Serrano became boxing’s first female fighter to capture five world titles when she stopped her Dominican counterpart Dahiana Santana in the seventh round of their bantamweight title bout. Serrano fought slick fight, landing her punches and moving out of danger. Only once, early in round four, did Santana pose any threat of danger when she landed a hard left hook, which momentarily wobbled Serrano. Later in that same round, Santana would have a point deducted for holding.

In the seventh round, Serrano continued to apply pressure and after a seemingly mild flurry of punches, referee Benjy Esteves, Jr. decided Santana had endured enough punishment and stopped the contest at the 1:14 mark of round 8.

After the bout, Serrano spoke about what becoming the first female to win five world titles means to her. “It means everything to me…we’ve worked so hard for this moment. To be the first fighter to do so and the first Puerto Rican to do so…I’m so proud to be Puerto Rican,” she said, fighting back tears. “It feels so good to be Boricua, it’s in my heart…I can retire today and be the happiest woman alive.”

The history-making victory boosts Serrano’s professional record to 32-1-1, 24 KO. Santana’s record now stands at 35-9, 15KO.

The first of Showtime Extreme’s televised bouts saw two heavy-handed KO artists slug it out for six-plus rounds until Jose Miguel Borrego finally finished off John Delperdang via TKO.

Borrego controlled the action in the first round, continuously planting vicious shots to both sides of Delperdang’s exposed torso. During the one-minute interval between the first and second rounds, both fighters’ must have decided it was worth taking a shot to land one. The ensuing rounds saw a perpetual give and take that at times had the early arriving Brooklyn crowd on it’s feet.

Borrego’s most successful punch of the night was his left uppercut – a punch that he landed at will throughout the fight – and a punch that caused Delperdang’s nose to break and leak blood from round three on.

Few and far between, Delperdang’s best moments came courtesy his left-hook, which he was able to land periodically during the middle rounds.

Although the middle rounds saw some explosive exchanges between the two fighters, the tide turned for good in round six when Borrego continued his onslaught of uppercuts, mixed with sharp combinations that Delperdang had no answer for.

In the seventh round, Borrego sensed blood in the water and kicked up the pressure. Borrego was on Delperdang from the bell, landing at will and backing his opponent to the ropes. Borrego stalked his Delperdang from one end of the ring to the other until he was able to land a fight-ending uppercut that caused referee Eric Dali to step between fighters and call a stop to the bout. The time of stoppage was 2:01 of the seventh round.

Borrego wins for the second time on US soil, both by stoppage, and improves his record to 12-0, 11KO. Delperdang has now lost two consecutive bouts and his record now reads 10-3, 9KO.

In the night’s third contest, Brooklyn’s Jason Sosa scored a crowd-pleasing TKO win over Emmanuel Valadez. Sosa started the fight composed and aggressive, fighting on his terms and forcing Valadez back on his heels. Midway through the opening round, Sosa landed a crisp left hook that found Valadez’s chin and dropped him to the mat.

Sosa continued to wear down his foe over the next round a half until he fired an overhand right that rocketed over Valadez’s defense and sent him crashing to the canvas. Before Valadez had a chance to beat the ten count, referee Alan Harkins stopped the bout at the 1:55 mark of round three.

With the win, Sosa remains undefeated and bolsters his record to 8-0-1, 3KO. Valadez still has yet to the go the distance in any of his seven professional fights. His record drops to 3-4, with all four losses coming by knockout.

Joseph Williams improved his unblemished record to 12-0 with a third round TKO victory against battle-tested veteran Felipe Romero. Williams controlled the fight from the onset, applying pressure and varying his punches, scoring freely behind his jab.

Midway through the third round Williams landed a heat-seeking right that sent Romero stumbling from one corner to another. As Williams walked down his prey to inflict more punishment, Benjy Esteves Jr. jumped between fighters and called a halt to the contest at the 2:43 mark of the third round. Williams joins the likes of David Benavidez, Oleksandr Usyk, and Krzysztof Glowacki as fighters who have TKO’d the hard-nosed Mexican. The loss drops Romero’s record to 19-13-1.

Staten Island’s Kenny Robles defeated Latorie Woodberry via first round TKO. It was the second time Robles has scored a victory over Woodberry in 2017. They first met at the Barclay’s Center in January where judges awarded a unanimous decision victory.

This time, after being touched early in the fight’s opening minute, Robles turned up the pressure and after landing a series of punches, staggered Woodberry. Robles never let up and Woodberry never recovered. Referee Eric Dali jumped in to stop the contest at the 1:53 mark of the opening round.

Robles moves to 2-0, 1 KO, with both wins coming against Woodberry in Brooklyn. Woodberry’s record now stands at 1-4-1.

Former Haitian Olympian, Richardson Hitchins scored a four round unanimous decision victory over Alex Picot. Hitchins controlled the bout from start to finish and seemingly scored at will, but will likely be disappointed that he was unable to stop his Puerto Rican counterpart. Hitchins starts his career 2-1, 1KO, while Picot falls to 2-3-1.

Andre Berto vs. Shawn Porter Press Conference Quotes

BROOKLYN (April 20, 2017) – Former world champions Andre Berto and Shawn Porter went face-to-face Thursday two days before they enter the ring for a world title eliminator showdown that headlines SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, presented by Premier Boxing Champions, this Saturday, April 22 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.

Super welterweight world champion Jermell Charlo and top rated contender Charley Hatley and their camps exchanged heated words during Thursday’s press conference prior to their co-main event matchup live on SHOWTIME at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT.

Also in attendance Thursday and headlining SHOWTIME EXTREME action were four-time world champion Amanda Serrano looks to become the first female fighter and first Puerto Rican to win titles in five weight classes when she fights Dahiana Santana for a vacant 118-pound title. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT with unbeaten prospect Jose Miguel Borrego battling California’s John Delperdang.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, start at $50 (not including applicable fees) and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

Here is what the participants had to say Thursday:

ANDRE BERTO

“I started my career in New York and it feels great to be back here in New York. This is going to be a fantastic night of fights. I go a long way back with a lot these fighters up here. It’s tremendous to see these fighters still dialed-in and at this level. I’m the old vet in the group now.

“I’m still on top of my game. That’s something that’s hard to do. We had a tremendous camp. One of the best I’ve had in years. I was focused the whole time.

“I’m looking forward to putting those straps on just like they never left. I respect Shawn and his dad, but right now, they’re in the way.

“I’m going to show you what it is to go through adversity in life and make it to the top again. Saturday night, we’re going to make it happen.”

SHAWN PORTER

“When it’s time for the fight, Andre Berto and I are going to put on a show. I’ve seen this man get hit, I’ve seen him get put down and he got up. I know he can be hurt and I know he can be stopped, He’s a man just like me. He’s ready, but not as ready as me. You don’t want to miss it on Saturday night.

“The number one thing for me is to win this fight and show Keith Thurman that I’m ready for the rematch. There is nothing allowed but positive energy. We’re almost there. I’m definitely excited.

“Andre Berto is dangerous if you allow him to be. We do everything we can to make sure that doesn’t happen. I have no doubt in my mind that we won’t be in any danger on Saturday night.

“We saw during the Floyd fight that footwork can work against Andre Berto. Against Josesito Lopez we saw that you can box Berto, but you need to get out of the pocket. Against Victor Ortiz we saw that he got put down by Victor. The difference between Victor Ortiz and myself is that I’m a fighter who never stops. I’m coming after you.

“The jab will be a key to this fight. I can throw my jab a lot of different ways. You’ll see me using my jab a lot in this fight.

“Some people thought Garcia-Thurman lacked action, but I’m not worried about that for this one. I don’t condone boos. That’s just how I fight.”

JERMELL CHARLO

“I’m glad to finally have this opportunity. It’s been a long time coming. My coach has already scripted the way he wants this fight to go. I have to make it happen.

“I’m excited to announce that my brother Jermall will be working my corner. I’m really pumped to have him in there with me as my chief second for the first time.

“I don’t know what’s been happening with Charles Hatley’s team. But we’re here and we’re not going anywhere. I’ll never run from anybody.

“This is one of the best camps I’ve had in my life. I had some training in Los Angeles and then in Dallas with Derrick James. We’ve stepped it up in training working every day with Errol Spence.

“My brother and I aren’t getting the respect we deserve in this game. We’re still trying to prove a point and it’ll start on Saturday with this fight.

“This is the strongest and the fastest I’ve ever been. Hatley’s going to do what he’s got to do. We’ve got our team and I’m happy that my team is in this position.”

CHARLES HATLEY

“There’s a new sheriff in town. I’m thankful to everyone who got me this opportunity and made this happen. Now it’s party time. I’ve been working for this fight my whole life, not just for months.

“I’ve wanted Jermell for three years. There’s no other fight in boxing that I want more than this. We had a long camp and we never stopped working. I’m going to bring the best out of him and become the new champion.

“There’s nothing he can do to stop me from leaving the ring with that belt. I know I have all the skills. We’ve worked hard and I believe I have what it takes to beat Charlo and take his belt home.

“I’m going to give the fans a great show and give them something to remember. Once I clean Charlo off of the ground, I’ll get that respect.”

AMANDA SERRANO

“I’m extremely blessed to be in this position. I’m thankful to my whole team for getting me prepared and where I am right now. I trained really hard for this fight. Being a five-division world champion is a great accomplishment. I’m so ready for it.

“We struggled a little bit for this fight because it was for history. I left it in the ring every day. I want to be known as one of the best female fighters and one of the best Puerto Rican fighters in the history of the sport.

“I think our styles are going to match up well for the fans. I always want to leave the fans with something to talk about. Being in my hometown, it’s even more motivation to go put on a performance that everyone remembers.

“I’m glad that Santana took the challenge. It’s going to be a great war as long as it lasts. I had a war with Yazmin Rivas in January but I’m planning on making this an easier and quicker this time around.”

DAHIANA SANTANA

“I know that I’m going against a really good fighter who is a four-division champion. I’ve been training very hard to win this bantamweight title.

“I’ve trained very hard physically and mentally for this fight and I feel ready for a victory. I know that with the work we did in training, that I’ll be ready for anything Serrano brings into the ring.

“I’m thankful to SHOWTIME for airing a women’s fight and on Saturday we will give you a war at Barclays Center.”

JOSE MIGUEL BORREGO

“I’m very glad to have this opportunity. We’ve prepared very well and I know that me and my team are ready.

“I originally prepared for one opponent and now I’m facing someone I’m very familiar with so I think I will still be able to put on an explosive performance.”

JOHN DELPERDANG

“I’m really happy to be a part of this fight. I’m coming to win and I’m coming for the knockout. I know that a win puts me on a different level.

“Training camp has been incredible. We stayed ready this whole time and when the call came, we were ready to jump on it.”

RICHARDSON HITCHINS

“To be able to come back to the Barclays Center for a second time is an honor. Training camp was great and I’ve stayed in the gym. I’m ready to get back in there.

“There was no bigger stage than the Olympics in my eyes. Without Andre Berto, I would not be standing here as a 2016 Olympian and in the position I’m in as a pro.

“I hope everyone comes out for a great night. I’m going to put on a show and I know that all these other fighters are going to do the same.”

LOU DIBELLA, President of DiBella Entertainment

“This is going to be another sensational show at Barclays Center. SHOWTIME is really on a roll and they just came out with another slate of great shows. I’m proud to work with them on this fight.

“This main event doesn’t need a lot of hype. Two of the best guys in the division fighting to get in there with Keith Thurman and prove who the man is. Shawn almost succeeded against Keith in a fight he thought he won. Berto is a champion and there is no quit in him. This is going to be a war in the ring on Saturday night.

“Barclays Center has become the capital of New York boxing and one of the best boxing venues in the country. That is not by accident, but by design. Brett Yormark is not only doing good fights, but a series of good fights. He’s making sure there is a constant flow of good boxing coming into the building. Brooklyn Boxing is something with a great deal of momentum and Saturday night is another great example of what Brooklyn Boxing is.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive VP & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports

“This is another great Barclays Center event and another night of championship level boxing on SHOWTIME. That’s what we have been doing all year, that’s what Barclays Center does and that’s what Lou DiBella does.

“Borrego and Delperdang are making their television debuts, which is a big milestone in their career. Amanda Serrano is fighting to make history. No one has done what she’s trying to do. Charles Hatley is fighting for a world title, which is something he’s spent his whole career trying to do. But Jermell Charlo is driven just as much. He’s spent his career getting here and he is driven to hold onto his title.

“Berto and Porter have never been in a boring fight. They’re fighting to get back to the top of the mountain. There is plenty at stake. You may be tempted to overlook this card, but this will be one of the strongest cards of the year, and you shouldn’t miss it.”

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ABOUT BERTO vs. PORTER
Andre Berto vs. Shawn Porter is a WBC welterweight world title eliminator between former 147-pound world champions. The 12-round bout headlines SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, presented by Premier Boxing Champions, Saturday April 22 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™. In the co-main event, undefeated super welterweight world champion Jermell Charlo battles top rated challenger Charles Hatley, with televised coverage beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @AndreBerto, @ShowtimeShawnP, @LouDiBella, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment, www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Andre Berto vs. Shawn Porter Media Workout Quotes

BROOKLYN (April 19, 2017) – Former welterweight world champions Andre Berto and Shawn Porter began fight week activities Wednesday as they hosted a media workout at the famed Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn in advance of their world title eliminator showdown that headlines SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, presented by Premier Boxing Champions, this Saturday, April 22 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.

Televised coverage on SHOWTIME begins at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT and features super welterweight world champion Jermell Charlo, who was in attendance at Wednesday’s workout,defending his belt against top rated challenger Charles Hatley.

SHOWTIME EXTREME action begins at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT as four-time world champion Amanda Serrano looks to become the first female fighter and first Puerto Rican to win titles in five weight classes when she fights Dahiana Santana for a vacant 118-pound title.

Rounding out the group of fights participating in Wednesday’s workout were undefeated local prospects Julian Sosa and Richardson Hitchins, who will compete in separate bouts on Saturday night.

Here is what the fighters had to say Wednesday from Gleason’s Gym:

ANDRE BERTO

“This is what we work hard to get to. All the weeks that we put into training camp have been tremendous. As athletes, we spend a lot of time trying to fine tune our craft for a reason. We’re looking to see the harvest on Saturday night.

“I really had a tremendous training camp. I tried to stay away from everything else as much as I can. I’m dialed-in right now.

“You’re always going to have people with you and against you in this sport. Our job is to work hard and do the best we can in the ring and give the fans a great show.

“My focus right now is on this fight night on Saturday. Everything that comes after it will take care of itself. I just have to make sure all my energy is used towards getting this win.

“There are a lot of great world champions out in camp with me and we all work hard and feed off of each other.

“I’ve been ready waiting for the call for a big fight and this came together and I couldn’t be happier. It’s going to be a great night.

“I took a little bit from his fight with Keith [Thurman]. We’ve seen the tape and we’ll try to use it logically. We’re focused and ready to go to work.”

SHAWN PORTER

“The fans here are real. The energy is always great. There’s so much history in this gym and in this city. It’s always an honor to be a part of it.

“We prepared for everything. We’re prepared for 12 rounds. We’re prepared to throw the right punches to slow him down and knock him down. We’re prepared to outbox him or to be aggressive and take the fight to him.

“This is a very important fight for me. I’ve watched Berto since the amateurs and on into the pros. I’ve seen him do it all. I’ve seen the best of his career and the worst. I’m going to do what it takes to end up on the right side of this.

“People have definitely seen a great deal of my talent in the last fight with Thurman. People know what I can do in the ring but I’m always working on taking it to another level.

“I don’t feel pressure to make this an exciting fight. I love that people are looking forward to watching me fight. When I do what I do, people know that it’s going to be exciting. I never have to worry about that part.

“I was at the Keith Thurman vs. Danny Garcia and I thought that it could have been me that night. But I’ve reminded myself that my time is coming and this is the first step towards that.

“I’m going to let Keith Thurman know that I’m coming for him. I’m going to make sure that he knows that I want him. I’m going to do everything I can to get that fight after I get past this one.”

JERMELL CHARLO

“There are some things I have in my arsenal that the world hasn’t seen yet. I’m going to show everyone a little bit more than last time.

“I’m ready to go 12 rounds. I’m excited about this fight. I’ve picked up a lot of things in training and I’m ready to shine.

“I want to make a statement with a knockout, but if it doesn’t happen, I’m ready to do what I have to do. I can’t put too much pressure on myself, I just have to take care of business.

“From growing up in the boxing world, I’ve had to slowly realize how big of a stage I have. I try to help out young fighters on how to get to this point.

“Charles Hatley is a good fighter. He comes with pressure and he likes fighting. He’s got a good style and he can bob and weave and be slick.

“I’m excited about fighting in Brooklyn for the first time. Everyone knows the fans in New York are great because they’re real and they know their stuff. I’m hoping to give them something to remember.

“I’ve studied this sport a lot. My size is going to have a big effect on him. My size is going to wear on him as we get to the later rounds. I’ve experienced a lot of things in the world of boxing.”

JULIAN SOSA

“Training camp went very well. We added a few things to camp based off of the last fight. I felt like there were a few flaws that I needed to correct. We had extra strength and conditioning, more miles on the road and some sparring with more advanced competitors. I can’t wait until fight night.

“Having guys like Richardson Hitchins and Jonathan Alonso in the gym with me is great. They’re hungry fighters just like me. It gives me motivation, but we’re also competing. We all want to do better than each other. I love the atmosphere.

“Being able to perform at Barclays Center in my hometown in Brooklyn is really humbling. This is a great platform for me. All I can do to show my appreciation is train really hard and when fight night comes, I just have to shine.”

RICHARDSON HITCHINS

“My first fight was more than a dream come true. But I’m looking to steal the show every time I’m in the ring. This is going to be another special performance. I’m going to put on a show.

“I’ve had a great training camp. I didn’t really take any time off after my last fight. I feel strong. I’m grateful that my team has me busy and I’m ready to keep going.

“It feels good to be fighting in front of my hometown fans once again. I love seeing everybody come out and support me. It’s going to be a great fight on Saturday night.

“I grew up with guys like Julian so having them in my professional camp is great. We’ve been doing this forever and just motivating each other to get better. We have fun every day in the gym.”

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VIDEO: ANDRE BERTO & SHAWN PORTER DISCUSS “MUST WIN” WELTERWEIGHT ELIMINATOR THIS SATURDAY LIVE ON SHOWTIME

Andre Berto Training Camp Quotes

OAKLAND, CA. (April 17, 2017) – Former two-time welterweight world champion Andre Berto will look to put himself in a position for another 147-pound title when he faces former world champion Shawn Porter in a world title eliminator that headlines a Premier Boxing Champions event Saturday, April 22 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn and live on SHOWTIME.

Televised coverage of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING begins at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT and features unbeaten super welterweight world champion Jermell Charlo defending against top contender Charles Hatley.

As Berto wraps up training camp in Oakland with renowned coach Virgil Hunter, he shares some thoughts on camp, his matchup with Porter and more:

ANDRE BERTO

How has training camp gone? Do you feel like you’re still learning and growing with Virgil Hunter?

“We’ve had a tremendous training camp out here in the Bay. I’m focused and I’m in great shape. Training with Virgil is like stepping in to a classroom. I’m always learning and growing as a fighter when I’m in the gym with him. We’ve been pushing to the limit every day and I’m just ready to go to work.”

What would you say are Shawn’s strengths in the ring? What do you have to prepare for?

“Shawn’s a great fighter but we are fully focused on what we need to do in the ring. My boxing IQ has grown so much and now everything we’re doing has a purpose. I’ve had tremendous sparring this camp and everyone I’ve been there with has been trying to push me to a whole other level so I will be ready for anything come fight night.

“We are going to be ready for whatever Shawn brings on April 22. We’ve seen him brawl and try to press guys out but he might try do something different in this fight and we’ll be ready for it. I’m known for my speed, my power, my explosiveness and I’m in fantastic shape so this is definitely going to be a can’t miss fight.”

What does it mean to you to be in camp with the other great fighter’s in Hunter’s stable including Andre Ward, Amir Khan, Andrzej Fonfara and Peter Quillin, amongst others?

“We have a tremendous atmosphere out here and we all feed off of each other. Training with all these great fighters and world champions pushes you to another level. We all support each other and it definitely adds another level of motivation during training camp for each of our fights.”

What does it mean to you to be in a position to become a three-time world champion?

“Becoming a three-time world champion is great motivation. The WBC belt was the first belt that I won and I want it back. I avenged my loss to Victor Ortiz last year but getting the green belt back would bring everything full circle. At this point in my career, every fight is big and a potentially career defining fight so I’m taking everything one step at a time and preparing like I need to.”

# # #

Andre Berto vs. Shawn Porter Media Conference Call Highlights

Lou DiBella
We’re going to start with “Showtime” Shawn Porter, out of Las Vegas right now. Former IBF World Champion. Everyone knows he’s trained by his dad, Ken, and he was a tremendous amateur. He has been a tremendous pro. And I know he’s ready for this important matchup on April 22nd. Shawn?

Shawn Porter
What’s up, everybody? Yes, we’re just at the latter part of camp now, winding down, and we’re still working out hard, and everything is coming together just the way we want it. So, at this point, the excitement is building up and I can’t wait to get out there and see everybody, and be a part of what’s going on with this fight.

L. DiBella
Have you done anything special to prepare for Berto? I mean, anything different in terms of sparring partners or anything in your usual routine?

S. Porter
I personally have been going 15 rounds up at an altitude of about 8,500 feet yesterday. I think that’s pretty special. We sparred 10 rounds with three different guys, and we pushed ourselves a few more rounds in the ring, and then also sprint some on the road as well. So, we’re working hard. We swim every chance we have and try to work every chance. We have an oxygen chamber in our training facility for our performance center.

So, everything we’re doing is just always to try to do it bigger and better each fight.

L. DiBella
Andre can you tell us a little bit about your training camp and how you feel about the fight as fight week is less than a week away.

Andre Berto
Training camp has been tremendous. We’ve stepped everything up this camp. Tremendous sparring. I just can’t say enough about how this camp went. I’m in great shape. I’m focused. We have been pushing ourselves to the limit each and every day. I’m more than excited coming into this fight. I’m ready to get it.

Stephen Espinoza
We are thrilled to be back at Barclays Center and thrilled to be working with DiBella once again. At SHOWTIME, our spring schedule is starting to take shape. This April 22nd event is the start of a very aggressive lineup of fights over an eight-week span. There’s more to come on that in the very near future.

In terms of our televised fights, we’ve got compelling matchups that provide a little bit of everything for all sorts of boxing fans.

This main event is part of a series of ongoing welterweight fights that will determine – possibly by the end of the year, maybe early next year – who is the top dog, so to speak, in boxing’s glamour division.

We’ve had a series of phenomenal welterweight fights, including Shawn’s fight last summer on CBS.

Both Andre Berto and Shawn Porter, really gained national exposure early in their careers on SHOWTIME via ShoBox – no surprise there. Andre was on ShoBox in 2006; Shawn Porter in 2009. And they have progressed in very significant stages of their career on SHOWTIME – Andre four times on SHOWTIME, and Shawn five times on SHOWTIME and once on CBS.

These are two guys that everybody knows. They’re likeable, charismatic, and articulate. They’re guys who respect the sport and represent it well. Perhaps more importantly, they are all action fighters, and there’s no way that this fight is going to disappoint. So, top to bottom, a lot to offer on this April 22nd card, and we’re very much looking forward to it.

Q
Do you think that a victory against Shawn would represent maybe the best win of your career?

A. Berto
Yes. I believe so. Looking down at my career, I’ve gone through a lot of physical things and now just coming back from that and just being healthy and a lot stronger, I’m a lot more focused.

Everything is just starting to show like it needs to be, and I believe that this fight right here definitely could be one of the biggest ones in my career, for sure.

I fought a lot of great guys coming up. I’ve fought with Steve Forbes, I’ve fought David Estrada and all those guys, they were big names at their time.

The most satisfying one for me right now, was my last one against Victor Ortiz just because there was so much emotion that went into that fight. So much of a storyline that went into that fight and how much it meant to me.

Emotionally all around the board, I think probably there’s no more satisfying win right now at this point. I fought Carlos Quintana, Steve Forbes, and all these guys that were very great fighters of their time, and they were at the top of their division at their time.

Q
Do you think a win against Shawn would surpass that as the most satisfying because you’re a little older, you’ve been off a while and it’s going to put you back into position to fight another world title if you win?

A. Berto
I’m not sure, man. Like I said, that last fight just had a lot connected to it. And a lot connected to it. This fight here is a big fight as well. Every fight right now at this point in my career is a big fight and a very big, defining fight. So, I’m just taking each of them, and one step at a time, and just preparing like I need to. I need to just get through them one at a time.

Q
Shawn were you surprised that coming off of a loss that you were able to get a fight that would be a title eliminator to be in a position right back in a world title fight?

S. Porter
You know what? Honestly, that’s kind of the business side that I don’t really think about as much. I didn’t think about how many fights it would take for me to get back to a championship fight.

After that fight, my team went back to the drawing board figuring out what fight we can take to position ourselves to either get a rematch with Thurman or get another title, and that was it. That was how this fight with Andre Berto came to be.

This was the guy that I was told will be the one to position me to get back to a World Championship fight, and then, boom, we’re at the press conference announcing the fight, and they tell us that it’s for an eliminator.

I couldn’t have been more surprised. I don’t think there was anything in my life that I’ve ever been more pleased with or surprised other than that.

When DiBella came up and said it would be for a title eliminator for the WBC title, I mean, my heart just – it just glowed with happiness. So, I’m looking forward to this fight. I been looking forward to this moment for a long time and I hope to just win.

We agreed to the fight with the understanding that, this will lead to something better, but again I didn’t know how long it would be. And then the man comes on the stage and says it’s for an eliminator, and I’m like, wow.

Q
If you could wave the magic wand, which guy of Thurman and Brook would you rather have a rematch against, and why?

S. Porter
Thurman. I think he’s the better fighter. I think finally being able to beat him, I think would be something on my resume, in my legacy, that would be remembered for a very long time. He’s a very good fighter; a very good defender of his belt/belts, and I’m looking forward to fighting him in a rematch.

Q
Shawn, I saw some comments you made recently discussing Berto’s fight against Mayweather and how you seemed to suggest that you were going to follow Floyd’s blueprint for his boxing Berto, and staying on the outside, and you seemed to kind of say that you were going to follow the same strategy. Is that true?

S. Porter
Well, watching the fight, I definitely admired, as any fight that Floyd Mayweather’s in, his boxing ability, but that was something that was very effective against Andre Berto. So, we’ll definitely pick our spots where we want to box; where we want to use the ring. But at any rate, through the entire fight, we will control the action as well as the ring.

Q
Do you plan on showcasing more of your boxing ability in this fight against Berto?

S. Porter
Well, it depends on the fight. Like you just said, my boxing ability may be a little underrated. I’d say, there are moments in the ring, sometimes you make it more of boxing, sometimes you make it more of the pressure and the aggression.

So, we’ll build this fight accordingly. We’ll take a look at what’s going on. We’ll make our adjustments during the fight in the corner as well, and we’ll see. You might see more boxing; you might see more pressure. We’ll see how it plays out.

Q
You mentioned before that you felt that Keith Thurman was a better fighter than Kell Brook. Can you just explain why you feel that way?

S. Porter
I just think overall. His boxing ability, ring IQ, speed, quickness, power, all of it. My personal opinion is it could be a biased opinion, but I feel like Keith Thurman is the better boxer/fighter than Kell Brook.

Q
Andre, what do you think about Shawn saying that he might use Floyd Mayweather’s template against you in your fight? What’s your reaction to hearing that?

A. Berto
That’s fine. I mean, that’s his business. He can us any game plan however he wants to. Whichever way he wants to maneuver, whatever the situation is, that’s on him.

We’re just preparing for every look. We’re just preparing for every look. What we need to prepare whether he’s boxing brawling.

We’re focused on what we need to do. We don’t really focus on the way he’s trying to beat us. We’re trying to make sure that we’re going to be all right, and we’re going to be focused.

Shawn, he’s shown in the past he can brawl. He can press the guys out. He might try to use something new in this fight. I’m not sure. I’m just focusing on what I got to do. Like I said, we’re in tremendous shape all around the board. We can box; we can bang; we can do whatever we want to do as well. So it doesn’t matter. We’re going to see what it is. We’re getting a start on that.

Q
Shawn do you think Andre can handle your pace?

S. Porter
That’s my mindset, my team says every time we get in the ring is that our opponent won’t be able to keep up with the pace that I perform at. I do everything that I can, leading up to the fight, to be ready for a fight like that.

I never go into the ring with the thought that I’m going to throw 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 punches a round. It’s just kind of how the fight flows and how it goes. So, yes, I’m always prepared to fight at the faster pace – I think at a faster rate than most of the guys that I box.

I think that there is going to be an advantage for myself getting in the ring with Andre Berto, I think that I’ll be able to dictate the pace, and push his heart, and make him work harder.

The skills as well as the power should make this a very good fight. This is why this fight is very anticipated, because you know what I can do and what Andre can do.

But I think I’ve shown out there that there’s nothing that you can doubt when I’m getting into the ring, it’s down to I’m going to perform the way I’ve always performed and the fight will take care of itself.

Q
Besides Mayweather, do you think you’re the most superior opponent that he’s faced, and if so, why?

S. Porter
Yes, yes, yes. I would say I am. He’s fought some very good boxers. Some punchers and guys that were aggressive. Some counterpunchers. He’s fought them all. I think the thing that separates me from those guys is that I can do all of it. Very rarely do you have that in another fighter than can do it all in the ring.

Q
Andre, what are your thoughts on what Shawn brings to the ring, and do you agree that with him, that maybe besides Mayweather, that he’s your most difficult opponent?

A. Berto
I can’t really say until I get in there with him. Like I said, I been there with a lot of guys, and I’ve been with a lot of different type of guys from my first 12 or 13 fights.

I’ve been in there with a few world champions. I have to go in there and see. Mayweather, like I said, you’re bringing up Mayweather. Mayweather is Mayweather.

He’s going to go in there and move around, box, he’s going to play, real slippery. I believe that he is definitely one-of-a-kind and showed it throughout the years.

When it comes to Shawn, he does a lot of things wrong and he does a lot of things right. So I can’t say that Shawn’s going to be my most difficult fight, because I haven’t been in there with him yet. We’ll say that he is definitely a great fighter.

Q
Do you feel that at the time of some of your earlier wins, that you were getting credit, and do you think that you have ever really gotten credit for being a better fighter?

A. Berto
Everybody knows the boxing game, you’re as good as our last performance. Just as they can raise you up high in the next great thing, going through defeat or going through some tough times, they’ll write you off quick.

They’ll write you off quick in this game. And that’s just how the game goes. I can’t sit there and just be upset at it. I knew what I was getting into.

With all of the buzz surrounding me, coming into the pro game, and me being a world champion myself, I can give myself accolades, but if things don’t go your way, they’ll definitely discredit you.

You have to see it for what it’s worth, man, and end-of-the-day, just know who you are. You can’t let this fight game ultimately define you.

It won’t give you the credit that you feel that you deserve at the end of the day, and that’s what, and I believe. Them retiring. I don’t know too many fighters that have retired satisfied.

They’re satisfied with this fight game, or satisfied with the notoriety of things they’ve got, from the writers, from the critics or the fans. I don’t know too many at all. You just got to go in there and do what you got to do. Like, just know who you are, and go and make yourself happy.

Q
Andre, just piggybacking on what you said earlier, do you feel that you’ve been written off, going into this fight?

A. Berto
Well, from my first loss moving forward, I’ve been written off. Like I said. going into it, it’s just where the fight game is. It’s just where the fight game is. From my first loss on, it’s been this and this, this and that. I’ve been through my hard times. I’ve been through everything in this fight game and have been in front of that TV screen.

That’s what you need to understand. I’ve got a chance to fight all over. I was with Lou DiBella and HBO. Everything that I’ve done has been in the eyes of the public. My rise, my fall, going through my defeats.

Coming back from shoulder surgery, coming back trying to continue to make a statement, make people know I’m still here. I love it, because I love that roller coaster ride. I’ve never seen my career coming into the game as being perfect. Never. Never.

I’ve always wanted to feel everything that this game had to offer. But it’s just like Muhammad Ali said a long time ago, he was able to feel everything this game had to offer. He got knocked down. He got stopped. He wasn’t tired. He was the best alive. This and that. He had to experience it all.

When I’m done, I’ll be able to read my story and see that and explains everything this game had to offer.

Q
Andre, he’s obviously he’s the younger fighter and he’s a pretty big favorite in the fight. How much motivation has that given you in this camp?

A. Berto
It’s a tremendous motivation for me. I believe they’ve been able to see a whole different type of determination and motivation in me. And they do see it in these fights as well. So it’s not going to stop. It’s not going to stop me. They can think of that some other type of way, but everybody right now, at this point, it looks like they’re in the way right now for what I want. That’s it. That’s it. That’s all they’re getting out of my way.

Q
How difficult has it been for you to not be more active since the Broner fight?

S. Porter
That’s a tough one to call. I think more than anything it’s been a little tougher mentally, outside of that, we still work hard and I’m on SHOWTIME for a reason.

I’m a Showtime fighter, so I’m never worried, about any amount of time that I stay out of the ring in the actual fight because we have tons of those before the actual match. So, I’m just excited about this fight coming in, and I’m looking forward to it.

Q
Do you think maybe for your next fight if you’re able to beat Andre, do you feel like a Thurman rematch because, especially, this is an elimination match for his title that that is a realistic opportunity for you in your next fight?

S. Porter
I’m hoping so. I know that he has two different belts. He will have two different mandatories, so I understand all that, but I’m looking forward to getting back in the ring with Keith Thurman in a rematch as soon as we can after this fight with Andre Berto.

Q
Andre, you’re going into this fight with roughly a one-year layoff since your last fight with the second fight with Ortiz. Can you tell us about that layoff and how you think it might affect your performance in this fight?

A. Berto
The layoff is the layoff. That’s something you got to ask the promoter, the managers on that. But anybody that follows me, they know I’ve been staying busy anyways. within this year I’ve been staying working out and I’ve been staying in shape.

I’d say we’ve had a nice lengthy camp to make sure to knock off all the rust. And we’re sharp, man. We’re sharp. And all ready to go. So I don’t think it’s going to play too much of a big part in this as well.

Q
How does that affect you being off for that period of time, because as soon as the bell rings, it may get very heated very quickly.

A. Berto
It’s not going to affect me too much at all. Everybody knows me. When it comes to me, I’ve been scrappy that way my whole career. And plus we’ve been having tremendous sparring. We been having tremendous, tremendous sparring here at the gym.

So far everybody is trying to push me to a whole other level. I’m here putting real money on my own head to make sure these guys come from the first round. Always trying to see if they can knock me out.

So all the sparring has been top notch, and it’s definitely been highly, highly competitive. We’re going to be ready to go.

Q
As the more veteran fighter, are there going to be changes in your approach?

A. Berto
Yes, it’s crazy to say; I’m an old vet now. My boxing IQ has changed so much when it comes to everything in general.

We’re doing things for a reason. Not just out there throwing punches because we can. Not just always just being fast because we can, or being strong because we can. Everything is for a purpose and we’ve just been fine-tuning everything. And everything has been falling in place pretty amazingly.

Q
Shawn, do you think there are going to be any ring rust problems, or how are you going to deal with that?

S. Porter
No, no ring rust at all, man. I’m just looking forward to this fight. I know it’s been a while since you guys have seen me, but I’m always working, and my team is always on me, making sure I’m in shape, getting in shape, staying in shape. And that I’m controlling my weight, my eating, all that kind of stuff. So, right now, there’s no problem for Shawn Porter.

# # #

ABOUT BERTO vs. PORTER
Andre Berto vs. Shawn Porter is a WBC Welterweight World Title eliminator between former 147-pound world champions. The 12-round bout headlines SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, presented by Premier Boxing Champions, Saturday April 22 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™. In the co-main event, undefeated super welterweight world champion Jermell Charlo battles top rated challenger Charles Hatley, with televised coverage beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT.

Shawn Porter Media Workout Quotes

LAS VEGAS (April 5, 2017) – Former world champion Shawn Porter hosted a media workout in Las Vegas Wednesday as he prepares for his welterweight world title eliminator showdown against Andre Berto that headlines a Premier Boxing Champions event Saturday, April 22 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn and live on SHOWTIME.

Televised coverage of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features unbeaten super welterweight world champion Jermell Charlo defending against top contender Charles Hatley.

Here is what Porter and his father and trainer, Kenny Porter, had to say Wednesday from the Porter Hy-Performance Center:

SHAWN PORTER

“Every time I see this fight in my head, I feel good about it. I feel like my speed and my boxing ability is going to take care of the first half of this fight. Once we get going and establish the pace of the fight, which is what we’re going to do, after that, we’ll start working in our feints, our head movement, it’s gonna be beautiful. I know that much.

“I’ve seen him in fights where he goes past the fifth and sixth round, and things start to fall apart for him. So if we can get to his body early, and you see everything we do here in the facility, these guys work me almost to death. We’re ready for the 12 rounds plus. We’re always ready to take more out of our guy’s tank and have a lot more at the end.

“I really think there’s an understanding we both have. He tells me what to do and I listen. Like he always says, as long as I listen, everything will play out the way it’s supposed to. We have that one understanding, and the rest just carries itself.

“I’ve seen myself hurting him to the body, but haven’t seen myself stopping him. I can see him going down, but I can’t see him not getting up. Maybe that’s too much respect for him, but I know in the moment, in the fight, I’m going after this dude. I feel like right now, he has the heart of a lion. He’s Haitian, he carries that blood with him, he’s proud of it and I respect that, so I’m ready for a full fight.

“I think my coaches keep me at the peak. My dad keeps me where I need to be. A big part of what we work on is the focus and mentality approaching the fight, as well. I feel like where other guys lack, I have it all. We’re in better condition than most guys. And we work on the mental fortitude just as much as we do on the physical.

“I think when opportunities like this come up, that’s when I really get going. For me, there’s nothing better than fight night. Everything leading up to it is just part of the process. I can tell you that right now, we’re talking the fight, I’m excited and I want it.”

KENNY PORTER, Shawn’s Father & Trainer

“I think we got the right sparring partners. We’ve had Brandon Adams, who is like a bigger version of Shawn, in here. He does a good job of emulating Berto. We also now have Hank Lundy in. Lundy is a guy that’s bringing speed, quickness, power and an attitude every time they spar. He’s saying things to Shawn, popping off at Shawn, and if Shawn lands a good punch on him, he’s coming right back. And we’ve been using Mickey Bey on the back end of our sparring sessions. It’s working out pretty good. We’re just looking to push Shawn really hard.

“We’re never satisfied about anything. My thing is more than anything else, is we’re asking him to do the things we’ve worked and practiced and put it all together so we can take that to the next fight and the next camp instead of starting over and restarting. It’s coming together, and we’re liking what we’re seeing. Never satisfied, but I would like to see him out-box him, out-punch him, out-hustle him, then I would like to see him punish him. That would be the ultimate scenario. You do all these things we worked on, then you punish him.”

# # #

Undefeated Super Welterweight World Champion Jermell Charlo Defends Against Top Contender Charles Hatley Saturday, April 22 On SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®, Presented by Premier Boxing Champions, From Barclays Center in Brooklyn

BROOKLYN (March 24, 2017) – Unbeaten WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Jermell Charlo will defend his world title against No. 1-rated challenger Charles Hatley Saturday, April 22 live on SHOWTIME® from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.

Televised coverage of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, presented by Premier Boxing Champions, begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and is headlined by former world champions Andre Berto and Shawn Porter meeting in a 12-round welterweight world title eliminator.

Charlo (28-0, 13 KOs) will face his mandatory challenger Hatley (26-1-1, 18 KOs) after winning the vacant world title with a sensational eighth-round knockout of John Jackson in May of 2016.

“I’m once again ready to get in the ring and continue to build my legacy,” said Charlo. “I’ve been training hard, I’m focused and I’m even hungrier now that I have my belt. Charles Hatley has never been in the ring with someone like me and I’m going to do what’s necessary to get that win. My brother had an outstanding performance against Julian Williams and I want to compete with that. It’s motivated me and I’m ready to get out there and show off my power and skills.”

“I’ve been training for a long time for this fight and I can’t wait to get in the ring,” said Hatley. “I never stopped training since my last fight and I’m going to be ready to win that world title on April 22. Jermell is a good fighter, but he’s got a big mouth. I know we’re both training hard and going for the win, but I’m going to come out victorious.”

“The 154-pound division is very hot right now, and Jermell Charlo is one of the best and most exciting fighters in the weight class,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Charlo making the first defense of his WBC world title against a worthy challenger like Charles Hatley is a terrific addition to this card on April 22, at Barclays Center, televised by SHOWTIME. It’s also fun to have Hatley’s promoter Don King around. Only in America!”

“Jermell Charlo has demonstrated that he is a force in the 154-pound division and his confidence has only grown with winning the championship,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “This match against Hatley will further cement his place in the division. It’s the kind of challenge that will allow Jermell to display all of his power and boxing ability.”

“The silver champion will become the world champion on April 22 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn,” said Don King of Don King Promotions. “We’re looking at a great fight. I know that Charlo will do the best he can. But he’s got two chances against Hatley – slim and none and slim is out of town.”

One minute younger than his brother Jermall, Jermellwon his belt last year and made the Charlo brothers the first pair of twins to hold world title simultaneously in the same weight class.The 26-year-old from Houston trains in Dallas and is unbeaten since turning pro in December 2007. Charlo took on a steady slew of contenders on his way to a world title, including victories over Vanes Martirosyan, Gabriel Rosado and Joachim Alcine.

The first-time title challenger Hatley enters this fight on a nine-bout win streak after traveling to Australia to beat former two-time world champion Anthony Mundine by 11th round stoppage in 2015. The Dallas-native turned pro in 2008 after an impressive amateur career that saw him defeat Keith Thurman on his way to a U.S. National Amateur Championship. The 31-year-old won his first 14 fights and went his first 18 bouts without a defeat.

Charlo vs. Hatley becomes the eighth title fight or world title eliminator in the 154-pound weight class in the last 14 months on SHOWTIME or CBS, a roster featuring eight of the top-10 fighters in one of the deepest divisions in boxing.

Former World Champions Andre Berto & Shawn Porter Meet in Welterweight World Title Eliminator On Saturday, April 22 On SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®, Presented by Premier Boxing Champions, From Barclays Center in Brooklyn

BROOKLYN (March 7, 2017) – Former world champions Andre Berto and Shawn Porter are set to collide in a welterweight world title eliminator on Saturday, April 22 in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, presented by Premier Boxing Champions, from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.

Berto (31-4, 24 KOs) and Porter (26-2-1, 16 KOs) will battle in a 12-round eliminator for the WBC welterweight title live on SHOWTIME with televised coverage beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The winner will become the mandatory for the WBC crown picked up this past weekend by Keith Thurman, who unified the WBA and WBC titles with a victory over Danny Garcia on CBS at Barclays Center.

“It feels great to be getting back in the ring,” said Berto. “I love being back in New York. My team has been putting in work in the gym. I’m already dialed-in and focused. I’ve had the WBC belt before and I’m itching to get it back. I beat the man who had taken it away from me in my last fight and I’m going to take down anyone who gets in my way. I know Shawn is going to work hard for this one, but so will I. I’m looking forward to this one, you don’t want to miss it.”

“The only thing on my mind right now is the WBC title,” said Porter. “I made it a goal of mine when I turned pro to get that green belt, and now I feel like it’s about to happen. I’m not looking past Andre Berto, I respect him as a man and a fighter. We’re friends. But just like when I fought Keith Thurman, it’s all about the business and getting that title. I can’t wait to be in that ring on April 22 at Barclays Center.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, start at $50 (not including applicable fees) and are on sale Wednesday, March 8 at 10 a.m. ET. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

“In a welterweight division that is filled with talent and marquis matchups, Berto vs. Porter is another elimination bout on the road to crowning the king of the division,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Berto and Porter are two established, offensive minded professionals who understand the significance of this showdown. I expect fireworks on April 22 when one of them stakes claim to an even bigger opportunity.”

“On March 4, Barclays Center hosted its biggest night of boxing ever and we are looking forward to continuing the momentum on April 22 with Berto vs. Porter,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. “We are excited to welcome Porter back to Brooklyn after his epic performance against Thurman in PBC’s 2016 Fight of the Year. BROOKLYN BOXING continues to be defined by 50-50 fights, dramatic moments, and a regular schedule of major boxing events.”

“April 22 is sure to be an action-packed fight between two of the best fighters in the welterweight division,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “We’re in the midst of a de facto ‘welterweight tournament’ – a series of matchups between the best fighters in one of boxing’s deepest divisions. The winner of Berto vs. Porter will land right back in the mix with the top champions at welterweight as we move toward crowning an undisputed 147-pound champion.”

An exciting and accomplished fighter from Florida, Berto represented Haiti in the 2004 Olympics but now trains in Oakland with the renowned Virgil Hunter, who led him to a thrilling victory in April 2016 as Berto scored a fourth-round knockout of former champion Victor Ortiz in their rematch. Berto previously challenged retired legend Floyd Mayweather in September 2015 and has engaged in numerous Fight of the Year-worthy bouts including a 2012 war with Robert Guerrero and his first fight with Ortiz. He has twice held a welterweight title, first the WBC belt, which he successfully defended five times between 2008 and 2011, plus the IBF crown he picked up in 2011 with a victory over Jan Zaveck.

A physically-gifted fighter who had a strong amateur career, Porter returns to the ring at Barclays Center after a close loss to Keith Thurman in June 2016 that garnered unanimous Fight of the Year consideration. The 29-year-old had previously become a welterweight world champion at Barclays Center when he defeated Devon Alexander in 2013 in Brooklyn before defending the title with a dominant stoppage of Paulie Malignaggi. The Akron, Ohio-native now lives and trains in Las Vegas and he bounced back from a previous defeat to Kell Brook to knockout Erick Bone and earn a unanimous over four-division world champion Adrien Broner in 2015.

Video: Shawn Porter – Andre Berto Press Conference

Berto gets revenge and stops Ortiz in 4

Andre Berto

Andre Berto avenged his first professional loss as he stopped Victor Ortiz in round four of their scheduled 12-round Welterweight bout.

In round one, a clash of heads caused a cut on the hairline of Ortiz, In round two, Ortiz dropped Berto with a straight left. In round four, Berto dropped Ortiz with a straight right hand. Ortiz was in trouble and took punishment on the ropes and a hard uppercut put Ortiz on the canvas for a second time. Ortiz was if he wanted to continue by referee Jack Reiss but Ortiz didn’t answer and the fight was stopped at 1:14 of round 4

Berto of Winter Haven, CA is 31-4 with 24 knockouts. Ortiz of Ventura, CA is 31-6-2.

Thomas Williams Jr. scored the biggest win of his career when he scored a stunning 2nd round stoppage over Edwin Rodriguez in a scheduled 10-round Light Heavyweight bout.

It was a firefight from the word go, as both guys landed huge bombs that had each other rocked and hurt on several occasions. Just before the end of the 2nd frame, Williams nailed Rodriguez with a booming right hook that sent Rodriguez to the canvas. Rodriguez got to his feet, but was wobbly and referee Wayne Hedgepeth stopped the bout at 2:59 of round two.

Williams, 177 lbs of Laurel, MD is now 20-1 with 14 knockouts. Rodriguez, 177 lbs of Worcester, MA is 28-2.

Jorge Lara took out former world champion Fernando Montiel by registering 4 knockdowns in a just over a minute of their Featherweight bout.

Lara dropped Montiel seconds in with a right hook. Montiel was wobbly when he got up and was dropped two more times with right hooks. He was allowed to continue after the third knockdown only to be leveled with anrother rght hook and he went down face first and the fight was stopped at 1:37.

Lara, 124 lbs of Guadalajara, MX is now 28-0-2 with 20 knockouts. Montiel, 126 lbs lbs of Los Mochis, MX has seen better days and his record now stands at 54-6-2.

Good looking Super Middleweight prospect David Benavidez stopped Phil Jackson in round two of their scheduled eight round bout.

Benavidez systematically beat down Jackson over the first round and a half until he landed a uppercut and shot to the body that softened Jackson up for a follow up left hook that sent Jackson down face first and the fight was stopped at 2:07.

Benavidez of Phoenix, AZ is now 14-0 with 13 knockouts. Benson is now 16-3.

Gerald Washington remained undefeated by scoring a 8-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Eddie Chambers.

Washington of Los Angeles won by scores of 8-72 twice and 79-73 and is now 17-0-1. Chambers of Philadelphia is 44-3.

Victor Ortiz vs. Andre Berto Final Press Conference Quotes

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CARSON, CALIF. (April 28, 2016) – As we near the highly anticipated rematch between former world champions “Vicious” Victor Ortiz and Andre “The Beast” Berto, fighters competing on this Saturday’s Premier Boxing Champions on FOX & FOX Deportes card participated in a final press conference before they enter the ring at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.

Televised coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features an explosive battle between light heavyweight sluggers Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez and Thomas “Top Dog” Williams Jr. plus unbeaten featherweight Jorge Lara taking on former multiple division world champion Fernando “Cucholito” Montiel.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are priced at $209, $105, $53, and $27, plus applicable taxes, fees and service charges, are on sale now and are available for purchase online at AXS.com.

Prior to the start of televised fights, an Official Fan Fest will be held for ticket holders outside of StubHub Center. The events start at 2:30 p.m. PT and features a Corona Beer Garden, food trucks, music from the band Metalachi and autograph signings with popular fighters such as Leo Santa Cruz, Abner Mares, Shawn Porter and more.

Also in attendance Thursday were heavyweights Gerald “El Gallo Negro” Washington and “Fast” Eddie Chambers who will compete in a 10-round attraction on the undercard.

Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday from Whiskey Red’s in Marina Del Rey:

VICTOR ORTIZ

“I’m an easy-going guy but this is boxing. He might hate me. I respect him, but I’m coming to take him down and out.

“I know what I’m here for and that’s a victory. As much talking as he’s done, it was a different guy that showed up today.

“This is a totally different fight than five years ago. We’re different people. I’m a different guy and so is he.

“Saturday is right around the corner and I’m here. I see loss in his eyes. I’m ready. 100 percent.

“This is a whole new chapter in my saga. I feel like this is my time once again. I’ve only fought in my prime twice. I did a lot of damage at young age. I feel I’m in my prime now. The sky is the limit.

“I feel very at peace being back in Ventura to train. We’re going to capture another world title. We went to training camp for that purpose. My mind is set on being one of the greatest.”

ANDRE BERTO

“We had an amazing camp. The situation five years ago, there’s no reason to keep speaking on that. I’m a better man today. I put in the work for this one.

“I’m looking forward to this. Everybody knows me and knows how I get down. I’ll do my talking in the ring.

“Thanks to Victor for taking this fight. All the personal stuff aside, we have to get in the ring and do what we have to do. It’s been five years coming and now we’re here.

“The stuff Victor said on the stage and his body language. I believe he knows he is going to be in there with a different type of animal this time.

“I think he is already defeated. He sees how focused I am. If he has been hearing anything from camp, he knows I’m ready to go.

“He didn’t believe anything he said on the stage. Looking at him face to face, he was trying to tell jokes. I think that he knows that he is going to be in there with a different Andre Berto.”

EDWIN RODRIGUEZ

“My opponent seems to be really confident and it’s my job on Saturday to take that away. We’ve worked hard and we’re ready.

“I’m happy to be here and I’m really excited about this card. I remember watching this fight in Connecticut and I’m thrilled to be involved in part two.”

THOMAS WILLIAMS JR.

“I’m just ready to go. This fight was scheduled for March 12, but we always stayed in the gym. We worked smart, not just hard, but smart.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity to fight on this platform. This is going to be a can’t miss fight. Get there and get there early. Don’t blink.”

JORGE LARA

“I’m proud to be here. We’re ready for a great fight on Saturday night. I want everyone to see how much hard work I’ve put into this fight.

“It means a lot to me to be able to collide with a great champion like Fernando Montiel.”

FERNANDO MONTIEL

“It means a lot to be a part of a dynamic card that his highlighted by this great rematch between Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto.

“It’s going to be a great night of fights. I’ve had a lot of ups-and-downs throughout my life but I’ve always worked hard. I’m just excited to get in the ring on Saturday night.

“I am a five-time world champion and I’ve been fighting for 20 years but I know on Saturday night that I’m going to have one of the best nights of my career.”

GERALD WASHINGTON

“It’s an honor to be here and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to fight someone like Eddie Chambers. He has so much experience and class.

“It means a lot to me to come from a little town called Vallejo and to make it all way up here to fighting at StubHub Center.

“I’m looking to take advantage on Saturday night and step forward in my career. We’ve been working hard and putting things together

“I’m excited for everyone to see the new and improved Gerald Washington.”

EDDIE CHAMBERS

“I want to thank my team for getting behind me and bringing me out there. I’m thankful to Gerald for taking this fight. Not everyone would take this fight.

“This is my chance to get back in the good graces and get back to the top level of this sport.

“You should show up early so you can see this one, it’s going to be a great fight.”

PBC on FOX is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina. For more information visitwww.premierboxingchampions.com www.TGBPromotions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and foxdeportes.com follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @ViciousOrtiz, @AndreBerto, @LaBombaBoxing, @TopDoggJr, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing,www.facebook.com/foxsports and www.facebook.com/foxdeportes. Follow the conversation using #PBConFOX.

Richard T. Slone “The official artist of the International Boxing Hall of Fame” will be signing official posters of his Ortiz vs Berto 2 artwork. The first 2,000 people to arrive to the Corona booth will get an autographed poster.

Victor Ortiz, Andre Berto, Edwin Rodriguez, Thomas Williams Jr., Jorge Lara & Fernando Montiel Media Workout Quotes

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (April 27, 2016) – Fight week kicked-off Wednesday afternoon with media workouts for the long awaited rematch between former world champion “Vicious” Victor Ortiz and Andre “The Beast” Berto that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes on Saturday, April 30 from StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.

The action begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features an explosive battle between light heavyweight sluggers Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez and Thomas “Top Dog” Williams Jr. plus unbeaten featherweight Jorge Lara taking on former multiple division world champion Fernando “Cucholito” Montiel.

Prior to the start of televised fights, an Official Fan Fest will be held for ticket holders outside of the StubHub Center. The events start at 2:30 p.m. PT and features a Corona Beer Garden, food trucks, music from the band Metalachi and autograph signings with popular fighters such as Leo Santa Cruz, Abner Mares, Shawn Porter and more.

Here is what the fighters had to say Wednesday from the Wild Card West Boxing Club in Santa Monica:

VICTOR ORTIZ

“I put a total of 14 weeks of work into this fight. Nothing easy about that work. Come the 30th, I’m going to prove why I beat Berto the first time.

“I know what I’m here to do. I’ve got my fire back. People claim that I don’t have the fire, but you’ll see on April 30.

“People don’t know what I go through on the daily. When I’m injured for months at a time, I just have me and my team. We work hard.

“I’m going to be back on top in no time. That’s my opinion. I know where I belong.

“I’m focusing on Berto. That’s my target and that’s my focus.

“He’s done what he’s done. You have to respect that. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. We’re going toe-to-toe.”

ANDRE BERTO

“This is the type of game where if you don’t respect it, it won’t respect you. I’m in a much better place right now. I’ve learned a lot over the years since the first fight. I’m healthy and focused.

“I’m just ready to go. Camp was tremendous. We’re really ready to get in there and do it.

“There’s a lot that goes into this for me. It was my first loss and I had so many emotions back then, so it’s time to get that monkey off my back.

“My plan is to win this in a fashion so there will be no third fight.

“My focus is on getting the victory Saturday night. I want to look good doing. I’m not thinking about anything after that.

“I’ve worked on a lot of different things in camp. We’re going to do whatever it takes to get the win.

“You all haven’t ever seen me look like this. I’ve pretty much locked myself in a cage for eight or nine weeks. I’ve put everything aside. I’ve just been grinding.”

EDWIN RODRIGUEZ

“He’s got some power and some style. He can do a few things. We have to go at it.

“I feel great at this weight class. I have the speed and strength to make an impact in this division.

“I hadn’t fought a southpaw in a while but we’ve had great sparring with guys like Marcus Browne. I feel very prepared. I’ve never had an issue with southpaws.

“I’m excited to be back on the west coast. This is an incredible card. I was at the first fight between Ortiz and Berto and It’s going be another great fight. But I’m coming to steal the show on Saturday night.

“In boxing you’re as good as your last fight. Right now I’m a warrior who took more shots than I should have. I’ve improved quite a bit but I want to improve on any fights. I’m not going down again.”

THOMAS WILLIAMS JR.

“Win, lose or draw you know Thomas Williams will bring the fight to you. I’ve been dropped and gotten up. This won’t go the distance, so don’t blink.

“I’ve been boxing since I was five-years-old. I have an amateur pedigree and been pro since 2010. I had to take some time off in 2014 but now I’m back and stronger than ever.

“The biggest challenge is just getting to the ring. I don’t want to get caught up in the talk of what he does. It’s just going to be me in there. If I go in and do the things that I’m supposed to do, I should come out on top.

“You have to keep your punches short against a pressure fighter. A short punch will beat a wild punch any day. I just have to keep my composure and stay relaxed.

“I haven’t watched any of his fights. I leave that up to my trainers to create the game plan and we go from there. I have seen him fight before. We were on the same card, so I did have the chance to watch him live.”

JORGE LARA

“Montiel has been around a long time. He’s been a world champion and he comes to fight.

“I’ve studied him and watched him fight before. I feel I know him very well. I have a plan for how I’m going to get to him.

“I am very well prepared. I’m not worried about his experience. I’ve trained hard to be ready and I know what I have to do on fight night.

“The winners in this fight will be the fans. We are going to put on a great show and give the fans something to remember.

“If I can beat him, I can move up the rankings and get closer to a world title shot. That is my goal and this is a big step on my path.

“I’m really pumped up about fighting in front of the fans in Southern California. I know they will appreciate my style and it will be a great atmosphere on Saturday.”

FERNANDO MONTIEL

“Lara is a young talented guy and I’m going to have to be at my best. He’s a dangerous guy and I will have to be ready.

“I had to change everything to fight the lefthander after preparing to fight Abner Mares. We had a great camp and we will be ready.

“I’m excited to be on a card like this. I think the main event is going to be a really fun fight for the fans. I see both guys going down during the fight but I’m going with Victor to win.”

Victor Ortiz, Andre Berto, Edwin Rodriguez & Thomas Williams Jr. Media Conference Call Transcript

Victor Ortiz
Brittany Goossen-Brown

Hi everyone. Thank you for joining us today on this call. On behalf of TGB Promotions we are very excited to be back on FOX in primetime and promoting this highly anticipated and long-awaited rematch. On this call today we have the co-main and main event. Before I turn it over to Ray Flores who will introduce the fighters I wanted to remind everyone that tickets are still available. They’re starting at $27. Also we will be hosting a special Fan Fest beginning at 2:30 PM for any ticketed fan. There will be live music, food and fun and a Corona beer garden. I am looking forward to seeing all of the LA boxing fans out there. We’ll now turn it over to the voice of TGB Promotions Ray Flores.

Ray Flores
Thank you very much Brittany. We have an outstanding card from top to bottom. It is an honor and a pleasure. It is fight week. It is at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. PBC live on FOX and FOX Deportes at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

We have a tremendous triple header for all of you this Saturday. When you’re talking about it on social media use the hashtag #PBConFOX. Tickets are going very quickly. This fight is selling unbelievably well. Our televised opener features three division world champion Fernando “Cochulito” Montiel against the unbeaten Mexican brawler Jorge Lara. This is going to be a battle in the featherweight division.

In the co-feature we will have another battle. It is going to be a slug-fest featuring Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez colliding against Thomas “Top Dog” Williams. In the main event five years in the making it happens this Saturday PBC on FOX and FOX Deportes, it’s “Vicious” Victor Ortiz squaring off with Andre “The Beast” Berto. This is a fight that is without question going to be a barnburner.

Now let’s talk about one of our co-featured bouts of the evening. Fighting out of Fort Washington, Maryland, most recently having picked up two victories including a second round TKO over world ranked contender Umberto Savigne last November, ladies and gentlemen please welcome Thomas “Top Dog” Williams.

Thomas Williams
I’m just ready to go. It’s been a good training camp. This fight was originally scheduled for March the 12th in Connecticut. We had to simmer down a little bit because we were right on schedule and we bring it down to bring it back up. We’re here on April 30 and we’re just ready to go.

R. Flores
Thank you very much Thomas. We are excited to watch you fight against this man. He is born in the Dominican Republic now fighting out of Worchester, Massachusetts. His only loss came at the hands of Andre Ward back in 2013. He’s coming off of a Fight of the Year candidate last November against Michael Seals. What a matchup that was. It did certainly provide a lot of ebbs and flows and highs and lows in the course of the match. So please welcome ladies and gentlemen Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez.

Edwin Rodriguez
I’m happy to be back fighting in California. I’m excited. I had a really good training camp and Thomas is a good fighter. He seems to have had a good camp so this is going to be a great fight, you know, two top contenders going at it to try to fight to get a world title fight. The fans can’t go wrong on this fight.

Q
I want to ask both of you how exciting does this fight stand to be given your styles and what is at stake?

T. Williams
Honestly this fight will be exciting no matter what. I think it’s great for the light-heavyweight division to have two top light-heavyweights fight each other, both of them at the top of their game, both coming off of exciting wins.

This fight is going to be a fight that will be talked about for a while. I think it’s a very important fight and an exciting fight whether the winner fights Adonis Stevenson or not. Either way it puts the winner into a top position inside the light-heavyweight division.

E. Rodriguez
I agree with Thomas. I think that at this point Adonis Stevenson is irrelevant. I think that this is enough for the fans to see that this is a great fight between two warriors who put everything on the line.

I’ve been fighting for about seven, eight years as a professional and to fight for a world title that has always been the main goal. Without getting past Thomas William there is no Adonis Stevenson or any other title. So my main focus is going in there and being the best that I can be that night.

Q
How important is it for you guys to add a different narrative to the division?

T. Williams
Well I think Stevenson is not that exciting for me. I think as an individual my style is more exciting and Edwin’s style is more exciting than Adonis Stevenson. So I think we already pretty much separated ourselves from Stevenson. They call him out because he’s the champion but I don’t think their styles are exciting. I just think me and Edwin’s styles are little bit better than theirs honestly.

E. Rodriguez
Screw Stevenson, screw Kovalev. I’m just looking forward to finally performing against Thomas Williams.

Q
Edwin why do you think you’re going to be able to win this fight and get that title shot?

E. Rodriguez
I believe I had a really good training camp and did a lot of working against a southpaw. But fighting for a world title it’s a dream and a goal come true, not just fighting for but winning it. Thomas Williams is in my way. I worked extremely hard in this training camp to get him out of the way. I just got to put the game plan together fight night.

Q
What do you think your advantages are over him coming into this fight?

E. Rodriguez
I’m a little bit more seasoned. I have more total fights. I have fought better opposition. I have wins against undefeated fighters. Guys like himself with the one loss, I just got to put everything together. I think I have been there, I have more rounds.

Q
Thomas also why do you think you’re going to be able to win this fight and earn a title shot?

T. Williams
Well mainly because I’ve just been doing this my whole life. I never did any other sport. I came into the boxing gym at the age of five years old. My dad was a top professional. I’ve been doing this. I was sparring with world champions from Washington, DC at the age of 12 or 13 years old. Man I might not have the fights but I’ve been doing this my whole life as long as I can remember.

I just think I’ve just been around it and I’ve got the experience, amateur experience, just being around the game and just being in boxing all of my life. I’ve never did anything else, no other sport but boxing. I think that will actually be a big key on fight night.

Q
For both of you what is the significance of fighting on FOX and at StubHub Center?

E. Rodriguez
For me, going back to the StubHub Center and I fought there before, great atmosphere. Being on PBC on FOX, it’s huge. Especially being part of this big card with Berto-Ortiz who the first fight was – it was a war. So I’m looking forward and I’m just happy to be part of it as well, with Thomas who’s a fighter who brings a lot of pressure. It’s going to be a great match for the fans and you can’t go wrong.

T. Williams
Well yes I’ve always seen fights at StubHub like when Paul Williams fought Antonio Margarito for the title. He beat Margarito for the title then and that was a war. StubHub is known for like having the wars. They kind of built this card for brawlers and people that are exciting.

Berto versus Ortiz, me and Edwin and then we have Phillip Jackson from DC against David Benavidez those are going to be exciting fights. Fighting on FOX is that platform is going to be huge. I think it has like so many viewers and everything and man it’s definitely going to be a great atmosphere and I’m just ready to go.

Q
Do either of you expect this to go the distance?

E. Rodriguez
Hell no.

T. Williams
I don’t think anybody expects it to go the distance.

Q
Edwin, what’s your most potent weapon against Thomas? And Thomas if you could direct that regarding Edwin?

E. Rodriguez
Just fighting a southpaw, it’s a whole thing. Everything is different. So because of that I was happy to have a long camp, because fighting a southpaw there were things that we needed to work on. It’s a whole different style. I don’t want to get into details but, it’s just a whole different style and different game plan.

It’s easier for them because they always fight right-handed. We don’t fight that many southpaws. But, I feel comfortable. I never had any issues with southpaws so I’m excited to get this fight in. Actually I’d like to thank Thomas Williams because he was the one that came out and called my name that he wanted this fight.

I’ve got to thank him because without fighting a guy like Thomas who has a name in boxing and being on TV a few times, I wouldn’t have been able to keep moving up. Because I kept getting these guys that were undefeated but nobody really knew anything about them. So I think that fighting a guy like Thomas that, people know who he is. I think it’ll put that nail the coffin for me to get a world title fight.

Q
Does the right hand become more important?

E. Rodriguez
I don’t think so. I think that the jab is just as important as the right-hand in this fight.

Q
And same questions for you Thomas?

T. Williams
First thing I want to say and when I see Edwin I was going to ask him about this. I never once called his name. Actually when the fight was brought to me they told me Edwin wanted to fight me. I was like gees, like damn, I was okay, cool we could fight. So they brought it to me like Edwin wanted to fight me when in actuality they probably told him I wanted to fight him when in actuality they didn’t even have to do all that. All they had to do was tell us hey, we think it’s a good idea you guys fight. We both probably would have been like all right cool.

They called me and told me Edwin wanted to fight me.

E. Rodriguez
I guess it was set up for a good fight. I like it. Let’s get it on.

Q
How are you going to knock him out then?

T. Williams
I can’t tell it over the phone. But I believe in it and if I say something I’ll stick by it. I’m going to stick by it. So I just want him to know that as being a man that I didn’t call him out. They told me he wanted to fight me. It’s over but that’s all I wanted to say. But me fighting a right handed fighter I’ve been fighting the right-handed fighters my whole life.

We don’t usually run up against southpaw against southpaw. And usually if it is it’s pretty much easy work. But fighting a right-handed fighter doesn’t earn me nothing. You know I’ve been fighting right-handed fighters my whole life.

Q
Did the fight getting pushed back to April 30 benefit either of you anyway?

E. Rodriguez
I think it did. I think it has, you know, especially that I was able to get even more good sparring in. That’s the type of work I needed for this fight. So I think it actually did help me in that case.

T. Williams
Yes of course whenever you have more time to train it’s always a benefit. I don’t really believe it was actually negative. I think it was positive and that probably makes for a better fight honestly.

Q
Were either of you on each other’s radar even before you appeared on the same show last November?

T. Williams
Being a fighter everybody who’s ranked or in front of me or in the top ten is pretty much on my radar. Ee’re fighters. If we were firemen we’ll put out fires. If we were doctors we would save lives. But we’re fighters so it is what it is.

E. Rodriguez
After the Andre Ward fight I’ve just been working my way to get back on title contention. So no I’ve been looking for a world title fight. Thomas didn’t have that so I was never really looking at him or anything like that. But I’m happy this fight got made, two tough contenders going at it. It’s a great fight and I’m excited. Let’s get it on.

R. Flores
If we can have some final comments from both Thomas Williams and Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez as we get ready for our main event.

T. Williams
My thinking is that this is going to be a great fight. Go to the bathroom, get your popcorn, get your food and everything, change the kids, put the kids to sleep, do what you’ve got to do because you may get up go to the bathroom and it might be over. It’s definitely going to be fireworks and I’m definitely looking forward to it.

E. Rodriguez
I’d like to thank my whole team, especially everybody that has helped me in this training camp. We’re ready to put on a great show and let’s get it on.

R. Flores
This fight has been marinating for five years. The rematch is finally taking place and what a battle it is going to be, an epic fight in 2011. We expect another epic matchup this Saturday at StubHub Center. Tickets are still available to make sure to get them quickly at AXS.com. They are going fast.

Let’s bring in a gentleman from Winter Haven, Florida coming off of fighting Floyd Mayweather. He was amazing and his PBC debut. What a thriller he had last March when he stopped Josesito Lopez in the sixth round of their welterweight showdown ladies and gentlemen please welcome a throwback fighter a guy who always takes on any and all comers here is Andre Berto.

Andre Berto
Yo, yo, yo, I don’t really have too much to say. Let’s get this thing on. I’m ready.

R. Flores
All right, Andre I know he’s looking forward to his match and let’s bring in your adversary originally from Kansas City now he resides in Ventura, California. He came back to the ring back in December and in San Antonio he was able to stop Gilberto Sanchez Leon. He’s willing to take on anybody and everybody, ladies and gentlemen please welcome the charismatic “Vicious” Victor Ortiz.

Victor Ortiz
How you guys doing? I know Berto has been putting in the work and back in 2011 we did a fight of the year and it was one hell of a fight, back and forth. I got a victory that night and he didn’t arrive fully I didn’t arrive fully so we’re both present 100% this coming Saturday. So quien es mas macho?

Q
What do you think is going to be different to this fight than your first fight that you had five years ago when you were favored in that fight?

A. Berto
I’m in incredible shape. I’m staying focused for this one. I don’t like to speak too much on the past situation but there’s a lot of different things that went on in that camp and of course if you’re young you’re dealing with a lot and you kind of take a lot of stuff for granted.

So we’re definitely in great shape. I had a tremendous camp. I’m extremely focused man. I don’t care about this and that that they’re saying about either Victor or whatever the case may be. He’s a fighter, he steps in that ring and at any given time, he come in there to put on the performance of his life.

He showed that before. I’m not taking anything for granted and I’m not leaving nothing unturned. I’m getting ready for the big one.

Q
What did you learn from the first fight that you can apply to this fight? And do you expect it to be as action packed, with all the knock downs and everything that took place in that fight?

A. Berto
I definitely learned a lot. I went through a lot of situations as well that bring me to this point. I’m a lot stronger mentally, physically all the way around. I’m with a great coach. We’ve been putting everything together.

Q
Victor why do you think you’re going to be able to try again all of these years later with both the experience and the other fights that both of you have had?

V. Ortiz
Hey we’ve both had some nice wars so I’m ready once again like I was the first time and hey we’re there to put it all on the line on Saturday night so don’t miss out man. Berto’s coming to kill me and I’m coming to kill Berto that’s that.

Q
Do you expect another blood fest like you had in 2011?

V. Ortiz
Oh absolutely, Berto’s one hell of a fighter and I know that. I don’t take that for granted and I’ve prepared for 12 hard rounds like the first time. So the result’s banging it up.

Q
Anybody want to make a prediction for this fight?

V. Ortiz
Oh yes I’ll be holding my hands in glory in the end once again.

A. Berto
Yes. I come for the win that’s it. He can try. He can definitely try.

Q
Andre, after the fight with Floyd Mayweather, did you have to kind of step away and take a little bit of break before you recalibrated?

A. Berto
Yes we had a lot of going on but I just had to relax a little bit, spend time with the family and the fight came about and it as definitely a fight that I didn’t have to take but I think it was the fight the fans wanted to see.

Q
Victor, how much is it about giving the fans this exciting fight more than just going in there and getting the W because a lot of fans look at this as you guys can recreate the Fight of the Year again?

V. Ortiz
Yes, like I said early on Berto’s coming in 100 miles an hour to take my head off and it’s the same thing on my end. We’re prepared fully for one another so at this point in time it’s definitely one of those memorable fights and now a days you don’t really get what you pay for what’s really is advertised as a false advertisement. I know Berto’s coming in fully prepared and so am I.

He’s arriving 100% and I will too so it’s one of those exciting fights, a war.

Q
How do you approach this fight from the perspective of what you know about the opponent and how you kind of, you know, go into it? How much different is it from 2011 to 2016?

A. Berto
You get to know somebody, you get to know your opponent, you get to calculate how you plan and react.

I think the situation of just being prepared all the way around makes me feel comfortable and it’s a different feeling from what I had heading into the first fight.

V. Ortiz
Hey he’s a warrior, he comes to fight. He’s not like these guys that don’t take fights. Man you have another guy who’s hungry to try and he’s hungry to give me a defeat and it’s not going to happen. I’ve been working too hard for this. I know he is too but the bottom line is two trains colliding and crashing and I will be the harder one. So at this point in time, I’d say we’re going to be ready 100% and two trains colliding Saturday night.

Q
How did you bring all of that angst and focus into your fight with Berto back then? And do you need to tap into that same angst to have a similar kind of a performance?

V. Ortiz
No, no it’s simple it’s you guys and I say you guys not just you I’m saying media. The media has this weird way of working. You guys think how you guys think and you guys write it out and then because one person in the media writes something weird about you or bad about you the world believes it. I know what I’m about I know why I’m here I know where I’m going and that’s that. It doesn’t matter what you or anyone says. I don’t really care. I know what I’m here and I know where I’m going and that’s that period.

Q
Andre, is this personal for you? Do you have to really get in there and have a sensational performance for you to be satisfied?

A. Berto
I mean to be realistic man I don’t really take no fight personally. It’s always been but at the same time, this is a fight that of course I’ve always thought to myself that no matter what happens we got to make it happen again. It doesn’t matter, when you’re coming back and beating this guy beating that guy.

But I feel that this is still the monkey on my back that I need to go in there and handle it., I won’t say it’s more personal but I’m taking it a lot more serious and so that’s a job that I need to try to complete and get done.

Q
Do feel like you even need boxing and does that kind of drive you with each fight?

V. Ortiz
No I actually don’t need to box. I turned down two movies and I was starring and headlining on the movies as one of the main actors. I turned the movies down because I want be back where I came from. I want to make sure I conquer what I came to conquer in boxing. I’m not done with boxing, I mean yes I had a couple of breaks in my wrists were both broken, jaw broken and then broken nose. I mean stuff happens but just because I was fixing myself the media wrote me off.

It wasn’t me who quote unquote “retired.” I never hung up anything. I mean besides the posters in my room or maybe the pictures on my wall. Other than that I didn’t hang anything up. But you guys wrote me off so I guess it’s a media thing.

But I’ve been in boxing and I’ve been 100 miles an hour 100% and I keep getting offers for movies and I keep turning them down because boxing is where I’m headed.

Q
Did having a year off get you into the right frame of mind for the rematch?

V. Ortiz
It doesn’t matter, there’s boxing gloves there’s a mouth piece there’s a cup there’s a boxing ring and an opponent so it is what it is, same thing.

Do your parts in movies affect the focus of your boxing career? Also, do you have aspirations still of fighting for a world title?

V. Ortiz
Yes, I don’t let boxing interfere with acting and I don’t let acting interfere with boxing. Those are two type of careers. When I was actually healing was when I was focusing on only movies I was focusing on TV shows and just doing that. But now that my hands are healed and my wrists my jaw and everything is proper and I’m back to putting my mind on boxing 100%.

That’s what every boxer is here for and we’re shooting for nothing less than being world champion again. It just took me a little bit longer from the physical person. I actually had to put two movies aside contracts and everything ready to sign as a lead actor and I said no let me go back to boxing. So I’m here once again and I’m ready.

R. Flores
Excellent and at this time we want some final comments from Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto.

A. Berto
Hey man we’re waiting for fight time, see you Saturday.

V. Ortiz
Hey just check it out. It’ll be a repeat of 2011.

Andre Berto Training Camp Notes

Andre Berto
OAKLAND, CALIF. (April 25, 2016) – Former two-time world champion Andre “The Beast” Berto has wrapped up training camp and is set to travel to Southern California for his highly anticipated rematch against “Vicious” Victor Ortiz that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes this Saturday, April 30 at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.

Prior to the start of televised fights, an Official Fan Fest will be held for ticket holders outside of StubHub Center. The events start at 2:30 p.m. PT and features a Corona Beer Garden, food trucks, music from the band Metalachi and autograph signings with popular fighters including Leo Santa Cruz, Abner Mares, Shawn Porter and more.

Here is what Berto had to say from training camp:

On his improvements since his first fight against Ortiz:

“I’ve improved tremendously. Mentally and all the way around the board. There was so much that went into that fight and that camp the first time. I shouldn’t have fought that fight, but being who I am, I wanted to get in there. I was just a young fighter who didn’t take the fight seriously. I overlooked my opponent. Now I’m a much more mature fighter. I’ve pushed myself for this camp.

“This fight has always been on my mind. Even when I tried to move on, other people continued to remind me about it. Everyone said I needed to get him back. That’s the fight everyone has wanted to see and that everyone deserves. I’m going to give everyone the fight they deserve.

“I believe that coming back from my shoulder surgery that I’ve been more motivated and improving as a fighter. Everyone has seen the improvements. We’re definitely ready for anything he wants to bring. If he’s aggressive we’re ready and everyone knows I can stand there and punch”

On this training camp with Virgil Hunter:

“Everything is going great. It’s been a long, tough camp. I’m excited and ready to close it all in. We’ve done all the work. We’re in great shape. No stone was left unturned. It’s been a great eight or nine week camp.”

On sharing training camp with Amir Khan and Andre Ward and the motivation it provides:

“We all feed off of each other. All of us have pretty much been in camp together leading up to and through all of our fights. Even now Andre is there to watch us spar and work. It’s great motivation for all of us to be there. We’re all pushing each other to get better every day.”

On how Virgil Hunter has helped him improve as a fighter:

“I call Virgil the professional because he’s a teacher. He works you mentally. Each and every day. It’s like being in school. He drills it in your head over and over. He doesn’t let you go through the motions. You have to stay on track mentally to work on all of the things that you’ve been working on. He’s more of a teacher than a trainer.”

On what he learned from his fight against Floyd Mayweather:

“A lot of people can’t handle the atmosphere and the buildup of that magnitude. I got the chance to really find out how to handle it all. I think I surprised a lot of people around me with how easy I was taking it. I think Floyd was surprised too, he thought I would get shaken like other guys. But I felt like I was supposed to be there. I wasn’t going to be the guy who stands there in shock.”

On preparing for Ortiz:

“You have to be prepared for whatever he brings to the table. You don’t know how Victor is going to fight and if he’s going to do his extra stuff. Or if he’s going to try to box. Who knows? Maybe you hit him two or three times and he feels like he doesn’t want to be there. I’m prepared for the Victor of five years ago.”

On Ortiz’s claim that he will knock out Berto:

“That’s what he said the first time. I’ve made it evident as well that I’ll finish him and finish this chapter. I want it to be over. Still for some reason my name comes up. People continue to cross us together. I just want to finish this chapter and finish in style.”

On what fans can expect Saturday night:

“The fans should expect an exciting fight. They might see the start of round 13 from the first one. It’s going to be extremely exciting. I doubt it’s going the distance. This is the fight the people deserve.”

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com www.TGBPromotions.com,http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and foxdeportes.com follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @ViciousOrtiz, @AndreBerto, @LaBombaBoxing, @TopDoggJr,@FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, www.facebook.com/foxsports and www.facebook.com/foxdeportes. Follow the conversation using #PBConFOX. PBC on FOX is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Video: Victor Ortiz Media Workout Quotes

CARSON, CALIF. (April 14, 2016) – Former world champion “Vicious” Victor Ortiz held a media workout in Los Angeles Thursday and shared thoughts on his upcoming primetime rematch with former champion Andre “The Beast” Berto on Saturday, April 30 on Premier Boxing Champions on FOX & FOX Deportes from StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.

Televised coverage starts at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features light heavyweight sluggers Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez (28-1, 19 KOs) and Thomas “Top Dog” Williams Jr. (19-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-round brawl and unbeaten Mexican brawler Jorge Lara (27-0-2, 19 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight bout against former three-division world champion Fernando “Cochulito” Montiel (54-5-2, 39 KOs).

Ortiz and Berto will square-off in a rematch of their 2011 Fight of the Year in which Ortiz took home a victory as both men hit the canvas throughout the 12-round affair. Now, Ortiz is preparing for another big victory that could catapult him back to world title contention.

Here is what Ortiz had to say about Berto, training camp and more:

VICTOR ORTIZ

On his first bout against Berto:

“I made a lot of mistakes that night but I did enough to get the victory. I always said if I ever got the rematch, I would end him and now I have the chance.

“Berto had an off night. I wasn’t at my best either, but I destroyed him regardless. This time we’ll both be at our best.

“Berto just talks and talks. When you have to hype yourself up just to think you have a chance, that’s on you. I don’t need to talk myself into thinking I’m going to win. I just know I’m going to win.

“We’ve both had some wars since our first fight, but if you can’t back it up, you should just stop.

“I had injuries heading into the last fight, but now you have two guys who are 100 percent. That is going to make for an even better fight this time around.”

On the rematch with Berto:

“Berto comes to fight. He comes for war and won’t give up ever, but that makes two of us.

“We have been through a lot in the last five years. He hates me. I have no hate in my heart, but I know it’s a sport. I’m not leaving that ring without a victory.

“Berto wants to hurt me just as bad as I want to hurt him. I’m ready to go again. This is going to be a Fight of the Year for sure.

“Anytime you have to convince yourself that you’re going to beat me. That you actually had a chance the first time, there’s a lot wrong with you.

“It’s a sport. It’s not personal. Two guys going back and forth. I want to rip his head off and he wants to rip my head off. Its nothing personal. We can go get a burger after the fight.

“He’s a heck of a fighter and a boxer and I am too. He’s had his fair share of wars. He’s had his fair share of injuries and I’ve had mine.

“I would hate someone that took my undefeated record. So maybe he hates me, but I don’t hate him. Whatever his mindset is, April 30 is right around the corner and I’m ready.”

On working with Coach Joseph “Hoss” Janik & David Rodela:

“Coach Hoss has always been there 100 percent. He has been in my corner about a decade and he knows the game better than a lot of the people I’ve worked with. Every fighter needs to find a ‘zen’ with their coach and I have that with Coach Hoss.

“I feel like this is the best fit for me. Hoss has been with me through it all, from being dropped, to the hospital and everything. He always says that this is just another way to make you stronger.

“I also have coach David Rodela in my corner. We were once upon a time rivals and now we are closest of friends. It is a true ‘Grudge Match’ right there. Now he just tortures me in training.

On his acting career:

“At this point I have one focus. For the next three or four years I am going to be 100 percent focused on boxing.

“I’ve had big celebrities and actors come up to me and say ‘you’re Victor Ortiz, can we take a picture?’ It’s mutual respect, but it’s also kind of crazy. I don’t overstep my boundaries.

“I don’t watch the movie I’ve been in. That is too much. Some people like to see themselves on the screen, I’m not one of those people.

On his positive attitude:

“I believe that if you’re a bad person, bad things happen. I’m a hard worker. I used to work construction and out in the fields. I never complained. Always smiled.

“I wake up in the morning with a smile on my face. People take some things too seriously. Of course there are haters out there, but I don’t pay attention to any of that. I’ve found that a good positive attitude goes a long way.

“It doesn’t matter what people say. What matters what I want, what I’m going to do. April 30 is going to be the rebirth of me.”

On what’s next after April 30:

“I’m ready to fight for a world title. Especially after this victory that’s coming. This is for personal satisfaction. Berto has been talking for five years and I’m ready to go.

“I took a different route, a different approach. Why? Because I wanted to try other things. Do I have to be here? No. I turned down two movies to be here. Boxing is my first and true love.

“I’m ready to conquer the 147 and 154 pound divisions and Andre Berto is standing in my way right now.”

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.comwww.TGBPromotions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and foxdeportes.com follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @ViciousOrtiz, @AndreBerto, @LaBombaBoxing, @TopDoggJr, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, www.facebook.com/foxsports and www.facebook.com/foxdeportes. Follow the conversation using #PBConFOX. PBC on FOX is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Victor Ortiz, Andre Berto, Jorge Lara & Fernando Montiel Press Conference Quotes

Victor Ortiz

Victor Ortiz, Andre Berto, Jorge Lara & Fernando Montiel
Press Conference Quotes & Photos

PBC on FOX & FOX Deportes Saturday, April 30
From StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.
8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT

Click HERE For Photos
Photo Credit: Arnold Turner/Premier Boxing Champions

LOS ANGELES (March XX, 2016) – Former welterweight world champions “Vicious” Victor Ortiz and Andre “The Beast” Berto,along with undefeated featherweight contender Jorge Lara and former world champion Fernando “Cochulito” Montiel, held a press conference in Los Angeles Wednesday to discuss their Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on FOX & FOX Deportes showdowns taking place Saturday, April 30 from StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.

The tripleheader of primetime action beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT also features an exciting light heavyweight showdown between Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez and Thomas “Top Dog” Williams Jr.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are priced at $209, $105, $53 and $27, plus applicable taxes, fees and service charges, and are on sale now and available for purchase online at AXS.com.

The fighters held court at the Conga Room at L.A. Live and spoke about their respective matchups. Ortiz and Berto will tangle in a highly anticipated rematch of their 2011 battle, won by Ortiz, while the rising Lara and former champion Montiel meet in a crossroads fight that could launch the winner into title contention in a stacked featherweight division.

Here is what the participants had to say Wednesday:

VICTOR ORTIZ

“This is definitely the next chapter of my boxing career and I want to take full advantage of it. I’m healthy and I’m young and I’m still able to pull the trigger.

“Everyone said I was a ‘tomato can’ who had no business being in the ring with Berto the first time. I had to go to Connecticut to get my belt and my respect.

“I’ve fought a lot of wars. I’ve been in battles. I broke my jaw and my wrist, that’s three years right there. But my will to fight led me back. The more boxing I watched, the more upset it made me. I don’t think the other welterweights are on my level.

“Berto blames me for his downward spiral. He thinks he has a chance this time. Always a good dream to have.

“I’m not going the distance this time. I’m going in 100 miles per hour, full throttle.

“2011 was one heck of a year. The repeat is coming on April 30 because I want another world championship. Berto is a tremendous warrior; I’ll give him that. I’ll be ready and I know he will be too.”

ANDRE BERTO

“I’m excited about this one. April 30 is going to be a tremendous night. I promise you that.

“The fight back in 2011, he got me. He did what he had to do to win. But this time I’m going in extremely focused and ready to take everything that I felt he took from me that night.

“I went to school. I failed the test and now I have the chance to ace it.

“He said it wouldn’t go the distance last time, but I still did and I wasn’t training to my full capabilities.

“My power and speed are still there. I’m glad this fight came about because it’s going to be a great night for the fans.

“I’m not about running my mouth and saying stuff just for the media. I’m going to back it up in the ring.

“I’ve got to show Victor some respect because he beat me the first time. I’m big on being respectful. I respect Victor and the history of Mexican fighters, they put their blood, sweat and tears in there.

“This is what he asked for. So I want to make sure he knows what he’s getting himself into. This isn’t the same situation as last time. So we’ll see it in the ring. Come out on April 30 and see me handle this business.”

JORGE LARA

“It’s an honor to be able to fight on a card like this. I’m really excited about entering the ring on April 30.

“I know this isn’t going to be an easy fight. Montiel is a very accomplished fighter and that’s why we’re preparing ourselves very diligently for this fight. We’re looking forward to the challenge that he presents.

“I have all the respect in the world for Fernando Montiel. He was a great world champion who is very established in his career. I must be at my best to get the victory.

“If I’m able to win the fight then I would like to fight the winner of Jesus Cuellar vs. Abner Mares in that title fight. But first and foremost, I have to get this big victory.

“Don’t miss this fight. We’re going to give it our all and it’s going to be a tremendous matchup. I’m going to give it my all to be victorious.”

FERNANDO MONTIEL

“It’s an honor and pleasure to be a part of this amazing card. My fight with Lara is going to get the ring hot for the rest of the card.

“Lara is going to come prepared just like myself. He’s a great fighter. He’s undefeated and I know he’s going to bring his best.

“I know that Jorge Lara is a very good fighter, he’s aggressive. I know if I make a mistake it could be a long night for me.

“I know I have to rely on my experience to come out victorious. I expect both of us to battle. There could be some knockdowns. It’s going to be a fun fight for the fans.

“I’m very thankful for the opportunity and I hope everyone comes out because I’m planning on making this a terrific fight.”

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.comwww.TGBPromotions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @ViciousOrtiz, @AndreBerto, @LaBombaBoxing, @TopDoggJr, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, www.facebook.com/foxsports and www.facebook.com/foxdeportes. Follow the conversation using #PBConFOX. PBC on FOX is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Long Awaited Victor Ortiz & Andre Berto Rematch Set for Primetime Saturday, April 30 As Premier Boxing Champions On FOX & FOX Deportes Comes To StubHub Center In Carson, Calif.

CARSON, CALIF. (March 17, 2016) – Former welterweight world champions “Vicious” Victor Ortiz (31-5-2, 24 KOs) and Andre “The Beast” Berto (30-4, 23 KOs) will meet again in a 12-round welterweight rematch in primetime on Saturday, April 30 as Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on FOX and FOX Deportes comes to StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.

Televised coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features two exciting undercard attractions. Light heavyweight sluggers Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez (28-1, 19 KOs) and Thomas “Top Dog” Williams Jr. (19-1, 13 KOs) meet in a 10-round brawl plus former three-division world champion Fernando “Cochulito” Montiel (54-5-2, 39 KOs) faces unbeaten Mexican brawler Jorge Lara (27-0-2, 19 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight battle.

Ortiz and Berto first faced off in their 2011 welterweight world title barn burner that garnered significant Fight of the Year buzz. The bout saw both men hit the canvas twice, including a thrilling round six in which each fighter was knocked down. In the end, Ortiz walked away with a unanimous decision. A victory in the rematch will propel the winner to the forefront of the world title picture in this stacked with talent division.

“I know I’m in for another war,” said Ortiz. “I’ve always been open to a rematch because Berto has a big mouth and something to prove. After our fight, he went on a losing streak, because I gave his opponents a blueprint on how to beat him. My losses have been unfortunate, but I wouldn’t want to come up against me at this stage in the game. My name is Victor and that’s no coincidence.”

“This is the fight the people have been waiting for and it’s time to give it to them,” said Berto. “I am in a good place mentally, physically and spiritually. I’ve never wanted my story to be perfect, that’s boring. Life is filled with ups and downs and I’ve embraced them all in my career. Everything I’ve been through has turned me into a savage. It’s time to close this chapter once and for all. I want his head!”

The undercard bouts are sure to feature exciting two-way action as the experienced veterans Rodriguez and Montiel look to hold-off rising contenders in Williams Jr. and Lara.

“This is a very big fight for the light heavyweight division,” said Rodriguez. “Thomas brings it, but so do I. You can expect fireworks from the opening bell as we are both looking to put on a sensational performance. That being said, the light heavyweight championship is right around the corner, and there is nothing that is going to stop me from getting there.”

“I’m thrilled to be fighting on this card,” Williams said. “When they called me about this fight, I said, ‘I love it, let’s make it happen.’ I think that it’s going to be a really exciting and fan-friendly matchup. Edwin is a strong fighter who I know is going to be prepared to bring it on fight night, and I’ll make sure I’m ready to do the same.”

“It’s a pleasure to be on this fight card and I promise an exciting night for the fans,” said Montiel. “I came up short in my last fight, but I am determined to become a world champion in a new weight class. I always come to fight and I will be throwing punches non-stop until I’m victorious on April 30.”

“I’m blessed to be back in the ring as part of this great night of fights,” said Lara. “My dream is to be a world champion, and to do that I have to beat fighters like Montiel. I respect my opponent, but right now he is on my way and nothing is going to stop me.”

PBC on FOX in primetime debuted on January 23 and featured a thrilling three-fight card that was topped by undefeated star Danny Garcia conquering former world champion Robert Guerrero to claim a welterweight world title in a back-and-forth brawl. Another exciting contest in the welterweight division is sure to thrill those watching at home and the Southern California boxing fans in attendance.

“We are proud to be bringing this long awaited rematch to the StubHub Center and the Los Angeles boxing fans,” said Tom Brown of TGB Promotions. “Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto battled back in 2011, and their meeting on April 30 will take care of unfinished business.”

“After the overwhelming success of the return to boxing on FOX in January, after an almost 20 year absence, FOX Sports and FOX Deportes are thrilled to present the second Premier Boxing Champions fight on April 30,” said David Nathanson, FOX Sports Head of Business Operations.

“StubHub Center is excited to host this welterweight bout on Saturday, April 30,” said Katie Pandolfo, General Manager of StubHub Center. “We look forward to an exciting rematch and an electric atmosphere at the premier outdoor boxing venue in the United States.”

An exciting fighter who never shies away from action, Ortiz returned to the ring in December 2015 one year after injuring his hand during a third round stoppage of Manuel Perez. The 29-year-old stopped Gilberto Sanchez Leon in his last bout for his second victory in a row. Ortiz was a 147-pound world champion when he defeated Berto in 2011 to set up a showdown with Floyd Mayweather. The Kansas-native has spent time in recent years to film roles in movies such as “Southpaw” and “The Expendables 3” but is now fully focused on a return to the pinnacle of the welterweight division.

Berto is a former amateur standout and Olympian for his native Haiti. He challenged now-retired pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather in September. The offensive-minded Berto always makes for sensational scraps as his 2012 slugfest with Robert Guerrero was another Fight of the Year candidate. The 32-year-old thrilled in his PBC debut last March when he stopped Josesito Lopez in the sixth round of their welterweight showdown.

An accomplished amateur who won a 2006 National Golden Gloves gold medal and a 2005 U.S. National Championship gold medal, the 30-year-old Rodriguez enters this fight a winner of his last four fights. Born in the Dominican Republic but fighting out of Worcester, Massachusetts, Rodriguez’s only loss came to the undefeated Andre Ward in 2013. He owns impressive victories over previously unbeaten fighters Will Rosinsky, Jason Escalera, Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna, Craig Baker and Michael Seals. Against Seals, in his most recent bout on November 13, Edwin rose from the canvas to score a devastating third-round TKO in what was a ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate.

Williams Jr., a 28-year-old from Fort Washington, Maryland, was introduced to boxing by his father, a former pro fighter. A dynamite puncher, Williams Jr. has registered seven of his 13 knockouts in the first round. However, the southpaw has also proven his endurance with unanimous decision victories over warriors like Michael Gbenga, Yusaf Mack and Otis Griffin. Most recently he earned two victories, including a second-round TKO over world-ranked contender Umberto Savigne last November.

The veteran Montiel won his first world title in 2000 over Isidro Garcia and went on to have title winning performances over Pedro Alzacar, Ivan Hernandez, Z Gorres, Ciso Morales and Hozumi Hasegawa. Born in Sinaloa, Mexico, Montiel rode an eight-fight win streak heading into his October world title shot against Lee Selby. Montiel’s aggressive style frustrated Selby but it was not enough for him to grab a title in his fourth weight class.

Undefeated out of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Lara made his U.S. debut on March 7, 2015 with a first round stoppage of Mario Macias in Las Vegas. The 25-year-old has ended seven of his last nine opponents early including experienced contenders Jovanny Soto, Jairo Hernandez and Oscar Ibarra. He looks to rebound from a technical draw in his last outing after the fight was stopped in six rounds due to numerous cuts Lara had received from accidental headbutts.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.comwww.TGBPromotions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and foxdeportes.com follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @ViciousOrtiz, @AndreBerto, @LaBombaBoxing, @TopDoggJr, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, www.facebook.com/foxsports and www.facebook.com/foxdeportes. Follow the conversation using #PBConFOX. PBC on FOX is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Video: ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Berto Epilogue Video Preview

Mayweather – Berto maxes at 550,000 PPV Buys?

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, The Floyd Mayweather – Andre Berto bout from last Saturday did not break 550,000 buys.

Industry sources said it could have done as low as 400,000 buys.

“Being generous, it might hit 550,000 buys,” one source said.

“I think Floyd is a victim of his own success,” said Stephen Espinoza of Showtime. “No matter what we did following that massive May 2 event, it was almost guaranteed to be viewed as a letdown. Was Mayweather-Berto the biggest Mayweather fight ever? No. But we got four very entertaining fights on the pay-per-view card and a historic night in that Floyd announced his retirement. All in all, we’re very happy with the event as a whole.”

As for the low sales, Espinoza offered a supposed cause.

“We know that a large chunk of the audience watches Floyd to see him lose,” he said. “And for those people, the best chance of somebody beating Floyd was Manny Pacquiao. So once Floyd beat Manny, and beat him definitively, a lot of the intrigue was gone. If Manny couldn’t beat him, nobody would beat him. So they didn’t buy the fight. I also think we were suffering a little bit of a hangover over from May 2.”

Espinoza acknowledged that the selection of a better and more dangerous opponent, such as Amir Khan or Keith Thurman, might have come close to the 1 million sales mark Mayweather usually generates.

“In short, the Mayweather deal has far exceeded our expectations financially. In 2½ years, we had six pay-per-view events that generated over 10 million pay-per-view buys and $800 million in gross revenue from domestic pay-per-view. No matter how you slice it, this deal is a huge win for Showtime, CBS and Floyd.”

Espinoza said that at some point he will talk to Mayweather, a five-division champion, about the prospect of returning to the ring.

“We’ll let some time pass before we have that conversation,” Espinoza said. “He’s been absolutely consistent in saying this is his last fight. He seemed very content and at peace with that after the fight. We show some of that in the locker room after the fight on the ‘All Access’ epilogue episode on Saturday night. It was like a farewell. But there will definitely be some texts and phone conversations and attempts to take his temperature on an ongoing basis.

“Personally, I don’t see a return to boxing for him in the near future. He’s been doing it for 19 years, and this countdown to his retirement has been in his head since he signed this deal. He felt a duty to play out all six fights in the timetable he promised he would, and now, he feels he has nothing left to prove. Where he’ll be in a year, nobody knows. But he seems pretty content with his decision.”

Mayweather’s low PPV number is a sign that retirement is the only option.

By Norm Frauenheim-

Reports of low pay-per-view sales for the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Andre Berto fight are more predictable than Mayweather’s victory.

Berto, after all, had a better chance at landing the proverbial lucky punch on Sept. 12 than a casual customer had at spending $74.95 for a high-definition telecast of a bout already defined as one sided by style, records and odds.

The only surprise at the reported numbers – anywhere from 400,000 to 550,000 – is that they were bigger than expected. At least, they were in this corner.

All the aforementioned reasons for not buying the Showtime production worked against a promotion that also was battling unprecedented pre-fight hype for Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao and a lingering hangover from that May 2 disappointment.

There’s more, however. The public, I suspect, is just sick-and-tired of Mayweather. Sick of seeing him pack his bags full of cash. Sick of his Ferraris and Bugatis. Sick of the TMT caps. Sick of the TBE T-shirts. Sick of the soap-opera string of controversies that this time around include Thomas Hauser’s story of a banned IV on the eve of the Pacquiao bout. Sick of the boring fights, too, although those bouts almost became an afterthought amid all of the other stuff generated by Mayweather’s money and lifestyle.

The Mayweather story, perhaps, is like any other. It has run its course. The media, especially the social wing, has moved onto other celebrities who can be targeted and exhausted from every angle, legit to twisted to wrong.

All of that is just another reason to think Mayweather is serious about retirement. Few believe him. But Mayweather has been more of a celebrity than a fighter since his 2007 victory over Oscar De La Hoya. He made more money than anybody in any sport not because of his evident athletic skill. He did it by being a celebrity who happened to be a terrific boxer. You can’t be either for too long. Sure, maybe, Mayweather comes back because he’s bored, or he needs to pay his legal fees. Maybe.

But what would his comeback be worth? Consider the Berto fight, which he vows was his last in a 49-0 career. He collected $32 million. Presumably, there was plenty still left in the bank from the Mayweather-Pacquiao GDP-like revenue to cover that paycheck.

But could he ever collect $32-mill in the ring again? The reported PPV for the Berto bout is reason to think he can’t. When Mayweather picked Berto, the guess here is that there was an underlying assumption his celebrity would sell the show. It didn’t.

For the guy who calls himself Money because he’s defined by it, there’s a message in numbers that are a little bit like the odds favoring him against Berto. Retirement with no chance at a comeback is the overwhelming choice.

Video: Mayweather vs. Berto: Relive 49-0 | Saturday, September 19

Good riddance, Floyd

By Bart Barry

Saturday at MGM Grand Garden Arena, American Floyd Mayweather decisioned American Andre Berto in a historically awful match Mayweather promised will be his last. By the late rounds, Berto, as near to an infinity-to-one underdog as pay-per-view has yet uncovered, compromised Mayweather’s attention span long enough to strike him cleanly perhaps a half-dozen times, and that was that. Berto called the fight “great” immediately after Mayweather called himself “great” immediately after another Las Vegas crowd booed itself hoarse through another final round of another Mayweather fight.

As he said himself after the absurd session with Berto: Floyd Mayweather is the best ever, just like Jim Gray – the man Showtime employs to hector punchdrunk fighters. Hell, in honor of the moment, we should go a bit further: Floyd Mayweather is bester than Jim Gray – who’s not even average. In fact, in a competition between the two record holders, Floyd for being the nth fighter to win 49 fights in a row and Gray for being the first interviewer realtime-bounced from World Series coverage for being a jackass, it’s not unreasonable to declare Floyd altogether bestest.

Repeatedly in that postfight flirtation, Mayweather referred to his records, plural, as opposed to his record, 49-0, which is his record the same as tens of thousands of fighters have their records, 0-1 or 27-3 or 173-19-6 (108 KOs) – Sugar Ray Robinson’s, for whatever it’s worth, which is probably quite little to The Money Team, no matter Robinson’s having well more than twice as many knockouts as The Best Ever has victories – and that might have prompted Gray to ask Floyd about his other records, but never mind. Floyd has boxing records, plural, in the equivocating, prepositional, SportsCenter-sense of the word: Floyd retires as the greatest fighter, to call Las Vegas home, after relocating from Michigan, while fighting in the last 25 years, after having been taught by his father, during a troubled childhood, before winning an Olympic bronze medal, without having beaten a single great fighter in his prime.

Someday, after Floyd is forgotten, a thing that will happen with lightning rapidity in the next decade, an enterprising young sportswriter in the year 2050 or so will decide a biography of Floyd is just the thing – and by then biographies will probably be virtualreality videogames in which the reader lives the subject’s life for a day or two – and he’ll marvel at his great good fortune at being the first man to have an idea like committing some years of his life to preserving the official record of a flamboyant American athlete who wore a gaudy cap with “TBE” on it (and whose father wore a Canadian-themed “TMT” hat in his corner during the final match of his career for reasons that, however unknown and unimaginable, somehow feel wonderful). What that ambitious young author will find on digifiche at his local bibliotech is a lack of quality writing about Mayweather that is disproportionate to Mayweather’s record.

“Surely,” he’ll think, “a black man beating everybody he fought and making hundreds of millions of dollars while calling himself ‘Money’ must’ve inspired soaring prose and an insight or two about the human condition.”

Actually, no. Actually, no, not at all. There were, are, plenty of excellent writers plying the craft during Mayweather’s career, but not one of them would call anything he wrote about Mayweather his life’s best work. The passion talented writers feel for Mayweather is akin to the passion Mayweather feels when seeing a new zero on the end of his savings-account balance: a jolt of energy followed by thoughts about more substantial things.

For there is something insubstantial about Mayweather and his record and his legacy and the current incarnation of the sport he now leaves. When I endeavor to think about memorable moments from his career – as I hope, after this column, to honor his retirement by never writing about him again – very little comes to mind. I thought about it Saturday night, and had an idea, and now it is Sunday morning, and I cannot remember even that idea. Let’s go freestyle and see if it comes: He bought some cars and won some bets and didn’t knock-out anyone but Victor Ortiz and said the same thing over and over and over and – wait, yes, now I recall.

It was during his award-winning (another record!) autodocureality-thing he did for Showtime during one of his forgettable promotions, and no matter how much money he flashed or slogans he shouted or hangerson he fluffed, always, in seemingly every scene, there was someone, and quite often most everyone, asleep in the peripherary. There would be Floyd, racing hither and yon round his Big Boy Mansion, riding his Big Boy Elevator, bouncing on his Big Boy Sofa, ordering his Big Boy Burger, courting Big Boy Bieber, and inevitably, someone in the shot would be acting sleepy. You can’t buy a personality, the subtitles read, and evidently Floyd hasn’t one.

I remember this too: I interviewed Floyd once – after waiting hours in the South Texas heat for Floyd to bless us, each journalist was allowed to ask Him one question – and when I asked about the epidemic of African-American incarceration by a for-profit prison system, Floyd told me he likes to focus on the positive because it’s not a black-and-white thing. It wasn’t just a thoughtless answer to the question I actually asked him; it was a witless answer to whatever voice played in Floyd’s head while I spoke. My interview with The Best Ever ranks about 93rd or so – give or take where Saturday’s match lands on an entertainment spectrum for anyone who’s been paying to watch boxing since Mayweather turned pro.

Since Floyd Mayweather asked the public to rank him immediately after his final match, here goes: Top 10 talent, Top 25 accomplishments. The end.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry