Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that a solid doubleheader will take place on January 28th in Houston when WBC Super Lightweight champion Erik Morales will take on undefeated upstart Danny Garcia while the co-feature will pit Jr. Middleweights James Kirkland and Carlos Molina.

“Everything has been agreed to. These are two excellent fights,” said Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions. “I think Morales-Garcia is definitely a crossroads fight. Erik is excited about going back to Texas. For Danny, it is an amazing opportunity to fight a legend like Erik Morales. He is thrilled beyond belief. He is going to want to make the best out of it.”

“I think it’s going to be a good fight because of the styles of these two guys,” Schaefer said. “It can only be an exciting fight, a toe-to-toe battle. You know the way Erik fights and the way Danny fights.

“Erik was ringside at Danny’s fight against Holt and Erik has never turned down anybody. He feels he’s going to teach the youngster a lesson. He feels that this is a very winnable fight for him otherwise he wouldn’t take it.”

“You saw the performance against Maidana. Erik made it clear that he is back,” Schaefer said. “Let’s see what he can do against a young, strong fighter like Danny Garcia. It’s a dangerous fight for Erik and for Danny. Erik is one of the most experienced fighters and has shown that the time he took off was good for him. He is back, his body is back and he feels good.

“Erik Morales fights everybody and he said he feels Danny Garcia is very mechanical and he will expose him. He said, ‘I have the style and skills and experience to beat the young, mechanical guy.’ Let’s see. Danny is one of the young guns.”

“I really couldn’t believe it, it’s a like a dream come true,” Garcia told ESPN.com. “I am happy for the opportunity. Erik Morales was a great fighter, but now it’s time for a new generation. It’s time for a new champion. We haven’t signed a contract yet, but the fight is verbally agreed to and I feel like this is the perfect time for me.

“I just fought one of the hardest punchers (Holt) in the division. I feel Erik Morales is a great fighter, but I feel like he had his day. He is the champion because of politics. I will be champion because I will take that belt off of him. I grew up watching Morales. Me and my friends were big fans. He is a great fighter, so to be in the ring with him will be a pleasure. I guess he’s looking at me like his last fight, fighting a young guy to use his experience against. But I am not the same fighter as the last kid. Why he took the fight with me I don’t know, but he is in for a tough fight.”

“We like the fight. Carlos is busy, he’s slick and he’s durable,” promoter Leon Margules said. “He is also a legitimate 12-round fighter. He has good stamina. We know Kirkland is a great puncher, but if he gets through the first couple of rounds when Kirkland is dangerous, then I think he can outwork him.”

Said Schaefer, “James Kirkland has clearly established himself again in the 154-pound weight class with his thrilling performance against Alfredo Angulo. He showed everything. James Kirkland is back. With Carlos Molina, you have a very skilled fighter who has come up with the biggest wins of his career recently and he feels this is a winnable fight. Both fights on this card are explosive. That’s the right word.”

Morales is 52-7 with thirty-six knockouts. Garcia is 22-0 with fourteen knockouts and ranked number seven by 15rounds.com

Kirkland 30-1 with twenty-seven knockouts is ranked number nine by 15rounds.com Molina is 19-4-2 with knockouts is ranked number seven by 15rounds.com

From the opening bell, bitter rivals Brandon Rios and Urbano Antillon launched into a multi-round slugfest. SHOWTIME Sports and Al Bernstein present the official recap of the July 9th Rios vs. Antillon title match, plus highlights from the action-packed Cintron vs. Molina undercard.

It’s been over a year since we last saw Kermit “The Killer” Cintron in action. Not since last May when he tangled, literally with Paul Williams in a fight which saw Williams topple from the ring landing on the floor outside and ultimately unable to carry on have we seen Cintron. Since then Cintron has taken time out and spent it with his family but now he’s ready to get back to work & that starts this Saturday against tough Carlos Molina live on Showtime as chief support to the much anticipated Brandon Rios-Urbano Antillon fight. It represents a welcome return for the Reading, Pa based Cintron who’s now 31 boasting an impressive 32-3-1(28). All of the blemishes on the former IBF Welterweight champion’s record were tinged with controversy of some sort. First the two fights with Antonio Margarito because of the possibility Margarito’s gloves had been tampered with like that had been prior to the Shane Mosley, leading many previous Margarito opponents to cry foul play. Whilst Sergio Martinez in many people’s opinions did enough to beat Cintron but the fight was only called a draw. Most recently of course he lost to Williams leading to a hiatus. He’s what Cintron had to say on all those fights, his return and future plans.

Hello Kermit, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – You’ll be fighting Carlos Molina in a few weeks, what are your thoughts on that fight & how do you rate him?

Kermit Cintron – I think Carlos Molina’s a good fighter, very tough. He comes to fight. I have to be very prepared for this fight and I’ve been doing it. I’ve been down here (he’s training in Houston) for 5/6 weeks now. Just getting myself prepared for the fight.

Anson Wainwright – It’ll have been 14 months since we last saw you fight, why was there such a long space of time since you last fought. What have you done in that time?

Kermit Cintron – Oh yeah after the Paul Williams fight I decided to take some time off and take care of a few personal things back home. For the reasons I just wanted to spend time with my kids. I’m always on the run with training camps, so I decided to take the time off and enjoy the time.

Anson Wainwright – Of course your last fight was when you lost a technical decision to Paul Williams. He fell from the ring and injured himself. What are your thoughts on that and how did you see things?

Kermit Cintron – Well you know it’s a fight I should have won, except for the accident. Boxing’s a little shady like that, it is what it is. But I can only move forward. I was looking great against Paul Williams. I feel like I was winning every round. All I can do now is focus on future fights. Big fights coming up, and make sure I take of business and finish my fights.

Anson Wainwright – Could you tell us about your team, who is your manager, trainer & your promoter? Also could you tell us about what gym you train at?

Kermit Cintron – Josh Dubin & James Prince are my managers, they gave me the opportunity to sign with Top Rank. I’ve got Ronnie Shields as my trainer. Brian Caldwell is my strength and conditioner. We have a great team. I feel like I have the Dream Team that every fighter would want. Everybody gets along, everybody works together. I’m not longer with Lou Di Bella. When I’m in Houston, I train at the Savannah Boxing gym owned by Willie Savannah who is Juan Diaz (Former WBA, WBO & IBF Lightweight Champion) manager. When I’m home I’m not in the Boxing gym just the gym working on my strength and conditioning with Randy Yocum who’s a good friend of mine he helps me when I’m home. Brian Caldwell & Randy Yocum do talk and keep each other updated with what I have to do. So it all works out.

Anson Wainwright – There are many options at Light Middleweight, provided all goes well for you against Molina. What are you looking to do next?

Kermit Cintron – As of right now I don’t have anything. My focus is on Carlos Molina. If I don’t get passed him there’s nothing else for me in the future. Make sure I come out victorious and look good and I’m sure that’ll help get me go fights afterwards.

Anson Wainwright – What are your thoughts about the current Light Middleweight champions WBC Alvarez, WBA Cotto & Trout, IBF Bundrage & WBO Dzindziruk?

Kermit Cintron – I think there all good fighters, there champions for a reason. One of the fighters I’d like to fight is Dzindziruk who has the WBO but I think the weakest right now that I believe to be champion is the young kid who just fought Saul Alvarez. I think it’s showed twice now that the two European fighters he fought him for the world title. Both fighters did absolutely nothing to win the fight against him.

Anson Wainwright – You drew with current Middleweight champion Sergio Martinez, many people thought you actually lost that fight. What are your thoughts on that fight?

Kermit Cintron – I have to respect the judges they had it a draw. I felt I won the fight. I think it was a close fight but that I won it. I should have fought the twelfth round after they took the point from Martinez. But decided to waste time thinking I won the round but they ended up giving the round (to him) and that’s how it ended up being a draw.

Anson Wainwright – Another fighter you fought was Antonio Margarito, he stopped you twice. What are your thoughts on those fights & do you believe Margarito was using loaded gloves against you or was it just a case of him being the better guy?

Kermit Cintron – I believe in the second Margarito fight he used those wraps whatever they were. After the fight I told my manager Josh Dubin in the locker room “I’ve never been punched so hard and felt his knuckles through his gloves like I did tonight” It was weird at the time nobody knew anything but then he gets caught a few years later.

Anson Wainwright – Do you feel as though he punched harder the second time you guys fought?

Kermit Cintron – I believe so yes.

Anson Wainwright – What goals do you still have as a professional Boxer?

Kermit Cintron – I definitely want to be a world champion again. Everybody in this game wants to make big bucks. I just want to come out on top and be one of the best fighters whoever put Boxing gloves on.

Anson Wainwright – Where do you see your future in terms of what weight classes do you want to fight at back down at Welterweight, at Light Middleweight or higher?

Kermit Cintron – I fell like I’d like to go back to 147 and win a world title there again. Hopefully it can happen, but I know for sure It can become a champion at 154. I’m not thinking higher, It wouldn’t be the right move for me. I do want to go back to 147 and challenge for a title in that weight class.

Anson Wainwright – Making 147 wouldn’t be a problem for you?

Kermit Cintron – I don’t believe so. I feel I could make the weight. The second week of training camp for this fight I was already down at 155, I had to pretty much cheat a little with my diet because I couldn’t keep my weight up. I like to stay the same (weight) until the last 2 weeks of the fight which was going to be 152. I think I can make 147 easily.

Anson Wainwright – If we can talk a little about you as a person, could you tell us about your younger days and how things were for you growing up in Puerto Rico and then Reading, Pennsylvania?

Kermit Cintron – As you know I was born in Puerto Rico, I moved to The United States when I was 8. I moved outside Philadelphia it’s called Warminster. I came to Reading because of my room mate in college and he was from there. The first year we were in college we really clicked and became really close friends so we started to make plans after our first year. I found a Boxing gym and that’s how I started Boxing.

Anson Wainwright – How did you first become Interested and take up Boxing?

Kermit Cintron – I grew up around Boxing. My uncle who raised me was a professional fighter himself but I was more into Wrestling. As you know I Wrestled for a bunch of years. I ended up going to college with a scholarship for Wrestling. I ended up dropping out of school in my sophomore year to give Boxing a try. After signing to go pro after being an amateur for a year. I turned pro just to make a few bucks and ended up being signed by a promotional company which was Main Events. That’s when I started taking this serious.

Anson Wainwright – You have come a long way for a guy who turned pro without much of an amateur Boxing background?

Kermit Cintron – Yeah, I had pretty much no amateur background, no National Championships. So I pretty much had to come up the hard way. I can honestly say I’m not doing to bad.

Anson Wainwright – What do you like to do with your time when you’re not training or fighting?

Kermit Cintron – I love spending time with my kids and my wife. I try to enjoy being with them, hang out and chill. I do a lot of Golfing. My younger brother likes Bowling so I go Bowling with him.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for your fans?

Kermit Cintron – July 9th is my comeback fight after a year off. It’ll be on Showtime if you can’t make it to the fight in California at the Home Depot Center watch it on Showtime.

Thanks for your time Kermit. It’s good to see you getting back to action.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

LOS ANGELES (July 6, 2011) – Aside from some one-on-one, in-your-face jawing during a face-off for photographers, both Brandon “Bam Bam’’ Rios and Urbano Antillon were well-behaved and civil to each other during Wednesday’s final press conference for their highly anticipated world title fight this Saturday, July 9, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Rios and Antillon had spent weeks jawing, and at one point the heated verbal exchanges nearly caused them to come to blows, but Wednesday at Wilshire Grand Los Angeles their focus solo was on Saturday when Rios (27-0-1, 19 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif., defends his World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight championship against Antillon (28-2, 20 KOs), of Maywood, Calif., in the main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.

In the Top Rank-promoted co-feature at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., former International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight champion Kermit Cintron (32-3-1, 28 KOs), of Carolina, Puerto Rico, makes his first start in more than a year against Mexico’s Carlos Molina (18-4-2, 6 KOs), of Chicago, in a 10-round junior middleweight match.

The SHOWTIME telecast also will include highlights from overseas as IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute (28-0, 23 KOs) defends his title for an eighth time – but first in his home country of Romania – against mandatory challenger Jean-Paul Mendy (29-0-1, 16 KOs) of France.

In top undercard, non-televised fights at The Home Depot Center, unbeaten, No, 2-ranked World Boxing Organization (WBO) lightweight contender Mercito Gesta (21-0-1, 11 KOs), of Cebu, Philippines, meets had-hitting Jorge “El Tigre” Pimental (23-11, 17 KOs) of Sonora, Mex., undefeated former Notre Dame champion Mike Lee (5-0, 3 KOs) of Chicago takes on Michael Birthmark (2-5, 0 KOs) of Billings, Montana, in a light heavyweight bout and promising super bantamweight Gabino Saenz (3-0, 3 KOs), of Indio, Calif., will try to maintain his unblemished record against Quinice Wesby (1-1, 0 KOs) of Dallas.

Tickets, priced at $125, $75, $50 and $25, are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and online at www.Ticketmaster.com as well as The Home Depot Center Box Office (Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Suites are available by calling (877) 604-8777. The first live, non-televised fight Saturday starts at 4:05 p.m. PT. Doors open at 4.

What they said Wednesday:

PROMOTER BOB ARUM

“This is the fight that the fans want to see. A very limited number of tickets are still available and we are expecting a sellout. So get your tickets now.

“This is a fight that the casual fan will see and want to get back into boxing as real fans. This is the kind of fight that makes the casual fan a real fan of boxing. This is the kind of fight where they see that there is no other sport in the world as exciting as boxing.

“Kermit Cintron got a bad rap for what happened against Paul Williams. It was another typical media assassination. He was on his way to beating Williams and then somehow it gets written up that he gets tripped up and flies out of the ring like Superman and didn’t come back. That’s not what happened.

“There’s nothing in boxing like the passion involved in a neighborhood war. Unlike what I was used to in New York where we had distinct neighborhoods, here we have areas in Southern California which really have replaced neighborhoods. We have Maywood against Oxnard and people have been talking about this fight for a long, long time.”

BRANDON RIOS:

“I am 100 percent and they say they are a 100 percent so that equals a big force that’s going to be in the ring.

“It’s not just SHOWTIME now, it is war time. There will be no boxing on Saturday night. We are both brawlers who will try to beat the crap out of each other. Our skills are pretty much the same, no skill … just your typical street fight.

“For the first time in my life I’m actually going to make weight days before the weigh-in. I can’t believe it. It’s because I’m working with my new strength and conditioning coach Henry Castro. He’s been working my butt off.”

ROBERT GARCIA (Rios’ Trainer):

“We are just days away and we can’t wait for Saturday night. All the work has been done. Brandon’s never been in better shape and has never worked as hard for a fight.

“We have a world title to defend here. This is serious business so there’s no more messing around.

“I can’t wait. I’m so excited, just like Brandon is for Saturday night.”

URBANO ANTILLON:

“The moment is almost here and it’s a day I’ve been waiting for for awhile. We are both tough fighters and we want to leave it all out in the ring and that’s what we’re going to do.

“We are two guys who come forward and that’s what we’re going to do on Saturday night. We will both impose our will and someone will get broken down.

“This is a pivotal fight for me, one of the biggest of my career. This is the goal I’ve always had for myself, to be fighting the best there is.”

ABEL SANCHEZ (Antillon’s Trainer):

“I think it’s time for all the talking to stop and to get these boys in the ring to settle this.

“We’ve had a great training camp and so has Robert’s guy. This is my fourth camp with Urbano and he’s finally gotten it – finally bought into the system. We totally changed his method of training. In the Soto fight he was tentative and not that confident. You could tell. And he was two pounds overweight at the weigh-in. Now there are no problems and we are ready to go.”

KERMIT CINTRON

“It’s a great opportunity for me to be fighting for Top Rank and I thank them, my team, SHOWTIME, and everyone involved for making this fight happen. I’ve been waiting for my moment to shine and this is it.

“This is my first fight in 14 months and I’m ready to go. I’ve trained very hard. I think the time off did me good. Spending time with my family and kids did wonders for me and it gave my body a break. I’m re-energized and feel like I did before I took the time off.

“There is no pressure on me, but I’m actually looking to win the fight impressively. I know Molina pretty well. He helped me get ready for the second fight with Antonio Margarito and he gave me good work. Carlos is a crafty fighter who comes to win. I expect him to give it his all, and I’ll be ready for anything he brings. This is going to be a great fight.

“If everything goes OK on Saturday, my next fight will be back down at 147 pounds.’’

RONNIE SHIELDS (Cintron’s Trainer)

“Molina is a good fighter and a tough opponent, which is what Kermit needs. But we had a great camp, Kermit trained hard and he is ready.

“I’ve been asked a lot why we’re fighting such a tough guy after a year-plus layoff and the reason is that Kermit is one of the best fighters in the world.

“He knows Molina and I’d rather have Kermit fight someone that he knows is going to be tough rather than fight some guy he doesn’t know and maybe won’t work and train so hard for. If Kermit respects you, he’ll work his butt off, which is what he’s done for Molina.

“We wanted someone who would bring out the best in Kermit.’’

CARLOS MOLINA

“Everyone who knows me knows that I come to fight and that I will always give my best in the ring. This is a good opportunity and I’m going to try to win all the way. I’ve been in some very close fights with some very good fighters so I have the experience to fight a guy with the experience of Cintron.

“I want to thank Top Rank and Bob Arum. I’m ready to go and put up a helluva fight.’’

GABINO SAENZ

“I’m very excited to be fighting for Top Rank and looking forward to a good fight on Saturday. I don’t know much about my opponent but I fought in enough tournaments during the amateurs to know how to deal with the unknown. I’ll just fight my fight and adapt when I have to.

“To be able to sign with Top Rank is as good as it gets. They are the biggest promoter out there and they know how to move a fighter and help us make a name for ourselves. I’m hoping for a good performance on Saturday and looking forward to fighting on a lot of their shows. I’ll fight anybody they tell me to.’’

MIKE LEE

“I want to thank Top Rank for this fight and I’m excited to be fighting on this card. I’m looking forward to showing the kinds of skills we’ve been working on in camp.

“I really want to thank my team. They are the reason I’m standing here at this press conference and they are the reason why I’m undefeated.’’

Former welterweight champion Kermit Cintron will take on Carlos Moliina to kick off the July 9 Showtime broadcast that will be hadline by Brandon Rios defending the WBA Lightweight title against Urbano Antillon in Las Vegas according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“It’s not signed, but it’s all agreed to,” said Carl Moretti of Top Rank of Cintron-Molina. “It’s Mexico versus Puerto Rico, and that is always a great rivalry in boxing. The winner is going to get a big fight.”

“Molina is on a little bit of a roll with the draw over Lara and the win over Conyers,” Moretti said. “A lot of people thought he beat Lara. You have a highly motivated Molina and a Cintron, who has to beat someone like this to get back to where he wants to be at 147 or 154 pounds. I hate the cliche of it being called a crossroads fight, but it really is.”

A Cintron victory would likely put him back in the mix for a much bigger fight at welterweight or junior middleweight.

“He has the ability to fight at 147 or 154, so if he wins, Cintron puts himself into play for a lot of different fights,” said Moretti, noting that he could eventually face junior middleweight titleholders Miguel Cotto or Sergiy Dzinziruk. “There are a lot of names out there where if he wins, he can find himself another fight on premium cable.”