MARCO ANTONIO BARRERA VS. DANIEL PONCE DE LEON: LA ULTIMA BATALLA (THE LAST STAND) FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES INN OF THE MOUNTAIN GODS RESORT & CASINO FRIDAY, NOV. 19, 2021

MESCALERO, N.M. (Nov. 19, 2021) – Two Mexican boxing legends will lace up the gloves for one final night when Hall of Famer Marco Antonio Barrera (67-7, 44 KOs) returns to the ring for only the second time in more than a decade to square off against former two-time world champion Daniel Ponce de Leon (45-7, 35 KOs). The six-round middleweight exhibition and five additional bouts will air live on pay per view from Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino in Mescalero, New Mexico.

FITE PPV and Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Paid Online will televise the six-bout main card live on pay per view for $9.99 at 4:30 p.m. PT /5:30 p.m. MT/7:30 p.m. ET.

Kicking off the festivities, Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Facebook.com/GoldenBoyFN and FITE will stream six outstanding preliminary bouts for free at 2:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. MT/5:30 p.m. ET.

A Spanish-language broadcast will be available as a viewing option for both the pay-per-view and preliminary bouts.

Those hoping to attend the unforgettable, 12-fight Tapia Promotions extravaganza in person can purchase tickets starting at $75 through innofthemountaingods.com and  TicketMaster.com by searching “La Ultima Batalla – The Last Stand.”

In the exciting pay-per-view co feature, undefeated Abel Mendoza (30-0, 23 KOs) of El Paso, Texas, hopes to keep his perfect record intact and ascend to the upper echelon of the 135-pound division when he takes on Mexican brawler Victor Zaleta (20-5-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round clash.

Additionally, Nicco Tapia, the 16-year-old son of late Hall of Famer Johnny Tapia, hopes to take his first step toward a successful professional career when he makes his amateur boxing debut against Brian Lira.

Here is what the fighters had to say at Inn of the Mountain Gods on Friday, Nov. 19:

MARCO ANTONIO BARRERA: International Boxing Hall of Famer 

“I have one memory of Johnny Tapia: he was on the walk with me from the dressing room to the ring. It was my legendary fight with Naseem Hamed.”

“I want to show great respect to Daniel Ponce De Leon. He’s a great warrior, a great champion. We just hope to give the public a great show.”

DANIEL PONCE DE LEON: Former Two-time world champion

“Thank you to Teresa Tapia for this great event that is coming tomorrow.”

“I am ready for this fight. I am ready to continue fighting in these events.”

ABEL MENDOZA: Undefeated El Pasoan

“It’s going to be a war tomorrow. I’m going to give you guys a good show.”

“It’s my third time fighting here at Inn of the Mountain Gods. It’s my home. I plan on being a world champion soon and bringing the world title back home.”

NICCO TAPIA: Son of Johnny Tapia/Amateur Boxer

“I just want to thank my mom (Teresa Tapia), my trainer, and everyone who’s by my side.”

TERESA TAPIA: Boxing Promoter

“It is such an honor and a pleasure to be promoting these two stars (Barrera and De Leon). They’re both great fighters.”

“My 16-year-old son is going to make his amateur debut. I’m so proud as a momma, but also scared.”

About BARRERA-DE LEON: La Ultima Batalla (The Last Stand)

Two legendary former world champions return to the boxing ring one final time for a special six-round middleweight exhibition, as Tapia Promotions presents Barrera vs. Ponce De Leon “La Ultima Batalla” – “The Last Stand” on Saturday, Nov 20, at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino in Mescalero, New Mexico. The thrilling six-fight main card will be available via pay-per-view for $9.99 through both FITE PPV and Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Paid Online at 4:30 p.m. PT /5:30 p.m. MT/7:30 p.m. ET.  For the audiences watching in Mexico, both FITE and Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Paid Online will offer a Spanish-language broadcast of the event for $4.99. Kicking off the festivities two hours earlier, Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Facebook.com/GoldenBoyFN and FITE will stream the six outstanding preliminary bouts for free at 2:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. MT/5:30 p.m. ET.

Tickets starting at $75 are available through innofthemountaingods.com and  TicketMaster.com by searching “La Ultima Batalla – The Last Stand.”

About TAPIA PROMOTIONS

Teresa Tapia formed Tapia Promotions to continue the legacy of her legendary late husband, six-time world champion/Hall of Famer Johnny Tapia by providing thrilling boxing events to fight fans everywhere. One of the first female boxing promoters in the United States, Teresa successfully managed Johnny Tapia’s career from 1995-2011, and accepted his 2017 induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF). Additionally, in 2004, Teresa became the first and only female boxing manager in sweet science history to receive a special recognition award from the IBHOF. The multi-faceted promoter branched out in 2020 to produce the sports reality series “Stars and Champions,” which featured an intimate look at boxers’ lives both inside and outside of the ring.

About FITE

FITE is the premium global platform for live sports and entertainment offering many of the industry’s marquee PPV events and SVOD packages with over 5MM registered users. FITE is available worldwide through its iOS and Android mobile apps, Apple TV, Android TV, ROKU, Amazon Fire TV, and Huawei apps. In addition, FITE supports Samsung, LG, Cox Contour, Vizio SmartCast™, Virgin Media, Shaw Communications’ Blue Curve IPTV, Foxxum, Chromecast, PS4, XBOX, ZEASN, Netrange, Vidaa/Hisense, VEWD, Netgem TV, Comcast’s Xfinity 1 and Xfinity Flex as well as 7,000 models of Smart TVs. Available online at www.FITE.tv. Follow us on Twitter, InstagramYouTubeLinkedIN and FacebookFITEIt’s ON.

About GOLDEN BOY

Los Angeles-based Golden Boy was established in 2002 by Oscar De La Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. Golden Boy is a media and entertainment brand committed to making fighting entertainment more accessible and affordable. The company’s in-house production team develops creative original programming for RingTV.com and international channels across the globe. The company holds the exclusive rights to top boxers and has promoted some of the biggest and highest grossing events in the history of the sport. Now, Golden Boy is one of the most successful boxing entertainment companies in the world and shapes the future of boxing for fighters and fans alike. 




FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SEVEN YEARS TO TAKE ON HALL OF FAMER MARCO ANTONIO BARRERA IN FINAL FIGHT OF THEIR HISTORIC BOXING CAREERS SATURDAY, NOV. 20, 2021, ON FITE AND GOLDEN BOY PAY PER VIEW

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Nov. 15, 2021) – Although Daniel Ponce de Leon officially retired from boxing following his last bout more than seven years ago, the 41-year-old father of four has not completely removed himself from the sport in which he procured two world titles during a stellar 14-year career.

Since Miguel Roman stopped him on June 7, 2014, De Leon (45-7, 35 KOs) has remained active in the sweet science by training Mexican fighters Aaron Silver, Julio Madera, and Luis Varano, and serving as a boxing commentator for Fox Deportes, Estrella TV, and Facebook Live.

Returning competitively to the sport that brought him fame and fortune, the Mexican boxing legend will lace up the gloves one final time when he squares off against Hall of Famer Marco Antonio Barrera (67-7, 44 KOs) Saturday, Nov 20, 2021, on pay per view. The six-round super welterweight exhibition and four additional bouts will air live from the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino in Mescalero, New Mexico.

FITE PPV and Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Paid Online will televise the five-bout main card live on pay per view for $9.99 at 4:30 p.m. PT /5:30 p.m. MT/7:30 p.m. ET.

“Boxing is in my blood, and it is difficult to leave it,” said the Chihuahua, Mexico, native. “I was already anxious to fight again before I talked to (promoter) Teresa Tapia and am thrilled to return. Time has passed quickly and here I am ready to fight again.”

In addition to commentating and training championship hopefuls, De Leon aims to demonstrate to the younger generation that seasoned veterans can also prove their mettle in the squared circle.

“I want to show that age does not matter, and it is possible to succeed in the ring after seven years away,” said the El Monte, Calif., resident. “I am happy to still be able to do what I love the most.”

Admitting that it was initially difficult to shake off the ring rust, De Leon remains confident that boxing enthusiasts will see his best on Nov. 20.

“It was difficult to catch the training rhythm and lose weight at the beginning of my return. Now I go running every day, shadow box, work the mitts, spar a few rounds, and finish off each session with strength exercises and stretching. I will be ready to show my best.”

While many fighters list taking home a world title as their greatest boxing accomplishment, the proud papa reflects upon his professional career from a unique perspective.

“I have beautiful memories from my boxing career,” De Leon reminisced. “I will never forget the happiness on my kids’ faces when they saw me win my fights. They were always with me watching from the front row.”

The former two-division world champion is eager to display his skills and holds nothing but the utmost respect for his upcoming opponent.

“Barrera is a great warrior who fought many historic opponents,” said the 2000 Mexican Olympic team member who battled eight world titleholders during his pro career. “It is an honor to face such a great Mexican champion.”

After securing a bronze medal at the 1999 Pan American Games during his amateur boxing career, De Leon claimed the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight title in October 2005 and made six successful defenses.

Nearly seven years after earning his first world title, the southpaw slugger collected a second with an eight-round technical decision over Jhonny Gonzalez in September 2012 to take home the World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight crown.

Raised in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range in Mexico, De Leon is a member of the Tarahumara tribe, a group of indigenous people renowned for long-distance running.

“The Tarahumara Warrior” who overcame extreme poverty during his early childhood years living in Chihuahua, will provide everything he has during his final pro contest five days before Thanksgiving against “The Baby-Faced Assassin.”

“Fans everywhere can expect the best of me,” De Leon insisted. “I have taken this seriously and plan to put up a good fight against Barrera.”

In the first exciting pay-per-view co feature, undefeated Abel Mendoza (30-0, 23 KOs) of El Paso, Texas, hopes to keep his perfect record intact and ascend to the upper echelon of the 135-pound division when he takes on Mexican brawler Victor Zaleta (20-5-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round clash.

Rounding out the pay-per-view card will be a welterweight showdown of hard-hitting Albuquerque pugilists as undefeated Clinton Chavez (5-0, 4 KOs) faces once-beaten Cristian Castillo (3-1, 3 KOs), as well as a 270-pound battle royale pitting two Streetbeefs standouts making their pro boxing debuts when Cody Beck takes on Jonathan Rice.

Kicking off the festivities, Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Facebook.com/GoldenBoyFN and FITE will stream Nicco Tapia’s debut and four additional outstanding preliminary bouts for free at 2 p.m. PT/3 p.m. MT/5 p.m. ET.

A Spanish-language broadcast will be available as a viewing option for both the pay-per-view and preliminary bouts.

Those hoping to attend the unforgettable, 10-fight Tapia Promotions extravaganza in person can purchase tickets starting at $75 through innofthemountaingods.com and  TicketMaster.com by searching “La Ultima Batalla – The Last Stand.”

About BARRERA-DE LEON: La Ultima Batalla (The Last Stand)

Two legendary former world champions return to the boxing ring one final time for a special six-round welterweight exhibition, as Tapia Promotions presents Barrera vs. Ponce De Leon “La Ultima Batalla” – “The Last Stand” on Saturday, Nov 20, at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino in Mescalero, New Mexico. The thrilling five-fight main card will be available via pay-per-view for $9.99 through both FITE PPV and Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Paid Online at 4:30 p.m. PT /5:30 p.m. MT/7:30 p.m. ET.  For the audiences watching in Mexico, both FITE and Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Paid Online will offer a Spanish-language broadcast of the event for $4.99. Kicking off the festivities two hours earlier, Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Facebook.com/GoldenBoyFN and FITE will stream the five outstanding preliminary bouts for free at 2:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. MT/5:30 p.m. ET.

Tickets starting at $75 are available through innofthemountaingods.com and  TicketMaster.com by searching “La Ultima Batalla – The Last Stand.”

About TAPIA PROMOTIONS

Teresa Tapia formed Tapia Promotions to continue the legacy of her legendary late husband, six-time world champion/Hall of Famer Johnny Tapia by providing thrilling boxing events to fight fans everywhere. One of the first female boxing promoters in the United States, Teresa successfully managed Johnny Tapia’s career from 1995-2011, and accepted his 2017 induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBOF). Additionally, in 2004, Teresa became the first and only female boxing manager in sweet science history to receive a special recognition award from the IBOF. The multi-faceted promoter branched out in 2020 to produce the sports reality series “Stars and Champions,” which featured an intimate look at boxers’ lives both inside and outside of the ring.

About FITE

FITE is the premium global platform for live sports and entertainment offering many of the industry’s marquee PPV events and SVOD packages with over 5MM registered users. FITE is available worldwide through its iOS and Android mobile apps, Apple TV, Android TV, ROKU, Amazon Fire TV, and Huawei apps. In addition, FITE supports Samsung, LG, Cox Contour, Vizio SmartCast™, Virgin Media, Shaw Communications’ Blue Curve IPTV, Foxxum, Chromecast, PS4, XBOX, ZEASN, Netrange, Vidaa/Hisense, VEWD, Netgem TV, Comcast’s Xfinity 1 and Xfinity Flex as well as 7,000 models of Smart TVs. Available online at www.FITE.tv. Follow us on Twitter, InstagramYouTubeLinkedIN and FacebookFITEIt’s ON.

About GOLDEN BOY

Los Angeles-based Golden Boy was established in 2002 by Oscar De La Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. Golden Boy is a media and entertainment brand committed to making fighting entertainment more accessible and affordable. The company’s in-house production team develops creative original programming for RingTV.com and international channels across the globe. The company holds the exclusive rights to top boxers and has promoted some of the biggest and highest grossing events in the history of the sport. Now, Golden Boy is one of the most successful boxing entertainment companies in the world and shapes the future of boxing for fighters and fans alike. 




16-YEAR-OLD JOHNNY “NICCO” TAPIA STRIVES TO FOLLOW IN HIS LEGENDARY DAD’S FOOTSTEPS AS HE MAKES HIS AMATEUR BOXING DEBUT ON HIS MOM TERESA’S FIGHT CARD SATURDAY, NOV. 20, 2021, IN MESCALERO, NEW MEXICO

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Nov. 13, 2021) – While countless high school juniors concern themselves with standardized test scores and submitting college applications, Johnny “Nicco” Tapia, the youngest son and namesake of the late five-time world champion, will commence his pursuit of a pro boxing career when he makes his amateur debut on the preliminary portion of his Mom Teresa’s Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Daniel Ponce de Leon pay-per-view fight card Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021.

“Boxing is a passion,” said the 16-year-old currently working toward earning his diploma online. “I love stepping into the ring, getting hit, and feeling the crowd’s energy.”

In the Nov. 20 main event, two Mexican boxing legends will lace up the gloves for one final night when Hall of Famer Marco Antonio Barrera (67-7, 44 KOs) returns to the ring for only the second time in more than a decade to square off against former two-time world champion Daniel Ponce de Leon (45-7, 35 KOs). The six-round super welterweight exhibition and four additional bouts will air live on pay per view from Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino in Mescalero, New Mexico.

FITE PPV and Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Paid Online will televise the five-bout main card live on pay per view for $9.99 at 4:30 p.m. PT /5:30 p.m. MT/7:30 p.m. ET

A native of Las Cruces, N.M., Nicco trains in the Tapia home garage, enjoys studying sociology to “look at people from a different perspective,” dislikes mathematics, and currently has no plans to further an academic career following his 2023 graduation.

“I don’t really plan to go to college,” said the music fan who freestyle raps in his downtime. “I want to keep pushing myself in the ring and turn pro as soon as I get enough experience.”

Surrounded by the sweet science from an early age, Nicco fondly looks back on innumerable heartwarming memories of watching his father train for upcoming fights.

“I used to go to the gym and run around with my Dad every day. When the bell rang, I held up the gloves with him.”

Outside of boxing, the father-son pairing spent quality time playing other sports, enjoying delicious desserts, and tuning into their favorite television programs.

“We used to go to the park, play basketball, and jump on the trampoline,” Nicco recalled. “Dad used to give me ice cream sandwiches. I remember going into his room and watching the show ‘Cops’ together.”

Aiming to find inspiration and discover boxing tips from one of boxing’s all-time greatest fighters, young Nicco frequently rewatches Johnny’s classic bouts.

“I study his speed, head movement, and angles,” said the teenager who models much of his fighting style after his Dad and Marvelous Marvin Hagler.

When asked to name his favorite “Mi Vida Loca” fight, Nicco did not hesitate in listing Johnny Tapia’s hard-fought victory over fellow Albuquerquean and former world champion Danny Romero for the IBF/WBO junior bantamweight titles on July 18, 1997, in Las Vegas, Nev.

“The crowd was wild and crazy,” Nicco recollected. “I love studying my Dad’s boxing technique.”

Originally scheduled to fight at Inn of the Mountain Gods on July 31, 2021, the aspiring actor and former viola player pulled out of his amateur debut when he sustained a hand fracture.

“I was playing football with friends and landed on my hand wrong,” lamented the proud holder of a driver’s license. “It was the first time I injured myself.”

Less than four months later, Nicco is eager to thrill the Mescalero crowd on Nov. 20 before Barrera and De Leon take center stage.

“I am ticking off the days and can’t wait for this night to come.”

Kicking off the festivities, Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Facebook.com/GoldenBoyFN and FITE will stream Nicco Tapia’s debut and four additional outstanding preliminary bouts for free at 2 p.m. PT/3 p.m. MT/5 p.m. ET.

A Spanish-language broadcast will be available as a viewing option for both the pay-per-view and preliminary bouts.

Those hoping to attend the unforgettable, 10-fight Tapia Promotions extravaganza in person can purchase tickets starting at $75 through innofthemountaingods.com and  TicketMaster.com by searching “La Ultima Batalla – The Last Stand.”

About BARRERA-DE LEON: La Ultima Batalla (The Last Stand)

Two legendary former world champions return to the boxing ring one final time for a special six-round welterweight exhibition, as Tapia Promotions presents Barrera vs. Ponce De Leon “La Ultima Batalla” – “The Last Stand” on Saturday, Nov 20, at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino in Mescalero, New Mexico. The thrilling five-fight main card will be available via pay-per-view for $9.99 through both FITE PPV and Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Paid Online at 4:30 p.m. PT /5:30 p.m. MT/7:30 p.m. ET.  For the audiences watching in Mexico, both FITE and Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Paid Online will offer a Spanish-language broadcast of the event for $4.99. Kicking off the festivities two hours earlier, Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Facebook.com/GoldenBoyFN and FITE will stream the five outstanding preliminary bouts for free at 2:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. MT/5:30 p.m. ET.

Tickets starting at $75 are available through innofthemountaingods.com and  TicketMaster.com by searching “La Ultima Batalla – The Last Stand.”

About TAPIA PROMOTIONS

Teresa Tapia formed Tapia Promotions to continue the legacy of her legendary late husband, six-time world champion/Hall of Famer Johnny Tapia by providing thrilling boxing events to fight fans everywhere. One of the first female boxing promoters in the United States, Teresa successfully managed Johnny Tapia’s career from 1995-2011, and accepted his 2017 induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBOF). Additionally, in 2004, Teresa became the first and only female boxing manager in sweet science history to receive a special recognition award from the IBOF. The multi-faceted promoter branched out in 2020 to produce the sports reality series “Stars and Champions,” which featured an intimate look at boxers’ lives both inside and outside of the ring.

About FITE

FITE is the premium global platform for live sports and entertainment offering many of the industry’s marquee PPV events and SVOD packages with over 5MM registered users. FITE is available worldwide through its iOS and Android mobile apps, Apple TV, Android TV, ROKU, Amazon Fire TV, and Huawei apps. In addition, FITE supports Samsung, LG, Cox Contour, Vizio SmartCast™, Virgin Media, Shaw Communications’ Blue Curve IPTV, Foxxum, Chromecast, PS4, XBOX, ZEASN, Netrange, Vidaa/Hisense, VEWD, Netgem TV, Comcast’s Xfinity 1 and Xfinity Flex as well as 7,000 models of Smart TVs. Available online at www.FITE.tv. Follow us on Twitter, InstagramYouTubeLinkedIN and FacebookFITEIt’s ON.

About GOLDEN BOY

Los Angeles-based Golden Boy was established in 2002 by Oscar De La Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. Golden Boy is a media and entertainment brand committed to making fighting entertainment more accessible and affordable. The company’s in-house production team develops creative original programming for RingTV.com and international channels across the globe. The company holds the exclusive rights to top boxers and has promoted some of the biggest and highest grossing events in the history of the sport. Now, Golden Boy is one of the most successful boxing entertainment companies in the world and shapes the future of boxing for fighters and fans alike. 




UNDEFEATED EL PASOAN ABEL MENDOZA HAS SURVIVED HOMELESSNESS AND VIOLENT CHILDHOOD SURROUNDINGS TO BATTLE FORMER WORLD TITLE CHALLENGER VICTOR ZALETA SATURDAY, NOV. 20, 2021 ON FITE AND GOLDEN BOY PAY PER VIEW

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Nov. 12, 2021) – From overcoming a crime-ridden, west Texas childhood environment to his father’s incarceration and living out of a car as a teenager, the path toward fighting three-time world title challenger Victor Zaleta on Tapia Promotions’ Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Daniel Ponce de Leon pay-per-view card Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, has been anything but smooth sailing for the undefeated El Paso boxer Abel Mendoza.

“I was surrounded by violence growing up,” said the 25-year-old lightweight contender who is 30-0 with 23 KOs. “A lot of people that I was around went to prison; I was the only one who didn’t. Boxing was my way out, my safe haven. The sport saved me.”

In the Nov. 20 main event, two Mexican boxing legends will lace up the gloves for one final night when Hall of Famer Marco Antonio Barrera (67-7, 44 KOs) returns to the ring for only the second time in more than a decade to square off against former two-time world champion Daniel Ponce de Leon (45-7, 35 KOs). The six-round super welterweight exhibition and four additional bouts will air live on pay per view from Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino in Mescalero, New Mexico.

FITE PPV and Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Paid Online will televise the five-bout main card live on pay per view for $9.99 at 4:30 p.m. PT /5:30 p.m. MT/7:30 p.m. ET

After initially lacing up the gloves at four years old and capturing the Regional Silver Gloves at age eight in Odessa, Texas, the Fort Stockton native secured five titles while defeating all but 20 of his 300 amateur boxing opponents.

However, numerous obstacles have beset Abel on his road toward achieving he and his father’s goal of the young fighter becoming a world champion.

“My Dad got into some trouble at the beginning of my boxing career,” Abel said. “He was on house arrest and then went to jail for a while. It was an extremely difficult time for my family.”

While still in high school, the 17-year-old Mendoza often slept in his vehicle after moving from Odessa to El Paso to become a professional boxer.

“That was a point in my career when I was homeless,” the aspiring titleholder recalled. “I was surrounded by a lot of violence and crime in Odessa and left because I wanted a fresh start. Sometimes I had to stay in my car.”

Never one to shy away from strenuous manual labor, Mendoza’s first job consisted of unearthing fruit in a Pecos, Texas, field with his grandfather at age 13.

“It was summer, and we picked cantaloupes in the hot sun all day,” said the multi-faceted student who is currently taking psychology classes at Odessa College. “That was the year I first won Nationals. I still trained while working in the fields. It was the best and the worst.”

Recalling the arduous memories when he did not know where he would sleep or locate his next meal, the Native American history fan finds solace in giving back to the El Paso community during the holiday season.

“I love to help out at shelters because I have been in that situation where I needed food and a place to stay,” said Santa’s helper who also hands out gifts at west Texas hospitals each December. “It makes me feel good to see the children smile.”

Hoping to battle for a world crown within the next year, the never-married Mendoza counsels the wedded on social media when not honing his skills in the squared circle.

“I go on Instagram Live because people ask me for marriage advice. A lot of people need help.”

Kicking off the festivities, Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Facebook.com/GoldenBoyFN and FITE will stream the five outstanding preliminary bouts for free at 2 p.m. PT/3 p.m. MT/5 p.m. ET.

Additionally, a Spanish-language broadcast will be available as a viewing option for both the pay-per-view and preliminary bouts.

Those hoping to attend the unforgettable, 10-fight Tapia Promotions extravaganza in person can purchase tickets starting at $75 through innofthemountaingods.com and  TicketMaster.com by searching “La Ultima Batalla – The Last Stand.”

About BARRERA-DE LEON: La Ultima Batalla (The Last Stand)

Two legendary former world champions return to the boxing ring one final time for a special six-round welterweight exhibition, as Tapia Promotions presents Barrera vs. Ponce De Leon “La Ultima Batalla” – “The Last Stand” on Saturday, Nov 20, at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino in Mescalero, New Mexico. The thrilling five-fight main card will be available via pay-per-view for $9.99 through both FITE PPV and Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Paid Online at 4:30 p.m. PT /5:30 p.m. MT/7:30 p.m. ET.  For the audiences watching in Mexico, both FITE and Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Paid Online will offer a Spanish-language broadcast of the event for $4.99. Kicking off the festivities two hours earlier, Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Facebook.com/GoldenBoyFN and FITE will stream the five outstanding preliminary bouts for free at 2:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. MT/5:30 p.m. ET.

Tickets starting at $75 are available through innofthemountaingods.com and  TicketMaster.com by searching “La Ultima Batalla – The Last Stand.”

About TAPIA PROMOTIONS

Teresa Tapia formed Tapia Promotions to continue the legacy of her legendary late husband, six-time world champion/Hall of Famer Johnny Tapia by providing thrilling boxing events to fight fans everywhere. One of the first female boxing promoters in the United States, Teresa successfully managed Johnny Tapia’s career from 1995-2011, and accepted his 2017 induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBOF). Additionally, in 2004, Teresa became the first and only female boxing manager in sweet science history to receive a special recognition award from the IBOF. The multi-faceted promoter branched out in 2020 to produce the sports reality series “Stars and Champions,” which featured an intimate look at boxers’ lives both inside and outside of the ring.

About FITE

FITE is the premium global platform for live sports and entertainment offering many of the industry’s marquee PPV events and SVOD packages with over 5MM registered users. FITE is available worldwide through its iOS and Android mobile apps, Apple TV, Android TV, ROKU, Amazon Fire TV, and Huawei apps. In addition, FITE supports Samsung, LG, Cox Contour, Vizio SmartCast™, Virgin Media, Shaw Communications’ Blue Curve IPTV, Foxxum, Chromecast, PS4, XBOX, ZEASN, Netrange, Vidaa/Hisense, VEWD, Netgem TV, Comcast’s Xfinity 1 and Xfinity Flex as well as 7,000 models of Smart TVs. Available online at www.FITE.tv. Follow us on Twitter, InstagramYouTubeLinkedIN and FacebookFITEIt’s ON.

About GOLDEN BOY

Los Angeles-based Golden Boy was established in 2002 by Oscar De La Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. Golden Boy is a media and entertainment brand committed to making fighting entertainment more accessible and affordable. The company’s in-house production team develops creative original programming for RingTV.com and international channels across the globe. The company holds the exclusive rights to top boxers and has promoted some of the biggest and highest grossing events in the history of the sport. Now, Golden Boy is one of the most successful boxing entertainment companies in the world and shapes the future of boxing for fighters and fans alike. 

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MARCO ANTONIO BARRERA TO BATTLE DANIEL PONCE DE LEON IN FINAL FIGHT OF THEIR HISTORIC BOXING CAREERS

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Nov. 3, 2021) – Two Mexican boxing legends will lace up the gloves for one final night when Hall of Famer Marco Antonio Barrera returns to the ring for only the second time in more than a decade to square off against former two-time world champion Daniel Ponce de Leon on Saturday, Nov 20, 2021, live on pay per view from the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino in Mescalero, New Mexico.

Viewers have an opportunity to ring in the Thanksgiving holiday five days early as both FITE PPV and Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Paid Online will televise the thrilling, six-round super welterweight exhibition as well as four additional main-card bouts live on pay per view for $9.99 at 4:30 p.m. PT /5:30 p.m. MT/7:30 p.m. ET. For the audiences watching in Mexico, both FITE and Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Paid Online will offer a Spanish-language broadcast of the event for $4.99.

Kicking off the festivities two hours earlier, Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Facebook.com/GoldenBoyFN and FITE will stream the five outstanding preliminary bouts for free at 2:00 p.m. PT/3:00 p.m. MT/5:00 p.m. ET.

Those hoping to attend the unforgettable, 10-fight Tapia Promotions extravaganza in person can purchase tickets starting at $75 through innofthemountaingods.com and TicketMaster.com by searching “La Ultima Batalla – The Last Stand.”

Barrera (67-7, 44 KOs) will make only his second exhibition appearance since the International Boxing Hall of Fame inducted the legendary fighter in 2017. The “Baby Faced Assassin” last fought fellow retired boxer Jesus Soto Karass in a six-round contest featuring two-minute rounds, 16-ounce gloves, and no judges on June 11, 2021, Pico Rivera, Calif.

Ranked by No. 43 among the greatest boxers of all time by ESPN, Barrera has captured world titles across three weight divisions and earned 43 consecutive victories at the onset of his illustrious pro career.

Never one to shy away from an opponent, the pride of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, has battled many of the sweet science’s finest, including fellow Hall of Famers Erik Morales (three times), Johnny Tapia, and Juan Manuel Marquez, as well as future IBOFer Manny Pacquiao, Paulie Ayala, Naseem Hamed, and Amir Kahn.

De Leon (45-7, 35 KOs), of Chihuahua, Mexico, will make his dramatic return to the famed squared circle for the first time in more than seven years. Fighting out of West Covina, Calif., the 2000 Mexican Olympic team member opened his career with 24 consecutive victories, including 23 by knockout.

A former two-division world champion, De Leon claimed the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight title in October 2005 and made six successful defenses. Nearly seven years after earning his first world title, the southpaw slugger garnered a second with an eight-round technical decision over Jhonny Gonzalez in September 2012 to claim the World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight crown.

In the first exciting pay-per-view co feature, undefeated Abel Mendoza (30-0, 23 KOs) of El Paso, Texas, hopes to keep his perfect record intact and ascend to the upper echelon of the 135-pound division when he takes on Mexican brawler Victor Zaleta (20-5-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round clash.

Rounding out the pay-per-view card will be a welterweight showdown of hard-hitting Albuquerque pugilists as undefeated Clinton Chavez (5-0, 4 KOs) faces once-beaten Cristian Castillo (3-1, 3 KOs), as well as a 270-pound battle royale pitting two Streetbeefs standouts making their pro boxing debuts when Cody Beck takes on Jonathan Rice.

A fifth pay-per-view fight and the complete preliminary card for “La Ultima Batalla” (The Last Stand) will be announced soon.

“We are thrilled to partner with FITE and Golden Boy Promotions to bring this momentous night to boxing fans around the world,” said Teresa Tapia, president of Tapia Promotions. “It is an honor to present two legendary fighters showcasing their talents one last time.”

“FITE is pleased to offer this special PPV event to its users around the world,” said Michael Weber, COO of FITE. “The return of Marco Antonio Barrera and Daniel Ponce de Leon to the ring will be a battle you won’t want to miss.”

“Golden Boy Promotions is excited to work with Tapia Promotions and FITE for this historic night of boxing,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “I am proud to say that I have worked with Barrera and Ponce De Leon, who are two of the sport’s great Mexican legends. I have always loved their boxing style and know that they will deliver a fight to remember. I can’t wait to see them return to the ring for their ‘Ultima Batalla’ Nov. 20.”

About BARRERA-DE LEON: La Ultima Batalla (The Last Stand)
Two legendary former world champions return to the boxing ring one final time for a special six-round welterweight exhibition, as Tapia Promotions presents Barrera vs. Ponce De Leon “La Ultima Batalla” – “The Last Stand” on Saturday, Nov 20, at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino in Mescalero, New Mexico. The thrilling five-fight main card will be available via pay-per-view for $9.99 through both FITE PPV and Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Paid Online at 4:30 p.m. PT /5:30 p.m. MT/7:30 p.m. ET. For the audiences watching in Mexico, both FITE and Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Paid Online will offer a Spanish-language broadcast of the event for $4.99. Kicking off the festivities two hours earlier, Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Facebook.com/GoldenBoyFN and FITE will stream the five outstanding preliminary bouts for free at 2:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. MT/5:30 p.m. ET.

Tickets starting at $75 are available through innofthemountaingods.com and TicketMaster.com by searching “La Ultima Batalla – The Last Stand.”

About TAPIA PROMOTIONS
Teresa Tapia formed Tapia Promotions to continue the legacy of her legendary late husband, six-time world champion/Hall of Famer Johnny Tapia by providing thrilling boxing events to fight fans everywhere. One of the first female boxing promoters in the United States, Teresa successfully managed Johnny Tapia’s career from 1995-2011, and accepted his 2017 induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBOF). Additionally, in 2004, Teresa became the first and only female boxing manager in sweet science history to receive a special recognition award from the IBOF. The multi-faceted promoter branched out in 2020 to produce the sports reality series “Stars and Champions,” which featured an intimate look at boxers’ lives both inside and outside of the ring.

About FITE
FITE is the premium global platform for live sports and entertainment offering many of the industry’s marquee PPV events and SVOD packages with over 5MM registered users. FITE is available worldwide through its iOS and Android mobile apps, Apple TV, Android TV, ROKU, Amazon Fire TV, and Huawei apps. In addition, FITE supports Samsung, LG, Cox Contour, Vizio SmartCast™, Virgin Media, Shaw Communications’ Blue Curve IPTV, Foxxum, Chromecast, PS4, XBOX, ZEASN, Netrange, Vidaa/Hisense, VEWD, Netgem TV, Comcast’s Xfinity 1 and Xfinity Flex as well as 7,000 models of Smart TVs. Available online at www.FITE.tv. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIN and Facebook. FITE: It’s ON.

About GOLDEN BOY
Los Angeles-based Golden Boy was established in 2002 by Oscar De La Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. Golden Boy is a media and entertainment brand committed to making fighting entertainment more accessible and affordable. The company’s in-house production team develops creative original programming for RingTV.com and international channels across the globe. The company holds the exclusive rights to top boxers and has promoted some of the biggest and highest grossing events in the history of the sport. Now, Golden Boy is one of the most successful boxing entertainment companies in the world and shapes the future of boxing for fighters and fans alike.




Hall of Famer Marco Antonio Barrera and Two-time World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon to Make Triumphant Returns to Boxing in Six-Round Welterweight Showdown, Headlining a Tapia Promotions Event Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino in Mescalero, New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Sept. 13, 2021) – International Boxing Hall of Famer and former three-division world champion Marco Antonio Barrera will return to the ring for the first time in more than a decade when he squares off against former two-time world titleholder Daniel Ponce de Leon on Saturday, Nov 20, 2021, at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino in Mescalero, New Mexico.

Come celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday five days early as these two legendary fighters square off in a six-round welterweight clash and headline an electrifying, eight-fight Tapia Promotions card.

Barrera (67-7, 44 KOs) makes his dramatic comeback four years after being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017. Ranked by No. 43 among the greatest boxers of all time by ESPN, the “Baby Faced Assassin” has captured world titles across three weight divisions and earned 43 consecutive victories at the onset of his illustrious pro career.

Never one to shy away from an opponent, the pride of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, has battled many of the sweet science’s finest including fellow Hall of Famers Erik Morales (three times), Johnny Tapia, and Juan Manuel Marquez, as well as future IBOFer Manny Pacquiao, Paulie Ayala, Naseem Hamed, and Amir Kahn.

De Leon (45-7, 35 KOs), of Chihuahua, Mexico, will make his dramatic return to the famed squared circle for the first time in more than seven years. Fighting out of Huntington Park, Calif., the 2000 Mexican Olympic team member opened his career with 24 consecutive victories, including 23 by knockout.

A former two-division world champion, De Leon claimed the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight title in October 2005 and made six successful defenses. Nearly seven years after earning his first world title, the southpaw slugger garnered a second with an eight-round technical decision over Jhonny Gonzalez in September 2012 to claim the World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight crown.

In the first of two exciting co-features, undefeated super featherweight contender Abel Mendoza (30-0, 23 KOs) hopes to keep his perfect record intact and ascend to the upper echelon of the 130-pound division when he takes on fellow El Paso, Texas, brawler Antonio Escalante (29-11, 20 KOs) in a 10-round clash.

The second co feature pits Josh “Pitbull” Torres (23-7-2, 14 KOs), returning to Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino against once-beaten Steven “Manos de Oro” Villalobos (15-1-1, 11 KOs) in a welterweight showdown.

Rounding out the card will be a found-round, 270-pound battle royale pitting Streetbeefs standouts Cody Beck and Johnathon Rice making their pro debuts, undefeated up-and-comers Clinton Chavez (Albuquerque, N.M.), Javier Fernandez (San Antonio, Texas) and Angel Chavez (Sacramento, Calif.) against opponents to be named, and Luis Angel Jimenez of El Paso in his initial pro bout.

Tickets for the thrilling eight-fight extravaganza promoted by Tapia Promotions start at $75 and are on sale exclusively via https://innofthemountaingods.com




FORMER WORLD TITLE CHALLENGER MERCITO ‘NO MERCY’ GESTA TO FACE ROBERTO ‘TITO’ MANZANAREZ IN MAIN EVENT OF JUNE 14 EDITION OF GOLDEN BOY BOXING ON ESPN FOR NABO LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP


LOS ANGELES (May 17, 2018): Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (31-2-2, 17 KOs), the former world title challenger of Cebu, Philippines will battle 135-pound contender Roberto “Tito” Manzanarez (35-1, 28 KOs) of Phoenix, Arizona in a 10-round fight for the NABO Lightweight Title in the main event of the June 14 edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. ESPN will air the fights beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT, and stream live on ESPN3 starting at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. ESPN Deportes will air the fights on Friday, June 15 at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

Gesta, who now calls San Diego, Calif. his home, is a 30-year-old contender who has defeated quality opponents such as Gilberto “El Flaco” Gonzalez and Martin “El Brochas” Honorio. The southpaw will return after his second world title opportunity, which was against WBA, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine World Champion Jorge “El Niño de Oro” Linares, considered the very best lightweight in the world at the time. In his first shot at a title, Gesta fought Miguel “Titere” Vazquez for the IBF Lightweight World Championship.

“I can’t wait to get back into the ring and put on a great show against Roberto Manzanarez,” said Mercito Gesta. “Roberto is a young, tall, talented, and a hungry fighter with an outstanding fight record. I’ve been training hard with my dad, my team, and Coach Freddie Roach, and come June 14, Robert and I will give the boxing fans a great fight!”

Manzanarez is a solid contender who, though born in the United States, has spent most of his career fighting in Mexico. The 23-year-old pugilist has defeated former world champion Gamaliel “El Platano” Diaz and former world title contender Hector “Charro Negro” Gonzalez. Manzanarez is ready to make his name in the lightweight division in his first main event on ESPNand first attempt for a regional title.

“This fight is very important for me,” said Roberto Manzanarez. “All fights are important, but this one is the most important one because winning this fight will earn me more opportunities. I’m working on everything in the gym. I know the style of Mercito Gesta and I know that he’s fast. But I’m working very hard to win this fight.”

The co-main event will feature an exciting battle between two undefeated Golden Boy Promotions prospects as Edgar “Kid Neza” Valerio (13-0, 8 KOs) takes on Manny “Chato” Robles III (15-0, 7 KOs) for the vacant NABF Featherweight Title.

Valerio is a heavy-handed prospect who earned his undefeated record by defeating one tough opponent after another. The 23-year-old native of Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico is ready to be considered a contender, but only if he can get past his Golden Boy Promotions stablemate.

“I am thankful for another opportunity,” said Edgar Valerio. “I will give the fans a great fight. Without a doubt this clash of undefeated prospects will exceed expectations and emotions. I await a great productive night of boxing for my team and myself.”

Robles III is a 23-year-old native of Southern California who has steadily built his resume since making his professional debut in 2012. Robles III made his headlining debut in Sept. 2017 when he defeated Jose Estrella in an LA FIGHT CLUB event, and he’ll be one victory away from contender status if triumphant on June 14.

“Valerio is a good, talented fighter, but it’s nothing I haven’t seen before,” said
Manny Robles III. “I never underestimate anyone that’s why I’m training my butt off. I understand this is the biggest fight of my career. The only thing I’m worried about is my opponent and being victorious.”

Former two-division world champion Daniel Ponce De Leon will be the special VIP guest for this action-packed event. The native of Ciudad Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua, Mexico made his name in the sport of boxing as one of Golden Boy Promotions’ first prospects and champions, defeating the likes of Orlando “El Fenomeno” Cruz and Jhonny Gonzalez in his celebrated career. Ponce De Leon will be in attendance for this event to meet fans, sign autographs and take pictures inside the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center before the ESPN transmission begins. The meet-and-greet is open to the public with the purchase of a ticket to the event.

The undercard of this event will feature prospects from around the nation. Herbert “Ace” Acevedo (14-2, 6 KOs), a native of Garden City, Kansas, will take on David Thomas (6-2-1, 2 KOs) in a six-round super lightweight battle. Rommel Caballero (0-0-1) of Coachella, Calif. will return in a four-round super featherweight clash, while Luis Feliciano (6-0, 3 KOs) of Utuado, Puerto Rico will participate in an eight-round 140-pound bout. Opponents for these two prospects will be announced shortly.

Gesta vs. Manzanarez is a 10-round fight for the NABO Lightweight Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy, “Never Stop, Never Settle.” The fights will take place on Thursday, June 14, 2018 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. ESPN will air the fights beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT, and stream live on ESPN3 starting at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. ESPN Deportes will air the fights on Friday, June 15 at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the event go on sale Thursday, May 17, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. PT and start at $25. Tickets will be available at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office, by calling 1-800-827-2946, or by purchasing online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

Media interested in attending Golden Boy Boxing: Gesta vs. Manzanarez must request credentials by emailing clavoie@fantasysprings.net by 5:00 p.m. PT on Friday, June 8.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and http://www.espn.com/boxing/; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @ESPN, and @ESPNBoxeo; become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing; and follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing and @OscarDeLaHoya. Follow the conversation using #GBPonESPN.

Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here copying and pasting link: http://bit.ly/GestaManzanarez into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.




JOSEPH “JOJO” DIAZ, JR., ROY TAPIA AND NICK ARCE LOS ANGELES MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTE

SOUTH EL MONTE, Calif. (July 26, 2016) – As the summer heat hits its peak, Golden Boy Promotions fighters undefeated NABF Featherweight Champion Joseph “Jojo” Diaz, Jr. (20-0, 11 KOs), super featherweight prospect Nick “La Calavera” Arce (8-0-0, 6 KOs), and super bantamweight prospect Roy “Pitbull” Tapia (11-1-2, 6 KOs) held a media workout for their upcoming headlining fights at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on Saturday, July 30. Jiaro Hernandez (15-9, 8 KOs) of Torreon, Mexico, who is now training out of Los Angeles, was also in attendance with former world champion Daniel Ponce De Leon ahead of his scheduled fight against Roy Tapia.

NABF Featherweight Champion Joseph “Jojo” Diaz, Jr. will put his title and his undefeated record on the line in a 10-round fight against Victor “Pitufo” Proa (28-1-2, 21 KOs) of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. The main event of the night features number one rated contender by the WBC, “Relentless” Antonio Orozco (24-0, 16 KOs) taking on Abner “Jaeger” Lopez (25-5, 19 KOs), of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico in a 10-round super lightweight fight. The event will be televised live by HBO Latino® Boxing beginning at 11:15 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT). Tickets are moving fast for this event, with just a limited number of tickets left available for purchase.

Below is what the fighters had to say at today’s media work out:

JOSEPH “JOJO” DIAZ, NABF Featherweight Champion:

“I’m training a lot harder at this fight. I’m training with a lot more authority and have been working on landing my shots. While I’m a southpaw and he’s an orthodox, he’s very heavy handed and I know what I have to do to go in there to break him down.

“It’s great to be back fighting at Fantasy Springs, and see all my fans from the desert.

“I’m very excited to be on HBO Latino. It’s a dream come true and gets me a step closer to fighting on HBO Pay-Per-View.”

ROY “PITBULL” TAPIA, Super Bantamweight Prospect:

“I have been feeling very good for this fight. I understand the fighter I have ahead of me and have made sure to train very hard for this fight.

“I know that my opponent is going to fight to the tooth on this, and we are both going to be searching for the knock out.”

NICK “LA CALAVERA” ARCE, Super Featherweight Prospect:

“Growing up as a kid I did many tournaments at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, and I feel at home fighting there. It feels like a mini arena, it has a great vibe.

“I have prepared myself physically and mentally for the fight and my only goal is to stay focused on one thing–winning.

“I’m going to have about 200 marching skulls coming to Fantasy Springs, and I can’t wait to hear their cries and see them enjoying themselves on July 30.”

JAIRO HERNANDEZ, Super Bantamweight Prospect:

“I have come to fight with a heart, like a Mexican warrior.

“I firstly want to thank God, as well as my team for giving me this opportunity to show the boxing world what I have.

“I have trained for this spiritually, physically, and with the help of my trainer, former world champion Daniel Ponce De Leon; I know that winning this fight would make my career.”

Antonio Orozco vs. Abner Lopez is a 10-round welterweight bout, presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by “Tecate, BORN BOLD,” Casa Mexico Tequila and Carmelita Coconut Water. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. PT and the first fight begins at 5:10 p.m. PT. The HBO Latino® Boxing telecast begins at 11:10 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT).

Limited tickets at the $25 level are still available for purchase at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com. All floor seats are now sold out.




Former champ Ponce De Leon retires

Daniel_Ponce De Leon
Former two-division title holder Daniel Ponce De Leon announced his retirement following his knockout loss to Mickey Roman according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“Thanks to each and every one of my fans and friends who supported me throughout the course of my career,” Ponce De Leon wrote on his Facebook page. “I retire with a great taste for all the great moments. I will search for new goals. God bless you all.”




DANNY GARCIA DEFEATS MAURICIO HERRERA, REMAINS UNIFIED SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION

Danny Garcia
Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia (28-0, 16 KOs) defeated Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera (20-4, 7 KOs) via a majority decision to remain undefeated on Saturday night in front of a sold-out crowd at Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®.

Garcia established himself in the first round, landing the bigger punches against Herrera. But it was quickly clear that the challenger wasn’t going to let Garcia off easy, peppering the champion with strong shots to his body and head. By the end of round four, Garcia’s corner, specifically his father and trainer, Angel Garcia, could be heard telling the champion urgently to step-up his game and take control. Herrera, of Riverside, Calif., pressed on and proved himself as a worthy opponent with both fighters exchanging vicious shots throughout the extremely close match.

With the raucous crowd partial to the defending champion, whose father was born and raised in Puerto Rico, Garcia seemed to be carried by the cheers in what turned out to be the toughest fight of his career. At the end of the fight, SHO STATS reported that Garcia had landed 150 power punches compared to Herrera’s 82. Herrera landed more overall punches with 221 to Garcia’s 204. The final scores were 114-114, 116-112 and, 116-112.

After the fight, Garcia spoke with SHOWTIME Sports® ringside reporter Jim Gray, saying, “He is a crafty veteran and I know every time I step in the ring, every fighter wants what I have. So I expect them to bring everything. I had to make adjustments and I had to push the fight. He is a good fighter but I am a true champion. I had to make adjustments and pull it out. I needed to find my comfort zone but once I adjusted and got him on the ropes I knew I was doing good. I had to keep my composure and use my power shots. He came to fight and he did and it was a great fight.”

When asked if he felt he did enough to win the close decision, Garcia said, “I wanted to knock him out in front of my fans but he was tough. I know nothing is going to be easy from this point on for the rest of my career. I thought I won the fight. The Puerto Rican fans here support me. I love them.”

Regarding a potential move up in weight, Garcia told Gray, “I think making 140 pounds might have affected my performance a little bit. I need to sit with my camp and see if I should go up to 147 and start a new journey. It’s been getting a little hard so maybe I need to think about moving up.”

After the fight, Herrera told media that he felt he won. “I thought I was fine-tuned,” he said. “I came perfectly prepared for this fight. I was trying to push the fight. I came to box but he wasn’t making a fight so I am the one that had to make the fight. I was the one putting the pressure on to make the fight. I feel like I won the fight. I thought I finished strong at the end too. I thought I won the fight.”

Heavyweight Deontay Wilder made it 31 for 31 in the knockout department has he stopped Malik Scott in a scheduled 12 round bout.

Wilder landed a left to the temple that was followed up by a right hand that sent Scott to the canvas. Scott tried to get up but stumbled at the count of ten of the fight was over at 1:36 of round one.

Wilder, 227 lbs of Tuscaloosa, AL is 31-0 with 31 knockouts. Scott, 238 lbs of Van Nuys, CA is 36-2-1.

After the fight, Wilder spoke with Grayabout his performance. “I’ve got power. I’ve got natural power. This is something that you can’t buy. This is something that you can’t enhance and put in your body. This is all natural pure Alabama power. The left hand was right to the temple, to the head, and that is a soft spot. My power is crazy. I go through the gloves. Even though he had his gloves, there is nothing stopping that. Even though it went through his glove it still hurts.”

When asked if he is ready to take a step up and fight for a heavyweight title despite having not faced the top fighters in the division, Wilder responded, “All the testing is done in the gym. I bust my butt off in the gym to come here and perform for all the people and I make it look easy. I don’t care if I don’t go past four rounds or solve all the questions that people have about me. I have one mission and it is to unify all the heavyweight belts.”

After the fight Scott, upset by his performance, said, “I got caught. I don’t really remember what happened because I never saw the shot coming. I know he caught me with the left hook. I am so disappointed. I trained really hard. It is just awful.

In what turned out to be a highly entertaining rematch of former world champion, Juan Manuel Lopez made it two for two against Daniel Ponce De Leon in by scoring a 2nd round stoppage in a scheduled 10 round Jr. Lightweight bout.

De Leon struck 1st in round two by scoring a knockdown from a hard left hook. Lopez came back by depositing De Leon from a right hook. A flurry sent De Leon to the canvas for a 2nd time. Lopez finished the fight by landing some hard power shots on the ropes and the bout was stopped at 2:44 of round two.

Lopez, 129 lbs of Caguas, PR is now 34-3 with 31 knockouts. De Leon, 128 3/4 lbs of West Covina, CA is now 45-6.

Former world title challenger Daniel Jacobs took out Milton Nunez in round one of their scheduled 10 round Middleweight bout.

Jacobs scored three knockdowns from a left hook and the latter two came from right hands. The bout was stopped upon the third knockdown at 2:25 of round one.

Jacobs, 161 1/2 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 27-1 with 24 knockouts. Nunez, 162 lbs of Barranquilla, COL is now 26-10-1.




Weights from Bayamon, Puerto Rico

Danny Garcia 139 3/4 – Mauricio Herrera 139 1/4
(WBA/WBC Super Lightweight title)
Deontay Wilder 227 – Malik Scott 238
Juan Manuel Lopez 129 – Daniel Ponce De Leon 128 3/4




ALL-STAR LINEUP HEADING TO PUERTO RICO ON SATURDAY, MARCH 15 AT COLISEO RUBEN RODRIGUEZ IN BAYAMON LIVE

LOS ANGELES (March 12, 2014) – As Puerto Rico prepares for a stellar SHOWTIME® doubleheader featuring Danny “Swift” Garcia’s unified super lightweight world title defense against Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera and the heavyweight clash between unbeaten Deontay Wilder and Malik Scott, fans at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon can get ready for even more explosive action as the undercard will feature top contenders Daniel “The Golden Child” Jacobs, Jose “Chelo” Gonzalez and Ed “The Lion” Paredes, future stars of Puerto Rican boxing. Additionally, there’s the previously announced SHO EXTREME® headliner pitting former world champions Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez and Daniel Ponce de Leon against each other in a rematch for the WBO International Junior Lightweight Title. Also in action will be John Karl Sosa, Prichard Colon and Pedro Vicente.

In the 10-round SHO EXTREME co-feature, Jacobs will look to keep the momentum from his knockout win over Giovanni Lorenzo going when he battles Miami’s Milton “El Misil” Nunez.

After surviving a harrowing battle with cancer that not only threatened his promising career, but his life, Brooklyn’s Daniel “The Golden Child” Jacobs (26-1, 23 KOs) turned into boxing’s miracle man, returning after more than 19 months away to knock out Josh Luteran in 73 seconds on October 20, 2012. Two more stoppage wins over Chris Fitzpatrick and Keenan Collins followed before the 27-year-old made a statement to the world with his third round technical knockout over former world title challenger Giovanni Lorenzo. On Saturday, Jacobs is back to face Colombia native Milton “El Misil” Nunez (26-9-1, 24 KOs). A 26-year-old power puncher, Nunez’ last nine wins have come by way of knockout, all in four rounds or less, so expect fireworks from start to finish in this one.

Toa Baja’s Jose “Chelo” Gonzalez (22-1, 17 KOs) will be back in the ring for the first time since his gutsy WBO title fight against Ricky Burns last May, facing an opponent to be announced in an eight-round lightweight bout. Forced to withdraw from the fight after the ninth round against Burns due to injury, the 30-year-old contender, who has scored 12 of his last 13 wins by knockout, is eager to get back to another title fight as soon as possible.

In an eight-round welterweight bout, Hollywood, Florida’s Ed “The Lion” Paredes (34-3-1, 22 KOs) will continue his quest for a world title opportunity when he meets the Dominican Republic’s Yoryi Estrella (10-9-2, 7 KOs). Currently ranked sixth in the world by the WBC, and ninth by the WBA and IBF, the 28-year-old Paredes will bring a 14-fight winning streak into the ring with him against the hard-hitting and upset-minded Estrella.

Fans in Bayamon will witness an all-Puerto Rican clash in the junior welterweight division on Saturday when 21-year-old Caguas phenomenon John Karl Sosa (8-0, 6 KOs) attempts to keep his perfect record intact in a four-round matchup against Toa Baja’s Antonio Sanchez (5-2-2, 3 KOs), who is coming off back-to-back bouts against unbeatens Jamel Herring and Ivan Redkach.

Plus, 2012 Puerto Rican Olympic team member Prichard “Digget” Colon (7-0, 7 KOs) of Orocovis risks his unbeaten slate in a six-round super welterweight bout against an opponent to be determined. In the four-round featherweight opener, Mayaguez’ Pedro Vicente (4-0, 1 KO), who prepared for this fight in the Danny Garcia gym in Philadelphia, faces Bayamon’s own Karl Garcia (3-2, 1 KO).

“Garcia vs. Herrera,” a 12-round WBC Super Lightweight World Title on Saturday, March 15, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Swift Promotions in association with PR Best Boxing and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. The co-main event, Deontay Wilder vs. Malik Scott, is a 12-round WBC Final Heavyweight eliminator bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will air live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). In the main event on the SHO EXTREME 7 p.m. ET/PT, (Delayed on the West Coast) portion of the card, former world champions Juan Manuel Lopez and Daniel Ponce de Leon square off in a 10-round rematch for the WBO International Junior Lightweight Title.

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $150, $200 and $400 plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale now at www.tcpr.com and by calling 787-792-5000.




QUOTES FROM DANNY “SWIFT” GARCIA VS. MAURICIO “EL MAESTRO HERRERA FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE

Danny GarciaBAYAMON, PUERTO RICO (March 12, 2014) – Danny Garcia, his father/trainer, Angel, and other participants for the big fight card this Saturday, March 15, on SHOWTIME and SHO EXTREME participated in the final press conference Wednesday at Braulio Castillo Theater, Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

In Saturday’s main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), undefeated Unified Super Lightweight World ChampionGarcia (27-0, 16 KOs), of Philadelphia, will defend against Herrera(20-3, 7 KOs)of Riverside, Calif., from the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. In the co-feature, heavyweight knockout specialist Deontay Wilder (30-0, 30 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., meets Malik Scott (36-1-1, 13 KOs), of Philadelphia.

Former world champions Juan Manuel “JuanMa” Lopez (33-3, 30 KOs), 30, of Caguas, P.R., and Mexico’s Daniel “Ponce” de Leon (45-5, 35 KOs), 33, of Los Angeles, meet in a grudge rematch for the WBO International Junior Lightweight Title in the 10-round main event live on SHO EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT). In the opening bout on SHO EXTREME, promising Danny Jacobs (26-1, 23 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y., faces hard-hitting Milton Nunez (26-9-1, 24 KOs), of Barranquilla, Col., in a 10-round middleweight match.

What the fighters and executives said Wednesday:

DANNY “SWIFT” GARCIA, UNIFIED SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION
“I had a tremendous camp. This Saturday I’m going to win for my people in Puerto Rico and take my belt home with me.

“I love it here in Puerto Rico. I love the weather and the beautiful people. Everything about the culture is like where I grew up in Philadelphia. It’s just like Puerto Rico but it’s just the city life. But it’s the same thing. We eat the same food. We listen to the same music. Everything is the same but it’s just a little part of North Philadelphia. Everything is the same except for the snow.

“I trained in Philadelphia. I had a good training camp in Philadelphia. I did everything I was supposed to do. I didn’t take shortcuts. I came to Puerto Rico a week before the fight for my training. I’m 110 percent. I’m in the best shape. I am ready. I did what I always do and I’m ready.”

MAURICIO “EL MAESTRO” HERRERA, SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT CONTENDER
“I started boxing with my two brothers when I was 13 with no gear, bare hands. My father used to watch and get a good laugh out of it. My older brother got me my first punching bag but my mother was the first one that took me to the gym, to a gym at a church. I truly have the support of my family.

“I trained well, very well. I don’t take this fight lightly; fighting Danny is not something to take lightly. But I’ve fought guys tougher than him for peanuts.

“My biggest purse before this fight was $30,000. I’ve worked in construction and other handy jobs. This is my opportunity. This is my chance and I’m not about to let it pass me by.”

ANGEL GARCIA, DANNY GARCIA’S FATHER AND TRAINER
“March 15, [Danny] will still be the undefeated Champ of the world. Herrera, you’ve got to give him hope. Hope that he doesn’t get knocked out. You’ve got to give the man hope. His family is here. I respect that. They love him. There is nothing wrong with that. But come March 15 [Danny] is still the undefeated Champ of the world. This isn’t something that just happened. This was a dream, a dream that I had when Danny was a child. Danny is meant to be. Dreams aren’t meant to be broken not this one anyway.

“He [Herrera] has fought guys, opponents. You’re fighting in Puerto Rico now. Danny is 100 percent Puerto Rican. I don’t care what they say. He is my blood. I am Puerto Rican. He’s Puerto Rican. On March 15, he will still be the undefeated Champ of the world. And I will promise you that.

“I won’t put my head involved in this one because my daughters got nervous. They told me, ‘Dad, please don’t say that.’ People thought that it was a joke. I really meant that. Would Herrera’s coach do that? No, because that is the difference between his team and our team. My soul is in the ring with Danny. I would die for Danny and he would die for me.”

WILLIE SILVA, MAURICIO HERRERA’S TRAINER
“I’m pleased to be back in Puerto Rico. I want to thank Golden Boy for giving us this opportunity, an opportunity that we have been waiting for some time now and we are grateful for that.

“We are here to win this fight. We are not here to see if we can win, we are here because we know we CAN win.

“Danny Garcia’s parents claim he is Puerto Rican, but he is NOT a Puerto Rican, he’s from Philadelphia. He doesn’t even speak Spanish.

“We came to Puerto Rico, ready to fight. Mauricio is ready and watch, come Saturday night Mauricio is going to shock more than one. We are leaving Puerto Rico with Danny’s belts.”

DEONTAY WILDER, WBC CONTINENTAL AMERICAS HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
[About fighting in Puerto Rico]”I feel great! Like Tony the Tiger! I have lots of fans out here, a lot more than I thought I did. They showed me love right when I arrived. When I found out I was fighting in Puerto Rico I was super excited! Puerto Rico is a beautiful island with beautiful people and beautiful weather!

[About Malik Scott’s style] “I haven’t seen Malik Scott personally fight but he’s been in my camp before. He was one of my sparring partners in my past camps. He was a lot of help and very competitive. He knows my style and what I bring to the table. We know each other’s style. Whoever gets first to the punch will win. The smarter and better looking person will win and that’s going to be me.”

MALIK SCOTT, TOP HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER
“I am extremely proud of Danny Garcia. This is my first time meeting him. Congratulations comrade. The thing that prides me the most about fighting on his undercard is that any good coach can take a fighter and smooth out his jagged edges, but Angel Garcia he took his son from scratch. That is the definition of a true and great trainer so I am proud of him for that.

“In my opinion, Deontay Wilder and I are the biggest fight in the heavyweight division right now. I am extremely excited and I am taking on a dangerous fighter with the magnitude of Deontay’s punching power and the aura that has been built around him. It will take that type of fighter for me to rise to the great level that I believe I am going to be at come Saturday night. I believe out of everyone that has fought Deontay I have the highest skill caliber. I am not coming to test him; I am coming to beat him. I am from Philly. I live in California. I’m happy for this opportunity and come Saturday night I am going to take full advantage of it. ”

JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ, WBO INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION
“I’m very grateful to God for having presented me with this opportunity. I’m grateful for the people from Puerto Rico for their continuous support.

“This is going to be a great fight. He’s going to try to get a knockout, I’m going to do my job as well and definitely the one that is better prepared will come out victorious, and that will be me.

“I came here to show Puerto Rico and the rest of the world that Juanma Lopez has still some game to show.

“It was not mere coincidence that I won the first fight against Ponce De Leon, I won because I’m a better fighter. On Saturday, March 15, Ponce better be ready, because I’m ready and I’m not about losing.”

DANIEL PONCE DE LEON, FORMER WBC FEATHERWEIGHT WOLRD CHAMPION
“I’ve been training hard and I’m ready. There’s not much left to do to prepare other than make weight on Thursday and give my best on Saturday.

“This is going to be a great fight. I feel very good because I prepared well. I’m ready. This is the comeback of my career. I’m ready.

“Juanma has a heavy punch. Most of his wins have been by way of knockout and that is something to watch out for, but I can also pack a punch and he better watch out because I might knock him out. ”

IVAN PADILLA, BAYAMON SPORTS DIRECTOR
“Bayamon is proud of hosting Danny Garcia vs. Mauricio Herrera. We welcome boxing because we love boxing. We are always ready to be boxing hosts.

“We are able to host events of this magnitude because we have great people that help us put them together.

“We cordially welcome Danny and his father. We know his mom is from here, from Bayamon and we are very proud.”

ERIC GOMEZ, VICE PRESIDENT OF GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS
“It’s always a great pleasure to be back in Puerto Rico. But this time is different because we are bringing a big card to the island with the help of one of the best, PR Best Boxing. They have a great team in Puerto Rico and this is the beginning of something big.

“We are presenting a main event with the fighter of the moment, one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, Danny Garcia, and this is particularly special for me, because I saw him grow.

“I met Angel and Danny in the Olympic Trials and I saw something special in him. He was a champion in the making.

“I knew he was special the first time I saw him fight as an amateur at the Olympic Trials. His style was unique; he packed a combination of Tito Trinidad, Wilfredo Gomez, Miguel Cotto and Juanma [Juan Manuel Lopez]’s styles, truly impressive. So, to see him here today, being the great champion than he is, is truly special for me. ”

ABOUT “GARCIA VS. HERRERA”:
Garcia vs. Herrera, a 12-round WBC Super Lightweight World Title on Saturday, March 15, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Swift Promotions in association with PR Best Boxing and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. It will air as the main event of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). In the co-main event, Deontay Wilder takes on Malik Scott, in a 12-round WBC Final Heavyweight eliminator bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions. SHOWTIME Boxing on SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT, Delayed on the West Coast) will feature Juan Manuel Lopez and Daniel Ponce de Leon in a 10-round rematch for the WBO International Junior Lightweight Title.

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $150, $200 and $400 plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale now at www.tcpr.com and by calling 787-792-5000.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.prbestboxing.net and www.sports.sho.com follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/shosports, www.twitter.com/dannyswift, www.twitter.com/elmaestro1,www.twitter.com/bronzebomber, www.twitter.com/malikkingscott, www.twitter.com/danielponcedel1 and www.twitter.com/Juanma_lopez, follow the conversation using #GarciaHerrera or become a fan on Facebook www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/PRBestBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing




JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ, DANIEL PONCE DE LEON PUT THEIR CAREERS ON THE LINE IN SATURDAY’S FEATURED BOUT ON SHO EXTREME®

juan-manuel-lopez
NEW YORK (March 12, 2014) – SHOWTIME BOXING on SHO EXTREME® provides viewers across the country an opportunity to watch live undercard fights they would not otherwise be able to see. For the boxers, it provides oft-needed, national exposure.

Since the series began in February 2012, it has been a proverbial mixed bag of boxing match ups on SHO EXTREME, serving as a special lead-in to live SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® events on the network’s flagship channel, SHOWTIME®.

There have been familiar faces and household names, such as heavyweight Chris Arreola, to virtual unknowns, from Olympians and young prospects in six- and eight-round matches to established, well-known world-ranked contenders in 10-round scraps. Once on SHO EXTREME there was a world title fight — Light Heavyweight Champion Nathan Cleverly versus Shawn Hawk.

This Saturday, March 15 (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast), the featured matchup is one of the best, most important ever on SHO EXTREME, a career-crossroads rematch fight between proud, battle-tested southpaw warriors and former world champions, two-time Puerto Rican Fighter of the Year, Juan Manuel “JuanMa” Lopez (33-3, 30 KOs), 30, of Caguas, and Mexico’s revenge-minded Daniel “Ponce” de Leon (45-5, 35 KOs), 33, of Los Angeles.

What’s at stake? The winner in the WBO International Junior Lightweight Title fight remains relevant in the division. The loser takes a massive step back. In the opening bout on SHO EXTREME, cancer survivor-turned-world title challenger, the inspirational Danny Jacobs (26-1, 23 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y., faces Milton Nunez (26-9-1, 24 KOs), of Barranquilla, Col., in a middleweight tussle.
Both 10-rounders transpire from the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, where later that evening on SHOWTIME (live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), undefeated Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia (27-0, 16 KOs), a Philadelphian of Puerto Rican descent, defends against Mauricio Herrera (20-3, 7 KOs)of Riverside, Calif., in the 12-round main event. Heavyweight knockout specialist Deontay Wilder (30-0, 30 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., takes on Malik Scott (36-1-1, 13 KOs), of Philadelphia, in the opener of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING doubleheader.

The 5-foot-7 Lopez was an amateur standout in Puerto Rico; he was a five-time national champion and 2004 Olympian. After going pro in January 2004, JuanMa went on to become a WBO featherweight (two successful defenses) and junior featherweight (five successful defenses) world champion. He was Puerto Rican Fighter of the Year in 2008 and 2009. He embarrassed Ponce on June 7, 2008, winning his first world title by first-round (2:25) knockout.

JuanMa has fought the best in his weight classes. Besides Ponce, he’s been in with world champions Mikey Garcia, Orlando Salido two times, Rafael Marquez, Steven Luevano and Gerry Penalosa. For years he was one of boxing’s legitimate rising stars and a hero in Puerto Rico. But he’s in a different position now: he’s trying to regain his former status after three knockout losses in his last six outings.

Two of the KO defeats came at the hands of Salido, the other in his last start on a fourth-round TKO to defending WBO 126-pound titleholder Garcia on June 15, 2013. This will be the first skirmish at 130 pounds for JuanMa in his nine-year-career. Only three of his fights have gone the distance.

“This is the biggest fight of my career,” the aggressive-minded, crowd-pleasing JuanMa said. “We both need to win this fight. This is the last lap of my career. If I lose, that could be the end of my career, even though I don’t want my career to end in defeat. I win this fight, I can go on to bigger and better things.

“We are working hard. I feel great. I have a new trainer (Freddie Trinidad, second cousin of Felix). We are training intelligently. Ponce is a dangerous, strong fighter. I think he’s a better fighter now, so we are training for the best Ponce de Leon. I know this fight is not going to be the same as the first. We can’t look back to that fight. I am concentrating on winning this fight round by round.”

The 5-foot-5 Ponce represented Mexico in the 2000 Olympic Games before turning pro in March 2001. He’s a former WBC featherweight and WBO Junior Featherweight (six successful defenses) world champion. The current WBC No. 5-ranked contender at 130 pounds, he is 8-2 in world title fights.

A 13-year pro, the offensive-minded Ponce captured the WBC 126-pound world title in September 2012 and won the WBO 122-pound crown in October 2005.

Ponce is 4-3 in his last seven fights — four against top-level opponents, including an impressive victory over current WBC Featherweight Champion Jhonny Gonzalez (TW 8) in September 2012. The losses came to ex-world champions Abner Mares, Yuriorkis Gamboa and to the naturally bigger Adrien Broner on a close 10-round decision. Other former world champs he’s fought include Penalosa and Celestino Caballero.

In his last start and first at 130 pounds, Ponce won a lopsided 10-round decision over Joksan Hernandez on Nov. 16, 2013. Like JuanMa, Ponce expects the rematch to hardly resemble the first one.

“Fights are always different,” he said. “It (their initial encounter) was my eighth defense. I was too overconfident heading into the fight and he caught me cold in the first round. But that fight is in the past. I had a different team, manager and trainer, then later on I made some changes.

“I was different then. I never thought in the ring. Before, I used to always jump on top of my opponents, but now I have transformed into a different fighter. For this fight, I feel good and am 100 percent ready.

“I see Lopez the same way everyone else sees him. He hasn’t been the same. He has gone down and is a different fighter. I asked for the rematch a long time ago, and this is the perfect time to be fighting him. Now I look forward to going into the fight in top shape, very well-prepared. I want to win this fight.

“I have everything stacked against me fighting him in Puerto Rico. I don’t want to leave it in the hands of the judges. The knockout is important — it’s a must.”

Jacobs was an outstanding amateur who defeated, among others, fellow-standouts such as Mike Jones, Shawn Porter, Shawn Estrada and Austin Trout before making his pro debut in December 2007.

The 6-foot-1 Jacobs is currently ranked fifth in the WBC and IBF, sixth in the WBO and seventh in the WBA at 160 pounds. A winner of six in a row by knockout, the 27-year-old is coming off a career-best third-round TKO over Yovanny Lorenzo on Aug. 19, 2013. It was Jacobs’ fourth fight since returning to the ring after courageously winning a 19-month battle against cancer and partial paralysis.

“I’ve had a marvelous camp,” said the talented boxer-puncher, whose only loss came on a fifth-round TKO to then-WBO middleweight titleholder Dmitry Pirog on July 31, 2010. “I’ve been getting ready for this fight for about three months. I trained in Australia for about a month in Sydney. I got a lot done and learned a lot. The weather was great, it was a good change of environment. I’m feeling great.

“I’m truly, truly excited about this fight. Being that it’s in Puerto Rico, that’s going to be exciting for me. My girlfriend is Puerto Rican, and this will be her first time having a chance to go there.”

Nunez, 26, has an awkward, aggressive style and possesses good punching power. No stranger to fighting up-and-coming contenders, the six-footer will be looking to regain his winning ways after losing his last fight to Sergio Mora on Nov. 16, 2013.

SHO EXTREME is also the home of boxing replays and “Classic” SHOWTIME fights, which air every Monday-Friday at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The live “SHOWTIME BOXING On SHO EXTREME” fights are replayed on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. following the live presentation the previous Saturday.

Brian Custer will call the SHO EXTREME action from ringside with boxing historian Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst.




DANNY GARCIA VS. MAURICIO HERRERA FIGHTERS’ TRAINING CAMP UPDATE

Danny and Angel Garcia
BAYAMON, P.R. (March 3, 2014) – Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia, Top Lightweight Contender Mauricio Herrera, WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder, heavyweight contender Malik “King” Scott, , WBO International Junior Lightweight Champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez and Former WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce De Leon are deep in training camp for their respective March 15 bouts in Puerto Rico live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) and SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT).

Here is what the fighters have to say about how their camps are going and how they feel about the night of action coming up on Saturday, March 15, at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez.

Where are you training and when did you start?

Danny Garcia: “I’ve been training in Philadelphia for about eight weeks.”

Mauricio Herrera: “I started training the day I signed for this fight. I’ve been training out of Riverside, Calif. at a gym called Capital Punishment Gym with my trainer Jose Torres.”

Deontay Wilder: “I’m training back home in Tuscaloosa, Ala.. I’ve been training non-stop since my last fight but officially started sparring on Feb. 17.”

Malik Scott: “I’ve been training at the Ten Goose Boxing Gym since about mid-January.”

Juan Manuel Lopez: “I have been training at the Caimito Gym since the beginning of January. It is the same gym used by Tito Trinidad for many of his fights and also by Oscar De La Hoya while he was in Puerto Rico.”

Daniel Ponce de Leon: “I’ve been training for about a month at my gym in Montebello, Calif..”

If you had to pick the most challenging camp moment, what would that be and why?

Danny Garcia: “Losing weight and sparring is always the toughest challenge in training camp.”

Mauricio Herrera: “This camp has not only been the toughest, but it’s been the smartest. I have changed things that didn’t work for me in my past camps and implemented more things that work.”

Deontay Wilder: “I would have to say it’s working with the Wladimir Klitschko camp. A lot of great moments all around with that camp. I came with questions and left with answers.”

Malik Scott: “We’ve had a smooth training camp so we haven’t had one.”

Juan Manuel Lopez: “The whole camp has been somewhat challenging because it is the first time I am training in a different gym that is far from the one I normally use.”

Daniel Ponce De Leon: “The most difficult situation for a fighter is to make weight. I recognize that I was struggling in my last two fights to make the junior featherweight division.”

What are your thoughts on your opponent now that you are deep in training?

Danny Garcia: “Mauricio is a tough fighter but I am 110 percent ready; come March 15 it will be another epic performance by me.”

Mauricio Herrera: “I don’t see Danny Garcia as any different than anyone else. I don’t want to hold him way up on a pedestal the way his dad does. Danny Garcia is just like me. We both bleed and we both feel pain.”

Deontay Wilder: “I think Malik will come to fight and make this heavyweight showdown one of the best to come this year. So many people are super excited about this matchup that they can’t stop talking about it and that’s what the heavyweight division needs. I love the excitement and I’m very happy to be a part of bringing the division back to where it once was.”

Malik Scott: “All my thoughts are on staying focused and getting ready for March 15.”

Juan Manuel Lopez: ” This will be a difficult fight for me. I am sure that it will be different than the first one.”

Daniel Ponce de Leon: “Juan Manuel Lopez is a tough fighter. He has power and I know he will never lose his power. I expect a tough fight.”

How do you feel about fighting in Puerto Rico?

Danny Garcia: “Fighting in Puerto Rico is a dream come true. I’m very excited and I can’t wait to give my fans in Puerto Rico a great show.”

Mauricio Herrera: “I feel great about fighting in Puerto Rico. There is a lot of love for the sport of boxing in Puerto Rico, so that gives me more incentive to bring everything I’ve got to the ring. In the end, I’ll fight anywhere. The ring can be in Puerto Rico, Riverside or Las Vegas. It’s a different crowd but the ring and my desire to win is the same.”

Deontay Wilder: “I’m super excited about fighting in Puerto Rico. I look at it like this beautiful island, beautiful weather and beautiful people. I love traveling and one day want a home there near the beach.”

Malik Scott: “All I know is, inside the ring it will be like home.”

Juan Manuel Lopez: “I am super happy to be fighting in Puerto Rico and I see it asa great opportunity for my career.”

Daniel Ponce De Leon: “I feel fine about fighting in Puerto Rico. I don’t have any pressure. I know I am in his house but a lot of people will enjoy the fight.”

The fighters participating on the “Garcia vs. Herrera” televised fight cardhave also taken to social media, sending out updates and photos from their training in anticipation of their March 15 bouts:

Danny Garcia – @DannySwift, http://instagram.com/dannyswiftgarcia

Mauricio Herrera – @elmaestro1

Deontay Wilder – @BronzeBomber, http://instagram.com/bronzebomber

Malik Scott – @MalikKingScott, http://instagram.com/215king

Juan Manuel Lopez – @Juanma_Lopez, http://instagram.com/juanjuanmalopez

Daniel Ponce de Leon – @DanielPoncedeL1, http://instagram.com/danielponcedel1

“Garcia vs. Herrera,” a12-round WBC Super Lightweight World Title on Saturday, March 15, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Swift Promotions in association with PR Best Boxing and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. The co-main event, Deontay Wilder vs. Malik Scott, is a 12-round WBC Final Heavyweight eliminator bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will air live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). In the main event on the SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT) portion of the card, former world champions Juan Manuel Lopez and Daniel Ponce de Leon square off in a 10-round rematch for the WBO International Junior Lightweight Title.

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $150, $200 and $400 plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale now at www.tcpr.com and by calling 787-792-5000.




De Leon decisions Hernandez

Daniel_Ponce De Leon
Former world champion Daniel Ponce De Leon scored a ten round unanimous decision over Joksan Hernandez in a Super Featherweight bout at the Oasis Hotel in Cancun, Mexico.

De Leon landed an over hand left that buckled Hernandez that made Hernandez glove touch the canvas and was ruled a knockdown. The two traded heavy shots after that to finish the round. Hernandez gave a good effort but De Leon landed the more telling blows throughout the bout.

De Leon, 130 lbs of Chihuahua, Mexico is now 45-5. Hernandez, 130 lbs of Ensenada, MX is 23-6-1.

Roberto Manzanarez stopped veteran Alejandro Barrera in round three of their scheduled ten round Lightweight bout.

Barrera scored a knockdown in round. In round two he sent Barrera to the canvas from a left to the head and finished things with a hard left to the body sent crumpled Barrera to the canvas in round three and the bout was stopped.

Manzanarez, 134 1/2 lbs of Los Mochis, MX is now 25-1 with 21 knockouts. Barrera, 135 1/2 lbs of Mexico City is now 22-16.

Juan Pablo Sanchez scored a 5th round stoppage over Raul Hinojosa in a scheduled 10 round Super Featherweight bout.

Sanchez, 130 lbs of Tabasco, MX is now 26-11 with 12 knockouts. Hinojosa, 130 1/4 lbs of Mexico City is now 11-3-1.

Emanuel Medina (5-0, 4 KO’s) scored a 2nd round stoppage over Maximiliano De La Cruz (0-2) in a Welterweight bout.




PAULIE MALIGNAGGI VS. JOSE MIGUEL COTTO AND ADRIEN BRONER VS. DANIEL PONCE DE LEON TO AIR ON GOLDEN BOY CLASSICS ON FOX DEPORTES IN ADVANCE OF JUNE 22 CLASH BETWEEN MALIGNAGGI AND BRONER

Paulie Malignaggi
LOS ANGELES, June 5 – Before WBA Welterweight World Champion Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi and Two Division World Champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner kick off the summer boxing season with an explosive showdown at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 22, Golden Boy Classics will preview the match-up on June 9 with a special Sunday edition of the hit series featuring two of these stars’ finest bouts which will air on FOX Deportes at 5:00 p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. PT.

In the main event, it’s a trip back to April 9, 2011 when former Junior Welterweight World Champion Malignaggi made his first major statement at 147 pounds against Jose Miguel Cotto. In the opener, we revisit March 5, 2011 when Broner stepped into the ring against his toughest foe to that point in his career, Mexico’s former World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon.

A popular New Yorker on the comeback trail after a tough loss to Amir Khan in 2010, Malignaggi moved up to the welterweight division after the bout and following a win over Michael Lozada in December 2010, he dazzled against Puerto Rico’s Jose Miguel Cotto, pounding out a 10 round decision victory that announced his arrival among the 147-pound elite.

After tearing through his first 19 opponents, Cincinnati’s Broner got the fight of his life against the always-tough former World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon who pushed the rising star to the limit until Broner emerged with a 10-round decision win. Two fights later, “The Problem” was a World Champion.

# # #

Malignaggi vs. Broner, a 12-round fight for Malignaggi’s WBA Welterweight World Championship, will take place Saturday, June 22, 2013 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and supported by Golden Boy Promotions’ sponsors Corona and AT&T. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). In the co-featured bouts, Johnathon Banks will look to repeat his 2012 upset win over Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell as he defends his NABO and WBC International Heavyweight titles in a 12-round fight presented in association with K2 Promotions and number one rated WBC super middleweight contender Sakio Bika faces number four rated WBC super middleweight contender Marco Antonio Periban in a 12-round fight for the vacant WBC Super Middle weight World Championship. Preliminary fights will air on SHOWTIME EXTREME at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $250, $125, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes and service charges, are on sale now and are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 800-745-3000 and at the American Express Box Office. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.FOXDeportes.com and follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.twitter.com/FOXDeportes and visit on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, and www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes.




SHOWTIME® WILL AIR BOTH MAY DAY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS: FLOYD MAYWEATHER vs. ROBERT GUERRERO & DANIEL PONCE DE LEON vs. ABNER MARES

Floyd_Mayweather
NEW YORK (May 7, 2013) – This past Saturday, undefeated boxing superstar and undisputed No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world Floyd “Money” Mayweather produced a magnificent performance en route to winning a 12-round unanimous decision over Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero on SHOWTIME PPV® before nearly 16,000 fans at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

This Saturday, May 11, SHOWTIME will air the fight, along with unbeaten Abner Mares’ exciting ninth-round technical knockout victory over defending WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce De Leon in the co-featured bout at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Making his first start in a year, a dominant Mayweather (44-0, 26 KO’s) showed no signs of ring rust while displaying the trademark speed and quickness, ring generalship, accuracy, intelligence and defensive mastery that he’s been known for since his pro debut 17 years ago.

“Money” received rave reviews. Here’s a sampling:
From Tim Dahlberg of Associated Press, “On the canvas where he does his best work, Mayweather painted a boxing masterpiece only he could produce.”

“…once he found his groove, the multi-division champion put on a bravura boxing clinic. By the end of the night, no one could have any doubts that the pugilist from Grand Rapids, Mich., is the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet,” wrote Gordon Marino in the Wall Street Journal.

Said Greg Bishop of the New York Times, “When it ended, Mayweather hardly celebrated. He thumped his chest and hugged his father… He made it look easy, and it had been. He had landed a staggering 60 percent of his power punches.”

“The countdown to the end of Floyd Mayweather legendary career began with a brilliant performance in a victory over Robert Guerrero. Mayweather rolled his record to 44-0 and kept alive a dream to end his career with a perfect mark,” wrote Kevin Iole on Yahoo! Sports.

“MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship and the vacant Ring Magazine Welterweight World Championship, was promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Star Trek Into Darkness and Valvoline. The mega-event took place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and was produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV®. Also featured was WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon taking on Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares in a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship.




DANIEL PONCE DE LEON, ABNER MARES, LEO SANTA CRUZ, ALEXANDER MUNOZ, J’LEON LOVE & GABRIEL ROSADO FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

Daniel_Ponce De Leon
LAS VEGAS (May 3, 2013) – The six fighters who will compete on the pay-per-view undercard portion of “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” this Saturday, May 4 on SHOWTIME PPV from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. participated in their final press conference on Thursday in front of a packed media center at MGM Grand.

Undefeated Eight-Time and Five-Division World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather (43-0, 26 KO’s), of Grand Rapids, Mich., defends his WBC Welterweight World Championship against Six-Time and Four-Division Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (31-1-1, 18 KO’s), of Gilroy, Calif., in a 12-round bout that will also be for the vacant RING Magazine World Championship in the eagerly awaited main event.

On a stacked undercard preceding Mayweather vs. Guerrero on pay-per-view, Daniel “Ponce” De Leon (44-4, 35 KO’s), of Cuauhtemoc, Mex., risks his WBC World Featherweight World Championship against Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares (25-0-1, 13 KO’s) of Guadalajara, Mexico; Leo Santa Cruz (23-0-1, 13 KO’s), of Los Angeles, opposes Alexander Munoz (36-4, 28 KOs), of Caracas, Ven., in a 10-round bout for the vacant USBA Junior Featherweight Championship; and J’Leon Love (15-0, 8 KOs), of Las Vegas, faces Gabriel Rosado (21-6, 13 KOs), of Philadelphia, in a 10-round fight for the vacant NABF Middleweight Championship.

See below what the fighters and executives said Thursday:

PONCE DE LEON, WBC Featherweight Champion

“First of all I want to thank God, Frank Espinoza, my manager, Golden Boy, Mayweather Promotions, MGM, SHOWTIME, my team and everyone involved for making this fight possible.

“This is going to be a great fight. I’m very prepared. I’ve fought many times at MGM. Everyone wants to see a battle and that’s what I’m ready for. Don’t miss it.”

ABNER MARES

“I want to thank Golden Boy, Mayweather Promotions and SHOWTIME. My last five or six fights have been on SHOWTIME. People know me because of SHOWTIME. What can I tell you; this fight alone is a main event so, really, you have two main events on one card. It’s going to be a tremendous fight.

“I want to thank Ponce for this opportunity. You guys know me. I’m ready. I’ll fight anyone as long as we give fans a good fight, I’m with it.

“I’ve dedicated this fight to my dad, who suffered a stroke a month ago.

“I’ve trained hard and I’m ready. I actually added something to my training; I call it Mexican judo: ‘ju’ don’t know if I’m going to box and ‘ju’ don’t know if I’m going slug, but ‘ju’ know I’m going to win.”

LEO SANTA CRUZ

“First of all I want to give thanks to Golden Boy, Richard (Schaefer), Mayweather Promotions and especially Al Haymon, my manager. Ever since I signed with him, everything changed for me. He has helped me a lot and is always there for me.

“Thanks to him, I was able to get my mom her first house. I owe it all to him and I’m going to repay him by giving him my best. I’m going to show the world who Leo Santa Cruz is.

“I’m very excited to be on this undercard. I know Munoz is an extremely strong fighter who comes forward. I’ve trained hard and worked hard. It’s going to be a war and I’m going to try and finish him before the 10th round.”

ALEXANDER MUNOZ

“I’d like to thank all of you for being here. They’ve put together a very good fight. We know Santa Cruz is tough. I’m prepared for this and I want to make all the fans in Venezuela proud.

“I’m excited about this fight and this opportunity.”

J’LEON LOVE

“I want to thank everyone involved for this opportunity…Al Haymon, my fight team and Mayweather Promotions. This will be a good fight. We have much love for Team Rosado. There is no bad blood.

“Both of us have a lot to prove. He came up a little short in his last fight, but he’s a tough guy. A lot of people are also saying this is a big step up for me, but I’m a fighter and this is what I do.

“It’s going to be a very good fight. We’re going to both put it on the line, but I will be victorious.”

GABRIEL ROSADO

“I want to thank God, Golden Boy Promotions and Mayweather Promotions for making this fight happen. I’m excited for this opportunity. I fell a little short in my shot at a world title, but I got a taste of the big stage.

“I don’t think he has the experience I have and I’m hungry and determined. I had a great camp and I’m prepared to leave it all in the ring.

“I expect to have a lot of Philadelphia fans on hand here. I can’t wait to open the show and give the fans a great fight.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“On behalf of Mayweather Promotions, we would like to thank you all for coming out. We have a great main event and a great undercard. Ponce De Leon-Mares is a main event in itself. We have what fans want to see…a strong lineup of fights.

“In the first fight on pay-per-view we have two guys who will put it all on the line. J’Leon Love told me he wanted this fight, that he wanted to fight Rosado and then asked if I could go out and make it. I said ‘sure.’ Personally, I think this is a tremendous fight to open the show.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, President of Golden Boy Promotions

“What’s better on Cinco de Mayo weekend than ‘MAY DAY?’ This is the week for boxing. Mayweather is back with a vengeance, facing a very difficult, tough, young, hungry Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero. The main event is a highlight but the undercard is just as important.

“Match Mares against Ponce and you’ve got a real fight, a war. Mares is a smart guy, intelligent with great boxing skills and a big heart who goes forward with a passion. He’s fighting a guy, Ponce, the champion, who is known for his punching power and is ready for the fight of his life. Neither guy wants to hear this, but I can see a trilogy.

“We have a tremendous fight with Leo Santa Cruz, who when we think of him, we instantly think about action, excitement and fighting with passion against Munoz, who a lot of people don’t know, but who’s here to win. I’m really looking forward to this one. There’ll be guaranteed action and fireworks.

“In my eyes, the first fight on pay-per-view is another interesting match, one you don’t want to miss, between Love and Rosado. Both have an opportunity to seize. It’s there for both of them.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports

“When we, Richard, Oscar, Floyd, Al and Leonard, first started talking about this event, we immediately came to the conclusion that a world-class main event deserved a world-class undercard, and that’s what we put together. These aren’t filler fights. These aren’t no-name fighters. These are ‘name’ fighters in tough, meaningful fights. Top to bottom, this is the highest-quality undercard for any event I can remember.

“I’m extremely excited and extremely proud to be involved with these three fights. I’m especially proud because several of the fighters have been groomed and developed on SHOWTIME. J’Leon Love was featured twice on SHOWTIME EXTREME, Leo Santa Cruz actually hit the trifecta last year: he fought on SHOWTIME EXTREME, SHOWTIME and CBS and Abner Mares has fought on SHOWTIME his whole career and is a staple of the network.

“The weigh-in on Friday will be televised live on CBS Sports Network and SHOWTIME. Also, for the first time in recent history there will be a live post-fight show, thanks to CBS Sports Network, on Saturday night. We are pulling out all the stops with the newest technology. There will be 16 cameras, the most ever used in the history of network.

“As you can tell, I’m very excited. See you on Saturday.”
# # #
ABOUT “MAYDAY: MAYWEATHER VS. GUERRERO”:
“MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship and the vacant Ring Magazine Welterweight World Championship, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Star Trek Into Darkness and Valvoline. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Also featured will be WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon taking on Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares in a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship, former IBF Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz facing veteran Alexander Munoz in a 10-round fight for the vacant USBA Junior Featherweight Championship and rising star J’Leon Love squaring off against recent world title challenger Gabriel Rosado in a 10-round middleweight battle for the vacant NABF Middleweight Championship.

Remaining tickets for “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” are still available for purchase with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

General admission tickets for the “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” closed circuit telecasts are priced at $50, not including handling fees, and are available for purchase at each individual property’s box office outlets and will also be available for purchase by phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.




DANIEL PONCE DE LEON, ABNER MARES & LEO SANTA CRUZ MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT

Daniel_Ponce De Leon
David Itskowitch
We’re on the home stretch now for the big one. Again, May 4th, MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, live on Showtime pay-per-view beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET, 6:00 p.m. PT. Our main event is, of course, Floyd “Money” Mayweather against Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero in a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship and the Vacant Ring Magazine Welterweight World Championship.

Also, we have on today’s call, Daniel Ponce De Leon vs. Abner Mares in a 12-round fight for Ponce De Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship. We also have Leo Santa Cruz vs. Alexander Munoz in a 10-round fight for the vacant USBA Junior Featherweight Championship and opening the pay-per-view broadcast is J’Leon Love vs. Gabriel Rosado in a 10-round middleweight bout for the vacant NADF Middleweight Championship.

We’re sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Star Trek Into Darkness and Valvoline. We still have some tickets remaining for the event. They can be purchased through Ticketmaster or at the MGM Grand. We also have closed circuit tickets available for $50. Closed circuit telecast will happen at the ARIA, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo, and New York- New York. We urge everybody if you’re in town, you can’t get a ticket to be at MGM Grand, come out and see it with other fight fans on closed circuit. It’s a great experience.

So now without any further ado, I’d like to introduce our first fighter we have on the call today. He’s a young man who broke on the international scene in 2012. In June, he won the IBF Bantamweight World Championship with a 12-round decision win over Vusi Malinga. He went on to defend his belt an unprecedented three times in 2012 with victories over Eric Laurel, Victor Zaleta and Alberto Guevara.

He will look to keep his undefeated record intact when he faces Munoz this Saturday night. He has a record of 23-0-1 with 13 KO’s; from Los Angeles, California, Leo Santa Cruz.

Leo Santa Cruz
Hello, everybody. I’m very happy to be here and I’m very excited and I’m ready.

Itskowitch
All right, Leo. Thank you. We’ll now turn over to Q&A for Leo.

Q
Your last fight was on CBS and made a big splash. Now, you’re on a major card with Floyd Mayweather and Abner Mares, who there have been mention of you fighting him at some point. How big is this for you in terms of making an impression in the big lime light?

Santa Cruz
It’s a big pressure for me because being with Ponce de Leon and Mares and Mayweather, they know that they give good fights. They’re going to steal the show. So, for me to be on that card, it’s telling me that people are expecting a lot from me too. So, I will be training really hard in the gym and we’ll be giving it all we got so we could come out there May 4th and impress other people and give it all we got. That’s what we got to do, show the people and the fans what they want, what they like.

And I have big pressure, but I’m very motivated. I’m very happy and excited to be on this big undercard.

Q
Can you talk about the rise in weight? Is that beneficial to you? Were you having any weight issues, and also, the notion of your power going into the next weight class? Can you address all of those issues?

Santa Cruz
Yes. The bigger names are in 122 and that’s what we want to fight. Before, I thought earlier in my career, once I fight 122, and they said that I look stronger in 122, that I look stronger. I look much better. So, that’s why we move up to 122. So, I think it’s now official. We’re going to move 122.

We’re going to try to win this fight. We have to go out there and try our best and hopefully it goes good and then the next fight, or a couple of fights, we’re going to try to go for the world title again.

Q
When you say you want to look good and you’re on this big card, would a decision in your mind be palatable, or do you need to be spectacular and really kind of score a knockout in an impressive fashion?

Santa Cruz
Yes. That’s what we’re going to try to do. We’re going to try to go out there and we’re going to try to work the body and try to stop it because we’re going to try to be the first one to stop him because nobody has ever stopped him. So, we’re going to try to go out and try to impress with a knock-out and be the first one to stop him. If not, we’re going to try to do a good, good decision that I could impress all the fans and they could keep on following me and be impressed.

Q
What objectives do you have? You’re moving up in division. You’re moving up obviously from 118 to 122. Why are you doing that, and what are your plans?

Santa Cruz
Obviously a lot of the better fighters are at 122. A lot of the big names are there and at 126 as well. So, my objective is to fight at 122 a couple of times, hopefully be able to fight for world title. If I’m able to win a world title, defend it a few times, and then I can very easily move up to 126.

Q
What’s the difference in the gym? What have you been doing differently in the gym? What have you been working on? How do you feel at 122, fighting at a bigger weight?

Santa Cruz
I’ve been working on many things. First of all, I feel really good. I feel a lot stronger at 122 and I’ve been working a little bit on my defense with my father and my brother. We’ve been working on lateral movement, a lot of waste movement, bobbing and weaving and everything is going great.

Q
How important is it for you to be fighting on May 4 underneath these huge names – Mayweather, Guerrero, Daniel Ponce de Leon, Mares? How important is it for you and how do you feel about fighting on this date?

Santa Cruz
It’s very important. It’s an important fight. It’s an important date. It’s a pay-per-view. It’s probably one of the most important fights of my career. It’s almost like fighting for a world title. I got to take advantage of it. I got to steal the spotlight. I got to make fans. There’s going to be so many people watching this show that I have to make a name for myself.

Obviously, Mayweather’s going to put a good fight like he always does. Daniel Ponce de Leon, Abner Mares are going to put on a good fight. I want to stay too far behind. I got to put up a good fight as well so I can be able to steal some fans, have people follow me. It’s important for my career. It’s important for the future.

Q
You fought five times in 2012. You’re fighting for the first time this Saturday this year. Were there plans by you or your team to slow things down a bit for this year?

Santa Cruz
They told me that they had something good for me, to just be patient and wait and the patience was worth it because I’m not on this big undercard. Anybody would like to be on this card. Thank God and thank the promoter and my manager that they pick me to be on this undercard. So, I’m very happy.

Monica Sears
Leo, if you want to make any closing comments.

Santa Cruz
Yes, I want to say to all my fans, thank you for all the support. They’re the ones that are keeping me out here, training really hard. They’re the ones that give me the motivation to keep on fighting because it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. So, I say thank you and on May 4th, I’m going to go out there and give it my all. I’m going to give it my best because I’m going to give what the fans want.

I’m going to go out there and give it my all. I’m not going to give up and I’m going to try my best to impress them and to give them what they want. So, I say thank you.

Itskowitch
Okay. I’ll first say a few remarks. I’d like to introduce a young man who turned professional in 2005 after representing Mexico in the 2004 Olympics. He won his first world championship in 2011 when he defeated Joseph Agbeko for the IBF Bantamweight World Championship in Showtime’s Bantamweight Championship Series. After defending his title against Agbeko in a rematch later that year, Mares moved up to 122 pounds in 2012 and beat Eric Morel for the vacant WBC Super Bantamweight belt.

In his most recent fight, he made a major statement with an exciting win over WBA Bantamweight Super World Champion, Anselmo Moreno last November and now, he’s ready to face Daniel Ponce De Leon for the WBC Featherweight World Championship and possibly become the three times Three-Division World Champion. He’s got a record of 25-0-1 with 13 KO’s, originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, now fighting out of Hawaiian Gardens, California, Abner Mares. Abner?

Mares
Hello. Hi. I’m happy to be on this card. I can’t wait to put on the show May 4th and I’m excited to be fighting Daniel Ponce de Leon, another warrior.

Itskowitch
Thank you, Abner. Now, to say a few words; he was a 2000 Olympian, has won world titles in the Junior Featherweight and Featherweight divisions. In 2005, he won the vacant WBO title at 122 pounds and went on to defend the belt six times. He’s 32-years-old and on a 3-0 winning streak right now, including his September 2012 win over Johnny Gonzales. He captured the WBC Featherweight World Championship, making him the two time world champion. He’s now looking to make it four in a row when he defends his title against Mares on Saturday night.

He has a record of 44-4 with 35 KO’s from Cuauhtémoc, Mexico, now fighting out of Los Angeles, California, Daniel Ponce de Leon. Ponce?

Ponce de Leon
Good afternoon. Thank you for being here, everybody and enjoy the fight May 4th.

Itskowitch
Okay. I guess we can now turn over to the media for questions for Abner and Ponce.

Q
I’d like to ask you about when this fight came about, it really came about because of the fact that you were not able to get the fight that you had told all of us for a long time that you really wanted, which was the fight against Donaire to unify your title at 122 pounds.

Can you just talk about going from thinking that maybe you might have a chance to get that fight, there was an offer extended, it didn’t work out. He went and was doing his other fight that he ended up losing to Guillermo Rigondeaux and now you’re taking the opportunity to go up in weight and in your first fight at the weight; you’re getting a chance to fight for the world title. Sort of your feelings about how that all sort of played out.

Mares
I think it just played out great. I mean things started falling into place. It went from wanting to get that big fight against Nonito Donaire and pressuring for that fight. Obviously, … weren’t comfortable with the contract and then it went to Ponce having a fight against Menes and that fight falling through and myself getting the opportunity to fight Ponce.

So, I think everything happens for a reason. Everything’s fell into place and I think it was meant to be. Thank God, I thank Golden Boy and everybody in my whole team for making this possible to give me an opportunity to fight for another world title with the opportunity of becoming three time world champion. I’m excited for this weekend.

Q
Abner, when you gave up the title after you didn’t get the fight against Donaire and you made the decision to go to featherweight, had you given up the title and made that announcement knowing that you were going to get Ponce, or just taking the opportunity, not knowing if this would be your fight and it just ended up working out that way? In other words, did you know that you were getting a big fight when you left the weight class without the Donaire fight in your back pocket, or did it come along after you had already made that decision to give up the belt and to move up in weight?

Mares
It actually came along. I mean, again, it fell into place. I think any other fighter, and I myself was thinking of taking-getting my feet wet first at 126, a featherweight. We were trying to get a fight in Mexico, something comfortable. But again, things have started happening, started falling into place and I got this opportunity.

I like to take advantage of the opportunities and this fight was presented. It’s a tough fight. It’s a hard fight to start with at 126. But again, I think it’s a great opportunity and I’m going to take full advantage of it.

Q
Okay, but just to be clear, when you gave up the title, you didn’t know that this was going to be taking place.

Mares
No. No, no, no. I gave up my title thinking I was just moving up to 126 and looking for the opportunity. But again, this opportunity was presented for the reason his fight fell through. I was looking for a fight at 126 and things just happened.

Q
Okay, and I want to ask Ponce the same question when Abner’s done answering. It is an unusual situation that both of you guys, two top fighters, champions, both managed by the same manager. Frank Espinoza’s obviously done a good job to get you guys to where you are, but it’s not a normal thing that managers have their fighters face each other. I’m wondering if either of you have an opinion on that happening and how that has in any way either been a problem, or worked out well or if you’re happy with the way things are split up.

I know Frank has talked to me about making sure that he does everything 50 percent down the line that doesn’t try to favor either one of you guys, whether it’s everything from the ring walks to how things are done in the dress room ahead of time; all the different things that go into taking care of a fight. What are your thoughts on that aspect of this matchup that is a little unusual, Abner?

Mares
Okay, no, I mean Frank has kept it really professional in that sense. I mean I really, really appreciate and want to let it be known that Frank has been nothing by professional in that sense. He’s been-it was hard. It must be hard for him.

He’s away from my camp. He hasn’t stepped a foot in my gym since I started camp out of respect to me and out of respect to Ponce. I’m sure he hasn’t been to his camp either. He just calls me on a professional sense, for interviews, but nothing regarding my training.

Again, it’s tough for him to make this fight happen and I just thank him for making this fight happen and at the same time, I’m sure it’s hard for him. I mean I’m comfortable as far as giving me the opportunity and, as well, keeping it fifty-fifty for me and Ponce.

Ponce De Leon
No, everything’s fine. It’s actually kind of easy because it was easy to make the fight. Golden Boy, Frank, represent both fighters. So, it was kind of easy to make the fight. There’s no controversy whatsoever. Golden Boy, you guys have been neutral. Everything has been neutral with Golden Boy and with Frank as well. He’s been neutral. So, everything’s been fine.

Q
Obviously, this is a difficult fight. Abner’s a very good fighter. He’s a smaller guy coming up though, but at the same time, he’s a very good boxer. How do you see the fight coming out this Saturday?

Ponce De Leon
I’m a tough fighter. I’m a pressure fighter. I like to come forward and make fights, which is good and it’s going to be a very difficult fight, but I trained hard. I trained very, very hard and I’m going to be ready for the fight.

Q
How important is it for you fight a big fight card like this one underneath Mayweather? How important is it for you, and how do you feel fighting on the fight card?

Ponce De Leon
Well, it’s very important. Fighting underneath Mayweather, it’s a big show and not only that, but also fighting on Cinco de Mayo. That’s a big fiesta for Mexico, tradition. I’m excited to be fighting there. Mexico’s, they’re warriors. They’re warriors. They’ve been at war. It was actually May 5th is about a war. So, it’s very good.

I’m just happy also that the U.S. recognizes it, that it’s an important holiday for all Mexicans. So, I’m very, very excited.

Mares
It’s great. I’m very, very excited. Obviously, when you fight underneath Mayweather, the fans come out. People pay attention. It gets everybody to tune in. So, it’s very, very good. It’s going to be important for me to try to steal the spotlight. It’s going to be a very, very good fight and I just feel that hopefully on Sunday after the fight, nobody’s really talking about Mayweather. I hope everybody’s talking about the great that the two Mexicans put on, Abner Mares and Ponce De Leon.

Q
Abner, you fought your last six fights against who’s who – Perez, Darchinyan, Agbeko twice, Morel, Moreno. I think the boxing public appreciates your ability. Do you feel generally appreciated in a relation to guys like say Tim Bradley and Adrien Broner?

Mares
This year I’m not quite yet to that level where I think I deserve it. I know Bradley fought a lot of great fights and it only took him that one fight against Pacquiao to really get him recognized. I am looking for that big fight and I think I have been doing it 5:30 p.m. and keep on going. I don’t plan on stopping here after Ponce. I plan on fighting any other top elite fighter.

I just hope that I do get direct relation after this fight that I’m going to put in on May 4th in this great, great performance.

Q
You fought guys like Gamboa and Broner. There are some people who have already beat Broner and obviously we fought Lopez and lost that fight. Do you feel that those fights could be a barometer for you maybe winning spectacular and in comparison, you want to do better than those guys did against?

Mares
Definitely. I think I’ve proven myself already to some point by just fighting all these elite fighters and pretty much letting people know that I’m … face anyone. And those names that you brought up I mean just are big, elite names, big names and I will definitely and anybody that knows boxing knows that I will definitely fight them any given day.

Of course, I got this big fight, this tough fight against Ponce De Leon and God willing, getting past this fight with a victory I will most definitely look into those things as well.

Q
Okay, last question for you. You’re moving up in weight. He does hit very hard. In relation to the guys that you’ve fought and the fact that you’re moving up, how big a factor-can you characterize the factor that Ponce De Leon’s power is and how that factors into your strategy?

Mares
I mean it’s a big factor knowing that I’m stepping in a different weight class, heavier weight class and already going in against a heavy puncher. It’s hard, but I think it’s all mental. I think it’s all mental. I’m going in weighing the same. He’s weighing the same that same night and after, I know I’m going to recuperate and I’m going to be at least six to ten pounds heavy the next day.

I think that night, I want to let it be known that skills and smartness skills power and power and pressure any day. So, I think that’s going to be my key and I plan to put it to work on May 4th.

Q
Okay. Same question that I left on with Abner; given the fact that he’s moving up in weight, how much do you think your size and your power relative to what he has seen, how much do you think that will be a factor in this fight?

Ponce de Leon
Basically that is going to be a difference. It is going to be somewhat of a difference and you do have to take it into account. I’ve done it before in my career. I fought as high as 130 and I noticed a difference in size and in power. So, I’m sure that he’s going to feel the difference as well. It’s hard to just jump up all of a sudden to another weight class and be fighting for the world title. It’s very, very tough.

But, even though I say that, I’m not going to take it. I’m going to be very, very careful, obviously. I’m going to still think about my game plan and I’m preparing myself as if I’m fighting a solid 126 pounder featherweight in my division.

Q
Okay. My last question for you; you fought, as I mentioned, Gamboa, Broner, Lopez and you’re coming off that big win over Gonzales. How does he compare to Gonzales first of all? Are you looking at him as a more difficult opponent or about the same? And then, how did the fights with Gamboa and Broner who are both boxers, you fought Broner at a higher weight class, how will those fights prepare you for this one?

Ponce De Leon
Well, Abner is very similar to them. He’s very similar. He’s a good technician. He’s got a very, very good style, but the difference is that he’s smaller. I fought both Gamboa and Broner at 130. They were bigger guys and I fought Johnny Gonzales at 126. He’s a good technician. It was a tough fight as well. It wasn’t that easy, but the difference is that Abner’s a smaller guy.

But, nevertheless, I know it’s going to be a tough fight. It’s going to be a hard, tough fight and that’s what I prepared myself for. I prepared myself for a tough fight and the most important thing is to make a good fight.

Q
Okay, real quick, since you touched on it, you talked about what it was like for you to move up and fight Gamboa and Broner. You just mentioned that he’s smaller. Again, I want to ask you are you planning on emphasizing at all your size and your power to a degree that maybe he hasn’t seen in his past?

Ponce De Leon
I’m going to come out and fight. I’m going to come out and fight. I have my strategy and I’m going to come out and fight. Obviously, depending on how the fight goes, if I feel that there’s a big advantage in using my size and my power, then I’m going to take advantage of it. I’m going to take advantage of it. I’m going to feed off of that and use it to my power and to my advantage.

But, at the same time, since he is a smaller guy, he can very well be faster. So, I got to be careful with that as well. So, it all depends. I’m going to come out with my strategy. If feel that I can utilize my size and power, then I’m going to use that and use it to my advantage.

Q
You’re moving up. You’re moving up to a different weight division. How’s your preparation been? What have you been doing in the gym? How do you feel?

Mares
I feel very good. I feel very strong. That’s the difference. Believe it or not, those four little pounds make a difference. I’m not dehydrated. I don’t have to struggle to make the weight. So, I feel very, very strong and my sparring, I’ve been sparring guys that are bigger, lightweight, junior welterweights.

But, I’ll know fight night what I have to do to be successful. I’m going to know fight night what it’s going to feel like. It’s different moving up in weight. But right now, I feel very good and I feel very strong.

Q
Abner, you’ve been moving up in weight. You’re going to move up again. Do you think this is too fast, it’s too early in your career to be moving up to this weight class, or do you think it’s good timing?

Mares
Look, the most important thing for me is to make good fights. I want to make good fights. I want to make my fans happy, all the boxing fans. I want them to be happy and coming out to my fights. So, that’s the most important thing for me.

This is going to be a good fight and moving up a weight or whatever, I look for the biggest possible fight at 122. There was one fight and that fight wasn’t able to be made. So, the next biggest thing was to move up and to fight for this title, and that’s what I’m doing.

But, the most important thing, again, are the fans, the boxing fans, and I want to make them happy. And if I make them happy I’m doing my job.

Q
You’ve been studying Abner. Do you see any weaknesses, anything that you can take advantage of?

Ponce De Leon
Well, I’m not going to give away any secrets, but I do have my strategy and I’m going to stick to my game plan, but I will say this; Abner has a big heart. I know that. He’s a very, very good fighter. He’s a pressure fighter. He knows how to pressure when he needs to and again, it’s going to be a good fight. And I’ll know fight night whether I have to box a little more or I have to put on pressure as well. And I’m going to know fight night what happens.

Q
Ponce, if you’re victorious on Saturday, what’s ahead? What can you tell us? What are your plans? What would you like to do?

Ponce De Leon
Well, I still feel that I have a lot to give to the sport. I feel a lot better now, a lot more confident, a lot stronger than I did when I was champion before at 122. Believe it or not, it’s a lot easier now I feel fighting because I have a lot more experience. But look, I’ll do whatever. I’ll fight anybody. I’ll do whatever my promoter says and I’ll be ready for anything, anything that comes ahead.

Q
How important is it for you to win your third world title and as many divisions?

Mares
It’s very motivating. It’s very, very motivating to me that I’m able to do it. I’m still very young. I’m 26-years-old and I’m able to do that in such a short period of time. Obviously, Julio Cesar Chavez did it. He was able to do it and to be able to do that, to be the next person to do it, it just feels great. It’s a motivating factor for me.

Q
Most of your career, all your career has been fights in the United States. Is this fight important to help boost your name and your fans in Mexico?

Mares
No, not really. I mean obviously people do know me in Mexico. This is a good fight against a tough champion, a very good champion in Ponce De Leon, Mexican champion people know. But, little by little, people are starting to know me. They’re starting to get to know me in Mexico because of the great fights I made in the past, the great opponents I’ve had. I think that the real switchover is going to be when I eventually fight in Mexico, which is something that’s a dream of mine, something I’ve been wanting to do, something I’ve talked to my promoter about.

And when I do that I feel that people-I’ll be able to win them over finally and they’ll see me fighting in the country of Mexico.

Q
Obviously, this is a historical fight. You said it itself, winning a third title in the Third-Division. How important is it for you to become a Mexican idol? Do you think this is going to do it for you?

Mares
Look, I don’t think about that. I don’t plan for it. I don’t think about that. Again, the most important thing for me is to make good fights, make great fights, let the people put me where they want to put me. Let them decide whether I’m an idol or not. I don’t worry about that.

I train hard to make good fights. I think that this is going to be a very good fight with Daniel Ponce De Leon and that’s the most important thing for is to make good fights and for the people to be happy. So, I don’t worry about that, or I don’t plan for it, to try to be an idol.

Q
I’d like to ask both fighters for their analysis of the Mayweather-Guerrero main event and who they both think will win and why, and then I have a follow-up question for Abner.

Mares
That fight-I don’t know. I’m just thinking about my fight. I don’t know. I just hope that it’s a good fight, but not as good as our fight. That’s it.

Ponce de Leon
Hey, it’s difficult to pick somebody. Mayweather is a very good fighter. He’s a difficult fighter, best defense, good fighter and Robert Guerrero too. Robert Guerrero is a very, very good fighter, worthy of this challenge. I just think that it’s up in the air. It’s a 50-50 fight. It’s up in the air and I just think it’s going to be a very, very good fight.

Q
Thanks and for Abner; Abner, regarding Guillermo Rigondeaux’s recent performance against Nonito Donaire, I was wondering if you were disappointed in the loss of a potential super fight opponent, or do you see it differently?

Mares
No. I was definitely not disappointed. If anything, I was more in shock, not shock, but I was like-I was one of the many people that thought Nonito was going to take it. I’m obviously going to back that up because I’ve said that Nonito was going to win and he didn’t. Rigondeaux gave him a hell of a fight, just a boxing clinic. He just out boxed him and did whatever he did with him on that fight.

I’m not disappointed at all. Everybody knew I wanted to fight Nonito. Rigondeaux exposed him. I wanted to be the one to do that, but he beat me to it. And now, I would love to fight any of them, either Rigondeaux or Nonito.

I saw Rigondeaux already in the amateurs in the Pan American Games. He beat me. Yes, it was a controversial fight and I would love to fight him again. But again, I have a fight less than a week away from now and I plan on seeing that fight first and then let’s see what happens.

Q
Of course. With regard to Rigondeaux performance, were you more surprised by how effective Rigondeaux was or by how ineffective Donaire was?

Mares
I think a little bit of both. I mean I already knew how Rigondeaux fought because he hasn’t changed at all – same style at the amateurs, really more as a defense fighter. I think I was a little bit shocked too, surprised that Nonito seemed like he didn’t train. He seemed like he was out of gas and didn’t know what to do.

But again, I blame that on his last four or five fights that he had. No fighter level to what Rigondeaux’s style and performance. I think that was a big major thing why he didn’t look that impressive.

Sears
Thanks, everyone, for being on the phone. Thanks to both Daniel and Abner. Do you guys want to make any last comments before we conclude the call?

Mares
Yes, just make sure you watch May 4th.. It’s going to be a great night of fights. Its Cinco de Mayo – a Mexican weekend and I plan to keep it that way, a Mexican weekend. Thank you so much.

Ponce de Leon
Thank you all. Thank you for all the support, especially Golden Boy Promotions, Frank Espinoza, the fans. I’ll wait for you guys. I’ll see you guys hopefully on May 4th, wait for a great fight and God bless everybody.

END OF CALL

ABOUT “MAYDAY: MAYWEATHER VS. GUERRERO”:
“MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship and the vacant Ring Magazine Welterweight World Championship, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Star Trek Into Darkness and Valvoline. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Also featured will be WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon taking on Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares in a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship, former IBF Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz facing veteran Alexander Munoz in a 10-round fight for the vacant USBA Junior Featherweight Championship and rising star J’Leon Love squaring off against recent world title challenger Gabriel Rosado in a 10-round middleweight battle for the vacant NABF Middleweight Championship.

Remaining tickets for “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” are still available for purchase with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

General admission tickets for the “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” closed circuit telecasts are priced at $50, not including handling fees, and are available for purchase at each individual property’s box office outlets and will also be available for purchase by phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or online atwww.ticketmaster.com.




VIDEO: Daniel Ponce De Leon vs. Abner Mares – Pre-Fight Feature




FIGHTERS MAKE PREDICTIONS FOR EACH OTHER’S BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK MEGA-FIGHTS

LOS ANGELES, April 18 – With the Super Welterweight World Championship Unification fight between Canelo Alvarez and Austin Trout coming up this weekend on Saturday, April 20 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, followed by the Unified Super Lightweight World Championship between Danny Garcia and Zab Judah at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, April 27 and the culmination of the back-to-back-to-back championship fight weekends, “MAY DAY: Floyd Mayweather vs. Robert Guerrero” on Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, predictions are swirling around on the internet, in newspapers and on television from boxing scribes and fans doing their best to make their calls on what will happen in the upcoming fights.

Yet perhaps the predictions that hold the most weight are those of the pugilists themselves set to fight in the coming weeks.

Below are fight predictions from WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez,Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny “Swift Garcia,Middleweight Contender Fernando Guerrero,Six-Time and Four Division World Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero,Middleweight Rising Star J’Leon Love, Two Division World Champion Abner Mares,WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon, WBO Middleweight World Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, former IBF Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa CruzandWBA Super Welterweight World Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout.

Canelo Alvarez vs. Austin Trout – Saturday, April 20 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®

“I am going with Austin Trout, but he has to go in there and box. He can’t let Canelo Alvarez warm up too early. If he drops hard punches, he’ll pull it off.”

– Danny Garcia

“Gotta go with Canelo Alvarez. He’s young and he’s a mentally and physically strong person. Also, the people (fans) make him better.”

– Fernando Guerrero

“Canelo Alvarez is very hungry to prove all the doubters wrong. Both fighters have tremendous heart and will give fans a night to remember. Canelo has developed nicely and I’m giving him the edge in this fight based on pure desire. His body attack will be the difference. Canelo wins by mid-fight knockout.”

– Robert Guerrero

“I think Austin Trout will win because he has a better skill set and he’s a better boxer.”

– J’Leon Love

“That’s going to be a really exciting fight being that Canelo Alvarez has never faced a champion in his prime. Austin Trout is a difficult fighter that just beat (Miguel) Cotto, but I think Canelo should win because he’s younger and has a statement to make to let the world know that he is the real thing as a younger and hungrier fighter.”

– Abner Mares

“I’m going with Canelo Alvarez because he’s more powerful. I think Canelo can win by knockout if Austin Trout is willing to exchange shots.”

– Daniel Ponce de Leon

“This is a good matchup for boxing. You can’t go wrong with either fighter. Its two top fighters at the top of their game. I’m in the gym with Canelo Alvarez, and Austin Trout is my friend, so it is hard to pick.”

– Peter Quillin

“I think Canelo Alvarez is going to win. He comes forward. It’s going to be hard for Austin Trout to take Canelo’s pressure and handle his strength. Trout will make it difficult for Canelo, but I think he will win.”

– Leo Santa Cruz

Danny Garcia vs. Zab Judah – Saturday, April 27 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®

“This is a great fight. I don’t have a favorite. The best fighter will win.”

– Canelo

“Danny Garcia will win. Zab Judah had his time. I think its Garcia’s time now.”

– F. Guerrero

“Zab Judah will make the proper adjustments in this fight, which will tame the young lion Garcia. Danny’s youth and punching power will even out Zab’s experience. This fight ends in draw.”

– R. Guerrero

“I pick Danny Garcia because he is younger and stronger.”

– Love

“This is another interesting fight. I’m 100 percent sure that Danny Garcia is going to win. No doubt the power punch is there. I know that isn’t everything for everyone, but that’s everything for Garcia. Zab Judah is an older guy. He’s an older fighter. I think he’s coming in with everything he has, but that isn’t enough. Youth and power trump age. I pick Garcia by knockout.”

– Mares

“Danny Garcia has power in his fists and will win by knockout. He is young and full of energy.”

– Ponce de Leon

“I think that in the first rounds Zab Judah will be a problem for Danny Garcia, but he will get tired in the later rounds. Danny will take advantage of that and knock him out.”

– Santa Cruz

“Danny Garcia will win with his consistency and power.”

– Trout

Peter Quillin vs. Fernando Guerrero – Saturday, April 20 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®

“I cannot give a prediction since I’ve never seen Fernando Guerrero fight. However, Peter Quillin is the champion and has the advantage.”

– Canelo

“Peter Quillin all the way. He has the street in him and the heart. That’s the making of a great fighter.”

– Garcia

“This is going to be a competitive fight. I’m going with Peter Quillin to win by knockout because I feel he has the better punching power and will catch Guerrero with a punch he doesn’t see coming.”

– R. Guerrero

“Peter Quillin is a bigger puncher, but it will be a hard fight. I think Quillin will pull it off though.”

– Love

“That is a really tough fight. I know a lot of people see it toward Peter Quillin, but I think he’s going to have a hard time. Guerrero takes everything and more and gives as much back. It’s going to be an even fight.”

– Mares

“I think Peter Quillin has the advantage and can win in any way. He’s the better boxer and is the champion.”

– Ponce de Leon

“I haven’t seen much of Fernando Guerrero, but what I have seen from Peter Quillin, he’s a really good, strong fighter. I think he’s going to win by decision, but I think he is going to take a few punches along the way.”

– Santa Cruz

“Peter Quillin showed his heart and determination to win the belt. I’m sure he will go above and beyond to keep it. I am picking Kid Chocolate.”

– Trout

Floyd Mayweather vs. Robert Guerrero – Saturday, May 4 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV®

“Robert Guerrero has a great opportunity to win. He’s hungry for glory and will try everything to get the victory. I am picking Guerrero.”

– Canelo

“Floyd Mayweather all the way. Robert Guerrero is a good fighter. He earned his shot, but Mayweather is the star.”

– Garcia

“You can never bet against Floyd Mayweather. He’s just overall one of the best fighters ever. Gotta go with Mayweather.”

– F. Guerrero

“Floyd Mayweather is too intelligent of a fighter.”

– Love

“Floyd Mayweather is such a talented fighter and he backs it up. He talks a lot, but he backs it up. I know Robert Guerrero is hungry and determined, but wanting to win doesn’t get you a win. It’s about what you can do inside the ring, and that’s why Mayweather will win.”

– Mares

“I think Robert Guerrero can win if he fights the same way he fought Andre Berto, pressing the action like Jose Luis Castillo did against Floyd Mayweather. However, Mayweather is a great fighter and so difficult because his style, but I think Guerrero will win.”

– Ponce de Leon

“I never count Floyd Mayweather out. He’s the best pound-for-pound fighter. He’s who every fighter looks up to. I call it the Floyd Mayweather era of boxing. Robert Guerrero wanted this for a long time. He’s a multi-division champion and he deserves it. They both have something to prove. I don’t know who to pick here.”

– Quillin

“That is going to be another hard fight. I think Floyd Mayweather has more experience and he’s smarter. He knows what he has to do to win. Guerrero is a good, smart fighter, but I think Mayweather is going to take it by decision.”

– Santa Cruz

“I’m picking Floyd Mayweather, but this fight is not as easy as everyone thinks it’ll be. Robert Guerrero is hungry and has the ability to make it a tough fight.”

– Trout

Daniel Ponce de Leon vs. Abner Mares – Saturday, May 4 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV®

“I’m taking Daniel Ponce de Leon. I don’t really see Abner Mares pulling it off at 126 pounds. That’s a tough fight.”

– Garcia

“Abner Mares just has the youth and the will. When guys are winning, they want to keep at it.”

– F. Guerrero

“Both Daniel Ponce de Leon and Abner Mares are great Mexican warriors. Mares is going to come forward with pressure and Ponce de Leon will counter. I’m picking Ponce de Leon to win by a close split decision.”

– R. Guerrero

“Abner Mares has much better skills.”

– Love

“A lot of people don’t give Abner Mares the credit he deserves. Daniel Ponce de Leon has a rough, rugged style. I see Mares putting on a great performance against a guy like Ponce de Leon who gives people trouble, and coming out with the win.”

– Quillin

“That is going to be another hard fight. They are both Mexican warriors. It can go either way, but if it goes to decision, Abner Mares will win. However, if Daniel Ponce de Leon catches him with a good punch, he will win by knockout.”

– Santa Cruz

“Abner Mares takes this one. His youth and toughness can outdo the super tough Daniel Ponce de Leon.”

– Trout

Leo Santa Cruz vs. Alexander Munoz – Saturday, May 4 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV®

“Leo Santa Cruz should win. He’s younger and full of talent.”

– Canelo

“Leo Santa Cruz is a tough guy and he is on a hot streak. I’m going with him.”

– Garcia

“Leo Santa Cruz is going to grind out a tough hard fought victory with pressure and a nice body attack. Santa Cruz wins by unanimous decision.”

– R. Guerrero

“Leo Santa Cruz is a much busier and better fighter.”

– Love

“That fight is hard to call. I think Santa Cruz is a strong up-and-comer. I think Alexander Munoz is an tough opponent for Santa Cruz to go up against, but he will go in there, look good and come out with a win.”

– Mares

“Leo Santa Cruz is the favorite to win because is young and powerful, and I think he will win.”

– Ponce de Leon

“I love watching Leo Santa Cruz. He’s a fan-friendly fighter and I think he will win.”

– Quillin

J’Leon Love vs. Gabriel Rosado – Saturday, May 4 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV

“Gabriel Rosado is a Philly guy, so I have to go for the hometown fighter.”

– Garcia

“J’Leon Love is the man. We’ve fought on the same card several times. I fought Gabriel Rosado. That is a pretty tight fight. He’s a tough opponent. That one is a question mark for me.”

– F. Guerrero

“J’Leon Love is a good prospect, but I think Gabriel Rosado is going to pull off the upset. Experience will be the key factor in a Rosado split decision.”

– R. Guerrero

“Flip a coin on that one.”

– Mares

“This is J’Leon Love’s biggest fight. He’s in camp with the pound-for-pound champion. He has a controversial win on his record. Gabriel Rosado is rough and rugged. He puts it all on the line. We’ll see. I don’t know who will win this one.”

– Quillin

“I have heard that J’Leon Love is a really good fighter. He should be able to take it. He has more to lose. I think he’s going to go out there and win by decision.”

– Santa Cruz

“This is a toss up. J’Leon Love is looking to prove himself. Gabriel Rosado is proven in my mind at 154, so we will see if weight is an issue.”

– Trout

# # #

About Canelo vs. Trout:

Canelo vs. Trout, a 12-round Super Welterweight World Championship Unification fight for Canelo’s WBC title, Trout’s WBA title and the vacant Ring Magazine title, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, Canelo Promotions and Leija & Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. The co-main event will be a 10-round fight between undefeated prospects Omar Figueroa Jr. of Weslaco, Texas and Abner Cotto of Caguas, Puerto Rico which is presented in association with Miguel Cotto Promotions and will be a WBC lightweight semi-final elimination bout for the vacant NABA Lightweight Championship and Cotto’s WBC FECARBOX Lightweight Championship. The fights will air live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT with Canelo vs. Trout being presented in association with Greg Cohen Promotions. SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary fights will air on SHOWTIME EXTREME at 8 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Newly released tickets priced at $100, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are on sale now and only available for purchase at the Alamodome box office.

About Garcia vs. Judah:

Garcia vs. Judah, a 12-round bout for Garcia’s Unified Super Lightweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and supported by Golden Boy Promotions sponsors Corona and AT&T. In the co-featured attraction, WBO Middleweight World Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin puts his title on the line against hard-hitting Fernando Guerrero in a 12-round fight. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP).

Remaining tickets priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are on sale at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

About “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero”:

“MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship and the vacant Ring Magazine Welterweight World Championship, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Star Trek Into Darkness and Valvoline. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Also featured will be WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon taking on Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares in a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship, former IBF Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz facing veteran Alexander Munoz in a 10-round fight for the vacant USBA Junior Featherweight Championship and rising star J’Leon Love squaring off against recent world title challenger Gabriel Rosado in a 10-round middleweight battle for the vacant NABF Middleweight Championship.

Remaining tickets for “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero”
priced at $1,500, $1,250, $800 and $600, not including applicable service charges, are on sale now with a ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com
or www.ticketmaster.com.

General admission tickets for the “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” closed circuit telecasts at ARIA, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo and New York-New York, are priced at $50, not including handling fees, and are available for purchase at each individual property’s box office outlets and by phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.




DANIEL PONCE DE LEON, ABNER MARES & LEO SANTA CRUZ LOS ANGELES MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES FOR MAY 4 “MAY DAY: MAYWEATHER VS. GUERRERO” SHOWTIME PPV® TELEVISED UNDERCARD FIGHTS FROM THE MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA IN LAS VEGAS, NEV.

Daniel_Ponce De Leon
LOS ANGELES (April 12, 2013) – WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon, Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares and former IBF Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz participated in a media workout Thursday in Los Angeles in preparation for their upcoming bouts on the “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” pay-per-view mega-event on Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. which will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV®.

A 2000 Olympian, Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua, Mexico’s Daniel Ponce de Leon (44-4, 35 KO’s) will make the first defense of his WBC Featherweight World Championship against Two-Division World Champion Mares. Ponce de Leon, who won the title in 2012 with a victory over then-champion Jhonny Gonzalez, has won world titles in the junior featherweight and featherweight divisions while establishing himself as one of boxing’s most popular knockout artists. He made six consecutive defenses of his 122-pound title and has knocked out almost 75 percent of his opponents.

The undefeated Mares (25-0-1, 13 KO’s) is one of the newest members of boxing’s pound-for-pound best list. The 2004 Mexican Olympian who lives in Hawaiian Gardens, Calif. dominated the bantamweight division with four consecutive world title wins over the best boxers in the weight class. In 2012, Mares moved up to 122 pounds and won the vacant WBC Super Bantamweight belt in his first fight in the division against Eric Morel in April. He retained the title against Anselmo Moreno in November. Mares will challenge Ponce de Leon at 126 pounds for a chance at a world title in a third division.

Santa Cruz (23-0-1, 13 KO’s) was one of boxing’s most active world champions in 2012. After winning the IBF Bantamweight World Championship in June, the Los Angeles resident by way of Huetamo, Mexico, defended the title three times with two knockouts and a commanding unanimous decision. After wiping out the bantamweight division, the undefeated Santa Cruz relinquished his title to move up to 122 pounds. On May 4, Santa Cruz will face veteran Alexander Munoz in a 10-round junior featherweight bout for the vacant USBA Junior Featherweight Championship.

Here’s what the fighters and Golden Boy Promotions President Oscar De La Hoya had to say on Thursday:

DANIEL PONCE DE LEON:

“Great fight. Two Mexican warriors. We’re expecting a great fight on May 4.

“We know each other. We’ve been training in the same gym and that’s why I’m expecting a great fight, because we’ve known each other for so many years.

“It doesn’t matter, if it’s a decision or if it’s a knockout. Obviously, a knockout would be best. That’s what I’m working for. If the fight goes all 12 rounds, I’m going to win. I feel that I’m going to win the fight.

“I was WBO champion at 122 pounds and I kept it for so many years. Now I have this one, the WBC at 126 pounds, and I don’t expect to let it go in my next fight. I expect to keep it for a long, long time.

“I’m used to [fighting] on those [Mexican holiday] dates. Last year, I fought May 4. Now I’m coming back on the same date. I can feel the energy is there. It was a very special moment for Mexico because it was at war at that time, and now I’m going to have another war against Abner Mares on that same day. I’m going to be celebrating my victory with my friends and everybody, and also with SHOWTIME.

“I have only one style – go forward, so I’m going to throw punches down and up, head and everywhere once the bell rings until the fight ends.

“I think the advantage is with me. I was very solid at 122 and now I’ve been fighting at 126 for many years, so I don’t think he’ll have that advantage because he’s jumping from one division to another division. When he feels my power, he won’t know what’s going on. I’m going to throw as many punches as I can against him.

“I’ve had some good, difficult fights, so I don’t see this one as the most difficult [of my career]. I’ve had so many great wars, so this one won’t be the most difficult. It’s going to be a very interesting fight. I think I am very solid at 126 and I know for a fact that it’s difficult when you jump divisions. It’s difficult to get power. You have to establish it with some fights in order to get it. I’ve fought 130-pound fighters, 145-pound fighters, so I know that power. It’s kind of difficult for Abner because he doesn’t know that power.

“I’m not thinking about who’s stronger. I know Mares. He’s coming. He’s jumping divisions and I don’t want to think that he’s weak. I want to be focused on me.

“If he wants to get into a brawl, we’re going to do it. If he wants to run around, wants to box, then we’re going to fight him. I have my plan and I want to stick with my plan. I don’t care what he brings or what he doesn’t bring. I’m going to be there. I have the experience and, like I said, if he wants to exchange, I’m happy just waiting for him.

“Mayweather is a very solid fighter, a very skillful fighter. However, in boxing, anything can happen. Robert Guerrero might give fans a surprise. I hope Guerrero wins, but you never know because Mayweather is such a good fighter.”

ABNER MARES:

“It’s going be a great fight – a fight that a lot of fans are looking forward to. It’s going to be a difficult fight being that I’m stepping up to a different weight class, a weight class that I’m not familiar with. At the same time, I’m excited to capture my third world title. I plan to steal the show May 4.

“I know a lot about my opponent. I’ve known this guy for many years. We kind of grew up in the boxing industry, since we were amateurs. He’s a good guy, a good friend, but he’s got a style that I’m kind of unfamiliar with. I sparred with him before, but I haven’t trained or sparred with him in the past three years. I know he’s changed, but I’ve changed too and it’s going to be a whole different fight.

(On his friendship with de Leon) “I’ve forgotten him already. He’s not my friend at all right now. He’s my opponent. I see him like that. Once I step in the ring, it’s just win, win, win, man. I’m going try to tear him up and win this fight because it’s a big fight for me. It’s going to put me in a great position.

“I have to be straight-forward. He’ll be my friend after the fight but now he’s just my opponent. He’s trying to take away my undefeated record and I can’t let that happen.

(On his manager Frank Espinoza who also manages Ponce de Leon) “He’s not stepping into my training camp. I don’t know if he’s going to Ponce’s training camp, but he’s not coming into my training camp. We stay in touch, but when it comes to the fight, he’s not going to be in the dressing room. He’s just going to be like any other fan. He’s going to go there and just enjoy the fight.

“It’s really important to get a knockout and just get a win, no matter what. It’s going to be my third world title. I could become one of the youngest Mexican fighters to become a three-time world champion in three different weight classes, so I’m excited.

“Anyone can knock out anybody. I have power. It’s not like I have three knockouts. I’ve got 13 knockouts and if you go back to my last fight, I knocked down Moreno. I’ve always hurt guys or knocked them down. Going into a different weight class, who knows, with that extra weight, it might give me an extra heavy punch. I do plan on making a statement. If it comes by knockout, so be it. I’m ready. I’ve been working on my power punches.

“Being a Mexican, I’m from Guadalajara, Jalisco, I can’t wait to be in a good fight. Cinco de Mayo, a lot of Mexican flags, a lot of Mexican people, and I’m going to make it my night.

(On fighting on SHOWTIME PPV) “Man, it’s everything. I think it’s any fighter’s dream coming up now, to fight on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather. We know he brings great people, a great number of fans and I can’t wait. With that said, I’m more excited to steal the show and make it my night. Not Mayweather’s night, my night. I know I’m going to win and I know it’s going to put me on a whole different level because millions of people are going to be watching. I’m going to be showcasing my talent.”

LEO SANTA CRUZ:

“He’s going come and try and knock me out. He’s an explosive fighter. He likes to knock out people and I think I heard that he said that he’s going to come out and knock me out. We’re ready. We’re training for everything. We’ve been practicing in the gym how to move and not to stay there to get hit by his jabs.

“He said that his experience is going to beat me, but I don’t think so. A lot of fighters have said that and nobody has done it.

“It’s not important to get a knockout. I want to get the win and please the people. I want to give fans a good show. That’s what I want to do — please the fans. We’ve been training really hard in the gym and if the knockout comes, it comes. We’ve been practicing with going for body shots and to the head, too.

“I just know that he’s a very strong fighter. He comes forward. He throws his punches, but we’re working in the gym on that and my dad (Jose) is teaching me not to stay there for when he throws his uppercut. We’ve been studying his punches and we think we’re going in good shape. He’s explosive. He could finish a fight with one punch, but we’ve really prepared for him. We’re not going to stay there and take his punches. We’re going to box him. We’re going to be right there pressuring and pressuring. If he’s not hurting me, we’re going to be inside.

“Yeah, my body feels a little fresher. I wanted to fight earlier, but I’ve always been in the gym. Since my last fight, I took a month off and that was the longest I have ever taken off , but I didn’t feel very good. I wanted to go back to the gym and start training.

“I’m very excited because I want to give fans a good show. That’s why I’ve been training really hard. Hopefully they like how I fight and they come out and enjoy the show.

“What you guys can expect from me is a war. I’m going to give all I got. I’m going to go out there and work my butt off for the fans, for all the Mexicans, all the people that are watching. They’re going to be pleased. That’s what I’m here for, to give fans what they want, and I think I’m going to give them what they want.

“As a Mexican, it’s a great, great, great day to fight near Cinco de Mayo because it’s a day of Mexicans. It’s even more motivation for me to go out there, try my best and give it all I’ve got. I can’t let the people down.

“I learned a lot from him [brother, Antonio, a former world champion], from the mistakes and from the good things. You learn from everything. He works with me in my corner. He tells me what punches to throw. He comes to the gym when he can.

“I think people already kind of know me more. The more active I can be, the better for me. That’s why I like to fight a lot.

“I’m done with 118. I’m going to 122 and will see how it goes there. If everything goes well, and I win a world title, I’ll probably move to 126.

“I feel stronger, and people have said I look stronger at 122.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA:

“We’re just making fights happen and putting boxing back on the map. We have exciting projects coming up. We have exciting fights coming up. We’re working closely with SHOWTIME and making sure that we just bring the best fights possible.

“The fourth of May is a celebration of a Cinco de Mayo weekend. A lot of Mexicans and Mexican Americans are going to be celebrating that weekend. Everybody is going to be celebrating in Vegas that weekend.

(On Leo Santa Cruz) “When (Golden Boy Matchmaker Eric) Gomez brought him to my attention, I thought he was good. I thought he was a fighter who was going to go far, but he’s exceeded everybody’s expectations. This guy is not only going to go far, but he’s going to accomplish many great things in the sport of boxing. He’s a very disciplined, exciting fighter. Now in speaking to his father, he’s telling me that he’s just looking incredible. A lot of energy. He’s motivated. He’s going to be quite a champion for many years to come.

”For the viewing audience, we want to give them exciting fights, and you can’t go wrong with Leo Santa Cruz because he’s a very, very exciting fighter to watch and he gets the job done.

(On Ponce de Leon-Mares fight): “They’re very professional. They both respect each other. You don’t have the trash-talking. You don’t have the back and forth bickering with one another. It’s all about getting in there and fighting. Abner Mares knows he’s in a tough fight. Ponce de Leon knows he’s in a tough fight. It’s two L.A. kids that are going to bring back those memories of the Olympic Auditorium when we used to watch those Tuesday night fights every single week. You would see a war, and that’s what we’re going to have with Abner Mares and Ponce de Leon. It’s all business and they know that. They know that they’re going to come out of the fight cut and bruised, and maybe knocked down a few times. They knew that right from the start, right from when they signed the contracts. They know they’re going to get beat up, but they respect that and that’s the beauty of it.

“May 4, obviously, topping it all off with Mayweather-Guerrero, it’s going to be historic. I believe it’s going to be a very tough, rugged fight for Mayweather. I’m going to predict that it’s probably going to be the toughest fight for Mayweather. Not because he’s diminished in his skills. He’s still obviously a great fighter. He has the talent and the skills, but he’s 36 years old. Remember that. He’s facing a young guy who’s going to be in his face. Mayweather is going to come out to fight. He has said it all along. He’s going to walk him down with his style. He’s not going to run from him. I think it’s going to be a very tough, physical fight for both guys.

“It’s always a privilege, it’s always an honor, to promote an event on Cinco de Mayo weekend, especially when you have Mayweather and Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero. Then you talk about Abner Mares against Ponce de Leon. You have Leo Santa Cruz on the card. It’s going to be a spectacular night for boxing and for SHOWTIME.

“The great thing about this fight card is that I’m looking forward to all the fights. That’s now the trend, that’s now the motto within Golden Boy Promotions, is you have to make great fights. You have to make competitive fights. You have to make fights where there is no loser. If you fight hard and you lose a decision in a great fight, you’re going to come back for one more. You’re going to come back for another day. You’re going to make an impression on everybody and people are going to demand you. So just fight hard. This is what this card is all about – fighting hard and giving the fans a great fight. This (card) is going to be action, action, action! It’s going to be exciting. It’s going to be incredible.

“Boxing is in a revival and it obviously starts with April 20 (in San Antonio) and then moves on past May 4, but May 4 everybody’s excited about.”

“MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship and the vacant Ring Magazine Welterweight World Championship, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Star Trek Into Darkness and Valvoline. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Also featured will be WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon taking on Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares in a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship, former IBF Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz facing veteran Alexander Munoz in a 10-round fight for the vacant USBA Junior Featherweight Championship and rising star J’Leon Love squaring off against recent world title challenger Gabriel Rosado in a 10-round middleweight battle for the vacant NABF Middleweight Championship.

Remaining tickets for “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” priced at $1,500, $1,250, $800 and $600, not including applicable service charges, are now on sale with a ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

General admission tickets for the “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” closed circuit telecasts at ARIA, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo and New York-New York are priced at $50, not including handling fees, and are available for purchase at each individual property’s box office outlets and by phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.




LEO SANTA CRUZ VS. ALEXANDER MUNOZ & J’LEON LOVE VS. GABRIEL ROSADO COMPLETE “MAY DAY: MAYWEATHER VS. GUERRERO” SHOWTIME PPV® TELECAST

leo-santa-cruz
LAS VEGAS (April 2, 2012) – The Saturday, May 4 “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” SHOWTIME PPV telecast fight line-up is complete with the addition of former IBF Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz facing veteran Alexander Munoz in a 10-round junior featherweight fight and rising middleweight star J’Leon Love squaring off against recent world title challenger Gabriel Rosado in a 10-round battle. These bouts, in addition to the already announced Daniel Ponce de Leon vs. Abner Mares 12-round title fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship, will set the stage for the world title clash between Eight-Time and Five Division World Champion Floyd Mayweather and Six-Time and Four-Division World Champion Robert Guerrero at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

“I’m so excited to be fighting on this card on such the big Cinco de Mayo holiday weekend,” said Santa Cruz. “I have been very fortunate to have fought on great events so far in my career, but this is the biggest stage yet. I plan to make my fans happy on May 4 and show the world that I am here to stay.”

“I am so looking forward to getting back in the ring on May 4 and taking the young Leo Santa Cruz to school,” said Munoz. “My experience is going to trump his youth and I plan on handing him his first loss in front of the world on SHOWTIME PPV.”

“This is what every fighter dreams of,” said Love. “Thanks to Floyd Mayweather, Leonard Ellerbe and Mayweather Promotions I have been blessed with the opportunity to fight on SHOWTIME PPV in front of the whole world and on the undercard of one of the greatest fighters to ever lace up a pair of gloves [Floyd Mayweather]. Gabriel Rosado is a big name in the sport and a very good fighter, but on May 4, I plan on making a big statement by beating him and letting the entire world know my name. This is it and I can’t wait.”

“I have had my ups and downs, but I am confident that May 4 is going to be my time to shine,” said Rosado. “J’Leon Love is a tough, good fighter who has learned from some of the best, but I know what I am capable of. I am going to come out on top and show boxing fans across the country and around the world what I am made of.”

“Both of these fights are excellent additions to ‘MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero’ and we are especially excited to see J’Leon Love make his SHOWTIME PPV debut,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “Fighting on a Floyd Mayweather undercard presents a platform unlike any other in the sport of boxing and we know that these rising stars will take full advantage of the opportunity.”

“Santa Cruz vs. Munoz and Love vs. Rosado add even more incentive for fans to buy this SHOWTIME PPV extravaganza,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “We could not be more impressed or happy with the path that Leo Santa Cruz is on and can’t wait for his skills to be tested further against Munoz in front of a worldwide audience on May 4. J’Leon Love has his toughest test to date when he faces Gabriel Rosado. I can’t think of a better way to kick-off this exciting night.”

Boxing’s latest action hero, 24-year-old Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz (23-0-1, 13 KO’s) broke onto the international boxing scene in 2012 when he won the IBF Bantamweight World Champion with a 12 round decision win over Vusi Malinga last June. Following that, the punch-a-second native of Huetamo, Mexico went on to defend his belt three times in 2012 with exciting victories over Eric Morel (TKO 5) in September, Victor Zaleta (TKO 9) in November and Alberto Guevara (W 12) in December, establishing himself as a future star. Now making his home in Los Angeles, Santa Cruz returns to the site of his big win over Morel in the hopes of keeping his unbeaten record intact.

Venezuelan veteran Alexander Munoz (36-4, 28 KO’s) lives up to his nickname of “El Explosivo” with each outing thanks to the devastating punching power that has garnered 19 knockout wins in three rounds or less. A rugged competitor who has never been stopped, the 34-year-old from San Felix has won eight of his last 10 bouts, with his only losses coming against World Champions Cristian Mijares and Koki Kameda. On May 4, Munoz will look hand Santa Cruz his first defeat with the entire world watching.

With the talent he exhibits each time he steps between the ropes, Detroit, Michigan’s J’Leon Love (15-0, 8 KO’s) may very well be the future of the middleweight division. Just 25-years-old, Love has been very impressive in the 160-pound division, most recently stepping up to the test against 28-fight veteran Derrick Findley with a near shutout decision on February 23 in front of his hometown crowd in Detroit. On May 4, he hopes to take another step forward on his trek toward a world title shot by defeating the very tough Gabriel Rosado.

No nonsense Gabriel “King” Rosado (21-6, 13 KO’s) epitomizes the relentless attitude of a Philadelphia fighter and, after a rocky start to his pro career, the 27-year-old has run off wins in seven of his last eight bouts, including knockout victories over Jesus Soto Karass, Sechew Powell and Charles Whittaker. In January, he gave a courageous effort in a WBA Middleweight World title bout against Gennady Golovkin before being stopped in the seventh round. Now, his comeback begins in Las Vegas on May 4.

“MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Star Trek Into Darkness and Valvoline. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Also featured will be WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon defending his title against former Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares in a 12-round fight, former IBF Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz facing veteran Alexander Munoz in a 10-round junior featherweight bout and rising star J’Leon Love squaring off against recent world title challenger Gabriel Rosado in a 10-round middleweight battle.

Remaining tickets for “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” priced at $1,500, $1,250, $800 and $600, not including applicable service charges, are on sale now with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

General admission tickets for the “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” closed circuit telecasts at ARIA, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo and New York-New York, are priced at $50, not including handling fees, and go on sale Wednesday, April 3 at 10:00 a.m. PT at each individual property’s box office outlets and will also be available for purchase by phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

For more information, visit www.floydmayweather.com, www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com,www.sports.sho.com and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter at @FloydMayweather, @GHOSTBOXING, @DanielPonceDel1, @abnermares00, @leosantacruz2, @jleonlove, @KingGabRosado, @MayweatherPromo, @GoldenBoyBoxing, @mgmgrand and @SHOSports, follow the conversation using #MayDay or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/GhostFans and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.




Floyd “Money” Mayweather Faces Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero as World Championship Boxing Returns to Cinemas this May

Floyd_Mayweather
Centennial, Colo. – March 26, 2013 – Giving fans nationwide ring-side seats from the comfort of their local movie theaters, NCM Fathom Events, Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions, SHOWTIME Sports and O’Reilly Auto Parts bring undefeated, Eight-Time and Five Division World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather to the big screen once again as he takes on Six-Time and Four Division World Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero. Mayweather, boxing’s pound-for-pound and pay-per-view king, will defend his WBC Welterweight World Championship against Guerrero in an action-packed live broadcast from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. on Saturday, May 4. “May Day: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” will be simulcast to select theaters nationwide at 9:00 p.m. ET / 8:00 p.m. CT / 7:00 p.m. MT / 6:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. AK / 3:00 p.m. HI. Also featured on the Cinco de Mayo weekend blockbuster line-up will be another explosive match-up featuring WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon making his first title defense against Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares in a 12-round fight. Two additional featured bouts will be announced shortly.

Tickets for “May Day: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change). The event will be broadcast to more than 400 select movie theaters across the country through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network.

“This is Floyd’s fifth fight that will be shown in movie theaters,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “Watching Floyd Mayweather fight is a larger-than life experience and the opportunity for fans to see him on the big screen is truly extraordinary. He has a tough test in Robert Guerrero, and we hope that fans take advantage of the opportunity to watch this amazing match-up with fellow boxing fans at movie theaters across the country.”

Undefeated Floyd “Money” Mayweather (43-0, 26 KO’s), an eight-time world champion in five divisions, remains boxing’s biggest attraction and the world’s highest paid athlete, wowing crowds each time he steps into the ring. During Mayweather’s extraordinary career, he has amassed wins over former world champions such as Genaro Hernandez, Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo, Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley, Victor Ortiz and, most recently, then WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Miguel Cotto, marking the 43rd win of his storied career.

The pride of Gilroy, Calif., Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (31-1-1, 18 KO’s) is a six-time and four-division world champion who got the attention of the boxing world when he defeated former Two-Time World Champion Andre Berto in November 2012. Now the 29-year-old southpaw has the chance of a lifetime as he prepares to step into the ring with one of the sport’s all-time greatest fighters. With wins over former World Champions Joel Casamayor and Michael Katsidis and former world title challenger Vicente Escobedo, Guerrero is ready to shine on an international stage in this main event.

“We are very excited to once again partner with NCM Fathom Events and have the opportunity to showcase an amazing night of fights in the movie theaters,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “The entire ‘MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero’ fight card will be an incredible lineup of talent and as we strive to bring this caliber of talent to fans everywhere, the unique experience of watching championship boxing on the big screen is something that is not to be missed.”

NCM Fathom Events, Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions first teamed up in September of 2009 to bring the highly successful presentation of Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez fight to theaters, followed by Mayweather vs. Mosley Fight LIVE – Who R U Picking? in 2010 and Star Power: Mayweather vs. Ortiz during Mexican Independence Day weekend in 2011. In May 2012, Ring Kings: Mayweather vs. Cotto drew a record-breaking number of viewers for Mayweather’s 43rd career win.

“Floyd Mayweather’s bouts against some of the best fighters in the world have consistently drawn enthusiastic audiences across the United States to their local movie theaters,” said Dan Diamond, senior vice president of NCM Fathom Events. “Ever since Mayweather first appeared on the big screen in 2009, it has just gotten more exciting with every fight, and this championship bout with Guerrero will be no exception.”

About National CineMedia (NCM)

National CineMedia (NCM) operates NCM Media Networks, a leading integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology. The NCM Cinema Network and NCM Fathom Events present cinema advertising and events across the nation’s largest digital in-theater network, comprised of theaters owned by AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) and other leading regional theater circuits. NCM’s theater advertising network covers 183 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50) and includes over 19,300 screens (approximately 18,500 digital). During 2012, approximately 710 million patrons attended movies shown in theaters in which NCM currently has exclusive, cinema advertising agreements in place. The NCM Fathom Events live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is comprised of over 740 locations in 172 Designated Market Areas® (including all of the top 50). The NCM Interactive Network offers 360-degree integrated marketing opportunities in combination with cinema, encompassing 41 entertainment-related websites, online widgets and mobile applications. National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 46.7% interest in and is the managing member of National CineMedia LLC. For more information, visit www.ncm.com or www.FathomEvents.com. (NCMI-E)

About “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero”:

MAY DAY: “Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T and Star Trek Into Darkness. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Also featured will be Daniel Ponce de Leon vs. Abner Mares, a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship.

For more information, visit www.floydmayweather.com, www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com,www.sports.sho.com and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter at @FloydMayweather, @GHOSTBOXING, @DanielPonceDel1, @abnermares00, @MayweatherPromo, @GoldenBoyBoxing, @mgmgrand and @SHOSports, follow the conversation using #MayDay or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing,www.facebook.com/GhostFans and www.facebook.com/SHOsports.

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For artwork/photos related to “May Day: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” click here.

Download NCM’s mobile app CinemaSYNC for enhanced Fathom Events content and information.




MAYWEATHER VS. GUERRERO BLOCKBUSTER NIGHT OF BOXING IS OFFICIAL

Floyd_Mayweather
LAS VEGAS (March 11, 2013)…Boxing’s mega-star, undefeated, Eight-Time, Five-Division and current WBC Welterweight World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather will return to the ring on Saturday, May 4 to defend his title against Six-Time and Four-Division World Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero in “MAYDAY: MAYWEATHER VS. GUERRERO” in a Cinco de Mayo boxing weekend blockbuster. The championship showdown will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. live on SHOWTIME PPV®.

Sharing the card, on what will be boxing’s biggest night of 2013, will be an explosive match-up featuring WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon making his first title defense against Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares.

“MAYDAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T and O’Reilly Auto Parts. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Also featured will be Daniel Ponce de Leon vs. Abner Mares, a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship.

Tickets for “MAYDAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” priced at $1,500, $1,250, $800, $600, $300 and $200, not including applicable service charges, go on sale tomorrow, Tuesday, March 12 at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT. There will be a total ticket limit of 12 per person with a limit of 10 per person at the $1,500, $1,250, $800, $600 and $300 price levels and limit of two per person at the $200 price level. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Mayweather, who recently announced a unique, groundbreaking revenue-sharing arrangement with Showtime Networks Inc. and its parent company, CBS Corporation, is excited to get back to business in his ring return against Guerrero.

“My new deal with Showtime and its parent CBS is very thrilling for me and a motivation to fight more often starting with my May 4 fight against Robert Guerrero,” said Mayweather. “I know Guerrero has been campaigning to fight me for quite a while now and I am happy to give him his opportunity. His name is mentioned among the other great champions in boxing today and that means he has proven himself in the ring. He will now have to prove himself against me, which is a whole other story. I’m excited for the challenge and fully expect a good, tough fight from him. However, I do expect the same outcome for him as all of the others who have challenged me before…42 have tried, 42 have failed. He will be number 43.”

Guerrero, coming off of a sensational win against Andre Berto on November 24, 2012, further entrenching himself as a formidable and tested world champion, has called out Mayweather for over two years. He will now have the opportunity to dethrone the undefeated pound for pound king when they meet May 4.

“First, I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the opportunities he has blessed me and my family with, said Guerrero. “All of the trials and tribulations that have occurred in my life have made me a better person as well as a better fighter and the results are undeniable. Nothing has ever come easy to me and that mental fortitude has prepared me to defeat the one fighter everyone perceives to be the pound for pound king in Floyd Mayweather. When we lock eyes across the ring on fight night he’s going to feel the presence of a man preordained for greatness. The time is now to show the world why I’m destined to dethrone Floyd and when I come out victorious on May 4th, the whole world will know I’m a man who willed his way to victory by putting God first in his life.”

“Floyd is a superstar in boxing and his record-breaking deal with Showtime and its parent CBS reinforces his role in the sport as the face and driving force behind boxing today,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO, Mayweather Promotions. “Robert Guerrero deserves this opportunity and I commend him for stepping up and feeling so confident against someone as talented as Floyd, but its Floyd’s night to return to the ring on this Cinco de Mayo boxing weekend and give fans another performance that makes him the champion he is today. Boxing and sports fans are in for the thrill of a lifetime on May 4 with such a great night of boxing talent and competition on display. There is so much to look forward to that evening.”

“I am extremely proud to help bring fight fans these match-ups with Mayweather vs. Guerrero and Ponce de Leon vs. Mares that feature amazing champions who perform at the highest level every time they step in the ring” said Richard Schaefer, CEO, Golden Boy Promotions. “The return of Floyd Mayweather is always exciting and Robert Guerrero, who has aggressively campaigned for this bout for over two years, will be in the fight of his life now that his dream has come true. Ponce de Leon vs. Mares is a highly competitive bout featuring two worthy champions that could stand on its own as a main event. This will be a great night of boxing on another tremendous Cinco de Mayo weekend and I expect the fans in the arena and the pay-per-view audience will enjoy and appreciate these championship mega-bouts in one night on what will be the biggest weekend for boxing this year.”

“Not only is Floyd Mayweather the undisputed number one draw in boxing, he is far and away the number one draw in all of pay-per-view,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “The fact that for his first fight under our new agreement, Floyd selected Robert Guerrero, a dangerous and talented fighter in the prime of his career, as his opponent, shows Floyd’s willingness to challenge himself and his strong commitment to staging the biggest and most exciting events in the sport. SHOWTIME PPV has a long history of staging many of the most significant pay-per-view events in history featuring boxing legends Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Julio Cesar Chavez. We are thrilled to add Floyd Mayweather to this amazing list.”

“Hosting Floyd Mayweather’s return to MGM Grand is a great way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo weekend,” said Richard Sturm, president of Sports and Entertainment for MGM Resorts International. “We look forward to the championship fight in May and know both Mayweather and Robert Guerrero are true champions who will certainly bring an electric atmosphere to the fans inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena and those watching on Showtime PPV.”

“I will get into the ring with a warrior’s mentality and in a very positive frame of mind to assure that we have a great fight and obviously for me to come out victorious,” said Daniel Ponce de Leon. “This fight is very important for my career and I have every intention of staying the WBC Featherweight World Champion for a long time because even though I’m 32 years old, I feel like I’m 20 years old.”

“First of all I’d like to thank Ponce de Leon for giving me the opportunity to fight for his world title,” said Mares, who will attempt to write another chapter for himself in the history books by winning a world title in a third weight division. “Because I don’t like to waste opportunities, I have every confidence that come May 4, I will be the new WBC Featherweight World Champion. My dream was to become a world champion and I did it, not once, but twice, and now I have the chance to become a world champion a third time in a third weight division. I can’t wait to get in the ring.”

Undefeated Floyd “Money” Mayweather, (43-0, 26 KO’s), an eight-time world champion in five divisions, remains boxing’s biggest attraction, wowing crowds and generating massive pay-per-view numbers each time he steps into the ring. During Mayweather’s already extraordinary career, he has amassed wins over world champions such as Genaro Hernandez, Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo, Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley, Victor Ortiz and, most recently, then WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Miguel Cotto, marking the 43rd win of his storied career. Over the course of his participation in pay-per-view events Mayweather has generated 9.6 million buys and $543 million in revenue. He averages more than 1 million pay-per-view buys per event which is the highest pay-per-view buy average of any boxer in history. Mayweather has appeared in the four biggest non-heavyweight pay-per-view events in the sport’s history, bringing boxing excellence and a tremendous amount of excitement to his worldwide fan-base each time he fights.

The pride of Gilroy, California, Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (31-1-1, 18 KO’s) is a Six-Time and Four-Division World Champion who got the attention of the boxing world when he defeated former Two-Time World Champion Andre Berto in November 2012 in thrilling fashion. The exciting 12-round unanimous decision further gave Guerrero the confidence to step up and face Mayweather. Now the 29-year-old southpaw has the chance of a lifetime as he prepares to step into the ring with one of the sport’s all-time greatest fighters. With wins over former World Champions Joel Casamayor and Michael Katsidis and former world title challenger Vicente Escobedo, Guerrero is ready to shine on an international stage in his pay-per-view main event debut. Not only a star in the ring, he is also an inspiring young man out of the ring who notably gave up his junior lightweight crown in early 2010 to care for his then ill wife, Casey who has since fully recovered from her battle with leukemia.

A 2000 Olympian, Cuauhtemoc Chihuahua, Mexico’s Daniel Ponce de Leon (44-4, 35 KO’s) found even greater success as a professional, having won world titles in the junior featherweight and featherweight divisions while establishing himself as a popular knockout artist with fans around the globe. In 2005, he won the vacant WBO title at 122 pounds with a 12-round unanimous decision win over then unbeaten Sod Looknongyangtoy and then went on to defend his belt six times before losing it to Juan Manuel Lopez in 2008. Undeterred by the defeat, he went on to win seven straight before a controversial loss to current Lightweight World Champion Adrien Broner and a setback against Yuriorkis Gamboa in 2011. Since those bouts, the 32-year-old southpaw is 3-0, including a September 2012 win over countryman and then WBC Featherweight World Champion Jhonny Gonzalez making him a two-time world champion. He will defend his new title for the first time against Mares this May.

One of the newest members of boxing’s pound-for-pound best list, Abner Mares (25-0-1, 13 KO’s) has proven himself the hard way since turning pro in 2005 after representing Mexico in the 2004 Olympics. In 2010, the Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico native, who now fights out of Hawaiian Gardens, California, began making his mark on the international boxing scene with a draw against Yonnhy Perez in 2010 and a win over Vic Darchinyan in 2011, setting the stage for him to win his first world title in 2011 when he defeated Joseph Agbeko for the IBF Bantamweight World Championship. After defending his title against Agbeko in a rematch later that year, Mares moved up to 122 pounds in 2012 and beat Eric Morel for the vacant WBC Super Bantamweight belt. In his most recent fight, the 27-year-old Mares made a major statement with his exciting win over WBA Bantamweight Super World Champion Anselmo Moreno last November. Now, he’s eager to show the boxing world how good he is once again on May 4 when he attempts to win his third world title in a third weight division.

The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather and George Foreman and Michael Moorer, as well as concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, George Strait, Janet Jackson, Phil Collins, Billy Joel, U2, ‘N Sync, Sting, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena also is home to the annual Academy of Country Music Awards and the Frozen Fury NHL pre-season game which features the Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, FLIX ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

For more information, visit www.floydmayweather.com, www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.sports.sho.com and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter at @FloydMayweather, @GHOSTBOXING, @DanielPonceDel1, @abnermares00, @MayweatherPromo, @GoldenBoyBoxing, @mgmgrand and @SHOSports, follow the conversation using #MayDay or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/GhostFans and www.facebook.com/SHOsports.




Ponce De Leon – Mares to land on Mayweather – Guerrero PPV card

Daniel_Ponce De Leon
According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Featherweight champion Daniel Ponce De Leon will defend his crown against Abner Mares as part of the Floyd Mayweatherf – Robert Guerrero card on May 4th in Las Vegas.

“We got it worked and both fighters are excited, we are excited,” Golden Boy chief executive Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com. “It’s a great platform for Abner and Ponce to be on. They will be on the biggest pay-per-view and it is on Cinco De Mayo weekend, which is big for them as Mexican stars.”

“Once it became known that Canelo was not going to be on card, Floyd called me himself and said, ‘Please go get the best fight you can for the card,’ and I discussed with him the possibility of Ponce and Mares, and he was excited about it. He said, ‘Go out and get it done,’ and that’s what I did,” Schaefer said.

“I had numerous conversations with (Mares and De Leon Manager) Frank (Espinoza) ,” Schaefer said. “I told him to look at some of the great fighters who had big fights — George Foreman, Oscar (De La Hoya), Manny Pacquiao, Floyd. Those cards all had young fighters gain tremendous exposure on their undercards. So I told him this was a great opportunity for his guys to be in high-profile card.

“He realized that and was excited about it and then couldn’t wait to talk to the fighters. He did a great job to look out for Ponce and Abner. Frank’s a smart guy, a great poker player. He knows the benefits of them being on this card, so what he did was he negotiated for more money. He did a good job.”

“We’re very excited about appearing on the May 4 card,” Espinoza told ESPN.com. “The addition of Abner and Ponce De Leon will make an explosive night for boxing fans all around the world. We know it’s big. There’s no question. To be showcasing both of their talents on a worldwide platform, to have worldwide media and fans from around the world seeing them, it’s just the greatest exposure for both of them, and they can’t wait.

“Being on Cinco De Mayo and you have two of the finest Mexican fighters, it’s perfect. People were already excited about this fight happening on April 20, and now it just adds more being on Cinco De Mayo.”

“We finalized the fight and it’s the kind of fight you know can be a fight of the year candidate because of how these two guys fight,” Schaefer said.




De Leon to takes on Mares on April 20

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According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, featherweight beltholder Daniel Ponce De Leon will defend against fomrwe Bantamweight and Super Bantamweight champion Abner Mares on April 20th at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California and will be televised on Showtime.

“Ponce De Leon versus Mares is signed, sealed and delivered,” said Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, who promotes both fighters. “That’s a big-time fight. It’s a big opportunity for Ponce De Leon to fight against one of the best young fighters in boxing and a great opportunity for Abner to move up to yet another weight class to challenge for the world title.

“Ponce De Leon versus Mares is signed, sealed and delivered,” said Schaefer, who promotes both fighters. “That’s a big-time fight. It’s a big opportunity for Ponce De Leon to fight against one of the best young fighters in boxing and a great opportunity for Abner to move up to yet another weight class to challenge for the world title.

“It’s funny how things work out sometimes,” Schaefer said. “We’ve had some fights fall out and some are being rescheduled and some aren’t, but everything happens for a reason. With this fight, once [the Velez fight] dropped out, and with Abner moving up, it made sense. It’s definitely a great fight, a great showdown. Abner is very excited and loves the challenge and Ponce De Leon can’t wait. You will see two highly motivated guys.”

What made the fight more delicate to put together than most was the fact that Ponce De Leon and Mares are both managed by Frank Espinoza. Managers usually don’t want to match their fighters with each other, not to mention the complicating factor of it being illegal to take full percentages from both purses.

“Everything was worked out,” Espinoza told ESPN.com.

“Abner’s goal has been to win a third world championship and this is that opportunity and Ponce, as well, knows fighting Abner can only benefit his career.”

Said Schaefer, “We talked to Frank and explained to him that it was the right thing to do for both of his fighters and that he has to look at it like that, that he has to represent each one of them, but it was the right fight to make. It’s the biggest challenge for them so why stand in the way? Frank was immediately on board. He said, ‘Let me talk to the fighters and see if we can get it done.’ Frank did a terrific job getting it done with each one of them.”

Espinoza said he will keep everything even between the two in the lead up to the fight.

“It’s a difficult situation for a manager to be involved with both fighters, but I plan to be neutral,” he said. “I respect both fighters. I will not be in either corner at the fight. I won’t walk with either fighter to the ring and I won’t be in the ring. I’m just going to have a seat and watch and enjoy the fight. This is a great fight for the fans. Adrenaline will be flowing at the Home Depot Center.”

The proposed co-feature could be a Welterweight clash between Marcos Maidana and Josesito Lopez




MEXICO VS. PUERTO RICO…THE NEXT CHAPTER ON MARCH 2 DANIEL PONCE DE LEON AND JAYSON VELEZ SET FOR BATTLE AT THE APOLLO THEATER IN NEW YORK CITY LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

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Big Apple on Saturday, March 2 when Mexico’s Daniel Ponce De Leon defends his WBC Featherweight World Championship against Puerto Rico’s latest knockout artist, Jayson Velez, in the main event from the legendary Apollo Theater in New York City live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). The night of fights marks the first time in over 15 years that the Apollo has played host to professional boxing with the last fight taking place in November 1997.

The SHOWTIME action doesn’t stop there as the vacant WBA Lightweight World Championship will be on the line when Richar Abril and Sharif “The Lion” Bogere square off in the co-main event which was originally scheduled for November, but was postponed when Bogere suffered an ankle injury. Opening the broadcast will be unbeaten featherweight phenom Gary Russell Jr. against Russia’s Vyacheslav Gusev in a 10-round featherweight bout.

“There’s nothing like boxing’s Mexico vs. Puerto Rico rivalry and this fight between Ponce De Leon and Velez is going to be explosive from start to finish,” said Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “New York City is the perfect location for this event and we can’t wait to have our first show at the historic Apollo Theater.”

“This will be a great fight once again the classic battle between Puerto Rico and Mexico,” said Miguel Cotto. “Jayson is ready to take the challenge and fight for the world title. Puerto Rico will have a new world champion on March 2.”

“This is a fight we’ve been waiting a long time for and my first defense is just around the corner,” said Ponce De Leon. “I feel better prepared than when I won the title against Jhonny Gonzalez. I’m sure I’ll win and will be world champion for a long time. I’m focused on the fight. I’m not bothered or uncomfortable fighting outside of my own backyard. To the contrary, it motivates me to fight better.”

“I’ve been training really hard and am focused for this fight,” said Velez. “Winning a belt has been the goal my whole life. Everything in camp is going as we planned and I can’t wait to be in the ring on March 2.”

“On March 2, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING will give boxing fans another action-packed card featuring a line-up of pressure fighters who almost never take a step back,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “With two world title fights at the legendary Apollo Theater, this event promises entertaining action from start to finish.”

Ponce De Leon vs. Velez, a 12-round fight for Ponce De Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions and sponsored by Corona. In the co-featured attractions on SHOWTIME, WBA Interim Lightweight World Champion Richar Abril squares off against WBA number three rated lightweight contender Sharif Bogere for the vacant WBA Lightweight World Championship and featherweight contender Gary Russell Jr. faces Russia’s Vyacheslav Gusev in a ten-round featherweight bout. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) with preliminary fights to air live on SHOWTIME Extreme at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets, priced at $300, $200, $100, $50 and $25, not including applicable taxes and service charges, go on sale on Tomorrow, Saturday, February 9 at noon ET and will be available for purchase at the Apollo Theater box office, www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000.

Considered by many to be comeback fighter of the year in 2012, former Junior Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce De Leon (44-4, 35 KO’s) took the long road back to the top, but last year he reaped the fruits of his labor in spectacular fashion. Ponce De Leon had an excellent 2012 during which he knocked out Omar Estrella in January, decisioned Eduardo Lazcano in May and became a two-division world champion on September 15 when he outpointed Jhonny Gonzalez for the WBC Featherweight World Championship. On March 2, his second reign begins as he makes his first defense.

Hailing from Juncos, Puerto Rico, 24-year-old Jayson Velez (20-0, 15 KO’s) has a mighty legacy to live up to when it comes to the warriors from the boxing-rich island, but over the course of his five-year career, he’s shown the talent and drive to join them. The owner of the WBC USNBC, WBO Latino and WBC Silver Featherweight titles, Velez put on a precision power-punching clinic last December when he stopped Salvador Sanchez in the third round at Madison Square Garden. On March 2, he’ll be back in New York in an attempt to earn his first world title.

30-year old Richar Abril (17-3-1, 8 KO’s) was fairly unknown outside of hardcore fight circles heading into 2012, but when the Cuba-born resident of Miami, Florida took on highly-touted Brandon Rios for the WBA Lightweight World Championship in April of last year, that status changed over the span of 12 rounds. Though WBA Interim Lightweight World Champion Abril lost a split decision to Rios that night, the boxing media and fans around the world voiced their displeasure, calling it one of the worst decisions ever. On March 2, Abril rightfully gets another shot at the title, this time against Bogere.

Uganda native Sharif “The Lion” Bogere (23-0, 15 KO’s) was a five-time African champion in his amateur days and now he’s eager to add some professional gold to his trophy case on March 2. An aggressive contender with impressive power, the 24-year old (who now makes his home in Las Vegas) has impressed in his wins over top rising stars Ray Beltran, Francisco Contreras, Sergio Rivera and Manuel Leyva, putting him in prime position for a shot at the world title.

Perhaps the most talented young fighter in the sport today, 24-year-old southpaw Gary Russell Jr. (21-0, 13 KO’s) has been showing his stellar boxing skills since his days as an amateur standout. In the fourth year of his professional career in 2012, he began adding power punching into his repertoire with impressive knockouts of Christopher Perez and Roberto Castaneda. On March 2, the Capitol Heights, Maryland resident will look to continue to wow fans in his New York debut in the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING opening fight against Gusev.

Prokopyevsk, Russia’s Vyacheslav Gusev (20-2, 5 KO’s) is a nine year professional who has started to fulfill his world championship potential in the ring. A decorated competitor with several regional titles to his name, the 26-year-old began making his mark in 2010 as he began a four-fight winning streak that he will bring into the ring with him on March 2. In his most recent fight on April 30, he rose from the canvas to decision Padjai Yongyuthgym and he plans on handing Russell his first defeat at the Apollo.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.promocionesmiguelcotto.com and www.apollotheater.org, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/RealMiguelCotto, www.twitter.com/DanielPoncedeL1, www.twitter.com/Jayson_Velez, www.twitter.com/mrgaryrusselljr, www.twitter.com/SHOsports, follow the conversation using #PonceDeLeonVelez or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.facebook.com/SHOsports.




Alvarez stops Lopez in five


Saul Alvarez defended the WBC Super Welterweight championship with an action filled fifth round stoppage over game Josesito Lopez in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

After a good round one, Alvarez started to open up with ripping combinations to the head and body. Lopez was able to get in some decent shots, especially when Alvarez was on the ropes. Alvarez landed a thunderous left hook to the body that sent Lopez to the canvas late in the second. In round three, Alvarez continued scoring and then landed another left to the body that deposited Lopez to the canvas for a second time. That did int deter Lopez as he tried to stand toe to toe but Alvarez had more dynamite in his hands. Lopez was bleeding from his nose and mouth After Lopez landed a nice flurry, Alvarez landed a wicked five punch combination that sent Lopez to deck for a third time. Alvarez started round five with a huge body assault that had referee Joe Cortez looking closely but Lopez fired back. Lopez continued to get in some solid shots and showed a championship heart. In the last ten seconds of the round, Alvarez anded four more hard shots that forced Cortez to step in and save Lopez from further damage

Alvarez, 154 lbs of Guadalajara, MX is now 41-0-1 with thirty knockouts. Lopez, 153 lbs of Riverside, CA is now 30-5-1.

“I’m not always looking for the knockout, but this was perfect tonight,” Canelo said. “I had a big responsibility fighting for my fans around the world this weekend and I think I made them happy. I want the big fights now – (Miguel) Cotto and (Floyd) Mayweather.”

“I knew he was a tough fighter and he proved he’s a better fighter,” Lopez said. “He was smarter, stronger and patient. I felt good going in but there was a big size difference. I was hoping to land a good punch to change the momentum.”

Daniel Ponce De Leon wrestled the WBC Featherweight championship belt away from Jhonny Gonzalez when a cut over the right eye of Gonzalez via an accidental headbutt forced the bout to be stopped in round eight.

In the early going it was Gonzalez who was landing the better punches. In round three, a cut formed around the left said of Ponce De Leon’s hairline. That seemed to inspire De Leon as he started landing some good lefts’s. The two boxed evenly over the next couple rounds until De Leon landed a straight left that sent Gonzalez through the ropes and down on the canvas in round six.

The volume of De leon started taking affect in round seven as he began to back Gonzalez up with lefts and rights. A clash of heads opened up a big cut over the right eye of Gonzalez and the fight was stopped at 2:36 of round eight.

De Leon, 125 1/2 lbs of West Covina, CA won by scores of 77-74, 79-72 and 79-72 and is now 44-4. Gonzalez, 125 lbs of Mexico City, MX is now 52-8.

Former 140 lb world champion Marcos Maidana scored a eighth round stoppage over Jesus Soto Karass in a Welterweight war scheduled for ten rounds.

The fight was fought at a high rate as Maidana uncharacteristically started boxing and featuring the jab on the first round. In round two, the continued landing good shots with Maidana landing some hard left hooks. The animosity started in round three as at the end of yet another action filled round, the two sot in each other’s face and had to be seperated. Referee Kenny Bayless took a point from each man in round four as the two continued to be unsportsmanlike. Soto Karass was fueled by that as he landed some hard shots before a big left from Maidana was landed just before the bell. Soto Karass picked up where he left off in round five and yet again the two needed to be separated as Soto Karass would not let Maidana get to his corner. In round six, Soto Karass landed some huge shots and landed body shots on Maidana against the ropes. Maidana spent alot of the round against the ropes.

Maidana was docked another point in round seven but he more then made up for it as he launched a big right hand that sent Soto Karass to the deck. Maidana came out firing in round eight as he landed a some booming shots on the ropes and after a few right hands, Bayless stopped the bout at forty-three seconds of round eight.

Maidana, 147 lbs of Margarita Santa Fe, Argentina is now 32-3 with twenty-nine knockouts. Soto Karass, 147 lbs of North Hollywood, CA is now 26-8-3-1.

Leo Santa Cruz scored an impressive stoppage over former Flyweight champion to retain the IBF Bantamweight title after Morel’s corner stopped the bout after five rounds.

It was an extremely fast paced fight from the outset with with guys meeting in the center of the ring and wailing away on each other with Santa Cruz getting the better. It was evident that Santa Cruz was not only quicker but had more thump in his punches as he landed many body shots, sometimes doubling and tripling with the flank shots and then coming with hard over hand rights and uppercuts. Morel put up a valiant effort but he kept taking hard shots and his corner had seen enough and stopped the bout after the fifth frame.

Santa Cruz, 117 lbs of Rosmead, CA is now 21-0-1 with twelve knockouts. Morel, 118 lbs of Madison, WI is now 46-4.

Good looking nineteen year-old Andres Gutierrez pounded out a six round unanimous decision over Carlos Valcarcel in a Jr. Featherweight bout.

Gutierrez was more active and landed the harder punches. He featured some solid uppercuts and had Valcarcel against the ropes on several occasions.

Gutierrez, 124 lbs of Quertiaro, MX won by scores of 60-54, 59-55 and 59-56 and is now 23-0-1. Valcarcel, 123 lbs of Catano, PR is now 12-6-4.

Francisco Vargas remained undefeated with a four round unanimous decision over Alan Sanchez in a Jr. Featherweight bout.

Both guys threw a high volume of punches but Vargas threw more and landed the much harder blows.

Vargas, 131 lbs of Mexico City, MX is won by scores of 40-36, 40-36 and 39-37 and is now 13-0-1. Sanchez, 127 1/2 lbs of Houston, TX is now 3-4-1.




“KNOCKOUT KINGS” REIGN SUPREME ON CELEBRATED MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY HOLIDAY WEEKEND IN UNPARALELLED QUADRUPLE-HEADER


LOS ANGELES (July 11, 2012) – Mexican Independence Day weekend will come alive in one-of-a-kind fashion on Saturday, September 15 when “Knockout Kings” featuring undefeated Mexican sensation Canelo Alvarez taking on boxing’s breakout star and upset-minded Josesito Lopez for Canelo’s World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Welterweight World Championship, takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, live on SHOWTIME. Fans can expect fireworks all night long with the unparalleled quadruple-header, which also features WBC Featherweight World Champion Jhonny Gonzalez defending his title against former World Champion Daniel Ponce De Leon.

“Knockout Kings,” a tremendous evening of pure Mexican power and pride, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions and Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Corona, DeWalt Tools and AT&T. The quadruple-header will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. and will be televised live on SHOWTIME. Additional co-featured fights will be announced soon.

SHOWTIME Sports will also produce a new edition of its ALL ACESS sports documentary series. ALL ACCESS: Canelo vs. Lopez will premiere on SHOWTIME, with multiple replays on additional SHOWTIME and CBS platforms. The exhibition schedule will be announced shortly.

“We know the exceptional talent we have in Mexican superstar Canelo, and certainly Josesito Lopez deserves the opportunity to face him after his stunning upset victory over Victor Ortiz on June 23,” said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “It is going to be another prideful Mexican Independence Day weekend for Mexican and Mexican-American fans having their most celebrated fighter, Canelo, fighting that night along with Jhonny Gonzalez and Daniel Ponce De Leon, who are going to deliver their own electrifying championship battle.”

“It is a great pleasure for Golden Boy Promotions to be working with MGM Resorts International and SHOWTIME Sports on this exciting night of boxing,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO, Golden Boy Promotions. “To be able to showcase top-caliber boxing talent in Canelo, Josesito Lopez, Jhonny Gonzalez and Ponce De Leon on the same show packs a lot of power and pride into a tremendous evening for attendees and viewers watching at home. It’s also a special gift for Mexican and Mexican American fans who have supported the sport for so long to have Canelo appear once again on Mexican Independence Day weekend. If there is anyone who deserves a shot at Canelo, it’s Josesito because he showed that heart and will can determine the outcome of any fight. I’ve never seen a fighter show that.”

“SHOWTIME has fully committed to promoting this tremendous night of boxing as if it were a pay-per-view, but instead is offering this quadruple-header to all boxing fans across the country,” continued Schaefer. “We are very pleased that CBS will also be committed to promoting this event on various platforms.”

“We are excited to be able to offer SHOWTIME subscribers a chance to see boxing’s newest star, Canelo Alvarez, in what promises to be a dramatic fight,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “Canelo’s talent and charisma has re-energized boxing and drawn legions of casual fans to the sport. Josesito Lopez may not be as well-known as Canelo, but he has already shown that it would be a mistake for any opponent to overlook Josesito Lopez. Many counted him out in his last fight against Victor Ortiz, but he stunned the SHOWTIME audience and boxing fans worldwide with his gutsy performance and earned his shot at Canelo. This match-up, and this entire card as a whole, promises to be non-stop action and we are proud to deliver explosive fights to our viewers.”

Richard Sturm, president of sports and entertainment for MGM Resorts International, said, “We look forward to celebrating Mexican Independence Day weekend with one of the most exciting events of the summer. There is no doubt that Golden Boy Promotions will deliver a fight that has a major impact on boxing fans worldwide.”

Already a phenom in his home country of Mexico, Canelo turned professional at the age of 15 and has amassed a record of 40-0-1, with 29 knockouts. Since 2008, he has knocked out 14 of 18 opponents and is coming off of a dominant unanimous decision win over future Hall of Famer and former Three-Division World Champion Sugar Shane Mosley in May. Now, the 21-year-old considered to be one of boxing’s fastest-rising stars will make his SHOWTIME debut on Mexico’s biggest holiday weekend of the year, Mexican Independence Day weekend. Canelo will look to continue his meteoric rise to international superstardom as he follows in the footsteps of De La Hoya, his childhood idol and current promoter.

“I am happy to be fighting Josesito Lopez on Mexican Independence Day weekend and to give all of our fans a tremendous battle,” said Canelo. “I was ringside for his fight against Victor Ortiz and saw the talent he possesses. It will be very competitive, but nothing can take away my desire to be the best in the sport. I am also excited to be fighting for the Mexican people and Mexican American fans on Mexican Independence Day weekend. I look forward to showing so many people who will be watching me across the United States that I love being a champion. I want them to think of me as one of the greatest fighters ever.”

In June, Lopez emerged from relative obscurity and scored the biggest win of his career over the heavily favored Ortiz in the main event of a SHOWTIME Championship Boxing. Lopez shocked the boxing world by stopping Ortiz, one of today’s most popular and talented fighters. Lopez (30-4, 18 KO’s) of Riverside, Calif., has the opportunity to recreate his “Rocky moment” on Sept. 15, when he challenges for his first world title against a man that many believe to be boxing’s next superstar.

“I am so happy to have the chance to continue my career fighting another great champion in Canelo Alvarez especially on such a big weekend like Mexican Independence Day,” said Lopez. “I know they put me in the ring with Victor Ortiz to have me beat and now they are doing the same thing with Canelo. I was a big underdog with Ortiz and now I’m a bigger underdog with Canelo, but I’m up for the challenge.”

Also featured on the SHOWTIME telecast will be reigning Mexico City’s Jhonny Gonzalez (52-7, 45 KO’s) who once ruled the bantamweight division with his iron fists, winning two world titles and defeating the likes of Fernando Montiel, Irene Pacheco and recently inducted Hall of Famer Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson. Reinventing himself at featherweight, where he has gone 12-0 with 11 knockouts, he won the WBC 126-pound title by stopping Hozumi Hasegawa in the fourth round in April 2011. Four title defenses, including an April 2012 decision over Elio Rojas, have followed, and on September 15, the 30-year old will seek a fifth successful defense against De Leon.

“This is a fight I have been wanting for a long time and now to have the opportunity to do it for my Mexican people is so great,” said Gonzalez. “That is a big weekend for everyone and I am going to show the world why I am still the best in the division.”

Power puncher Daniel Ponce De Leon (43-4, 35 KO’s) has long been one of boxing’s most dependable warriors. Former WBO Junior Featherweight World Champion De Leon defended his crown six times during his 2005-08 reign. After losing the title to Juan Manuel Lopez in 2008, he began the next chapter of his career, winning nine of his next 11 fights following that defeat. In 2012, wins over Omar Estrella (KO6) and Eduardo Lazcano (W10) at featherweight have put him in line for a shot at 126-pound gold, but to get it, he will have to beat countryman Gonzalez on the 15th of September.

“Gonzalez is a very good fighter, but I have the experience and ability to beat him and take his title from him,” said De Leon. “The Mexican fans will all be watching and there is going to be tremendous pressure on all of us to win our bouts and look great doing it. I will become the new champion that night and my career will move up to a new level.”

Tickets priced at $400, $300, $150, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes, go on sale Saturday, July 14 at Noon PT. Ticket sales are limited to ten (10) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.




De Leon decisions Lazcano


Former Super Bantamweight belt holder Daniel Ponce De Leon scored a workmanlike ten round unanimous decision over Eduardo Lazcano at The Hard Rock in Las Vegas.

Scores were 100-90 across the board for De Leon, 127 1/2 lbs and is now 43-4. Lazcano, 129 lbs is now 24-3.

Ishe Smith scored an impressive fourth round stoppage over Ayi Bruce in a scheduled ten round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Smith dominated the fight and landed a hard right over the top that froze Bruce. Smith followed up with several hard punches that forced referee Kenny Bayless to stop the bout at 2:10 0f round four.

Smith, 154 1/2 lbs of Las Vegas is now 23-5 with eleven knockouts. Bruce, 154 lbs of Albany, NY is now 21-7.

Young Daquan Arnett was impressive in dropping Jose Martell twice in round one of their four round Jr.Middleweight bout.

the fight was stopped at 2:41 of round one.

Arnett,152 lbs of Orlando, FL is 3-0 with two knockouts. Martell, 151 1/2 lbs of Houston, TX is 2-2

Jessica Rakoczy scored a fourth round stoppage over Brittany Cruz in a female Featherweight bout.

Rakoaczy dropped Cruz in round three and again in round four and the bout was stopped.

Rakoczy, of Las Vegas is now 32-3 with twelve knockouts. Cruz, 125 1/2 lbs of Denver is 8-6-1.




Gamboa scores technical decision over De Leon


Yuriorkis Gamboa scored an eight round technical decision over Daniel Ponce De Leon after De Leon Suffered a cut from an accidental headbutt. The bout was a scheduled twelve round Featherweight bout at The Adrian Phillips Ballroom inside of Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

As expected Gamboa proved the be the faster man and that was the difference in the fight. After a feel out first round, Gamboa showed the rare god given ability as he landed some good right hands that landed flush on the chin of De Leon.

In round three, Gamboa landed some solid right hands and flush left hooks. Gamboa landed a hard right in round round five which the combination of the punch plus De Leon’s balance buckled the Mexican.

Gamboa continued to win every round emphatically against De Leon who fought a spirited fight but was second best by a lot on this night.

The two clashed head in round eight which caused a bad cut over the left eye of De Leon and the fight to be stopped on the advice of the ringside doctor at 1:28 of round eight

Gamboa, 127 lbs of Guantanamo, Cuba won by scores of 70-63; 70-63 and 69-64 and is now 21-0. De Leon, 127 lbs of Mexico is 41-4

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank




Q & A with Jason “The American Boy” Litzau


Coming into 2010 Jason “The American Boy” Litzau 28-2(21) was just another fighter. However fast forward twelve months and the Minnesota resident has placed himself on the cusp of a world title shot, having beaten both Rocky Juarez & Celestino Caballero in Super Featherweight contests, both as a heavy underdog. Both fights were exciting all action fights shown on HBO where the likeable & engaging personality of Litzau shone through. It’s been rumoured that he may fight either Daniel Ponce De Leon or Adrien Broner next, though nothing has been agreed upon as yet. It’s hard not to pull for Litzau who’s paid his due’s and now looking to achieve his ultimate goal in becoming a world champion. Litzau is currently ranked WBC 5, WBA 2, IBF 5, WBO 11 & The Ring magazine number 10.

Hello Jason, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – Firstly congratulations on a terrific 2010. You beat Rocky Juarez & Celestino Caballero two more known guys that you were the underdog against on HBO. What are your thoughts on your year & those two fights?

Jason Litzau – Well it was a breakout year for me. I took a year off after my loss to IBF World Champion Robert Guerrero in 2008. It gave me time to mature both physically and mentally. I’m only just 27 now. I started my comeback in 2009 and continued it in 2010. I’m a lot smarter fighter now and I knew how to beat Rocky Juarez and Celestino Caballero. I had a game plan and I executed it. Commentators say that Caballero had a bad day, no, I made him look bad.

Anson Wainwright – What are your plans for 2011? When are you looking at fighting next & against whom? Who are you targeting?

Jason Litzau – I would love to fight any of the current World Champions. I would love to come back to Britain where I fought as an amateur on the USA Boxing team. I would love to fight Ricky Burns for his WBO title. I think I still have some fans over there from my amateur days.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your team; who is your manager, trainer & promoter? Also what gym do you regularly train at?

Jason Litzau – My manager and trainer is Bob Van Syckle, who I have been with for my entire 8 year career. He has been loyal to me and I have been loyal to him. He is a smart manager and as a trainer he has a great ability to break down an opponent and come up with a game plan to beat him. For my last fight, I added a top strength and conditioning coach, Gerardo Aguirre to my team. He improved my core strength and balance. I felt like I could have gone 20 rounds in my last fight. My promoter is Square Ring Promotions, founded by Roy Jones,Jr. While in Minnesota, I train at White Bear Lake gym and when I go to training camp I train at Buddy McGirt’s gym in Vero Beach, FL.

Anson Wainwright – You were a good amateur can you tell us about those days, what titles and tournaments you won? You travelled over sea’s with the American team, can you tell us about that? Also what was your final record?

Jason Litzau – As a Junior (14-16 years old), I won all the US titles. In my first year as a Senior (at 17), I came in second at the USA Championships. Two weeks later I avenged that loss in a Box off and landed a spot on the USA Boxing team. While on the team, I fought other national teams in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, and England. It was a great experience for me, meeting all the friendly people from other countries. My record was 125-10. Because of my financial situation, I could not wait for the 2004 Olympics and so I turned pro at 19.

Anson Wainwright – Your from Minnesota which isn’t know as a Boxing state, did you have to travel for sparring or do you bring guys in? Can you tell us about some of the Boxers you have sparred with?

Jason Litzau – Well, my manager was from the East Coast (New Jersey) and in the first few years I sparred with the best amateurs and pros in New York City and in the cities of Newark and Paterson, NJ. It was a great learning experience and I got a lot of complements from the East Coast fighters and trainers. After that, I actually was chief sparring partner for Rocky Juarez when he beat Zahir Raheem. I was also chief sparring partner for Arturo Gatti when he fought Floyd Mayweather. When I had my own camps in Florida, I tried to bring in the best up-and-coming fighters who would challenge me. One of them was Matt Remillard, 23-0, who is fighting on HBO on March 26.

Anson Wainwright – Who’s the best fighter you have ever fought in the amateur’s and pro’s?

Jason Litzau – The best fighter that I fought in the amateurs, and beat several times, was Mickey Bey. He made the USA Olympic team and is now 16-0 as a pro. In the pros, the best fighter I fought as the “young” Jason was Robert Guerrero. As the new and improved Jason, the best fighter I have fought is Celestino Caballero.

Anson Wainwright – You fought for the IBF Featherweight title in 2008 but lost to Robert Guerrero. Looking back on that fight what are your thoughts and feelings on it now?

Jason Litzau – I was only 24 years old at the time and I was pretty tight throughout the fight. I think the nerves got the best of me. I would love to get him in the ring again. I am a much more complete fighter now.

Anson Wainwright – What do you like to do away from Boxing? What other sports, hobbies and Interests do you have?

Jason Litzau – Being from a big hockey state, I love playing hockey. When I was a kid, I scored 73 goals in one season. Lately, I have backed off playing because I don’t want to take a chance getting injured. I had to give up riding my “crotch rocket” for the same reason. Its just another example of “wild and crazy” Jay growing up. Now, I like to play golf and racquetball and softball. And I love playing with my 3 daughters, ages 1, 5, and 7.

Anson Wainwright – You were a 13-1 underdog against Caballero, how did this help to motivate you? Do you like fighting with your back against the wall? What was it like for you when you returned home after the win?

Jason Litzau – Honestly, I knew I was the underdog, but I did not know I was a 13-1 dog until after the fight. If I had known that, I probably would have bet my purse and I could retire (just kidding about the retiring, not about the betting). I really did not think my back was against the wall. I was confident that I could beat Caballero. When I returned home, a lot more strangers said Hi and congratulated me. I felt great, like I had “shocked the world!”

Anson Wainwright – What fighters did you like when you were growing up? What about today who do you admire?

Jason Litzau – Arturo Gatti was a big hero of mine as a kid. He fought with such great heart. I would be watching on TV and be screaming at the TV set. It was a thrill to become friends with him and fight on a couple of his undercards. I also admired Oscar De La Hoya, the way he handled himself in the ring and outside the ring. Today, I admire Manny Pacquiao for his no-fear, non-stop punching style. He is not afraid to fight anybody, no matter how big they are. He came back from 2 knockout losses early in his career and look at where he is now.

Anson Wainwright – What do you think of the current champions at 130 WBC Takahiro Aoh, WBA Takashi Uchiyama IBF Mzonke Fana & WBO Ricky Burns?

Jason Litzau – I think I can beat all of them and become the Unified Champion. I just hope one of them is man enough to fight “The American Boy” Jason Litzau.

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

Jason Litzau – I just want to thank all the fans who have come to my fights, watched them on TV, those who said Hi, those who reached out to me on Facebook, and those who I have yet to meet. I know that you pay your hard-earned money to watch me fight, so, I always give it my best in the ring. I don’t want to disappoint my fans and I don’t want to disappoint Arturo Gatti, who is watching from above. I invite anyone who wants to reach out to me to “become a friend” of mine on Facebook. Just search for “American Boy” or “Jason Litzau”.

Thanks for your time Jason, good luck in 2011.

Anson Wainwright

15rounds.com

Midweek Musings – Word from Britain is that James Degale may challenge Dmitri Sartison for the WBA Super Middleweight title on 19 March at the O2 Arena in London…After the apparent collapse of the All British showdown between Matthew Macklin & Darren Barker. It got me thinking of other domestic fights I’d like to see. In Britain though both of these need time to marinate David Price-Tyson Fury & James Degale-George Groves both have the potential to be huge by this time next year. How about a shoot out between new European Light Heavyweight champion Danny MacIntosh & Tony Bellew. At Welterweight Kell Brook-Matthew Hatton. British Light Welterweight champion Lenny Daws against former amateur star Frankie Gavin. A fight that has been mentioned many times is Kevin Mitchell & John Murray at Lightweight, both are 26, in there prime and a fight that we hope wont go the way of Ricky Hatton-Junior Witter. A rematch between Stephen Smith & John Simpson at 126. Though both lost there last fights and are friends it would be interesting to see Rendell Munroe fight Jason Booth at 122. Following his tremendous performance on Saturday Jamie McDonnell against Stuart Hall at Bantamweight.

If there are any fighters you would like to hear from you can contact me on elraincoat@live.co.uk




Mosley and Mora fight to controversial draw

In front of the many boxing aficionados in the house such as former greats such as Pepino Cuevas and Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley and Sergio Mora fought to a highly debatable draw in the main event at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Sergio Mora (22-1-1, 6KO’s) made his way to the ring first to a huge applause. Followed shortly after by Sugar Shane Mosley (46-6, 39KO’s) to meet in a 12 round, Jr. middleweight battle.

In round one, The taller Mora danced around the ring as Mosley chased him around trying to land a jab. Mora seemed very cautious as he only threw one maybe two combination’s the entire round. Mosley couldn’t catch him so he didn’t fair much better. In round two, it was more of the same. Mora switched from Orthodox to southpaw many times as he continued to dance and faint his way around the ring. Whenever Shane got too close, Mora would tie him up. There was a small exchange at the bell, which was have been the most action of the fight. In round three, after landing a somewhat meaningful right hand, Sergio got on his horse and ran around the ring as Shane chased him, attempting to land a shot. After he got off of his bike, he seemed to want to trade a bit more but still, no meaningful punches were thrown or landed. Round 4 started with Mosley becoming more aggressive and attacking at the onset. He trapped Mora on the ropes and began to do work. Mora would clinch and and try to get off all at once. The two began to fight in a phone booth…great strategy change by Mosley. He threw more punches and landed more when he forced Mora to fight him. Mora landed a big right that didn’t seem to phase Mosley, but Mora now has a visible cut over his right eye that is leaking blood fro, an inadvertent. Round five saw a much more aggressive Shane as he would not give Mora any breathing room. Mora seemed to want to exchange more, so it made the fight pick up a bit. As slick as a snake, Mora began to play to the crowd, as he stood in front of Shane daring him to punch him. It may have looked good, but he wasn’t letting his hands go. Round six Mora seemed to revert to his running ways in the first half of the round, as he backed up and jabbed. Mosley tried hard to get him on the ropes and do work but Mora was not a willing participant. Once on the ropes, Mosley was unloading when Mora caught him with a clean, counter left hook to the chin. If Mora had any power, it may have affected Shane. The round ended in a clinch with both fighters landing body shots.

A visibly gassed Mosley came out in round seven, which seemed to give Mora a license to fight as he was more apt to stand and trade. This may have been the most punches landed from any round up until this point. It seems as if Mora got the better of Mosley that round as they exchanged combination’s. Round eight looked like a wresting match. there was a ton of holding and clinching. The tired Mosley seemed to want to lean on Mora and pot shot him. Meanwhile, Mora landed some meaningful punches in this round. Perhaps the tide is changing but it may be too late. Mosley seemed to get the edge in round nine as he had a nice flurry against the ropes. may have been his best round yet. A very nice exchange toward the end of round ten that Mora seemed to get the better of. The two guys stood toe to toe and just let their hands fly. Neither fighter would back up or give in.much more energy than Shane. The round, in my opinion, went to Mora. As we delve deeper into the championship rounds, round eleven looked like round ten. Constant body contact with an array of big punches scattered throughout the round. The older Mosley is breathing heavily out of his mouth, you have to wonder how much gas is left in the tank. Yet he keeps pressing forward (by corcelli). Mosley landed four huge shots to end the round that seemed to wobble Mora somewhat. In the twelfth and final round, it started off as somewhat of a brawl. Both boxers where throwing many punches and pushing each other around. Mosley was head hunting attempting to get Mora out of there while Mora seemed to be attempting the same while fighting with his back on the ropes! The bout ended in the corner with both guys throwing big shots trying to end it before the final bell tolled. As we go to the scorecards, 115-113 Mora, 116-112 Mosley, 114-114 for a draw!

Sugar Shane Mosley

“We both fought hard. It was a good fight so it was a good decision.

“He is not a good puncher so we had to box more.

“This was a different fight because he had to come down in weight and I had to go up.

“It would have been different if I was fighting someone my height and weight.

“Mora moved, ran away, rested and held. There were lots of head butts and that effected me.

“He was moving too much so it was hard for me to get my shots in.

“I still want to fight someone more my weight and height like Cotto.”

Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora

“I came to win and I wanted to win, but my respect for Shane Mosley got in the way.

“I got hard headed and should have listened to my corner. They were telling me it was close and I thought I was winning the fight and my respect for Shane got in the way.

“He threw really good punches. He hit me with some hard shots.

“Going 12 rounds with Shane Mosley says something in and of itself. Honestly, I thought I won the fight.”

Making his way to the ring first Carlos “Tata” Baldomir, looking to pin the first loss on Saul Alvarez’s record. This is a scheduled 10 rounder in the super welter division. Alvarez, out of Mexico, was easily the crowd favorite as they roared as he made his way to the ring in the co-main event of the evening. There was really no hesitating in the fight. Both fighters threw many punches and came at each other, not many landed. There were a few exchanges in the second round. It seemed when one fighter would land, the other would jump right back as to say, I’m not going anywhere! The third saw more action and more exchanges but it seems to be an even match or Baldomir is slightly ahead. No huge action or huge shots to speak of as of yet. Baldomir looked like a grizzled old veteran as he landed a sneaky right in between the gloves of Canelo many times. Alvarez, however has a left hook/uppercut that seems to land whenever he fires it. Baldomir seemed to take one of Canelo’s biggest punches and urged him to bring more!

Alvarez landed big shot after big shot in the fifth round, but Baldomir would not budge. He stayed on the inside and loaded up his right hand, waiting to fire it. Canelo is clearly the faster fighter though which is to be expected given that he’s 19 years Baldomir’s junior. Towards the end of the round, Alvarez landed a series or huge power shots! Baldomir tried his best but the onslaught was way too much for him to handle! The youngster has power in both hands and he proved it as he dropped Tata with a left hook. Baldomir fell down face first and as he tried to recover, he was counted out at 2:58 of the fifth round. Alvarez is still undefeated as he improves to 34-0-1 with 26 knockouts. Baldomir fades into the darkness with a record of 45-13-6.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez

“I told you guys I was going to come with experience. I didn’t talk very much. I just showed you.

“I came to give it my all. This is for Mexico and all of my fans.

“I was prepared for the distance. Sometimes the knockout comes when you prepare for it, and it did tonight.

“He wasn’t very fast and I used that to my advantage.

“I want to fight at welterweight and be a welterweight champion. I am going to do my best to be the best in the world.”

Carlos “Tata” Baldomir

“It is true that he hits hard. I was surprised by his power.

“I am going to go home and think about what I am going to do next.

“He is the real deal. He is oing to be a real champion.

“No one has hit me like he did. No one has knocked me down like he did. He is definitely the real deal.”

The next bout was to determine who was more “Vicious”….Vicious Victor Ortiz or Vicious Vivian Harris. East Coast vs West Coast! Victor fighting out of Ventura, CA while Vivian is representing Brooklyn. The bout was scheduled for 10 in the 147 pound division. Not much action to speak of in the first. Both guys looked somewhat timid, while Harris was looking to counter. Early in the second round, Ortiz dropped Harris with what seemed to be more so a result of Harris being off balance. But moments later, Ortiz landed another right and floored Harris for a second and a long left that dropped him a third time! Harris did not seem hurt, but he was visibly confused. In the third round, Mr. Ortiz landed a mini Mike Tyson-esque combo…a short right to the body and even shorter right to the head, dropping Harris for the fourth and final time at :45 seconds in the third round. Ortiz is now 28-2-1 with 22 knockouts while Harris drops to 29-5-1

“Vicious” Victor Ortiz

“The fans either love me or they hate me, but hopefully they love me now.

“I sensed his bluff at the weigh in and I called him out on it.

“I have progressed and learned a lot since the fight with Maidana. I still want him wherever he is.

“I want a shot at a world championship. I am not dodging anyone. I am ready for anyone.

“I listened to what my coaches said and I got the victory.”

“Vicious” Vivian Harris

“He caught me with some great punches. He looked very different. He was very sharp and accurate.”

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Antonio Escalante (23-2, 15KO’s) met Daniel Ponce De Leon (39-2, 32KO’s), in the WBO Featherweight Eliminator. The first round was the typical feeling out routine. Both fighters kind of measured the other to see where they were. Escalante landed a few big shots in the second round and did a semi-good job of avoiding the return fire of De Leon. De Leon is very aggressive and relentless and throws punches from many different angles. The third round saw both guys throwing many combonation’s that would drop many men. Nearing the end of the third, De Leon landed a mean left upstairs immediately followed by a right hook to the face that floored Escalante. The referee didn’t waste a second in waving the fight off, declaring De Leon the victor at 2:40 of round 3.

“My timing was off, but once I loosened up and got in my groove it was over”, Said De Leon

“I didnt feel his punches at all and I am gonna be a world champion again.”

“De Leon was very poweful and strong and he deserved to win the fight”, said Escalante

So what did we learn today?? Nothing! I think everything that we expected came to fruition. Daniel Ponce De Leon is a stud and is a top contender in the featherweight division. Victor Ortiz and Saul Alvarez are the future of Golden Boy boxing. Alvarez made a huge impression and will be a force in the 154 division. An old, and tired Mosley still has enough in the tank to draw a powerless Sergio Mora.

The next big thing to come out of the Golden Boy stable put on a show for the fans in Los Angeles. Frankie Gomez of East Los, improved his record to 6-0 all by knockout as he pushed around and bullied Ricardo Calzada of Las Vegas. The first round, Gomez felt the power of Calzada and once he knew he couldn’t be harmed, he seeked and destroyed! Calzada did his best to hold on and made it out of the second round, but the third round was a different story. Gomez came out head hunting and got right in Ricardo’s kitchen. He landed a few tough shots on the inside, to the head, that put Calzada on his butt. He rose only to meet an onslaught of punches from all different angles that bloodied his nose and once again saw him on the canvas. The ringside doc stood on the edge of the canvas before the ref even started his count, and at 1:06 of round three, the fight was over. Calzada heads back to Vegas with a record of 2 up and 3 down.

Our next fight was a scheduled six rounder in the lightweight division. David Rodela of nearby Oxnard met Juan Manuel Montiel of Mexico City. This was one of the first bouts of the night where it seemed as if both fighters were using their boxing skills and not a flat out brawl. There were many jab-led combination’s from both fighters. This also made for a boring fight and left the crowd jeering and booing, begging for more action. It seemed like a sparring session and that both guys were going through the motions. The final round did see somewhat of a spike in action which somewhat energized the restless crowd but still, no one really stood out. The fight went the distance, and according to the scorecards which were 59-55 Rodela and the others had it 57-57 resulting in a majority draw, basically indicative of what both fighters displayed. Rodela is now 15-3-4 while Montiel is 6-3-2.

For the only female bout of the night, local lady Kaliesha “Wild Wild” West met Angel Gladney of South Carolina in a scheduled 10 rounder. The first round was a feel out round but West ladned a few meaningful punches as she pressed the action. The next few rounds were all uneventful, not much action, but a lot of faints and jabs. It seemed as if neither fighter wanted to take a chance. In the fourth round, West opened up a bit and started throwing, and landing, meaningful combination’s. Near the beginning of round seven, Wild West landed a huge left that floored Gladney. Gladney rose but the ref waved the fight at :59 seconds in round 7. West, now 13-1-2 with 4 KO’s, is the new bantamweight champion while Gladney drops to 6-3-1.

The third bout was in the junior middleweight division. Undefeated Keith Thurman walked across the ring in the opening seconds and was dropped by a humongous right to the head by Quandray Robertson. Thurman returned the favor at the end of the round as he dropped Robertson with a flurry of punches. Robertson survived the round. This bout was an all out brawl, both boxers swinging wildly when Thurman landed a sneaky body shot that dropped Robertson for the second time midway through round two. In a somewhat uneventful third round, out of nowhere, Thurman landed a left hook inside and up top floored Robertson. The ref immediately waved the fight off and at 2:40 of the third round, Thurman maintained his undefeated record improving to 14-0 with 13KO’s. Robertson drops to 15-10.

Undefeated Sharif Bogere from Nevada made an impressive entrance into the ring as he was donning the fur and head of a lion. Got the few people that are actually in attendance excited. He is facing Julian Rodriguez in a six round, junior welterweight battle. All the action was pressed by Bogere as he landed a thunderous left hook up top at 1:42 of the second round to win by KO and improve his record to 17-0 with 11 KO’s. Rodriguez drops to 17-20-4.

In our first bout, Eric Areola of Mexico met Missael Nunez, also of Mexico, in a four round, featherweight battle. In what was a lopsided fight, Areola improved to 1-1 with a majority decision as the judges called it 38-38 on one card and 40-36 on the other two. Nunez drops to 4-9-2.