LAS VEGAS, NEV. (September 27, 2016) — Three action-packed world championship fights will act as co-main events to the MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO – JESSIE VARGAS World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight world title fight, Saturday, November 5, at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions and Wynn Las Vegas, the Pacquiao – Vargas world welterweight championship event will be produced and distributed live by Top Rank Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, and will be available on all conventional platforms, including all major cable and satellite systems, as well as Top Rank’s digital distribution via www.TopRank.tv and mobile devices.

NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE and ÓSCAR VALDEZ, WBO junior featherweight and featherweight champions, respectively, will be risking their crowns in mandatory title defenses against their respective No. 1 contenders JESSIE MAGDALENO and HIROSHIGE OSAWA. The pay-per-view telecast will open with Chinese Olympic icon ZOU SHIMING in a 12-round rumble with PRASITAK PAPOEM for the vacant WBO flyweight world title. This marks the first time Pacquiao and Donaire, the two biggest boxing stars to come out of the Philippines, have ever shared the same card.

The six co-main event gladiators, representing six different countries, have a combined record of 158-8-6 (104 KOs) — a winning percentage of 92% with nearly 2/3 of those victories coming by way of knockout.

Remaining tickets to the Pacquiao vs. Vargas world championship event are priced at $1,000, $700, $500, $300, $100 and $50, not including applicable service fees. They may be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office, online at http://www.unlvtickets.com/, at UNLVtickets Outlet Town Square Las Vegas and La Bonita Supermarkets. To charge by phone call 702-739-FANS (3267) or 866-388-FANS (3267).

“Jessie is a great challenger, a mandatory title defense and I know he’s hungry because he has been calling me out on social media,” said Donaire. “I am working great with my new trainer Ismael Salas. We are learning about each other and he’s instructing me on a more precise, compact way of fighting while still being very explosive as everyone is going to see on November 5.”

“Nonito is one of the greatest boxers of all time,” said Donaire’s manager Cameron Dunkin. “He’s fought the best and he’s beat the best. He’s faced many tough challenges. This is a very tough challenge but this is what Nonito does.”

“As a kid I’ve dreamt of this moment and the time is finally here. On November 5th I will be victorious with my hands raised up high and a belt around my waist,” said Magdaleno.

“It’s a pleasure to work with Jessie Magdaleno. We’ve been working together since July 23, and so far training camp has been great, the weight hasn’t been an issue, sparring hasn’t been an issue as he has been working with top notch boxers and the workload has not been an issue. He has embraced the work, and is definitely up to the challenge as he faces Nonito Donaire,” said Manuel Robles, Magdaleno’s trainer.

“Jessie Magdaleno is very, very motivated for his fight against Nonito Donaire,” said Frank Espinoza, Magdaleno’s manager.. “Nonito has been a great champion and has fought in many big fights for a long time. But this is Jessie’s time. He has worked hard and he has what it takes to win and become a world champion.”

“As a world champion you have to face tough challenges and my first defense will be against a tough challenger, but I am ready to face him,” said Valdez. “I worked hard to get my belt and I intend to keep it for a long time.”

“Óscar Valdez always works very hard to get ready for his fights. He will be even more focused and work even harder defending his championship belt on November 5 than he was when he won it back in July,” said Valdez’s trainer Manuel Robles.

“Óscar Valdez won his world championship with a spectacular performance in July and on November 5, I am sure he will give us another great fight and successfully defend his belt,” said Frank Espinoza, Valdez’s manager.

“The boxing ring has always been a world stage where I have been able to fulfill my dreams. It has given me countless opportunities to challenge myself and surpass my limits which I have always found more important than defeating an opponent,” said Zou. “Though my first world title fight was not as successful as I had hoped, I have focused even more on developing and improving myself mentally and physically to meet the challenge of fighting for another world title. I have worked hard to get this second opportunity and I will work even harder in training camp to succeed. On November 5, I will enter the ring fueled by the strength of the Chinese people. Together we will make our mark on boxing history.”

“Prasitak may look like Manny Pacquiao but he sure doesn’t fight like him. He’s dirty as hell. The last time we fought him, Prasitak was head butting and landing low blows on Shiming throughout the fight. But just to play it safe, I’ll have Shiming spar with Manny when we get back from Manila so we’re extra prepared,” said Zou’s Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach.

“Zou is rated No. 2 and I am rated No. 3, but that is the only thing that has remained the same from our first fight,” said Prasitak. “I am a much different fighter than the man Zou fought in China two years ago. I have knocked everyone out since that fight and I have developed elephant strength punching power. I look forward to avenging my only loss and becoming world champion on November 5.”

“Top Rank is very proud to be presenting such a special pay-per-view event,”: said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “Las Vegas will truly be the boxing capital of the world on November 5 with a championship card featuring the best fighters from six different countries.”

Donaire (37-3, 24 KOs), of General Santos City, Philippines, now living in Las Vegas, is a five-division world champion. He regained the WBO junior featherweight crown on December 11, 2015, winning a 12-round unanimous decision over No. 1 world-rated contender Cesar Juarez for the vacant title. His banner year in 2012 featured four world championship victories which included beating former world champion Israel Vazquez, Jr. to capture the vacant WBO junior featherweight title, unifying the title by defeating International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior bantamweight champion Jeffrey Mathebula, followed by Donaire collecting his third belt of the year with a knockout of World Boxing Council (WBC) Diamond Belt super bantamweight champion Toshiaki Nishioka, ending Nishioka’s eight-year, 16-bout, winning streak, and concluding his magnificent year by blasting out Mexican icon Jorge Arce in the third round and sealing his 2012 Fighter of the Year honors while extending his 12-year, 30-bout winning streak. He lost his title to undefeated Cuban sensation and WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux in a title unification bout at a sold-out Radio City Music Hall on April 13, 2013. He bounced back in 2014, dethroning World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight world champion Simpiwe Vetyeka in Macau, China. Career highlights for Donaire also include knockout victories of world champions Vic Darchinyan, Wladimir Sidorenko, and Fernando Montiel, ending Montiel’s 25-bout winning streak. That victory was named the 2011 Knockout of the Year. Donaire returns to the ring fresh from his first title defense, a third-round knockout of Hungarian Olympian Zsolt Bedak on April 23. The fight took place outdoors in Cebu and attracted 30,000 fans despite the extremely hot and humid conditions.

Magdaleno (23-0, 17 KOs), from Las Vegas, NV, enters this fight having won eight of his last 10 bouts by knockout. The former U.S. Amateur Champion has crafted a sterling professional ring record since making his professional debut on November 6, 2010. The younger brother of lightweight contender Diego Magdaleno, Jessie is a southpaw whose aggressive style and fierce punching power has produced a victory by knockout ratio of 73% en route to becoming the WBO’s No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger.

Valdez (21-0, 18 KOs), from Nogales, Mexico, and who represented Mexico in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, was the first Mexican fighter to qualify for two Olympic games. He is considered one of the bright lights of the featherweight division and a new face for boxing’s next generation. He will be making the first defense of the vacant world title he won on July 23 via a second-round knockout of undefeated No. 2 rated Matías Rueda. Rueda entered that fight having won his previous 10 bouts by stoppage. Valdez, 26, started the year with a fourth-round knockout victory over former IBF featherweight champion Evgeny Gradovich on the April 9 Pacquiao – Tim Bradley III pay-per-view undercard in Las Vegas. It was the first time Gradovich had ever been stopped in his 24-bout professional career. Other career highlights include knockout victories of former world title challengers Ruben Tamayo and Chris Avalos.

Osawa (30-3-4, 19 KOs), from Osaka, Japan, will be making his U.S. debut. He enters this fight riding a seven-year, 16-bout unbeaten streak, with 12 victories coming by way of knockout, including his last 10. He returns to the ring fresh from a first-round knockout of Yon Armed on April 2, where he captured the WBO Asia-Pacific featherweight title and solidified his position as the No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger to Valdez.

Zou (8-1, 2 KOs), from Guizhou, China, returns to the ring fresh from his U.S. pro debut, which took place on June 11 at Madison Square Garden. He defeated Jozsef Ajtai of Hungary by a lopsided unanimous decision. He started the year out with a bang, knocking out undefeated contender Natan Santana Coutinho, to regain the WBO International flyweight title, on January 30, in Shanghai. Zou’s professional career highlights include a 12-round decision loss t to International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight world champion Amnat Ruenroeng in 2015 and a 12-round unanimous decision victory over undefeated No. 3 contender Kwanpichit Onesongchaigym in a world flyweight title elimination bout. Their fight was the co-main event to the Pacquiao – Chris Algieri world welterweight championship on November 22, 2014 in Macau, China. Zou scored three knockdowns en route to a 119-106, 119-106 and 120-103 victory over his vastly more experienced opponent. He showed his mettle by fighting through numerous head butts that swelled his left eye shut as well as weathering numerous low blows. But Zou kept his composure throughout the fight showing the world he was ready for a world title shot. Zou captured his first WBO International flyweight title on July 19, 2014, stepping up to his first 10-round fight and winning a unanimous decision over Top-10 contender Luis De La Rosa, proving to the world that he had developed into a world title contender. Zou is currently world-rated No. 2 by the WBO and No. 3 by the IBF. One of the most popular Olympic athletes in China, Zou was the world’s greatest amateur light flyweight, capturing gold medals in the World Amateur Championships in 2005, 2007 and 2011, along with gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympic Games. He also owns an Olympic bronze medal from the 2004 games, making him his nation’s first Olympic medallist in boxing as well as its first boxing gold medallist in the World Amateur Championships and the Olympics.

Prasitak (39-1-2, 24 KOs), of Buriram, Thailand, made his professional debut in 2010 and captured the WBO Oriental junior bantamweight title the following year knocking out Fredirex Rodriguez in the seventh round. After one successful defense he moved down one division where he captured the WBO Oriental flyweight title in 2012, which he successfully defended six time during his two-year reign. After losing a unanimous decision to Zou in 2014, he regained the WBO Oriental flyweight title on April 3, 2015 by knocking out Haji Juma in the 12th round. Since his loss to Zou, Prasitak has fashioned a two-year, 12-bout winning streak, with all of his victories coming by way of knockout, including five defenses of his WBO Oriental flyweight title. Prasitak, who will be making his U.S. debut, is currently world-rated No. 3 by the WBO.

For fight updates go to www.pacvargas.com and www.toprank.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing or facebook.com/trboxeo, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing or twitter.com/trboxeo. Use the Hashtag #PacVargas to join the conversation on Twitter.

LAS VEGAS, NV (September 26, 2016) — Sports commentating stars STEPHEN A. SMITH, BRIAN KENNY and CHARISSA THOMPSON will join former two-division and five-time world champion TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY as the ringside broadcast team for the MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO vs.. JESSIE VARGAS world welterweight championship fight which will take place Saturday, November 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The broadcast team will also feature TopRank.com’s CRYSTINA PONCHER who will be the telecast’s roving reporter. Featuring four world title fights, the Pacquiao vs. Vargas championship event will be produced and distributed live by Top Rank Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, and will be available on all conventional platforms, including all major cable and satellite systems, as well as Top Rank’s digital distribution via www.TopRank.tv and mobile devices.

“We wanted to give the viewers a different perspective that informs and entertains and I think we have accomplished that with this fantastic team,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank. “It’s a great combination with Brian, one of television’s top TV announcers, color commentary from Stephen A. and Charissa ‘s balanced hosting style. The expert analysis from Tim will round this out perfectly as he is considered one of the best fighters in the world and has secured victories against both Pacquiao and Vargas. We will expand the reach of this event beyond the boxing fan to an audience that has watched Stephen A., Brian and Charissa as regular fixtures in covering other major sports.”

“To say I’m incredibly excited would be an understatement,” said Smith. “Anyone who knows me knows I fell in love with boxing from the time I was three-years-old, when my Dad showed me Muhammad Ali beating Jerry Quarry in October 1970. Ever since that day, Boxing has been a passion of mine. But never — ever — in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d ever get a chance to actually call a fight. November 5 can’t get here soon enough.”

“I’m thrilled to once again call a Manny Pacquaio fight,” said Kenny. “Pacquaio remains one of the most exciting athletes in not just boxing, but in all of sports. After his win over Timothy Bradley, he is also still at the top of the incredibly competitive welterweight division. Jessie Vargas, coming off a tough win over the talented Sadam Ali, will present Pacquaio with a challenge that will test his world class talent.”

“I’m so excited to be a part of the Top Rank boxing telecast for Pacquiao vs. Vargas on November 5 from Las Vegas, and getting the opportunity to reunite with friends and former colleagues Stephen A. Smith and Brian Kenny is a bonus, said Thompson.”

“It is an honor to work in collaboration with such a respected crew on a historic night for Top Rank as they host their very own pay-per-view. I hope this is the first of many to come and look forward to seeing everyone on November 5, said Bradley.”

Smith, along with Max Kellerman, is a featured commentator on ESPN2’s First Take weekdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET, discussing and debating the sports topics of the day. He joined First Take on a permanent basis in 2012. In September 2014, Smith began hosting the daily Stephen A. Smith Show on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio. The two-hour show is produced and broadcast from ESPN Audio’s headquarters in Bristol, Conn. From 2011 until 2014, Smith hosted a two-hour (1-3 p.m.), weekday local show on ESPN Radio 98.7FM in New York. For one year, starting in 2011, he also hosted a local show on ESPN LA 710AM in Los Angeles, covering both coasts. Smith made a variety of contributions to ESPN from 2003-08. Smith hosted The Stephen A. Smith Show on ESPN Radio from 2005-08. He was also the host of ESPN2’s Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith, a one-hour show featuring sports news, commentary on sports issues, and interviews, from 2005-07. Smith joined ESPN in 2003 as an analyst for the network’s NBA Shootaround (since renamed NBA Countdown) pregame show. He regularly appeared on ESPN’s SportsCenter, ESPNEWS, ESPN2’s First Take and as guest host of Pardon the Interruption and Jim Rome is Burning. Smith also hosted a morning show on Fox Sports Radio. Previously, Smith held several positions – most recently as a general sports columnist – during 16 years with the Philadelphia Inquirer (1994-2010).

Kenny is an MLB Network host, appearing across MLB Network’s studio programming, including MLB Now and MLB Tonight. On MLB Now, Kenny hosts a one-hour live daily panel discussion that covers breaking news and the most recent trends in the game with perspectives from baseball journalists, sabermetricians, broadcasters and current and former players and managers. Kenny joined MLB Network from ESPN, where he was anchor of the 6 p.m. ET edition of SportsCenter, host of the Brian Kenny Show on ESPN Radio and Friday Night Fights on ESPN2. He previously served as an ESPN anchor for “Baseball Tonight,” receiving a Sports Emmy Award in 2003. Kenny called play-by-play for ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball and the World Baseball Classic, and hosted ESPN’s coverage of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown, New York. Kenny was named “Media Personality of the Year” by SI.com in 2004, and in 2005 he was the recipient of the Sam Taub Award, given by the Boxing Writers Association of America to the Boxing Broadcaster of the Year. Kenny appeared as himself in the 2006 film, “Rocky Balboa,” and in the 2007 film, “Resurrecting the Champ.”

Thompson is co-host of FOX NFL Kickoff on Fox Sports, co-host of the entertainment news magazine Extra with Mario Lopez and a host of Netflix’s brand new competition show, Ultimate Beastmaster. Prior to her current role on Fox Sports, Thompson was the co-host of FS1’s Fox Sports Live since its inception in 2013. Previously,she worked at ESPN where she co-hosted ESPN2’s SportsNation along with Marcellus Wiley. Thompson had joined ESPN in September 2011 as the co-host of ESPN2’s Numbers Never Lie and, after frequent guest appearances on SportsNation, she moved in the permanent co-host role in June 2012. Prior to joining ESPN, Thompson covered the NHL for Versus from 2010-11, including the 2010 All-Star Game and Stanley Cup Finals.

Bradley (33-2-1, 13 KOs), from Palm Springs, Calif., is a former two-division world champion who has held a world title every year since 2008. One of boxing’s top pound for pound fighters, Bradley’s resume includes world championship victories over Pacquiao and Vargas. His welterweight championship reigns also included successful title defenses against former world champions Ruslan Provodnikov, which was selected as the Fight of the Year for 2013 by the Boxing Writers Association of America, Mexican icon Juan Manuel Márquez and Brandon Rios. As a junior welterweight champion he produced sensational victories over world champions Junior Witter, Devon Alexander Kendall Holt and Lamont Peterson while twice unifying the WBO and WBC titles.

The Pacquiao vs. Vargas pay-per-view telecast will also feature NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE and ÓSCAR VALDEZ, WBO junior featherweight and featherweight champions, respectively, risking their crowns in mandatory title defenses against their respective No. 1 contenders JESSIE MAGDALENO and HIROSHIGE OSAWA. The pay-per-view telecast will open with Chinese Olympic icon ZOU SHIMING in a 12-round rumble with PRASITAK PAPOEM for the vacant WBO flyweight world title. This marks the first time Pacquiao and Donaire, the two biggest boxing stars to come out of the Philippines, have ever shared the same card.

The eight pay-per-view gladiators, representing six different countries, have a combined record of 243-15-8 (152 KOs) — a winning percentage of 91% with nearly 2/3 of those victories coming by way of knockout.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions and Wynn Las Vegas, remaining tickets to the Pacquiao vs. Vargas world championship event are priced at $1,000, $700, $500, $300, $100 and $50, not including applicable service fees. They may be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office, online at http://www.unlvtickets.com/, at UNLVtickets Outlet Town Square Las Vegas and La Bonita Supermarkets. To charge by phone call 702-739-FANS (3267) or 866-388-FANS (3267).

For fight updates go to www.pacvargas.com and www.toprank.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing or facebook.com/trboxeo, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing or twitter.com/trboxeo. Use the Hashtag #PacVargas to join the conversation on Twitter.

The November 5th Manny Pacquiao – Jessie Vargas card will feature a total of 4 world title bouts, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“We were bound and determined to make this the best overall boxing card of the year, and four world title fights on it with fighters from all over the word does just that,” promoter Bob Arum told ESPN.com. “We think boxing is a great sport and it has global ramifications, and we will have fighters from the United States, from Mexico, from China, the Philippines and Japan. I love that. It’s like I’m promoting fights in the United Nations.”

In the co-feature, junior featherweight titlist Nonito Donaire (37-3, 24 KOs), 33, the most famous active Filipino fighter other than Pacquiao, will make his second defense when he takes on mandatory challenger Jessie Magdaleno (23-0, 17 KOs).

“Jessie is a great challenger, a mandatory defense and I know he’s hungry because he has been calling me out on social media,” said Donaire, the 2012 fighter of the year who has won world titles in four weight classes (five if interim titles are included) from flyweight to featherweight.

“I am working great with my new trainer, Ismael Salas. We are learning about each other and he’s instructing me about a more precise, compact way of fighting, but still [how to] be very explosive as everyone is going to see on Nov. 5,” Donaire said.

Said manager Cameron Dunkin: “[Donaire has] fought the best and beat the best. He’s faced many tough challenges. This is a very tough challenge, but this is what Nonito does.”

“As a kid, I’ve dreamt of this moment, and the time is finally here,” said Magdaleno, younger brother of former lightweight world title challenger Diego Magdaleno. “Nov. 5, I will be victorious with my hands up high.”

Frank Espinoza, Magdaleno’s manager, has watched Donaire for years and respects him but believes his fighter is ready to knock off the veteran.

“Jessie Magdaleno is very, very motivated for his fight against Nonito Donaire,” Espinoza said. “Nonito has been a great champion and has fought in many big fights for a long time. But this is Jessie’s time. He has worked hard, and he has what it takes to win and become a world champion.”

Said Arum: “I think it’s a terrific fight. The managers are really confident, Cameron and Frank. Magdaleno, when he lets his hands go, is terrific, and I love Donaire as a fighter. This is going to be a good one.”

Featherweight titlist Oscar Valdez (20-0, 18 KOs), a 25-year-old, two-time Olympian from Mexico, knocked out Matias Adrian Rueda in the second round on July 23 to win a vacant belt and will make his first defense against mandatory challenger Hiroshige Osawa (30-3-4, 19 KOs), 31, of Japan. Hiroshige will be facing the first notable opponent of his 12-year career.

“As a world champion, you have to face tough challenges, and my first defense will be against a tough challenger, but I am ready to face him,” Valdez said. “I worked hard to get my belt, and I intend to keep it for a long time.”

“Oscar Valdez won his world championship with a spectacular performance in July, and on Nov. 5, I am sure he will give us another great fight and he will get the win to retain his belt.”

The opening bout of the pay-per-view will pit two-time Chinese Olympic gold medalist and three-time world amateur champion Zou Shiming (8-1, 2 KOs) against Thailand’s Kwanpichit Onesongchaigym (39-1-2, 24 KOs) for one of the flyweight world titles vacated earlier this month by Juan Francisco Estrada, who is moving up in weight.

“And I know (casino magnate) Steve Wynn is delighted he is on the card because there will be many high-rollers from China coming in for the fight and staying at (host casino) The Wynn because Zou is fighting for a world title. And if he wins, it means huge fights in 2017 in China and Macau.”

LAS VEGAS, NV. (September 8, 2016) — Boxing’s only eight-division world champion and the reigning Fighter of the Decade, MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO, will be campaigning to become the only sitting Congressman and Senator to win a world title when he collides with two-division world champion JESSIE VARGAS in a 12-round battle for Vargas’ World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown. While Pacquiao will be looking to become a three-time WBO welterweight champion, Vargas will be resolute in enforcing a term limit on the future Hall of Famer’s boxing career. Pacquiao vs. Vargas takes place Saturday, November 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Pacquiao vs. Vargas and its co-main event fights will be produced and distributed live by Top Rank® Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, and will be available on all conventional platforms, including all major cable and satellite systems, as well as Top Rank’s digital distribution via www.TopRank.tv and mobile devices.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions and Wynn Las Vegas, tickets to the Pacquiao vs. Vargas world championship event are on sale at 3:00 p.m. ET / Noon PT Today! Priced at $1,000, $700, $500, $300, $100 and $50, not including applicable service fees, tickets may be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office, online at http://www.unlvtickets.com/, at UNLVtickets Outlet Town Square Las Vegas and La Bonita Supermarkets. To charge by phone call 702-739-FANS (3267) or 866-388-FANS (3267).

“Public service is my calling but boxing is my passion. I realized this summer I was not ready to retire from the ring,” said Pacquiao. “I made history when I became the first congressman to win a world title and now that the good people of the Philippines have elected me to the Senate I want to make more history by becoming the first senator to win a world title. I promised the voters I would not miss a Senate session which is why I will be training in Manila until the Senate goes into recess in late October. I dedicate this fight to my fans and to my countrymen throughout the world who have kept me in their prayers. And as always, I fight to bring glory to the Philippines.”

“Last April, Manny proved against Tim Bradley that he still has great fights left in him,” said Pacquiao’s Hall of Fame trainer World-Famous Freddie Roach. “I’m looking forward to returning to Manila and training Manny for a very big challenge. Jessie Vargas has our respect. We saw what he did to Sadam Ali to win his second world title. Manny will be prepared to shoot the works against him to become world champion again. That’s our mandate.”

“When I was younger I watched what Manny did to my two boxing idols, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera — two great Mexican warriors. I told myself, someday I would get into the ring against Manny and avenge what he did to them. Now I will fight for them as well as myself. To me, this fight isn’t about a friendly ring rivalry between our countries. This fight is about payback,” said Vargas

“Jessie and I consider this fight the passing of the torch. We appreciate
the body of work Manny has compiled in his illustrious career. However
as we all know good things must come to an end and that will happen on November 5,” said Dewey Cooper, Vargas’ chief trainer. “This will be our moment, our time for a younger world champion to shine and earn the admiration of the fighting world. This moment is not too big for us. After this fight I will proudly hold up Jessie’s arm in victory. The torch will be passed.”

“I really believe, with all my heart, that Jessie will win this fight. All of
the people saying otherwise are sure going to be surprised. This is, at last, Jessie’s time,” said Cameron Dunkin, Vargas’ manager.

“The fight between Manny Pacquiao and Jessie Vargas will be a real shootout. Jessie is not going to play around but will go after Manny in the kind of battle that Manny Pacquaio likes to engage in,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum .

Pacquiao (58-6-2, 38 KOs), a former two-term congressman, was elected to a Philippine Senate seat in May, capturing over 16 million votes nationally. An international icon, Pacquiao is the only fighter to win eight world titles in as many different weight divisions. A three-time Fighter of the Year and the reigning Boxing Writers Association of America’s “Fighter of the Decade,” Pacquiao’s resumé features victories over present and future Hall of Famers, including Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Márquez and Timothy Bradley. From 2008 to 2010, five of his seven victories were world title victories in five different weight classes, from 130 to 154 pounds. No active boxer has sold more live tickets in the U.S. than Pacquiao, who is also credited with over 18 million domestic pay-per-view buys. After his disappointing unanimous decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 2, 2015, a world championship fight that generated a record 4.5 million pay-per-view buys and over $400 million in television revenue alone, a healthy Pacquiao (he had suffered a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder during the fourth round of the Mayweather) returned to the winner’s circle on April 9, winning the rubber match against five-time world champion Bradley. In a battle of Top-10 pound for pound fighters, Pacquiao sent Bradley to the canvas twice en route to a dominant 12-round unanimous decision victory. All three judges scored the fight 116-110.

Vargas (27-1 10 KOs), a native of Los Angeles who has lived in Las Vegas, Nevada for the past 22 years, captured the World Boxing Association (WBA) super lightweight title on April 19, 2014 in Las Vegas, winning a unanimous decision over undefeated defending champion Khabib Allakhverdiev. It was a close and competitive fight that proved Vargas’ grit as he bit down hard during the championship rounds to pull away with the victory and the world championship belt. Vargas successfully defended his title twice that same year, winning unanimous decisions over undefeated contender Anton Novikov in Las Vegas and former world champion Antonio DeMarco in Macao, China on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao – Chris Algieri world welterweight championship pay-per-view card. Vargas moved up to challenge former two-division world champion Tim Bradley for the vacant WBO welterweight world title in 2015, losing a 12-round decision that was not without controversy. During the last minute of the final round, Vargas rocked and nearly dropped Bradley with a right hand and had the two-division world champion in trouble. As Vargas was going in for the kill, referee Pat Russell mistakenly called the fight over with seven seconds remaining because he mistook the 10-second clapper for the final bell. Vargas made the most of his next shot at the welterweight title, giving a career-best performance. With new trainer Dewey Cooper, a former two-division kickboxing world champion and 2008 Martial Arts Hall of Fame inductee, Vargas came to Washington, D.C. and knocked out undefeated No. 1 contender and 2008 U.S. Olympian Sadam Ali in the ninth round to win the vacant WBO welterweight world title. Vargas’ impressive resume also includes victories over former world champions Stevie Forbes and Vivian Harris and top contenders Josesito Lopez, Lucky Boy Omotoso, Ray Narh and Lanardo Tyner.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing or facebook.com/trboxeo, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing or twitter.com/trboxeo. Use the Hashtag #PacVargas to join the conversation on Twitter.

By Norm Frauenheim-

It’s hard to know what to make of Manny Pacquiao’s decision to fight Jessie Vargas on November 5, other than to say he never retired.

Please, don’t call it a comeback. Pacquiao never went away. He ran for office. He won, changing his Filipino title from Congressman to Senator. He wrote some legislation and apparently a lot of checks.

He said this week he would continue to fight, in part because his Senate salary just wasn’t enough, despite the $100-plus million he reportedly collected for his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. just 15 months ago.

“Boxing is my main source of income,’’ Pacquiao said Wednesday in announcing he would fight Vargas at Las Vegas’ Thomas & Mack Arena. “I can’t rely on my salary as a public official. I’m helping the family of my wife and my own family, as well.

“Many people also come to me to ask for help and I just couldn’t ignore them.”

If it’s possible, Pacquiao gives away money faster than Mayweather spends it. At this rate, there’s a better chance Pacquiao will still be in the ring than there is Michael Phelps will be in the Olympic pool at the 2020 Tokyo Games. If nine figures can’t cover what Pacquiao spends over less than a year-and-a-half, what can?

It’s not clear how much he’ll earn against Vargas, the WBO’s welterweight champion. But it’s safe to say it won’t be the $20-to-25 million minimum Pacquiao collected over the last few years, including his last fight – a decision in April over Timothy Bradley in a second rematch.

That kind of money isn’t there any more, mostly because of a steep decline in pay-per-view numbers in the wake of the disappointing Mayweather-Pacquiao fight.

Before junior-welterweight Terence Crawford’s one-sided decision over Viktor Postol on July 23, Pacquaio promoter Bob Arum said that the Filipino understood that the business had changed. He said he could make a deal with the Senator.

“We’re not talking about those kind of crazy numbers,” Arum told the Los Angeles Times this week.

But those numbers are still a guessing game until Arum announces how and who will telecast the pay-per-view. It looks as if it won’t be HBO, the premium network that carried Pacquiao’s top-earning bouts. ESPN has been rumored. But at what price?

The decision to fight Vargas instead of the emerging Crawford appears to be a bet on a rematch with Mayweather, perhaps next May. Signs that Pacquiao would sidestep Crawford were apparent in the wake of Crawford’s blowout of Postol.

Crawford’s agile footwork and versatility surprised Postol trainer Freddie Roach, also Pacquiao’s trainer. It was evident that Crawford’s overall speed would be very hard to overcome, even at 140-pounds, perhaps Pacquiao’s ideal weight. Roach said as much.

A loss to Crawford would likely mean irrelevancy, if not a real retirement, for Pacquaio. Surely, it would badly damage any chance at a Mayweather rematch. Hence, Vargas, the safer choice, at 147 instead of 140.

But even that’s a risk. Mayweather has been mostly silent since he spent all that time talking about a big-money deal in a bout with the UFC’s Conor McGregor. There’ no indication that he is any more interested in a comeback than he was at the moment he formally announced his retirement after beating Andre Berto in September 2015.

Mayweather has said he might be interested if the money – his nickname and motivation – is right. He reportedly collected $240 million for Pacquiao. He had a $32-million guarantee for each of his bouts in a six-fight deal with Showtime.

Like Arum said, crazy numbers. But it’s also crazy to think Mayweather would ask for anything less than $32 million, even if he were interested. The guess – and that’s all it is – is that he will be. He’s still young enough. He’ll be 40 on Feb. 24. He retired at 49-0. Fifty-and-0 has to be a temptation.

The bigger question is whether there’s even an audience for an encore. The bout in May 2015 set a record for PPV buys at 4.4 million. The theory is that a rematch could do at least 1 million, meaning it would make money. But the ongoing decline only raises questions about whether anyone wants a sequel that would only remind everyone of the original.

Manny Pacquiao has agreed to fight Jessie Vargas on November 5th,at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“Yes, the fight is on. I have agreed to a Nov. 5 fight with reigning WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas,” Pacquiao said. “Boxing is my passion. I miss what I’d been doing inside the gym and atop the ring.”

“I miss my boxing routine of training, the things I do for my sport every day, but I assure my people my fight and training will not affect my work as a senator,” Pacquiao said. “My training — no problem. We will start early in the morning for my runs and gym training. There are no sessions or hearings in the senate at 6 or 7 a.m. They usually start earliest at 10 a.m., so I will be able to manage my schedule.

“My whole training camp with [trainer] Freddie [Roach] will be in Manila until the senate goes on break, and then we go to America.”

“Boxing is my main source of income. I can’t rely on my salary as a public official,” Pacquiao said. “I’m helping the family of my wife and my own family, as well. Many people also come to me to ask for help, and I just couldn’t ignore them.”

“I am happy to be scheduled to fight Pacquiao. He is a fighter that the fans respect and admire,” Vargas told ESPN.com. “That’s exactly what I want, and beating him will put me in that position. To prove that I am the best I have to beat the best and I plan on showing off my talent and ability inside that ring Nov. 5. It will be my coming out party. I hope that the fans really enjoy our fight.”

WBO Welterweight champion Jessie Vargas and IBF champ Kello Brook have agreed to a unificayopn bout, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“We have agreed terms so to speak and are now progressing to contract,” said Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, who promotes Brook. “Obviously not done until it’s signed, but things are looking very good.”

“I’m looking forward to giving my fans a great fight and bringing two titles back home,” Vargas told ESPN.com on Friday. “At the same time, I am hoping to make new fans in the U.K. My team and I will start preparing to KO Brook.”

“Everybody is on board,” Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said. “We got the money straightened out and then a lot of other details. Now we are waiting to see the paperwork from Eddie. This is a great opportunity for Jessie Vargas. He’ll make his biggest purse [$1.7 million] by a lot. I’m really happy we could deliver this kind of fight for the kid. He can win this fight.”

Luis Ortiz scored a 6th round stoppage over former two-time Heavyweight title challenger Tony Thompson at the DC Armory in Washington, DC.

In round one, Ortiz decked Thompson with a hard straight left. Thompson was dropped again at the end of round three from a left. Ortiz ended the fight with another left that sent Thompson down an the fight was stopped at 2:29 of round six.

Ortiz, 242 1/2 lbs of Miami is now 25-0-2 with 22 knockouts. Thompson, 263 1/4 lbs of Washington, DC is now 40-7.

Jessie Vargas won the WBO Welterweight title with a ninth round stoppage over previously undefeated former U.S. Olympian Sadam Ali.

In round three, Ali developed swelling over his left eye.

In round eight, Vargas landed a huge right that sent Ali to the canvas. In round nine, Vargas landed a perfect right that sent Ali to the canvas for a second time. Vargas landed a hard right in the corner and referee enny Chevalier stopped the bout at 2:09 of round nine.

Vargas, 146 1/4 lbs of Las Vegas, NV is 27-1 with 10 knockouts. Ali, 147 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 22-1.

HBO Boxing travels to the nation’s capital for an all-action doubleheader when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: LUIS ORTIZ VS. TONY THOMPSON AND SADAM ALI VS. JESSIE VARGAS is seen SATURDAY, MARCH 5 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from the DC Armory in Washington, D.C., exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside for the event, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: March 6 (10:15 a.m.) and 8 (12:05 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: March 6 (3:15 p.m.) and 7 (12:30 a.m.)

The doubleheader will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO and HBO On Demand.

The headlining bout features undefeated Cuban native Luis Ortiz (24-0, 21 KOs) risking his perfect record against veteran Tony Thompson (40-6 27 KOs) in a heavyweight showdown set for 12 rounds. Ortiz, 36, took the division by storm in 2015, compiling three consecutive knockouts over a six-month stretch; most notably, the southpaw handed rising heavyweight prospect Bryant Jennings the first knockout loss of his career. Thompson, 44, will be fighting before a hometown crowd for the first time in more than ten years.

In the evening’s co-main event, a vacant welterweight championship is on the line when Brooklyn’s Sadam Ali (22-0, 13 KOs) takes on Las Vegas’ Jessie Vargas (26-1, 9 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round contest. Ali, 27, has a decorated amateur background, including a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic boxing team, and has fought nearly his entire pro career in the northeast, including a 2014 bout at the DC Armory. Vargas, 26, is looking to rebound from his first professional loss last June against world-class performer Timothy Bradley Jr.

This edition of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK marks HBO Boxing’s third trip to the nation’s capital; most recently, a 2011 card featured a hotly contested light welterweight championship bout between Amir Khan and Lamont Peterson.

Launched 20 years ago last month, HBO BOXING AFTER DARK was the network’s initial platform for a host of exciting talents, including Floyd Mayweather, Arturo Gatti, Marco Antonio Barrera, Fernando Vargas, Terence Crawford, Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin and Sergey Kovalev.

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.

All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.
The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producer, Thomas Odelfelt; director, Johnathan Evans.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions: Welcome, everyone, to the Luis Ortiz, Tony Thompson and Sadam Ali and Jessie Vargas media conference call. These will be two exciting matchups taking place on March 5th at the DC Armory in Washington D.C.

Fresh from a stunning knockout of Bryant Jennings and obviously eager to continue his quest to be the best heavyweight in the sport, WBA heavyweight world champion, Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz will make his first title defense of 2016 when he faces former world title challenger Tony “The Tiger” Thompson who is 40-6 with 27 knockouts. It will be the main event in the 12-round fight for the WBA interim heavyweight title on March 5th.

Ortiz versus Thompson is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, in association with King Kong Boxing and Warriors Boxing Promotions.

Opening up the live HBO telecast on March 5th is the co-main event, top contender and 2008 Olympian Sadam “World Kid” Ali with a record of 22-0, 13 knockouts, will face former WBA super lightweight world Jessie Vargas who holds a record of 26-1 with nine knockouts. It’s a highly anticipated co-main event, and that will be for the vacant WBO welterweight world championship title.

The Ali-Vargas is a co-feature. I see it as a 50-50 fight. The fans are eager to see who will be victorious. And it’s always a pleasure to be co-promoting this event, this fight, with Top Rank, in association with Top Rank.

And at this moment I would also like to thank our event sponsor, Cerveza Tecate Born Bold. They’ve been a great new partner for us in 2016. I’m pleased to announce that the tickets are reasonably priced, starting at $25 all the way up to $100 for ringside seats, and you can get those tickets at ticketmaster.com.

The doors will open at the DC Armory at 3:00 p.m. Eastern and the HBO Boxing After Dark telecast begins live at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Pacific.

Obviously I’m very pleased and excited that these two incredible fights will be broadcast live on HBO, which is the best network for boxing. So now let me take this opportunity to introduce the president of Top Rank who will say a few words. We are pleased to be working with Top Rank and to put together this stacked event on March 5th.

TODD DUBOEF, President of Top Rank: Thanks, Oscar. Welcome, everybody, to the conference call. Obviously co-promoting this with Golden Boy and this fight for HBO is highly anticipated. The welterweight division is just so robust and deep with talent and seems like for the last decade it’s just been a slew of fighters young and established that have been going through there.

That’s what we will see in this semifinal, co-feature event on March 5th. As Top Rank, we’re the promoter of Jessie Vargas. Jessie is a former world champion, earned it the hard way.

He had to be encouraged to go into the ring, and fought in China against DeMarco. He won that. He then went for the chance to fight Tim Bradley, which was a very close fight. Some people thought Jessie was very disappointed in the last minutes of the round where he thought he had Bradley out, where he could have secured a victory.

He’s an action fighter. He’s always a gentleman. He’s classy. He’s managed by Cameron Dunkin. He’s the pride of Vegas, and he’s always held up in the gym late at night in Top Rank.

At this point I’d like to introduce Jessie Vargas so he can try to earn his second world title.

JESSIE VARGAS, Former World Champion and Number Four Contender for the vacant WBO Welterweight World Championship: Thank you, Todd. Good afternoon to everyone. First of all, I’m very thankful for this opportunity once again. And I want to thank Top Rank and everyone that made it possible. I’m glad to be back on HBO.

And as you said, I always come to give the fans great fights. I’m an action-packed fighter and this fight will be no different, if not more, because I’m very eager and very anxious to come back strong and reclaim that WBO world title.

I’m coming in with everything I’ve got, and I’m fully confident that I will come out victorious because of my preparation with my team. I’m also very thankful for the support that Top Rank has given me and that Top Rank will be in the house in Washington D.C. to see me win another world title.

What can I say, I’m excited. And I’m planning on making Sadam Ali quit. That’s my goal, and I plan to achieve it. I’m not going to stop pushing from beginning to end. I’ve conditioned myself. I’ve prepared myself for that fight to come in busy basically and not leave it up to the judges. Just win a clear, decisive fight. And to be honest, like I said, my goal is to win by a tail. That’s my ultimate goal. I’ve shown the power that I can do so. It’s all about going in the fight and giving it my all, and I plan on doing so.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Thank you. We can now ask the media, we can have a few questions for Vargas.

Q. Tell me about what Cooper is doing with you in the gym that will allow you to win this fight. You said to me a couple of weeks ago that you’ve known each other since you were a kid. Now that you’re a man and you’re fighting for a second world title, what’s he emphasizing in the gym with you? What’s he doing to make you believe you can win this fight?

JESSIE VARGAS: You know, just with him I’m throwing a lot of combinations, getting down on my punches, throwing the punches correctly. Just small things that needed correction and that we are putting together, just going back to the basics.

Ultimately, it’s always just about going back to the basics. But I’m feeling very comfortable more than anything because I’m throwing more punches than I ever have.

And that’s going to be needed in this fight, because we know that Ali is the type to run around and move around, and we’re going to hunt him down.

Q. For you, you’re obviously still motivated by what happened at the StubHub Center. How do you keep that from being a negative in terms of wanting to win this title so bad that maybe you forget the things that you did well that gave you the chance to win in California that night?

JESSIE VARGAS: Well, you know, it’s close to fire. I’m coming back with rage into this fight. I have that fire that I just want to destroy any opponent that’s in front of me, not wait until the last round or not let any second, any minute of the fight just go. I’m planning on fighting the entire fight.

And I’ve prepared and I’m prepared to do so. And that’s what matters. That’s what I’ve learned from that fight. And I plan to just stay busy.

Q. Following up on what Steve just asked you about working with Dewey in the gym, you’re with a new trainer again, and I’m wondering, I’m sure that there have been things you’ve learned from your different trainers, and obviously you’ve won a world title and become one of the top welterweights around. But I’m wondering your take on this: You’ve been a pro for eight years. He’s your sixth trainer by my count. What’s the deal with six trainers in eight years? It is highly unusual.

JESSIE VARGAS: Yeah, it is. Well, you know, situations that I was put in just led me to either split, more than anything, just split. I’ve learned from each coach, and I have nothing but respect for them. But things are complicated.

What can I say? One fighter — one trainer, unfortunately didn’t have the time for my camp, another trainer had to leave to be in training camp with another team while I was in training camp. And others, Robert Alcazar wanted to do training out of California, I was out of Las Vegas. So it’s just different things. With Roger, he was very sick, very ill. I wasn’t able to train with him any longer at that time.

So it’s just the situation that was put in front of me at the moment is the things that led me to making a decision switching up, either me or them. But I’ve learned from every trainer, I can say that. And I’m learning from Dewey as well. So that’s a big benefit.

Q. Obviously even having made a number of trainer changes over the last couple of years, you’re still 26-1. You’re still top-rated welterweight. You’re still a guy that won a world title. You’ve put in heck of a effort and performance against Tim Bradley. I wonder, if you would have had stability in your training camp, you know, like Pac has with Freddie Roach for 15 years or guys who stayed — Bernard Hopkins has been with the same trainer like since 2002, just stayed and got that familiarity and the repetition in the gym and really got in sync, how much better do you think you could be if you had that sort of continuity in your training camp, fight after fight for many years?

JESSIE VARGAS: Well, those fighters are fortunate to have that team that would stick with them or that they felt comfortable with. I unfortunately — not so much unfortunately, because I have learned from everybody, but I haven’t been put in that position just yet. Like you said, I’m still young.
So I’m still looking for the trainer that I’m going to settle down with and feel comfortable with. And I’m feeling comfortable with Dewey, I will have to say that, and I look forward to showing off what we are putting together.

I’m sure Bernard Hopkins, if he’s 40 now in 2000, I don’t know exactly what year that was, I don’t know if he was 26, 28, or 30 years old —

Q. He’s 51 now.

JESSIE VARGAS: All right. So eventually we find somebody at one age, and I’m very comfortable with Dewey Cooper. He’s putting in a great effort and he also wants to bring out the best in me because he had a close relationship with me. And I’m feeling very comfortable.

Q. Can you just walk me through a little bit about what happened at the end of last year where this fight was supposed to originally — or at least it was being discussed and offered to do on the December 19th card that HBO and Golden Boy put on up in Turning Stone in Verona, New York, and ultimately Luis Ortiz, who is going to be in the main event on your card here, ended up fighting the main event because you guys could not come to an agreement about where the fight would take place. Could you walk us through that as far as your camp’s view of not fighting in New York state even though Sadam Ali is hours and hours away from there? How did that — what was the story there?

JESSIE VARGAS: My trainer — I’m sorry, my manager, Cameron Dunkin, is the one who negotiated for all of the fights and all of the deals. As we were sitting down talking about the next fight, Cameron did advise about how a fight in New York could be against a fighter from New York. And it wasn’t something that we were very interested in, just because of from the past experiences how it’s been in a hometown, a fighter from the hometown having the hometown advantage in New York.

That’s why we just wanted any different site. Just not New York. And that’s what I have Cameron there for; he’s there to advise me and make sure that there will be success. And he and I are very much looking forward to this fight in Washington.

Q. Earlier in the call you mentioned that you were going to make Sadam Ali quit. I was just wondering what you’ve seen in him that leads you to believe that you could do that.

JESSIE VARGAS: He’s not on my level. And I’m here to show this on fight day. I’m here to prove that he’s not on my level. Of course I’m saying it, but I’m going to prove it that night as well. It’s just two different breeds, and March 5th I’m going to show it.

I’m very confident coming into this fight, you know what I mean? My strength is better than ever, my speed and how comfortable I feel in the ring. And I’m just having fun in there, and I’m going to have fun March 5th.

Q. Can you elaborate why you think he’s not on your level? What have you seen from him that leads you to believe that?

JESSIE VARGAS: He doesn’t have the experience I have. I’ve been in there with world-class fighters in the beginning of my career. I’ve beaten several undefeated records already, and I’m planning to do the same March 5th.

So, first of all, he doesn’t have the experience. He’s never had to really dig deep. He hasn’t been in those wars. And it’s something that he has inside that he’s going to — something that he hasn’t experienced, he will experience in this fight.

Q. His win over Abregu surprised a lot of people especially him stopping Abregu, what did you think of that performance?

JESSIE VARGAS: I thought he fought well. He was a young fighter, and it was an opportunity. And he fought well in that fight. Abregu was a top fighter, but he had also been on a long layoff before then. And he was an older fighter as well. Like I said before, he’s never experienced being in the ring with someone like me — young, hungry, strong, fast, in his prime.

He hasn’t faced any fighters like me.

Q. Were you surprised that he beat Abregu?

JESSIE VARGAS: I didn’t know how Abregu was going to come back. I thought it was going to be a good match. I did tune in to watch it. But he did surprise me that he did stop Abregu. But credit to him for that. But I did know the possibilities of fighting.

Q. You’ve always been a very measured boxer over your career, but for this fight seems like you’re promising more of an aggressive style. Is that correct?

JESSIE VARGAS: That’s right. I’m coming back with a vengeance. I want to come back strong and take what’s mine and come back to Vegas and celebrate over here.

Q. You seem very confident about being able to change your style, and I guess become more aggressive. Have you found that just through training camp that that’s been a pretty easy transition to become a lot more of an aggressive fighter than you have been in the past?

JESSIE VARGAS: I’ve always been aggressive. I’ve always stayed busy. My last fight wasn’t as busy as I usually have been in the past. But one thing that you just mentioned is that I’m very comfortable with how training camp is coming along, I’m very comfortable with the team, and it’s going to show a difference March 5th.

Q. I also wonder, Jessie, you and Sadam are around the same age. Do you guys know each other from the amateurs or have any amateur experience together at all?

JESSIE VARGAS: I believe I’ve seen him before. I’ve heard of him in the past. He’s one of those amateur boxers that used to run around a lot, run around the ring and try to score points. I have heard of him. I have seen him when we were young, when we were kids.

So I do know of him.

Q. You guys never faced each other, never sparred at all or nothing like that?

JESSIE VARGAS: No.

Q. Just from your describing Sadam Ali’s style, you think maybe he still has an amateur style, is that how you look at him?

JESSIE VARGAS: That’s right. That’s right. I mean, a friend of mine dropped him in amateurs and had him nearly knocked out. So I know his weaknesses, and I plan on working on that.

Q. Do you remember who that friend of yours was who dropped him in the amateurs?

JESSIE VARGAS: Yeah, it was — it was a Toronto fight, which I don’t remember who it was, it was here in the U.S. And there was another fight as well with Francisco Vargas. Francisco dropped him and that was like, I believe it was in the Olympics.

Q. Based on that, you’ve kind of gleaned some of his weaknesses and you think maybe you can take advantage of them?

JESSIE VARGAS: Based on what I saw in his clips, in his last couple of fights, based on what I’ve known from when we were kids, based on some of the fights that he had as an amateur, so I’m just putting it all together.

MODERATOR: Todd, can you talk about the fight and final comments?

TODD DUBOEF: Obviously you mean the matchup between two very — it’s a 50/50 fight. Both guys are established, and obviously Sadam Ali is trying to win his first title.

It’s going to be a — it’s a terrific division, again. And to have both of these guys in the division creating some buzz and putting on great performances will make bigger fights for them.

I won’t forget when Jessie and I had our conversation right before the Bradley fight. I said, Go get it. Go do the best you can. He said, I’m going to win. I’m going to win. I said, Well, even in defeat, even in winning, whatever you do, I said, you chew off those big matches, you’re going to make opportunities for you.

So this one is another opportunity. Even though he didn’t win the Bradley fight, we commend fighters that take fights, and both guys will put it all on the line.

So we look forward to meeting everybody and seeing everybody on March 5th on HBO and working with Golden Boy and everybody. It’s going to be a terrific night of fights.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Now it’s my pleasure to introduce to you team Sadam Ali. First off, I would like to introduce Sadam’s trainer to say a few words, and his name is Andre Roizer. Andre, do you want to say a few words to the media.

ANDRE ROIZER, Trainer to Sadam Ali: Basically we’re getting ready for this opportunity that we’ve been waiting for for some time. Sadam is working diligently at his craft. And you’re going to see the best Sadam Ali that you’ve ever seen.
We’re preparing to be victorious. We’re preparing to look like a million dollars, and we’re preparing to show the world that Sadam Ali is an athlete that should be reckoned with in this welterweight division, which is loaded with so much talent.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Now it’s my pleasure to introduce a former member of the 2008 United States Olympic boxing team and the first Arab American to represent the U.S. at the Olympics. “Brooklyn” Sadam Ali has been climbing the welterweight ladder since a big year in 2013. Ali has had back-to-back victories over Michael “Cold Blood” Clark where he won the NBAO title. He beat Jeremy “Hollywood” Bryan winning the WBO intercontinental welterweight title. He’s coming off that great victory over the tough and rugged and experienced Luis Carlos Abregu, defending his titles and giving the experienced fighter his second loss and Francisco “Chia” Santana we’re he earned the WBA international welterweight title.

So it’s my pleasure to introduce a fighter who boasts remarkable speed, incredible power, and I know he’s ready for this world title shot against former champion Jessie Vargas. So it’s my pleasure. He has a record of 22-0 with 13 knockouts. Sadam “World Kid” Ali.

SADAM ALI, Number One Contender to the Vacant WBO Welterweight World Championshi[: Good afternoon, everybody. I’m excited. First and foremost, I would like to thank God for this opportunity and for keeping me healthy. And I’d like to thank HBO, Golden Boy and the WBO for this opportunity.
This is a world title match, and what pro fighter isn’t looking for that? Who doesn’t want that? We’re all going to want it as bad. He’s going to want it bad. I’m going to want it bad.

This is my chance. This is my shot. He had his. Well, he has another one. That’s good for him. But I’m ready. I’ve been working hard. I’m ready to show everybody why I deserve to be in this position.

You all know me, I’m the humble guy. I don’t like to talk. I do the talking in the ring. People say I run. I say I box. I move. I fight smart.

And I’m ready to go out there get that WBO title and show everybody why I deserve to be where I am, and I will do that.

Q. Here’s a question for you. I know it’s a big deal for you just talking about the opportunity to win this world title belt against Jessie Vargas, but you were sitting in the mandatory spot for a while. I wonder if there’s any part of you whatsoever that is maybe a little bit disappointed that rather than fighting Vargas for a vacant title that you would have rather had an opportunity to fight Timothy Bradley to take the title off the champion. Obviously Timmy beat Jessie, is a much more well-known fighter than Jessie. Or does it not matter to you at all?

SADAM ALI: Timothy Bradley is a world champion and a great fighter. That opportunity would have been amazing. But I look at it like this: Everything’s in God’s hands. Whatever happens is meant to happen.

I don’t blame the decision that Bradley has to make. I understand. And in his position I would have made the same decision. So I don’t knock anybody for that.

I mean, God put me in the position to do what I have to do. This is the opportunity that comes across me, and my mind is officially focused on that.

Q. You’re not one to say that Tim Bradley was maybe avoiding you or ducking you, you understand the business of why he would go for a third fight with Pacquiao?

SADAM ALI: Yes, I understand the business.

Q. The last few wins you’ve had have been very good victories, like Oscar was mentioning. Santana was a tough fight on a big stage. Abregu was a tremendous performance. But you only had the one fight last year against Santana, been off for a while. I know they tried to make this fight with Jessie at the end of the year, didn’t work out. What are your thoughts about having just the one doubt last year as you head into a world championship fight?

SADAM ALI: It was a little frustrating, a little hard to get the fight going and figure out everything that’s been going on.

But I’ve been in the gym. I’ve been ready. I never took off and stayed out because I didn’t have a fight. So I’ve been ready. For some people they might think I haven’t proved to be on the top elite. But this is why I’m here. This is why I’m here to prove that. Jessie Vargas is a great fighter, but I am a great fighter.

And if anybody wants to underestimate me, then that’s fine. I’m just ready to go out there and show why I shouldn’t be underestimated.

Q. I think many people look at this fight, look at your record, look at his record, Todd Duboef was mentioning on the Jessie Vargas part of the call, basically a 50/50 fight between the two of you guys, at least in the minds of many of the media and the public. Whose resumé do you think stacks up a little stronger? You have the two really good, outstanding victories with your past two fights with Abregu and Santana and solid victory with Jeremy Bryant. And, on the other hand, he has a tough, competitive fight against Bradley that he lost but also victories against DeMarco who was a former world title holder, Novikov who was undefeated, Khabib who was undefeated where he took the title off him. Seems awfully close. I know you’re probably biased toward yourself, but if you step back whose resumé stacks up better at the moment?

SADAM ALI: We both are great fighters, but he has 26 fights. I have 22. So he had more fights than me. He had more opportunities. As for me, my resumé is going to get better and better. That’s the way I look at it. I’m not comparing myself to him or to who he fought. I know who I am. I know what I can do. And March 5th I’m going to show it.

Q. He said he’s going to make you quit in the fight, which it’s one thing for a guy to say he’s going to win or maybe get a knockout. You don’t hear too often, I haven’t heard too often in a long career, other fighters say I’m going to make the guy quit. What do you make of that? Why would he say he’s going to make you quit? Not beat you, but make you quit?

SADAM ALI: This may piss him off, but it makes me laugh. He’s really confident. That’s good. That’s the way a fighter should be. But make me quit, that is not an option for me.

Q. Sadam was kind enough to allow me to visit his gym last week, and some of the things we talked about included Sadam wants stringent PED testing for this fight. Sadam, I’m wondering if you have an update for us about testing for this fight with Vargas?

SADAM ALI: Well, of course, this is a very dangerous sport. And I just want everything to be fair on both sides. So I did offer that. The other side didn’t really want to go half and half with it, because the fighters have to cover something like this.

And so in this situation where I’ve got to handle the whole thing on my own. So I’m in the situation where I’ve got to decide that on my own.

Q. You’re going to go it alone and you’re going to pay for all the testing?

SADAM ALI: A final decision hasn’t been made. But most likely that’s what the thoughts are.

Q. Oscar, I’d like your assessment of Sadam. Especially pertaining to Jessie saying, yeah, he’s got an amateur style. I see Sadam being able to do pro and more of an amateur style. But I’d like your assessment. Where do you think he stands? Does he still have some amateur ticks in his game? I’d like your assessment and analysis of Sadam.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Sadam Ali is the perfect combination. I mean, he has the amateur pedigree, which is very, very necessary to become a world-class athlete, and that’s exactly what he is. He’s a professional fighter who has tremendous speed and amazing footwork and great power.

He demonstrated that against Abregu, a fighter who was coming forward, a fighter who has tremendous power, and Sadam Ali took care of business.

So, look, Sadam Ali is at the perfect moment in his life where this is his year and this is the perfect time to shine. And March 5th, against the great fighter in Jessie, it’s going to be a tremendous fight. But a lot of people, like Sadam said, underestimate his abilities and especially his power. I’m really looking forward to this fight.

Q. Sadam, following off some of the comments that Jessie has made and you’ve made in response, how important is it that you not only win this fight but win making a statement, win in impressive fashion? Is that the top of your radar?

SADAM ALI: Well, for sure. It’s important for the viewers. It’s important for everybody who doubted. It’s important for my career. It’s important for what I do after this.

I’m not looking past Vargas. But this is the biggest fight of my life right now. And I feel I’m going to say that every fight after this, because I feel every fight is the biggest fight of my life.

So this fight has a lot to do with what’s going to happen in the future.

Q. Is fan friendliness an important aspect of the fight to you? Is being fan friendly entertaining, an important aspect of the fight to you?

SADAM ALI: Being fan friendly?

Q. Fan friendly. In other words, being entertaining in the ring, putting on a good show. Is that also important to you?

SADAM ALI: Of course. That’s one of the most important things to me in boxing. Because, at the end of the day, we’re in there. It’s a dangerous sport. We put a lot just going into the ring.
But at the end of the day I like to perform for the viewers. I like to impress. I like to look special. So that is very important to me.

Q. Do you think Jessie is a little overconfident in this fight, judging by some of the comments he’s made about you on this call?

SADAM ALI: Well, honestly, I wouldn’t say overconfident, because he’s coming off the fight with Bradley. He feels it didn’t end like he wanted it to. He has a second chance at a world title fight. I don’t blame him for being this confident at all.

I mean, I wouldn’t say overconfident. You should be confident as a fighter. But I’m confident, too. I’m just not going to go around and tell the whole world. I’m going to show it in the ring.

Q. I’m also curious, just because I’m not really used to, I guess, hearing this type of like animosity from a fighter towards you, and I’m wondering just were you kind of caught off guard by it and maybe surprised that Jessie was, I guess, that dismissive of you as a boxer, just some of the comments?

SADAM ALI: I mean, it is what it is. People are going to doubt me or people are not going to think too highly of me. There’s going to be people like that. But that’s up to me to change their minds. That’s my job to do.
I don’t blame them. There’s different kinds of fighters, different types of attitudes. This is me. Like, this is not an act. This is how I’ll always be. This is who I am. And as I’m fighting I’m going to run into a whole different type of personalities, and this is just one. It’s no big deal to me at all.

Q. How do you see this fight unfolding? Do you see yourself winning a decision? Do you see yourself trying to stop him late? How do you envision this fight ending?

SADAM ALI: Honestly, I can’t call it. First and foremost, he’s saying he’s going to come — I don’t know if that’s how he’s going to come. I’m the type of fighter that’s ready for any type of style.

So if he wants to come to me, I have something for that. If he wants to stay outside and try to counterpunch, I have something for that.
So I don’t know how this fight is going to turn out. All I know, it’s going to be a great fight.

MODERATOR: Sadam, any final words you want to say to the press on this call.

SADAM ALI: First and foremost, I want to say thank you to the press. I appreciate the write-ups they do and the talk they keep about us fighters, because it’s very important to keep it out there and for the sport.

I want to also thank the viewers and everybody who is watching. Tune in. It’s going to be a great fight. And I will be the WBO champ, and I’m excited about that.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Thank you very much. The main event of the evening will be a heavyweight showdown. And I would like to take this opportunity to commend Tony Thompson and his team. Here you have a fighter who is experienced, a fighter who is from Washington D.C., American, who is ready to prove that he’s afraid of no one. He’s going up against “King Kong” Ortiz, and it is really a pleasure to be working with a fighter who can step up and face probably the most feared heavyweight in the division today.

So let me introduce to you to say a few words, and it is my pleasure to be working with, Leon Margules, president of Warriors Boxing. Here is Leon Margules.

LEON MARGULES, President of Warriors Boxing and Promotions: Thank you, Oscar. First of all, I’d like to thank HBO for the opportunity that Tony is getting, and I’d like to thank Golden Boy for the opportunities Tony is getting.

Tony’s been around many, many years. And he fears no one. While he’s not the youngest guy in the division, he’s been very active and he’s fought all over the world. I mean, in 2015 he knocked out Odlanier Solís, in 2013 he knocked out David Price twice, 2014 he beat Solís.

So he’s been around the world. And he’s lost a couple of close decisions like to Carlos Takam and to Pulev, but Tony is a well-traveled, well-seasoned, fought Klitschko twice, veteran who is excited, because I’m looking at Tony’s record, and I don’t think he’s fought many, many years if at all in his hometown of Washington D.C.

So this is like a dream come true and, of course, the bigger the challenge, the more motivated Tony is. So without further ado, I’d like to introduce world title contender, former world title challenger from Washington, Tony Thompson.

TONY THOMPSON, Former World Title Contender: Hello. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. How are you doing? Wonderful introduction. I’m just too tired to enjoy it. I appreciate the opportunity from HBO after, what, nine years, eight years. You should have had me back sooner, but we won’t get into that. But I appreciate the opportunity.

Like Leon said, I’m not the youngest guy in the sport but I’m probably still the hungriest guy in the sport. I don’t know how I’m going to be facing the most feared fighter, the most feared and tough fighter in the division, because that’s myself, so I can’t box myself. But I understand what you’re saying about your guy. It’s all good, baby. He won’t have no problem finding me, trust me.

Q. A lot of people would commend you for taking this kind of fight on relatively short notice. I can’t say I’m that surprised having followed your career for a long time. So let me ask you this, then: You get the fight on short notice. That’s not necessarily a good thing. But, on the other hand, you get a fight at home, where you haven’t had a chance to fight for a long time, and now all of a sudden you get an HBO main event in your backyard. Can you kind of balance the two out? Like on the one hand it’s short notice, but on the other hand you get to fight at home. Is one better than the other? I’m sure you’d rather have the fight with plenty notice in home, but how much does having it at home make up for the fact that it’s fairly short notice?

TONY THOMPSON: Absolutely makes up for it. My whole career has been a span of short-notice fights. This is nothing new to us. And before y’all ask me, no, I wasn’t in the gym. It don’t matter because I’m working my ass off, and I didn’t want to talk myself into this fight to get embarrassed in my hometown or HBO at that. I’ve only been on HBO one time. They never invited me back.

So I’m out to prove not only to my hometown that I’m a live candidate in this division but HBO or any other television network that chose to leave me off for whatever reason.

So, I mean, again, short-notice fights have made my career because everybody think they’re going to catch me off guard, catch me slipping. All they can do is make me extra motivated. So when I go in the gym and I bust my ass two or three times a day getting ready, that’s what I try to think about: They’re trying to pull the fast one on me again.
It’s up to me to show them it’s not the case. You can do what you want. Handicap, put my left hand behind my leg and make me hop on my knees — everyone know I got bad knees — make me hop on one knee, doesn’t matter. I show up for all my fights. Not only do I show up, I win. I don’t care if the decisions didn’t go my way. A lot of the decisions should have went my way. If everybody was honest about it, they would print that.

Solís beat me, yes, he beat me with a great game plan. I should have waited a little bit longer because I was a little bit under the weather, whatever. So but with this fight I’m healthy, and I’m going to train as hard as I can.

Q. He’s got a big-time amateur background out of the Cuban national system. He’s obviously looked good so far as a pro. Hasn’t faced the kind of opponents overall that you’ve faced, although has looked very impressive particularly against Bryant Jennings who’s been regarded as one of the top contenders for the past few years. Do you feel that people are maybe overhyping Ortiz a little too much and you’re there to sort of extract the truth about them, or are you impressed by his talent also and you’re looking forward to the challenge?

TONY THOMPSON: I think it’s a little bit of both. They say he’s a hype job until he did beat one of the best heavyweights in the division in Bryant Jennings who stood toe to toe with the best in that division still, in my opinion, in Wladimir Klitschko. The way he demolished Jennings shows you there’s something there. You feel me?

I’m not Bryant Jennings. As much as I love — one of my favorite heavyweights. As much as I love him, he’s not Tony Thompson. And that’s not to say anything disparaging about Bryant Jennings, it’s just that nobody can copy his style. You wouldn’t go in the gym and say look at Tony, and that’s how we’re going to fight. You feel me?

Q. I do. Do you think, though, that the biggest attribute then — he’s got — seems like he’s got tremendous power even though he hasn’t fought like the top guys. You’ve been stopped a couple of times. Is that the main thing you’ve got to watch out for, is his big shot, or is it just something besides that and you feel like he has never been tested by a guy, because you’re a pretty good puncher yourself, never been tested by somebody as big and strong as you are?

TONY THOMPSON: Who have I been stopped by?

Q. Klitschko obviously.

TONY THOMPSON: There you go.

Q. I’m not saying anything bad; I’m just making the point that —

TONY THOMPSON: I’m with you. I feel you. I made my point with you. My point being I fought the toughest, hardest punching guys in the division. Yes, I was stopped by Klitschko twice. Yes. I was put down by David Price. I continue to get up. I continue to get up. And the only fight I’ve ever been disappointed myself in ever is the second Klitschko fight.

Q. Which one? The second Klitschko fight?

TONY THOMPSON: The second Klitschko fight. It wasn’t me. It wasn’t me. And I’m not going to elaborate on it too much. I’m just going to say it wasn’t me. And my career proves, the way I fought, that fight that wasn’t me.

So am I afraid of his heavy shots? No, he’s a heavyweight (indiscernible) you want to kick my ass, you gotta bring some ass to get some ass. You feel me? And he got a lot of ass back there. So he’s got to bring it to come get it. Let’s do it, baby. If he’s Godzilla — he’s King Kong, I’m Godzilla, baby. Let’s go.

Q. I wanted to know what has changed from your last fight with Malik Scott to now. I know you said you haven’t necessarily been training for the fight, but you’re staying in shape. Like the talk after your fight, like some team members are saying you’re even thinking about retirement. I wanted to know what’s gone through your mind the past couple of months, like if you had every intention of staying in the game or even considering walking away.

TONY THOMPSON: I mean, at this age, honestly, it’s a fight-by-fight basis. I’m not 24. Hell, I’m not even 34. I’m 44. So what I say changes fight to fight, how I feel. Yes, I have been thinking about retirement. I’m 44. Who doesn’t think about retirement as a fighter or any professional athlete at 44?

Does it mean I’m not wound up for this fight? Hell no! It’s absolutely got my juices pumping. And that’s bad news. The worst thing they can think is that I’m retired. Oscar, tell your man I’m not thinking of retiring. I’m thinking about winning.

So don’t come in here thinking it’s a payday for me, because I don’t look at the payday. I look at the payday after this fight. You feel me? That’s what I’m talking about. Forget retirement talking to the fighter.

I go back in there, I look bad, my family worried about me, obviously you got to take a hard look. That’s just honest in the fight game. You get beat up as a 44-year-old, it’s not the same as you get beat as a 24. You have some comeback. 44, it might be my last beat-up, I have to quit. You feel me?

Yes, it crosses my mind when the fight’s over. But when the fight’s come up and I’m busting my ass, we’re not thinking about retirement. We’re thinking about getting ready. And we’re ready.

Q. At what point did you decide? Like was it the fact that Ortiz was available and he needed an opponent that changed your mind, or were you already thinking: You know what? I’m going to give it one last run in 2016 regardless of who I fight.

TONY THOMPSON: Of course I was going to give it one last run. Yeah, I lost to Malik, yes, but Malik absolutely has the wrong style for me and I wasn’t in the best shape I should have been.

Not to say I’m going to be in a whole lot better shape for this fight. But it’s a different fighter. He’s not running. We’re going to meet in the middle of the ring and we’re going to decide what’s going to happen. And just like he try to knock me, I’m going to try to knock him the fuck out.

Q. Just curious, you admitted you had not been in the gym when you received a call for this fight. I’m wondering, at 44, are you finding it tougher to get back in shape than you have been in the past, just given your age.

TONY THOMPSON: Well, I’m a half-glass-full guy, I’m always optimistic. To me a short period of time means you don’t have to sustain a long camp, don’t have to take as much punishment. You want to get in blasts as fast as you can. It’s like a sprint instead of a marathon there. And that could be even less taxing to the body.

Yes, this is a short time, but, again, my whole career has been a short time. So now I’m going in there, I get in shape as fast as I can, hopefully, coming out healthier because it’s a shorter time, and then we are going to let it decide the outcome in the ring. Forget the timeframe.

So we’re going to decide the outcome in the ring. That’s the beauty part of it. They can say what they want, but the outcome comes in the ring.

Q. If my records are correct, looks like it’s been 10 years since you’ve fought in front of a hometown crowd. So how motivating was that for you to take the fight to be in front of your hometown.

TONY THOMPSON: I mean, it was the sole reason for having the fight. Yes, Ortiz is a good fighter. He wasn’t on my radar, to be honest, but when they started saying because they have no nobody to fight them, I am in your backyard, stop playing with me, call me. I’ll walk to the venue and kick your ass. Don’t tell me you got nobody to fight and I live here.

You feel me? It’s a motivating fight. I’m geeked. I’m bringing the (indiscernible) with me, man. Hopefully they go loud, man, and prop a brother up more. I’m already pumped up for the fight. Pump me up more.

Q. Do you expect to have a big crowd behind you.

TONY THOMPSON: Yes, I do. I do. But if you think about it, I know my family will be there. And it’s like 20 of my family members. That will be enough. I really don’t care, actually. I think they’re going to come out. If they don’t, watch it on HBO.

If they do come out, then they’re going to be one of the lucky ones because I think it’s going to be a hell of a fight.

MODERATOR: Leon and Tony, do you have any final words you want to say.

LEON MARGULES: I’ll leave it to Tony, but I’d like to thank everybody for giving Tony this great opportunity at this point in his career. Thank you.

TONY THOMPSON: The only last thing I would say is, I mean, again, like Leon said, I appreciate HBO putting me on. Whatever the motive was, I appreciate it. And I’m looking forward to showing the good faith they put into me.

I’m looking forward to rewarding that. Because I know they need good heavyweight fights, and I’m looking forward to putting on a good heavyweight fight, maybe even a great heavyweight fight, if Ortiz can stand up that long. So thank you.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Thank you very much. It is really my pleasure to introduce to you the most feared man on the planet in the heavyweight division. Let me tell you one thing, when I tell you that nobody wants to fight him, nobody wants to step up to the plate and fight him, I’m putting everybody on notice in the heavyweight division: Luis Ortiz is coming after you.

It is my pleasure to introduce to you the manager of Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz to say a few words about the heavyweight division and his fighter. Let me introduce to you Jay Jimenez.

JAY JIMENEZ, Manager to Luis Ortiz: First of all, good afternoon to everyone on the line or good morning to the guys in California, and thank you guys for what you’ve done for us. I’m here with Luis, and we couldn’t be more excited. The days go on and we get more enthusiastic and more comfortable in the family he’s got, the support he’s got from you guys, and it’s just been incredible. It’s been the best thing that’s happened to him in his whole career.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Now it really is my pleasure to introduce to you a native of Camagüey, Cuba, who makes his home now in Miami. Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz was one of boxing’s breakout stars in 2015. He’s a southpaw. Scored three knockouts in his three fights, each bigger than the one before.

He has a record of 24-0 with 21 knockouts. His most notable was obviously where he defended the WBA interim heavyweight world championship in a spectacular seventh round technical knockout of top contender Bryant “By-By” Jennings December 19 at Turning Stone Resort in New York. This win over Jennings marked Ortiz as a must-see fighter for fans around the world and secured a place for him in the heavyweight pound-for-pound list.

He’s a decorated amateur fighter. He became a professional fighter in 2010, has gone on to win multiple titles, including WBC (indiscernible) heavyweight title, WBA (indiscernible) Latino heavyweight, WBO Latino heavyweight title and the WBC Latino heavyweight title.

This man is out on a mission. He’s out to prove to the world that he’s afraid of no one, and it is my pleasure to introduce to you with a record of 24-0, 21 knockouts, the Camagüey, Cuba, (indiscernible) Miami, Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz.

Q. Luis, there’s been a lot of talk here, at least in the Thompson part of the call, and a lot of the rhetoric in recent times that he is perhaps the most avoided heavyweight in the business. A lot of people saw what he did against Bryant Jennings in some of his fights prior to that. I want to know from Luis, does he feel like he’s the most avoided guy in the heavyweight division? And also, if that’s the case, even, what does he think about the fact that a guy like Tony would step up to the plate on basically like three to four weeks’ notice and agree to fight him.

LUIS ORTIZ, WBA Interim Heavyweight World Champion, (Via Interpreter): He said he’s an athlete. He does his job. He comes to box. And the ones that don’t want to fight him he doesn’t understand because this is boxing. He doesn’t understand why would they avoid him. It’s no reason to avoid another man.

He admires him for taking the fight. Nobody else wanted to take it. And he’s going to come and do his job. Come that day, come show Tony what he does.

Q. Luis’s thought is it’s short notice, I’ve got to get myself ready, so it’s tough on him perhaps to take on particularly somebody at the level of Luis on short notice, but by the same token you have Luis Ortiz getting ready for a fight, he didn’t know who his opponent was, right-handed southpaw, until a couple of weeks ahead of time. What’s his feeling on getting the opponent on short notice, similar to Tony not even knowing he’s fighting until short notice? Is he uncomfortable with not knowing who his opponent was just a few weeks before the fight, or does it not make much difference to him.

JAY JIMENEZ: No, he’s not comfortable mainly because he’s a southpaw, but he’s by no means nervous. This is what he does. Luis trains all year long even if he doesn’t have an opponent. You could call Luis on a month notice, he’s coming to fight. The only thing that got him off guard that he was a little uncomfortable with the southpaw. Not nervous, not scared. He’s ready to fight.

Q. Luis, it’s kind of I guess a lucky shot here from the standpoint there’s a lot of heavyweights out there, but just so happens they’re doing the fight in Washington. That’s where Tony is from. What are your thoughts coming into Tony’s hometown for this fight.

LUIS ORTIZ VIA INTERPRETER: He said he’s not worried. He’s going to concentrate what he has to do, which is his job.

Q. (In Spanish).

LUIS ORTIZ VIA INTERPRETER: The last response she asked who would he like to fight, was her first question, and he said he wants to fight whoever has the belt. Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, whoever has the belt is who he would like to fight. He doesn’t have nobody in particular.

And she asked a second question, was who was his hardest rival to date, and he said to date right now I can honestly say it was Bryant Jennings. That was the only question she asked.

Q. Luis, I know you want to fight like as often as possible. If you have your way, you would probably fight every month if they would allow you to. Does it get frustrating at all that there are just not a lot of heavyweights out there that are willing to get in the ring with you.

LUIS ORTIZ VIA INTERPRETER: Yeah, he says yes he gets a little bit frustrated not being so many opponents out there that are able to take the fight because of other circumstances.

Q. I wanted to know if his thought process, like, will eventually change to where he might have to accept fighting every five or six months, just because it’s getting harder and harder to find opponents for him? Like, his thought process, like he might have to fight every five or six months if it just means finding the right opponents for him? I just wanted to ask if —

LUIS ORTIZ VIA INTERPRETER: Opponents?

Q. If there’s a concern that he might not be able to be as busy because it’s getting harder to find opponents for him. Like there’s not always going to be a Tony Thompson popping up last minute.

LUIS ORTIZ VIA INTERPRETER: No. He said no, he knows things are going to be okay.

Q. I know the fight just came up. I know Tony just accepted the fight. But if he’s familiar with him at all, like if what’s gone on in the past couple of days, if he’s studied him, if that’s changed his training at all, ever since the fight was announced.

LUIS ORTIZ VIA INTERPRETER: He says yes. He’s seen already a couple of his fights. Also because he fought Solís, who was a Cuban, last year and stopped him. So, yes, he’s familiar with him and he’s seen his fights.

Q. Without looking past Tony Thompson, just his thoughts on the WBA heavyweight tournament coming up.

LUIS ORTIZ VIA INTERPRETER: He says he thinks they got what it takes to be (indiscernible) but he wants (indiscernible).

Q. Tony said that he had not been in the gym when he got the call and he’s kind of rushing his training. He’s 44. Luis, I’m wondering if you expect a tough fight or do you expect this fight to be more of like a showcase for you on March 5th, just based on Tony’s limited training and his age at this point.

LUIS ORTIZ VIA INTERPRETER: He says he doesn’t confide nobody, and much less in a boxer saying he hasn’t trained, and not in Tony Thompson who is an old-school boxer, a wise boxer. So he’s not comfortable at all. He’s coming in taking it real serious. He’s going to come real aggressive now.

Q. First, I was wondering if someone could tell me who the heavyweights were that turned the fight down, because I know there was a long list.

Q. Who were the fighters that turned down this fight? I know there was a number of fighters, and this is a difficult fight to get an opponent for. Who were the fighters that turned down the offer to King Kong.

JAY JIMENEZ: I couldn’t say exactly because the ones who do the promotion know, I don’t know if Oscar or Robert or anybody is on, I know there was a couple of them. There were like five boxers who said no.

Q. In 2014 there was a steroid suspension of which Team King Kong always denied. I was wondering if you could clear up what happened with that. What do you think happened with that?

JAY JIMENEZ: Personally, I had the discussion and the day I was there at the arraignment in Vegas, I don’t understand why commissions around the world are here to take care of boxers but they wait 23 days, 21 days to send a letter out and not let an athlete that this is what he lives by to defend himself, especially when it was such a margin of difference of closeness by less than .0002 percent.

We don’t know. We really — they don’t know what happened. It was something we’re trying to get over not and think about anymore. That was devastating to Luis and his career and we thank God everything came out okay, which is why we’re always happy and glad to do a lot of testing and testing to prove his name.

Q. But there’s no testing for this fight, right.

JAY JIMENEZ: Well, we’re doing testing anyway, randomly. Every two weeks. Every month we do testing in case we’re going to have a problem. We’re not going to let that happen to us again. Even though when the Vegas commission sent us a letter, we went right the next day and did a test, and the endocrinologist said he don’t have nothing and it was impossible for him to have something. It must have been a contamination. Their thoughts were we can do nothing about it.

But we’re doing testing anyway around the clock, just to always clarify our name, Luis’s name. And all our athletes are doing it, all the athletes under our state.

It’s a delicate situation for athletes especially in boxing because all they do. So the fact that if somebody — we are suggesting that somebody should start hiring doctors for the commission, because their job could be to save athlete’s careers. Not all the time when it’s so close. Any left outside, any contamination could give you a false reading.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, and $100, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are on sale today and available online at www.ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations, by calling (800) 745-3000.The DC Armory Box Office will be open on fight night only from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.warriorsboxing.com, www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.eventsdc.com. Follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @WarriorsBoxProm, @TopRank, @HBOBoxing, @KingKongBoxing, @Tiger_Thompson, @RealWorldKidAli, @Jessie_vargasJV and @dcsportsent become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/WarriorsBoxingPromo, www.facebook.com/trboxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing or www.facebook.com/OfficialEventsDC. Visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @WarriorsBoxing, @trboxing, @KingKongBoxing, @EventsDC and follow the conversation by using #OrtizThompson.

Luis Ortiz vs. Tony Thompson is a 12-round heavyweight fight for the WBA Interim Heavyweight Title presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with King Kong Boxing and Warriors Boxing and Promotions. Sadam Ali vs. Jessie Vargas is a 12-round fight for the vacant WBO Welterweight World Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Top Rank. The event is sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, BORN BOLD. The DC Armory doors open at 3:00 p.m. ET, and the HBO Boxing After Dark telecast begins live at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 8, 2016) – Fresh from a stunning knockout of Bryant “By-By” Jennings and eager to continue his quest to be the best heavyweight in the sport, WBA Interim Heavyweight World Champion Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz (24-0, 21 KOs) will make his first title defense of 2016 when he faces former world title challenger Tony “The Tiger” Thompson (40-6, 27 KOs) in 12-round main event at the DC Armory, in Washington D.C.on Saturday, March 5 and televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark®beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Opening up the live telecast, top contender and 2008 Olympian Sadam “World Kid” Ali (22-0, 13 KOs) will face former WBA Super Lightweight World Champion Jessie Vargas (26-1, 9 KOs) in a 12-round co-main event for the vacant WBO Welterweight World Championship.

“This fight is just another stepping stone on my path to becoming the unified heavyweight world champion,” said Luis Ortiz. “I came to the United States to chase my American Dream and fighting at the nation’s capital is a dream come true. My life is coming full circle, and I know that this fight will put me a step closer to achieving everything I have worked so hard for in my career.”

“I’m happy to be back on HBO fighting for another world title,” said Tony Thompson. “If you look at my competition and his [Ortiz], it’s not even close. This isn’t the amateurs. I’m going to use my experience as a professional to take him places he’s never been. Odlanier Solis was a great Cuban amateur but he was also an Olympic Gold Medalist, and I beat him twice. Ortiz thinks he has it tough. I’ve been avoided for my entire career. Just about all my fights have been on short notice and in foreign countries. If I fought the guys Ortiz fought, I’d be undefeated too. If Ortiz is King Kong, I’m Godzilla; Godzilla coming to whoop some ass!”

“Luis Ortiz and Sadam Ali are two top fighters in our sport today and both will impress audiences in the ring on March 5 in their first fights of 2016,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Luis demonstrated in his brilliant knockout over Bryant Jennings in December that he is an elite fighter that can dominate even the toughest opponent. Sadam Ali is a phenomenal fighter, and I think he is the future of the welterweight division, which is very exciting.”

“Tony Thompson is a very talented hard punching contender who has beaten David Price and Odlanier Solis twice each over the last 2 years,” said Leon R. Margules, President of Warriors Boxing and Promotions. “Luis Ortiz will have his hands full on March 5 in clearly his toughest challenge to date, and in Tony’s hometown. We are very excited he is getting this opportunity.”

“We are excited to televise a heavyweight knockout machine like Luis Ortiz in a tough bout on a big stage against Tony Thompson on March 5 in our nation’s capital,” said Peter Nelson, Executive Vice President, HBO Sports. “The winner will take a significant step up in the public’s esteem. The Ali-Vargas co-feature is a terrific 50-50 fight at welterweight that has fans eager to see who will come out on top.”

“To fight for the world championship is something that I have been training and fighting for my whole career,” said Sadam Ali. “I am grateful for the opportunity and promise all my fans I will not let them down. On March 5, I will have my hands raised up in victory as the new WBO Welterweight World Champion.”

“This is a different Jessie Vargas,” said Jessie Vargas. “I learned a lot from my last fight and I am ready to prove that I am still a world champion. I’m coming back with a Vengeance!”

“Jessie Vargas knows what’s at stake this time around” said Carl Moretti, VP, Top Rank. “He plans to take full advantage of this opportunity and we fully expect his hand to be raised as the winner in what promises to be a great fight.”

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, and $100, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, go on sale on Wednesday, February 10 at 10:00 a.m. ET and available online at www.ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations, by calling (800) 745-3000.The DC Armory Box Office will be open on fight night only from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET.

Luis Ortiz vs. Tony Thompson is a 12-round heavyweight fight for the WBA Interim Heavyweight Title presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with King Kong Boxing and Warriors Boxing and Promotions. Sadam Ali vs. Jessie Vargas is a 12-round fight for the vacant WBO Welterweight World Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Top Rank. The event is sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, BORN BOLD. The DC Armory doors open at 3:00 p.m. ET, and the HBO Boxing After Dark telecast begins live at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

A native of Camaguey, Cuba who now makes his home in Miami, Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz was one of boxing’s breakout stars of 2015. The 36-year-old southpaw has scored three knockouts in three fights, each bigger than the one before it. Most notably, Ortiz defended his WBA Interim Heavyweight World Championship via seventh-round technical knockout of top contender Bryant “By-By” Jennings on Dec. 19. It was a win that marked Ortiz as a must see for fight fans around the world and securing him a place on heavyweight pound-for-pound list. A decorated amateur in his home country, Ortiz, became a professional in 2010 and has gone on to win multiple titles including the WBC FecarBox Heavyweight, the WBA Fedelatin Heavyweight, the WBO Latino Heavyweight and the WBC Latino Heavyweight titles during his undefeated streak.

A skilled boxer from Washington DC, Tony “The Tiger” Thompson is a former world title challenger who has taken tough challenges on his way to the top of the heavyweight division. A professional since 2000, Thompson has earned USA Maryland Sate Heavyweight Title, the WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Title and the WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight title before his first attempt at the unified heavyweight world championship against Wladimir Klitschko in 2008. Although unsuccessful, Thompson continued fighting and remained undefeated until his second clash against Klitschko in 2012. Since then, the heavyweight titlist has stayed active and last held the WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Title in 2015. Now, Thompson is ready to challenge Ortiz for the WBA Interim Heavyweight World Title on his way to become a world champion.

A member of the 2008 United States Olympic boxing team, and the first Arab-American to represent the U.S. at the Olympics, Brooklyn’s Sadam “World Kid” Ali has been sailing up the welterweight ladder since a big year in 2013. Ali has had back-to-back title victories over Michael “Cold Blood” Clark, where he won the NABO Welterweight Title; Jeremy “Hollywood” Bryan, winning the WBO Inter-Continental Welterweight Title; Luis Carlos “El Potro” Abregu, defending his titles and giving the experienced fighter his second loss; and Francisco “Chia” Santana where he earned the WBA International Welterweight Title, the 27-year-old with remarkable speed and power is ready for his world title shot against former world champion Jessie Vargas.

Las Vegas standout Jessie Vargas has been following a path to the top similar to that of Ali, as he’s turned back several top foes since making his professional debut in 2008. A former WBA world champion at 140 pounds who defeated Khabib “The Hawk” Allakhverdiev, Anton “The Pick Hammer” Novikov and Antonio DeMarco in super lightweight title fights, Vargas lost a controversial 2015 fight to Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley for the WBO Interim Welterweight World Championship. Now, Vargas could get his wish of becoming a world champion once more when he faces Sadam “World Kid” Ali for the WBO Welterweight World Championship.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.warriorsboxing.com, www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.eventsdc.com. Follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @WarriorsBoxProm, @TopRank, @HBOBoxing, @KingKongBoxing, @Tiger_Thompson, @RealWorldKidAli, @Jessie_vargasJV and @dcsportsent become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/WarriorsBoxingPromo, www.facebook.com/trboxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing or www.facebook.com/OfficialEventsDC. Visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @WarriorsBoxing, @trboxing, @KingKongBoxing, @EventsDC and follow the conversation by using #OrtizThompson.

Las Vegas (Sept. 2, 2015) – Hall of Famers Ray Mancini and Mike McCallum, as well as former WBA Champion Jessie Vargas has confirmed that they will appear at the Title Boxing/Rival booth, at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the second annual Box Fan Expo that will take place Saturday Sept. 12, 2015
. The Boxing Expo will coincide with the Floyd Mayweather vs. Andre Berto championship fight, which will take place later that evening, and Mexican Independence weekend.

Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available online at: http://www.boxfanexpo.eventbrite.com

Mancini, McCallum and Vargas join: Roberto Duran, Tim Bradley, Zab Judah, James Toney, Sergio Martinez, Mia St. John, Terry Norris, Joel Casamayor, Fernando Vargas, Ruslan Provodnikov, Wayne McCullough, Austin Trout, Demarcus Corley, Rances Barthelemy, Jorge Linares, Kevin Kelley, referee Richard Steele, the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame, the World Boxing Council (WBC) and the World Boxing Association (WBA) among early commitments to this year’s Box Fan Expo.

This unique fan experience event, which allowed fans to meet and greet boxing legends, past and current champions and other celebrities of the sport, debuted last September. This year the Expo will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and once again, allow fans a chance to collect autographs, take photos and purchase merchandise and memorabilia.

Exhibitors such as boxing gear, apparel, broadcasting media and other brand companies who wish to participate will have a chance to showcase their products to fans and the whole boxing industry.

Last year’s inaugural Box Fan Expo featured some of the most popular fighters and boxing celebrities in recent history. Fans were treated to visits with Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr, Martinez, Amir Khan, Zab Judah, Mikey Garcia,Toney, Riddick Bowe, Leon Spinks Terry Norris, Porter, Chris Byrd, Jesse James Leija ,Lamon Brewster, Ray Mercer, Earnie Shavers, St-John, Erislandy Lara, Quillin, Jean Pascal and Austin Trout. Also appearing were current WBC Champion Deontay Wilder, the charismatic Vinny Pazienza, Paul Williams, noted commentator Al Bernstein and trainer Roger Mayweather of Mayweather Promotions.

The roster of attendees for this year’s Box Fan Expo will be announced throughout the next several weeks leading up to the event.

For anyone in the boxing industry or brand companies who wish to be involved and reserve a booth as an exhibitor or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Box Fan Expo at:

U.S.A telephone number: (702) 997-1927 or (514) 572-7222

For any inquiries please email: boxfanexpo@gmail.com

More information on the Box Fan Expo is available at: http://www.boxfanexpo.com

View the official promo video of Box Fan Expo here: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/video-2/

You can follow Box Fan Expo on Twitter at: https://www.twitter.com/BoxFanExpo and on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BoxFanExpo

Timothy Bradley 146.4 – Jessie Vargas 146.4
Oscar Valdez 127.4 – Ruben Tamayo 129

HBO Boxing News: Jessie Vargas Interview

One of the sport’s best fighters returns when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: TIMOTHY BRADLEY JR. VS. JESSIE VARGAS AND OSCAR VALDEZ VS. RUBEN TAMAYO is seen SATURDAY, JUNE 27 at 9:45 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from StubHub Center in Carson, Cal., exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside to call all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

The night marks the 1,000th fight televised on HBO. It all began Jan. 22, 1973 when HBO acquired telecast rights to the heavyweight title fight between Joe Frazier and George Foreman in Kingston, Jamaica. HBO has carried fights from 34 states plus Washington. D.C and international destinations such as Buenos Aires, Cancun, Montreal, London, Berlin, Copenhagen, Munich, Manila, Moscow and Tokyo. The fighters with the most appearances on the network during its 43 years of covering the sweet science are Roy Jones Jr and Oscar de la Hoya tied with 32.
Other HBO playdates: June 28 (10:00 a.m.) and 29 (11:30 p.m.)
HBO2 playdate: June 28 (3:30 p.m.)
Timothy Bradley Jr. (31-1-1, 12 KOs), from Palm Springs, Cal., takes on undefeated Jessie Vargas (26-0, 9 KOs) of Las Vegas in a scheduled 12-round welterweight contest. A former super lightweight and welterweight titleholder, Bradley will be making his 2015 debut. His only pro loss came at the hands of Manny Pacquiao, which was followed by a controversial draw against Diego Chaves. Bradley has consistently accepted difficult fights and will be returning to the venue where he fought Ruslan Provodnikov in an epic 12-round battle that was named 2013’s Fight of the Year by the BWAA. Vargas has held a title in the super lightweight division and is moving up in weight to take on Bradley, seeking a new championship belt for his collection.
Opening up the telecast is a 10-round featherweight attraction that features the HBO debut of highly regarded two-time Mexican Olympian Oscar Valdez. The 24-year-old (16-0, 14 KOs) from Nogales, Sonora, hopes to show off his considerable ring skills in a matchup with southpaw Ruben Tamayo (23-5-4, 15 KOs), who hails from Ciuadad, Obregon, Sonora, Mexico.
Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.
All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.
The executive producer of WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Rick Bernstein; producer, Dave Harmon; director, Johnathan Evans.
® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.