DiBella Entertainment won the purse bid that will stage the IBF Jr. Lightweight title bout between Jose Pedraza and Stephen Smith, according to Dab Rafael of espn.com.

Last month, DiBella and Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, who promotes Smith, made a deal for the bout, which was tentatively scheduled for March 26. However, when the fight was not officially scheduled by the IBF deadline for signed contracts to be returned, another purse bid was ordered.

Usually, when that happens, it is because of a disagreement between promoters. However, this time it was over a disagreement between DiBella and Pedraza, who declined to sign for the fight.

Hearn told ESPN that he and DiBella revisited their agreement and that is why he did not bid.

“I didn’t bid because we already reached an agreement with Lou a few days ago,” Hearn said. “We are happy with the package. The purse bid number is irrelevant because of our private agreement.”

Adrien Broner won the WBA Suoer Lightweight title with a 12th round stoppage over former champion Khabib Allakhverdiev at the U.S. Bank Arena in his hime town of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Broner doiminated the action with little spurts offense from Allakhverdiev. Allakhverdiev’s eyes began to swell. The bout was stopped at 2:23 of round twelve after referee Harvey Dock deemed that Allakhverdiev had taken enough punishment.

Broner, 138 1/2 lbs of Cincinnati, OH is now 31-2-1 with 23 knockouts. Allakhverdiev, 139 lbs of Russia is now 19-2. Broner now is a champion in his 4th weight division after winning belts at 130, 135 & 147 pounds.

Jose Pedraza retained the IBF Jr. Lightweight title with a split decision over Edner Cherry.

Pedraza, 129 lbs of Cidra, PR won on two cards by 117-111 scores while Cherry took a card 116-112.

Pedraza is now 21-0. Cherry, 129 lbs of Wauchula, FL is 34-7-2-1.

Robert Easter Jr. scored a 3rd round stoppage over Juan Solis in a scheduled 10-round Lightweight bout.

Easter dominated the action and hurt Solis several times. In round three, Easter landed a hug left to the body that doubled over Solis and a follow up flurry forced the referee to stop the bout at 43 seconds of round three.

Easter, 141 lbs of Toledo, OH is now 16-0 with 13 knockouts. Solis, 142 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG is 20-10-1.

2012 U.S. Olympian Jamel Herring remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Yakubu Amidu in a Lightweight bout.

Herring, 134 1/2 lbs of Cincinnati, OH won by scores of 100-90 twice and 99-91 is now 14-0. Amidu, 134 1/2 lbs of Los Angeles, CA is 19-8-2.

Cincinnati, OH (10/01/15) – This Saturday night, live on Showtime®, undefeated Puerto Rican star Jose “The Sniper” Pedraza (20-0, 12KO’s) makes the first defense of his IBF junior lightweight world championship when he defends his crown against dangerous, former world-title challenger and IBF #14-rated Edner “Cherry Bomb” Cherry (34-6-2, 19KO’s). The championship matchup will be the lead supporting bout to Adrien Broner’s battle against Khabib Allakhverdiev for the vacant WBA world super lightweight title. Showtime will begin live coverage starting at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

The 2008 Olympian Pedraza won the belt in June with a near shutout decision over once-beaten and tough-as-nails contender Andrey Klimov. Pedraza had his way with Klimov from the outset, controlling the action with his superior boxing ability and speed, switching between orthodox and southpaw, and at times stalking Klimov down, showing his willingness to go toe-to-toe. It was a near flawless performance for the 26-year-old, who won by scores of 120-108, 120-108, and 119-109, fulfilling a lifelong dream, and cementing himself as the leading candidate to become the island country of Puerto Rico’s next superstar. Pedraza will be looking to steal the show this Saturday when he takes on the dangerous and longtime contender Cherry.

“We train hard all the time, we are in great shape and we prepare for every fight like the opponent is the champion,” said Pedraza. “Edner Cherry is a very experienced fighter. He is a strong guy and good puncher. I am in great shape and I’m ready to fight 12 rounds. This could very well be the toughest fight of my career. He hasn’t lost in seven years, but we are very prepared, studied the fight well and are ready to go come Saturday. My youth will play a huge part in this fight. I’m much younger than him and, without a doubt, I will win this fight. I can’t wait for the fans to watch this fight and if they can’t be here than I hope they watch on Showtime. It will be a great fight.”

“Jose Pedraza is one of the most exciting young champions in all of boxing and a successor to the great Puerto Rican champions that preceded him. On Saturday, he’ll have a chance to prove himself against very tough contender Edner Cherry in what should be a barnburner,” said co-promoter Lou DiBella.

“Working with Jose and his team has been spectacular since day one and having Al Haymon working with us to further build his career has been a blessing. There is no limit to what Jose can do in this sport. Edner Cherry is a very dangerous competitor who will be bringing it all night long. We are confident in Jose’s ability though and know he will once again put on a spectacular performance come Saturday night,” said co-promoter Javier Bustillo.

“I truly believe that Jose will be a multi-divisional champion and go down as one of the best fighters to ever come out of Puerto Rico,” said co-promoter Gary Shaw.

The 33-year-old Cherry hasn’t lost a bout since 2008, when he dropped a decision to then-WBC super lightweight world champion Timothy Bradley. After the defeat to Bradley, Cherry dropped down in weight and got himself back into title contention, reeling off 10 victories, including seven inside the distance.

The bout between Pedraza and Cherry is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, Universal Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions. The event is promoted by Warriors Boxing and About Billions Promotions.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Warriors Boxing and About Billions Promotions, are priced at $154, $104, $79, $54, and $29 and are on sale NOW. Tickets are available at the U.S. Bank Arena box office, all Ticketmaster outlets including select Kroger stores, call 1-800-745-3000, or online at Ticketmaster.com.

CINCINNATI, Ohio — (Sept. 30, 2015) – Adrien Broner (30-2, 22 KOs) and Khabib Allakhverdiev (19-1, 9 KOs) held a media workout at The Punch House in Cincinnati on Wednesday as they prepare for this Saturday’s WBA Super Lightweight World Championship, live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) from U.S. Bank Arena.

In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature, undefeated IBF Junior Lightweight World Champion Jose Pedraza (20-0, 12 KOs) will defend his title against former world title challenger Edner Cherry (24-6-2, 19 KOs).

SHOWTIME EXTREME fighters and undefeated prospects Robert Easter Jr. and Jamel Herring also participated in Wednesday’s workout. Easter Jr. (15-0, 12 KOs) will take on Juan Ramon Solis (20-9, 9 KOs) while Herring (13-0, 8 KOs) will face Yakubu Amido (19-7-2, 17 KOs) in separate 10-round lightweight bouts this Saturday. NOTE: Solis is a late replacement for the previously announced Miguel Acosta as an opponent for Easter Jr.

While Broner continued his vow of silence with the media, the three-division world champion “let his fists do the talking” in a spirited workout that lasted nearly 90 minutes.

Here’s what the rest of the SHOWTIME fighters had to say on Wednesday:

KHABIB ALLAKHVERDIEV:
“I expect Broner to try to play his game, but we will play our game.

“The experience I gained after losing the title in my last fight [against Jesse Vargas] is that I really understand the opportunity that I am being given going into this fight.

“I am not worried about fighting in Broner’s hometown. I have fought many fighters in their own cities and it doesn’t bother me.

“On Saturday night, I will show the fans a great fight and come out with the victory.”

JOSE PEDRAZA:
“We train hard all the time, we are in great shape and we prepare for every fight like the opponent is the champion.

“Edner Cherry is a very experienced fighter. He is a strong guy and good puncher.

“I am in great shape and I’m ready to fight 12 rounds.

“This could very well be the toughest fight of my career. He hasn’t lost in seven years. But we are very prepared, studied the fight well and are ready to go come Saturday.

“My youth will play a huge part in this fight. I’m much younger than him and, without a doubt, I will win this fight.

“I can’t wait for the fans to watch this fight and if they can’t be here than I hope they watch on SHOWTIME. It will be a great fight.”

EDNER CHERRY:

“This will be a very tough fight. We’ve been training hard and had a great camp.

“I’m not taking anything away from him, he’s a tough fighter. He’s a champion for a reason. But on Saturday night I’m coming for that title, that’s my job.

“We trained for 12 hard rounds, but if the knockout comes, then I will be very excited. All I’m looking for is a very hard 12-round fight.

“Ever since my title loss to Timothy Bradley in 2008, I’ve pushed myself to get back into this position and to give myself the opportunity for a title shot at the right weight class. I’m finally in the right weight class for me.

“Bradley was the much bigger fighter when we fought [in 2008]. That was a mistake on our end. He just was the bigger guy, but I was in the ring with one of the best fighters in the world and I really learned from that fight.

“I tell people that I am so glad that I didn’t win that title against Bradley because, in my mind, I would’ve been fighting at 140, but that wasn’t my weight class. I would’ve been risking my life fighting at 140. I glad I didn’t win it, but I’m also glad I hung in there and got myself back into a big fight.

“I’ve been preparing for this fight for 15 years, and it’s going to show on Saturday.”

ROBERT EASTER JR.

“I have a lot of people coming from Toledo to see me. They’re all excited about it.

“This is my second time fighting on SHOWTIME EXTREME and I’m truly blessed. It’s a good opportunity to showcase my skills on national television.

“I know nothing about my opponent, but I do that on purpose. It’s been the same thing as the rest of my 15 opponents. I didn’t study them at all. Whoever they put in front of me, that’s the test I have to overcome and so far I’ve been doing excellent and passed them all.”

JAMEL HERRING:

“He’s my best opponent yet. He’s a tough guy, very durable. He’s a lot more durable than my last few opponents.

“I take nothing from him, but I’m motivated and looking forward to pushing myself more than anything. It’s going to be a great step up and people are going to see a lot more than they’ve seen from me in the past.

“I’m in great shape. I just had a fight back at the end of August. I took literally three days off instead of a whole week and came right back, so I’ve been in shape for the past three months getting to this date.

“It’s a blessing to be able to showcase my talent on the national scene instead of the local venues or being on the big cards but not getting any kind of TV exposure. Now I’m part of the big show.

“I don’t take anything for granted or let it get to my head. To me it’s another fight and I take every fight seriously. It doesn’t matter who I’m in with, every fight is a stepping stone to a title, so every fight is important.”

# # #

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @AdrienBroner, @WarriorsBoxProm and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports and www.Facebook.com/AdrienTheProblemBroner

CINCINNATI (Aug. 28, 2015) – Former three-division world champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner (30-2, 22 KOs) returns to his hometown looking for a fourth world title as he faces fellow former world champion Khabib “The Hawk” Allakhverdiev (19-1, 9 KOs) for the WBA Super Lightweight world title on Saturday, October 3 live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) from U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature, undefeated IBF Junior Lightweight World Champion Jose “The Sniper” Pedraza (20-0, 12 KOs) will defend his belt against veteran former world title challenger Edner “Cherry Bomb” Cherry (34-6-2, 19 KOs).

“I’m excited to be back in Cincinnati taking on a tough world class fighter who is going to bring it,” said Broner. “This fight means the world to me. It’s a huge deal to have the chance to be a four-division world champion at 26 years old.”

“Broner is a good boxer, he is a fast and talented guy, but as a man I don’t have anything good to say about him,” said Allakhverdiev. “I am looking forward to a world championship winning performance and I know that if he tries to do something to get in my head, to approach me or to push me that I will be as restrained as possible and save my anger for fight night.”

“I’m very excited to be back on SHOWTIME defending my title,” said Pedraza. “This is another step in the direction of becoming a superstar in the sport of boxing. ? I will be victorious and make my island proud.”

“I’m in a tough fight on October 3 but I’m very excited for this opportunity,” said Cherry. “This is nothing new for me. I’m not taking Pedraza lightly. He’s a champion for a reason. This is something that comes once in a lifetime and I’m going all-in to win this title.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Warriors Boxing and About Billions Promotions, are priced at $154, $104, $79, $54, and $29 and are on sale NOW. Tickets are available at the U.S. Bank Arena box office, all Ticketmaster outlets including select Kroger stores, call 1-800-745-3000, or online at Ticketmaster.com.

The 12-round fight will be Broner’s first since he dropped a unanimous decision to former welterweight world champion Shawn Porter in June 20. Broner is 8-1 in title fights and has collected belts at 130, 135 and 147 pounds, but has never won a title at 140 pounds. Dropping down in weight, Broner is looking to add a fourth world title to his resume in his return to Cincinnati, where he defeated Emmanuel Taylor last September in front of his hometown fans in a 2014 Fight of the Year candidate.

Allakhverdiev’s (pronounced ah-lockh-ver-DEE-ev) only blemish came via controversial 12-round split decision in a title defense to then-undefeated Jessie Vargas in April 2014. Allakhverdiev, of Moscow, Russia, initially won the WBA 140-pound crown with an eight-round technical decision over previously unbeaten three-division world champion Joan Guzmán in November 2012. In his lone defense, the southpaw scored two knockdowns in a one-sided 11th-round TKO over former world champion Souleymane M’Baye in July 2013. This is Allakhverdiev’s first start since the questionable loss to Vargas.

Pedraza, of Caguas, Puerto Rico, won the vacant IBF 130-pound title with a dominating unanimous decision over Andrey Klimov on June 13 on SHOWTIME in Birmingham, Ala. The switch-hitting former Puerto Rican Olympian backed up his “The Sniper” moniker against Klimov as he picked apart the Russian with superior speed and accuracy. Pedraza earned a shot at the title in his previous bout with a career-best win over former world title challenger Michael Farenas last November.

Cherry, of Wauchula, Fla., is a former world title challenger who is 10-0 with 1 NC since 2009. His only blemishes since 2007 are losses to Timothy Bradley and Paulie Malignaggi at 140-pounds. Since the loss to Bradley in a bout for the WBC Super Lightweight World Championship in 2008, Cherry has gone undefeated as he made his way down to 135 and 130 pounds. Cherry, who was born in the Bahamas, owns victories over Vicente Escobedo, Monte Meza Clay and Wes Ferguson.

New York, NY (6/18/15) – This past Saturday, Puerto Rico’s Jose “The Sniper” Pedraza fulfilled a lifelong dream when he picked up the IBF world super featherweight championship with a flawless performance against once-beaten contender Andrey Klimov. With the impressive showing, Pedraza, who improved to a perfect 20-0, 12KO’s, with the near shutout victory, clearly cemented himself as the next rising star to come out of the island.

“Words cannot express how happy I am right now,” said Pedraza. “I have sacrificed my life for the last 14 years to become a world champion. This was a long, hard road, but it is a dream come true. Every fighter thinks about this day, and now that I am here, I plan on reigning for many years to come. I want to thank my manager Al Haymon, my father, and my promoters for believing in me and giving me this opportunity.”

“From Wilfredo Gomez to Felix Trinidad to Miguel Cotto, Puerto Rico has a legendary boxing history. Former Olympian Jose Pedraza, a newly crowned world champion, continues this great tradition. The possibilities are limitless for this young star, as he begins his title reign and continues to carry the mantel of great Puerto Rican champions,” said promoter Lou DiBella.

“I am extremely happy and excited for Jose and what the future holds for him. He has spent many years, and countless hours of work to get to this point. It is an honor to be a part of this promotional team and I’m thrilled to be working with Al Haymon and my good friend and partner Lou DiBella in guiding Jose’s future,” said promoter Javier Bustillo.

“Pedraza once again showed he’s an elite fighter winning his first world title in dominating fashion,” said promoter Gary Shaw. “When I discovered him in the amateurs, I knew he was a special talent. His ability to make adjustments on the fly is what separates him from the rest of the champions. Puerto Rico has a shining star in Pedraza that they can be proud of.”

Ever since he first turned pro in 2011, there have been very high hopes for Pedraza. An outstanding amateur who represented his native Puerto Rico at the 2008 Olympic games, Pedraza longed to become a part of the nation’s storied history of great champions and contenders. Over the next four-plus years, Pedraza steadily moved up the ranks of the super featherweight division, garnering rave reviews in the process and setting himself up for a crack at his first world title shot with a dominant 12-round unanimous decision over fellow top-contender Michael Farenas in November of last year.

Going into the fight, there were questions on how the 26-year-old 2008 Olympian would approach his opponent. Klimov had only been defeated once before, losing a decision to the 2014 Fighter of the Year Terence Crawford back in 2013 and was known as a hard-nosed and relentless pressure fighter. Pedraza stated before the contest that he would use his boxing ability to neutralize Klimov’s attack, but also that he wouldn’t be afraid to stand toe-to-toe with the tough Russian. Just as advertised, Pedraza did exactly that, having his way against Klimov from the outset. Round after round, Pedraza controlled the pace behind his lightning-quick combinations and footwork, consistently beating Klimov to the punch and tattooing him with hard shots to the body and head. In the middle rounds, Pedraza switched from southpaw to orthodox, and began walking Klimov down, dishing out severe punishment that began to show more and more on Klimov’s battered face. Klimov was able to make it to the final bell, but just couldn’t muster up much of anything else, as he was thoroughly dominated in what was easily Pedraza’s most impressive showing to date.

The same night Pedraza claimed his IBF crown on Showtime, another highly regarded up-and-coming Puerto Rican star saw action, as Felix Verdejo made his HBO debut, claiming a 10-round decision victory over Ivan Najera. There have been ongoing debates over the past couple of years as to who would emerge as Puerto Rico’s next great champion. Before his fight on Saturday night, the humble Pedraza stated that Verdejo “was a good fighter, and a good person, but Jose Pedraza will be Puerto Rico’s next world champion.” And right he was.

Pedraza’s promoters DiBella Entertainment, Universal Promotions, and Gary Shaw productions and advisor Al Haymon are already planning his first defense. An announcement will be made in the coming monthsas to whom Pedraza will face and where the defense will take place. However, one thing is for sure: Pedraza would love to make his first defense at home.

“Winning a world title has been a lifelong dream of mine. Now that I have the belt, I would love nothing more in the world than to make my first defense in Puerto Rico in front of all my great fans.”

Deontay Wilder made the first defense of the WBC Heavyweight title with a 9th round stoppage over Eric Molina at the Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

In round three, Molina rocked Wilder with ahard left hook. In the end of round four, Wilder dropped Molina with a short left hook. In round five, Wilder landed a right hand that made Molina turn his back and then he was deposited on the deck from a left hand. Wilder then chased Molina croess the ring and dropped him again with a clubbing right.

In round nine, Wilder landed a perfect left hook that sent Molina flat on his back and the fight was stopped.

Wilder, 229 lbs of Tuscaloosa, AL is now 34-0 with 33 knockouts. Molina, 239 1/4 lbs of Rio Grande Valley, TX is 23-3.

Wilder landed 149 of 303 punches. Molina landed 49 of 188.

Jose Pedraza won the vacant IBF Jr. Lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Andrey Klimov

Klimov suffered a mouse under his left eye in round five. Pedraza landed 272 punches of 750. Klimov was just 121 of 556.

Pedraza, 129 3/4 lbs of Cidra, PR won by scores of 119-109 and 120-108 twice and is now 20-0. Klimov, 129 lbs of Klimovar, RUS is 19-2.

Dejan Zalticanin scored a 4th round stoppage over Ivan Redkach in a battle of previously undefeated Lightweights in a bout scheduled for 12-rounds.

In round three, Redkach was cut over his left eye from an accidental headbutt. In round four, Zlaticanin droped Radkach with a huge left. Moments later, Zlaticanin landed ahug flurry on the ropes and the bout was stopped with Redkach covering up at 1:24 of round four.

Zlaticanin, 134 1/2 lbs of Popgordia, Montenegro is now 17-0 with 10 knockouts. Redkach, 134 1/2 lbs of Los Angeles, is 18-1-1.

Zlaticanin landed 49-144 punches. Redkach was 48-231.

Julian Williams remained undefeated by scoring a 6th round stoppage over Armen Ovsepyan in a scheduled 10-round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Williams dropped Ovsepyan in round one with a quick right hand. Williams continued to dominate and staggered Ovsepyan several more times in the opening frame.

In round six, Williams opened up on Ovsepyan and unleashed a series of headhsots and the fight was stopped at 2:33 of round six.

Williams, 153 3/4 lbs of Philadelphia is 20-0-1-1 with 12 knockouts. Ovsepyan, 153 1/4 lbs of Glendale, CA is 14-5.

Williams landed 195-372 punches. Ovsepyan was 42-224.

Ahmed Elbiali scored a 1st round stoppage over Donta Woods in a scheduled 8-round Light Heavyweight bout.

Elbiali dropped Woods with a right hand in round one and the fight was stopped at 1:04.

Elbiai, 175 1/2 lbs of Miami is 11-0 with 10 knockouts. Woods, 174 1/2 lbs of Atlanta is 8-5.

Deontay Wilder 229 – Eric Molina 239 1/4
(WBC Heavyweight Title)
Jose Pedraza 129 3/4 – Andrey Klimov 12
(IBF Jr. Lightweight Title)
(SHO EXTREME)
IVAN REDKACH: 134.4 Pounds
DEJAN ZLATICANIN: 134.6 Pounds

JULIAN WILLIAMS: 153.8 Pounds
ARMEN OVSEPYAN: 153.2 Pounds

(TV SWING BOUT)
AHMED ELBIALI: 175.4 Pounds
DONTA WOODS: 174.4 Pounds

NEW YORK (June 1, 2015) – Unbeaten Heavyweight World Champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder, confident heavyweight contender Eric “Drummer Boy” Molina and unbeaten junior lightweight Jose “The Sniper” Pedraza participated in Media Day Workouts last Thursday for their fights Saturday, June 13, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala.

The power-punching, popular hometown favorite Wilder (33-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., will make the first defense of his title when he meets Molina (23-2, 17 KOs), of Raymondville, Texas, in the main event on June 13. Pedraza (19-0, 12 KOs), of Caguas, Puerto Rico, will meet Andrey Klimov (19-1, 9 KOs), of Klimovski, Russia, in a 12-rounder for the vacant IBF Junior Lightweight World Championship in the co-feature.

Below is what Wilder, Molina and Pedraza said during their separate Media Days in Northport, Ala., Weslaco, Texas and Cidra, Puerto Rico, respectively:

DEONTAY WILDER, Heavyweight World Champion

“It’s definitely a blessing to be able to fight in my state. When we set the goal to be heavyweight champion of the world that was one of the goals we set, to bring it to Alabama. Just to change it up and give Alabama some spice besides football, and to finally get the opportunity to have a major fight in the state of Alabama. This is what we were looking for when we worked to bring the commission here, and we were successful and got it done. This is what we were looking for.

“I want Alabama to be my home territory. It’s why I stay here. Some people still try to throw me out but my heart is here and I’ve got bigger and better plans. This is just the beginning.

“My team handles all the distractions (from fighting at home). I’ve got a wonderful team. I’m just ready to go. I’m ready to get this party started and welcome Molina to Alabama.

“My hand is fine. We tested it yesterday for 10-ounce gloves because that’s the competition weight. We put it on and I felt great. It gave me even more confidence. I’m ready to get in the ring and do what I have to do and perform for my people.’’

(on being world champion)

“We knew we would be doing a lot of traveling after getting the belt but we didn’t know the capacity of how much. It’s been a journey for me.

“I think I bring a different flavor to the sport of boxing, and I want to bring even more to the world.’’

(on Molina)

“I haven’t heard from Molina but that’s good, that means he’s focused. I want him to come very focused. I know he’s going to be nervous and scared, but they say if you back a rabbit in a corner, they fight back.

“I’m most dangerous when I’m at home. I’m not going to let down my home crowd and let someone take what I’ve worked so hard for. He’s not going to come behind enemy lines and take anything from me.

“I want a great performance from him. I want a great performance for the crowd and people to say, ‘Hey, I want to come back for the next one!’ and to be hungry for the next one. We got a lot of fights we want to do in Alabama, and this is just the start. I want to move on from Bartow to the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC), which is bigger than the MGM Grand.

“Every title defense is proving something. I’m the world’s most wanted, and everyone wants it. I’ve got the WBC crown. It’s the most well-known, famous belt in boxing. Everyone wants their name on this belt, and I have it. Every fight is a dangerous fight when I’m putting the belt on the line, and I train as if everyone is a world champion.’’

(on why he’s defending against Molina)

“We have a lot of other opponents, but Molina was the one to understand the opportunity that lies at hand. Some people can price themselves out and some teams make it so difficult that the fight won’t happen. They can really block themselves out from getting the fight. You can have the money or the opportunity. Molina understands what the situation is, and he stepped up to the plate and understands the opportunity at hand to be the World Heavyweight Champion.

“My last fight I proved to everyone what I was capable of. I can go 12 rounds and take a punch. I can be just as fresh in the 12th round as the 1st.

“The sky’s the limit in what we’re trying to do. I represent the state. Even though I’m from Tuscaloosa, it’s not just where my gym is in Northport or Coffeeville. I represent the state of Alabama. I need a home territory and a home state not only where we can bring in local people, bring in the nation, but also bring in the whole world.”

ERIC MOLINA, Heavyweight Contender

“This is the fight that we dream about when we first lace on the gloves and I am extremely excited about the opportunity to fight for the biggest prize in sports, the WBC heavyweight title. I’ve been preparing and training very hard, and I’m almost at the point where we’re ready to go.

“We’ve studied a lot of Wilder, and expect a very physical fight. I think a lot of people are underestimating my strength and power. They know Wilder can punch but they are underestimating the power that I possess.

“We know it’s going be a hostile environment, fighting in basically his backyard, but he’s now the champion and with that he gets an opportunity in his optional title defense (to fight who he wants, where he wants). He gets to enjoy those opportunities, but that’s where I come in.

“Of course, I’m confident I can win the title. I think people look at my record and think this or that, but I don’t feel they understand my entire career, the things I have gone through and overcome, the different angles of boxing that more than meets the eye.

“Nothing against Deontay, who has worked hard to get to where he is, but he doesn’t represent the kind of fighter, in general, that I am. I’ve always had to fight and struggle from fight to fight. I never had a true training camp situation. I’m not saying he had things easy, but I had to work and juggle things to keep going. Only the fighters in my situation can understand it.

“I’ve been boxing for nine years. I have a BS and Master’s Degree and I’m in my fourth year teaching kids with disabilities. Along with boxing, this is what I do. This is who I am, and I am not ashamed of who I am either. I’m proud. If they want to consider me an underdog, fine. But I’m also the guy who got knocked out in his first pro fight and battled back to where I am now and I’m fighting for the championship.

“What people don’t know about me is that my career has been all about determination, strength and struggles. Other boxers, including Bernard Hopkins, lost their first fights and went on to win a world title. I’ve learned a lot from my two losses and now I have the confidence to accomplish anything.

“Bottom line is I am not trying to convince anybody who I am, I just want people to see who the real Eric Molina is — that I am more than what my record on paper indicates. I was NABF champion for a while but could never get a fight so I was dropped from the rankings. It was like I had to start over again. But I stuck to it, and with everything else I had going on outside the ring, things I had to put aside for this fight, still managed to get into the position I’m in now.

“I don’t think there’s ever been a heavyweight contender like me. Where I train, there are no other real heavyweights except for one or two. I have to fly guys in to help me work with the guys already here. I’ve been in camps with Bermane Stiverne; I often had to go to where the sparring was just to get the work.

“I’ve never been in a spot where things have been easy for me in boxing. I never had the odds on my side, the tools, the resources. But I still made it this far and want to go farther.

“I think the first round is very important. I expect that from the get-go that he will feel like he could hurt me, but I also feel very strongly that I could hurt him. So it is very important to be ready for that first bell.

“This is going to be a great fight, much, much better than many may be expecting, and I am ready.’’

JOSE PEDRAZA, Unbeaten Junior Lightweight Contender

“As a Puerto Rican, every time I fight, I fight for the honor of my people. So, on June 13, I won’t only be fighting to win a world title, I’ll be fighting for Cidra, Puerto Rico and for all the Puerto Ricans out there watching me. Puerto Rico needs another champion and I’m here to deliver and make my people proud. I cannot afford to let them down. I won’t let Puerto Rico down. I’ll come back a champion.

“This is a great opportunity fighting on a big show on SHOWTIME. It has taken hard work, dedication and long gym work to obtain this big exposure on SHOWTIME.

“My last fight against Michael Farenas was very important to me because that fight was a title eliminator and, by winning, it opened the door to this fight and finally my dream of becoming world champion is close to arriving.

“It has been a long and hard training camp — intensive. We opened camp in Las Vegas in December. This camp has been special because it is for the world championship.

“Andrey Klimov is a strong boxer, always going forward, the jab and straight right are his best shots. The only thing I see is he is strong and has good fitness. From his last fight against Terrence Crawford I could see that he has problems when he fights a left-handed boxer with good movement. I will be working in side steps and with speed.

“I hope that he comes well prepared for me. We must do our best to give the fans a good show. On June 13, I will be a new champ and after that I want to make two defenses and move to 135.’’

# # #

ALL ACCESS: Deontay Wilder, which chronicle’s the champion’s January fight against Bermane Stiverne and sets the stage as he prepares for his upcoming title defense, premieres on Wednesday, June 3 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

“WILDER vs. MOLINA,” a 12-Round fight for Wilder’s WBC Heavyweight Championship, takes place Saturday, June 13, at The Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala. DiBella Entertainment and Bruno Event Team have joined forces to bring this event to Alabama. In the co-main event co-romoted by DiBella in association with Universal Promotions, Jose Pedraza will face Andrey Klimov in a 12-Round bout for the IBF Jr. Lightweight World Title. It will air live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

For more information visit www.sports.sho.com and www.dbe1.com follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @WilderVSMolina, @BronzeBomber, @LouDiBella and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #WilderMolina, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit http://shosportspoundforpound.tumblr.com/