DANIEL JACOBS VS. PETER QUILLIN PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES FOR DEC. 5 CLASH ON SHOWTIME

Daniel Jacobs
NEW YORK, N.Y. (Oct. 7, 2015) -WBA Middleweight World Champion Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs (30-1, 27 KOs)and former world champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (32-0-1, 23 KOs)participated in a kickoff press conference on Wednesday at Planet Hollywood Times Square in New York City to formally announce their highly anticipated Dec. 5 showdown in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING live on SHOWTIMEfrom Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The undercard for the Brooklyn showdown will be announced soon.

Below is what the fighters and executives had to say today:

DANIEL JACOBS

“This is a big opportunity for me. This is a big opportunity for Brooklyn. It could not have happened at a better time. I’ve been calling him out for two years, but it had to take that time to build and for our careers to blossom.

“The fans will be the winners at the end of the day. This matchup is going to be all action-packed. It’s a very interesting matchup.

“I’m thankful to Peter for accepting the challenge and for giving me the opportunity to have a career-changing fight.

“I believe my time is now. I know there was hype around me as a prospect. People have their opinions about me, but I believe at this present time that I’ve matured as a man overall. I’m in my prime.

“To me, this fight means everything to Brooklyn. This is a thick-skinned city that was raised on fighting. You always had to defend yourself. We have that pride of having great fighters that come from here and I’m fortunate enough to be that champion to continue the legacy.

“I feel like this fight has a lot of significance to it, not just in New York, but to the sport of boxing in general. A lot of people have been asking for this fight, and now that it’s here, you will see a tremendous amount of attention surrounding it.

“I think youth is everything in the sport of boxing. Although Quillin is older than I am, he has that experience and power that he will bring into the ring. Anything can happen in this sport.

“I am such a fan of this particular fight, this fight is going to be an amazing fight.

“Just because Peter has flaws in one area, he can back that up with a one-punch knockout, so you always have to be prepared for that.

“Peter’s flaws are that he loads up his shots too much, is slow on his feet and isn’t headstrong. If I can execute the game plan I think it will be a phenomenal outcome.

“We adopted Peter as one of Brooklyn’s own, but come fight night you will all see a Brooklyn-born champion.

“It doesn’t matter what he comes to the table with, we will have a 10-week camp for this fight and we will be completely ready.

“I’ve been on a strict diet, I haven’t been eating chocolate. But after December 5th, I’m going to be the Cookie Monster, don’t miss it.”

PETER QUILLIN

“This fight means everything to me. It’s two guys for the battle of Brooklyn. We are both going to have great support in the building and this fight will really inspire people.

“In New York City you never get to see two guys at this level of boxing square off against one another. It means a lot and I’m very excited about this fight.

“I expect Danny to bring his great chin to this fight. I didn’t notice it before but his chin looks very huge, so that’s what we’re looking at now.

“I feel like I’m the son of Brooklyn. Although I’m from Michigan, this city has taken me in like I’m one of their own. You see what Las Vegas did for Floyd Mayweather, that’s what Brooklyn did for me.

“This is a good guy vs. good guy fight and it’s good for the sport of boxing. I’m coming to throw bombs. It’s not about the bills. It’s about the character of the person I’m fighting. This is the type of fight that is going to bring the best out of Peter Quillin.

“I lead a very healthy lifestyle and train even when I’m not preparing for a fight. I keep myself as young as possible.

“You’re going to see Fourth of July in the month of December. We’re going to melt some snow.”

BRETT YORMARK, CEO of Barclays Center

“When I think of Barclays Center now, we truly are in the big event business.

“When I think about the remainder of 2015, there were two dates on my calendar and one of them is Battle for Brooklyn on Dec. 5. The two gentlemen up here are part of the Barclays Center. This is their home away from home. There is no place better for them to be getting it on.

“I want to make sure we put on a great show for the fans in Brooklyn. We’re excited to see all the fans on Dec. 5.”

LOU DIBELLA, President of DiBella Entertainment

“Barclays Center has become the home of boxing and one of the great places to watch boxing right now.

“I promise you, this will be the undercard of the year. It’s going to be the most interesting undercard of the year. Get your tickets now.

“SHOWTIME has developed both of these young men. These two champions both made their names as SHOWTIME fighters. This fight will properly end the year on SHOWTIME.

“I’ve known both of these young men since they were kids. They are terrific men and a true credit to the sport. These guys have always gotten along, they respect each other as fighters, but there is a true belief on both their parts that they are the best.

“Take all the friendship and throw it out the window. This is going to be nasty. This is going to be brutal. There will be boxing but these guys will throw bombs. They can’t help themselves, that’s what makes them so great.

“The winner of this could be a superstar.

“This fight is to show who the man in town is. The winner will own Brooklyn. If you’re the man in Brooklyn, you’re the man. This will be a fight of the year candidate, no doubt.

“I expect both men to go down. The fans will be on their feet the whole time. This is a can’t miss fight between two evenly matched champions and guys who want and need this victory.”

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

“We’re thrilled to be working with DBE and Barclays Center on this event. You’re going to hear a lot of genuine excitement because this is the right fight, at the right venue and at the right time.

“Brett [Yormark] has turned Barclays Center into the home of boxing on the East Coast.

“We take a great amount of pride in these two young men, because they are everything that is right with the sport.

“They’re very different young men with fascinating stories. They’ve both overcome incredible odds. Their roads led them to each other. It will be hard for us to choose who to root for because these are two great young men and great boxers.”

# # #

Barclays Center’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ programming platform is presented by AARP. For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @DanielJacobsTKO, @KidChocolate, @LouDiBella, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment and www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter.




SHOWTIME SPORTS® TO PRESENT SEVEN LIVE BOXING TELECASTS IN EIGHT WEEKS TO CLOSE OUT 2015

Kell Brook
NEW YORK (Oct. 3, 2015) – SHOWTIME Sports® will present seven live boxing telecasts in a span of just eight weeks to close out 2015, including three presentations of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, a SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL telecast and three installments of ShoBox: The New Generation.

The seven telecasts will air live on SHOWTIME® and will feature at least 16 fights, several world championship bouts and more than 10 matchups on the prospect developmental series ShoBox.

The action will kick off with a ShoBox quadrupleheader on Friday, Oct. 23 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME from the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz. In the 10-round middleweight main event, undefeated Rob Brant (17-0, 11 KOs, 0-3 in World Series of Boxing) will square off with Louis Rose (13-2-1, 5 KOs). In eight-rounders, unbeaten Filipino prospect Harmonito Dela Torre (16-0, 11 KOs) meets Wanzell Ellison (10-1-1, 5 KOs) in a junior lightweight scrap, Jarrell Miller (14-0-1) takes on Akhror Muralimov (16-1, 13 KOs) in a heavyweight bout and Lavarn Harvell (15-1, 8 KOs) will meet southpaw Samuel Clarkson (16-3, 10 KOs) in a light heavyweight scrap.

The following day, Saturday, Oct. 24, undefeated Kell Brook (35-0, 24 KOs) will make the third defense of his IBF Welterweight World title against Diego Chaves (23-2-1, 19 KOs) at Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, England. The SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL telecast will be presented via Sky Sports in the UK and will air live on SHOWTIME in the afternoon with an encore presentation later that evening (SHO, 9 p.m. ET/PT).

ShoBox: The New Generation returns Friday, Nov. 6 from D Hotel in Las Vegas with a four-fight telecast: Up-and-coming unbeaten middleweight Antoine Douglas (18-0-1, 12 KOs) will battle Les Sherrington (35-7, 20 KOs) in the main event. In the co-feature, Taras Shelestyuk (12-0, 8 KOs) will be opposed by an opponent to be determined. Rounding out the card are eight-round scraps between Keenan Smith (7-0, 2 KOs) and Benjamin Whitaker (10-1, 2 KOs) and O’Shanique Foster (8-0, 5 KOs) and Samuel Teah (7-1, 5 KOs) in super lightweight and lightweight fights, respectively.

On Saturday, Nov. 14 quick-fisted Gary Russell Jr. (26-1, 15 KOs) will risk his WBC Featherweight World Championship against Oscar Escandon (24-2, 16 KOs) in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.

Just two weeks later, on Saturday, Nov. 28, in a can’t miss match-up newly crowned IBF Super Middleweight World Championship James DeGale (21-1, 14 KOs) will face former world champion Lucian Bute (32-2, 25 KOs) in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING from the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, live on SHOWTIME. In the co-feature, undefeated knockout artist and former Russian amateur champion Artur Beterbiev (9-0, 9 KOs) will face an opponent to be announced in a light heavyweight world championship title eliminator.

Brooklyn Bragging Rights and the WBA Middleweight World Championship will be on the line on Saturday, Dec. 5 when defending champion Daniel Jacobs (30-1, 27 KOs) takes on former champion Peter Quillin (32-0-1, 23 KOs) in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The marquee main event will be preceded by a co-feature fight with additional bouts on the card airing live on SHOWTIME EXTREME.

Closing out the boxing year for SHOWTIME Sports will be a ShoBox two or three-fight card airing live on Friday, Dec. 11.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.




Brooklyn Bragging Rights: Jacobs-Quillin Dec. 5 On SHOWTIME

Daniel Jacobs
BROOKLYN (September 30, 2015) – In a highly anticipated showdown between two of Brooklyn’s most exciting and talented fighters, WBA Middleweight World Champion Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs (30-1, 27 KOs) will take on former world champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (32-0-1, 23 KOs) on Saturday, December 5 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).

“There is no doubt this is going to be one of the biggest fights Brooklyn has ever seen,” said Jacobs. “Peter and I go back a long time, but this is business. I’m the champion and he’s the challenger. I’m going to do everything I can to win on December 5 and show the world that I’m the best Brooklyn has to offer.”

“The fans have waited a long time for this fight and now it’s finally here,” said Quillin. “I was back in the gym on Monday after my fight against [Michael] Zerafa preparing for December 5. I know there is so much at stake for me —a belt and Brooklyn bragging rights. It’s going to be a night to remember for me and for all of Brooklyn.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, start at $50, not including applicable fees, and are on sale Tuesday, October 6 at 10 a.m. ET and can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets will also be available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center beginning Wednesday, October 7 at 12 p.m., if tickets are still available.

These two powerful fighters have been on a collision course for several years, dating to when Quillin was the WBO Middleweight Champion and Jacobs was working back towards contender status after sitting out over a year due to cancer.

While Quillin relinquished his belt due to the birth of his son and the death of his uncle, Jacobs continued to rise in the rankings and earned his world title with a knockout in August of 2014 over Jarrod Fletcher in Brooklyn. Each fighter has earned knockout victories in the last two months and both boxers will return to the site of their world title-winning performances when they clash at Barclays Center.

“This is a can’t-miss, pick’em fight between two of the best middleweights in the world,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “This is truly the battle of Brooklyn, with both Danny and Peter possessing the power to create fireworks in an explosive night. SHOWTIME will truly be ending 2015 with a bang…or many of them.”

“Daniel Jacobs vs. Peter Quillin is a unique matchup of two bona fide middleweight stars, each in the prime of his career,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “It is as evenly matched as you’ll find in the division, and it stands to be the career-defining fight for both men. We expect the action in the ring and the atmosphere at Barclays Center will make for a very memorable night. For boxing fans, it doesn’t get any better than this.”

“This is the ultimate Brooklyn matchup,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Barclays Center.
“Miracle Man vs. Kid Chocolate is about more than a world title, it’s about Brooklyn bragging rights and glory. The borough is ready for December 5.”

An inspirational figure who will fight at Barclays Center for the fifth time, Brooklyn’s Jacobs completed his road to champion when he defeated Fletcher for the middleweight title. In 2011, while pursuing a championship in the ring, cancer threatened his life and kept him on the sidelines for 19 months. When he returned, he picked up where he left off, and hasn’t lost since. The 28-year-old is coming off of a second round stoppage of former world champion Sergio Mora in August.

Quillin gets back in the ring after having knocked out Michael Zerafa earlier this month to follow up his hard-fought draw against middleweight world champion Andy Lee in April. He won a middleweight belt in 2012 with his highlight-reel, six-knockdown demolition against Hassan N’Dam in the first boxing card hosted at Barclays Center. Born in Chicago, raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but residing in Brooklyn, the 31-year-old went on to defend that title against strong contenders Fernando Guerrero, Gabriel Rosado and Lukas Konecny. Now, “Kid Chocolate” looks to become a world champion for the second time.

Barclays Center’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ programming platform is presented by AARP. For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @DanielJacobsTKO, @KidChocolate, @LouDiBella, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment and www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter.




Jacobs to defend against Quillin on December 5 in Brooklyn

Daniel Jacobs
According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Daniel Jacobs will defend his Middleweight crown against undefeated Peter Quillin in a much anticipated battle of Brooklyn on December 5 in at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The bout will be televised on Showtime.

“What’s important is that I’m ready for Danny Jacobs,” Quillin said after the knockout of Michael Zerafa on Saturday. “Now it’s time for Brooklyn to see me and Danny Jacobs. We’ve waited for a long time for it. I like Danny because I’m a big fan of his. But business is business, unfortunately.”

“We can do it right here if you want to take off that suit and put on those gloves,” Quillin said.

“Let’s do it right now.”

“But the fight is going to happen. It will get done and it will be a big fight,” staid Lou DiBella, who will promote the fight. “There are a lot of people who have wanted to see this fight for a long time, and it’s going to be a good one.”

“I’m back in camp on Monday. I’m getting ready for Danny Jacobs,” Quillin said. “Right now he’s the champ, I’m the challenger. I like to be in that position. It motivates me. I fight for all the kids who were told they wouldn’t make it.”

“I’m from Brownsville in Brooklyn. I never ran and I never will,” Jacobs said. “Dec. 5 at Barclays Center. I’m the champion and he’s the challenger. I don’t know how it’s going to go down, but it’s going to be a great fight.”

“In the sport of boxing, you can’t make too many friends because you might wind up fighting one of these guys,” Jacobs said. “It will be one of the biggest fights that Brooklyn has had in a long time. I’m a mover, I’m a power puncher, and I have a high boxing IQ. He has trouble with guys that move, and I can think on the fly.

“This [fight] is all the motivation I needed. What other motivation do you need to get your butt in the gym and get prepared? They call me the ‘Miracle Man.’ It’s no secret that I have motivation to be the best I can be. Come Dec. 5, Brooklyn is going to have a new star.”




Quillin stops Zerafa in five

Peter Quillin
Former world champion Peter Quillin stopped unheralded Michael Zerafa in round five of their scheduled 10-round Middleweight bout at the Foxwoods Casino Resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

Quillin got the better of the action over the first 4-plus rounds. In round five, Quillin landed a right hand that staggered Zerafa back and a follow-up booming right sent Zerafa crumbling to the canvas and the fight was stopped at

Zerafa was removed from the ring on a stretcher.

Quillin, 160 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 32-0-1 with 23 knockouts. Zerafa, 162 lbs of Melbourne, Australia is 17-22.

The win for Quillin now sets up a match that has brewing for a couple years with WBA Middleweight champion, Danny Jacobs. That bout will take place on December 5 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

PETER QUILLIN

“It is hard to celebrate a performance like that, especially when someone is leaving on a stretcher. Unfortunately that is part of the game. I just pray that he gets better and gets home to Australia safe and sound.

“I made a bad mistake in my past when I fought Miranda. I learned that you have to give every guy credit.

“What’s important is that I’m ready for Danny Jacobs. Now it’s time for Brooklyn to see me and Danny Jacobs. We’ve waited for a long time for it.

“I like Danny because I’m a big fan of his. But business is business unfortunately.

“[To Jacobs] We can do it right here if you want to take off that suit and put on those gloves. Lets do it right now.

“I’m back in camp on Monday. I’m getting ready for Danny Jacobs.

“Right now he’s the champ, I’m the challenger. I like to be in that position. It motivates me. I fight for all the kids who were told they wouldn’t make it.”

DANIEL JACOBS, Middleweight World Champion is expected to take on Quillin on December 5.

“I’m from Brownsville in Brooklyn. I never ran and I never will.

“December 5 at Barclays Center. I’m the champion and he’s the challenger.

“I don’t know how it’s going to go down, but it’s going to be a great fight.

“In the sport of boxing, you can’t make too many friends.

“It will be one of the biggest fights that Brooklyn has had in a long time.

“I’m a mover, I’m a power puncher and I have a high boxing IQ. He has trouble with guys that move and I can think on the fly.

“This [fight] is all the motivation I needed…what other motivation do you need to get your butt in the gym and get prepared?

“They call me the ‘Miracle Man’. It’s no secret that I have motivation to be the best I can be. Come December 5, Brooklyn is going to have a new star.”

Jermall Charlo captured the IBF Jr. Middleweight title with an emphatic 3rd round stoppage over Cornelius Bundrage.

In round one, Charlo dropped Bundrage with a perfect counter right. In round two, Charlo sent Bundrage down with all things a jab. Charlo knocked Bundrage down in round three when he landed a right and followed up with a barrage. Charlo finished the deal with a perfect right hand that sent Bundrage down for a fourth and final time an the bout was stopped at 2:33 of round three.

Charlo, 153 lbs of Houton, TX is now 22-0 with 17 knockouts. Bundrage, 153 lbs of Detroits, MI is 34-6.

Charlo landed 33-107 punches.

JERMALL CHARLO

“I’m the champion of the world. It’s all God-given. I couldn’t ask for anything better. I feel good.

“You never put a dog in a pen with a lion. I said I was going to do what I was going to do.

“This is the future. I am the future of boxing.

“I studied and I stayed ready. K-9 got cut and I stayed ready. When I turned pro seven years ago, I didn’t know this would be possible.

“I was ready for 12 rounds, and I knew he was ready for 12 rounds.

“I’ve finally made it to the championship status. To be classified as a world champion, it’s history.

“The fight went exactly how we thought it would. It was getting rough and I was ready for it. It was just a matter of time. It’s the best feeling in the world.

“I want to become even better. I want to defend my title and show everyone how good I am.”

CORNELIUS BUNDRAGE

“You win some, you lose some. The problem was, I’ve been inactive. I was in there with a good fighter who has been active and is hungry.

“I’m older and have to stay active to stay with these young guys. I’m not going anywhere. I have to stay active to see punches coming.”

2012 U.S. Olympian Marcus Browne scored a 1st round stoppage over former champion Gabriel Campillo in a scheduled 10-round Light Heavyweight bout.

Browne sent Campillo down with a hard left hand and then a body shot. Browne finished off Campillo with a straight left for a 2nd knockdown and the fight was stopped at

Browne, 175 lbs of Staten Island, NY is 16-0 with 12 knockouts. Campillo, 179 lbs of Madrid, Spain is 25-8-1.

MARCUS BROWNE

“My performance was definitely a statement to everyone in the light heavyweight division – watch out. We’re here!

“He was standing straight up and my trainer said to hit him with a nice straight jab. I threw the 1-2 and then I followed up.

“I took my time and just let it come.

“My trainer Gary Stark told me to come around the arms and that’s what I did. You can see it.”




PETER QUIlLLIN, MICHAEL ZERAFA, MARCUS BROWNE & GARY STARK JR. MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES

Peter Quillin
BROOKLYN (September 8, 2015) – Former world champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, Australian middleweight Michael Zerafa, 2012 U.S. Olympian “Sir” Marcus Browne and Staten Island’s Gary Stark Jr. took part in a media workout at Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn Tuesday before their respective showdowns on Saturday, September 12 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

Quillin and Zerafa face-off in a 12-round middleweight showdown that headlines Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC with televised coverage beginning at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT with a super welterweight world title clash between Cornelius “K-9” Bundrage and Jermall Charlo. Browne will take on former world champion Gabriel Campillo in a 10-round light heavyweight affair that may appear on the NBC portion of the broadcast, while Stark Jr. takes on Anthony Napunyi in six-rounds of super featherweight action.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are
priced at $150, $85 and $45, not including applicable service charges and taxes, and are on sale now. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.comand www.foxwoods.com or by visiting the Foxwoods’ Box Office. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

Here is what the fighters had to say Tuesday:

PETER QUILLIN

“I was just telling Zerafa when we faced-off that I’ve been in his shoes before and I know how it feels. No disrespect. He doesn’t have to tell me that he’s got nothing to lose, I know that. I’m worried about looking good in this fight and doing what I’ve been working on in the gym.

“I know he’s beaten all the best in Australia, but I’ve beaten the best all over the world. He’s not going to be in his backyard and have that comfort he’s used to.

“We’re at a point now where I need to showcase my talent at this level. The exposure on NBC is great. We can be seen by so many people and build something that will last for years to come.

“Not everyone knows I was raised all my life in Grand Rapids, Michigan just like Floyd Mayweather and he was really one of my biggest inspirations. Fighting on the same day as him is the closest I’ll get to fighting on his undercard, which I’ve always wanted to do. I still get to headline my own event on NBC and I hope that people are inspired by how hard Floyd and I have worked to get to where we are.

“I’m excited for the possibility of fighting Daniel Jacobs. He’s been calling for it for a long time and the seats are reversed now, because he’s a champion and I’m not. I’m motivated regardless of the belt, but I want the opportunity to fight one of the best in the world and showcase my talent and show I’m the king of Brooklyn.”

MICHAEL ZERAFA

“It’s been a good experience coming to the U.S. for my first time. It’s a lot of adrenaline and I have as we get closer to the fight and I’m just looking forward to fighting one of the best in the world.

“It’s going to be an exciting fight and I’m going to give it my absolute all. We know it’s going to be a hard fight and our team has trained extremely hard. We have a great game plan and we’re going to give it our best shot.

“I didn’t know too much about Quillin when I accepted the fight but he is one of the best in America so we know that it’s going to be a hard fight and we’re going to make it a war. We’ll leave it all out on the table and the better man will win.

“I feel good at this weight. I’m strong and smarter with less stress on my body. I’m feeling switched on and very confident.

“Losing has made me a better, tougher and stronger fighter. There’s nothing to lose in this fight, I have everything to gain.”

MARCUS BROWNE

“I’m blessed to be in this position and I’m looking forward to getting into this fight and putting on a great show.

“Everything is part of the plan. I’ve just taken it one fight at a time and now we’re here in a great position.

“Training camp has been great. We’ve worked on everything and covered all the corners we need to. The sparring with Charles Foster and Lennox Allen has been great and they’ve gotten me ready for the lefty.

“Campillo is a veteran and he’s going to be there. You just have to find him and get him out. I’m going to use my use, my speed, my strength my power. All of that will get me the victory.

“I’m so grateful for this opportunity and I just want to keep putting on a better performance every time I’m out there.”

GARY STARK JR.

“I feel great, It’s been a very good camp. It’s tougher with the baby at home but it’s all a blessing. I feel like I’m resurrected.

“I fought recently and that first fight back there were some jitters. By the fourth round of that fight I really wanted it again. It’s great to be on a ‘Kid Chocolate’ show. I remember when he first started, he was on some of my shows, throwing chocolates to the crowd. Now look where he is now.

“I’m looking to work my way towards a title shot. My team pushes me very hard. Everybody believes in me and that’s big. Boxing is all confidence. I’ll always have tons of confidence.

“We’ll see the old me back in the ring Saturday afternoon. It’s so great to be back in the ring again.”

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.dbe1.comand www.nbcsports.com/boxing,follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @KidChocolate @K9Boxing, @FutureOfBoxing, @LouDiBella, @FoxwoodsCT and @Swanson_Comm,
become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainmentand www.facebook.com/NBCSports.




TOP NORTHEAST PROSPECTS SHOWCASED ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 AT FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO IN MASHANTUCKET, CONNECTICUT PETER QUILLIN TAKES ON MICHAEL ZERAFA IN FEATURED PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON NBC BOUT AT 4 P.M. ET/1 P.M. PT Action Begins Inside the Arena at 1 p.m. ET!

MASHANTUCKET, Conn. (August 31, 2015) – Some of the top prospects from the Northeast including undefeated super featherweight Bryant “Pee Wee” Cruz (15-0, 8 KOs) will be showcased on a stacked undercard Saturday, September 12 live from Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT with the first bout beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

The September 12 Premier Boxing Champions on NBC card is headlined by undefeated middleweight star Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (31-0-1, 22 KOs) taking on Michael “Pretty Boy” Zerafa (17-1, 9 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight bout with world title implications on the line for former world champion Quillin. Super welterweight world champion Cornelius “K-9” Bundrage (34-5, 19 KOs) will defend his title against undefeated rising star Jermall Charlo (21-0, 16 KOs) in the co-main event. Live coverage begins at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT on NBC.

As part of the previously announced featured undercard bouts, two of the most promising prospects in boxing will put their undefeated records on the line as 2012 U.S. Olympian and highly-touted light heavyweight “Sir” Marcus Browne (15-0, 11 KOs), takes on former world champion Gabriel Campillo (25-7-1, 12 KOs), and undefeated middleweight Hugo “The Boss” Centeno (22-0, 12 KOs) meets Poland’s Lukas Maciec (22-2-1, 5 KOs).

The Browne or Centeno fight could end up as a swing bout for the NBC broadcast pending the outcome of the two scheduled televised bouts.

Fighting on the non-televised portion of the undercard are top prospects representing New England, New York and Washington D.C.

The Undefeated super featherweight Cruz, fighting out of Port Chester, NY, puts his perfect record on the line in an eight-round bout.

Popular New York City super featherweight Gary Stark Jr. (24-3, 8 KOs) will be gunning for his second straight win of his comeback bid against former African champion Anthony Napunyi (15-15, 6 KOs) in a six-round match.

Washington D.C. super featherweight Antonio Russell (3-0, 2 KOs), the younger brother of reigning world super featherweight champion and 2008 U.S. Olympian Gary Russell, Jr., will compete in a six-round bout while undefeated super bantamweight world champion Shelly “Shelito’s Way” Vincent (14-0, 1 KO) squares off against former Youth champion Brittany “Pretty Girl” Cruz (10-6-2, 2 KOs) in an eight-round non-title fight.

Also fighting on the undercard in a four-round matchup is Elmont, NY super featherweight Titus Williams (1-0), a 2013 New York Golden Gloves champion, taking on Benjamin Burgos (2-12-1), and a four-round featherweight bout featuring Timmy Ramos (1-0, 1 KO) of Framingham, MA.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $150, $85 and $45, not including applicable service charges and taxes, and are on sale now. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com and www.foxwoods.com or by visiting the Foxwoods’ Box Office. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.dbe1.comand www.nbcsports.com/boxing,follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @KidChocolate @K9Boxing, @FutureOfBoxing, @LouDiBella, @FoxwoodsCT and @Swanson_Comm,
become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment and www.facebook.com/NBCSports.




MIDDLEWEIGHT STAR PETER QUILLIN HEADLINES ACTION PACKED PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON NBC CARD AS HE FACES AUSTRALIAN MICHAEL ZERAFA

Peter Quillin
MASHANTUCKET, CT (August 10, 2015) – Undefeated middleweight star Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (31-0-1, 22 KOs) will headline in a 12-round middleweight bout against Michael Zerafa (17-1, 9 KOs) while super welterweight world champion Cornelius “K-9” Bundrage (34-5, 19 KOs) defends against undefeated rising star Jermall Charlo (21-0, 16 KOs) on an action-packed edition of Premier Boxing Champions on NBC Saturday, September 12 live from Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut starting at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

“I’m ready and excited to return to the ring on NBC on September 12,” said Quillin. “I’m already deep into training camp and preparing to be in the best shape of my career. I know my opponent is dangerous and he’s coming to make a name for himself. I’m at the top of my game and I plan to stay there.”

“I’m excited for this fight. This sport is all about fighting the best and giving the fans what they want to see,” said Zerafa. “This is a great opportunity and I’m looking forward to coming over there and putting on a show.”

“It’s a blessing to be the junior middleweight world champion,” said Bundrage. “I want to thank my entire team for making this fight happen. I’m looking forward to my debut on PBC and successfully defending my second world title. Detroit is where the title is at, it’s not going anywhere. I will be ready to give my supporters all around the world a great performance, in victory.”

For Charlo this is a long-awaited title shot. He and his brother, Jermell, are both top prospects in the 154-pound division.

“This is my time, I’ve never been more ready for a fight,” said Charlo. “I’ve dreamed about a fight like this for a long time and it’s here in front of me. I will be spectacular and I will finish Cornelius Bundrage.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $150, $85 and $45, not including applicable service charges and taxes and are on sale now. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com and www.foxwoods.com or by visiting the Foxwoods’ Box Office. To charge by phone call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

“Peter Quillin is coming off the toughest fight of his career. We are looking forward to him getting back in the ring, in anticipation of the long-awaited showdown with Daniel Jacobs later this year,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Young, hungry Michael Zerafa is looking to upset the apple cart. With no pressure and nothing to lose, he will try to throw a wrench into Kid Chocolate’s lofty plans. Young Jermall Charlo looks to put his name on the 154-pound map by taking a world title from veteran champion and puncher Cornelius ‘K9’ Bundrage. We are thrilled to bring this PBC event to DiBella Entertainment’s New England home, Foxwoods.”

“For 23 years, Foxwoods has been the East Coast capital for the best in entertainment and sports, especially boxing, where we have been privileged to host hundreds of fights featuring the best fighters in the world,” said Felix Rappaport, President and CEO Foxwoods Resort Casino. “On September 12, continuing in that rich tradition, The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and Foxwoods will be honored to work with the best in the business, Lou DiBella and Premier Boxing Champions series, as they present a nationally televised afternoon of championship boxing live coast-to-coast on NBC.”

Quillin returns to action on September 12 fresh off of a hard-fought draw against middleweight world champion Andy Lee looking to keep his undefeated record intact. He won a middleweight belt in 2012 with his star-making, six-knockdown performance against Hassan N’Dam in the first boxing card hosted at Barclays Center. Born in Chicago but fighting out of New York City, the 31-year-old went on to defend that title against strong contenders Fernando Guerrero, Gabriel Rosado and Lukas Konecny. Now, “Kid Chocolate” looks to show off his superstar skills on network television for the second time.

After turning pro at 18-years-old, Zerafa won the first 15 starts of his career while fighting out of his native Australia. At 23-years-old Zerafa will make his U.S. debut on September 12 when he comes to Connecticut to take on Quillin. He owns wins over previously unbeaten fighters Bruno Carvalho and Luke Sharp and is coming off of a fourth round TKO over Yodmongkol Singmanasak in March.

Bundrage’s career has skyrocketed in recent years since a world title winning performance in 2010 over Cory Spinks. The Detroit-native went on defend the title against Sechew Powell and Spinks. He would lose the title in 2013 but quickly earned another shot against Carlos Molina, who he would defeat by unanimous decision to become a two-time world champion. He defends against the very hungry Charlo on September 12.

Highly regarded and undefeated,the 24-year-old Charlois primed for his first world title opportunity. He remained undefeated in 2014 with dominant victories over Hector Munoz, Norberto Gonzalez and Lenny Bottai and started 2015 by shutting out Michael Finney in March. Fighting out of Houston, Charlo will no doubt look to be impressive in his first PBC opportunity.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.dbe1.comand www.nbcsports.com/boxing,follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @KidChocolate @K9Boxing, @FutureOfBoxing, @LouDiBella, @FoxwoodsCT and @Swanson_Comm,
become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainmentand www.facebook.com/NBCSports.




PBC SERIES FIGHTERS BRING AUTHENTICITY & EXCITEMENT TO NEW YORK RED CARPET MOVIE PREMIERE OF SOUTHPAW

Danny Jacobs
NEW YORK (July 21, 2015) – Premier Boxing Champions Series (PBC) fighters Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs and Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin added red carpet excitement to last night’s New York City red carpet premiere of boxing movie Southpaw. The fighters walked the red carpet alongside the movie’s stars including Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams and 50 Cent before attending the screening.

Jacobs and Quillin posed for photos with actor Mack Wilds, “Orange is the New Black” star Selenis Leyva and fellow boxing champion Victor Ortiz, who appears in the movie. The fighters, who both call Brooklyn home, also had a chance to catch up with boxing aficionado and Brooklyn-native, actress Rosie Perez.

Jacobs (29-1, 26 KOs) will put his middleweight world title on the line August 1 when he takes on Sergio Mora live from Barclays Center in Brooklyn in the second installment of PBC on ESPN.

“I had such an amazing time at the Southpaw premiere” said Jacobs “I’m so happy I was able to take my son Nate with me to walk the red carpet, have our picture taken and enjoy a great movie about boxing.”

Quillin (31-0-1, 22 KOs) will get back in the ring September 6 as part of PBC on CBS.

“From a fighter’s perspective, I thought the movie was really well done,” said Quillin “The story made me reflect on my own boxing career, securing my financial future. It also reminded me of the importance and value of true love and having the right people around you.”

Premier Boxing Champions launched in January 2015 with a commitment to bringing great boxing back to network television. The series currently airs on NBC, NBCSN, CBS, ESPN, Spike and Bounce TV.

Please visit www.premierboxingchampions.com and follow Premier Boxing Champions on Facebook and Twitter. Click HERE for the full PBC schedule and follow #FreeBoxing4All to monitor fan conversation.




FORMER WBO CHAMPION PETER “KID CHOCOLATE” QUILLIN CONFIRMED FOR SECOND ANNUAL BOX FAN EXPO TAKING PLACE SATURDAY, SEPT. 12 IN LAS VEGAS

Peter Quillin
Las Vegas (June 22, 2015) – Former WBO world champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin has confirmed that he will appear at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the second annual Box Fan Expo that will take place Saturday Sept. 12. The Box Fan Expo will coincide with Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s last fight and Mexican Independence weekend.

Quillin is an undefeated Cuban-American Middleweight with a 31-0 record. On Oct. 20, 2012, he captured the coveted WBO 160-pound division championship. Quillin got his nicknamea from the original “Kid Chocolate,” Eligio Sardinias-Montalbo, a Cuban fighter and eventual Internationl Boxing Hall-of-Fame inductee.

Quillin will also have on hand his unique clothing collection and merchandise for his fans to purchase.

Quillin joins Ruslan “Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov, Terrible” Terry Norris, Joel “El Cepillo” Casamayor and “El Feroz” Fernando Vargas 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 to large, enthusiastic crowds. 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, Sergio Martinez, Amir Khan, Zab Judah, Mikey Garcia, James Toney, Riddick Bowe, Leon Spinks Terry Norris, Shawn Porter, Chris Byrd, Jesse James Leija, Lamon Brewster, Ray Mercer, Earnie Shavers, Mia St-John, Erislandy Lara, Peter 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 top trainer Roger Mayweather of Mayweather Promotions.

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

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

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

View Promo Flyer here: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/promo-flyer/

View Photos Gallery 2014 here: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/photos/

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

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




FOLLOW GARCIA – PETERSON; LEE-QUILLIN LIVE FROM RINGSIDE

Danny Garcia
Follow all the action live as it happens from Barclays Center as world champions Danny Garcia and Lamont Peterson square off in a welterweight contest. The action begins with a middlweight fight between WBO champion Andy Lee and Peter Quillin. The action begins at 8:30 PM ET / 5:30 PT.

12 ROUNDS–WELTERWEIGHTS–DANNY GARCIA (29-0, 17 KO’S) VS LAMONT PETERSON (33-2-1, 17 KO’S)

Round 1 Good straight from Garcia..right..counter right..10-9 Garcia

Round 2 Garcia lands a combination..left..20-18 Garcia..

Round 3 Garcia forcing action..30-27 Garcia

Round 4 Garcia lands a right…40-36 Garcia.

Round 5 Garcia lands a right..Good right..Peterson gets in a right..50-45 Garcia

Round 6 Garcia lands a left to the body..3 punch combo..straight right..Counter left from Peterson..60-54 Garcia

Round 7 Garcia lands a right to the body…2 more hard shots…Peterson lands a combination on the inside..70-63 Garcia

Round 8 Good right from Garcia..Hard body shots from Peterson..hard right…79-73 Garcia

Round 9 Garcia lands a right..Good right from Peterson..4 punch combo from Garcia..Big right..Good right from Peterson and another…Hard right from garcia at the bell….89-82 Garcia

Round 10 Peterson sneaks in a right hand..left hook..98-92 Garcia

Round 11 Garcia lands a right to the body and head..jab from peterson..wicked right..2 hard rights..107-102 Garcia

Round 12 Big right from Peterson..big left…great action down the stretch…116-112 Garcia

114-114…..115-113 twice Garcia

12 ROUNDS MIDDLEWEIGHTS–ANDY LEE (34-2, 24 KO’S) VS PETER QUILLIN (31-0, 22 KO’S)

ROUND 1 Counter right from Lee…Qullin landed a right..HUGE RIGHT AND DOWN GOES LEE…Big Left hook…10-8 Quillin

Round 2 Qullin lands a right..great exchange…20-17 Quillin

Round 3 They are trading hard shots..Quillin lands a big right…BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES LEE..Straight left from Lee. Lee bleeding from the left eye..Left from Lee…30-25 Quillin

Round 4 Lee lands a jab..39-35 Quillin

Round 5 Hard left hook by Quilin sets off a furious exchange..49-44 Quillin

Round 6 Lee lands a coundter right hook…58-54 Quillin

Round 7 Sneaky left from Lee..Left from Quillin..BIG RIGHT HOOK AND DOWN GOES QUILLIN..66-64 Quillin

Round 8 Quillin lands a hard right..76-73 Quillin

Round 9 Left from Quillin..Right hook from Lee..straight left..Jab from Quillin..85-83 Quillin

Round 10 2 hard rights from Quillin..Straight left from Lee..Straight left..left from Quillin..95-92 Quillin

Round 11 Right from Quillin..105-101 Quillin

Round 12 Quillin lands a right..straight left from Lee…Solid right from Quillin..115-110 Quillin

113-112 Quillin…..113-112 Lee…113-113 A SPLIT DRAW




Garcia wins majority decision over Lamont Peterson

Danny and Angel Garcia
BROOKLYN–In a battle of 140-pound titleholders, Danny Garcia got off to an early lead and had to grind out a 12-round majority decision over Lamont Peterson in an over the weight-limit bout at Barclays Center.

Garcia came forward and landed a few good right hands in each round. That was a feat in itself as Peterson continually circled around the rings in an attempt to stay out of harms way.

After not doing much of anything over the first seven rounds, Peterson started to sit in the pocket and land some solid shots in round eight. The evidence of his work was shown on Garcia’s face as some swelling started to form around his right eye. Garcia came back to have solid round’s in ten and eleven. Garcia had to hold on over the leat four minutes as a desperate Peterson came forward and landed some hard combinations on a reeling Garcia. One could only think if Peterson would have started a round or two earlier, he may have been able to squeak out the fight for himself as the scores read 115-113 twice for Garcia and 114-114.

Garcia, 142.2 lbs of Philadelphia, PA is now 30-0. Peterson, 143 lbs of Washington, DC is 33-3-1.

Peter Quillin scored two knockdowns and had to get off the deck himself yet had to settle for a 12-round split draw with WBO Middleweight champion Andy Lee

In round one, Qullin landed a perfect right hand that sent lee to the canvas. He finished up the round by landing a flush left hook. In round three, they came out throwing hard shots then Qullin landed a hard right while stepping on Lee’s foot that sent the Irishman down for a 2nd knockdown. Lee started to bleed from his left eye in the round.

In round seven, Lee landed his big right hook that sent Quillin to the deck.

Down the stretch both guys tried to land big shots and were successful in spots.

Each guy won a scorecard by 113-112 and a 3rd card read even at 113-113. Quillin, 160.6 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 32-0-1. Lee, 159.6 lbs of Limerick, IRE is now 34-2-1.

Quillin could not win the title as he came over the 160 pound limit at Friday’s weigh in.

Errol Spence Jr. remained perfect by scoring a 4th round stoppage over Samuel Vargas in a scheduled 10-round Welterweight bout.

Spence dropped Vargas with a right hook in round two. Spence continued to pound away at Vargas until the bout was stopped at 1:45 of round four.

Spence, 146 1/2 lbs of Dallas, TX is now 16-0 with 13 knockouts. Vargas, 146 lbs of Toronto, CA is now 20-2-1.

Marcus Browne stopped Aaron Pryor after round six of their scheduled 10-round Light Heavyweight bout

In round three, Pryor began to bleed from the nose. Phryor continued to punish Pryor and outlanded 76-18.

Browne of Staten Island, NY is now 14-0 with 11 knockouts. Pryor of Cincinnati, OH is now 19-8-1.

Number-one ranked contender Viktor Postol remained perfect by scoring a 8-round unanimous decision over Jake Giuriceo in a Welterweight bout.

Postol, 143.8 lbs of Kiev, UKR won by scores of 80-72 twice and 79-73 and is now 27-0. Giuriceo, 142.8 lbs of Youngstown, OH is now 17-3-1.

Prichard Colon remained undefeated by stopping Daniel Calzada at 1:38 of round nine of their scheduled 10-round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Colon was getting the better of the action throughout the bout when the fight was stopped.

Colon, 148 lbs of Orocovis, PR is now 14-0 with 11 knockouts. Clazada, 148 lbs of Denver, CO is now 11-14-2.

Former world champion Luis Collazo returned to score a 2nd round stoppage over Chris Degollado in a scheduled 8-round Welterweight bout.

Collazo floored Degollado in round three with a perfect right hook and then finessed it off with a flurry at 1:46 of round three.

Collazo, 147.8 lbs of Brooklyn is now 36-6 with 19 knockouts. Degollado, 149 lbs of Monterrey, MX is now 10-5.

Heather Hardy and Renata Domsodi had their scheduled 8-round Jr. Featherweight bout cut shor when Domsodi suffered a cut due to an accidental headbutt at 1:57 of round three.

Hardy, 122 lbs of Brooklyn is 12-0 with 1 no-contest. Domsodi, 120.6 lbs of Budapest, HUN is 11-6, 1 No-contest.

Ryan Burnett remained undefeated by scoring a 1st round stoppage over Stephon Mcintyre in a scheduled six-round Jr. Featherweight bout.

In round one Burnett dropped Mcintyre from a body shot for the 10 count at 2:59 of round one.

Burnett, 118.8 lbs of Belfast, Northern Ireland is now 8-0 with 7 knockouts. Mcintyre, 121.8 lbs of Atlanta, GA is now 2-8-2.

Spence dropped Vargas in round two from a straight left.




PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON NBC FIGHTERS DANNY GARCIA, LAMONT PETERSON, ANDY LEE & PETER QUILLIN MEET WITH JUDGES AND THE HOST OF FOOD NETWORK’S “CHOPPED”

Danny Garcia
NEW YORK (April 8, 2015) – Premier Boxing Champions on NBC main event fighters Danny “Swift” Garcia, Lamont Peterson, “Irish” Andy Lee and Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin met with “Chopped” judges Chris Santos, Scott Conant and “Chopped” host Ted Allen today at Santos’ trendy New York City restaurant Beauty & Essex, in advance of their bouts this Saturday, April 11 at Barclays Center.

Click HERE for photos from today’s event.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $300, $200, $150, $100, $80 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes, and are on sale now. Tickets are available at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com and at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

# # #

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com www.nbcsports.com/boxing,
www.BarclaysCenter.com and www.dbe1.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @LouDiBella, @DannySwift, @KingPete26, @KidChocolate, @AndyLeeBoxing, @RealLuisCollazo, @NBCSports and @BarclaysCenter and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions,www.facebook.com/NBCSports and
www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment. Follow the conversation using #PremierBoxingChampions and #BKBoxing.




BOB COSTAS, AL MICHAELS & MARV ALBERT TO WORK TOGETHER FOR FIRST TIME EVER ON APRIL 11 “PBC ON NBC” PRIMETIME SHOW LIVE FROM BROOKLYN

STAMFORD, Conn. – March 31, 2015 – One of America’s iconic big-event broadcast voices, Bob Costas, will serve as a special contributor for NBC’s Saturday, April 11 primetime telecast of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC, it was announced today.

Costas, host Al Michaels, and blow-by-blow announcer Marv Albert will work together on a broadcast for the first time ever on the PBC on NBC show Saturday, April 11 live at 8:30 p.m. ET from Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Costas will present a feature on the long and storied history of boxing in New York.

Returning to their native New York for the telecast (Albert and Michaels are from Brooklyn, Costas from Commack, Long Island), the trio is synonymous with the biggest events in sports – combining to work 25 Super Bowls, 25 NBA Finals, 23 Olympics, 19 World Series, and numerous championship boxing events on television and radio.

“We are thrilled to have three of sports’ all-time broadcasting heavyweights – in prominence, not weight – working together on TV for the first time,” said Sam Flood, Executive Producer, NBC Sports and NBCSN. “Appropriately, these three are teammates on a primetime NBC boxing telecast.”

“While I have done many broadcasts with Al and with Marv, this is a one-time opportunity to work on the same broadcast with two of the all-time greats, plus it’s a chance for me and Al to renew our ongoing debate with Marv as to which was the greater cinematic achievement – BASEketball or The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh,” said Costas, who at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games became U.S. television’s first 10-time Olympic primetime host (Jim McKay hosted eight times for ABC).

“I never could have imagined this,” said Michaels, who in 2015 on Sunday Night Football begins his record 30th consecutive season as the play-by-play voice of the NFL’s premier primetime broadcast package. “And to have it all happen close to where we all grew up makes it that much more special. Very, very cool.”

“It is an honor to be a part of this group,” said Albert, who has been the most recognizable national voice of the NBA since 1990 in addition to his 37 years as the radio and TV voice of the New York Knicks. “I’ve always had great admiration for the work that Al and Bob have done through the years, and I’m proud to call them friends.”

Michaels, Albert, and Costas will be joined on the telecast by analyst and six-time world champion “Sugar” Ray Leonard, corner analyst B.J. Flores, and reporter Kenny Rice.

The Saturday, April 11 PBC on NBC primetime show features four boxers with a combined 127-4-1 record and 80 KOs – undefeated superstar Danny “Swift” Garcia (29-0, 17 KOs) vs. Lamont Peterson (33-2-1, 17 KOs), and middleweight champion “Irish” Andy Lee (34-2, 24 KOs) vs. Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (31-0, 22 KOs).

Following is an additional look at the legendary sports broadcasting trio working its first event together.

TALE OF THE TAPE

As play-by-play announcer or host, on television or radio, Costas, Michaels and Albert have each worked the Super Bowl, Olympics, NBA Finals and World Series on multiple occasions. Following is a breakdown

Announcer
Events worked
Bob Costas
11 Olympics, 11 NBA Finals, 7 Super Bowls, 7 World Series
Al Michaels
10 Super Bowls, 8 Olympics, 8 World Series, 2 NBA Finals
Marv Albert
12 NBA Finals, 8 Super Bowls, 4 Olympics, 4 World Series

MEMORABLE CALL

AL MICHAELS — “Do you believe in Miracles? Yes!” – 1980 Winter Olympics, U.S. Hockey team defeats Soviet Union in semifinal

MARV ALBERT – “Yes, and it counts!” – Numerous NBA telecasts

BOB COSTAS – “The New York Yankees…World Champions….Team of the Decade…most successful franchise of the century.” – Final out as Yankees sweep Braves in 1999 World Series

GREAT TRIOS

While we will resist the temptation to compare the Costas-Michaels-Albert broadcasting trio to the equally esteemed Three Tenors (José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti), following is a sampling of great sports trios that at least one of the three has covered:

LeBron James-Dwayne Wade-Chris Bosh – Led by the All-Star trio, the Miami Heat advanced to four consecutive NBA Finals, winning two (2012 and 2013).

Greg Maddux-John Smoltz-Tom Glavine – From 1993-2002, the pitching trio led the Atlanta Braves to the playoffs every season, won three National League pennants and captured the 1995 World Series title.

Troy Aikman-Emmitt Smith-Michael Irvin — Nicknamed “The Triplets,” the Hall of Fame quarterback-running back-wide receiver combination led the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowl victories in four seasons (1992-95).

Magic Johnson-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar-James Worthy – The Hall of Fame Los Angeles Lakers trio advanced to six of seven NBA Finals from 1983-89, winning three titles with each earning NBA Finals MVP honors once.

Wayne Gretzky-Mark Messier-Jari Kurri – The Hall of Fame Edmonton Oilers front line trio won four Stanley Cups in five years between 1984-88.

“Sugar” Ray Leonard-Thomas “Hitman” Hearns-“Marvelous” Marvin Hagler – Hall of Fame welterweight/middleweight trio captured 15 boxing titles in late 1970s and 1980s.

Larry Bird-Kevin McHale-Robert Parish – The Hall of Fame front court led the Boston Celtics to three NBA titles and two additional trips to the NBA Finals in the 1980s.

Pete Rose-Joe Morgan-Johnny Bench – Stalwarts of the “The Big Red Machine,” led Cincinnati Reds to three consecutive National League pennants, winning the World Series in 1975 and 1976.

Willis Reed-Walt Frazier-Dave DeBusschere – Trio led the New York Knicks to the franchise’s only two NBA titles in a four-year span (1970 and 1973).

The debut PBC on NBC telecast on Saturday, March 7 averaged 3.4 million viewers, ranking as the most-watched professional boxing broadcast in 17 years (“Oscar De La Hoya’s Fight Night” on FOX, 5.9 million, Mon., March 23, 1998). The PBC on NBC debut also led NBC to a Saturday primetime victory among Adults 18-49, with a 1.08 rating in the demographic.

NBC and NBCSN will present 20 live “PBC on NBC” boxing events in 2015. Within the 20 live shows, NBC Sports Group will present more than 50 hours of PBC coverage, including NBCSN pre- and post-fight programming for NBC telecasts. The Premier Boxing Champions series is created for television by Haymon Boxing. The PBC on NBC will feature many of today’s brightest stars, in their most compelling matches.

All PBC on NBC shows will be streamed live on NBC Sports Live Extra via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. NBC Sports Live Extra is available for desktops at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app is available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play and Windows Store.




PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON NBC APRIL 11 TELEVISED FIGHTERS CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT

Danny Garcia
Kelly Swanson
Thanks, everybody, for joining us. We’re delighted to be on the phone with you today to talk about a wonderful show happening on Saturday, April 11th. We have on the call today Danny Garcia, the Unified Super Lightweight Champ; Lamont Peterson, the Super Lightweight Champion; Andy Lee, the Middleweight Champ; Peter Quillin, former middleweight champion; Lou DiBella, president of DiBella Entertainment; and Brett Yormark, the CEO of Barclay Center. So, before we get to the fighters, I’d like to introduce Brett Yormark and he’s going to say a few words.

Brett Yormark
Thank you, Kelly. I appreciate everyone joining us today. Obviously, we’re very excited to be hosting a great event on April 11th at Barclay Center. It’s our eleventh professional boxing card in Brooklyn, and our goal from day one was to bring prime time, best-in-class fights to the borough of Brooklyn. When I look back on all the events we’ve hosted to date, I truly believe this is the best that we’ve ever hosted.

I want to thank Lou DiBella and his entire team for bringing this strong card together and for giving us an opportunity to again put the Barclay Center on a global stage. I also want to thank Al Haymon and Premier Boxing Champions for giving us an opportunity to partner with them on what I think will be an incredible night here in Brooklyn, but also a night that people will be able to watch boxing primetime live on NBC.

Obviously we’re thrilled to have Danny Garcia back in our building. The Barclay Center has truly become his home away from home, and of course I’m a big fan of Peter Quillin. Peter is a Brooklynite. He has had some of his finest moments at the Barclay Center and obviously we’re looking forward to a great night from Peter on the eleventh as well.

But most importantly, I want to thank everyone for joining today. I want to thank all the fighters, and we’re really excited about April 11th. So thank you very much.

K. Swanson
Okay, great. Thanks, Brett. Now at this time I’d like to introduce Lou DiBella, president of DiBella Entertainment, to tell you a little bit more about the show and introduce the fighters. Lou.

Lou DiBella
Thank you, Kelly. I’m thrilled to be involved in this show and I want to thank PBC for the opportunity to be the promoter and thank Brett and his team, because the Barclay Center is really incredible to work with – a tremendous venue to watch boxing. And the fans are going to get an opportunity, if they come out to the Barclay Center, to see a great night of live boxing. Ringside seats were released to the public in the last twenty-four hours, so if you call Ticketmaster or go to the Barclay Center box office, there are tickets available: $300 ringside; $200, $150, $100, and down to a $50 extremely affordable seat. And this is a night where four champions will be fighting. You know, they’re champion against champion in both TV matchups, and network television and primetime is the way I grew up on boxing. You know, that’s how I got introduced to guys like Mohammed Ali as a young, young child, and Hagler, Kearns, Leonard, Duran, Tyson. These guys all had the benefit of exposures on network television. The PBC on NBC 8:30 p.m. Eastern time on April eleventh, the second NBC primetime boxing show, we’re looking to continue the momentum right now that boxing has going forward. You know with Mayweather-Pacquiao on the horizon and the introduction of boxing to so many new platforms and networks, getting involved once again, it’s exciting times for boxing and we’re very happy to be part of it.

The first fight that we’ll be televising on NBC, the opening co-feature, will feature a young man that I’ve worked with for a number of years, Andy Lee, the pride of Limerick, Ireland, and at this point the pride of all of Ireland. Andy scored some sensational knockouts in recent years including the traumatic knockout of Matt Korobov in which he won his world belt title belt. And his first defense is about as big as it can get against a young man who I promoted a number of times early in his career, out of Brooklyn, New York, Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin. Peter was a champion himself. This is truly a match between two terrific fighters and figures to be explosive in the ring, and I’m very excited that this is the type of fight that is going to be showcased at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, but also for a national TV primetime audience on NBC at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time.

So, I’d like to start by introducing Andy Lee, one of the most respected and well-liked guys in the sport, a tremendous gentleman inside and outside of the ring, but all of a sudden has discovered this explosive punching power that he hopes to use on April 11th when he fights Peter Quillin. Andy, can you say a few words?

Andy Lee
Thank you all for joining me on the call today. I’m training extremely hard here in Beausoleil in Monaco, France and I’m looking forward to coming to New York again and defending my title and fighting Peter Quillin. So, I look forward to seeing you all on April 11th.

L.DiBella
Andy, could you say a few words about what’s going on with your trainer Adam Booth and how Adam has you working in the south of France right now, what you’re training camp’s been like?

A .Lee
Well really since my last, I was back in the gym, since January 12th I’ve been over here, haven’t really taken much time off over Christmas period and I continued working on the same things we were working on since before the Korobov fight. And I’m in good shape, I’m pushing very hard, pushing through the usual thing and we’re here in South France, a beautiful place and a great setting and a great fight club to train and I’m going to the gym every day and the sun is shining and you’re looking at the ocean and the sun rises every morning when you wake up, it’s beautiful. It’s a great motivator when you go to the gym.

L. DiBella
Kid Chocolate, I know you’re training in sunny Santa Monica. Would you like to say a few words, Pete?

Peter Quillin
Yes, I want to, first and foremost, I want to thank God and for the opportunity to be taking fresh breaths of air. I want to also thank Al Haymon who made this opportunity possible to be on nationwide network on NBC with PBC. I also want to thank Lou DiBella who’s the promoter, East Coast promoter on the East Coast card promoting such a great event. You know, me and Lou were number of years together and I’m very happy to start out my career with him and be back in the mix where he can promote another fight of mine and I’m just very thankful. I want to thank everybody, all the hard working people that’s involved with making this call possible.

I’m just very thankful. Training has been going very, very good. You know, I’m not the type of guy to take a lot of time off, period. I’m just in the gym all the time; focus and fit and ready to go. California is nothing different besides me being here all the time and training; being away from my family, my friend who is now almost seven months old. And you know it’s been motivating to see me being a father now and I also became a link of my family now that my uncle passed away of cancer, so I have a lot of motivation within this fight.

L. DiBella
Thank you, Peter. We’re going to open it up for questions. We have two highly-motivated fighters, two guys at the top of their game in what figures to be an incredibly competitive and explosive matchup and I think this is what boxing is all about. And the questions are open to you guys.

Q
First question is for Andy Lee. Andy, I’d like your scouting report on Peter Quillin. What do you think his strengths and weaknesses are and how do you think you’re going to beat him?

A. Lee
Peter’s a very good boxer, undefeated and so that brings its own confidence with it. And he’s a good athlete, a good puncher and a good boxer; he’s a good all-around fighter. And what I won’t say anything about his weaknesses, hopefully I will expose those on the fight but I have a lot of respect for him, he’s a good fighter, and we’ve always been respectful towards each other outside of the ring as well. So, I think it’s going to be, what you have is you have two big middleweights, big for their weight, and two genuine punches, and also two very good boxers. So we match up pretty well as far as our physique and everything. I think it will come down to whoever implements their plan better on the night. And yeah, we have a plan and we’re working on it and hopefully do it on the eleventh.

Q
Question: did you break training at all to have a little celebration for St. Patrick’s Day or did you stay at home and not miss curfew?

A. Lee
Unfortunately, no, there was no celebration this year, but I always seem to be fighting around the St. Patrick’s Day time so I never really get to celebrate it, but there’s plenty of time for that when I retire in the future. No, there was no, I didn’t even realize it was St. Patrick’s Day until twelve p.m. on the day, and I caught myself and I reminded myself it was St. Patrick’s Day.

Q
Peter, how you doing? I’m checking to see what you think Andy Lee’s strengths and weaknesses are as a boxer.

P. Quillin
I think very high of Andy and I think his only weakness is those two losses that he had, which could be a great thing for him because you know I had never lost and never taken defeat, but I feel like everybody has taken a defeat has to learn something positive about their self. And, you know, as you can see in his previous fights that Andy is reinventing himself and I think those losses helped him catapult to being the champion now. So, I think all around this is a great fight for people to see because you have a guy who is very determined to win as me as a challenger now and you have the champion that’s dedicated enough to say that he wants to secure his championship and give a good a victory with that [indiscernible].

Q
What’s your prediction for the fight, Peter?

P. Quillin
The winner, the best man will raise their hand, and that could be either me or Andy. I’m not going to boast and brag about how powerful – I am an animal, you already know that, and I don’t go in no fight thinking I’m a loser, but it’s just really about the fans with this fight and giving them what they need. A good fight is worth anybody losing.

Q
Andy, do you have any disappointment that you’re not fighting a world championship fight in Ireland?

A. Lee
Not really. Hopefully if this fight goes well, after this fight that could happen, but obviously this opportunity came up to fight Peter and it was for, obviously for financial reasons it was a very good decision to make, but also for a boxing standpoint, my career on the whole, to fight Peter Quillin, the undefeated former champion, beating him will catapult me you know, into this, make me one of the stars of boxing. Like I could have fought in Ireland and fought somebody comfortably, picked an opponent and it would have been a big deal in Ireland and that’s a great thing to be, but if I fight and beat, if I beat Peter on April 11th, I’ll be a global star in boxing and people will have to start to really acknowledge what I’ve been doing, especially for the last year or so. So that was one of the reasons why I took the fight. Of course it’s a great, great opportunity to fight an American fighter on national TV, but beating Peter Quillin takes me to the next level and puts me on the top level of boxing.

Q
So I’m trying to gauge here, was it a hard decision or was it a relatively easy decision to make, the fight here?

A. Lee
It was, it was a relatively easy decision. If I would have fought in Ireland, there would have been a lot of, you know, promote, and it would have been a good thing and it still will be, there will be time for that in the future, but this is a great opportunity and you don’t know how long your career is going to be and how long it’s going to last and while it was there, I took it. I don’t have any regrets.

Q
Andy, do you always have just the utmost confidence that no matter how things are going, you could be down, eleven rounds to zero, possibly, that that right hook could rescue you if you landed it the right way?

A. Lee
Not to say anything like to brag or anything but at no time did I ever think I was going to lose either fight and I knew that at some stage we’d have to trade. And with a power like Harry, I know that at some point anybody, with anybody, we’re going to have to trade a 12 round fight and you can’t you know, there’s going to be an exchange at some stage. And I just know if I land at the right time with my power, I can knock anybody out and that does give you great confidence.

But in saying that, I’ve always considered myself a technical boxer and that’s always what I’ve been proud of and proud of myself I’m being. So, people may have got the wrong impression of me, especially in the last two fights, as [indiscernible] fighter who comes from behind, but I’m very much a boxer and that’s what I pride myself on being.

Q
Peter I’m wondering are you at all disappointed it’s been such a long layoff since your last fight?

P. Quillin
No, I mean, that comes with the territory of being a boxer that you could have things mapped out and planned out in your head, but that don’t necessarily happen, you know. When I’ve seen my fight, my uncle on his deathbed with cancer, I’ve seen what a fight really looked like. That was a real fight. That was a fight that he had no control over, preparing for, nothing. He laid in the bed in his own head thinking about having cancer. And I’ve seen him fight through that until he had no more left in the tank to fight with.

So, what that taught me is no matter how long you’re taken out of the fight, the fight is all in your head, so you know it’s about you controlling the fight in your head. And I’m able to go out there and prepare for the best fight. There’s no cancer here, so I just have to just make sure that I do what’s worth while I’m here on Earth and just do my best and that’s all, that’s all I’m worth.

Q
Peter, what was your uncle’s name and when did he pass?

P. Quillin
His name is Eric Munson. He died almost five weeks ago. I don’t know the exact date, but I do know I couldn’t attend his funeral because I was here in camp. So, you know, it’s a really hard thing for me not to be part of, but everything comes with some type of sacrifice in life and I knew when I had met, when I’d seen him the week before I came to camp, I went to go see him with my son because I thought it was very important for my son to be able to see him and he’d seen my son, and the week after he died and passed away and I was already in camp. My family just, I told them how much I would just like come there and they were like, “Well, he would have wanted you to stay in camp and get ready for you fight.” And he told me he was proud of me and now I just when you endure all the things that I had to endure before the camp to just be motivated for this fight.

Q
Do you come into this feeling as though you are still the champion and you’re fighting a good challenger like Andy Lee or do you feel like you come into the fight and you’re there to basically take back what you believe is yours in the first place?

P. Quillin
No, I’m actually going to let Andy Lee have that pressure on him to be able to perform like the champion. I’ve done that three, four times with having the belt. Now that’s up to him to do the same thing and have that pressure. I had that pressure. Now I have pressure being the challenger and I’ve been here before, so I’m going to do nothing no different besides what I’ve learned as being a champion to go in here as a more polished challenger and going in there and try to be a two-time champion.

Q
Do you have any regrets about giving up the belt under the circumstances under which you gave it up?

P. Quillin
I never have regrets in life. If you have regrets in life, then you kind of punish yourself and I never have regrets in life. I think the decision I made was vacating my belt for my family; you know, my uncle passing away with cancer and being there with him and being the endless hours of talking and being there with him and being there with my family and my son, you can never get that time back, and I think in that moment I became bigger than the belt. And I think that right now, with me having the opportunity again to fight for the same belt and come back in there and make more money than what people can expect I can make, it let me know that my name is whole weight in this game and I am just going to continue to do what I usually do and that is be Kid Chocolate.

Q
Peter, you just talked about making the big money. How big a deal is it to be able to get your belt back and be able to go get the big names in the division?

P. Quillin
Well, let me just say, first and foremost, that’s why people thank Al Haymon so much because he’s able to know what we’re worth as fighters. Fighters are mistreated, misused, and abused all the time. And I think that I’m one of the few that really, really appreciate what Al Haymon has done for fighters, because I not only can live really good but I also can do the right things with my money to make sure that I can retire with money in the bank and do the things that athletes are supposed to do with their money when they’re making big money. So I want to say, first and foremost, I am very thankful for that.

And I’m also thankful for I then came to the full circle myself being a man and being a father and being inspired to know that, you what I’m saying, when you’re making this kind of big money that you got to just be thankful. So I’m thankful to fight for the belt for the second time. I’m thankful to make the money I’ve been making, but we work so hard for money but money burns so easy, so you got to really know what your value is. And sometime my value goes beyond what the money can give me.

Q
You had, a difficult year sitting out and everything, my condolences to you about your uncle, how much emotion will it be to have your hand raised?

P. Quillin
I think all together I let that emotion out already when I became the champion the first time when I beat Hassan, where it was like my faith paid off for me. I had so many people tell me I couldn’t do it or I’d seen so many people that was ahead of me looking like they was going to be champion before me, and I’d been putting all the hours and effort into boxing. And when my time paid off, it was for me to cry and understand it was worth all that time. So this time it just, it’s part of the story, I vacated the belt and now we got a guy which people thought Korobov, who was a helluva challenger but then now we got even a better challenger in Andy, a better fight now because he proved to everybody he beat Korobov and now it’s like me fighting, now it’s like I get the better half of the belt. And it’s like a fight worth for the fans to see.

So, altogether, man, the politics of boxing I don’t get too much in tune with that. I just worry about what’s in front of me and Andy Lee’s in front of me right now and he’s looking to come in there and try to beat me and catapult himself to superstardom and that thing can happen if I allow it to. And myself, I have to tell myself why these things cannot happen.

Q
How much are you trying to make it a boxing fight, you’re known for being the better technical fighter, and not getting into a slugfest?

P. Quillin
Well, altogether, I think of me and Andy Lee stepping in the ring and we have a chemistry together. That’s what makes a good fight is like the chemistry is what we have, like the game plans that we work in camp and whatever he’s working on, when we get in the ring we just now competing with that game plan and we’re trying to figure each other out, that’s going to make a good fight and that’s going to make the chemistry of the fight. So, I could say all the things, I could say I could knock Andy out and I could say all these things that I don’t even know. All I can know is Peter “Kid Chocolate” is willing to get in there with Andy and try my best, keep continue behind the game plan we working on in camp right now. And if that works then you all are going to see an explosive fight with two guys that definitely got powers. Andy Lee got twenty-four knockouts and I have twenty-two and this is I fight that, like I said, you really can say all the things you want to say about it, but you really won’t know until you see April 11.

Q
Peter, what does it say about Andy to you, though, that you’re fighting a guy who, in a sense you’re fighting a guy who that you’re fighting a guy who has shown that he really doesn’t know how to lose despite the fact that he has two losses on his record?

P. Quillin
Well I look at it like this. You know, when the guy has losses on the record, he has proven to himself not to lose again. That can either put a person back into that mind state where they lost and give up easy or you can fight through that and say, no, this is why I’ve been here before and I cannot do this again, and fight for himself and tell himself why he wants to be a winner, but like I don’t have the pressure of that. All I have the pressure is just saying, I just got to do what I’ve continually been doing for thirty-one fights and that’s finding a guy, figure a guy out right then in that ring and regardless what he’s coming in there to try to do, I try to make it look like nothing and continue to be the explosive, pure boxer that I can be. And like I said, man, you know, we working on these things endless and repetition is everything when we’re in camp. We’re working on these things over and over again just to make sure that I have the best chance to be a two-time champion of the world.

Q
What does it mean to you that, to have that opportunity to become a two-time champ, once again fighting for a title in Brooklyn where you won your first title?

P. Quillin
Well, I’m not too big on just like having my story and my legacy all made up in my head and what we want for ourselves. I just look at it as you know for me, like being a spiritual man, just looking at it as an opportunity from God to have a great story that I can inspire the kids, inspire elderly people, I can inspire other boxers, I can inspire in them that they can do great things within themselves if they truly believe. So, I think that is the majority of what I get out of it is that I am able to inspire so many people by what I do and you never, I would have never thought that it could ever be this great.

Q
Peter, I know three years ago you wanted this fight, I believe Lou actually was putting on the shows with Sergio Martinez in Madison Square Garden and they were looking for opponents, Andy Lee. You were campaigning for that fight. How grateful are you that the fight didn’t happen then and you’ve got an even bigger fight now?

P. Quillin
You know, HBO, the fight couldn’t be made at that time and for whatever reason, man, what I learned is about this sport, man, there’s so many people talking about you ducking and jabbing this person and all of that sometimes when we give up all our lives to do something and we can think so animalistic like I got to go in there and fight this guy to prove that these people is not really about that. It’s really a business where people actually feed their families and pay their bills. So, you got to have, make sure you working with the best people.

I think Lou is definitely a great person to be working with because he is a really business minded person. If you ever witness him, he’s always on the phone talking boxing, always talking business. You know, I can never say that the fight never happened then because it wasn’t meant to happen at that time, but it’s meant to happen now and that is why the fight is April 11th.

Q
Andy, if you want to answer the same question?

A. Lee
I remember when the fight was proposed at the time and Manuel turned the fight down because he felt and I felt that I should have been fighting Sergio Martinez,and he put me in a fight with Peter Quillin, which in our eyes was the harder fight than fighting Sergio. And at the time Quillin was an up-and-coming guy like me, so he wanted me to have the hard fight on the undercard and Matt and Sergio had the glamor fight. So, for those reasons we turned it down. And like I said, it wasn’t because I didn’t want to fight Peter. This fight being made here proves there’s no fear in that the fight and the fight was made pretty easy I guess between Lou and Al Haymon.

Q
Andy, when we spoke a few weeks ago you mentioned the names of your sparring partners you were working with that were coming from England. When I looked them up, at least two of them, one’s a cruiserweight and the other’s a lightweight. What does that tell us about your preparations or how you expect to fight? I mean, are you going for power again?

A. Lee
Well, the tall guys and right-handed guys, they’re somewhat similar in size to Peter, and that’s what you look to replicate in your sparring partners. You look for them to have a similar size. And they’re physically strong guys. Like I said, they’re similar to Peter, so that was why I got those right in.

Q
Peter, you’re fighting a big powerful southpaw with knuckle power and you mentioned the two fights that Andy has lost, but the two fights he lost, he was actually ahead on points. Is that going to be an influence on your preparations? How do you expect to fight him? Are you going to try to knock him out or are you going to try to out point him, because obviously he is a very technical fighter.

P. Quillin
I want to ask you, if you were a chemist and you was putting a formula together and the formula you say you were going to put together, if you miss a measurement by one bit and you don’t actually have the chemistry with that, is something going to bad happen. I can say what I’m going to do now but it’s actually when you get in the ring, you learn what you can actually do.

I’ve never been that type of fighter who I can say, I’m going to go in and I’m going to throw a million jabs at Andy and see what he does then. I’m not that kind of fighter. I say the chemistry of me and Andy Lee will make the great fight that we’re going to put on. It’s not about the losses he took. I’m totally different than every other fighter he’s ever faced, and I’m pretty sure the same for Andy. He’s not like no other guy like I ever faced.

If you start comparing guys to guys you done fought, then you already, to me, lost the fight. I look at Andy Lee, and I respect him enough to say he was able to do a lot of things a lot of guys couldn’t do even with two losses, and that’s become a champion of the world. So, I give him that much respect to say that he’s able to go out there and be a champion and put on a show, but Kid Chocolate has done that over and over again. I’ve been the champion already. I vacated the belt.

Anytime I do something like that, it becomes big news. So it’s like I’m going here and fight Andy Lee, and it is going to be another part of my story or it is going to be a part of his story, and we’re going to create this together with the chemistry. So for you to see how I’m going to fight, you’ve got to tune in April 11th. You know what I’m saying? I think that’s all I can really say about that.

Q
Peter. Are you still throwing those Hershey’s Kisses before a fight when you enter the ring?

P. Quillin
I’m actually going to be throwing a chocolate sponsored by a chocolate company right there in Barclays Center. If you all tune in and you all wait to see, then you all get to see what kind of chocolate that is. I’m very thankful to be able to have people who reach out and support me for all the great reasons why I fight. You all just need to stay tuned, and if you’re there in attendance, I hope you catch one of those chocolates because it’s coming straight from the heart.

K. Swanson
Pete, before we go, could you please announce and spell your uncle’s name one more time for the media?

P. Quillin
Yes. My uncle’s name is Eric Munson. That’s ERIC, last name Munson, MUNSON. My uncle was my father figure when my dad went to prison. He was the most important person to me in my whole life, and I’m inspired to be a great man like he was. I can never tell you all how I felt about that whole losing my uncle because this is the first time I ever lost somebody so close to me that I’m really compassionate to anybody who has a family member that’s struggling with cancer.

I want to tell those people is that no matter how much that person is fighting with cancer, you fight with those people until they don’t have no more to fight with and continue to do that because that’s the way, inspire each other to keep on living and do the right thing while we’re here on earth and we have a breath.

K. Swanson
Okay, great. I’m going to reintroduce Lou DiBella and to say good-bye to Andy and to Pete. Thank you so much. We appreciate your time and then, Lou, turn it over to the main please.

L. DiBella
Thank you, Andy. Thank you, Peter.

I think the key for this event on April 11th and for this fight, and frankly, for both fights is that the outcome of these fights are in doubt. I believe in my champion Andy Lee, but I also know that Peter Quillin is a great champion himself, an undefeated fighter. These are two of the best middleweights in the world and two of the best fighters in the world and they both have power, both explosive and the real winners are going to be the fans that come to Barclays Center or tune into PBC on NBC.

On that note, the same thing is true of the other main event, the fight that’s going to close out the NBC show between undisputed Danny Garcia, a champion, and Lamont Peterson a champion. These guys are two of the best fighters fighting between 140 and 147 pound weight classes. They’re going to be in there in a long-anticipated fight. Both of them are putting everything on the line, and it figures to be a tremendous fight in the ring. People are debating about who’s going to win this one, and that’s what you expect from a great fight, that people are going to debate about who’s going to win the fight. I think that’s why this April 11th show at Barclays Center on PBC is so exciting for fans.

So I’d like to start by introducing undefeated champion, Danny Garcia.

Danny Garcia
Alright, cool. I want to thank you guys for having me on. I’m very excited for April 11th. I’m training real hard and come April 11th; I’m going to give the fans another tremendous fight, and I can’t wait.

L. DiBella
Thank you, Danny, and it’s a pleasure for me to be able to be involved in this fight between two terrific fighters like you and Lamont. Mr. Peterson, you want to say a few words? I know you have your own thoughts about this fight.

Lamont Peterson
How everybody doing? I’m just excited, man. I’m just ready to go. I’m excited about the fight, and I’m hoping who comes out and they watch it on TV, enjoys the fight.

Q
Do both of you guys see this as a chance in your own way for redemption? You’ve both taken a bit of heat from the public, fairly or not, for various things in the past, but now you’re finally fighting each other and, honestly, it’s a terrific match up. Do you both see this as a shot for redemption, if not personally, then in the eyes of the public?

D. Garcia
I don’t see this as redemption. This is a great match up. I’ve faced a lot of great fighters in my career and every fight that I’ve fought in my career was for a reason. Like you said, the media has been tough, but, hey, this is boxing. It is what it is. And come April 11th, you’re going to see Danny Garcia at his best. He’s going to be prepared and the fight’s going to be what it is.

L. Peterson
For me there’s no redemption either. No redemption for me. What’s in the past is in the past. At the end of the day, as you all keep saying, it’s a great match up, it’s a great fight, that’s why I wanted to make the fight happen.

Q
Danny, when you try to envision how this fight goes, I’ve seen you in fights where you come out and you’re able to blast guys out of there and you’re a big puncher, other fights where you’ve boxed against your opponents. Lamont is known as a boxer. In your mind, are you going to be the guy that makes this fight in terms of going and being aggressive to him?

D. Garcia
Every fight is a different fight. Like you said, sometimes I go out there, chase them down and sometimes I have to make adjustments and box my opponent like I boxed Matthysse. Every fight is different, and I prepare myself in the gym for the worst. If we got to sit there and bang it out for twelve rounds, then you got to bang it out. But if I’ve got to chase him down, then I’ve got to chase him down. I just got to make adjustments like a true champion does, and April 11th, I can’t wait.

Q
Although it’s an excellent match-up, there’s nobody disputing that, it’s not for the World Championship in the weight class, 140 pounds. My understanding is that you and your team decided that it was best for you to fight a few pounds heavier than 140. Can you tell me your side of that and why this is at 143 as opposed to being for, whether for the 140 pound recognized championship of the world?

D. Garcia
In order for the fight to be done in the time we had for it to be done, that’s the weight we had to fight at. At the end of the day, I feel like this is still a fight that the fans want to see. This is still a big fight no matter with the belts or without the belts. So I think the fans are going to, I think if the media just lets it go already and just accept the fight that it’s going to be a big fight without the belts. Come April 11th, I guarantee the media and the fans won’t even be talking about that anymore because the fight will be so good.

Q
Are you having trouble though making 140? Was that basically the reason to do it three pounds heavier?

D. Garcia
I’ve been at 140 since I was an amateur, since 2006, and I’ve put a lot of strain on my body making the weight. So it was best for me to fight at this weight. I mean, on my last fight I fought at the 143 catch weight and I’m not saying that I can’t make 140 again, but with the time off since August, I just don’t want to cheat the fans, I want to give them my best. And like I said, in order for the fight to be made, this is the weight I had to be at.

Q
If that’s the case and you are going to be on your way to welterweight sooner than later, did you contemplate or think about doing something that lots of fighters have done, vacate the titles officially, let somebody else fight for them and then decide you’re going up in weight or was vacating part of your plan?

D. Garcia
No. You know, right now I have to just stay focused on April 11th. I’m not really worried about what’s going to happen next. Either I’m going to defend them in the summer time or like you said, vacate them. Right now, it’s Lamont Peterson at 143 pounds April 11th, and all I can say is it’s going to be a great fight, a tremendous fight.

Q
You guys are two of the best, if not the top two guys in your 140-pound weight class. He does have the win against Lucas Matthysse. You got knocked out by Lucas Matthysse. Do you think there’s any correlation of what might happen in the fight with you and Danny based on the way you’ve both competed against a common opponent not too long ago?

L. Peterson
At the end of the day, you should know, it makes no difference. You can match it up many different ways, different fighters, it never makes any sense. If that was the case then-There’s many situations and incidents throughout boxing history tell you that that makes no difference. A boxer, you get hit good, you could get hurt and you could get knocked out. That’s just part of the game and something that I have to accept and just move on. I have, and I’m just focused on Danny Garcia.

Q
My understanding is that, Lamont, you would have been perfectly fine fighting at 140, no problem, but this is not at that weight class. What’s your perspective on that? Are you cool with that, or would you rather have been just in a fight where the belts are at stake?

L. Peterson
I’m cool with it. At the end of the day, you really don’t, too many titles, too many this, that, too much, at the end of the day you have two young top fighters that’s willing to fight each other. A lot of times I know the fans want it their way, the way they want it to be, but sometimes you just have to just chalk it up and just look at it, it’s a good match-up. We know what this fight means and I just hope that they can push that aside and enjoy the fight and not worry about it. To me, they’re not overweight; could have been 147 pounds, 45, any, it could have been 38.

Q
Do you have aspirations in the future to fight at 147?

L. Peterson
Yes, I do. Making 140, I always make it and I’m comfortable with making it, but I always think about when I’m passing the 140 pound scale and I’m going down into the 45’s and 44’s and just thinking about how strong I feel at 147 pounds, not to think about, man if I move up I’ll be much stronger, I’ll be much faster. Things like that. I look forward to it in the future, but right now I’m still fighting at 140 pounds.

Q
Do you see yourself as being on a short list with opponents for Mayweather and Pacquiao in the future and does this affect you as far as the pressure is concerned in this fight?

L. Peterson
I’m not worried about fighting Floyd Mayweather at all. That’s a long shot from here. He maybe has one more fight after this, so I won’t hold my breath on that. Not worried about it. Never think about it. Just continue with my career and right now focus on April 11th.

D. Garcia
I’m not worried about the fight, either. I’m focused on the task ahead. Maybe in the future, but as of right now, at the end of the day it’s always a fighter’s dream to fight Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather. Everybody wants to fight the best fight. So maybe in the future, of course, but right now, I’m focused on April 11th.

Q
Danny, what was your first thought when you were offered to fight Lamont, who also has a great track record as a professional?

D. Garcia
It’s a fight, the fans want it. When it was offered to me, I said, yeah, why not. Did you backtrack in my career? I never ever turned an opponent down. I never turn anybody down. The first person to always say, “Hey, Dan, you want to fight?” Danny fights them. Other than that the fans wanted it, the media wanted it, so it’s a great fight.

Q
Lamont, also to you, what was your first thought when you were offered to fight Danny?

L. Peterson
It was a good feeling to get the chance to fight Danny Garcia. He’s considered to be the best guy at the weight class. I just want my shot at that crown; belt or no belt. But, at the end of the day, fans wanted to see the fight. A lot of times, I never turn fights down. You never really see me call fighters out. I just leave it in the hands of the fans, the media. And normally when they say they want me to fight someone, my manager and my team ask me who I want to fight, I pretty much pick on who the fans and the media want.

Q
Also, Danny, what do you see in the positives of Lamont that you have to be really careful of in the ring?

D. Garcia
Yeah. I just have to go in there as a champion, as a fighter, and I just got to go in there and make adjustments. Be smart, and I know when Danny Garcia is 110% ready that nobody can beat him. I’m training hard. I’m doing what I’ve got to do. I’m not leaving anything in the gym. I’m ready. Come April 11th, I’ve got to go in there and make adjustments.

Q
Lamont, just one last question. What do you see in Danny that you have to be really cautious of come fight time?

L. Peterson
This is boxing. I’m really not worried about anything. That’s just my personality; that’s just me. At the end of the day, Danny’s a champion, he’s a top fighter. We’ll go in there and we’ll fight. No worries. No pressure. I’m just a person who loves to fight, and I’m happy to be fighting Danny Garcia. So, a lot of times, you won’t see no fear or anything, you’ll see me smiling and happy to even be in the ring fighting.

Q
Is there anything you didn’t know about each other that you might have learned when you both fought on the same card last August?

D. Garcia
I wasn’t paying attention because I was warming up, and I was getting my hands wrapped and things like that. But, it’s a fight and at the end of the day I’ve got to be prepared for whatever and I’ve got to go in there and make adjustments, be smart, name my big punches and get the win.

L. Peterson
After I fought, of course, you know, drug testing, so I was in the back in the dressing room taking care of that business and, of course, the fight didn’t last that long. So by the time I was done with that, the fight was over, so there wasn’t much to learn.

Q
What were your thoughts on the first PBC on NBC show on March 7th and how surreal was it for you to watch that knowing that you guys were up next?

D. Garcia
Oh man, it was amazing. Just the whole set up, the whole production. Everything was amazing. The way the fighters walked out. The backdrop. It was just great, it was great for boxing. I’m just happy to be a part of it. I’m happy that I get to showcase my skills on NBC to the new fans out there who are going to be watching for the first time. The many of the fans are going to be watching for the first time. I just have to go in there and look good and win over these millions of fans.

L. Peterson
For me, I’m happy for every fighter that’s going to participate in the event, because so many times people are saying boxing is dead, and I truly do not believe boxing is dead. I believe that boxing was put on the back burner. Seems like right now, boxing is going to get much-needed attention, and I’m just happy for everyone that gets a chance to participate in this movement.

Q
Danny, this question is for you. With you already beating people like Matthysse and Amir Kahn, how much would adding Lamont add to your legacy? We know you’re very particular with who you fight and the way you fight them, so is that part of the Danny Garcia plan?

D. Garcia
No. I think this is, out of the list of champions that I faced before, I think this is even bigger for my legacy because here’s the champion. He’s faced great opponents, he’s faced great fighters too. I think stylistically this is going to be a great fight, and it’s big for my legacy, so I’ve got to go in there and make sure I go in there and hand him my business.

Q
Danny, do you think that big experience will help you for this, you know it’s not pay-per-view, with it being on actual TV?

D. Garcia
Yeah, of course. I’ve been on some cards and I headlined some cards that the intensity, the atmosphere was so, it could break your will if you’re not built for it. Like you said, the Mayweather card, that was huge. I think everything that I’ve been through in my career, every fight that I faced, it’s just leading me up to this. Gave me the experience and built me up for this moment and all the moments that come in my career.

Q
What does Lamont possess that’s got you in the gym working on because we haven’t seen you in a while, add to your game?

D. Garcia
He’s a champion. He’s a champion, and I’ve got to go in there and prepare. Can’t take anyone light. I never take anyone light. I’m running every day. I’m training hard. I’m disciplined. I’m sacrificing. I’m doing everything I always do. I’m just more experienced, I’m stronger, I’m smarter. I’m just training hard, and I’m worrying about the things Danny Garcia has to do to get better in the gym every day. And sharpening up my skills and my tools to make sure that on April 11th, I go in there and handle business.

Q
My last question is for Lamont. Lamont, would you consider this the biggest fight of your career and what did you learn from the Matthysse loss that you can apply in this big level high-profile fight?

L. Peterson
I’m going to answer you back, but there’s nothing I could take from the Matthysse fight for this fight; two different styles; two different people. To me, it’s different.

To answer your first question, it’s all about how you prepare for a fight. I just know that right now, I just feel like it’s my time and right now I just feel like all the setbacks from the Matthysse, the losses and things like that, you learn from them. I feel like right now everything is put together at the perfect time, and I’m confident everything is right on line and in position. Everything is real great and can’t wait until April 11th.

K. Swanson
Okay. I think that was our last question. Lou, do you want to wrap it up for us, please?

L. DiBella
Thank you, Danny, and thank you, Lamont. We’re looking forward to a great fight on April 11th, and we’re looking forward to a great card of PBC on NBC on April 11th. Once again, tickets are available at Barclays Center Box Office and Ticketmaster outlets. Ringside seats, great seats got released today to the public. People should call and get your ringside seats if you’d like them. They’re $300 for ringside, $200, $150, $100, and there are $50 seats.

We hope to see everybody in Brooklyn at Barclays Center. We’re looking forward to a great audience and to introducing new fans to the great sport of boxing, the sport of kings, on April 11th when NBC showcases its second PBC card on NBC.

Thanks, you guys, for joining us and see you on April 11th.
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Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $300, $200, $100, and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes, and are on sale now.Tickets are available at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com and at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com www.nbcsports.com/boxing,www.BarclaysCenter.com and www.dbe1.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @LouDiBella, @DannySwift, @KingPete26, @KidChocolate, @AndyLeeBoxing, @RealLuisCollazo, @NBCSports and @BarclaysCenter and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions,www.facebook.com/NBCSports and www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment. Follow the conversation using #PremierBoxingChampions and #BKBoxing.




SPECIAL ST. PATRICK’S DAY TRAINING CAMP NOTES FROM MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION “IRISH” ANDY LEE

Lee_Korobov_141213_001a
New York, NY (March 17, 2015) – While we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day today, perhaps enjoying a beer or two, middleweight champion “Irish” Andy Lee (34-2, 24 KOs) is hard at work at his training camp in Monte Carlo with trainer Adam Booth as he prepares to defend his world title against former champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, at Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, NY, on Saturday, April 11. Promoted by DiBella Entertainment, Lee vs. Quillin will air live on NBC at 8:30 p.m. ET, along with the eagerly anticipated contest between Danny “Swift” Garcia and Lamont Peterson, as part of the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) series.

Below are a few quotes from Andy and promoter Lou DiBella:

ANDY LEE:

“I love St. Patrick’s Day. It’s a day for all Irish men and women to be proud and celebrate our history and culture. Unfortunately, for me this year there’ll be no Guinness as I’ll be in the gym, but I look forward to celebrating with all the Irish people after I win on April 11!

“Training is all going according to plan. My coach Adam Booth is putting me through my paces and we’re working hard together to ensure that I beat Quillin and retain my title. I’m feeling very strong and sharp. I’ve been sparring with three undefeated fighters, Miles Shinkwin, Rocky Fielding and Deion Jumah. I’m looking forward to coming to Brooklyn and defending my title in front of everyone in attendance and those watching on NBC.”

LOU DIBELLA, President of DiBella Entertainment:

“Andy Lee has always been the pride of Limerick. His success has made him one of Ireland’s great champions. The quality of person that he is makes him one of the most liked and respected athletes in boxing. As he prepares to defend his title against Peter Quillin on April 11, he’s getting ready for the biggest fight of his career on the biggest stage possible as part of Premier Boxing Champions on NBC at Barclays Center. As they train and prepare to travel to Brooklyn, New York, both Andy and trainer Adam Booth know how high the stakes are and will be ready for primetime. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to everyone; today we’re all Irish. Andy plans on making it feel like St. Patrick’s Day again on April 11.”

Tickets are currently on sale for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, and are priced at $300, $200, $100 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are available at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, and at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

NBC and NBCSN will present 20 live “PBC on NBC” boxing events in 2015. Within the 20 live shows, NBC Sports Group will present more than 50 hours of PBC coverage, including NBCSN pre- and post-fight programming for NBC telecasts. The Premier Boxing Champions series is created for television by Haymon Boxing. The PBC on NBC will feature many of today’s brightest stars, in their most compelling matches.

All PBC on NBC shows will be streamed live on NBC Sports Live Extra via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. NBC Sports Live Extrais available for desktops at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app is available at the App Store for iPad and iPod touch, on select devices within Google Play, and on windows phones and tablets.

Photo credit Sumio Yamada/DiBella Entertainment

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For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com www.nbcsports.com/boxing, www.BarclaysCenter.com and www.dbe1.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @loudibella @DannySwift, @KingPete26, @KidChocolate, @AndyLeeBoxing, @NBCSports and @BarclaysCenter and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/NBCSports and www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment. Follow the conversation using #PremierBoxingChampions and #BKBoxing.




BOXNATION SIGNS MULTI-FIGHT PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS DEAL KICKING-OFF THIS WEEKEND WITH RISING SUPERSTARS KEITH THURMAN, ADRIEN BRONER AND ABNER MARES

Keith Thurman
LONDON (4 March) – BoxNation will air a host of top fights from the Premier Boxing Champions series, starting this weekend with rising superstars Keith Thurman and Adrien Broner.

‘The Channel of Champions’ has three great fights cards as part of the deal, with the highly-touted Thurman to get the ball rolling when he takes on the unrelenting Robert Guerrero this Saturday night, in a glittering lineup which also sees the return of Mexican ace Abner Mares.

The former world champion will go toe-to-toe with the tricky Arturo Santos Reyes, before the flash and often brash Broner looks to get his year off to a bang when he challenges the tough John Molina in a mouth-watering showdown, live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

In addition to this, on March 13th, BoxNation will bring subscribers an exciting night’s action when welterweights Andre Berto and Josesito Lopez share the ring at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California.

All-action 147-pounder Shawn Porter will also be out that night when he faces the dangerous and hard-hitting Roberto Garcia, with heavyweight hitman Chris Arreola also set to appear.

The world’s best boxing channel will also air the thrilling April 11th card which sees Irish star Andy Lee make the first defence of his WBO middleweight world title when he battles the undefeated and former champion Peter Quillin.

There will be high UK interest in that fight with the victor eyeing a potential clash with WBO mandatory challenger Billy Joe Saunders later this year.

Furthermore, the April 11th bill at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn will witness one of the most eagerly anticipated fight’s so far this year when light-welterweight kingpin Danny Garcia goes up against IBF champion Lamont Peterson.

The card will also see cancer survivor and miracle man Danny Jacobs make his first title defence following his win over Jarrod Fletcher last August, when he lays it all on the line against 31-year-old Caleb Truax.

BoxNation’s multi-fight agreement with Premier Boxing Champions demonstrates the channel’s continued commitment to delivering the very best fights to UK boxing fans.

Jim McMunn, Managing Director of BoxNation, said: “BoxNation continuously looks to deliver the very best fights out there for our viewers. This agreement once again demonstrates our commitment to boxing and our aim of airing the very best shows, both domestically and internationally, to our loyal subscribers. These are three thrilling fight cards and we’re delighted UK fans will be able to watch them live and exclusive on BoxNation.”

To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546 and TalkTalk 525) for only £12 a month visit boxnation.com.

-Ends-

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.




DANNY GARCIA VS. LAMONT PETERSON AND ANDY LEE VS. PETER QUILLIN IN BROOKLYN BOXING SHOWDOWNS LIVE IN PRIMETIME ON NBC ON SATURDAY, APRIL 11

Danny Garcia
BROOKLYN (February 12, 2015) – The eagerly awaited showdown between undefeated superstar Danny “Swift” Garcia (29-0, 17 KOs) and Lamont Peterson (33-2-1, 17 KOs) will become a reality as Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC returns to primetime on Saturday, April 11 at 8:30 p.m. ET live from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

In the first main event of the evening, middleweight world champion “Irish” Andy Lee (34-2, 24 KOs) takes on the undefeated Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (31-0, 22 KOs) in a 12-round world title fight.

Marv Albert will call the fights in primetime on NBC alongside analyst “Sugar” Ray Leonard, the six-time world champion and 1976 Olympic gold medalist. Al Michaels will host.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $300, $200, $100 and $50 not including applicable service charges and taxes, and are on sale tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. Tickets are available at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com and at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center starting on Saturday, Feb. 14 at noon. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

“It’s an honor to be fighting back in Brooklyn where I’ve experienced some of the best moments of my career,” said Garcia. “Fans have been asking for this fight for so long and on April 11 I’m planning on giving them the show they’ve been waiting for. Doing it live on NBC will make it even sweeter.”

“This is an amazing opportunity for me fighting in Brooklyn and on national TV in front of millions of people,” said Peterson. “I’m going to go out there and give the performance of a lifetime. Danny Garcia better not underestimate me, because my time is now.”

“I’m looking forward to returning to New York and defending my title against Quillin,” said Lee. “I’m at the peak of my powers now. I cannot see myself losing to anyone. I want to be recognized as the best middleweight in the world and beating Quillin will go some way to proving that.”

“To be able to fight at home in Brooklyn and win a title on such a big stage is a dream come true,” said Quillin. “I’m honored and excited to be a part of something that is great for my career, but also for the sport of boxing as a whole. I know that I’m going to win on April 11, become champion once again, and then I’m going after anyone and everyone at 160 pounds.”

“I am thrilled to be promoting this PBC mega event at Barclays Center in my hometown of Brooklyn,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Danny Garcia vs. Lamont Peterson and Andy Lee defending his middleweight title against Peter Quillin are two of the very best bouts that can be made in boxing. On April 11, the fans are going to be the biggest winners and DBE is proud to be part of it.”

“Quality championship fights are only in Brooklyn in April,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Barclays Center. “Danny Garcia always brings excitement to our ring and we are delighted once again to have Brooklyn’s own Peter Quillin fighting in Barclays Center. Fans want drama and unpredictable fights, and we are confident our card will deliver that on primetime television.”

Now in his fourth year as a world champion, Philadelphia’s Garcia will return to headline at Barclays Center for a record fourth time. Garcia also fought in the main event in October 2012, the first ever-boxing card at Barclays Center. The 26-year-old has taken down some of the biggest names in boxing on his way to an undefeated record, including Amir Khan, Erik Morales, Zab Judah and Lucas Matthysse. He will once again have a chance to prove himself against the best, this time in the long anticipated clash with Peterson.

Washington, D.C.’s Peterson is a gifted boxer-puncher with as much heart as talent. Like Garcia, the 31-year-old Peterson is another longtime champion. Peterson has always faced the best and defeated Amir Khan in 2011. The only blemishes on his perfect record came against Timothy Bradley and Lucas Matthysse. He is coming off of two impressive victories in 2014 and now he gets the bout he and the public have clamored for as he takes a shot at beating Garcia in Brooklyn.

An accomplished amateur who was Ireland’s sole boxing representative at the 2004 Olympic Games, Leegot his first taste of world championship gold in December 2014 when he defeated Matt Korobov for the vacant middleweight world title with a sensational sixth round technical knockout. The 30-year-old has fought in his home country of Ireland, the UK, Germany and most often in the U.S. throughout his career. His only career losses came against Bryan Vera, which he would later avenge and Julio Cesar Chavez in his first world title fight. On April 11, Lee will fight for the fifth time in New York City, looking to give the primetime national television audience a memorable night.

A former world champion looking to reclaim the belt he vacated last year, Quillin will return to the same arena where he won the middleweight belt in 2012 with his star-making, six-knockdown performance against Hassan N’Dam in the first boxing card hosted by Barclays Center. Born in Chicago but fighting out of New York City, the 31-year-old went on to defend that title against strong contenders Fernando Guerrero, Gabriel Rosado and Lukas Konecny. Now, “Kid Chocolate” looks to show off his superstar skills to a primetime audience.

Beginning with the first show, Saturday, March 7, at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC, NBC and NBCSN will present 20 live “PBC on NBC” boxing events in 2015. Within the 20 live shows, NBC Sports Group will present more than 50 hours of PBC coverage, including NBCSN pre- and post-fight programming for NBC telecasts. The Premier Boxing Champions series is created for television by Haymon Boxing. The PBC on NBC will feature many of today’s brightest stars, in their most compelling matches.

All PBC on NBC shows will be streamed live on NBC Sports Live Extra via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. NBC Sports Live Extra is available for desktops at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app is available at the App Store for iPad and iPod touch, on select devices within Google Play, and on windows phones and tablets.

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For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.comwww.nbcsports.com/boxing,www.BarclaysCenter.com and www.dbe1.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @DiBellaEnt, @DannySwift, @KingPete26, @KidChocolate, @AndyLeeBoxing, @NBCSports and @BarclaysCenter and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions,www.facebook.com/NBCSports and www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment. Follow the conversation using #PremierBoxingChampions and #BKBoxing.




Lee to defend Middleweight crown against Quillin

Lee_Korobov_141213_001a
According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, WBO Middleweight champion Andy Lee will defend his crown against Peter Quillin.

The bout could only take place after a deal was reached with mandatory contender Billy Joe Saunders to step aside. The rumored date for the bout is April 11 with Barclays Center being mentioned as a possible Venue.

“After tens of hours of work we completed a step-aside agreement and executed it,” DiBella said. “Lee versus Quillin will be for the WBO championship and Billy Joe Saunders gets the next shot.

“That’s part of the deal. It’s possible Saunders could be on the undercard of Lee-Quillin, but he will get an interim fight regardless, possibly in the States. The date, venue and television network will be forthcoming.”

And if I didn’t step aside Andy lee was vacating his world title,” Saunders wrote. “I want to fight a champion. Not for vacant belt.”

“It’s a great match and it’s a huge opportunity for Andy, who wanted to defend his title,” DiBella said. “It’s also a great opportunity for Quillin to get the title back. But it’s a really good matchup of styles. They aren’t going to run from each other. There will be bombs thrown. Pete is strong and a come forward kind of guy, but Andy is a go-to-battle warrior with a good chin and he’s got that tremendous equalizer, the killer right hook. That may play into one of Peter’s weaknesses.

“So I think it’s a sensational fight. There are certain fights you know will be action fights and this is gonna be an action fight, a fan-friendly action fight between two of the best middleweights in world.”




Uprising Promotions Returns to Five Star Banquet Hall on Feb. 13th

New York, N.Y. (Monday, December 29, 2014) – Ronson Frank’s Uprising Promotions, in association with Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, has confirmed its next show for Friday, February 13th, at the Five Star Banquet Hall in Long Island City, Queens. The card, entitled “The Big Pay Back,” continues the initiative of Uprising Promotions to KO Autism, and proceeds from the night will be donated to The School For Language and Communication Development (SLCD) in Glen Cove, New York.

“We are expecting a great show, and it will be an all-action card with competitive matches,” said Ronson Frank, President of Uprising Promotions. “We will be supporting a great cause to raise autism awareness, and proceeds from the show will be donated to the SLCD. We are expecting a big turnout once again, and we invite everyone to come join us for a great night of boxing.”

Five Star Banquet Hall is located at 13-05 43rd Avenue in Long Island City, Queens. Tickets for the February 13th card are priced at $60 for general admission and $100 for ringside seating. There is also a table option with dinner, beer/wine and seating with a celebrity fighter. For pricing on those tables, call (516) 451-6773.

Final fight negotiations are underway for the February 13th show, and the entire bout card will be announced in the upcoming weeks. This show is being sponsored by Resolution Sports, Brooklyn Brothers and Charlie’s Auto Collision in Long Island City.

For more information on Uprising Promotions and to keep up with all of our latest news, make sure to check out www.UprisingPromotions.com and follow on social media @UprisingNYC.




Weigh-In Results for Friday Show in Long Island City

New York-based Uprising Promotions, in association with former WBO Middleweight Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, returns to action on Friday night for its next show, which will be held at the Five Star Banquet Hall in Long Island City, Queens. Six professional fights are slated for the card, with the first bell coming at 7:30 p.m.

Victor Serrano (124.8 lbs. / 3-7, 1 KO) vs. Angel Luna (125.0 lbs. / 10-0, 7 KO)

Wesley Ferrer (137.6 lbs. / 5-0, 4 KOs) vs. William Walters (139 lbs. /2-5, 1 KO)

Scott Burrell (136.6 lbs. / 7-2, 5 KOs) vs. Joe Gbolo (137.6 lbs. / 3-1-2, 1 KO)

Akil Frederick-Auguste (164.0 / 4-1, 4 KO) vs. Marlon Farr (167.8 / 4-7, 0 KOs)

Daniel Gonzalez (146.2 lbs. / 6-0-1, 3 KOs) vs. Malik Jackson (145.4 / 1-3-4, 0 KOs)

Glenford Nickey (137.2 lbs. / 3-1-1, 1 KO) vs. Italy Martinez (138.4 lbs. / 1-2-1, 1 KO)

Five Star Banquet Hall is located at 13-05 43rd Avenue in Long Island City, Queens, New York. Tickets for this card are priced at $60 for general admission and $100 for ringside seating. There is also a table option with dinner, beer/wine and seating with a celebrity fighter. For pricing on those tables, call (516) 451-6773.

Additionally, Uprising Promotions is pleased to announce that a fundraiser will be taking place on Friday night to benefit children with autism, and proceeds from the night will be donated to The School For Language and Communication Development in Glen Cove, New York.

This show is being sponsored by Brooklyn Brothers, Bill4Time, Belaire Rosé Champagne, Alma Restaurant, Charlie’s Auto Collision in Long Island City and Resolution Sports. All bouts are subject to change.

For more information on Uprising Promotions and to keep up with all of the latest news, make sure to check out www.UprisingPromotions.com and follow on social media @UprisingNYC.




Back in Action this Friday Night in Long Island City, Queens

New York, N.Y. (Tuesday, November 11, 2014) – This Friday night at the Five Star Banquet Hall in Long Island City, Queens, Ronson Frank’s Uprising Promotions, in association with Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, will be returning to action with a loaded card of top prospects. Leading the way on the show will be undefeated Uprising Promotions stablemates Angel “El Gato” Luna (9-0, 6 KOs) and Wesley “El Bongocero” Ferrer (5-0, 4 KOs), who will be looking to better their perfect professional records.

“We are happy to be back in Long Island City, Queens,” Uprising Promotions President Ronson Frank remarked. “The Five Star Banquet Hall is a familiar spot and a familiar location. We always have a great crowd and a great atmosphere there. We were fortunate to put together a really strong lineup with some young upcoming fighters who look to take the next step in their careers. I am expecting a great night of boxing on Friday night. This venue is always live and full of energy. It’s fun to watch these fighters, especially our guys Angel and Wesley, taking another step towards their ultimate goal of a world title.”

Luna returns to the ring on Friday night for the first time since a second round TKO of Joey Arroyo at the Five Star Banquet Hall in May, a bout that marked his American debut under the Uprising Promotions banner. Standing opposite him this Friday evening will be battle-tested Victor Serrano (4-7, 1 KO), a gritty Mexican super featherweight who owns a deceiving record. Including the bout with Luna, Serrano has faced nine undefeated fighters in his last 10 fights.

Also back in action this Friday night is Ferrer, who made short work of Shiwone Gortman in his last bout this past September, finishing him with a liver shot in the first round. Trained by his father, Mateo De La Cruz (who also trains Luna), Ferrer had a very accomplished amateur career, winning his first NY Daily News Golden Gloves Championship in 2009 when he was just 17-years-old before turning professional in September of 2013. In five professional contests, the hard-hitting Brooklyn native has stopped four of his opponents in the first round. He finds his latest test this Friday night in the form of Will Walters (2-5, 1 KO), a Sacramento native making his first appearance outside of California.

In addition to those two bouts, this card features an additional set of intriguing match-ups.

In six-round affairs, Brooklyn lightweight Scott Burrell (8-2, 6 KOs) faces tough opposition in Joe Gbolo (3-1-2, 1 KO) of Albany, while New York welterweight Daniel Gonzalez (6-0-1, 3 KOs) put his unbeaten record on the line against gritty Newark resident Malik Jackson (1-3-4). Also slated for action is New York middleweight Orland Ortiz (1-0, 1 KO), who will be facing an opponent to be announced.

In a four-frame bout, popular Brooklyn middleweight Akil Auguste (4-1, 4 KOs) will meet Florida native Marlon Farr (4-7, 0 KOs), who has already fought such prospects as Jesse Hart and Junior Younan during his young career. In a sure-to-entertain four-round scrap, Brooklyn junior welterweights Glenford Nickey (3-1, 1 KO) and Italy Martinez (1-2-1, 1 KO) will face off, while New York bantamweight Jordan Rodriguez will be making his professional debut against Daniel Hernandez (0-1-1).

Five Star Banquet Hall is located at 13-05 43rd Avenue in Long Island City, Queens, New York. Tickets for this card are priced at $60 for general admission and $100 for ringside seating. There is also a table option with dinner, beer/wine and seating with a celebrity fighter. For pricing on those tables, call (516) 451-6773.

Additionally, Uprising Promotions is pleased to announce that a fundraiser will be taking place on Friday night to benefit children with autism, and proceeds from the night will be donated to The School For Language and Communication Development in Glen Cove, New York.

This show is being sponsored by Brooklyn Brothers, Bill4Time, Belaire Rosé Champagne, Alamo Restaurant, Charlie’s Auto Collision in Long Island City and Resolution Sports. All bouts are subject to change.

For more information on Uprising Promotions and to keep up with all of the latest news, make sure to check out www.UprisingPromotions.com and follow on social media @UprisingNYC.




Ferrer Stops Gortman in 1st Round, Mangan Wins in Professional Debut

Brooklyn, N.Y. (September 5, 2014) – Ronson Frank’s Uprising Promotions returned to action on Friday night at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple, in association with former WBO Middleweight Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin. Six pro bouts and four amateur contests were on the docket, with Eileen Olszewski (9-5-3, 1 KO) and Christina Fuentes (3-6-4, 0 KOs) battling to a split draw in the main event. Victorious on the card were a pair of Uprising Promotions fighters, with undefeated 140-pounder Wesley Ferrer (5-0, 4 KOs) earning a first round stoppage while Irish welterweight Darren Mangan (1-0, 0 KOs) pitched a shutout in his professional debut.

In the main event, UBF/IFBA Flyweight Champion Eileen Olszewski (9-5-3, 1 KO) found a game Christina Fuentes (3-6-4, 0 KOs) on the opposite side of the ring. Possessing a distinct height advantage, Olszewski began the fight by trying to walk down her opponent, but Fuentes used nice footwork to work her way out of danger while picking her spots when she saw an opening. Over the middle rounds, Fuentes was the clear aggressor and was fighting with a noticeable amount of confidence. She appeared to be in complete control of the action until the sixth frame when Olszewski started finding success with short hooks on the inside, peppering her Texan counterpart with sharp shots to finish off the stanza.

In the seventh round, things leveled out a bit, followed up by an eighth frame that consisted entirely of close-range exchanges throughout its two-minute timeslot. The duo kept the level of action high during that final stanza, banging it out all the way until the concluding bell.

The tightly contested action made it a tough job on the ringside judges, which was evidenced by three scorecards that were all over the place. The first card announced was 78-74 in favor of Olszewski, followed up by a 77-75 tally in favor of Fuentes. The last count was even at 76-76, making the end result of this contest a split draw.

In the co-main event of the evening, former New York Golden Gloves standout Wesley Ferrer (5-0, 4 KOs) continued what has been nothing short of an electrifying start to his professional career. Facing a tough Shiwone Gortman (4-5-2, 2 KOs), Ferrer displayed great foot and hand speed from the opening bell, and he was in total control of the action. Using feints to offset the timing of Gortman, Ferrer eventually set up what would be the game-winner in the final minute of the first frame. From the orthodox position, Ferrer backed Gortman into the neutral corner before quickly switching to the southpaw stance to unload a crushing left hook to the liver that immediately crumbled his opposition. In an obvious state of tremendous pain, the blow was too much for Gortman to continue, and he was ultimately counted out at the 2:21 mark of the opening stanza.

Making his highly anticipated professional debut on this card was welterweight Darren Mangan (1-0, 0 KOs), who recently made the move from his native Ireland to New York City to work under the instruction of trainer Colin Morgan. The man on the other side of the ring from him was Kashif Muhammad (0-1), a Harlem resident who was also making his first outing as a professional prize fighter. Mangan appeared to quickly shake off any pre-bout jitters that he may have had, immediately coming forward and unloading a massive number of punches. He then kept that same work rate throughout the four rounds of action, showing good movement and ring generalship along the way. Fitness also proved to be in favor of Mangan, who maintained an intense pace while throwing punches in bunches to the body and head of a very durable Muhammad.

When all was said and done in this pairing, Mangan was awarded for his dominant performance, earning flush 40-36 tallies from the ringside officials.

In what was considered to be the Fight of the Night by most in attendance, junior welterweights Italy Martinez (1-2-1, 1 KO) and Ian James (3-9-1, 1 KO) participated in a non-stop brutal slugfest that went the entirety of its six allotted frames. In the opening round, James worked Martinez to the ropes and began unloading some heavy punishment, although Martinez seemed to be absorbing the punches quite well while he let James burn off some fuel.

In the second stanza, the two combatants stepped into a phone booth, and they did not leave its tight confines for a single second over the next three rounds. Every time James appeared to hurt Martinez with a flurry, the determined Mexican fighter quickly began to counter as if the damage had only awakened him. The duo continued to engage in a back-and-forth battle that put the Brooklyn Masonic Temple fans on their feet, and it was not until the fifth frame that they even attempted to fight at any type of distance. Working behind his jab increasingly more, Martinez began finding openings for some well-timed combinations, and the bout was still very much in question when the sixth round bell rang to signal the end of this entertaining scrap.

After the first judge revealed an even 57-57 count, James emerged victorious in an upset win that was confirmed by a pair of 58-56 scorecards from the remaining pair of ringside officials.

In junior middleweight action, Corona native Frank Castillo (3-0, 2 KOs) put on an impressive performance against a resilient Jonathan Jeter of Brooklyn. Each round of this contest was quite competitive, with Castillo getting off the crisper shots against a pressuring Jeter. Castillo timed the advances of his opponent well, and a hard counter right hand in the second stanza opened a cut on the left eye of Jeter that played a role in the final three frames of the bout. Castillo did buckle Jeter late in the third round after delivering a thundering overhand right, but the tough Brooklyn resident was able to gather himself well enough to get through to the bell. Behind on the cards, Jeter made a valiant effort to spoil the night for Castillo and his team in the last round, but both men remained standing when the fourth and final frame concluded.

With a tally of 40-36 matched alongside a pair of 39-37 cards in his favor, the victor in this outing was Castillo, who went the distance for the first time in his short professional career.

The first professional bout on the slate got the night started with some early fireworks, as unbeaten super middleweight Max Tassy (3-0, 1 KO) hammered Bilal Ali Salaam Jr. (0-1) with a devastating left hand in the opening moments of the first round. The vicious shot would prove to be all Tassy would need to earn his third professional win, scoring the one-punch knockout just 23 seconds into the affair.

Proud supporters of the FDNY and NYPD, Uprising Promotions conducted a fundraiser on Friday night that benefited children with autism. Proceeds from the evening will be donated to The School For Language and Communication Development in Glen Cove, New York.

Tonight’s show was sponsored by Brooklyn Brothers, Frank Brothers Fitness, Gotham Gym and Trinity Boxing. For more information on Uprising Promotions, make sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter (@UprisingNYC), as well as by liking our fan page on Facebook.




Weigh-In Results for Sept. 5th Show in Brooklyn

New York-based Uprising Promotions, in association with former WBO Middleweight Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, returns to action on Friday night for its next show, which will be held at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple at 317 Clermont Avenue #4 in Brooklyn. Six professional fights and four amateur bouts are slated for the card, with the first bell coming at 7:30 p.m.

Eileen Olszewski (112.2 lbs. / 9-5-2, 1 KO) vs. Christina Fuentes (113.4 lbs. / 3-6-3)

Wesley Ferrer (135.6 lbs. / 4-0, 3 KOs) vs. Shiwone Gortman (136 lbs. / 4-4-1, 2 KOs)

Kashif Muhammad (146.2 lbs. / PD) vs. Darren Mangan (147 lbs. / PD)

6 Rds: Ian James (138.8 / 2-9-1, 1 KO) vs. Italy Martinez (139.8 / 1-1-1, 1 KO)

4 Rds: Frank Castillo (153.2 lbs. / PD) vs. Jonathan Jeter (153.4 / 0-0-1)

4 Rds: Max Tassy (167.4 lbs. / 2-0, 0 KOs) vs. Bilal Ali Salaam Jr. (165.2 lbs. / PD)

Tickets for the card at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple are priced at $50 for general admission and $100 for ringside seating. Proud supporters of the FDNY and NYPD, Uprising Promotions is also pleased to announce that a fundraiser will be taking place on September 5th to benefit children with autism. Proceeds from the night will be donated to The School For Language and Communication Development in Glen Cove, New York.

This upcoming show is being sponsored by Brooklyn Brothers, Frank Brothers Fitness, Gotham Gym and Trinity Boxing. For more information on Uprising Promotions, make sure to check out www.UprisingPromotions.com and also like our fan page on Facebook.




PETER QUILLIN VACATES WBO MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE

Peter Quillin
LOS ANGELES (Sept. 4) – Middleweight star Peter Quillin announced today that he is vacating his WBO middleweight title, effective immediately, in order to pursue bigger opportunities at 160 pounds.

“I’d like to thank WBO president Paco Valcarcel and his organization for their support throughout the years,” said Quillin. “Winning the WBO world championship was a highlight in my career and something I’ll never forget, this is a difficult decision, but in order to make the fights the fans and I want against my fellow middleweights at the top of the division, I needed to relinquish the title. This is an exciting new chapter in my life, and I’m looking forward to cementing my spot as the best middleweight in the world.”

Brooklyn, New York’s Quillin (31-0, 22 KOs) won the WBO middleweight title on October 20, 2012 with a 12-round decision victory over Hassan N’Dam. The 31-year-old went on to successfully defend his title three times with victories over Fernando Guerrero, Gabriel Rosado, and Lukas Konecny, establishing himself as an elite middleweight champion. Now, Quillin will seek even bigger challenges in the near future.




Roc Nation wins Quillin Korobov purse bid

Peter Quillin
According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Jay-Z’s new promotional outfit, Roc Nation won the right to promote the WBO Middleweight title bout between Peter Quillin and Matt Korobov.

Roc Nation Sports bid a whopping $1,904,840 and handily defeated two other bidders.

Golden Boy Promotions, which represents Quillin, bid $1.2 million, and Korobov promoter Top Rank offered $515,000. The minimum bid was $200,000. The purse bid took place because Golden Boy and Top Rank declined to negotiate the fight with each other.

“I’m definitely surprised by their participation,” said WBO President Paco Valcarcel. “On behalf of the WBO, I welcome Jay Z and his company, Roc Nation (Sports), and wish them nothing but success in their quest to put on quality boxing events and represent well the fighters they eventually sign. We are honored that they have chosen a WBO world championship contest to mark their entrance to the sport as boxing promoters and look forward to working with them.”

Reaction from Golden Boy and Top Rank was swift and positive. Their fighters will each take home their biggest career payday. As the titleholder, Quillin is entitled to 75 percent of the winning bid ($1,428,630), and Korobov will receive the remaining 25 percent ($476,210).

“I’m surprised by the offer but glad someone like Jay Z and his team realize the value and opportunities in boxing,” Golden Boy president Oscar De La Hoya told ESPN.com.

Moretti added: “Congrats to Roc Nation and their team on winning the bid. Top Rank and Matt Korobov will fully cooperate with the terms and any promotional requirements they may ask of us. Jay Z may have ’99 Problems,’ but apparently purse bids aren’t one of them. Welcome to the business of boxing. Plus, I’d rather lose the bid and win the fight any day of the week.”




VIDEO: Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin




WBO MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION PETER QUILLIN & FORMER CHAMP & SHOWTIME ANALYST PAULIE MALIGNAGGI ASSESS UNDEFEATED PROSPECT HUGO CENTENO, JR.

Centeno300
NEW YORK (June 5, 2014) – Undefeated middleweight prospect Hugo Centeno Jr., faces unbeaten, late-replacement Gerardo Ibarra this Friday, June 6, in the ShoBox: The New Generation (10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME®) main event, but he’s already received the stamp of approval from stablemates Peter Quillin and Paulie Malignaggi.

“He’s very confident and talented as a contender,” said the undefeated Quillin, the WBO Middleweight World Champion. “He has that mentality to become a champ and he comes and brings it every time I spar with him. He’s the type of guy where I have to be worried that one day that he can fight for my belt.”

Centeno (20-0, 11 KOs), like Quillin and Malignaggi, is trained by Eric Brown at Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles. He sparred with Quillin prior to his bout with Winky Wright, his first world title fight against Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam and prior to the Fernando Guerrero bout.

“He helped me when a lot of guys didn’t want to spar with me and helped give me the work that I needed to become a champ,” Quillin said. “He gave me great work. He’s a very talent prospect and, more than that, he has the whole “Hugo Boss” persona going for him. You don’t see many guys at that level like that. He’s building his name and putting himself out there.”

Malignaggi, a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING analyst with a keen and experienced eye for the sweet science, agrees. He has worked with Centeno in the gym and has first-hand knowledge of the prospect’s skill set.

“He’s a solid prospect with a mature attitude and a good work ethic,” Malignaggi said. “He’s
a good fundamental boxer. It will be interesting to see his development as he faces tougher competition.”

Centeno, of Oxnard, Calif., is currently sparring with WBO Light Welterweight Champion Ruslan Provodnikov. Centeno has the tough task of facing a late-replacement in his return to ShoBox this Friday. His original opponent, Domonique Dolton, suffered a hand injury in training and was forced to withdraw from the 10-round bout.

Dolton was replaced by Ibarra (14-0, 8 KOs), an opponent with an identical record and one that Centeno will have little more than one week to prepare for.

“I think the last minute replacements are the most dangerous,” Quillin said. “You don’t know much about them and they can throw you off your game. You train for one guy during your entire training camp and then you have a completely different fighter in there with you. It’s extremely dangerous.”

In the ShoBox co-feature, New York City phenom Eddie “E Boy” Gomez (16-0, 10 KOs) faces Francisco Santana (19-3-1, 7 KOs) of Santa Barbara, Calif., in a 10-round junior middleweight match.

# # #

ABOUT CENTENO VS. IBARRA:
Centeno, Jr. vs. Ibarra, a 10-round middleweight fight, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, and sponsored by Corona. The ShoBox: The New Generation will take place on Friday, June 6 at Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino in Indio, Calif., and will be televised live on SHOWTIME beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). Doors open at 3:00 p.m. PT and the first fight begins at 3:10 p.m. PT.

Tickets, priced at $45, $35, $25 are available at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.




Peter ‘Kid Chocolate’ Quillin Developing into complete fighter Hopeful of mega-fight in future

Peter Quillin
NEW YORK CITY (May 8, 2014) – Undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) middleweight champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (31-0, 22 KOs) turned in a chameleon-like performance two weeks ago, boxing rather than bashing his way to a near dominant win by unanimous 12-round decision on SHOWTIME over No. 2 ranked Czech challenger Lukas Konecny (50-5, 23 KOs), the WBO European 160-pound title holder.

Fans had gotten used to Quillin dropping his opponents, 32 times in his first 30 professional fights, including 11 in his three previous world title fights. They expected the powerful Cuban-American to put Konecny on the mat and eventually into a deep sleep. Konecny, who had announced prior to the fight that he would retired after fighting Quillin, appeared to be more interested in surviving than trying to wrest Quillin’s WBO belt from the still hungry fighter.

Konecny stayed in a peek-a-boo stance, protecting his head and avoiding a physical confrontation with the much larger and strong Quillin, from the opening bell through 12 rounds, winning only a single round on two of the three judges’ scorecards (120-108, 119-109, 119-109). “Kid Chocolate” remained in complete control, working off his improved jab and ignoring pleas from the crowd to brawl.

“Fighters and fans can get drunk with power,” Quillin explained. “They want you to blast out your opponent. I haven’t gotten credit as a pure boxer because I’ve been so dominant taking out guys but I can box, too. I said before that fight that I was going to be a ‘finesser,’ making the fight look easy and showing that my boxing skills are at the highest level. I did just that against a guy who had 50 wins and was the European champion.

“I had to listen to my corner (head trainer Eric Brown). They had me pressuring my opponent and out-boxing him. It may not have made some fans happy but I was in the ring to win. I was focused. People are used to seeing me knockout guys, which is more exciting than cruising to victory by boxing. Some of the best boxers in the world – Floyd Mayweather, Jr., who is from my hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Bernard Hopkins, and lately, my Cuban brother, Guillermo Rigondeaux – have been booed by people who’ve never boxed in their lives and don’t understand the art of boxing. I set-up my punches. I was very consistent and made this fight look very easy. I can’t make everybody happy. I gave fans something different than in my other fights.”

Despite being a victim of boxing politics, unable to get a mega-fight, Quillin has hope that, in time, he’ll get into a unification fight against one of the top 160-pounders in the world. For now, though, he fights the guy in the ring with him, relying on his team (Golden Boy Promotions, adviser Al Haymon and co-managers John Seip and Jim McDevitt) to do their best to eventually make a career defining fight for him.

Sergio Martinez and Gennady Golovkin are the marquee names in the middleweight division. The former is fighting Miquel Cotto on June 7, while the latter appeared to be heading towards a showdown with Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.

Quillin has already returned to the gym and awaits news about his next fight. “I just take ’em as they come along,” Quillin said. “At one point I thought I was fighting Danny Jacobs in my last fight. If that’s the only big fight out there for me, we’ll fight as long as the price is right. Danny’s fought for the world title once and came up short. I’m a big fan of his story and we’re two Brooklyn guys who will have to put our friendship aside if that fight is made.

“Everything is in God’s hands. There are a lot of things I can’t control in boxing. I think my big fight will happen someday, as long as the public has interest and fans get behind it. I believe it will happen because of demand. These fights have been building up and we’ll see what happens in the future.”

For more information about Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin go online to www.TheKidChocolate.com (Team Kid Chocolate T-shirts on sale here) or follow him on Twitter @KidChocolate and Instagram @KidChocolate.




Hopkins schools Shumenov; only gets split decision but unifies Light Heavy belts

Bernard Hopkins
49 year-old Bernard Hopkins continued to make history as scored a 12 round split decision pver Beibut Shumenov to to retain his IBF and capture the WBA Light Heavyweight title at the DC Armory in Washington, DC.

The 1st three rounds set the pace that Hopkins wanted as next to nothing happend and Shumenov’s offensive pace was set for the evening. Hopkins started to get his trademark lead right hand going in round four. Hopkins became a little more active as each round passed. Hopkins took took all the middle rounds and was building up a solid lead. In round 10, he landed a perfect right hand that sent Shumenov to the canvas. It looked for a minute as if Hopkins would be able to get the stoppage but he did not turn on the gas and continued to land solid shots all be that they were one at a time. Shumenov landed very few punches of note but somehow a score card read 114-113 in his favor. The two other cards were correct at 116-111 for Hopkins.

The ageless wonder will now wait for the winner of the May 24 WBC title fight between Adonis Stevenson and Andrej Fonfara. Hopkins, 172.4 lbs of Philadelphia improves his Hall of Fame mark to 55-6-2. Shumenov, 174.4 lbs of Shymkeent, KAZ is now 14-2.

On his future, Hopkins said, “We are with SHOWTIME until I end my career. Stevenson, I am coming to Canada. I am getting my papers together. I want to be the undisputed light heavyweight world champion this year, period.”
A disappointed Shumenov told Gray, “To be honest, I wasn’t thinking about the scorecard. I tried hard. Bernard, but he was the better man tonight. I chose the wrong strategy and used the wrong style. I am angry that I couldn’t get the victory. I am a true warrior and I want to fight only the best. Tonight, obviously it wasn’t my fight.”

Shawn Porter scored an explosive 4th round stoppage over Paulie Malignaggi to retain his IBF Welterweight title.

In round one, Malignaggi was cut from what looked like a jab. In round two, the fight get physical and hurt Malignaggi from a leaping left hook. Porter landed several more power shots during the round.

In round four, Porter came out and landed a right hand that sent Malignaggi to the canvas. Malignaggi was clearly hurt and ate a huge left hook that drove him to the ropes. Porter was all over Malignaggi and landed 2 hard punches in close and Malignaggi was sent to the canvas and the fight was stopped.

In the aftermath, Gray asked Porter what it was that Malignaggi had told him just moments after the bout. “Paulie, wished me the best and I don’t know what he is looking at for himself [in the future] but he said, ‘Make sure they know that I lost to a great champion. Go out there and be great.’ I am going to honor his words and his wishes.”

Speaking about the win, Porter said, “I definitely needed this victory. To get it like that from a guy like this. He touched me in every way possible being in the ring with him. I knew what he was coming with. But I always had questions of my own. I came in and answered those questions tonight.”

When asked what he wants next, Porter said, “I’m going to enjoy this and let my team handle what is next. I’m sure they will all communicate. We’ll come up with the next game plan and we’ll tackle it.”

Gray then asked Malignaggi what it was that he told Porter. “I just said, ‘Don’t make me have lost to an average fighter. Go be great so that I can say that a really great fighter beat me.’ I know that he has that potential.

Regarding retirement, “If I do retire, and I don’t want to make that decision right now while I am emotional, but I don’t want to do it off of an average champion. I want to do it off of a great champion.

Breaking down the fight, Malignaggi said, “He was controlling the distance. I couldn’t get going. He was going away and then bringing the attack. He mixed it up well. He came right at me at times and then, at other times, he moved away.”

When asked about retiring and focusing the rest of his career solely on his commentating work for SHOWTIME, Malignaggi said, “I can’t really think about that right now. If I give you an answer right now I would tell you that I am stopping fighting but maybe I’d change my mind next week. I want to go home and think about it.”

Porter, 146.8 lbs of Akron, OH is now 24-0-1 with 15 knockouts. Malignaggi, 146.2 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 33-6.

Peter Quillin scored a 12 round unanimous decision to retain the WBO Middleweight crown over Lukas Konecny.

Quillin boxed well over the 1st half of the fight and landed shots through the high guard of Konecny. At the end of round six, a right hand wobbled Konecny. Round eight saw some good action as both land hard shots. Quillin got through with a left hook while Konecny landed some left hooks. The fight turned lethargic in round ten and even drew some boos from the crowd at the Armory. Konecny started to bleed from right eye in round ten. There were a couple decent exchanges down the stretch but neither fighter was in any danger.

Quillin, 159.8 lbs of Brooklyn won by scores of 120-108 and 119-109 twice and is now 31-0. Konecny, 158.25 lbs of Usti, CZ is now 50-5

After the fight, Quillin said, “I’m thankful that I was able to get up in here with a tough customer in front of me and get up and fight.”

Sadam Ali made short work of Michael Clark by scoring a 1st round stoppage in their 10-round Welterweight bout.

Ali landed a left hook to the face that sent Clark down for the 10-count at 2:06 of round one.

Ali. 146 1/4 lbs of Brooklyn is now 19-0 with 12 knockouts. Clark, 144 lbs of Columbus, OH is now 44-10-1-1.

Marcus Browne remained undefeated by scoring an 8-round unanimous decision over veteran Otis Griffin.

Browne dominated the action and scored a knockdown from a perfet straight left in round five.

Browne, 174 lbs of Staten Island, NY won by scores of 80-71 on all cards and is now 10-0. Griffin, 176 lbs of Sacramento, CA announced his retirement before the fight finished with a mark of 24-16-2.

Zachary Ochoa scored a 5th round stoppage over Hector Marengo in a scheduled six round Jr. Welterweight bout.

Ochoa dominated and scored a knockdown in round round from a roundhouse right hand. He dropped Merango for a 2nd time from a body shot in round five. Just seconds later, Merango’s corner threw in the towel at 1:32 of round five.

Ochoa, 139 1/2 lbs of Brooklyn is now 7-0 with 4 knockouts. Merango, 140 1/4 lbs of Aricibo, PR is now 6-8-4.




SHAWN PORTER, PAULIE MALIGNAGGI, PETER QUILLIN AND LUKAS KONECNY MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT

Paulie Malignaggi
Kelly Swanson
Today we have a great conference call to discuss an unbelievable undercard that will be on the “Hopkins vs. Shumenov” fight card at the D.C. Armory in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, April 19. I’m looking forward to seeing all of these fights. We’re going to start with Lukas and Pete, and then we will move into Shawn and Paulie immediately upon the completion of these two fighters. So, to make the introductions is Bruce Binkow, the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Marketing Officer of Golden Boy Promotions. He is joining us to introduce the fighters and talk a little bit more about the fights.

Bruce Binkow
I totally agree with you; this is going to be a great night, “History at the Capitol.” In keeping with the tradition of SHOWTIME’s terrific tripleheader action, I think we have three amazing televised fights. Obviously, Bernard Hopkins and Beibut Shumenov, who you’ll be hearing from tomorrow, but today we want to talk about two outstanding fights that I think are really exciting in and of themselves. Obviously, Porter and Malignaggi, and the one we’re going to talk about first, Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin and Lukas Konecny.

To reiterate, the fight is Saturday, April 19 at the DC Armory. It’s promoted by Golden Boy Promotions. Our sponsors are Corona, AT&T and Casamigos Tequila. It is airing live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®, which will begin at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. It will be available in Spanish via the SAP Channel. There are some tickets still available starting at just $25 at Ticketmaster.com. The DC Armory box office is open on fight only, so I wanted to stress that again.

Lukas Konecny is from the Czech Republic, and he joins us today from Germany, where he’s training. He’s 50-4 with 23 KOs. He’s a five-time National Champion for the Czech Republic and he also represented his nation in the 2000 Olympics. He’s a former interim WBO Junior Middleweight Champion. He made his permanent move to 160 in 2013.

He’s 35-years old, and is making his U.S. debut after years of fighting Europe’s best. He plans on making it a memorable visit as he challenges for Quillin’s WBO middleweight belt. Without further ado, let me introduce to you Lukas Konecny. Lukas.

Lukas Konecny
By me everything is okay. For example, before every fight I have a big trouble with my weight, but this time everything is okay. Sparring is going quite well and I hope that I can bring a great fight to Washington, D.C.

B. Binkow
Okay. Now I want to introduce a guy that most of you know and have heard from before, one of the most exciting fighters out there, Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin. His record stands perfect at 30-0 with 22 KOs. He’s currently fighting out of Brooklyn, N.Y., although I have to say that I spotted just today a “Kid Chocolate” t-shirt at the gym in L.A., on the west side of L.A., which I think speaks to his growing popularity out there.

He’s wearing the championship belt of the division Hopkins once ruled. Quillin got his reign at 160 off to a rousing start with a decision over Hassan N’Dam for the WBO crown in 2012, and after two successful defenses with stoppages of Fernando Guerrero and Gabriel Rosado he’s ready to take on the challenge of Konecny. He’s 30-years old. He has wins over Winky Wright, Craig McEwan, Jesse Brinkley, and Fernando Zuniga, and he’s eager to begin 2014 with another knockout over the experienced Konecny. Ladies and gentlemen, Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin. Pete.

Peter Quillin
Hi. Thank you for having me on the line. I want to thank Golden Boy, want to thank Al Haymon, I want to thank my whole team, I want to thank my manager, John Seip, I want to thank Gleason’s Gym, I want to thank the D.C. Commission for letting this fight come to the capital, our nation’s capital, and I’m looking to come up in D.C. with a spectacular win, spectacular victory.

Training has been A-1. I’ve been having great sparring sessions. I’ve been learning a lot of valuable lessons about myself with this cat, and I just know that I’m looking to experience everything that Konecny is going to bring in the fight and I think this is what we do as far as challenging ourself and taking something away from every fight. I’m just very humbled by the experience to be able to go and perform at the level I’ve been performing at to hold this belt, and then for sure this belt is coming back to Brooklyn.

Q
How difficult is it not to focus on the rest of the division when you obviously want to be unifying the titles?

P. Quillin
Well, let’s just say, first and foremost, if we worry about too much and don’t remain focused then I wouldn’t have what I have. So I know that Lukas is a strong challenger, very experienced and I’m not going to focus on that. I know he’s going to come and fight for a world title shot. It gives somebody another sense of motivation, so I have to just worry about what’s in front of me, and then after the fight then I can worry these other guys and worry about unifying the belts. But I just know that nothing is possible without looking good in this fight and winning spectacularly to consider myself as one of the best in the world.

Q
Is this potentially one of your more dangerous fights?

P. Quillin
Yes. I can look at any fight and say that they’re dangerous, because, like for instance, I don’t really know anything about Lukas. I just know that I’ve seen some videos of him and he seems very determined and he brings a lot of pressure. I just think I have to really focus on what he’s going to bring, because anybody is very dangerous, especially when they’re fighting for a world title. I’m an American star. This guy is a European star, and he’s pretty big in the Czech Republic and everybody seems to know him. Being a world champion doesn’t mean that I just fight guys in America or guys that American fans are familiar with. I think a world title-holder fights everybody across the world to be able to bring the best out.

So I’ll just stay focused on that. I just know what I’ve been working towards, and motivated being at home training here in Brooklyn, and, like I said, I’m just looking for a spectacular victory.

Q
Lukas, what do you know about Peter and how do you characterize him as far as the level of opponents you faced? How difficult is he compared to the rest of the opponents you’ve faced?

L. Konecny
So, of course, I know he is a world champion, I know he’s taller than me, he’s got a good punch, and he has some skills. He’s, of course, a good world champion, but not a very good one. I think he has more experience, but not with the same style as I have. I have over 250 amateur fights, over 50 professional fights.

Q
Do you mean he’s not a very good champion or are you saying he’s not as good as the other ones? What, what does that mean?

L. Konecny
No, I think he’s a good boxer, he’s a good fighter, he’s a good champion, but I can beat him.

Q
What is his style that you haven’t seen? What about his style have you still not seen?

L. Konecny
He is fast, he moves well, but, but he didn’t have a great coverage. His defense is not the best.

Q
Peter, can you address his comments?

P. Quillin
Yes, I can definitely do that. I can just definitely say that everybody can judge me off of whatever performance they’ve seen from me, but, like he said, he has 250 amateur fights and 50 professional fights. I only have 15 amateur fights and I have 30 professional fights, and I think that’s special within itself. Being one of the first guys to ever put Winky Wright on the canvas; I think I have a lot to show for my work and dedication to boxing. I think it was very special that a lot of guys see the flaws in me, but once they actually step in there with me I fight totally different than they expect. That goes for Hassan N’Dam, Gabriel Rosado, Fernando Guerrero, all these guys that have all the experience to be able to go in a fight and say they can beat me.

Q
What does it mean for you to fight on Bernard Hopkins’ undercard as the middleweight champion knowing that he was so great in that division for so long?

P. Quillin
For me, just looking at it as a business, that part is great promotion for me, to be able to get for somebody that held the same belt and is creating legendary status every time he steps out there. A lot of guys criticize me for not having a main event, but, like I said, fighting on a Bernard Hopkins undercard like this, I learn valuable things outside the ring with Bernard, I catch moments with Bernard all the time, and I’m very thankful to be able to be part of this card. My first being in D.C., I almost thought about changing my name to the ‘Capital Kid’, because going up in there to fight on Bernard Hopkins’ undercard is a privilege to me, and I’m just very thankful.

Q
What specifically do you pick up from your time; you talk about spending outside of the ring with him, what specifically did you pick up from him?

P. Quillin
I always learn that inside of the ring when we wear our boxing uniforms we are professional boxers. When we step outside of the ring I put my business suit on and I become a businessman, and I happen to be on top of my business at all times. I’m talking to my accountant as often as I can. I’m organizing my team making sure that everybody’s delegated a task to be able to make sure that I will not step out there for a fight, that I have nothing else to think about besides how to win. And I learned a lot of those values from Bernard Hopkins and how to organize the many people. So there are a lot of things that I may not be so experienced with, but I can call Bernard up and get any knowledge that I can and he’s willing to share with me.

Q
Lukas, what does it mean to you to be fighting in America for the first time?

L. Konecny
Well, I am fighting in America first time, but only in professional ring. I was over there in ’98 at the Goodwill Games in New York and then ’99 in Houston for the World Championship. So maybe it’s not the first time, but this is a big event.

Q
What exactly is your style and can you describe it for your American audience?

L. Konecny
I think I have a good defense and I make pressure all the time; I can make pressure for all 12 rounds.

K. Swanson
Okay, guys, that is it. Thank you so much. We’re going to go ahead and transition now to talk to Shawn Porter and Paulie Malignaggi. So we appreciate you taking the time out of your training, and we will see you April 19. Thanks.

B. Binkow
So we move into our co-main event, and I would like to start with Mr. Malignaggi. Most of you guys know Paulie; he’s been around, he’s familiar to us all. He’s always exciting to watch. He is currently fighting out of Brooklyn, always fought out of Brooklyn. He’s currently the NABF Welterweight Champion, former two-time, two-division world champion, recently has been winning awards for his commentating work, which we here at Golden Boy are very delighted with. Obviously, he’s on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and the Golden Boy Live on FOX Sports 1 broadcasts, and doing a terrific job. But I think, more importantly, he’s proven that at 33 he’s still one of the top welterweights in the world, so he hasn’t quite made the transition of full time yet.

He first made his mark at the 140-pound weight class when he defeated Lovemore N’Dou in 2007 for the IBF crown. In April 2012, he scored a ninth-round TKO over Senchenko, and it earned him the WBA Welterweight World title. And he went to the Ukraine to do that, which was pretty impressive. He successfully defended his belt against Pablo César Cano during our opening event at Barclays Center, our opening boxing event at the Barclays Center in 2012. He’s become a fixture at the Barclays Center since then. He’s won six out of his last seven bouts, and on April 19 he’s going to attempt to become a three-time world champion. So, with that, I’d like to introduce Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi. Paulie.

Paulie Malignaggi
I’m excited to be on the show. It’s exciting. I want to thank Golden Boy, Al Haymon and the rest of my team for the great job they’ve been doing with me. It’s a chance to capture my third world title, and I’m all about accolades, I’m all about trying to accomplish more in my life as best I can, be it in the ring or outside the ring. As Bruce mentioned, I just got the award for Broadcaster of the Year as well. So I’m just trying to basically be the kind of guy to stay motivated, be it with my work in the ring, out of the ring, and it’s a chance to keep that motivation going with my work in the ring with a chance to capture my third world title.

I respect Shawn; he’s a good champion, he’s a hungry champion, but I feel like I have the experience necessary to put this work into place and get this third world championship. It feels good to still be here. I’m 33-years old, still going strong. I live well; I don’t drink, don’t do drugs, I live a clean life. Even if I like to be out and about a lot I always keep myself healthy. And I think my body of work has proven it, in the last, especially the last few years since I joined up with Golden Boy and I’ve been training with Eric Brown. We’ve done a lot of good things; we’re going to try to continue to do good things.

I think, as far as I’m concerned, I haven’t lost at all in the last three years. Adrien Broner was given my world title, so I feel like I need to win another world title to kind of rightfully get what’s mine. I deserve to be a world champion; I should not have lost that bout. It was basically a win for Broner where I basically became a filler for his, for Adrien Broner’s bullshit resume that he has. My name just became a filler on that resume, and I feel like for that reason I need to get a world title to kind of redeem myself and get what’s rightfully mine.

I mean Shawn worked hard for his, but it’s, it’s a world championship that I want and now I got the chance to do it. So I’ll look forward to the challenge. I’ll look forward to putting on a good show on the 19th of April.

B. Binkow
In order to do that Paulie’s going to have to get through a very tough guy. Shawn Porter is 23-0-1 with 14 KOs out of Akron, Ohio. He was one of the best amateur boxers of this era, and he’s coming off a really impressive win that I’m sure you all saw, his 12-round unanimous decision win over Devon Alexander, where he picked up his IBF Welterweight belt. He has wins over Julio Diaz, Phil Lo Greco, Alfonso Gomez. He’s 26-years old and will be beginning his reign with the belt on April 19 against Paulie. I’d like to introduce you now to Shawn Porter. Shawn.

Shawn Porter
Thank you for the introduction. I want to thank God, want to thank my team, thank Al Haymon, Golden Boy Promotions. They’ve been promoting me since I came back in 2012, and it’s been great. I’m an IBF champion now. That’s a beautiful blessing to have and to able to say.

And with that being said, Paulie Malignaggi is meant to be. We had that feeling for quite a while, so it was nothing new to us when the fight was finally announced. We had been training since the beginning of January, so we will be prepared to do whatever it takes to hold onto this title, whatever it takes to get Paulie out of that ring. My team and I, we worked extremely hard day in and out, and we are going to be prepared and excited April 19 to get back into the ring and do what we all love to do and what we’re here to do. And with that being said, I am the IBF champion, and I plan to stay that way.

Q
Against Alexander was your mentality just that you would not be denied that night and that whatever it took was going to be the way the fight went down?

S. Porter
That was my mentality and that is my mentality. I’ve been bred that way, I’ve been trained that way my whole life. I’ve always been taught to be hungry, be aggressive, and not to allow someone to get comfortable in the ring, and that’s going to always be my mentality against whoever it is I’m going to be fighting.

Same goes with Paulie. I know he’s fast and he has good feet and he knows how to move around the ring, so my plan is to cut him off and be really aggressive and get to his body and make it uncomfortable for him for 12 rounds or less.

Q
Shawn, do you feel like by facing Devon that that was a halfway decent blueprint for the way you would approach a fight with somebody like Paulie?

S. Porter
Yes, a pretty good blueprint for going against someone like Paulie, and then you take into account everything I’ve done up until this point. Sparring with Manny Pacquiao, I mean there’s no better blueprint than that. The guy’s got the quickest hands and feet in the business. So I have all the experience in what it takes to beat Paulie, and it’s just matter of getting in there April 19 and doing it.

Q
When was the last time you were involved in Manny’s camp?

S. Porter
It’s been a few years since I’ve been involved with Manny’s camp. I want to say it was the Shane Mosley fight was the last time I had done anything with him.

Q
What did you think of that performance against Alexander and were you at all surprised by just the extreme aggressiveness that he showed?

P. Malignaggi
I remember the performance. I’ve seen it all. Shawn is a very good performer. He did a very good job of taking Devon out of his comfort zone, like you said, and he did a very good job at taking away what Devon does well, and he’s got to be given credit for it. He became world champion that night for a reason.

But sometimes in boxing it’s about fighting smarter, not harder. Shawn has a tendency to fight very hard, and that’s not a bad thing at all and it’s got him to this point. It’s gotten him a world championship and it’s got him a lot of success, even as an amateur. But in professional boxing we have 12 rounds, and that leaves a lot of time to set traps, it leaves a lot of times to bait you with a lot of things. And so aggressiveness can be made to pay, and that’s kind of my bread and butter. It’s kind of always been my blueprint.

But again, fight aside, I’ve gone over a hundred times of what the problem was in the Ricky Hatton fight. I’m not going to get into it again. But really, regardless of that, if you look at anything else I make aggressiveness pay. And we have our own game plans, and we, we feel that we have a very good game plan for that kind of aggressiveness. We expect a very high-intensity fight, and we expect to have the answers for that kind of high-intensity fight.

But this is nothing new for me, conditioning has never been a problem for me, but it’s, it’s definitely the kind of challenge that I look forward to. It’s a stylistic match up that I think, in my opinion probably could make it the best fight of the night. So I look forward to it. It’s boxing; being a both pro athlete, being a pro fighter, it’s these kinds of moments, to be a part of them, and I’m a part of them yet again. I’m a part of one of them yet again, and I look forward to being motivated and putting my skills to the test against Shawn.

Q
Hey, Paulie, one other thing for you. When, when you were, after the Broner fight and you were deciding that you were going to fight on again, and I know you wanted to fight for another title and everything, at that time Shawn was a little under the radar. Everybody kind of looked at him as this is a very good prospect, but he hadn’t won a title yet, hadn’t fought the big names yet, or anything like that. I mean at any point did you think to yourself, ‘Wow, I might be fighting this guy?’ Because we’ve known in boxing Shawn’s been around for a while as atop young guy coming up, but he didn’t have the title. So was he even remotely on your radar? When the fight came up were you sort of like, ‘Oh, yes, I’ll guess I’ll fight him because he has a belt,’ but that was not somebody that I would think was on your hit list, let’s say.

P. Malignaggi
I think before he beat Devon I looked at him as a solid fighter, but it never really crossed my mind that I might fight him. I had seen him and his father training in Wild Card Gym at times. We’ve always been friendly, we’ve always been cool. I never really looked at Shawn as somebody I would fight, but once he got the title he kind of stepped up into another dimension. People view you differently when you’re a world champion. So, obviously, once Shawn grabbed that title, it put things into a different perspective as far as okay, maybe this is somebody I may wind up in the ring against, because he’s got a world title in my weight class. And then so be it and it happened.

I wasn’t sure it would happen right off the bat, but certainly once he beat Devon Shawn put himself in another level, which is the level of guys like me who will look at and say, ‘Oh, you know what, he’s a guy to be reckoned with, he’s a force to be reckoned with, and I might wind up in the ring with him.’ All the other stuff didn’t matter before that. Once you become world champion I think you put yourself, you set yourself apart from the rest of the class, and Shawn did that by winning the world championship.

All that other bullshit about sparring with Manny Pacquiao and all that, I don’t rate Manny Pacquiao as a very good fighter. I don’t rate him as a very intelligent fighter, actually. So all that other bullshit about the sparring and all that stuff it really, for me, goes in one ear and out the other. But what Shawn did to Devon was very impressive, and certainly it put him in a different light in a lot of different ways, in a more positive way, should I say.

Q
Shawn, when you fought Devon for your first title Paulie and Zab were fighting in the main event in that night. Did you go into that night knowing that you would probably end up fighting the winner of that fight?

S. Porter
I actually did. I thought that it would be somewhat of that kind of situation where the winners would fight each other. I didn’t know if it would come so soon or when it would come, but I did kind of have a mindset of fighting the winner of Zab Judah and Paulie Malignaggi. So, again, we’ve been training for a long time, and when the call came that it was going to be Paulie, it was not a surprise to me or my camp.

Q
Shawn, where do you rate Paulie in terms of level of competition as far as everyone you’ve faced to date?

S. Porter
I mean he’s right up there, he’s at the top. I think out of everyone I’ve fought, other than Julio and Devon, he’s got the most spirit. So I think maybe out of those two just maybe him and Julio. So I know what I’m up against April 19. I’m up against a crafty veteran, someone who’s got the hands, feet, and likes to hustle his hands, and like he said, he’s in shape. So I’m prepared to come in there, man, and be in just as great a shape as he’s in and be just as smart as he is, and be aggressive and do what I have to do to hold onto my title.

Q
Paulie, is there anyone that you have fought that reminds you of Shawn Porter?

P. Malignaggi
I mean, I can’t say anybody for sure, but he has an aggressive mentality. Guys like Juan Diaz or Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto had that aggressive mentality. So you can’t say you’ve seen exactly what he’s bringing to the table, but I’ve seen similar stuff, I guess. I think Shawn is the biggest guy out of those guys, so it poses a little bit of different challenges and then some of the same challenges. I think we’ll make the decider as you get in there and you start to adjust as you, as the rounds progress and you start to see things more and more, and that’s going to be important on fight night. It’s about being intelligent in there. I know the fight is a long fight; it’s a marathon, not a sprint. So you start toimprovise on the game plan and start to execute what you need to do.

Q
Shawn, we’ve talked a lot about what you did against Devon; Paulie’s expressed his opinion about that. What did you gain from watching Paulie against Adrien Broner? Was there anything that you could gain? I know your styles are different.

S. Porter
Yes, I’m going to say not much from that fight. We have, me and Adrien, have two different styles. So Paulie’s smart, I know that. Paulie has a good coach. Eric Brown is a good coach, I know that. They’re not going to come at me the way that they came at Adrien Broner, and it would be smoke and mirrors for me to look at that fight and say that they will. I think Paulie’s going to use his feet a little bit more and try to use his reach and move away instead of being as aggressive as he was against Adrien.

So I did look at the fight. I’m not going to say what small things I did see that I am going to take from that match, because you don’t want to give up anything at this point. But that really wasn’t one of the fights that I watched that I’m watching to get ready for Paulie.

Q
Did you score the fight? Paulie really feels like he won the fight. What are your thoughts?

S. Porter
Yes, I scored the fight, and every time I come back to it I’m just like it’s out of my hands; whatever the judges say is what it is. I honestly couldn’t — if you said it was a draw — I would have said, “Okay, it was a draw.” I didn’t really have it going Paulie’s way. I had it going more of a draw, or maybe even Adrien’s way.

Q
Paulie, what do you have to say about the fact that he says he couldn’t pick anything up? Did you learn anything, is there something you didn’t do in that fight? Did you do enough to win, and is there something you can learn, even at your age and with your experience into this fight?

P. Malignaggi
I felt like I did enough to not lose my title, to hold onto my title. I do think it was a close fight, but I did feel like I did enough to hold onto my title. Like I said, I think in the end, at the end of the day, that fight was always going to be used as a filler to fill Adrien’s bullshit resume, which is what it is pretty much if you look at it as a whole. But at the end of the day it didn’t go my way and I’m not going to sit there crying over it or to go back at it. And I think I’ve made my points about the fight, and we go on and we move on.

I actually think I’m fighting a better opponent than Adrien Broner. I think you match up Adrien Broner and Shawn Porter, and I think Shawn Porter beats him every time simply on the grind. Adrien doesn’t like to fight, and I think Shawn would force him to fight at a pace that he wouldn’t like. And Adrien, as we saw in the Maidana fight, doesn’t have an answer when you force him to fight at a pace that he doesn’t like.

So I think I’ve got a better opponent in front of me, I think I’ve got a more worthy world champion in front of me, but that makes it all the more the better of a fight, that makes it all more entertaining for the fans, and that’s going to make it a better stylistic match up overall, because there’s skill, there’s talent, there’s grind, there’s hard work in there. We’ve got the combination of everything you want to see in a fight. And so I think anything I can take from the Broner fight doesn’t really apply here. I’ve got a better fighter in front of me.

And really the only thing, at the end of the day, everybody came in saying he’s going to be the big puncher and all that stuff, and I actually came in respecting a little too much at first, and it turned out he couldn’t punch for shit. So it was a lot of aliveness that some of me subconsciously bought into with Adrien, and I’m definitely not going to make that mistake again.

But Shawn Porter, all I can say, I think he’s a better fighter than Adrien, but at the end of the day it’s a different fight, and so there’s a different kind of game plan.

Q
All right. And the difference also was that, I don’t know if you feel this is relevant, you weren’t without Haymon when you fought him. You are now. You’ve won a fight since then over Zab Judah. Do you feel that you could potentially be a filler for his resume or do you feel like the the playing field is even?

P. Malignaggi
I think the field is even. I think Al takes care of all his fighters and when they’re matched up against each other it’s just may the best man win. I think on the 19th it will be that kind of situation: may the best man win. I’ve got no complaints, I don’t believe Shawn does, so I think it’s just a matter of it’s a competition and we both want the same thing. We’re in the same weight class, we both want world championships, and so you kind of come across each other and you have to fight for what you want. So I have no beef on any of that, you know what I mean; it’s all in the name of competition, and that’s what I’m here to do.

Q
Shawn, what do you think of his thoughts of how he kept saying that you’re a better fighter than Adrien?

S. Porter
I mean I feel the same way. I think that I’m one of the best welterweight fighters here. I feel like I have everything that it takes, the mentality, the physicality, the strength, everything, the heart, everything that it takes to become a world champion. I think I have all that. And again, like Paulie said, I am extremely competitive. I would not be fighting Paulie Malignaggi if he was a filler fighter, if he was just someone for me to get in the ring with and showcase my skills against. I wouldn’t do it, because that’s not what we accept. We don’t accept anything but the best. Everybody thought he was the best opposition for us, and so with that being said I’m really looking forward to April 19. And I’m excited that Paulie is willing to get in there and be as competitive as I expect him to come into the ring and be.

Q
Paulie, you’ve always done a good job of mentally evaluating fighters before we see them in the ring. You did that with Adrien and you also did that recently with Judah when you mentioned how you did that and basically with the strategy that you brought to the ring. From what you see of Shawn Porter do you feel his aggression can be broken that same way, just based on what you’ve seen so far from him in the ring?

P. Malignaggi
I think the trick is always to take what a fighter does best and kind of try to minimize it or take it away from him. So one of Shawn’s best assets is that aggressive physicality, so as a fighter, as a veteran of the sport, as a guy myself who has been around some of the best fighters in the world and have been around some of the best fighters in the world, has been trained with some of the best trainers in the world, including the one I have now, Eric Brown, I think you gain a lot of knowledge going through all of that. And I think it’s not out of the question to say Shawn is a very good fighter, but at the end of the day there’s traps that can be set for that kind of aggressiveness, and there’s traps that will be set for that kind of aggressiveness. So you kind of you go with the flow and then you adjust as the fight goes along.

But boxing is like numbers, they never end; there’s always a counter move to a move, you know what I’m saying. So I expect that kind of fight. I really expect a demanding, physically demanding fight. We always come in very good shape. I do and I know he does, and it’s going to come down to a lot more than just grinding to win the fight. Boxing at a world-class level is a combination of a lot of things; just one thing will not win you the fight. So I think we both know that, we both understand that, and I for sure understand that, and have implemented that on my game plan going into the fight.

Q
Paulie, a couple years ago you mentioned that one of your main goals with boxing was you wanted to get into the Hall of Fame. You also mentioned at that time you felt you had a few key losses that might prevent you from getting that goal. If you were to win this fight and become a three-time world champion, do you think that would finally put you over the hump to possibly get in the Hall of Fame when you retire?

P. Malignaggi
It’s not up to me to decide that. I hadn’t really given it a lot of thought in recent years. I think a lot goes into the Hall of Fame besides what you do in the ring. I think a lot of it has to do with the kind of team you have around you. For example, if I had the team I have now from when I turned pro I think for sure I’d be a Hall of Famer. But I didn’t have the team I have now when I first turned pro, I didn’t have the team I have now from up until recently through these last few years. Getting into the Hall of Fame, there’s a lot of different things involved in that. In the last few years especially, I have not given it a lot of thought. If it happens it happens, if it doesn’t it doesn’t. Really my focus is on being the best fighter I can be and just accomplishing one goal at a time and make some good money in the process.

Q
Shawn, do you see any weaknesses in Paulie’s boxing skills that you feel that you can take advantage of? Because he’s pretty good, he’s pretty smart, and he’s always active, so what do you see that you could take advantage of?

S. Porter
Pretty good, pretty smart, and pretty active; you hit it on the nose with that one. We plan to just take advantage of that; when he’s trying to be active we want to be more active, when he’s trying to be smart we want to be feinting him and showing him things that he can’t, or not that he can’t, but things that are just going to propose questions, things that are going to make him uncomfortable in the ring. And with that being said, that’s kind of the blueprint, I think, to beating Paulie is just making him uncomfortable, and I plan to do that.

Q
Paulie, before your last fight with Judah you had said that you were examining your career and that another loss might make you want to consider if you – wanted to continue on in the sport. Now that you have beaten Judah and you have that victory do you feel like your career has been revitalized?

P. Malignaggi
Yes, I think you’re always one key win away from revitalizing your career. I think boxing at a world-class level, when you have a good resume behind you already, I think you’re always one good win away from revitalizing things. But I just take one fight at a time. I have fun doing it. I enjoy my time in boxing, I enjoy my time competing. I still love it, I still love to be in front of a big crowd and hear the crowd roar in a big championship match.

So at 33-years old, you’re not 23, you don’t have a lot of years in front of you, but at the same time I’m the kind of determined fighter, determined athlete that if I do something I’m going to do it 100 percent, otherwise I won’t do it. So my time fighting, while I’m still fighting, it’s going to be done 100 percent. I’m going to keep giving it my all every time I step in the ring and fight. I always told myself that I would refuse to be one of these older veterans that kind of just fights just to step in the ring and make an extra paycheck, but really doesn’t dig down the same way that he used to. You see a lot of older fighters tending to reach that point in their career where they just don’t want to dig down the same way, and I always remind myself that will not be me.

So I think I keep proving it. I think I always grind and hustle the way I need to, be it in the ring or be it in the gym, and so to kind of not be stereotyped in that way. When my time is done fighting, I’ll be done fighting. I don’t need to force it, right, I don’t need to force it. But I want to do it, and I think my body work speaks for itself, so I’ll keep doing it as long as I can.

Q
Paulie, do you see any weaknesses in Shawn’s boxing skills that you can take advantage of?

P. Malignaggi
There’s pros and cons to everybody’s style. Everybody does some good things, everybody has some bad habits, and so none of us are perfect as fighters. Shawn does a lot of good things, but in turn he also does some things that you can kind of make him pay for it. So come fight night we’ll see who has all the answers.

But absolutely it takes, it’s like he said, you got to grind hard, you got to be smart. Tthere’s going to be times when you do one or the other. I think a fight evolves a certain way, and then from there you start to add the pieces to it. But absolutely I don’t think anybody likes to be uncomfortable, so making each other uncomfortable is definitely a game plan for both of us I guess.

Q
Paulie, you keep talking about traps and maybe a little inexperience on Shawn’s part that you see. Do you see enough of that that you can exploit him and put yourself in the position to eventually get another big fight, maybe a Mayweather fight down the line, maybe a rematch with Broner?

P. Malignaggi
I don’t look at it. I don’t look past anything with Shawn. Right now I’m looking at April 19 and I know there might be others from the welterweight division in general, but I really don’t think about anything but Shawn right now and the fact that I’m fighting him and that I’ll handle my business on April 19with Shawn. As far as how I’m setting traps or whatnot, I mean those are just as you make on the fly. You see things in somebody’s file and you kind of look for them during the fight or maybe you’ll see something else during the fight that you may not have seen on video or whatnot. Regardless, I’m a guy that I feel like I’m very intelligent, I feel like I observe things, I catch onto things quickly, and sometimes when I’m in the ring with somebody I may see something different than I did when I wasn’t in the ring with that person. So some of the traps that get set are preordained, or whatever they’re called, we’ll set them from knowing … in setting these kind of traps, and sometimes you may see other things that you got to set different kind of traps once you get there.

So little by little; it’s one round at a time and, like I said, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. So it’s two world-class fighters in there going at it putting their best effort up. So I don’t expect an easy fight, I never do, so it’s the kind of thing I know I’m going to have to think my way through.

Q
Paulie, you seem very respectful. Is it the way that Shawn approaches you or is it just your laser focus right now that if you get past this you know there’s big things at the end of the rainbow for you?

P. Malignaggi
I always feel like I’m focused, but I know Shawn and his dad, I’ve seen them, I see them training at the Wild Card back when I was there, always respectful people, just good competitive guys that want to make the best of themselves. So I don’t knock that, I don’t knock that at all. I think we’re all in this to make a buck, to make a career for ourselves, to make a name for ourselves, and there’s definitely nothing wrong with that. And so they’ve always been respectful, so I have no reason to disrespect him.

Q
Shawn, going into this fight everything’s a little different for you. You’re the champ, you’re getting a lot more attention, people are recognizing you. How has this changed you, who you are as a person and also, more importantly, how you’re preparing to get into the ring?

S. Porter
Winning this IBF title hasn’t changed me one bit, especially not as a person, but it hasn’t changed anything around me either. I still live with my dad, we still train hard every day, and I still have the same team that I’ve had for the last ‘X’ amount of years. It’s still tight, it’s still small and we’re going to keep it that way. We know what it took to get to this championship and we know that that worked, and so we don’t want to change anything and make anything different. Maybe working harder. My dad works me extremely hard. That could be the only thing that I would say has changed is I’m working harder in some type of way. I come to the ring always strong and in the best shape of my life, so that’s a given. But if I had to say anything changed I would say we’re working harder.

Q
Shawn, Paulie has great athleticism, he’s a fast fighter, doesn’t have the pop that you might want out of a boxer, but he presents a lot to you. What do you think is the most significant thing that he can give you trouble with or offer that will give you trouble?

S. Porter
You know what, to be honest with you, I’m not sure. I’ve watched Paulie, I’ve seen what he can do. I’ve seen it before; I’ve been against it. And like he says, it’s just a matter of being smart, making adjustments: he’s quick, I’m quicker; he’s fast, I’m faster; he works hard, I’m going to work harder than him. I’m going to keep my title. What he can do to make me uncomfortable or make me slow down or anything like that remains to be seen. I really don’t know what that is, so when we get in the ring I’m going to expect that to come up. But every round we’ll take it one round at a time and make our adjustments as we go.

B. Binkow
Well thanks, Kelly, and thanks, everybody, for joining. I wanted to reiterate that the fight, again, is on April 19 at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. It’s a great, great tripleheader live on SHOWTIME starting at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. We heard from all four guys that are on the featured bouts, and I think it’s going to be a very memorable night. And, obviously, I urge everybody to tune in or come to the fight if they can and they’re in the neighborhood. And looking forward to speaking to Bernard and Beibut tomorrow. So until then thank you guys very much, and have a great day.

# # #

Hopkins vs. Shumenov, a 12-round fight for the IBF, WBA and IBA Light Heavyweight World Championship, will take place Saturday, April 19 at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T and Casamigos Tequila. In the 12-round co-features, Shawn Porter defends his IBF Welterweight World Title against Paulie Malignaggi and Peter Quillin puts his WBO Middleweight World Title on the line against Lukas Konecny. The live SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $200 and $300, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are on sale now and available online at http://www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling (800) 745-3000. The DC Armory Box Office will be open on fight night only from 3 p.m.-10 p.m. ET.




Peter ‘Kid Chocolate’ Quillin Training in NYC instead of LA for Apr. 19 WBO title defense vs. Lucas Konecny

Peter Quillin
NEW YORK CITY (April 2, 2014) – Due to family considerations, undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) middleweight champion of the World, Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (30-0, 22 KOs), is training at home in New York City instead of Los Angeles for his April 19 world title defense, airing live on SHOWTIME, against No. 2 ranked Czech challenger Lukas Konecny (50-4, 23 KOs).

Quillin vs. Konecny is part of the Golden Boy Promotions event, sponsored by Corona and AT&T, and headlined by the world light heavyweight unification fight between IBF champion Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins and WBA title-holder Beibut Shumenov. The live SHOWTIME telecast will begin at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) and be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Quillin has trained in L.A. for his last eight fights, including three world championship bouts, since he signed a promotional contract with Golden Boy Promotions in 2010. The 30-year-old Quillin decided to stay at home in Brooklyn and train at the famed Gleason’s Gym and Trinity Gym because his wife, Allison, is pregnant with their first child.

In the middle of training camp for his last fight, his 10-round stoppage of Gabriel Rosado last October, Allison suffered a miscarriage five months into her pregnancy. Quillin was 3000 miles away in L.A., unable to comfort his wife, who was home in New York City.

“Marriage (June 15, 2013) has given me structure; I’m fighting for my family, so my kids are much better off than I was growing up,” Quillin explained “Last fight, I was obligated to camp and she had to go through it all without me being there with her. I struggled with it and have worked on being more compassionate. I decided to train at home for this fight so I can be close to her. We’re living separately, though, because she understands the importance of this fight. She’s giving me space to focus on training.”

Quillin’s L.A.-based head trainer, Eric Brown, is working in New York City with “Kid Chocolate,” as well as one of his other fighters, two-time world champion Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi, who also lives in Brooklyn. Everything has worked out well because Mallignagi is fighting on the same Apr. 19 card, challenging IBF welterweight champion Shawn Porter (23-0-1, 14 KOs). Brown is splitting duties for both camps, working with Quillin and Malignaggi at the fighter’s respective gym.

Fighting at home also has other advantages for Quillin, who eats organic meals provided daily by Juice Place, and received messages and other forms of physical therapy at Sports Rehab.

“I’m very comfortable training at home,” Quillin added. “I’m with my people from Juice Press, Sports Rehab and other local places. And I’m there for my wife. I’m motivated to turn in my best performance April 19th.”

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $200 and $300, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges are on sale now and are available online at http://www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling (800) 745-3000. The DC Armory Box Office will be open on fight night only from 3:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. ET.

For more information about Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin go online to www.TheKidChocolate.com (Team Kid Chocolate T-shirts on sale here) or follow him on Twitter @KidChocolate and Instagram@KidChocolate.




SHAWN “SHOWTIME” PORTER DEFENDS HIS IBF WELTERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE AGAINST FORMER TWO TIME TWO DIVISION PAULIE “MAGIC MAN” MALIGNAGGI ON SATURDAY, APRIL 19 AT THE DC ARMORY IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Paulie Malignaggi
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 17, 2014) – Two world championship fights on one night is great for boxing fans. But Golden Boy Promotions and SHOWTIME believe that three is even better. So, on Saturday, April 19, joining the title fights between Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins and Beibut Shumenov and Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin and Lukas Konecny there will be a battle for the IBF Welterweight World title between champion Shawn “Showtime” Porter and former two-time and two division word champion and current NABF Welterweight titleholder Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi, making this tripleheader at the D.C. Armory in Washington, D.C. a must see.

“I fought hard to get this title. Paulie says he wants it, but is he willing to go through me to get it?” said Porter, who won his crown with an impressive win over Devon Alexander last December. “Fighting Malignaggi is like fighting Alexander. They don’t have the strength or power to keep me away, and I will steamroll Paulie on my way to victory April 19.”

“I’m excited to be back in a title fight so soon after my win over Zab Judah. I will become a three-time world champion on April 19,” said Malignaggi. “Porter is a good fighter and I’m sure he’ll be a champion again in the future, but he doesn’t have the tools or experience to beat me.”

A native of Akron, Ohio, unbeaten Shawn “Showtime” Porter (23-0-1, 14 KOs)
showed on Dec. 7, 2013 that all of the rave reviews he received since his amateur days were well deserved, as he scored a 12-round unanimous decision win over Devon Alexander to win the IBF Welterweight World title. The win followed impressive professional victories over Julio Diaz, Phil Lo Greco and Alfonso Gomez that put Porter at the top of the 147-pound weight class. Now the 26-year-old begins his reign on April 19 against “Magic Man.”

When he’s not winning awards for his commentating work on SHOWTIME broadcasts, NABF Welterweight Champion Brooklyn’s Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi (33-5, 7 KOs) is proving that, at 33, he’s still one of the top welterweights in the world. Winner of six of his last seven bouts, with the only loss coming via split decision to Adrien Broner last June, Malignaggi was in top form when he defeated Zab Judah last December, and on April 19, he has the opportunity to become a three-time World Champion.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.sports.sho.com and follow on Twitter at @Therealbhop, @Kidchocolate, @ShowtimeShawnP @PaulMalignaggi @GoldenBoyBoxing, @SHOSports and @Swanson_Comm , follow the conversation using #HopkinsShumenov and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

Hopkins vs. Shumenov, a 12-round fight for the IBF, IBA and WBA Light Heavyweight World Championship, will take place Saturday, April 19 at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T and Casamigos Tequila. In the co-features, Peter Quillin puts his WBO Middleweight World Title on the line against Lukas Konecny in a 12-round bout and Shawn Porter faces Paulie Malignaggi in a 12-round welterweight bout for his IBF World title. The live SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $200 and $300, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are on sale now and available online at www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling (800) 745-3000. The DC Armory Box Office will be open on fight night only from 3 p.m.-10 p.m. ET.




Peter ‘Kid Chocolate’ Quillin Searching for defining fight

Peter Quillin
NEW YORK CITY (November 6, 2013) – Held prisoner because of the boxing network war, undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) middleweight champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (30-0, 22 KOs) is still searching for his career defining fight.

The 30-year-old Quillin, fighting out of Brooklyn, is the only top-rated 160-pounder aligned with Showtime. The marquee-name middleweights, Sergio Martinez (WBC/Ring Magazine champion) and Gennady Golovkin (WBA), fight exclusively on rival HBO.

Quillin relishes the opportunity to fight any of the top rated middleweights, but he also understands the politics of boxing and the situation it has presently placed him in. “It’s not up to me who I fight,” Quillin said. “If the money is right, I’m up for fighting any of the top names, especially Martinez and Golovkin, but everybody’s aware of what’s going on behind the scenes (Showtime vs. HBO). My job is to work hard and be ready. I have the most powerful team in boxing (Golden Boy Promotions, adviser Al Haymon, co-managers John Seip and Jim McDevitt) and they get me the best available deals. I’m not worried about who I’m fighting. They come to me with my fights.”

Here’s how Quillin breaks down the top middleweights in the world, not listed in any particular order:

Sergio Martinez: “He is the one everybody has as No. 1 in the middleweight division. Martinez has fought some very exciting fights. He’s a showman in the ring.”

Gennady Golovkin: “A power puncher. Golovkin brings power into the ring and gets a lot of knockouts.”

Darren Barker (IBF champion): “He always puts his best foot forward and always tries as hard as possible. Barker and I would bring a lot of fireworks into the ring.”

Daniel Geale: “Another exciting fighter who bangs with the best. It worked for a while against Barker.”

Felix Sturm: “I haven’t seen too much of him. I hope Sturm pursues more fights to make the middleweight division even tougher than it is right now.”

Martin Murray: “He is determined and exciting. I can’t take anything away from Murray.”

Peter Quillin: “A very exciting guy always looking for new ways to win. He has power, showmanship and a lot of smarts in the ring.”

Quillin recently overcame personal heartache in his second title defense victory, by 10th round technical knockout over a game Gabriel Rosado, who suffered a serious cut over his eye that resulted in the fight being halted on the advice of the ring doctor. While he was in the middle of training camp in Los Angeles, Quillin’s wife, Allison, suffered a miscarriage five months into her pregnancy. She was home in New York City.

“I struggled with it,” Quillin admitted. “I was obligated to camp, 3000 miles away, and she had to go through it without me being there to comfort her. We’re praying together and I’m working on being more compassionate.”

Quillin is already back in the gym, going through light workouts and yoga. “I took a week off and bought my dream car (red Corvette Stingray),” he added. “I get depressed when I’m not working out. My wife goes to work and I’m all alone. I need to be active to be productive, so I went right back into the gym. My dad taught me how to clear my head. I’m staying ready and in shape, just in case the opportunity for my career defining fight comes along.”

For more information about Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin go online to www.TheKidChocolate.com (Team Kid Chocolate T-shirts on sale here) or follow him on Twitter @KidChocolate and Instagram@KidChocolate.




Hopkins retains Light Heavy crown with decision over Murat

Bernard Hopkins
ATLANTIC CITY–The ageless Bernard Hopkins yet again held back the clock as he scored a 12 round unanimous decision over unheralded mandatory challenger Karo Murat at Boardwalk Hall.

Hopkins took a few rounds getting adjusted to Murat who came to win.

The bout was entertaining and featured many furious exchanges that aren’t common in most Hopkins bouts. Hopkins had Murat hurt on several occasions as his vaunted straight right hand was on point and began to bust up the face around Murat’s left eye. In between the action there was some holding that was precipitated by Murat and he was docked a point by referee Steve Smoger in round seven.

In round eight, the man known as “The Alien” became more entertaining as he engaged in an exchange with Murat while talking to the television cameras on the apron. Hopkins desperately wanted a knockout was aggressive and had Murat hurt down the stretch. Murat did mount an effort but came up short on this night to the 48 year-old legend.

Hopkins outlanded Murat 247-565 to 147-486. The hopkins tally included 184 power punches.

Hopkins, 172 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 119-109, 119-109 and 117-110 (same as 15rounds.com) and is now 54-6-2. Murat, 174 lbs of Berlin, Germany is 25-2-1.

“Richard Schaefer said we needed to be crowd pleasers,” said Hopkins, the oldest champion in sports history. “The crowd wanted to see skill and blood so I had some blood to give them. I am an entertainer and this is what people want to see… He was a game number one contender.”

When asked by SHOWTIME ringside reporter Jim Gray if Murat brought out the best in him, Hopkins answered, “Not really, but he didn’t bring out the worst either.”

Regarding the slow start, Hopkins said, “That was the plan. That was the bone on the string so that the dog could follow him into a dark alley and then realize someone was waiting on him. And that dog was me.”

Hopkins continued, “He throws pretty good punches and he is no one to sleep on. He is going to give some light heavyweights a bit of a problem.”

When Gray asked Hopkins how he stays in such phenomenal shape at age 48, Hopkins replied, “I’m a freaking alien.”

Gray then spoke to Murat who said, “Bernard is a good boxer and I lost concentration due to the two cuts which came by head butts. I know that when I am in good shape I can beat him, however, the cuts disturbed me.”

Peter Quillin retained the WBO Middleweight title with a 10th round stoppage over Gabriel Rosado when the challenger was deemed unable to continue due to a cut over the left eye.

In round two, Quillin landed a left hook to the side of the head that sent Rosado to the canvas. Rosado fought back valiantly and started to get into fight with some solid right hands. the two traded off rounds with Quillin throwing less but landing harder. Rosado landed the flashier punches and seemed to be picking up momentum in various parts of the fight.

In round nine, a bad cut appeared around the left eye of Rosado that was ruled from a punch. Just forty seconds into round ten, ringside doctor Blair Bergen thought the blood was too much and stopped the fight.

Quillin, 159 1/4 lbs is now 30-0 with 22 knockouts. Rosado, 160 lbs is now a hard luck 21-7.

Said Quillin after the fight, “I’m not a judge. I’m not an elected official. I did what I had to do as a fighter and I respect the call. The referees and doctors ringside did what they had to do to make sure the fighters are safe.

“I never expect an easy payday or an easy fight. I work hard every time for each fight… When you dedicate to win a title you need to give that person a sense of being able to achieve what they want. I am a world champion and I work hard. He has never been a champion and he doesn’t know.

“I’m ready for anybody. I am a fighter and I worry about fighting. If it is a rematch, then I don’t care. I work hard to be in this ring and I work hard to defend my title against anybody. I don’t care if it is against my own mother.”

Of the stoppage, Rosado told Gray, “I felt like that was B.S. This is a championship fight. We were going into the championship rounds. This was a competitive fight. I never complained about a cut. When the doctor saw my eye, I told him that I could see. It was not giving me any problems up to that point.

“I noticed if I backed him up with a jab that I was hurting him and I was doing that. But then the doctor called me over and stopped the fight. This is boxing. What about Gatti-Ward? They didn’t stop that fight. Corrales-Castillo. We are warriors.

“I never even complained that I couldn’t see. Of course I want a rematch. This is the story of my life. I’m the real Rocky Balboa.”

Deontay Wilder made it 30 for 30. 30-0, 30 knockouts that is as he scored a four round destruction over Nicolai Firtha in a scheduled ten round Heavyweight bout.

Firtha came rushing out and made Wilder stumble from a left hand. Wilder came back string in the round as he floored Firtha twice in the round. The first knockdown came from a hard right hand while the second was from a right to the side of the head. Firtha began to gush blood from his nostrils. Wilder kept up the power assault in round two and then dropped Firtha from a huge power right in the third.

Wilder ended things with a huge right hand that sent Firtha flat on his back and the fight was stopped at 1:26 of round four.

“This is what i wanted. To box and have fun. I told everyone that Firtha was coming to fight. I am right there at the door. Everytime you see me, you know what you are going to get and that a knockout.”, Said Wilder

Wilder, 224 lbs of Tuscaloosa, AL is now 30-0 with 30 knockouts. Firtha, 252 1/2 lbs of Akron, OH is now 21-11-1.

Zachary Ochoa remained undefeated with a four round unanimous decision over Michael Doyle in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

Scores were 40-36, 39-37 and 39-37 for Ochoa, 140 1/2 lbs and is now 5-0. Doyle, 137 lbs is 2-6.

Braulio Santos disposed of David Clark in round one of their scheduled eight round Featherweight bout.

Santos rocked Clark with two vicious power shots and then connected on a devastating left hook that sent Clark down. Clark got to his feet but referee David Fields called the bout off at 1:49 of round one.

Santos of Puerto Rico is now 11-1 with 10 knockouts. Clark is 6-3.

Dominic Wade opened the show up with a first round destruction over Roberto Ventura in a scheduled eight round Middleweight bout.

Wade rocked Ventura with a left hook and then dropped him with an overhand right. Seconds later Wade dropped Ventura with an overhand right. Wade finished things with a hard overhand right that sent Ventura down for a third and final time and the bout was stopped at 2:08 of round one.

Wade is now 13-0 with 10 knockouts. Ventura is now 12-8.