PHILADELPHIA, PA (JUNE 12, 2013)—On Friday night, June 28th, Banner Promotions will present ESPN’s Friday Night Fights at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.

In the main event, former Middleweight world title challenger Grzegorz Proksa will take on former WBC Super Welterweight champion Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora in a Middleweight bout that is scheduled for ten rounds.

Proksa of Jaworzno, Poland and now residing Redhill, England has a record of 29-2 with 21 knockouts. The 28 year old had won his first twenty six bouts which included winning the European Middleweight title on two occasions. He won the belt for the first time when he stopped former IBF World champion Sebastian Sylvester in three rounds. He reclaimed the belt as he avenged his defeat to Kerry Hope, by scoring an eighth round stoppage. Proksa is coming off a 6 round unanimous decision over Norbert Szekeres on February 9th. On September 1st, 2012.

Sergio Mora of Los Angeles, California won his first twenty one bouts and gained fame by winning the inaugural “Contender” reality show, as he scored wins over future world title challengers Jesse Brinkley and Peter Manfredo Jr., as well as current IBF world champion Ishe Smith. Mora, 32 years old, defeated Manfredo in the rematch before reaching the highlight of his career when he scored a twelve round unanimous decision over Vernon Forrest to capture the WBC Super Welterweight title on June 7th, 2008. Mora continued to put up good results. He battled three-division champion and future Hall of Famer Shane Mosley to a draw on September 18th, 2010 which headlined a Pay Per View card.

In the ten round co-feature, Brazilian knockout artist, Patrick Teixeira will take on Marcus Willis in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

The 22 year-old Teixeira of Sao Paulo, Brazil has a record of 19-0 with 17 knockouts. Teixeira has faced and knocked out the best Junior Middleweights in his native Brazil, such as Jailton De Jesus Souza (11-0); Eraldo Cesar Pereira (5-0); Dario Armando Matorras (13-1) and Pablo Aguero (3-0). In his last bout, Teixeira scored a 1st round stoppage over Luis Acevedo on January 12th.

Marcus Willis of Fort Myers, Florida has a record of 13-2-2 with 3 knockouts. The 26 year old has faced good competition and has quality wins over top prospect James De La Rosa (21-1) in an upset on April 12th in Las Vegas; undefeated Yolexcy Leiva (2-0); Jamond Bourgeois (2-0) and Christopher De La Paz (4-0).

The undercard will feature the 2012 Olympic Bronze medalist from the Ukraine Taras Shelestyuk, now undefeated at 3-0, with 3 knockouts as a professional; Heavyweight prospect Donovan Dennis (6-1-0, 5 KO’s) from Davenport, Iowa will battle local Jacksonville heavyweight Curtis Harper (7-2); Jacksonville heavyweight Chris Vendola will appear in a 4 round heavyweight scrap against Kareem Brann, a Jacksonville Corrections Officer and F.O.P. member in his professional debut; Jacksonville middleweight Steve Chadwick will also appear in a 4 round bout as well. The remainder of the undercard will be announced shortly. All bouts are subject to change without notice.

Doors open at: 5:30 P.M. (all times Eastern Time)

First fight at: 7:00 P.M.

First Bout on ESPN at: 9:00 PM

Tickets prices: $25, $35, $50, $75, $100, $125 & Tables $3,000 (Seat 10 People).

Tickets available at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena Box Office – Tel.: (904) 630-3900, and on the Arena website: www.jaxevents.com .

LOS ANGELES, May 17 – As the return of Sugar Shane Mosley approaches, FOX Deportes will celebrate the return of one of the future Hall of Famer on Saturday, May 18, with back-to-back Classics shows that will lead into Mosley’s comeback fight against Mexico’s Pablo Cesar Cano which will be broadcast live on FOX Sports Networks and FOX Deportes from The Grand Oasis in Cancun, Mexico.

At 7:00 pm ET, it’s a trip back to September of 2010, when Mosley squared off against Sergio Mora in a 12-round battle of former champions fighting their way back to the top. Then at 8:00 pm ET, it’s the Classics premiere of Mosley’s February 2006 win over “Ferocious” Fernando Vargas.

All of this action leads up to the live FOX Sports Networks (9:30 p.m. ET) and FOX Deportes (9:00 p.m. ET) telecasts from Cancun headlined by the welterweight battle between Mosley and Cano.

Fighting at 154 pounds, Three-Division World Champion Sugar Shane Mosley battled reality series “The Contender” winner and former Super Welterweight World Champion Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora on September 18, 2010 at STAPLES Center in 2010. After 12 rounds, a draw verdict was rendered in the bout.

Two of the most popular fighters of this era, Mosley and Vargas battled it out for Southern California bragging rights at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on February 25, 2006. In the end, it was Mosley who emerged victorious via a tenth round technical knockout in the exciting contest, but the two would meet once again five months later with Mosley emerging victorious again.

Mosley vs. Cano is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Pepe Gomez Promotor Deportivo and sponsored by Corona, Periodico QueQui, The Grand OasisCancun, Quintana Roo Tourism and Cancun Tourism. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. CT and the first fight begins at 6:30 p.m. CT. The FOX Sports Networks and FOX Deportes broadcast will air live at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT respectively and the Televisa broadcast will air on Canal 5 beginning at 10:30 p.m. CT.

Tickets, priced at 200 pesos, 300 pesos, 500 pesos, 1000 pesos and 1500 pesos are available for purchase at Periodico Quequi by calling +52 (998) 193 2100, Hotel GranOasis, Farmacias Paris, sucursal Yaxchilan and Crucero, Presidencia Municipal de Benito Juarez.

For more information visitwww.goldenboypromotions.com, www.quequi.com.mx, www.FOXDeportes.com and www.televisadeportes.com, follow on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/PeriodicoQuequi,www.twitter.com/SugarShaneM, www.twitter.com/TD_Deportes andwww.twitter.com/FOXDeportes and visit on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/periodicoquequi and www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes.

Los Angeles middleweight Sergio Mora has agreed to fight Jesus Gonzales on April 19 in Phoenix, Gonzales’ hometown, but only if the bout is televised.

No television, no fight, Mora said Thursday night.

“We’ve settled on the money, the weight, the date and place,’’ Mora said. “But I don’t want to go into the other guy’s town, get robbed and it’s not on TV.’’

As of Thursday, there was no television deal for the bout at a still undetermined location in Phoenix.

Mora (23-3-2, 7 KOs) said he hoped to hear within a few days as to whether Fan Base Promotions of Calgary, Canada, has a television deal. Fan Base promoted a Gonzales victory over Francisco Sierra in July 2011 at US Airways Center in a bout televised by ESPN2. An estimated crowd of 5,000 turned out to see Gonzales (27-2, 14 KOs), a former prospect who continues to be popular in Phoenix. Some argue that the live gate was hurt by an early start dictated by the ESPN schedule. The card at the downtown Phoenix arena began at about 5 p.m. on a work day.

There’s no guarantee that television coverage eliminate hometown bias in the judges and/or referee.

“I just want to make sure that the boxers, people in the business and fans know what happened,’’ Mora said.

Mora says he was robbed twice on the scorecards in losses to Brian Vera, a Texas middleweight. A split decision favored Vera in Fort Worth in 2011. Vera got a majority decision in San Antonio in August. Both were telecast by Telefutura. Mora argues he won both. The video won’t reverse either defeat.

“But it’s always there, if you want to see who really won,’’ Mora said.

Gonzales, who plans to be back at 160 pounds after fighting at super-middleweight, is already planning to train in Las Vegas. Jeff Mayweather will work as his trainer.

“I’ll be in training camp next week, in Las Vegas with Jeff,’’ said Gonzales, who hasn’t fought since emerging Adonis Stevenson knocked him out in a devastating first-round stoppage in Montreal a year ago. “I think Mora is a smart fighter, so I really have to be in top shape and sharp, because his goal is to try and make me look bad. I think this fight will put me back in a great position in my career.’’

Mora is also restless for a fight he hopes will re-ignite his career.

“It’s been a long layoff,’’ said Mora, who got a draw in 2010 with Shane Mosley, then a fading legend. “After that big knockout, I think that this would just be another fight for him. Nobody has ever beaten me decisively. I need a win that will put me back on track.’’

And on TV.

SAN ANTONIO – If you come to Texas and fight a Texan you have to beat that Texan down. Californian Sergio Mora returned to Texas and did not beat Austin’s Brian Vera down (though he probably outboxed him), and again the result went Vera’s way.

Saturday in the main event of a “Solo Boxeo” card promoted by local outfit Leija-Battah Promotions within Alamodome’s Illusions Theater, in an excellent rematch of their 2011 fight Vera (21-6, 12 KOs) decisioned Mora (23-3-2, 7 KOs) by split scores of 114-114, 118-110 and 117-111. The first score was accurate, the others were likely too wide by half.

Afterwards, a furious Mora, who goes by the moniker “Latin Snake,” had venomous things to say about the decision and the state of Texas.

From the opening bell, insiders knew the fight would be determined by Mora’s accuracy or Vera’s activity. Vera’s activity won. Though Mora landed a multitude of right crosses from his shifting stance, and often had Vera outclassed, Vera’s relentlessness impressed the local judges more.

After an opening three rounds that saw Vera busier and Mora significantly more accurate, Vera’s busyness began to tell. Mora, who’d successfully set up shop in both neutral corners and snapped Vera’s head back with counter uppercuts, found his mouth open and his activity diminished as the middle rounds came and went.

But as the championship rounds approached in a match for a vacant NABO middleweight title, and as Vera’s pace slowed slightly, Mora appeared to become the aggressor, landing with hard combinations in the fight’s closing six minutes. Ultimately, though, it was an effort by Mora ineffective as it was tardy, and Vera had his second victory over Mora in as many fights.

ANTONIO ESCALANTE VS. LEONILO MIRANDA
An old saw goes: The man is most dangerous when he is hurt.

That old saw proved itself true once more Saturday when El Paso featherweight Antonio Escalante, retreating on buckling knees, stopped, planted and connected with a short right cross from which Mexican Leonilo Miranda could not rise.

The official end came at 1:19 of round 2, after an uneventful first round saw neither Escalante (27-4, 19 KOs) not Miranda (26-5, 25 KOs) land anything meaningful. Early in the second, though, Miranda connected with a left hand that affected Escalante, putting him on stiff legs.

Then Miranda leaped in, emboldened by Escalante’s retreat, and Escalante snapped a perfect right hand. The 10-count was unnecessary.

BENJAMIN WHITAKER VS. GERMAIN CARSON
Saturday’s first match featured a professional debut by Benjamin Whitaker, a local welterweight, against an awkward fellow Texan named Germain Carson – an entirely successful debut by Whitaker that saw him win by stoppage at 2:33 of round 2.

After a first round that found Whitaker (1-0, 1 KO) leaning with right-hand leads on the southpaw Carson (0-2), leads Carson picked up and evaded for the most part, Whitaker began to move forward and look for openings. With Carson’s high chin, Whitaker found a big opening quickly enough.

“I felt better, actually,” Whitaker said of using lighter gloves and fighting without headgear for the first time. “My hands felt lighter. I liked it.”

A left hook from Whitaker caught Carson late in the second round and dropped him for the full count of 10. It was an excellent debut for a likable local prospect before a lively crowd.

DAQUAN ARNETT VS. ISHWAR AMADOR
The evening’s second bout, a junior middleweight match between undefeated Floridian Daquan Arnett (6-0, 4 KOs) and many-times-defeated Mexican Ishwar Amador (11-11, 7 Kos) did not last long. In fact, it lasted only so long as it took Arnett, an Al Haymon-advised fighter with a Floyd Mayweather style, to land his first right hand.

That right hand was a crisp cross that found its home on Amador’s chin and resulted in a no-count-needed knockout for Arnett at 0:36 of round 1. Arnett, who has both talent and proper management, is a fighter to keep an eye on.

ADAM LOPEZ VS. MARIO DELGADO
The evening’s third match found former local amateur standout Adam Lopez (4-0, 2 KOs) making quick work of fellow Texas bantamweight Mario Delgado (0-3) of Brownsville, stopping him with a left hook to the belly at 1:21 of round 1. Lopez, who suffered a flash knockdown in the first round of his last appearance at Illusions Theater, fought more effectively Saturday, though his competition has diminished considerably lately.

STEVE HALL VS. MILTON RAMOS
In the undercard’s most entertaining match, a battle between Texas welterweights, local fan favorite Steve Hall (5-3, 5 KOs), an Englishman who wears a sombrero and serape to the ring, went through six hellish rounds with Milton “Bad Boy” Ramos (8-3-2, 2 KOs) of Waco, in a match Ramos won by unanimous scores of 60-54, 59-55 and 58-56.

From the opening minute, when a balance shot stunned Hall, Ramos found his San Antonio opponent with most every right hand he threw. Hall was game, though, wading into whatever Ramos served, and tasting three or four of them at a time, in the hopes of landing a right of his own or a left hook behind Ramos’ right elbow.

The match was closer than six-rounds-to-one, but the right man was victorious, much to local fans’ dismay.

UNDERCARD
Saturday’s fifth match saw local junior featherweight Javier “Pitbull” Rodriguez (3-0-1) decision fellow San Antonian Kermit Hendricks (1-3) by three scores of 39-37.

The penultimate match of the evening, a swing bout between Texas featherweights Jerren Cochran (5-0, 3 KOs) and Jesus Rocha (3-3), began on a very entertaining note and ended in a unanimous decision for Cochran – scores of 40-35, 40-35 and 39-36 – who got hit with a surprising number of punches for a man who fights out of a shell.

Opening bell rang on the card’s professional bouts at 7:10 PM local time. Attendance was estimated by someone associated with the promotion at about 3,000.

Former Super Welterweight champion Sergio Mora stopped former title challenger Jose Flores after round seven of a scheduled ten round Middleweight bout at the Fantasy Springs Resort in Indio, CA.

Mora battered Flores and was more aggressive then his usual counter punching style.  Mora landed hard combinations and battered Flores at the end of round seven and he did not come out for round eight.

Mora, 161 lbs of East Los Angeles, CA is now 23-2-2 with seven knockouts.  Flores, 158 3/4 lbs of Sonora, MX is now 43-12.

Hugo Centeno remined perfect by scoring a six round unanimous decision over Hector Orozco in a Jr, Middleweight bout.

Centeno, 151 1/2 lbs of Oxnard, CA won by scores of 59-55; 58-56; 58-56 and is now 10-0.  Orozco, 150 1/2 lbs of Minneapolis, MN is now 4-9.

Jose Vargas scored a six round unanimous decision over Oscar Chinchilla in a Lightweight bout.

Vargas, 131 1/2 lbs is now 7-1-2. Chinchilla, 131 lbs is 2-2

Brian Vera scored an upset split decision over former world champion Sergio Mora in ten round Middleweight bout at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas.

It was a close fight throughout with Vera being the aggressor while Mora looked for spots to counter and he did that very nicely at times. Vera would get inside consistently with short combination’s and flurries. At times Mora would set combination’s up with his jab but he did not do that enough.

Late in the fight, the blood was flowing as in round seven Mora was cut around left eye from a punch and in round eight the right was split open due to a headbutt. There were some good exchanges in the final round with Vera being cut around his right eye just moments before the final bell sounded.

Vera, 163 of Fort Worth, Texas won two cards by a 96-94 tally while Mora won a card 96-94.

Vera, who also scored an upset over Andy Lee is now 18-5. Mora, 163 of East Los Angeles, California was coming off a draw with legendary Shane Mosley and is now 22-2-2.

Chris Chatman needed a last round knockdown to fight a majority draw with heralded and previously unblemished in an eight round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Hatley scored a knockdown in the first minute of the fight and almost had Chatman out before the opening frame was complete as he peppered Chatman with clean shots. The fight never seemed to get a good rhythm to it as Chatman regained his composure and continued to press the action started getting through with some good shots. Hatley won most of the middle rounds until he seemed to tire late.

Chatman scored a knockdown with a left hand with over a minute to go in the fight and had Hatley holding on until the final bell to get the draw.

18 year old Ray Ximenez Jr. scored a four round unanimous decision over Alfredo Berto in a Bantamweight fight.

Scores were 40-36 on all cards for Ximenez, 117 lbs of Dallas and is 2-0. Berto, 118 lbs is now 1-4.

Hatley, 153 lbs of Dallas, Texas was a former national amateur champion won a card by 77-73 but that was over ruled by the two remaining judges at 75-75.

Hatley is now 14-0-1. Chatman, 153 lbs of San Diego was fighting his third consecutive undefeated fighter and now 9-1-1.

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

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

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

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

Sugar Shane Mosley

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez

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

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

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

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

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

Carlos “Tata” Baldomir

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

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

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

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

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

“Vicious” Victor Ortiz

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

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

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

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

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

“Vicious” Vivian Harris

“He caught me with some great punches. He looked very different. He was very sharp and accurate.”

.

Antonio Escalante (23-2, 15KO’s) met Daniel Ponce De Leon (39-2, 32KO’s), in the WBO Featherweight Eliminator. The first round was the typical feeling out routine. Both fighters kind of measured the other to see where they were. Escalante landed a few big shots in the second round and did a semi-good job of avoiding the return fire of De Leon. De Leon is very aggressive and relentless and throws punches from many different angles. The third round saw both guys throwing many combonation’s that would drop many men. Nearing the end of the third, De Leon landed a mean left upstairs immediately followed by a right hook to the face that floored Escalante. The referee didn’t waste a second in waving the fight off, declaring De Leon the victor at 2:40 of round 3.

“My timing was off, but once I loosened up and got in my groove it was over”, Said De Leon

“I didnt feel his punches at all and I am gonna be a world champion again.”

“De Leon was very poweful and strong and he deserved to win the fight”, said Escalante

So what did we learn today?? Nothing! I think everything that we expected came to fruition. Daniel Ponce De Leon is a stud and is a top contender in the featherweight division. Victor Ortiz and Saul Alvarez are the future of Golden Boy boxing. Alvarez made a huge impression and will be a force in the 154 division. An old, and tired Mosley still has enough in the tank to draw a powerless Sergio Mora.

The next big thing to come out of the Golden Boy stable put on a show for the fans in Los Angeles. Frankie Gomez of East Los, improved his record to 6-0 all by knockout as he pushed around and bullied Ricardo Calzada of Las Vegas. The first round, Gomez felt the power of Calzada and once he knew he couldn’t be harmed, he seeked and destroyed! Calzada did his best to hold on and made it out of the second round, but the third round was a different story. Gomez came out head hunting and got right in Ricardo’s kitchen. He landed a few tough shots on the inside, to the head, that put Calzada on his butt. He rose only to meet an onslaught of punches from all different angles that bloodied his nose and once again saw him on the canvas. The ringside doc stood on the edge of the canvas before the ref even started his count, and at 1:06 of round three, the fight was over. Calzada heads back to Vegas with a record of 2 up and 3 down.

Our next fight was a scheduled six rounder in the lightweight division. David Rodela of nearby Oxnard met Juan Manuel Montiel of Mexico City. This was one of the first bouts of the night where it seemed as if both fighters were using their boxing skills and not a flat out brawl. There were many jab-led combination’s from both fighters. This also made for a boring fight and left the crowd jeering and booing, begging for more action. It seemed like a sparring session and that both guys were going through the motions. The final round did see somewhat of a spike in action which somewhat energized the restless crowd but still, no one really stood out. The fight went the distance, and according to the scorecards which were 59-55 Rodela and the others had it 57-57 resulting in a majority draw, basically indicative of what both fighters displayed. Rodela is now 15-3-4 while Montiel is 6-3-2.

For the only female bout of the night, local lady Kaliesha “Wild Wild” West met Angel Gladney of South Carolina in a scheduled 10 rounder. The first round was a feel out round but West ladned a few meaningful punches as she pressed the action. The next few rounds were all uneventful, not much action, but a lot of faints and jabs. It seemed as if neither fighter wanted to take a chance. In the fourth round, West opened up a bit and started throwing, and landing, meaningful combination’s. Near the beginning of round seven, Wild West landed a huge left that floored Gladney. Gladney rose but the ref waved the fight at :59 seconds in round 7. West, now 13-1-2 with 4 KO’s, is the new bantamweight champion while Gladney drops to 6-3-1.

The third bout was in the junior middleweight division. Undefeated Keith Thurman walked across the ring in the opening seconds and was dropped by a humongous right to the head by Quandray Robertson. Thurman returned the favor at the end of the round as he dropped Robertson with a flurry of punches. Robertson survived the round. This bout was an all out brawl, both boxers swinging wildly when Thurman landed a sneaky body shot that dropped Robertson for the second time midway through round two. In a somewhat uneventful third round, out of nowhere, Thurman landed a left hook inside and up top floored Robertson. The ref immediately waved the fight off and at 2:40 of the third round, Thurman maintained his undefeated record improving to 14-0 with 13KO’s. Robertson drops to 15-10.

Undefeated Sharif Bogere from Nevada made an impressive entrance into the ring as he was donning the fur and head of a lion. Got the few people that are actually in attendance excited. He is facing Julian Rodriguez in a six round, junior welterweight battle. All the action was pressed by Bogere as he landed a thunderous left hook up top at 1:42 of the second round to win by KO and improve his record to 17-0 with 11 KO’s. Rodriguez drops to 17-20-4.

In our first bout, Eric Areola of Mexico met Missael Nunez, also of Mexico, in a four round, featherweight battle. In what was a lopsided fight, Areola improved to 1-1 with a majority decision as the judges called it 38-38 on one card and 40-36 on the other two. Nunez drops to 4-9-2.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, hot shot Welterweight prospect Saul Alvarez will take on former undisputed Welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir on September 18th as part of the Shane Mosley – Sergio Mora Pay per View at Staples Center in Los Angeles

“When Alvarez recently fought in Mexico, there was an average between six and eight people per home watching this fight,” said Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, referring to statistics he said he received from Mexican network Televisa. “The fight got a 17.8 rating, which is equivalent to 600,000 homes watched by 60 million people.

“Canelo has reached superstar status in Mexico. The ratings he gets on the national Mexican broadcaster, Televisa, are unheard off and in line with what the national soccer team gets.”

“I’m glad to be on such an important card with such good fighters,” Alvarez said. “It’s business as usual when I step into the ring. I fight with desire. I hope everyone comes out that night to watch because this is a really exciting night of boxing.”

Said Jose Reynoso, Alvarez’s manager and trainer: “This is a very important date. As Mexicans, we are celebrating the bicentennial of Mexican Independence. [Alvarez] is No. 1 in Mexico and now we want to conquer the world. A big part of that is being successful in L.A.”

“Carlos Baldomir is a fighter with an iron will and iron chin. He will come to Los Angeles and try to derail the fast rise of Canelo Alvarez,” Schaefer said. “He is on a mission to come and capture the American market and display his talent and excitement at Staples Center on Sept. 18. He realizes that Los Angeles is the largest Mexican market outside of Mexico and wants to come and show what he is all about.”

Said Golden Boy president Oscar De La Hoya: “I walked the streets myself the other day in Mexico where I watched Alvarez fight [on July 10]. I was asking people from all walks of life, ‘Have you heard of Canelo Alvarez?’ And everyone answers with a glowing face [and said], ‘He’s our next promise. He’s our next guy.’”

15rounds.com Matt Yanofsky goes one on one with former WBC Junior Middleweight champion and Contender Season 1 winner Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora. Mora is slated to battle the legendary Shane Mosley September 18 in the main event of a pay per view. Click below to hear what Sergio has to say about Mosley, his previous struggles as an unpromoted fighter and why The Contender failed after four seasons!
listen-to-sergio-mora

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former three division world champion, “Sugar” Shane Mosley will take on former Contender Season one and Jr. Middleweight champion Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora on September 18th at The Staples Center in Los Angeles.

“With Shane, you have somebody who fights everybody and with Sergio you have a guy who has really wanted a big challenge,” Said Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer. “It’s a fight he’s wanted for a long time and to do it in his backyard on Mexican independence weekend makes it an even more meaningful fight for him. For Shane, he loves fighting at Staples Center and he is looking forward to this fight as well.”

“Ten years ago, Sugar Shane Mosley fought a young man from East L.A., Oscar De La Hoya, at Staples Center,” Schaefer said. “We felt if we could bring Shane back there 10 years later against another top Hispanic fighter, Sergio Mora, who is also from East L.A. and who also has history at the Staples Center, it would be a great fight to anchor our big card on the holiday weekend. It’s the perfect fight for Los Angles and will cap a week of great activities to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Mexican independence.”

“We were supposed to spar one time back around 2003 or 2004 when I was up in Big Bear [Calif.] and I was looking forward to that,” Mora told ESPN.com. “He has the fastest hands I’ve ever seen in person or on TV. I was suited up to spar with him, but they didn’t need me that day. I wanted to work with him, but they had too many sparring partners. Now we’re supposed to fight for real. I like it that way.”

“We want to make it a great, fun card,” Schaefer said. “We’re still discussing having fights on the pay-per-view from Mexico.”

“I went through three camps before the Green fight,” Mora said. “It was a good comeback fight. I got hit, I got in some rounds and I got the stoppage. It was enough for September. I am really excited and motivated for the fight.”

“I told Richard when I signed with Golden Boy that I was willing to fight at 154 pounds as long as I had 10 weeks to get ready,” he said. “This is more than 10 weeks and I have already had six weeks of camp getting ready for Candelo. So I’ll take a week or so off and then get back in camp. I’m bringing in my nutritionist, Robert Ferguson, and as long as he’s on board and I have 10 weeks, I can make the weight and feel strong.”

“Shane Mosley has been counted out too many times, so I am not going to count him out at all,” Mora said. “I am not going to go by that performance at all.”

Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank

Las Vegas, NV- Seasoned welterweight veteran Ishe Smith(21-4 9ko’s) who was invited into pound for pound kingpin Floyd Mayweather’s training camp as a sparring partner is now aiming to make his own return to the ring.

Smith who was recently followed by whispers of a match up with Kassim Ouma, has no fight signed as of now, but would like to make it clear that he is aiming to take on the man that gave him the first loss of his career over five years ago, Sergio Mora(22-1).

“ Coming off the opportunity to spar in the Mayweather camp I learned a lot, and am primed for a major fight. The first time we fought it was a split decision in a five round fight. I’ve been calling for the rematch since then and he has never shown any interest” Smith said regarding Mora.

Smith, who came up short in his last outing against rising star Danny Jacobs(19-0), made a statement in 2008 by handing prospect Pawel Wolak (26-1) the first loss of his professional career. While Mora previously held the WBC junior middleweight title, his last outing was at 160 pounds, a weight Smith has said he has no problem with.

“There is no reason not to fight. People only got to see the edited version of the last fight and didn’t see how bad I hurt him in the last 30 seconds”

Smith and Mora first squared off in the semi finals of the inaugural season of NBC’s The Contender. Mora edged out a split decision, in a five round bout. Although Smith had experience going ten rounds, and Mora eight at the time of the fight, the five round format was a part of the tournament that served as a disadvantage to the more experienced contestants.

Sergio Mora is listed to appear on the recently announced Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Juan Diaz card July 31 at Mandalay Bay, although no opponent has been announced.

Smith has stated that he is open to bouts at either junior middleweight or middleweight.

Ishe Smith turned professional in 2000, and has captured NABO, WBC Continental, and USBA welterweight titles. Becoming a household name by participating in NBC’s The Contender in 2005, Smith has since appeared on national television numerous times.

Along with holding several marquee victories Smith has also shared the ring with Floyd Mayweather, Fernando Vargas, Shane Mosley, and Oscar De La Hoya as a sparring partner. Smith is based out of boxing’s capital city of Las Vegas, Nevada.

It took seventeen years for the rematch but when it finally occurred, Bernard Hopkins won a twelve round unanimous decision over Roy Jones Jr. in a strange at times Light Heavyweight bout at The Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

After walking out accompanied by his oown vocalist singing a boxing-themed version or I Did It My Way, Bernard Hopkins was in vintage regala donning his old school executioner mask perhaps in an attempt to intimidate Roy Jones Jr. Nevertheless, both fighters seemed ready to pounce but would not throw. Like two coiled snakes, the first round was a lot of fainting and posturing. The second, third, and fourth rounds were all similar to each other. Hopkins would spring in with a combo and tie up Roy at the end of his combo. Roy Jones simply was not active enough, not throwing many punches. Jones seemed to come alive in the fifth when he landed his best and perhaps only combo of the fight. Thus far, the fifth was Jones’ best round. Round six seemed to be an even round, both fighters had about the same level of effectivness but near the end of the round, Jones blantantly punched Hopkins in the back of the head, sending Hopkins to the canvas, sprawling in pain. The referee subsequently deducted a point away from Jones.

This fired up both fighters as they fought viciously for the last 10 seconds of the fight and even after the bell, causing chaos and members of Jones’ camp to run into the ring. Order was restored and the seventh round picked up where the last one ended. Towards the middle of the round, both fighters seemed to calm down and the chess match resumed. In round 8, Jones landed another illegal blow to the back of the head, sending Hopkins down for a short time, no point was deducted, but like before, this fired up Hopkins and he attacked Jones. In the ninth, both fighters seemed to tighten up and become hesistant to engage.

More controversy in the tenth round, Jones landed a blow which appeared to hit the belt line, but Hopkins dropped to the canvas wincing in pain. Hopkins sprung back up to his feet but was visibly tired as his output dropped noticeably. At the start of round 11, Jones finally wised up and gave

Hopkins a taste of his own medicine. Hopkins had been leading with his head the entire fight so Roy walked away and took a few seconds off due to the butt. The round, however, was mostly dominated by Hopkins

The 12th and final round, saw Hopkins charge out and land two body shorts before Jones threw any punches. The round may have went to Jones being that he lets his hands go, but the fight was fairly one sided. The judges had the fight 117-110, 117-110, 118-109 all to the winner Bernard Hopkins. Hopkins improves his hall of fame record to 51-5-1 with 32KO’s while Jones’ added his sixth loss to his stellar career to go along with 55 wins with 40 by KO. Jones’ better days are clearly behind him, but tonight he showed flashes of his old brilliance (by karen). Whats next for Hopkins, maybe more acting classes! But cagey veterans make cagey moves and Hopkinds used it to his advantage to ensure a victory.

In the co-main event, Jason Litzau met Texas native Rocky Juarez in the NABF Super Featherweight Title bout. Litzau showed tremendous footwork early as he danced around and picked off Rocky as he was coming in. As the fight progressed into the 6th and 7th rounds, Litzau seemed to tire which in turn made him stand and trade more, not a good idea. Juarez had a chance to land big shots and that he did. In the 7th round, Juarez came in with his head and clashed with Litzau face causing a huge gash. Between rounds, the Litzau camp decided they could not continue so the fight would be decided on the scorecards. One judge saw it 68-85 while the other two had it 67-66 all in favor of the champion Jason Litzau. He improves to 27-2 with 21KOS while Jaurez drops to 28-5-1.

Seeing his first action in nearly two years, Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora, from Contender fame, met a game Calvin Green in a super middleweight battle. The first two rounds were action packed with Mora bein cut on the side of his nose by a left hook in the 1st round. Both of the fighters seemed to tire quickly which resulted in a lot of in fighting. Mora showed a different side of his skills by moving and punching WITH POWER from angles. The tactic worked and as the punches accumulated the referee saw no reason to let the fight go on. So at 1:50 in round 7, the fight was stopped. This is only Sergio’s 6 win by KO/TKO in his 24 fights, but he improves his record to 22-1-1 with 6KO’s. Green drops to 21-5-1.

The vacant NABF Light Heavyweight Title was up for grabs when undefeated Ismayl Sillakh met Daniel Judah in a scheduled 10 rounder. However the bout didn’t make it that far. Sillakh dropped Judah with a vicious hook to the body followed by a right to the head. Judah rose, only to be knocked down again by a left hook to the head. The ref Vic Drakulich stopped the fight at :49 in the second round. Sillakh improves to 12-0 with 11KO’s while Judah dropped to 23-5-1.

The next bout was for the USNBC Super Lightweight title featuring Ray Narh versus Angel Hernandez. The much taller Narh pressed Hernandez and landed huge shots which resulted in three knockdowns in the second round. Hernandez failed to get up and the referee stopped the fight at 2:59 of the second round. Taking the title and improving his record to 24-1 with 21KO’s was Narh while Hernandez dropped to 14-5.

In the pro debut of what many people feel is the next “Golden Boy”, Frankie Gomes of East Los Angeles battled Clavonne Howard in a junior welterweight battle. Gomes impressed the crowd as he stalked Howard around the ring for three rounds until referee Joe Cortez stopped the fight at 2:45 of the 3rd round after Howard was caught with some big shots. Howard drops to 2-4.

In a battle between super featherweights, Yaundale Evans kept his record clean as he dropped Juan Baltierrez at 2:08 in the second round with a right hook to the temple. Evans is now 6-0 with 4KO’s while Baltierez drops to 2-2-2 with only 1KO.

The second bout was a super middleweight battle between Buddy McGirt Jr and John Mackey. Mackey proved to be no match as he was dropped in the second round from a perfect right hook that landed on his chin at 2:58. McGirt improves to 22-2-1 with 11KO’s while Mackey dropped to 11-5-2.

In the first bout of the evening, Craig McEwan retained his undefeated middleweight record as he improved to 18-0 with 10KO’s. McEwan controlled the action from opening bell against the over matched Kris Andrews from Canada. Landing big shot after big shot, referee Joe Cortez finally stopped the fight in the 8th and final round at the time of 2:11. Andrews dropped to 15-9-2 with 4KO’s.

POST FIGHT QUOTES

RICHARD SCHAEFER, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions

“Hopkins was taken to the Southern Hills Hospital for observation immediately following the fight.

“It was a great victory for Bernard Hopkins. Seventeen years in the making. He got the win, the victory he waited for. A lot of people counted Roy out. Roy came to fight and I want to congratulate him for that.”

JOHN WIRT, CEO of Square Ring, Inc.

“Roy is going to the hospital as well. In terms of this fight, it was obviously a longstanding rivalry between two legends of our generation. It is up to Roy. I am sure he will be making that decision down the road in terms of what he wants to do with his career.”

BERNARD HOPKINS VS. ROY JONES JR.

BERNARD HOPKINS

“It was kind of rough. He’s a warrior. He’s a veteran and a good fighter. I see spots. I have been hit in the back of the head before, but in the gym with head gear on. I was toughing it out. I was seeing spots in the sixth round.

“I felt I got hit in the back of the head and my legs went and I started seeing spots. I was mad. Weeks did a helluva job. He was doing the best he could to keep us both under control.

“I wanted to keep pressing. I’m a scrappy fighter. I might not be flashy. I might not be pretty, but I am a hard core Philadelphia fighter and blue collar worker like most Americans.

“The rematch was well worth it. It was sweet revenge for me.

“I want David Haye, the heavyweight champion of the world.”

ROY JONES JR.

“Ifeel great. Even at my age I’m still in control. I want to thank god for as healthy as I am today. Pensacola in the house. Thank all I my fans for their support. I kind of got behind. I was trying to knock him out because I was behind. He is a very crafty veteran. He was hitting me behind the head.

“I was worried the first time. I knew if I was fouled too much I would have been disqualified. I wanted to give the fans what they wanted. I tried to do that tonight.”

JASON LITZAU VS. ROCKY JUAREZ

JASON LITZAU

“This is the biggest victory of my career. Rocky is a true champion. I want to thank Square Ring and Golden Boy for this opportunity. Me and Rocky gave them a helluva show. I felt like I had another 10 rounds in me. I was so calm. I was relaxed on the inside. I was going to turn it up in the later rounds. I knew Rocky was coming. I was going to turn it up in the later rounds.”

ROCKY JUAREZ

“I felt the cut was the result of a punch, not an accidental head butt. The cut was by a short left hook. By saying it was an accidental head butt, I was disappointed. I love Jason. We know each other. I am one of the best fighters in the world.

“I felt that the decision was bull. I was going to stop him at the end of the night. We never collided heads. I made sure of it. Jason knew he was going to get knocked out towards the end of the fight.

“I do not consider this losing. I did not lose this fight. I felt that this fight was taken from me. I would like a rematch. Jason should give me that rematch because he knows it was a punch. The cut was underneath his eye. Jason just backed out.”

SERGIO MORA VS. CALVIN GREEN

SERGIO MORA

“It is great to be victorious. The rust was certainly there. 19 months out of the ring took its toll. That will happen. I started really slow. By the third round I felt more like the Latin snake. By the fourth and fifth round, I got it under control. He was always trying to counter. I gave him some good body shots. He can really take a punch. I mixed it up pretty good. I am back. I am with a good promoter now, Golden Boy. I am back.

“This guy came in at the last minute. I couldn’t find any tapes on him.

I knew he was gonna be tough. I had never seen him.

“The cut didn’t bother me. I’m used to cuts. I’m used to getting lacerated.

“It took two rounds for me to get the rust off, but I was so motivated and I just want to get back in there.

“You are going to see a lot more because I am hungry. I am ready to fight the best. I am glad I got the rust off.

“I want to fight the best. Let me get another fight. I will let Richard Schaefer get me another opponent ASAP and then I will be ready.”

ISMAYL SILLAKH VS. DANIEL JUDAH

ISMAEL SILLAKH

“I respect Bernard Hopkins, but if I fought him, I would beat him.

“I am ready for a world title right now because I trained hard. I train every day twice a day. I am ready. It is my time.”

In his own words “Don’t call it a comeback…i’ve been here for years” However Saturday will become the maiden voyage of phase two of Sergio “The Latin Snake’s” Mora’s career. The pride of East L.A now 29, gets back to work after a 18 month hiatus when he makes his Golden Boy debut. In the opposite corner will be tough veteran Calvin Green. Mora 21-1-1(5) has fitted a lot into his career winning the Contender and then going onto win the WBC Light Middleweight title against the late Vernon Forrest. Here’s what Mora had to say.

Hello Sergio, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – Firstly how are things? Your back after an 18 month hiatus, what can you tell us about that and what have you done with your time since?

Sergio Mora – Well it’s going to be a 19 month hiatus but if it sounds familiar Floyd Mayweather Jnr did it. If he can do it i can do it. I’ve been busy with commentating on professional fights and doing appearances and just staying in the gym and staying focused. I haven’t been inactive i’ve been in the gym sparring 3 times a week. I had 3 fights cancelled last year so it’s not because you know i’m stagnant on purpose. It’s because i was forced to be inactive. I was with a promoter who didn’t fight me. But know i’m with Golden Boy who are going to fight me and keep me busy. You guys are going to see me at least 3 times this year.

Anson Wainwright – You will be fighting veteran Calvin Green 21-4-1(13), what do you know about him? What are you looking for from this fight?

Sergio Mora – I know absolutely nothing about him. This is the fourth opponent they’ve replaced him with. First i was supposed to fight Daniel Edouard, then it became a Canadian Jason Naugler then a guy from Baltimore Ishmail Arvin and now this guy. I couldn’t get no youtube video’s or DVD’s in time to study him. From what i can see it looks like he’s a hard puncher and i’m expecting a tough good fight. He’s a Texan everything is big from Texas so i’m expecting him to want to win.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your team who is your manager, trainer and Promoter? Also what gym do you use regularly to train at?

Sergio Mora – I train at Montebello Police Athletics. My coach who used to be my manager is John Montelongo he’s a police officer in Montebello. My trainer, my long-time trainer, the only trainer i ever had is Dean Campos and my newly assigned manager is Cameron Dunkin.

Anson Wainwright – Growing up in East Los Angeles as a kid, can you tell us about your early years and how you first became involved in Boxing?

Sergio Mora – I got involved in Boxing in East L.A there’s a lot of gyms in East L.A there’s a lot of liquor stores too! I chose the former and went that route. Me and my friends used to get together like little rascals and fight in alley’s and backyards. I beat up all my friends…i was like 15-0! Haha
So from that i decided to go into sanctioned Boxing travelling to other countries and states got me hooked to Boxing and that i was good at it naturally.

Anson Wainwright – You turned pro in August 2000 what can you tell us about your amateur career? What titles you won and who you fought? Also what was your final record?

Sergio Mora – As an amateur i had about 40 wins 10 loses. I had about 50 fights i’m estimating. I won the state Golden Gloves twice. I won the Blue & Gold national. I made it to the National trials and lost in the finals to Jermain Taylor who won a bronze medal (At the 2000 Olympics). So i got very far with only 50 fights as an amateur.

Anson Wainwright – You were the winner of the inaugural Contender series back in 2004/2005 that really put you on the map. What can you tell us about how you look back at the tournament and what it did for you?

Sergio Mora – Wow i could tell you so much, one day i probably will and write a book, because that changed my life. A lot of people ask me what was bigger winning a world title or the contender but it’s just different dreams. One changed my life and one was a dream come true. The contender in my eyes opened so many doors. People around the world watched the show from England to Africa to Latin America to South East Asia. I get e-mails & fan mail. The Contender was huge in retrospect. I don’t regret anything except the inactivity.

Anson Wainwright – Obviously before you had this break away you won the WBC 154 title from the now sadly departed Vernon Forrest. Those fights must of been great learning curves for you?

Sergio Mora – Unbelievable learning experience. I can’t really put it into words. Just something i’m going to display Saturday because this is my first after i fighting Vernon Forrest. Going 24 rounds with a man of his experience and stature is just unbelievable. Like i said I can’t put it in words but i will display it this Saturday.

Anson Wainwright – Hopefully all being well Saturday you’ll get the victory and back in the win column, what are you looking to do next? Who are your targeting at 154?

Sergio Mora – I’m just looking to have a great performance Saturday. I can’t just win have to win with flying colours and i expect to do that. I expect to put on a show and if god has everything on my favour and he opens the next door. I’d love to fight Kelly Pavlik. That’s the one i want at Middleweight. But at Jnr Middleweight whatever Golden Boy presents in front of me i’m going to take down.

Anson Wainwright – Since you last fought at 154 the landscape of the division has changed quite a bit with several young guns coming through like Alfredo Angulo, Vanes Martirosyan & Erislandy Lara all breaking through. How do you see the Light Middleweight division now?

Sergio Mora – I think it’s finally picking up. I think it was really dry for a long-time. Guys like Paul Williams, Sergio Martinez umm Perro Angulo but he hasn’t really fought any big names and when he did he lost to Cintron. Cintron’s up there. Lara isn’t really experienced yet so i won’t throw his name in there. It’s a lot better more exciting. James Kirkland that’s a guy you guys missed. I sparred with him several times and he’s a beast at 54. So hopefully it can pick up and be one of the Marquee division’s.

Anson Wainwright – For you what do you think is the best part about being a boxer? And the worst?

Sergio Mora – The best part about being a boxer is the appreciation of every athlete in the world. After winning the show (Contender) i had huge Basketball stars, Baseball stars, Hockey stars. Football stars especially their the biggest Boxing fans you know. They want to talk to me, hang out with me, take pictures with me. It was real flattering because everyone respects a guy who can put his body on the line especially in a dangerous sport like Boxing and as historical Boxing that’s the good part. People also respect a fighter. The bad part about being a fighter is that your doing just that for a living. Your taking punches to the head, your denting your nose your hurting your hands your getting injury’s everywhere else. People say your shortening your health. So that’s the bad part.

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

Sergio Mora – I have a message for the fans, real simple and plain. This isn’t a comeback because i’ve been here a very very time like i said in the press conference. I’m finally at the peak the zenith of my maturation as a man as an athlete and professional fighter and i’m ready to show the world. It’s my time i’m 29 years old, i’m in my prime.

Thanks for your time Sergio.

Anson Wainwright
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