All posts by FNU47

boxing

Thomas LaManna “I want my rematch with Dusty Harrison”

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LaManna faces Eduardo Flores in main event of Rising Promotions card this Saturday night at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City

Chuck Mussachio battles Michael Mitchell

Plus undefeated Quian Davis, Dan Murray, Yurik Mamedov and Dallas Holden
Gabriel Pham in action
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!! 
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Atlantic City, NJ (January 25, 2017) – This Saturday night at The Claridge Hotel,Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna will take on battle tested Eduardo Flores in a junior middleweight bout that will headline an eight-bout card.
The card is promoted by Rising Promotions
LaManna of Millville, New Jersey has a record of 21-2 with 9 knockouts, and wants to avenge his September 15th defeat to Dusty Hernandez Harrison.  But first he must get past the 52 fight veteran Flores.
“Flores has been in with numerous world champions,” said LaManna of Flores, who has competed with the likes of Kermit Cintron Carlos Baldomir and Diego Chaves.  “He is a rugged veteran, and has only been stopped a handful of times, and the last time that happened, he was fighting a middleweight.  He will come to fight. I am looking to one-up all the champions that he has fought.”
To do that, LaManna is looking to take a relaxed approach, and he is not going into the fight looking for a knockout.
“I believe in my boxing skills, ring generalship and I will get the job done.  I plan a smart 8 rounds of boxing. It will be exciting because it will be packed inside The Claridge.  I am looking to get this win and get back to a rematch with Dusty.  Even though this fight is at junior middleweight, I am a welterweight, and I want that rematch.”
“I had an amazing training camp.  The loss to Harrison made me hungrier, and that has motivated me even more than before.”
This will be LaManna’s fourth appearance at the Claridge.  This will be ths 6th sold-out show and LaManna’s relationship with the hotel is helping a rebirth of boxing in Atlantic City.
“I have a great team behind me.  The Claridge has been great to work with and we are planning four more big shows here this year.”
In  the 6-round co-feature, Chuck Mussachio (19-3-2, 5 KO’s) of Wildwood, NJ takes on Michael Mitchell (3-7-2, 1 KO) of Paterson, NJ in a light heavyweight bout.
Also in 6-round fight, Gabriel Pham (6-1, 2 KO’s) of Pleasantville, NJ battles Jose Valderrama (5-17, 3 KO’s) of Manati, Puerto Rico in a super middleweight bout.
In 4-round bouts:
Quian Davis (4-0-2, 2 KO’s) of Mays Landing, NJ fights Demonte Cherry (1-2, 1 KO) of North Carolina in a heavyweight bout.
Dan Murray (1-0) of Lanoka Harbor, NJ will square off with Nahir Albright (0-1) of Philadelphia in a junior welterweight bout.
Yurik Mamedov (3-0, 1 KO) of New York takes on pro debuting Jose Jimenez of Ocala, FL in a welterweight tussle.
Dallas Holden (1-0) of Atlantic City will fight Weusi Johnson (1-2) of Wilmington, DE in a bantamweight card.
Jamil Simmons of Pleasantville, NJ will make his pro debut against Thomas Roman of Brooklyn, NY in a lightweight affair.
 
Tickets for this great evening of boxing are $125, $80 and $55 and can be purchased at www.RSPboxing.com
boxing, Ringstar Sports

Ringstar Sports Adds 2016 Mexican Olympian Lindolfo Delgado to Stable of Exciting Prospects

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LOS ANGELES (January 25, 2017) – Another top amateur standout has joined forces with Ringstar Sports to launch his pro career as 2016 Mexican Olympian Lindolfo Delgado has signed with the Los Angeles-based promotional company.
“I’m very proud to welcome a young man with the talent and heart of Lindolfo Delgado to our roster at Ringstar,” said Richard Schaefer, Chairman and CEO of Ringstar Sports. “We’re excited to add a second Mexican Olympian and fifth 2016 Olympian to the Ringstar family. I know that Lindolfo will bring the heart of a Mexican warrior every time he enters the ring and I expect him to be a fan favorite in the U.S and Mexico. I can’t wait to get started on helping him achieve his dreams and make him a star in this sport.”
“By signing with Ringstar I will be given the best opportunities to become a world champion and have the career I envision,” said Delgado. “I really feel that this is the best promotion company for me. I believe Ringstar can help me reach great heights in the sport and beyond.”
Born in Linares, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, the 22-year-old began his boxing career in 2004 at the age of 10. He worked his way up the amateur circuit in Mexico before breaking through by winning a silver medal at the 2010 Junior Mexican National Olympiad. He followed that up with a bronze at the 2011 Youth Mexican National Olympiad and with a championship winning-performance at the 2012 Mexican National Olympiad.
He continued to impress by picking up a gold medal at the 2014 Pan-American Sports Festival and silver medals at the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games and the 2015 Pan-American Games. He would go on to capture gold at the 2016 American Olympic Qualification event and stamp his ticket to the Rio 2016 games to represent Mexico.
“The Olympics were a beautiful experience for me,” said Delgado. “I learned that you can’t hold anything back. Every time that I compete, I know that I have to leave it all in the ring. I’m going to do everything I can to take advantage of every opportunity I get.”
The lightweight compiled a 139-15 amateur record that included victories over former world champion Amnat Ruenroeng and 2016 U.S. Olympian and fellow Ringstar stablemate Carlos Balderas. Delgado currently trains in Tijuana under Pedro Moran.
“I’m going to work hard to reach my full potential as a fighter,” said Delgado. “I have an elegant style that is full of passion. Mexican legends are popular because they are warriors. I am going to model my style after them and use it to conquer the sport.”
Lindolfo Delgado is the latest addition to the growing stable of Ringstar fighters that already includes: 2016 U.S. Olympian Carlos Balderas and his brother, National Golden Gloves champion Jose Balderas, 2016 Super Heavyweight Gold Medalist Tony Yoka, 2016 Bronze Medalist Misael Rodriguez, 2016 Lithuanian Olympian Eimantas Stanionis and top-ranked amateur Money Powell IV.
Amateur MMA, Combate Americas

COMBATE AMERICAS HITS BURBANK, CALIFORNIA ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16; LIVE ON AZTECA AMERICA AND UFC FIGHT PASS®

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ATOMWEIGHT MAIN EVENT:
KYRA BATARA VS VANESA RICO FERNANDEZ

Featherweight Co-Main Event:
Erick Sanchez vs. Andres “The Bullet” Quintana

Plus:
Erick “Ghost Pepper” Gonzalez vs. Danny “The Realist” Ramirez
Jose “Froggy” Estrada vs. George Hernandez

Tickets for “Combate11” on sale now
NEW YORK – January 25, 2017 – Combate Americas today announced the main event – a women’s atomweight (105 pounds) showdown between Kyra “Mogwai” Batara (5-4) and eight-time Spanish national Judo champion Vanesa Rico Fernandez (2-2) – as well as three additional bouts for the league’s 11th live Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event, which takes place at Burbank Events Center in Burbank, Calif. on Thursday, Feb. 16, and airs live on Azteca America (10 p.m. ET/PT) and UFC FIGHT PASS® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT).

The event will also air via tape delay in Mexico the following night, Friday, Jan. 20 at 11 p.m. CT., on TV Azteca, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: AZTECA; Latibex: XTZA), one of the two largest producers of Spanish-language television programming in the world.

Priced from $45, tickets for the event – “Combate11” – can be purchased online at ItsMySeat.com.

In the featherweight (145 pounds) co-main event between two of the sport’s fastest rising stars, Urijah Faber-protégé Erick Sanchez (7-2) will collide with Combate Americas newcomer Andres “The Bullet” Quintana (9-2).

Elsewhere on the live telecast, fellow knockout artists Erick “The Ghost Pepper” Gonzalez (5-1) and Danny “The Realist” Ramirez (5-2) will face off in a lightweight (155 pounds) attraction, while unbeaten, heavy-handed Jose “Froggy” Estrada (2-0) will take on submission artist George “Furious” Hernandez (4-3), also at lightweight.

Additional bouts for “Combate11”, including a flyweight (125 pounds) matchup featuring Heinrich “Ricky Scraps” Wassmer (4-1) of Los Angeles, Calif., will be announced soon.

Kyra Batara vs. Vanesa Rico Fernandez

The 4-foot-11, 22-year-old Batara of Las Vegas, Nev. has been unstoppable in La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage, winning all three of her matchups, including a second round (4:13) TKO of Jenny “The Phoenix” Silverio that Batara produced in an unprecedented manner – a ground and pound assault with Silverio locked in a “twister,” the patented submission move created by Batara’s famed mentor, Eddie Bravo.

Making her U.S. debut, Rico Fernandez (2-2) of Alicante, Spain holds a second-degree black belt in Judo and is a 13-year member of the Spanish national Judo team and former national freestyle wrestling champion.  Her two professional MMA career victories to date both came by way of submission.

Erick Sanchez vs. Andres Quintana

The 5-foot-10, 26-year-old Sanchez of Sacramento, Calif. is an explosive finisher who will enter La Jaula for the third time in his career, on a three-fight winning streak.

The Team Alpha Male member has put away all three of his last opponents by way of (T)KO or submission, including his last adversary – Mike Segura – whom Sanchez forced to tap out from a rear-naked choke just 50 seconds into their meeting at Combate Americas last April 18.

Fighting out of Roswell, N.M., the 6-foot-, 25-year-old Quintana is another devastating force who has earned all but one of his nine professional career wins by way of (T)KO.

Quintana will attempt to bounce back from his only loss in nearly five years – a first round (2:10) TKO (body kick and punches) at the hands of Adrian Diaz, on May 19.

Erick Gonzalez vs. Danny Ramirez

The 5-foot-10, 25-year-old Gonzalez of Torrance, Calif. will risk a three-fight win streak, including two consecutive victories under the promotion of Combate Americas.

Gonzalez has notched four of his five professional wins to date via (T)KO.  In his last start, he handed Cuban upstart Yoandy Carrillo his first career defeat by way of TKO (punches) in the second round (3:13) of battle.

A native of Los Angeles and former U.S. Marine, the 5-foot-9, 27-year-old Ramirez fights out of Sacramento and, like his opponent, has claimed victory in all but one of his five conquests, via (T)KO.

The hard-hitting Ramirez scored a third round (1:02) TKO (punches) on Chuck Seang in his last appearance on August 27.

Jose Estrada vs. George Hernandez

In less than one year as a professional, the 5-foot-6, 26-year-old Estrada, known best to his fans as “Froggy,” has already earned the reputation of a brutal puncher, scoring first-round knockout wins in each of his two starts, both of which took place in La Jaula.

The Fillmore, Calif. resident made a mark in his professional debut, putting Jonathan Quiroz flat on his back with a single punch in just under two minutes.

The 5-foot-10, 35-year-old Hernandez of Santa Rosa, Calif. will seek his first win under the Combate Americas banner, and attempt to stop a three-fight skid.

After turning professional just two years ago at age 33, Hernandez cruised to victory in his first four bouts, defeating three of his opponents by way of submission and the fourth by way of TKO.

UFC FIGHT PASS is a digital subscription service which gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s largest fight library.

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Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, WFF

FIGHT CARD – SATURDAY NIGHT

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WFF MMA Logo
 
 PRO CARD
135 MARIO BAUTISTA (MMA Lab) vs TBD
145 PARIS STANFORD (Fight Ready) vs GUILLERMO PEÑA (Titanes Team)
 135 KEVIN NATIVIDAD 

(AZ Combat Sports) vs JESSE ORTA
170 TITLE KYLE STEWART (AZ Combat Sports) vs MISAEL YÑARRITU (Gorilla MMA) 
 
AMATEUR CARD
125 JUNIOR ROBLES (Driven Boxing & MMA) 

vs DERIC FLORES (Fight Ready)
125 TALON GLASSER (MMA Lab) 

vs JESSE TAFOYA (JacksonWink MMA)
145 MOSES DIAZ (MMA Lab) 

vs NOZ WARE
155 BRET COOPER (MMA Lab) 

vs JACOB MICHAELS (RPP Counterpunch)
160 VINCE ARREDONDO (MMA Lab) vs CLAYTON FALEMOE (JacksonWink MMA)
190 JOSH DaSILVERIA 

(Power MMA) vs Bobby Kanouse
HWT DERAN MARTINEZ (Spartan Nation & Gracie Barra) 

vs HOMER ALVARADO (Heart Martial Arts & MMA)
SUPER HWT AARON LEOPOLD (Red Light Wing Chun) 

vs SPENCER FRINK (Briggs MMA)
amateur boxing, boxing, Gleason's Gym

Tenth Boxing Show in London England

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Join the Gleason’s Team and box in London on March 31, 2017.
As determined by sports scientists, pound for pound boxing is the toughest sport in the world. From the discipline, endurance and heart that goes into gloving up, boxing has garnered spectator respect and interest since the Ancient Greeks believed it to be a sport enjoyed by the Gods on Olympus. From Olympian bouts to professional prize fights, boxing is a spectator sport appreciated by millions globally.
This is White Collar/Master Boxing with Open, Novice and Master boxers. Three rounds of two-minutes each. Amateur boxing rules apply.
Friday March 31, 2017
Arena: Real City Steel
The Steel Yard, London England, EC4R 3UE
You will be taking a vacation to London. You must make your own arrangements including airfare, hotel and food.
If you are interested in competing contact me at bruce@gleasonsgym.net.
 
boxing, ShoBox, Showtime, Showtime Boxing

GH3 Promotions scores 6 big victories this past Friday night in Atlantic City

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nutley, NJ (January 24, 2017) – Despite the disappointing loss by Adam Lopez in the main event of the ShoBox: The New Generation card at Ballys Atlantic City Hotel and Casino, GH3 Promotions still had a prosperous evening as the company registered six big victories on the show.

Televised winners included Ronald Ellis and Kenenth Sims, Jr. while Stephon Young, LeRoy Davila, Keenan Smith and Malik Jackson were all very impressive on the undercard.
Ellis won a 8-round unanimous decision over Christopher Brooker to raise his record to 14-0-1 in a super middleweight bout.
Junior Welterweight, Sims was making his national television debut, and did so in style as he remained perfect by winning a 8-round unanimous decision over Emmanuel Robles to go to 11-0.
Young of St. Louis fought a crowd pleasing fight, and took home a unanimous decision over Olimjon Nazarov and the number-4 ranked bantamweight contender is now 16-0-3.
Davila, a 2016 United Stated Olympic alternate, dominated and ultimately stopped fellow undefeated bantamweight Anthony Taylor in round three of their four round bout.  Davila, a native of New Brunswick, New Jersey is now 5-0 with 3 knockouts.
Smith of Philadelphia was impressive in stopping Marquis Hawthorne after round five of their scheduled six round welterweight bout.  Smith was dominant from the opening bell, and Hawthorne had taken enough punishment to pack it in after round five.  Smith is now 10-0 with 4 knockouts.
Jackson of Washington, D.C. was making his first start under the GH3 promotional banner and took out an overmatched Christian Foster in the 1st round.  The super bantamweight remained perfect at 2-0 with both wins coming early.
“Some of our younger guys really showed that they are legit prospects,” said Vito Mielnicki, CEO of GH3 Promotions.
“Adam Lopez in defeat showed a lot of heart and he will be back.  He has showed that he can beat a lot of good fighters and his loss is just a minor setback.  With that being said, Ronald Ellis and Kenneth Sims were in exciting fights and came through on ShoBox.  Ellis is at the point now where he should start getting rated by the sanctioning bodies, and start competing for regional titles in the super middleweight division. We were very impressed by Davila, Young, Jackson, and Smith.  Our next order of business is to get Stephon a big fight very soon.”
boxing

Mexico’s Jose Alfredo Rodriguez Determined to Win Second World Championship on January 29 Against ‘Pretty Boy’ Ancajas

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Mexico‘s Jose Alfredo “Torito” Rodriguez is promising fireworks in his upcoming world title challenge.
On Sunday, January 29, 2017, at the Studio City Casino in Macao, China, Rodriguez (32-4, 19 KOs), of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, will attempt to win his second world championship by challenging Cavite City, Philippines’ IBF World Super Flyweight Champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas (25-1-1, 16 KOs) over 12 rounds.
 
The former interim WBA Light Flyweight Champion Rodriguez says he’s determined to get back where he belongs in boxing.
 
“I took two years off of boxing and missed being a champion. I came back last year on a mission to win another title and that’s what I’m going to do,” said Rodriguez. “Nothing can stop me. When I am given the proper time to prepare, I am one of the world’s best. That is what I will show against Ancajas.”
 
The southpaw Ancajas won his title in September of last year with a unanimous decision over McJoe Arroyo. The fight against Rodriguez will be his first defense.
 
Rodriguez’s manager José A. Acevedo of Free Agent Boxing Management, says his fighter is getting top-level training for this showdown.
 
“Torito is working with his great trainer, Gil Gastelum, at Big Time Boxing in Port St. Lucie, Florida and Caicedo Sport Training Center in Miami,” said Acevedo. “And more importantly, he is sparring with some excellent fighters to get ready, including former world champ Juan Carlos Payano, WBA-NABA Bantamweight Champ Stephon Young and upcoming featherweight title challenger Claudio Marrero amongst others. This is the best I’ve ever seen him look. He is very determined to win this championship. Thanks to Manny Pacquiao and Sean Gibbons for this terrific opportunity.”
 
“Ancajas is a good fighter and I respect him, but there is nothing that can save his title from me,” continued Rodriguez. I thank him for this opportunity, it’s a dream come true, but he’s going home an ex-champ. I am going to be an unbeatable force that night.”
boxing

Sunday Matinee Detroit Brawl Draws Huge Crowd to Masonic Temple in Detroit

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Promoter Dmitriy Salita of Salita Promotions wishes to thank all the participants, sponsors and especially the fans who helped make his latest “Detroit Brawl” such a tremendous success.
Held this past Sunday, January 22, at the Masonic Temple Downtown, the Detroit Brawl attracted a near sell-out crowd, who took in an exciting night of no less than 10 fights. In the night’s welterweight main event, Detroit’s Lanardo Tyner (31-10-2, 20 KOs) proved he still has plenty left in the tank as he made a meal out of Hungary’s Istvan Dernanecz (10-5, 7 KOs).
Tyner, one of the city’s most beloved fighters, scored an impressive TKO in the first round (1:58).
And in the co-main event, Detroit bantamweight James Gordon Smith (12-0, 7 KOs) had an usually easy night, as he took out Hungary’s Szilveszter Ajtai (10-4-1, 5 KOs) at the 1:00 mark of round two. Having had several slugfests in a row, Smith used his considerable talent to take out his Hungarian foe with a flurry of hard punches along the ropes.
“Boxing’s big comeback continues,” said a happy Salita, post-fight. “The goal of this series was to showcase the best young prospects in the city in competitive match-ups and we’ve done it and the fans have responded very well. The crowd today was very large and loud and came out in force to support their local fighters. It was a great event and thank you to everyone, especially Greektown Casino for their continued support.”
Other Results:
Detroits Ja’Rico O’Quinn scored a third-round TKO (2:34) over Chicago’s Angel Carvajal.
In the fight of the night, super middleweights Deandre Ware of Toledo and Juan Rojas-Sanchez of Coahuila de Zaragoza, Mexico, fought to an exciting six-round split draw. Scores were 56-58, 58-56 and 57-57.
Heavyweight Junior Wright of Evanston, Illinois, knocked out Detroit’s Damon McCreary at 2:04 of round two.
In another heavyweight match-up, Detroit’s Marcus Carter scored a TKO 2 (1:23) over Manitowoc, Wisconsin’s Timothy Dunn.
Super featherweight Dwayne Zeigler of Montgomery, Alabama won a four-round unanimous decision (40-36, 40-36 and 39-37) of Charles Clark of Dallas, Texas.
Detroit super lightweight Larry Ventus Jr. knocked out Fort Myers, Florida’s Jesus Lule with a single left hook. The knockout came at 2:26 of round two.
Super welterweight Ardreal Holmes of Flint knocked out Georgia’s Bryan Goldsby at2:59 of round two.
 
Cruiserweight Alexey Zubov of Detroit via Magnitogorsk, Russia, stopped Budapest, Hungary’s Andras Csomor at 1:05 of round three.
###
For more information on the “Detroit Brawl” or Salita Promotions, visit www.salitapromotions.com. Facebook and Twitter: @DetroitBrawl
charity

THE FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. FOUNDATION PRESENTS THE 3RD ANNUAL “FIGHT-4-FITNESS” 5K RACE, 2K WALK, KIDS FUN RUN, & COMMUNITY DAY

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SUNDAY, MARCH 12 AT SUNSET PARK IN LAS VEGAS
 
LAS VEGAS (January 24, 2017) The Floyd Mayweather Jr. Foundation (TFMJF) is proud to announce their 3rd Annual Fight-4-Fitness 5K Race, 2K Walk, Kids Fun Run, and Community Day taking place Sunday, March 12 at Sunset Park in Las Vegas. This event is intended to support the movement toward more active and healthy lifestyles, while forming community alliances where awareness and empowerment serve as the nucleus for an improved quality of life.
This year, The Floyd Mayweather Jr. Foundation, plans to unite runners and families within the Las Vegas community and surrounding communities in an eventful day filled with events geared toward the whole family. The festivities will start off with a 5K race and 2K walk, the Kids Fun Run will follow, and Community Day to commence the event. Children, ages 12 and under, can take part in a fun-filled scavenger hunt before the Kids Fun Run (one half mile run). The races are followed by an awards ceremony honoring the top 5K Race participants in each age category.
Fight-4-Fitness will also feature great healthy food options, vendors, merchandise booths, photo-booths, meet & greet with the Mayweather Promotions stable of fighters, live performances, physical activities geared toward fitness and fun, PLUS MORE!
For more information and to stay connected, follow us on social media: @TFMJF on Twitter,@TFMJF on Instagram, and onFacebook: www.Facebook.com/TFMJF
 
The full race day schedule is listed below:
  • 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. -5K Race, 2K Walk, Kids scavenger hunt
  • 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Kids Fun Run & Awards Ceremony
  • 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Community Day
Registration for these activities can be completed at www.tfmjf.org/events. Full registration dates and fees are listed below:
  • January 24th-January 31st: $30 5K/$25 2K/$15 Kids Fun Run/$20 Community Day
  • February 1st- February 28th: $35 5K/ $30 2K/ $15 Kids Fun Run/ $20 Community Day
  • March 1st– March 12th: $40 5K/ $35 2K/ $20 Kids Fun Run/ $25 Community Day
  • Day of event: $65 5K/ $60 2K/ $25 Kids Fun Run/ $30 Community Day
Online registration is open through March 10th.
boxing, Showtime, Showtime Boxing

JORGE LINARES vs. ANTHONY CROLLA PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES & PHOTOS FOR LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD TITLE REMATCH SATURDAY, MARCH 25 LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

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Linares-Crolla II Paves The Way For World Title Unification Bout With Winner of
Saturday’s Lightweight World Championship: Dejan Zlaticanin vs. Mikey Garcia

 

Click HERE For Photos; Credit: Lawrence Lustig; Matchroom Boxing


MANCHESTER, ENGLAND (Jan. 24, 2017) – WBA Lightweight World Champion Jorge Linares and former titlist Anthony Crolla held a press conference on Tuesday in Manchester, England, to formally announce their upcoming rematch on Saturday, March 25 live on SHOWTIME from Manchester Arena.

 

Linares (41-3, 27 KOs) narrowly outpointed defending champion Crolla (31-5-3, 13 KOs) last September in a thrilling battle in Crolla’s hometown of Manchester.

 

The WBC has mandated that the winner of Linares-Crolla II must face the winner of this Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING matchup between WBC Lightweight World Champion Dejan Zlaticanin and undefeated two-division titlist Mikey Garcia.

 

Here’s what the fighters had to say on Tuesday:

 

JORGE LINARES:

“I wasn’t supposed to win the first fight, but I’m glad I did so I can come back and do it again.

 

“The belts mean so much to me and my country, and I am going to work very hard to make sure that I take them home again.

 

“It’s a new year and a new day.  Anthony is going to be better and hungrier, and that means I will work harder, come with more skill and an even better game plan to win.

 

“I hope to see another huge crowd in Manchester and we’re going to provide the fans with another beautiful fight.”

 

ANTHONY CROLLA:

“I want the belt back, simple.  Fighting for these prizes in front of us is huge.  I’m so lucky to have a second chance and it’s one I have to take.

 

“It was a special night last time, great crowd and it’ll be even bigger this time.  The setting was perfect but I lost my belt.  I lost to a great fighter but I don’t celebrate losing, I don’t want to feel it again and I want to go down in history by beating a great fighter.

 

“I am better in rematches and I’m locking myself away to work harder and smarter to make sure these belts stay here.

 

“Jorge is the best and I want to be the best – beating him stakes my claim.  I didn’t win the first one but I had success and I can work on that.

 

“We’ve both got great teams behind us, and I believe if I make the right changes for the fight I will take the titles.”

 

EDDIE HEARN:

“The first fight was a hell of a fight.  Anthony was the favorite and now Jorge is the favorite.

 

“Anthony is the challenger in this rematch.  He’s had success in rematches before – he did it against Darleys Perez and he came back better.  He needs to do that again against Jorge, No. 1 in the division.

 

“It gives me huge pleasure to announce that the fight will be on SHOWTIME in the U.S. and I want to thank Stephen Espinosa and his team for making this happen.”

 

JOE GALLAGHER:

“I need a nasty Anthony Crolla for this fight.  Jorge is the best in the world so I need to keep him locked away and getting nasty – he won’t be doing any fan signings or selling tickets.  If you like Anthony and care about him, leave him alone, let him work, and come and watch him win on the night.”

 

ROBERT DIAZ:

“I didn’t know how Jorge was going to react to the fans as I know that Anthony has great fans. I think that Jorge won a lot of fans that night and he’ll have his share in the rematch.

 

“Anthony didn’t have to take the fight, he could’ve gone elsewhere and got some wins, but that shows what a man this guy is.  He wants the belts and we expect a better Anthony.  I said you would see the best Jorge ever and you did – he’s going to be even better this time.”