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PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS – GARCIA VS. MALIGNAGGI FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES & PHOTOS

 

Click HERE For Photos From Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment

 

Click HERE For Photos From Lucas Noonan/Premier Boxing Champions

 

NEW YORK (July 30, 2015) – Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN and undercard fighters held a final press conference Thursday at B.B. Kings Blues Club & Grill in Times Square as they near their Saturday, August 1 showdowns at Barclays Center.

 

The event is headlined by undefeated star Danny “Swift” Garcia (30-0, 17 KOs) as he makes his 147-pound debut against two-time world champion Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi (33-6, 7 KOs). Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. as middleweight world champion Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs (29-1, 26 KOs) defends in his hometown against former world champion Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora (28-3-2, 9 KOs).

 

Here is what the participants had to say Thursday:

 

DANNY GARCIA

 

“We had a tremendous camp, I’ve never felt so strong in my life. For the first time in my career I can actually train to get better.

 

“We’re just focused on training. We did everything in camp – we even chased chickens.

 

“I accomplished a lot at 140-pounds and I’m going to do a lot at 147. On Saturday at Barclays Center you’re going to see a spectacular Danny Garcia.

 

“I want to be known as a great Philadelphia fighter and a great Puerto Rican fighter. I’m the first Puerto Rican from Philly to ever be a world champion. I have the Philly skills and toughness with the Puerto Rican blood, it’s the perfect mixture.

 

“I’ve watched Paulie fight my whole career. He’s a tough veteran and I’m sure he’s got some tricks up his sleeve. I just have to go in there and stick to business on Saturdaynight.

 

“Barclays Center is my home away from home. We have a nice routine when we’re in Brooklyn. We keep it simple.

 

“I pay attention to the positive things in my career and that’s getting in the gym and working hard and getting better. That’s my main focus.

 

“Everything is better at 147. I feel stronger. My form feels good. The footwork is great. I can eat regularly now. Still disciplined but it’s a lot easier.”

 

PAULIE MALIGNAGGI

 

“For Danny’s team, it’s only about him and for me it’s all about myself. My best versus his best. This is a big opportunity from me, professionally and personally. My career started 14 years ago in Brooklyn and people think it’s going to end Saturday in Brooklyn, but I’m not letting that happen.

 

“It’s been an emotional camp. I find myself thrust back into the limelight of a major fight when it was least expected. The question marks and doubts come up in my mind and that’s made it emotional. I work hard every day. I’ve quietly had one of my best training camps

 

“There are no excuses here. Saturday night is the best of Paulie Malignaggi. I look forward to testing myself against the best Danny Garcia. I’ve always loved and relish the big names and the big opportunities.

 

“Sometimes I lay in bed at night thinking about matchups between fighters. Now I’m thinking of myself in that conversation and we’ll fin out on Saturday how I stack up.

 

“Quietly but surely, I’m very confident about Saturday night. I’m bringing my best.”

 

DANIEL JACOBS

 

“This is another great opportunity to showcase my skills. I’m on a good knockout streak and I feel confident about this fight.

 

“Sergio Mora is a Rubik’s cube, you have to figure him out. He’s crafty and I have the utmost respect for him. I’m 100 percent confident in my ability to go out there and put on a good show

 

“I hear Sergio is coming here to knock me out and if that’s the case this is going to be a real exciting fight. I look forward to it because I’m coming forward and if two guys are doing that it’s going to be a great fight.

 

“I’m excited to give these Brooklyn fans a great fight. I love being at home and seeing all of the familiar faces I’ve seen since the amateur days.”

 

SERGIO MORA

 

I’m excited to fight at Barclays Center. Brooklyn is beautiful and has great fans. Lou DiBella is about to have another fighter named Sergio as a middleweight champion afterSaturday night.

 

“I think this is going to be a really successful fight because of all the stars up here. It’s a great event for boxing fans.

 

“I’m a grown man now and I’m looking to become a two-time world champion. This is my third time at a middleweight title shot but the first time an opponent showed up. I’m excited and ready to go. I’m thankful for everyone who has opened the door for me. This is it.

 

“Daniel is strong in the ring. He’s a powerful, confident champion. He’s not used to losing and he’s used to hitting his targets, but I’m the total opposite of that. It’s going to be tough for him.

 

“Until he gets in there with me and realizes how tough I am, then he’s going to realize he has a challenge coming to him. I want to take him out of his element.

 

“It’s a big burden to be a hometown fighter and he’s going to realize that. It’s detrimental to be fighting in your hometown and I think he’s too young to realize that. It’s going to be to my advantage on fight night.”

 

ANGEL GARCIA, Danny’s Father & Trainer

 

“Danny had a great camp. It was an awesome camp and he’s going to make a lot of noise. We’re not taking Malignaggi lightly, but we’ve come to win. We don’t come to lose.

 

“It’s not about Malignaggi, it’s about Danny. People can say whatever they want to say but we’re coming to make noise at 147. We’re not running from anybody.

 

“I promise you Danny will be the world champion at 147. I’ve seen visions of it. This is going to be a great fight and then after that anybody can get it.”

 

LOU DIBELLA, President of DiBella Entertainment

 

“I’ve known Paulie Malignaggi since he was a teenager and won the nationals in a big surprise to people. He turned pro on one of my shows and one thing I know about him, it’s that he’s not going to back down from a challenge and he’s going to give it 110 percent on Saturday.

 

“Danny Garcia has been a dominant force in the 140-pound division. He’s won fights by stunning knockout and he’s won by decisions. He always finds a way to win. That’s what he’s planning to do on Saturday night.

 

“Sergio Mora is here to challenge for another world championship. He comes in on a good streak of impressive wins. He’s always been known as a boxer and he’s been in the ring with the best fighters in the world.

 

“Daniel Jacobs is one of the best guys in boxing. His story of perseverance is one that has been told many times. He’s a young, strong champion looking to show that he’s got what it takes in the ring as well as outside of it.

 

“This is a fantastic card featuring four great fighters from Brooklyn on the undercard. We’re going to open the doors and immediately start with these great fights.

 

“This will be Heather Hardy’s fourth fight at Barclays Center and she will be joined on the undercard by Polish heavyweight from Brooklyn Adam Kownacki, who is looking to make some noise in the division.

 

“Rafael Vasquez has a truly inspirational story. He uses boxing to draw attention to the cause of autism and his wife who is battling courageously against cancer, and winning. I really want to see him get a world title shot, because his life has been a battle that he takes on with courage every day.

 

“We also have a terrific prospect in Prichard Colon from Puerto Rico. He’s undefeated and really an exciting guy to watch in the ring.”

 

BRETT YORMARK, CEO of Barclays Center

 

“It’s our 14th big night of boxing in Brooklyn and we’re really excited about it. It’s a business we’re committed to and one we want to grow. Our goal is to go monthly with big events at Barclays Center.

 

“With Paulie and Danny, it’s a big night to have them back at Barclays Center. It is the fourth time for both and they both represent Brooklyn so well.

 

“I want to welcome Sergio Mora for the first time and we’re excited to have you in Brooklyn.

 

“As we’ve told Danny Garcia before, this is his second home and we’re happy to have you and your father back.

 

“We’re excited to be on ESPN, because they provide an incredible platform for these fighters and the sport as a whole.

 

“We expect a great crowd on Saturday night and we look forward to an exciting night at Barclays Center.”

 

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.barclayscenter.comand www.dbe1.com. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @DannySwift, @PaulMalignaggi, @LouDiBella, @ESPNBoxing, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/fanpagedannyswiftgarcia, www.facebook.com/PaulMalignaggi, www.facebook.com/barclayscenterand www.facebook.com/ESPN. Follow the conversation using #PBConESPN and #BrooklynBoxing.

PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON ESPN FIGHTER WORKOUT QUOTES & PHOTOS

 

Click HERE For Photos From Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment

 

BROOKLYN (July 29, 2015) – Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN featured fighters were joined by local Brooklyn favorites featured on this Saturday’s undercard for a media workout at Gleason’s Gym in advance of their respective showdowns at Barclays Center.

 

Saturday’s headlining event features undefeated star Danny “Swift” Garcia (30-0, 17 KOs) as he takes on two-time world champion from Brooklyn Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi (33-6, 7 KOs) in a 12-round welterweight tilt. Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT as Brooklyn’s Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs (29-1, 26 KOs) defends his middleweight world title against former world champion Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora (28-3-2, 9 KOs).

 

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Swift Promotions, are priced at $250, $150, $120, $75 and $45, not including applicable service charges and taxes, and are on sale now. Tickets are available atwww.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 855-GROUP-BK.

 

Here is what the participants had to say Wednesday:

 

DANNY GARCIA

 

“[On going up to 147 pounds] You’re going to see a lot more energy in the ring. You’ll see a smarter fighter. I’ll have more agility and we’re going to go in there to get the job done.

 

“We’re just working hard. At the end of the day it’s about being 100 percent prepared. I did everything right this camp and I’m ready.

 

“The game plan is to go in there and be Danny Garcia and be spectacular. I don’t know which Paulie to expect but I’m prepared for any version of him we see. I’m sparring a lot of guys who move and guys who come forward so I’m ready for anything.

 

“If we’re both at 100 percent then I’ll take my 100 percent over his without a doubt. My style is made to beat any fighter in the game. I’m sure he trained hard but we’re going to get this victory.

 

“I’m only focused on being a fighter. I don’t think anybody can beat a 110 percent Danny Garcia. At the end of the day, I know I beat a lot of good fighters and I’m going to show my heart in the ring.

 

“There’s no pressure but I’m looking forward to an excellent performance. I’m ready to fight today if the fight was today. I feel faster at 147. I won’t be flat-footed in there. You’re going to see it all on Saturday.

 

“I feel like I’m one of the most versatile fighters in the sport. I’m going to feel strong for 12 rounds on Saturday. I’ve felt strong all camp.”

 

PAULIE MALIGNAGGI

 

“I feel great at 147 pounds. I’ve always felt very strong at this weight and it’s where I should be. I still had to make sacrifices in training but I’ve never made weight so easily. I’m coming off back-to-back camps and I feel like I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been.

 

“To be a two-time world champion you need to be able to do more than just jab and move. My IQ and my overall boxing ability and skillset make me the fighter that I am today.

 

“I don’t think Danny is overlooking me but I feel that the fans and the media are. I love challenges and I love things that motivate me. I wake up in the morning saying this is hard, but I know I can do it.

 

“The bigger the challenge the more excited I am. It brings the best out of me. I have fought some of the greatest fighters of our time. There’s no reason I would stop now.
“Fighting at home at Barclays Center against Danny Garcia, one of the biggest fights in boxing, I couldn’t ask for more.”

 

DANIEL JACOBS

 

“Sergio Mora is a slick fighter. He can slip punches well and he’s defensively minded. He’s a cagey fighter but he lacks power. He has a lot of defensive flaws and I just have to be patient and take advantage of them.

 

“We have a game plan in store, but in a pro fight anything can happen. You have to be able to adjust on the fly.

 

“I have a great team that helps me take care of things so that I can focus on training. I avoid all distractions that would take me away from being at my best.

 

“Fighting on the PBC cards has been outstanding. I love the intro and coming out on that stage. I felt like a superstar.

 

“This training camp has been a pleasure, hard work but a pleasure. It was difficult because Sergio is so hard to prepare for. You can’t prepare for it with sparring or just one thing. I’m looking forward to showing my true skills and showing what a true champion is.”

 

SERGIO MORA

 

“I’m thrilled about this opportunity. I’ve had two huge letdowns before with world title shots falling through. Now that this is here, there is no way I’m going to let it pass me by.

 

“I’m happy to be here. I’m happy to be at Barclays and happy to be on PBC. I love being the underdog and I’m going to shock the world on Saturday night.

 

“I’m in the second phase of my career now, DiBella and PBC have saved my career and my life.

 

“PBC is great, it’s free TV and we’re putting out heart, blood, sweat and tears into this and the fans get to see it on free TV. This is great for the fans, for the fighters and for the entire sport as a whole; it’s what boxing needed.”

 

RAFAEL VASQUEZ

 

“This is a great opportunity and a blessing to be on this card. There’s so many great fighters from Brooklyn. Barclays Center is great and it gives us fighters from Brooklyn the opportunity to fight at a first class venue right here at home.

 

[On his Autistic eight-year-old daughter Kaylene]…”I want to show other people that are dealing with this, that they are not alone. I see this as a blessing to be able to raise awareness and speak out and show other families that are struggling with Autism that we are in this together.

 

“When people see me step into the ring I want them to know that I’m not only fighting for myself but I’m fighting for them. I want to be the face of Autism in boxing.”

 

HEATHER HARDY

 

“It’s really important to me that I stay relevant and that I’m a part of the conversation so when I saw this fight coming up in August I made sure that I was on this card.

 

“There really is extra motivation going up against Renata Domsodi again. I felt like when the two of us faced off last time and the bout was ruled a no contest that we owed it to every other female boxer to show that we belong there and I thought she quit.

 

“Renata was coming in with her face down swinging her arms and I charged her while she was coming in and that caused the cut. We’ve been working on stepping to the side when she does that and being a little bit more patient.

 

“If all goes well Saturday I’ll be ready to get back in the ring in September. I’m in shape and I live in the gym. This is what I do. You have to stay a part of the conversation. I want to see a higher level of competition every time I step into the ring.

 

“This is probably the hardest I’ve ever worked, out of all of my camps. Not for any other reason than just putting in extra work. Honestly I’m in the best shape of my life.”

 

TRAVIS PETERKIN

 

“I’ve trained so hard, I put blood, sweat and tears into this. I put my soul into this. I put my life into this. We’re ready.

 

“It’s no secret that I’m from Brooklyn, born and raised, I didn’t move here from anywhere. Guys like Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe and Shannon Briggs I just want to follow in their footsteps. I want to be great and learn from those that came before me.

 

“I’m a boxer-puncher. I’ll adapt to the fighter. If he runs, I’ll go get him. But I also know how to be smart and use my technical abilities.

 

“I’m facing a tough guy in Lenin Castillo. He’s got a good record and was a 2008 Olympian. Everything looks good on paper, but when the time comes, I’m going to take him out.

 

“I train right here at Gleason’s. When we’re a couple months from a fight everybody is smiling and joking but when we’re this close to the fight, everybody is serious. It’s all about hard work.”

 

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.barclayscenter.comand www.dbe1.com. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @DannySwift, @PaulMalignaggi, @LouDiBella, @ESPNBoxing, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/fanpagedannyswiftgarcia, www.facebook.com/PaulMalignaggi, www.facebook.com/barclayscenterand www.facebook.com/ESPN. Follow the conversation using #PBConESPN and #BrooklynBoxing.

PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON ESPN FIGHTER QUOTES

 

Undefeated Star Danny Garcia Faces

Two-Time World Champion Paulie Malignaggi

 

Middleweight World Champion Daniel Jacobs Defends Against

Former World Champion Sergio Mora

 

Live From Barclays Center

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

 

BROOKLYN (July 28, 2015) – With just days to go until Premier Boxing Championson ESPN fighters enter the ring for their Saturday, August 1 showdowns at Barclays Center, catch up on what the fighters have been saying in the weeks leading up to fight week.

 

Saturday’s headlining event is the 147-pound debut of Danny “Swift” Garcia (30-0, 17 KOs) as he takes on two-time world champion out of Brooklyn, Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi (33-6, 7 KOs). Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT with Brooklyn’s middleweight world champion Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs (29-1, 26 KOs) as he defends his title against former world champion Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora (28-3-2, 9 KOs).

 

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Swift Promotions, are priced at $250, $150, $120, $75 and $45, 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 855-GROUP-BK.

 

Here is what the fight participants have had to say from their media conference call and Garcia’s media workout:

 

DANNY GARCIA

 

“I’m not really concerned about Paulie, at this point in my career if I’m 110% percent ready, I feel like I can adapt to anything and find a way to win.

 

“It feels great to be at 147. For the first time in a long time, I could worry about training to get better and not training to lose weight. I’ve been fighting at 140 my whole career.

 

“I’ve been the underdog before, I’ve been the underdog before and I won. I can’t listen to none of that stuff after just going through each fight like I was, mentally prepared, physically prepared going in and get the job done.

 

“We added things to our workout now. We added a lot of explosive workouts, a lot of agility, a lot of footwork, a lot of things to making you more explosive, things I couldn’t do at 140 because I didn’t have the energy for it. But now the extra weight is really helping me.

 

“I’m very confident. I faced a lot of good fighters. I faced a lot of great fighters in my career. I have a lot of experience. I was a big 140-pound fighter. I’ve never faced a 140-pound fighter who was taller than me or who looked better than me.

 

“But I feel like at 147, you’re going to see a more athletic Danny Garcia and be able to use my legs more, using my jab more and see punches clearer. When you drain yourself as hard to see punches, then you get hit with a lot of dumb punches because your vision is not clear.

 

“I feel like my vision is going to be a lot clearer and be able to move my head, see the punches better, use my feet. And I think I’m going to be a champion at 147, too. I know so.”

 

PAULIE MALIGNAGGI

 

“I think styles make fight. From a style point of view there are things that I feel like I’ll be able to do against Danny. But I also expect Danny had made some adjustments since those fights.

 

“You get to the point when you’re not in the ring for a while. It’s going through my mind that maybe I don’t want to fight. But as time went by and I started working out again, I started realizing that it was something I missed. It was something I was still craving. I wanted to be back in there.

 

“If we’re going to talk about the layoff, people are going to talk about the fact that, I haven’t fought for a long time. But in reality, I actually haven’t trained this consistently in a decade, literally a decade.

 

“I do feel the sharpness in a gym. I do feel the timing is really good. Obviously my weight has come down. So, that’s a good feeling knowing that I have to drop a lot of weight during the training camp just working on the sharpness and keep getting better.

 

“I’m not looking at it as having any advantages. It’s just a matter of matching of my skills to his skills.

“I can’t really tell you exactly how I’m going to play it out until I’m in the ring myself. I plan on being the best me possible. I plan on being the sharpest me possible. And right now, in training, I feel really good. The plan is to flow this training camp into a sharp night onAugust 1st.”

 

DANIEL JACOBS

 

“It’ll be against the most experienced guy I’ve faced thus far. I’m looking forward to testing my challenge against this slick, crafty veteran in Sergio Mora.

 

“So there’s not a lot of fear as far as power is concerned but where he lacks that he makes up in his craftiness and his slickness and awkwardness and sometimes he does engage in the action as well.

 

“The test with Sergio Mora is – whether that he can be stopped or whether or not I can go the distance with him, he’s never been stopped before, so it will be icing on the cake to be able to not only to defeat him but to stop him in the match.

 

“I feel like I have a lot more advantages than he does in the fight. But whatever my advantages are and whatever gets me going, will be the deciding factor for me I would stick to. So if it’s my speed, then I’ll stick to using my speed. If it’s my power, backing him down, showing him what a real middleweight feels like, then that’s what I would do.”

 

SERGIO MORA

 

“I think I’m going to be an underdog for this fight again, fighting the younger, stronger champion in his hometown. So defeating him is going to be tough with all the cards stacked against me and that’s something that I grown used to and accustomed to.

 

“This is going to be a really exciting card because he’s in his hometown and defending the world title. I’m hungry for that world title and I know that I’m going to have to be extra sharp and do a lot more than just have a close victory in his hometown. So I’m going to have to press action and go out of my comfort zone and I think he’s going to have to go out of his comfort zone, which is going to make an interesting fight for everybody.

 

“I just continue educating people about the sweet science and letting them know that power is not the number one aspect you need to be successful it’s your agility, techniques, your defense, body shots, the strategy, it’s following that strategy it’s hard.

 

“Like I said, I think he possess everything that I don’t. But I have the experience. I think I take a better shot from experience with Danny and I think I follow my game plan more than Danny. A lot of boxers especially a lot of young athletic fighters they go out of their game plan and once they see that it’s not working. As a veteran, I know that it’s not working initially.”

 

For more information, visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.barclayscenter.comand www.dbe1.com. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @DannySwift, @PaulMalignaggi, @LouDiBella, @ESPNBoxing, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/fanpagedannyswiftgarcia, www.facebook.com/PaulMalignaggi, www.facebook.com/barclayscenterand www.facebook.com/ESPN. Follow the conversation using #PBConESPN and #BrooklynBoxing.

MATCHUP OF UNDEFEATED PROSPECTS TRAVIS PETERKIN AND LENIN CASTILLO HEADLINES STACKED UNDERCARD COMING TO BARCLAYS CENTER ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 1ST AS PART OF PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON ESPN

 

BROOKLYN’S RAFAEL VAZQUEZ, ADAM KOWNACKI, AND

HEATHER “THE HEAT” HARDY ALSO IN ACTION

 

Tickets Are On Sale Now!

BROOKLYN (July 17, 2015) – A light heavyweight contest between Brooklyn’s own “Notorious” Travis Peterkin (15-0,7 KOs) and fellow undefeated prospect Lenin Castillo (12-0, 7 KOs) highlights a full night of undercard action at Barclays Center onSaturday, August 1.

 

The headlining event of the evening is a Premier Boxing Champions on ESPNdoubleheader featuring undefeated superstar Danny “Swift” Garcia (30-0, 17 KOs) taking on Brooklyn’s own Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi (33-6,7 KOs), with middleweight champion Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs (29-1, 26 KOs) squaring off against Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora (28-3-2, 9KOs) in the co-feature.

 

Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Fans in attendance will also be treated to a riveting undercard featuring an abundance of local talent on the rise.

 

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Swift Promotions, are priced at $250, $150, $120, $75 and $45, not including applicable service charges and taxes, and are on sale now. Tickets are available atwww.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 855-GROUP-BK.

 

The showdown between hometown favorite Peterkin and the Dominican Castillo is scheduled for eight rounds. Following an amateur career that ended with a 95-7 record, the highly touted Peterkin turned pro in 2011 and has developed on DiBella Entertainment’s “Broadway Boxing” series. Castillo is a former amateur standout and 2008 Dominican Olympian. Both Peterkin and Castillo will be making their Barclays Center debuts.

 

Brooklyn’s Rafael “Dynamite” Vazquez (15-1, 12 KOs) has kept a busy schedule in 2015 and will return for his fourth fight this year in an eight-round featherweight contest. The 37-year-old Vazquez is not your typical boxer. While he is ranked high in the world rankings at number seven and is seeking a world title opportunity, fame and glory are not his top priorities. With an autistic daughter and a wife diagnosed with cervical cancer, Vazquez fights for his family. Getting a late start to boxing, Vazquez, who lost both of his parents at an early age and endured a stint in prison as a wayward youth, turned pro in September 2010. He has since donated portions of his purses to autism research, while also holding fundraisers to help raise awareness. After suffering a shocking split decision loss to Jhovany Collado in 2012, Vazquez, who has absolutely devastating power in both hands, has stopped six of his last seven opponents, including the 30-2 Leon Moore.

 

Polish heavyweight knockout artist Adam Kownacki (10-0, 9 KOs) will return to Barclays Center following a dominant eight-round unanimous decision over the tough Ytalo Perea onMay 29. Kownacki was born in Lomza, Poland, before migrating to the US with his family at the age of seven and settling in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, known as a large Polish community. A pro since 2009, Kownacki has gained immeasurable experience sparring with heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko on multiple occasions. Prior to his bout in May, Kownacki had scored all of his knockouts in five rounds or less. He’ll be facing fellow heavy-hitter Maurenzo Smith (12-9-3, 9 KOs) in an eight-round contest in Brooklyn.

 

Brooklyn’s popular Heather “The Heat” Hardy (13-0, 2 KOs), who competed in Barclays Center’s first-ever professional female boxing match last year, has become a staple at the famed venue since then. On August 1, Hardy will be making her third consecutive appearance at Barclays Center. A little over two years after her pro debut, Hardy won an international title belt in the super bantamweight division in October 2014. In her last bout on May 29, Hardy impressively outpointed Noemi Bosques over eight frames. She’ll look to keep that momentum going on August 1, in an eight-round featherweight contest when she takes on Hungarian Renata Domsodi (12-6, 5 KOs).

 

Eager to make a name for himself as the next promising up-and-comer out of Puerto Rico, junior middleweight Prichard Colon (14-0, 11 KOs), will return to Barclays Center for the third time. As an amateur, Colon was a five-time Puerto Rican national champion prior to turning pro in 2013. Trained by his father, Colon has been stylistically compared to fellow countryman Felix Trinidad, with all but one of his knockouts coming in five rounds or less. In the opposite corner at Barclays Center will be Las Vegas-resident Michael Finney (12-3-1, 10 KOs) who is known for giving prospects a real test, having gone the distance with Jermall Charlo and Erickson Lubin, while battling to a draw against the 11-0-2 Wilkins Santiago.

 

Unbeaten 24-year-old junior lightweight Omar “Super O” Douglas (14-0, 11 KOs) of Wilmington, DE, is ready to transition from prospect to contender. While an adept technical boxer, the powerful Douglas always seeks to end bouts early, with five of his 11 knockouts coming in the very first round. On August 1, he’ll be squaring off against Puerto Rican southpaw Frank Santos de Alba (16-1-2, 6 KOs) who has not lost since dropping a decision in his 2011 pro debut.

 

Junior lightweights Titus Williams, from Elmont, Long Island, and Philadelphia’s Thomas Velasquez will be making their pro debuts in separate four-round bouts following decorated amateur careers.

 

Select undercard bouts will be carried live on ESPN3. ESPN Deportes will also televise the fights live, as part of its Noche de Combates series and ESPN International will present live coverage across its networks in Latin America, Brazil, the Caribbean and Pacific Rim. Live coverage will also be available through WatchESPN on computers, smartphones, tablets, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One via an affiliated video provider.

 

For more information, visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.barclayscenter.comand www.dbe1.com. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @DannySwift, @PaulMalignaggi, @LouDiBella, @ESPNBoxing, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/fanpagedannyswiftgarcia, www.facebook.com/PaulMalignaggi, www.facebook.com/barclayscenterand www.facebook.com/ESPN. Follow the conversation using #PBConESPN and #BrooklynBoxing.

PAULIE MALIGNAGGI & DANIEL JACOBS DISCUSS THEIR UPCOMING SATURDAY, AUGUST 1 FIGHTS LIVE ON PBC ON ESPN FROM  BARCLAYS CENTER IN BROOKLYN

 

BROOKLYN (July 8, 2015) – Former two-division world champion Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi, middleweight world champion Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs, President of DiBella Entertainment Lou DiBella and CEO of Barclays Center Brett Yormark took time today to discuss the upcoming Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN fights taking place Saturday, August 1 at Barclays Center.

 

Malignaggi (33-6, 7 KOs) will face undefeated Danny “Swift” Garcia (30-0, 17 KOs)in the headlining event on ESPN.

 

Jacobs (29-1, 26 KOs) will defend his title against former world champion Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora (28-3-2, 9 KOs) in the televised opener on ESPN beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

 

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $250, $150, $75 and $45, 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.barclayscenter.comand www.dbe1.com. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @DannySwift, @PaulMalignaggi, @LouDiBella, @ESPNBoxing, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/fanpagedannyswiftgarcia, www.facebook.com/PaulMalignaggi, www.facebook.com/barclayscenterand www.facebook.com/ESPN. Follow the conversation using #PBConESPN and #BrooklynBoxing.

 

 

PAULIE MALIGNAGGI

“I feel good, really good right now. This has been one of the best camps I have ever had in my career. We have not only been working really hard, but also really smart. I am coming off back-to-back camps and I truly feel great.

 

“We have some tricks up our sleeves for this fight. I am very happy with that way I am looking and feeling. Everyday I am going in there and just putting in the work. I’m not overthinking this fight, I’m just putting in that work at the gym, and with the way I feel and look, I’m very confident. I have a strong self-belief. I truly believe in myself and my abilities. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here.

 

“I want to live and die by my own decisions, and that is how I have structured this camp. I am listening to my body and listening to myself. We are working on different things in both my boxing training and my strength and conditioning.

 

“I have seen strengths and weaknesses all over Danny [Garcia]. When I watch a fight, I see it a lot deeper than most people.  So when I watch Danny, I see a lot of different things. I don’t want to get too much into it, but there are definitely things we have seen that we are working on specifically in this camp to implement and capitalize on August 1st.

 

“Barclays Center in my home. Fighting here gives me that extra motivation. Fighting at Barclays, in front of all my friends and family, it just doesn’t get better than that.”

 

DANIEL JACOBS

“This is a great camp and we are ready to put on a great show come August 1st.  I feel comfortable as a champion. Don’t get me wrong, when I first won my title it was totally surreal, but I always felt like a champion deep down inside. There is something that burns inside of me that has allowed me to overcome every obstacle in my life, and to me, that’s what makes a champion.

 

“I love being a part of PBC. There is no doubt in my mind that my popularity has grown since my first appearance on a PBC card. We are reaching a much younger and different crowd and demographic than before, and it is just great for the sport of boxing.

 

“This is a tough fight. Mora is a proven guy and I know he is very hungry for this opportunity. He is awkward and he is slick. He has good speed and a good jab. We have to be cautious and stick to our game plan. People are saying that this could be the toughest fight of my career and we are training with that mindset.

 

“With a win in this fight, I truly believe that the sky is the limit. There are a lot of big fights out there to be made in the division, but obviously, the main guy for me would be Peter Quillin. It is a fight that I have wanted for a long time, and it is a huge fight for boxing, but especially for New York.

 

“My legacy is in my own hands. Some of the biggest fights in the sport are in the middleweight division right now. At this particular point though, the Quillin fight is the most lucrative option for me. I am not looking past any man, especially not Sergio Mora, but that is a fight I want, the boxing world wants, New York wants and Barclays Center wants.”

 

LOU DIBELLA

“In addition to these two great fights, we are proud to announce that we have added Brooklyn’s own undefeated heavyweight prospect Adam Kownacki (10-0, 9KO’s) to the card, as well as one of the top prospects in the game right now, The Brooklyn Rocky, Frank Galarza (17-0-2, 11KO’s). We are also excited to announce the addition of highly regarded up-and-coming Puerto Rican prospect Prichard Colon (14-0, 11KO’s), who will be great additions to the undercard, which already features undefeated female star Heather “The Heat” Hardy, and a clash of undefeated light heavyweight prospects, Brooklyn’s Travis Peterkin (15-0, 7KO’s) against Olympian Lenin Castillo (12-0, 7KO’s).

 

“It’s an honor for me to be promoting another card at Barclays Center, which in my eyes has become the preeminent venue for boxing and music in the entire country. It is a great pleasure for me to work with Brett and everyone on his team. They are the best in the game.

 

“The public is going to have a real opportunity to see two very good, competitive fights. Look, this (Danny Garcia vs. Paulie Malignaggi) is a very tough fight. Danny has looked a bit vulnerable in his past few fights, and he is moving up in weight to fight a real deal welterweight. Say what you want about Paulie, but you cannot question his heart or desire to win. Paulie is comfortable with being an underdog, he has been an underdog his whole life. With Paulie, you know you will never get anything less than 110 percent. Fourteen years ago yesterday he made his pro-debut on one of my cards, and I am proud of that fact. It is truly an honor for me to be promoting his fight against Danny Garcia on August 1st.

 

“The co-feature match-up is a very intriguing fight. You have two of the best middleweights in the world in Danny Jacobs and Sergio Mora. Just like the main event, this is a very tough fight. Sergio is extremely hungry. He has been waiting for this shot for years. Danny’s story is just remarkable. How hard he has worked to get here, and win a world championship is just extraordinary. He is a champion both inside and outside of the ring, and it’s truly an honor to be working with him. That is the great thing about promoting these PBC events. I have the opportunity to work with and promote some of the greatest and most talented fighters in the sport, in exciting and competitive fights.”

 

BRETT YORMARK

“All of us at Barclays Center are very excited for this August 1st card. This is a great platform for us and the building promoting yet another wonderful PBC event. I am personally excited for the event. Paulie and Danny are like family to me and I am truly honored to have them in our building. Our goal is to be the premier venue in all of boxing and we are actively making a push for that, with our third major PBC card at our venue this year.

 

“Boxing is our third franchise, along with the Nets and Islanders, and we are proud of the events we have been able to be involved with and have in our beautiful venue. I love working with Lou and his team, there is no better promoter in the country and we are looking forward to another great event on August 1st on ESPN.”

BROOKLYN’S PAULIE MALIGNAGGI INTERVIEWED ON ESPN BROADCAST OF NATHAN’S HOT DOG EATING CONTEST ON JULY 4th IN CONEY ISLAND

Malignaggi Faces Undefeated Danny Garcia On Saturday, August 1 Edition Of Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN Live From Barclays Center

 

Click HERE For Full Interview Video

Click HERE For Photos From Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment

 

BROOKLYN (July 6, 2015) – Former two-division world champion and Brooklynite Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi was interviewed by Melanie Collins on ESPN’s broadcast of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on Saturday, July 4th on Coney Island.

 

He appeared in front of the raucous Brooklyn crowd and signed autographs and took photos with fans.

 

Malignaggi (33-6, 7 KOs) takes on undefeated superstar Danny “Swift” Garcia (30-0, 17 KOs) in the evening’s main event on Saturday, August 1 at Barclays Center. Televised action begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT with Middleweight World Champion Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs (29-1, 26 KOs) taking on former world champion Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora (28-3-2, 9 KOs).

 

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $250, $150, $75 and $45, 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.barclayscenter.comand www.dbe1.com. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @DannySwift, @PaulMalignaggi, @LouDiBella, @ESPNBoxing, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/fanpagedannyswiftgarcia, www.facebook.com/PaulMalignaggi, www.facebook.com/barclayscenterand www.facebook.com/ESPN. Follow the conversation using #PBConESPN and #BrooklynBoxing.

PAULIE MALIGNAGGI, DANIEL JACOBS, HEATHER HARDY & TRAVIS PETERKIN CELEBRATE NATIONAL CREATIVE ICE CREAM FLAVOR DAY AT BLUE MARBLE ICE CREAM IN BROOKLYN WITH ICE CREAM FLAVORS NAMED AFTER THEM



Malignaggi Faces Danny Garcia & Jacobs Takes On Sergio Mora On 

Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN

Saturday, August 1 at Barclays Center

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

 

Click HERE For Photos From Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment

 

BROOKLYN (July 1, 2015) – To celebrate National Creative Ice Cream Flavor Day, fighters competing on the August 1 Premier Boxing Champions card at Barclays Center visited Blue Marble Ice Cream in Brooklyn today where they sampled and served ice cream named after themselves.

 

Below were the fighters in attendance along with their ice cream flavor:

 

Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi – “Magic Peanut Butter Paulie” – Peanut Butter Ice Cream laced with Dark Chocolate Confetti

 

Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs – “The Miracle Midnight Cookie Man” – Chocolate Mint Ice Cream with Organic Cookie

 

Heather “The Heat” Hardy – “Feel The Heat” – Dark Chocolate Ice Cream with Organic Spices and Dark Chocolate Chips

 

Travis “The Notorious” Peterkin – “The Nutorious Butterpeterkin” -Butter-n-Salt Ice Cream with Organic Missouri Pecans

 

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $250, $150, $75 and $45, 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.

 

Malignaggi (33-6, 7 KOs) will face undefeated Danny “Swift” Garcia (30-0, 17 KOs) in the headlining event on ESPN.

 

“Any ice cream in the summer time is great ice cream, so no complaints there. The ‘Magic Peanut Butter Paulie’ was delicious,” said Malignaggi. “I live for big moments in my career, like August 1. I love the packed arena and a high adrenaline atmosphere in my hometown. We’re going to be fighting in the second PBC on ESPN card and back at Barclays Center, which always draws a great crowd for these PBC cards. Garcia and I always attract a huge crowd when we’ve fought so it makes all the sense in the world for us to make this fight. I look forward to the challenge.”

 

Jacobs (29-1, 26 KOs) will defend his title against former world champion Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora (28-3-2, 9 KOs) in the televised opener on ESPN beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

 

“The ‘Miracle Midnight Cookie Man’ was very good. My family and I love ice cream, so I was glad that I got to bring them out as well. My flavor was my top choice out of all the creative flavors though, so I’m very happy,” said Jacobs. “I’ve very excited about August 1 and to be back home. I’ve had an opportunity to fight at Barclays Center several times before, and each time is getting bigger and bigger. I’m excited to be back in that good energy, fighting a seasoned veteran in Sergio Mora who will give me a stern test, but I’m looking to capitalize on my experience and defend my belt again successfully.”

 

Hardy (13-0, 2 KOs) and Peterkin (15-0, 7 KOs) will compete in separate undercard bouts on August 1 at Barclays Center.

 

“‘Feel The Heat’ was so good. They put cinnamon in it for me, and I put cinnamon on everything, so it was great,” said Hardy. “I’m so excited to be back at Barclays Center again on another PBC card. When I saw on my news feed that Barclays Center was getting this fight I called Lou’s (DiBella) office and said, ‘I want on that card!’ And I didn’t stop. Every day I was asking to be added. So I’m very happy to be back in Brooklyn and fighting at Barclays Center again.”

 

“‘The Notorious Butterpeterkin’ was definitely my favorite creative flavor. It tastes great, and because of this I’ll be sparring about 10 rounds today and doing some extra running later tonight,” said Peterkin. “Being on this card is a huge deal for me. I was born and raised in Brooklyn. I remember before Barclays Center was even built. I watched everything go up, and then I actually worked at Barclays Center too.  So this will be great being part of such a big PBC event.”

 

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.barclayscenter.comand www.dbe1.com. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @DannySwift, @PaulMalignaggi, @LouDiBella, @ESPNBoxing, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/fanpagedannyswiftgarcia, www.facebook.com/PaulMalignaggi, www.facebook.com/barclayscenterand www.facebook.com/ESPN. Follow the conversation using #PBConESPN and #BrooklynBoxing.

PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON ESPN MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT

 

Lou DiBella

Thank you very much for joining us for this call for the PBC on ESPN show on August 1 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The show will be live on primetime on ESPN on Saturday, August 1st, with coverage beginning at 9:00 pm ET/6:00 pm PT.

 

The main event of the evening is Danny “Swift” Garcia against Paulie Malignaggi. The opening fight is a middleweight title bout between Danny Jacobs and Sergio Mora.

 

August 1 is the second PBC card on ESPN and the first one is going to be Keith Thurman against Brooklyn’s Luis Collazo. That’s going to be on July 11th in Tampa, Florida.

 

Tickets for August 1 are priced at $250, $150, $75 and $45 and are on sale now. They’re available atwww.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. To charge by phone, you can call Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or to get group tickets from Barclays Center, 800-GROUPBK.

 

The opening bout is a terrific fight. Danny Jacobs is an inspirational fighter but also a super talented middleweight that’s risen to championship stature and holds the belt. He’ll fight at Barclays Center for the fourth time.

 

Danny rise from cancer to vie over the champion has been well documented. But frankly, at this point, he’s beaten that illness and he wants to focus to be on his boxing career and on being the best he can be and he’s taking on a huge challenge on August 1 in Sergio Mora, legitimately one of the best middleweight contenders out there and known very well as the winner of NBC’s “The Contender” Series a number of years ago. Sergio is a former world champion at super welterweight, looking to add a middleweight crown to his resume.

 

He owns victories over Ishe Smith, Peter Manfredo Jr. and Vernon Forrest and enters this fight on a five-fight win streak. And he most recently defeated Abraham Han in February of this year on ESPN.

 

So first, I’ll let Sergio Mora say a few words before we go to the champion.

 

Sergio Mora

Hey, guys. Well, I’m excited to be fighting on my first PBC card. It’s been a long time coming. The last time I fought for a world title was seven years ago and I was able to defeat Vernon Forrest as a 4-1 underdog.

 

I think I’m going to be an underdog for this fight again, fighting the younger, stronger champion in his hometown. So defeating him is going to be tough with all the cards stacked against me and that’s something that I grown used to and accustomed to.

 

There’s nothing bad I can say about Daniel Jacobs, absolutely nothing. I look for something negative to say and I can’t. The guy has overall talent. He’s far younger, faster, stronger and hits harder than me and he has more momentum coming his way. He’s on a nine-fight win streak and he beats me in that as well. I have five-fight going for me.

 

But the thing that I can say is that he hasn’t faced opposition that I faced. I think he’s an emotional, athletic fighter. I’m a cerebral, intelligent, strategic fighter.

 

This is going to be a really exciting card because he’s in his hometown and defending the world title. I’m hungry for that world title and I know that I’m going to have to be extra sharp and do a lot more than just have a close victory in his hometown. So I’m going to have to press action and go out of my comfort zone and I think he’s going to have to go out of his comfort zone, which is going to make an interesting fight for everybody.

 

I’m very confident coming into this fight. I’m very happy on the team that I’m with now and this opportunity. I’ve always wanted to fight in Brooklyn. I always wanted to fight in a mega arena like Barclays Center. I’m blessed to have this opportunity and part of this PBC movement. Thank you.

 

L. DiBella

 

Thank you, Sergio.

 

And now to the champion, Brooklyn’s own, Danny Jacobs.

 

Daniel Jacobs

 

Well, after Sergio’s intro, what more can I say? That’s pretty cool.

 

I’m excited to have an opportunity to be back at Barclays Center a second time around as a champion. So this will be my second title defense. It’ll be against the most experienced guy I’ve faced thus far. I’m looking forward to testing my challenge against this slick, crafty veteran in Sergio Mora.

 

I’ve always said that I’m just trying to get that experience most importantly. It’s important to me as a young champion, I’m not where I want to be as a fighter thus far. You’re still growing, you’re still learning. I’m looking at this as just a really starting test. I’m trying to really gain as much experience as I can in fighting such a crafty, slick veteran.

 

He’s been in this position before. So, he’s already accustomed to being in this position and being an underdog but I can’t take him lightly even though he will be an underdog and even though people will pick me as a favor to win. I’m looking at him as the most devastating opponent that I’ve had thus far coming up to middleweight.

 

So there’s not a lot of fear as far as power is concerned but where he lacks that he makes up in his craftiness and his slickness and awkwardness and sometimes he does engage in the action as well. So I’m looking forward to it. It’s really a starting test but something that I’ve been preparing for a while of any camp even though I’ve been working and doing my broadcasting which I’m very happy to announce. I’ve been keeping in the gym. I’ve been keeping fit and I’m really looking forward to this test and have it at Barclays I think there’s not a better place in the world I have. So I’m looking forward to testing my skills against a crafty veteran.

 

Q

I’d like both of you to address when you receive this negative attention on Twitter and such, how do you deal with it and what’s your response to it.

 

S. Mora

Well, listen, I’ve been dealing with this negative criticism for my entire career. It’s something that followed me. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a reality show winner or because people hate the way that I go in to fight and I can’t knock people out. I’m sorry I wasn’t born with power. You need to be born with power. If I have a way where I can ingest power and knock out and what people want to see into my arsenal, then I’ll do it, but I can’t. I was born the way I’m born. I got to do what I can with my abilities.

 

I think I’ve come a long way with all the other athletes that lack power and I think that makes me an even better fighter. It made me evolve into a different type of boxer. So these are the things that boxing needs to understand and the fight fans need to understand that, “All right, well, listen, he’s fighting a guy with a lot of power but how come the guy with no power is actually doing better than the guy with power? Because this is the sweet science and that’s how I become a champion.

 

So it doesn’t bother me. I just continue educating people about the sweet science and letting them know that power is not the number one aspect you need to be successful it’s your agility, techniques, your defense, body shots, the strategy, it’s following that strategy it’s hard.

 

So I’m happy to answer those questions for people that don’t know. But people that do know, get over it.

 

Q

Danny, what about you responding to people who want you to fight Golovkin? That say he isn’t tough enough, how do you deal with that stuff?

 

D. Jacobs

I’ve learned since my return back. I’ve got a lot of criticism on my position – why I’ve been facing people who wanted me to step up, people who wanted me to get in position to fight who they want me to fight. I’m passed that point. Now what I care about – well, not to the extent where I don’t care about what the fans think but, if you support me, I look at it as, you understand the process, you understand that it’s not going to come when you wanted to come and if you’re a fan of the sport and if you’re a fan of myself, then you just go along with the journey.

 

I want to step up. I want to be able to get in there with the best of the best. But obviously, with everything going on in the sport of boxing right now, I’m not really in control of certain things, you know. I may control who I step in there with but to a certain degree. So I really don’t tend to get into things like that. I do what I do. I stay ready. As a champion, I conduct myself inside and out of the ring. Whoever I’m in there with I give my best. If you are a fan of the sport, then you’re going to like the fights regardless. It’s all about putting on a show. That’s what I’ve been doing – I felt like I’ve been put in good fights.

 

Q

Is it a challenge for you that you want to take on to be the first person to stop Sergio Mora or is it pretty important for you to finally go the distance to go 12 rounds?

 

D. Jacobs

I’d essentially wanted to go 12-rounds with Truax. I intentionally wanted to go 12-rounds with Truax.  Because I felt like I could stop him a little bit earlier, maybe like in the 6th round but it was something that I wanted to prove to myself and knowing that I can go a full strong 12 rounds is something that I’m very confident with now and I feel like I’m answering my question. So, the test with Sergio Mora is – whether that he can be stopped or whether or not I can go the distance with him, he’s never been stopped before, so it will be icing on the cake to be able to not only to defeat him but to stop him in the match.

 

But, he’s a crafty veteran and if I can take a win over a guy like that, a win is a win to me. But at the end of the day, what the fans want to see is knockouts. What the fans want is spectacular fights. So my thing is if we could just produce a fantastic fight and a competitive fight, I’m content with that. A knockout is just icing on the cake. But it’s something that I’m looking for but if it happens, I’m pretty sure I know how to get the job done.

 

Q

What do you think about his boxing skills? How do they match up with yours especially over the course of a 12-round fight?

 

S. Mora

That was a great question you asked Danny, by the way. I think he answered perfectly. I would want to knock someone out like me, you know, because it puts something on your resume that Vernon Forrest and Sugar Shane Mosley, two Hall of Fame greats haven’t been able to do. So that was a great question.

 

Like I said, I think he possess everything that I don’t. But I have the experience. I think I take a better shot from experience with Danny and I think I follow my game plan more than Danny. A lot of boxers especially a lot of young athletic fighters they go out of their game plan and once they see that it’s not working. As a veteran, I know that it’s not working initially.

 

There’s a beginning, a midgame and an end game, kind of like in chess. But you just got to stick to what you practiced and don’t go out of your element and normally things go well for me. That’s how I’m going to continue doing.

 

Of course, I’ve changed some things in my strategy. I’ve changed some things in my arsenal and the way I see opponents and I go about it. But ultimately, it’s still Sergio Mora – still the guy that has that ability to upset a champion and that’s who’s going to be fighting August 1st.

 

Q

Can you talk about your perspective on having it been a long time since you were at this level in terms of a belt being available to you?

 

S. Mora

Well, anyone who’s been around the game for more than ten years or not even then. Anyone who’s been around the game will know that this is a political game. And if you’re not with the right side, you’re on the wrong side. And then even if you are on the right side, there’s another side I think that are right and they’re going to be butting heads.

 

Very political business and I think I turned a lot of people off when I fought Shane Mosley and an uneventful fight but I took all the blame for that and then after that, I was forced to go to Texas to fight a Texan. And I came up short against Brian Vera and then that just really hurt my career.

 

I was getting all the bad media, I wasn’t getting the right offers and that’s a good reason why fighters retire because they don’t have the offers coming in and it can be really depleting and depressing.  I decided to go back to the drawing board and start off with a new team, have a new focus and I realized the change in the boxing as well, the same people that were in charge of courts in 2010, 2012, they’re not in charge anymore. There are new players in the game, there are new dates in the game and there’s new opportunity.

 

So because of all this new stuff that’s been added to the world of boxing, a person like myself has been able to make the comeback and I’m in a really good place and I am appreciative.

 

Q

Sergio, do you feel that you get a bit of a bad wrap?

 

S. Mora

In my head, in my stubborn, ignorant head, I’m undefeated. I thought I beat Brian Vera both of those times and I beat Vernon Forrest the first time. He beat me the second time. That’s an even draw, you know. So in a way, no one has really dominated, no one has really beat me convincingly. So in my head, I’m undefeated. There’s no rubber match to see who really has more wins over the other guy. But in reality, Vernon beat me the second time, I beat him the first time.

 

It’s a crazy business. People are waiting for you to just come down.

 

Q

So when you take a look at Danny’s record, what is your take on what he’s accomplished or what you think of his ability?

 

S. Mora

Well, exactly what you guys thought. I think with special talent and he got a piece of a world championship and he’s recognized as a champion. So, everything that people thought of him came true. Now that he’s on top, he needs to fight top fighters. I don’t think he’s faced the opposition that I faced and other champions have faced. I think that’s the only thing that he’s limited in.

 

So I’m going to be the best name on his resume and we’re going to see how he’s going to be able to handle a guy as crafty like me and a former champion like myself. So it’s a bit of success for him and it’s the best for me fighting a young, hungry champ.

 

Q

When you look over your resume of opponents you faced in your career so far, does he poses perhaps the most formidable test of your career given his experience and his crafty nature?

 

D. Jacobs

Well, absolutely, coming into this thing I even said that I mentioned that he’s the most experienced fighter that I will be stepping in the ring with. The former world champion, beating the likes of Vernon Forrest, Shane Mosley, a couple other guys. He has that experience. He knows what it is to go the distance. He knows what it is to be in a dogfight. I’m a young champion and I haven’t seen those things thus far, right, you know.

 

I’m content – well, not content but, I’m okay with the fact that I have fought those guys, those topnotch but that’s what I’m looking forward to is a ladder. You can’t skip the ladder. You can’t skip any steps, or you’ll fall.

 

So we take in a step by the time and we stepping up and every time you’re going to see great opposition. I’m just looking forward to this one. I don’t take him lightly whatsoever. I clearly mark him as one of the toughest, craftiest most experienced guy that I have faced.

 

Q

Daniel, what is going to be the thing that gets you over the top and helps you win this fight?

 

D. Jacobs

I don’t know what will be the main thing. But I feel like I have a lot more advantages than he does in the fight. But whatever my advantages are and whatever gets me going, will be the deciding factor for me I would stick to. So if it’s my speed, then I’ll stick to using my speed. If it’s my power, backing him down, showing him what a real middleweight feels like, then that’s what I would do.

 

But it’s all about adjusting and getting in there because, you know, not a lot of things may work according to the game plan. So you got to go to Plan B, Plan C and so on and so forth. So I’m just looking forward to seeing what works for me, figuring it out because it is a puzzle, it is a chess game when you fight a guy like Sergio and just making it work. I think that’s what a true champion does is just adjust and get the job done.

 

Q

What are you doing in training camp to get away from that label of spoiler and be directly concentrated on winning that title from Danny Jacobs?

 

S. Mora

Yes. I’ve been labeled the spoiler. I’ve been labeled a lot of names that I actually consider as a good thing, you know. You could see it as positive or negative. You come in the positive things that I’m going to go in there, I’m going to spoil Danny Jacobs’ plans and spoil his promotion plan and spoiler for the fans is the negative that I’m going to come in and win. I decided to go in there – when the fight with Mosley and Vera, I decided to change my style a bit and I actually engaged a little bit more and be a little bit more offensive and take more chances to go for the knockout. But I think I’ve done that. You know, in my last five fights, I knocked down three of my opponents. So I’ve kept my word and I got this opportunity to fight for a world title again.

 

With Danny, I’m going to do the same. I’m going to try to go out there and do the same thing that got me into this position. I’m showing them that I can be and I can be crafty. I mostly want to let them know that, “Hey, listen, I got this other side to my game too that I added to that slickness and that craftiness.” Danny also mentioned, if that’s not working, then I got to go to Plan B and C. I’m going to give him different looks just like he’s going to give me. But I’m an excited former champion and waiting to be a new champion August 1st.

 

Q

Talk about the kinds of sparring partners you have into camp.

 

S. Mora

Yes, I like to have heavier sparring partners, harder punching sparring partners. But it’s not about the power because me and my sparring partners aren’t going to go in there and hit me with that power. So I like hitting guys with slickness, with speed, just in case Danny comes in there and he shows me a different style, I got to be ready for that. So I got younger guys, stronger guys, powerful guys, big guys, elusive guys and I like to mix it up.

 

Q

You’re a tremendous fighter, and the same time, you are great announcer, can you talk about seeing that light at the end of the tunnel and a career after boxing?

 

D. Jacobs

Well, thank you sir I really, really appreciate that. To answer your question, yes, that’s the game plan. To be able to talk and give my side on a national level. So one opportunity I don’t take for granted that I’m enjoying doing is giving me a different perspective on a sport that I love. And it’s something that it can set me up for the rest of my life as something to do post-boxing. But, obviously not straying away from the main task at hand, boxing obviously is what I love to do and just the forefront. So I’m 110% focused on what we’re doing actually inside the ring.

 

But on my spare time in between fights, it’s something that I also like to do and stay busy. But the most part is just building the brand. That’s what we’re doing. We’re building the Danny Jacobs brand and I’m having fun doing it but I’m taking it seriously because, you know, boxing is a very short road and I’m going to fall back on this as well.

 

So just trying to take everything serious and trying to give the best that I have and seeing that it’s been working thus far. So God has definitely blessed me and I’m just looking forward to everything in the near future. This opportunity to fight Sergio is a heck of an opportunity for me in my mind. I think it’s one heck of a step-up as well.

 

So I’m just looking forward to what life has in store for me and my career in the future.

 

L. DiBella

We’re going to move on to the main event of the evening right now. But once again, this is Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN from Barclays Center on August 1. It’s primetime in ESPN, coverage beginning at 9:00 pm ET/6:00 pm PT. Tickets are from $250 down to $45 available at BarclaysCenter.com, Ticketmaster.com, the Box Office at Barclays or by calling Ticketmaster or calling Barclays Center.

 

The main event is a classic Philadelphia versus Brooklyn matchup, featuring two of boxing’s biggest stars. And it’s a must-win situation for both fighters when Danny “Swift” Garcia takes on Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi. It’s 12 rounds at welterweight at 147 pounds.

 

Interestingly, both of these fighters participated at Barclays Center inaugural boxing card in 2012.

 

Danny Garcia, the former Unified Welterweight Champion, made five defenses Junior Welterweight Champion, made five defenses of his belt. It’ll mark Danny’s official move up to welterweight and his fifth appearance at Barclays Center. On his last fight, he had a really tough win and a really hard-fought fight with Lamont Peterson.

 

On August 1, he has his hands full with Paulie Malignaggi, former Welterweight and Junior Welterweight World Champion, has a record of 33-6. It’s Paulie’s fourth fight at Barclays Center. He defeated Pablo Cesar Cano and Zab Judah there and he lost close split decision to Adrien Broner.

 

Paulie, do you want to start by saying a few words?

 

Paulie Malignaggi

Thank you, Lou. Yes, I’m just really feeling blessed to have the opportunity. It was an opportunity that I didn’t see coming my way after pulling out of the O’Connor fight earlier in the summer and then now trying to back up into the fall. I’m just really trying to sit back and enjoy the summer more so than training and whatnot.

 

This kind of opportunity just fell into my lap. It was unexpected. But I’m all about competing against the best. As surprised that I was, it was also an opportunity I couldn’t say no to. It’s a chance to, be back in the main spotlight with that kind of a fight, be at the forefront which are the kind of fights that I crave, anyway, and the kind of fights that really get my adrenaline flowing and get me motivated.

 

I’m fighting one of the best fighters in the world today at any weight. Like Danny Garcia, it’s a motivation to test myself against the best. I always want to test myself against the best, and so here I am.

 

L. DiBella

Thank you, Paulie. Danny “Swift” Garcia, still undefeated, 30-0 with 17 KOs. Danny?

 

Danny Garcia

How are you guys doing? First, I want to say good afternoon to everybody. I hope everybody is having a good day. Thanks for having me on this conference call.

 

August 1st this is going to be another great night at Barclays Center. It’s my fifth fight there and my first fight at 147. So I feel like this is a great matchup, stylistically, to the fans all around the world.

 

Come August 1st, I’m going to be ready. I’m working hard. I’m training hard. I can’t wait to get in there, showcase my skills and in the weight class.

 

Q

How do you feel, Danny, now moving up to welter?

 

D. Garcia

It feels great. For the first time in a long time, I could worry about training to get better and not training to lose weight. I’ve been fighting at 140 my whole career.

 

I just feel felt like losing the weight was affecting my performances, mostly in the later rounds of big fights because I will use a lot of my energy losing weight. I think I’m just going to – I’ve been feeling a lot stronger and a lot better at 147. I think I should have been moved up maybe after the Mattysse fight.

 

But I’m here now and I feel good. I feel strong. I’m training hard. And we’re working on new things just to get faster and stronger at 147.

 

Q

Did the weight loss hurt you against Lamont Peterson you think?

 

D. Garcia

I’m not making any excuses. He had a good game plan. I just didn’t feel strong at that weight class anymore.

 

Before, when I hit guys, I could feel the power going through my arms. And when I land a shot, I knew I would hurt them. I just didn’t feel strong at the weight class no more. I just felt like I was hurt myself. I just didn’t feel as strong at 140 anymore.

 

Q

Paulie, just talk about getting back in the ring after the Porter fight and this opportunity for you.

 

P. Malignaggi

I feel blessed just to get the opportunity and to get a chance to continue to test myself against one of the best fighters in the world.

 

You get to the point when you’re not in the ring for a while. It’s going through my mind that maybe I don’t want to fight. But as time went by and I started working out again, I started realizing that it was something I missed. It was something I was still craving. I wanted to be back in there.

 

This year, in particular, has been different than a lot of years. I’ve always had my fight and then I’ve gone right back into just hanging out. I’ve spent almost the entire year in the gym. And I’ve been able to balance it out with all my travel with my commentating. I was in Sadam Ali’s camp for his fight.. I went right into my own training camp for Danny O’Connor and I got cut just two weeks before that scheduled fight. Then I got a call for this fight not long after that.

 

I’ve spent a large chunk of the year in the gym, which is something that hasn’t happened in a long time. And I feel sharp before that. If we’re going to talk about the layoff, people are going to talk about the fact that, I haven’t fought for a long time. But in reality, I actually haven’t trained this consistently in a decade, I mean literally a decade. Since I fought Miguel Cotto, I started making pretty good money after that and I haven’t stayed all year in the gym. Before that, I was in the gym all year, you know.

 

I didn’t even mean to do it by design. It’s not like I said, “Oh, this year, I’m going to spend the whole year in the gym.” I didn’t – it’s not something I planned. It’s just something that ended up happening going from one camp into another camp, into another camp. And I guess it’s just an accident.

 

But I do feel the sharpness in a gym. I do feel the timing is really good. Obviously my weight has come down. So, that’s a good feeling knowing that I have to drop a lot of weight during the training camp just working on the sharpness and keep getting better.

 

Q

Was there ever any serious consideration about retiring after the Porter fight or was that just suddenly flowing around out there?

 

P. Malignaggi

It wasn’t even something I considered. It was just something that I felt like I was going to do, you know. I just felt like, I don’t really want to do this, in the time, the way I felt, where my mind was at. And it was just something I didn’t want to do anymore.

 

So I think that’s probably the best thing that happened to me in terms of thinking it like that. Not talking about the loss, but in terms of my mindset in that moment was probably the best thing because if you start to tell yourself you’re going to have a layoff and you’re going to come back, in the back of your mind, you’re never going to take that time off the right way. You’re going to be thinking about you should be back in a gym or when is the right time to get back in the gym.

 

But because I wasn’t thinking that, I was just thinking, “You know what, I’m done,” I gave myself plenty of time to kind of rejuvenate a little bit before I got back in the gym. And then I just decided, “Hey, you know what, I miss this. I want to get back in the gym.”

 

So I think the change of my mind was probably a good thing as opposed to just telling myself, “You know what, I’m going to take some time off and then come back.” I really didn’t think I was going to come back. So when I took the time off, it was really like a time that I was legitimately, in my mind, feeling rested and got myself rejuvenated without even realizing it. And then by the time I got back in the gym, it was like to try rebuilding a new me, so to speak.

 

Q

Did you think that this might be too much of a stepup after you’re going to be fighting Danny O’Connor after the long layoff?

 

P. Malignaggi

I was actually surprised. First, I didn’t realize Danny was actually going to move to welter right away. I figured like he was having trouble making the junior welterweight limit. But I had heard rumblings that he still wanted to stay a junior welter for a little longer.

 

I was surprised just in general that he’s moving to welterweight. And then I was surprised, coming off the layoff, I thought maybe that we’ll get somebody else, instead of me to fight Danny.

 

When I got the call, I was surprised. But it was almost like pleasantly surprised. And not because I don’t respect Danny because I do, I got a lot of respect for Danny and family and his father and everything, but I’m a competitor. I haven’t had a big fight in over a year. So it’s just like, man, this is an opportunity for me to kind of put myself back in the mix with one really good performance as opposed to slowly getting back in the mix over the course of three, four fights.

 

I’m 34-years-old. I’m not 24. So I don’t really have that kind of patience anymore. At the same time, when I got the call, I also realized how good I had felt in the gym sparring and how good I’ve been feeling in the gym just getting shaped or whatnot. So I felt like I could just flow right into another training camp, because I hadn’t taken that long a time off after I had been cut for the O’Connor camp. I actually still kept training.

 

So my weight was still good. It kind of made sense on a lot of fronts. I didn’t tell myself, “Oh, it’s a big step-up after a layoff.” I didn’t look at it like that. I looked at it from more of a positive perspective.

 

Q

Are there any health concerns for you or just heading into this fight?

 

P. Malignaggi

I don’t ever think about this stuff, man. You have to have a short memory in boxing. And that applies to both when you look good and when you look bad. So whatever has happened to you in the past, it doesn’t matter whether it was good or bad. You can’t take that in the ring with you in your next performance. You’re starting a new chapter every time you step in the ring for round one in your next fight.

 

So I know as far as round one, it’s a new chapter for me. And so I don’t consider, I don’t think about what’s happened to me in the past, whether it was good or bad. But it’s something that I haven’t thought about in a long time and it doesn’t go through my mind.

 

Q

Danny is this an effort for you to feel what a 147-fight feels like?

 

D. Garcia

This is a fight my manager wanted. He gave me the call. He made this fight. And like any other fight, he did ask me, “Hey, do you want to fight this guy?” And then we say, “Yes, we want to fight this guy.”

 

So I didn’t go say, “Gee, I want to fight Paulie because he’s not a big puncher,” you know, because, power is just one of the many skills you need in boxing. I don’t choose the opponent. I don’t hand choose the opponent. But I think that overall, this is going to be a great fight.

 

Q

And what are you looking for this fight to do in terms of advancing your career should you win the fight? What would be next for you? What are you aiming to do in this division?

 

D. Garcia

I don’t know what’s next. Obviously, one fight at a time. I got a task in front of me. I got to go in there 110% mentally and physically prepared and just get the job done. Then after that, we can see what’s next for us.

 

Q

Paulie, how do you view a fighter like Danny, a former champion, coming up from 140 to 147?

 

P. Malignaggi

Oh, I think he’s a phenomenal fighter. I even told Danny myself, early on, I wasn’t high on him. But, I know when he was in the prospect stages, he was beating some really good names and he was hitting a harder road up and a lot of prospects to do, in terms of a guy he has to fight. And he grew on me. I started realizing I’m not looking at this kid the right way. This kid is actually good on a lot of fronts, both from a physical perspective and from a mental perspective, really strong.

 

I’ve always had a lot of respect for him. But in terms of 140, 147, he’s no different than me. I was a junior welterweight champion; I moved into welterweight. So from that front, I don’t even look at myself as a bigger guy or anything. As a matter of fact, he moved up to welterweight at a younger age than when I moved up to welterweight, you know. So his body grew into the division a little sooner than my body grew into the division.

 

So I think from that point of view, we both have that in common that we’re both ex-junior welterweight. So from a physical standpoint, I’m not looking at it as having any advantages. It’s just a matter of matching of my skills to his skills.

 

Q

Moving up to 147, do you really feel like you’re going to be able to put a staple on a lot of people’s mouths to shut them up about all the criticism that comes with Danny Garcia?

 

D. Garcia

That’s just boxing. Because I’ve been the underdog before, I’ve been the underdog before and I won. And there was like, “Oh, he got lucky.” So it’s either I’m the favorite or the underdog. I can’t listen to none of that stuff after just going through each fight like I was, mentally prepared, physically prepared going in and get the job done.

 

If it’s good enough for the media and it’s good enough for the fans, I’m happy. I’m still happy because, it takes a real man to go in there and put gloves on and fight another man for 12 rounds. It takes a lot of discipline. It’s usually hard work for ten weeks straight waking up every day, doing the same thing, sweat, blood, tears, all that stuff.

 

So I would love for the fans and the media to love me. But, it is what it is, they’re tough on me and that’s what keeps the chip on my shoulder and that’s going to make me train hard every day.

 

Q

Do you see your craftiness advantages that you may have over him that Danny may have a little bit of difficulty with skilled boxers?

 

P. Malignaggi

I think styles make fight. From a style point of view there are things that I feel like I’ll be able to do against Danny. But I also expect Danny had made some adjustments since those fights.

 

When it comes to the Lamont Peterson fight, as I was watching that fight and Lamont started turning things around, I started thinking, maybe Danny, he got in his mind after the first three, four, five rounds that this was the kind of fight this is going to be all night.

 

And when you kind of get into that role in your mind where, hey, man, this is going to be at a slow pace fight and you’re going to go through the motions in the fourth round. And then suddenly the script gets switched on you; you weren’t ready.

 

I felt like Lamont almost caught Danny in a sleep. And so from there, I don’t know that Danny would make a mistake again. The pace was so slow early on. I felt like I put myself in Danny’s shoes and I said, “You know what, if I was Danny, I would probably be thinking two, three, four rounds. That’s it. This is the kind of fight we’re going to fight for 12 rounds. So I wouldn’t be ready when suddenly he got turned off. Because if in your mind you put in – if you put in your mindset that’s how the fight is going to be and then things switched, then you kind of get caught sleeping.

 

So I felt like maybe it was a learning experience for Danny. But as far as from the stylistic point of view, yes I like the way my boxing skills match up to his. I’m sure there’s things he feels he can do to me as well. And that’s kind of why we get in the ring, we compete with each other and you match up skills. But I’m sure both of us have certain advantages over the other that we’re both going to try to apply once the bell rings on August 1st.

 

Q

Do you see that as a must-win situation for you especially coming off the loss with Shawn Porter?

 

P. Malignaggi

I think it’s more must-win for me as far as my own boxing career is concerned. I think there’s no question that from my professional boxing career, not my commentating career; take everything else aside. For the life of my professional boxing career to continue, I feel like this is a must win for sure. I don’t think that there’s much of a must-win for Danny as it is for me.

 

At this level, they’re all – you always feel like it’s must win because you’re always in the mix for a bigger fight if you can win. So it’s always must win. But in reality, I feel like the burden falls on me more than Danny for it to be that kind of must-win.

 

But it’s also nothing new to me. I’ve been written off before. My career was supposed to end in 2009 when I went to Houston, Texas. I just came off the Ricky Hatton loss and I went to Houston to fight Juan Diaz. And no matter what I said in the press conferences, no matter what I’ve said in interviews, I remember just within one year they just kind of felt like this was going to be the end of my career. And so I had to go in there and prove it myself that it wasn’t yet, you know.

 

So I had everybody – if I allowed myself to listen to what everybody says, I would have long gone a long time ago because you figure, you teach everybody their lessons and then it happened again in 2012. I got sent to Ukraine. I hadn’t really had a big fight in a couple of years and people just thought I was again sent to Ukraine as a fight just to make a little bit of money and be done. I was surprised that everybody was thinking about me like that again. I was like, “Wow. These people really don’t learn their lesson, you know.”

 

And so I went to Ukraine and I’d come back with the WBA Welterweight title at that time. And I was able to turn things around again from – in my career. And those are really two key situations because losses in those two fights would really have erased me from the sport.

 

So I found myself again in this kind of situation. I’m not travelling to anybody’s hometown this time. I’m fighting in my own hometown. But it’s the same situation. It’s kind of the same thing. No matter what I say going into this fight, people are still going to look at it the same way that I’m the opponent and I’m the guy that Danny beats and this is my last fight and I’m just taking this for a payday and all this stuff.

 

So if I hadn’t already been through this, maybe I would worry about it. I remember in 2009, going to Houston, being kind of worried about it, complaining about all kinds of stuff and just not really knowing what I was walking into. I was walking into a dark room. But I’m not walking into a dark room on August 1st. I know exactly what’s going on. I know exactly what the rumblings are in the boxing world. And I know exactly what everybody is saying about the fight.

 

Regardless, it doesn’t matter. None of it matters. I go in the gym; I do my work every day. I know my mindset. It’s focused. It’s ready. And I know I’m going there to do work on August 1st. And nobody’s opinion is going to matter when the bell rings. But you can’t take people’s opinions in the ring with you, again, whether they’d be good or whether they’d be bad. Nobody’s opinion comes in the ring with you. It has absolutely no bearing on who wins each and every single round.

 

Q

Danny, what things have you been able to do this time around doing training that you could not do in the past because you had to make 140?

 

D. Garcia

We added things to our workout now. We added a lot of explosive workouts, a lot of agility, a lot of footwork, a lot of things to making you more explosive, things I couldn’t do at 140 because I didn’t have the energy for it. But now the extra weight is really helping me. I’m eating – I’m adding more meals to my base to make me stronger, like before I had to skip meals. I was always weak.

 

Q

When we’re thinking about this, your training in the gym, do you 100% know how good you’re going to be as far as the sharpness and what you have left at 34? Or does it remain to be seen, you’ll only know on fight night?

 

P. Malignaggi

Fight night you can feel any which way. You can have a good camp but sometimes have a bad night. You can have a bad camp and have a good night. You don’t know how you’re going to be on fight night until you wake up the morning of the fight.

 

But I will say this, I’m having a good camp. And it mainly has to do with the fact that I’ve flown from one camp to another to another and I’ve been able to keep working on my skills and keep working on my sharpness. My weight has stayed low because of the fact that I have consistent training, consistent sparring.

 

I really like the way I’m feeling right now. I like the rhythm that I’m in when I’m in the gym. I like the flow. We’re just going to try to bring this sharp camp into the fight.

 

Q

Do you believe that you got the fight because they believed that you were a faded fighter?

 

P. Malignaggi

I didn’t go that deep into thinking. When I got the call, I was just surprised. Rhen I got the thinking, like, man, that’s a big fight. Any competitor wants big fights and wants to be in the limelight and wants to be on the big stage. I was wondering if I would ever get a chance to fight on this stage again.

 

I was more just surprised than anything else. I didn’t really go into thinking as to why I got the fight or why I got offered the fight or whatnot. I think that’s more your guys’ job. And I’m sure they let me know about it on Twitter and in the media why I’ve got this fight. Even if I didn’t think about it, just seeing what everybody says about it, I kind of get the gist of it.

 

If that’s the reason I got offered the fight, it’s the same reason I got offered the Juan Diaz fight in Houston in ’09. It’s the same reason I got the Vyacheslav Senchenko fight in Ukraine in 2012. And my confidence comes from me knowing I have the mental capacity to not let that kind of pressure bother me and have the mental capacity to just go into my zone and eliminate all the negativity from my mind.

 

Danny said earlier he would love the media and the fans to love him. I couldn’t care less whether anybody loves me or hates me. And I think the body of my work throughout my career or the things that I said, the things that I do, shows that I could care less whether anybody loves me or hates. I go out there to do a job. I’m a competitor. I love competing. I love the adrenaline rush of combat at the highest level and testing myself against the best fighters in the world.

 

That’s why I do this. I love to fight – I love to see where I’m at. And on August 1st, I’ll show myself.

 

Q

Danny, where is dad, Angel Garcia?

 

D. Garcia

My dad is doing well. Right now, he’s at a shop. He owns and runs a business. Angel is just being Angel right now. I won’t see him until 5 o’clock. Only the Lord knows what he’s doing right now.

 

Q

I would say some of the best work that you have done in the ring is by out-foxing heavy-handed opponents. How much of the old fox are we going to see? How is he again against Danny Garcia?

 

P. Malignaggi

I think for the most part, people know Danny’s style, people know my style. We’re going to make some adjustments to each other, both as part of the game plan and once we see each other in the ring.

 

I can’t really tell you exactly how I’m going to play it out until I’m in the ring myself. I plan on being the best me possible. I plan on being the sharpest me possible. And right now, in training, I feel really good. The plan is to flow this training camp into a sharp night on August 1st.

 

Q

How long have you been thinking about the move up to welter?

 

D. Garcia

I believe right after the Matthysse fight I wanted to move up. I felt like that was a perfect time for me to move up because I beat the best 140-pounder at that time. I had beat Khan and then I came back and beat Morales and Matthysse.

 

I beat two of the best 140-pounders, so I feel like it’s time for me to go up to 147. But they had different plans for me. Me and my team, we decided to stay at 140 for a little longer to see how it played out. I just wasn’t fully strong at the weight class anymore. I just wasn’t fully strong anymore. So I felt like it’s time for me to go up to 147.

 

Q

How confident do you feel that you can become world champion again against the likes of Thurman, Kell Brook, perhaps a rematch against Amir Khan?

 

D. Garcia

I’m very confident. I faced a lot of good fighters. I faced a lot of great fighters in my career. I have a lot of experience. I was a big 140-pound fighter. I’ve never faced a 140-pound fighter who was taller than me or who looked better than me.

 

I was just squeezing my body down to 140. And I feel like I’m going to be a way better fighter at 147 and be able to use my legs more. At 140, I felt like I wasn’t strong no more, so I just had to walk forward all night and knock my opponents out.

 

But I feel like at 147, you’re going to see a more athletic Danny Garcia and be able to use my legs more, using my jab more and see punches clearer. When you drain yourself as hard to see punches, then you get hit with a lot of dumb punches because your vision is not clear.

 

I feel like my vision is going to be a lot clearer and be able to move my head, see the punches better, use my feet. And I think I’m going to be a champion at 147, too. I know so.

 

L. DiBella

With that, thank you, everybody, for joining us for this PBC on ESPN call.

 

Again, it’ll be Danny “Swift” Garcia against Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi, and Danny Jacobs against Sergio Mora in the opening bout at Barclays Center, August 1, primetime on ESPN, coverage beginning at 9:00 pm ET/6:00 pm PT.

 

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In addition to the evening’s main event and co-main event, select undercard bouts will be carried live on ESPN3. ESPN Deportes will also televise the fight live as part of its Noche de Combates series and ESPN International will present live coverage across its networks in Latin America, Brazil, the Caribbean and Pacific Rim. Live coverage will also be available through WatchESPN on computers, smartphones, tablets, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One via an affiliated video provider.

 

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.barclayscenter.com andwww.dbe1.com. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @DannySwift, @PaulMalignaggi, @LouDiBella, @ESPNBoxing, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/fanpagedannyswiftgarcia,www.facebook.com/PaulMalignaggi, www.facebook.com/barclayscenterandwww.facebook.com/ESPN. Follow the conversation using #PBConESPN and #BrooklynBoxing.

MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION DANIEL JACOBS TO FACE FORMER WORLD CHAMPION SERGIO MORA ON TELEVISED OPENER OF PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON ESPN IN PRIMETIME ON  SATURDAY, AUGUST 1 FROM BARCLAYS CENTER

 

Coverage Begins On ESPN At 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
 

Tickets Are On Sale Now!

 

BROOKLYN (June 17, 2015) – Middleweight World Champion Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs (29-1, 26 KOs) returns to the ring in his hometown of Brooklyn to take on former world champion Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora (28-3-2, 9 KOs) as the televised opener of Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN primetime Saturday, Aug. 1 at Barclays Center with televised coverage beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

 

This fight will precede the showdown between undefeated superstar Danny “Swift” Garcia (30-0, 17 KOs) and Brooklyn’s own Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi (33-6, 7 KOs).

 

“I’m just excited to be on this great card and to be able to perform at Barclays Center is an honor,” said Jacobs. “I’m looking forward to making the best out of this opportunity and most importantly I want to give the Brooklyn fans a great show. I get to go to work in my own backyard.”

 

“I went back to the ‘drawing board,’ worked hard and now I’m blessed to be a part of this great event,” said Mora, “I don’t plan to let this opportunity get by me.  On August 1, I’m coming to Brooklyn to win.”

 

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Swift Promotions, are priced at $250, $150, $75 and $45, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are on sale now. Tickets are available at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.comand at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center beginning Thursday, June 18 at noon. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

 

The inspirational figure who will fight at Barclays Center for the fourth time, Brooklyn’s Jacobs completed his road from cancer survivor to champion last August when he defeated Jarrod 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 looks to keep his momentum going when he faces Mora onAug. 1.

 

The winner of NBC’s “The Contender” series, the 34-year-old Mora is a former world champion at super welterweight and looking to add a middleweight crown to his name. The Los Angeles native owns victories over Ishe Smith, Peter Manfredo Jr. and Vernon Forrest and enters this fight on a five-fight win streak. He most recently defeated Abraham Han in February of this year and will make his first pro start in Brooklyn on Aug. 1.

 

In addition to the evening’s main event and co-main event, select undercard bouts will be carried live on ESPN3. ESPN Deportes will also televise the fight live as part of its Noche de Combates series and ESPN International will present live coverage across its networks in Latin America, Brazil, the Caribbean and Pacific Rim. Live coverage will also be available through WatchESPN on computers, smartphones, tablets, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One via an affiliated video provider.

 

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.barclayscenter.com andwww.dbe1.com. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @DannySwift, @PaulMalignaggi, @LouDiBella, @ESPNBoxing, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/fanpagedannyswiftgarcia, www.facebook.com/PaulMalignaggi, www.facebook.com/barclayscenterand www.facebook.com/ESPN. Follow the conversation using #PBConESPN and #BrooklynBoxing.

UNDEFEATED SUPERSTAR DANNY GARCIA TO FACE BROOKLYN’S OWN PAULIE MALIGNAGGI AS PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS GOES PRIMETIME ON ESPN AT BARCLAYS CENTER ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 1

Tickets On Sale Wednesday, June 17 at 10 a.m.

 

BROOKLYN (June 15, 2015) – Undefeated superstar Danny “Swift” Garcia (30-0, 17 KOs) will take on Brooklyn’s own Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi (33-6, 7 KOs) at Barclays Center as Premier Boxing Champions will be live in primetime on ESPN on Saturday, August 1 with coverage beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

 

“It’s going to be a great fight against Paulie on August 1st,” said Garcia. “I’m looking forward to getting in the ring again, in my fifth appearance at Barclays Center, and putting on a great show for the East Coast fans in attendance and the fans watching all over the world. By the end of the night, I will still be the undefeated Danny ‘Swift’ Garcia. To all of the fans that love me, I love you too. This is for you.”

 

“Although I have a ton of respect for Danny and his father Angel, both for what they’ve accomplished in the ring as well as the bond they share as father/son, I, like them, am a competitor through and through and in this sport it’s all about testing yourself against the elite. So I look forward to defending my home turf of Brooklyn and matching my skills against Danny’s at Barclays Center on August 1.”

 

August 1 will mark Danny Garcia’s first fight as a true welterweight,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “It’ll take place at Barclays Center, in the backyard of Brooklyn’s Paulie Malignaggi. This high quality PBC matchup on ESPN is a must-win situation for both fighters.”

 

“We are excited to host a third outstanding Premier Boxing Champions event and our first ESPN fight in Brooklyn,” said Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark. “Danny Garcia always puts on a great show and there’s no bigger fan favorite in Brooklyn than Paulie Malignaggi. With this fight, we are continuing to establish Barclays Center as the premier boxing venue in the country.”

 

“This classic Philly versus New York match-up featuring two of boxing’s biggest stars is exactly why ESPN is televising Premier Boxing Champions,” said Brian Kweder, senior director of programming and acquisitions at ESPN. “Danny Garcia has laid waste to the junior welterweight division and instead of easing his way into the welterweight division, he’s fighting a former world champion in Paulie Malignaggi.”

 

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $250, $150, $75 and $45, not including applicable service charges and taxes, and are on sale Wednesday, June 17 at 10 a.m. Tickets are available at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com and at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center beginning Thursday, June 18 at noon. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

 

In addition to the evening’s main event and co-main event, which will be announced shortly, select undercard bouts will be carried live on ESPN3. ESPN Deportes will also televise the fight live as part of its Noche de Combates series and ESPN International will present live coverage across its networks in Latin America, Brazil, the Caribbean and Pacific Rim. Live coverage will also be available through WatchESPN on computers, smartphones, tablets, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One via an affiliated video provider.

 

Now in his fourth year as a world champion, Philadelphia’s Garcia will return to headline at Barclays Center for a record fifth time. Garcia last fought in Brooklyn on April 11 defeating Lamont Peterson in a rousing 12 round majority decision. The 27-year-old has taken down some of the biggest names in boxing on his way to an undefeated record, including Amir Khan, Erik Morales, Lucas Matthysse and Zab Judah.

 

A former world champion at 140 and 147-pounds, the 34-year-old Malignaggi will return to the ring to fight at Barclays Center for the fourth time as a professional. He has faced a slew of big names throughout his career and has taken home victories over the likes of Zab Judah, Vyacheslav Senchenko and Pablo Cesar Cano. Born and raised in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn, “The Magic Man” will step into the ring for the first time since April 2014.

The first live Premier Boxing Champions on Primetime ESPN (PBC on ESPN) telecast, from the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla., will feature a star-studded 12-round welterweight matchup between undefeated Keith “One Time” Thurman (25-0, 21 KOs) and Luis Collazo (36-6, 19 KOs) when the series debuts on ESPN on Saturday, July 11, at 9 p.m. The opening fight will showcase a 10-round junior middleweight matchup between undefeated Tony Harrison (21-0, 18 KOs) and Willie Nelson (23-2-1, 13 KOs). Read more.

 

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.barclayscenter.com andwww.dbe1.com. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @DannySwift, @PaulMalignaggi, @LouDiBella, @ESPNBoxing, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/fanpagedannyswiftgarcia, www.facebook.com/PaulMalignaggi, www.facebook.com/barclayscenterand www.facebook.com/ESPN. Follow the conversation using #PBConESPN and #BrooklynBoxing.