NEW YORK – July 9, 2019 –Swedish heavyweight Otto Wallin says he has too many physical advantages, while former world title challenger BJ Flores says he has too much experience to lose their upcoming 10-round clash.
WBA No. 5-ranked Wallin (20-0, 13 КО) and Flores (34-4-1, 21 КО) will meet this Friday, Липня 12, in the co-featured bout of aShoBox: Нове поколінняtripleheader telecast (жити на SHOWTIME 10 p.m. ET / PT) from the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Мити.
Presented by Salita Promotions and Brian Halquist Productions, “Battle at the Boat 122” will also feature top American heavyweight prospect Jermaine Franklin (18-0, 13 КО), from Saginaw, Мічиган., returning for his second consecutiveShoBoxtest against the streaking Jerry Forrest (25-2, 19 КО), Ньюпорт-Ньюс, Вірджинія., in the 10-round headliner and in the opening televised bout, undefeated featherweight Giovanni Mioletti (16-0, 7 КО) of Chicago will face Ecuador’s Luis Porozo (14-0, 7 КО).
The 28-year-old Wallin, a southpaw from Sundsvall, Швеція, says he’s been expanding his horizons working with trainer Joey Gamache at Mendez Boxing in Manhattan.
“Training has been very good. I have been back in New York for six weeks now and I’ve had some great sparring with a lot of different guys and different styles,” said 28-year-old Wallin. “Sparring is the best training you can get. It’s the most like a fight, so just getting in with all these different guys is a great experience.”
Undefeated Wallin says he’s got too much of everything for former cruiserweight Flores in this fight.
“BJ Flores is a guy that’s experienced, but I know what to do,” Wallin said. “I have the tools to beat him. He’s good as a cruiserweight, but this is a heavyweight fight. It’s different than being a good cruiser. I will win because I’m a better boxer with better skills. I’m too big, young and strong for him. I always get nervous before a fight, but that’s part of it. Being nervous makes me sharper. I will eventually break him down.”
It’s been something of a whirlwind career for Wallin, who turned pro as the number one heavyweight on the Swedish National team after just 50 аматорські бої. Heavily courted by promoters for his immense natural talent, Wallin now finds himself signed with Salita Promotions and in the top 5 of the WBA ratings after 20 про бої.
He credits trainer Gamache, himself a popular former fighter, with much of his success.
“Joey used to live in Denmark and so did I,” Wallin said. “That’s where we met six years ago. I followed him back to the US when he came back and I signed with Salita at the beginning of this year. We have a great relationship. I love him as a coach and as a person He’s done a lot for me including bringing me over here and making all these connections. I trust him 100% and he trusts me too.”
Wallin says having a great team behind him means ramping up his quest for a world championship.
“I want to have three or four fights this year. I haven’t had that many fights the last couple years, so it’s important to me to stay busy. Наступний рік, I’ll be looking for a bigger fight. I’m very excited about everything that is happening.”
The 40-year-old Flores, originally from Arizona, says preparations went surprisingly well for this fight.
“Training couldn’t have gone better,” Flores said. “I had eight good weeks of training and I have zero injuries. Якщо чесно, I thought camp would be tougher, but everything bounced back nicely. I’ve been sparring for seven weeks. I normally have something nagging on fight week, but I sparred 10 rounds Saturday. I sparred four rounds today. У мене є 22 rounds in since last Wednesday and I feel great.”
Квіти, a two-time world cruiserweight title challenger, says Wallin will be facing a totally different type of opponent than the ones he’s used to.
“He’s never been tested by a guy who thought he could win. Everybody he’s fought came in as an opponent. That’s not to say he’s not good, but I’m the first fighter on his resume coming in expecting to win and I’ve been in with far better opposition.
“I feel like once I get him in the middle rounds and show him he’s in with somebody who is not going anywhere, that’s when we will find out what he’s made of. My experience and game plan are perfect for testing an untested guy. Just because he’s untested doesn’t mean he can’t fight, but we’re going to find out Friday night.”
Contrary to most fighters’ preference, Flores says he’s happy Wallin is a left-handed fighter.
“I’ve been sparring nothing but tall southpaws. Насправді, I haven’t sparred an orthodox fighter in nine weeks. I prefer to fight southpaws. It’s better for my punch selection to fight a southpaw. I’ve never had a problem with it and I’ve never lost to one.”
Now a 16-year pro, Flores says he won’t be worried if the younger fighter comes out with some early aggression.
“If he wants to start fast, that’s OK. I don’t care about the first two or three rounds. The real fight starts after the fourth round. I plan on winning the early rounds, but even if I don’t, it doesn’t matter until we get in the middle rounds. I’m going to attack and be aggressive and go up and down on him. Get him to the middle rounds and see where he’s at. I know where I’m at. I’ve been in with the best heavyweights and cruiserweights in the world over the last 15 роки. I feel great and I’m ready.”
Баррі Томпкинс викликатиме дій з боку рингу з боксом історик Стів Farhood і колишній чемпіон світу Рауль Маркес, яка виступає в якості експертів-аналітиків. Виконавчий продюсер є Гордон зал з Річардом Гога виробництва і Рік Філліпс режисури.
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Top American Heavyweight Prospect Franklin Faces Jerry Forrest In Main Event While Sweden’s Otto Wallin Clashes With BJ Flores in Co-Featured Bout
Live At 10 p.m. ET/PT From Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Мити.
НЬЮ-ЙОРК – May 30, 2019 – Two top undefeated heavyweight prospects will put their unblemished records on the line when they fight in separate bouts onShoBox: Нове покоління П'ятниця, Липня 12 live on SHOWTIME from Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Мити.
Top American heavyweight prospectJermaine Franklinreturns for his second consecutive test of 2018 на ShoBoxagainst the streakingJerry Forrestin the 10-round headliner. У со-бій ознаками, undefeated Swedish heavyweight and top-10 ranked contenderОтто Wallinwill battle former world title challengerBJ Флоресin a 10-round clash on the seventhShoBox Телепередача 2019.
“The heavyweight division is the strongest it’s been in a generation with a number of new faces looking to position themselves for an eventual title shot,»Сказав Гордон Хол, Виконавчий продюсер ShoBox. “Otto Wallin is on the doorstep based on his rankings in the top 10 but he needs that statement win to get there. BJ Flores is not coming to test Wallin. He is coming to win and feels he has what it takes to teach Wallin a lesson.
“Jermaine Franklin is the best American heavyweight prospect and, at only 25 років, still has a ton of growth potential. He passed his first test on ShoBox in April and we look forward to getting a second look at him in another step-up fight. Forrest is far more experienced than Franklin. This will be his fifth fight of 2019, and he is fully aware of what a win will do for his career.”
Квитки на заходи, which is promoted by Salita Promotions in association with Brian Halquist Productions, go on sale Saturday, Червень 1 and are available via Ticketmaster and the Emerald Queen Box Office.
“This is an exciting time for the heavyweight division and on July 12 boxing fans will have an opportunity to witness two of the division’s best new faces in significant tests,” said promoter Dmitriy Salita. “Jermaine Franklin’s goal is to be an American heavyweight world champion, and an impressive performance in a tough matchup with Jerry Forrest will be a significant step in his quest to the title.
“Otto Wallin is an example of what happens when you combine dreams and hard work. He grew up in a small town in Sweden and aims to challenge for the heavyweight world title and follow in the footsteps of Ingemar Johansson. Otto is fighting a proven veteran in BJ Flores who’s only losses have been in world title fights, so I expect it will be an exciting matchup from the opening bell.”
The 25-year-old Franklin (18-0, 13 КО), from Saginaw, Мічиган., is a former amateur standout and a 2014 National Golden Gloves Champion. A likely candidate to represent the U.S. на 2016 Олімпійські ігри, Franklin turned down the opportunity to compete for a spot on the team and instead chose to begin his professional career in 2015. Widely regarded as the top American heavyweight prospect, Franklin has built his undefeated record with relative ease since turning pro, knocking out nine of his first 10 professional opponents. Franklin made his SHOWTIME debut in the co-featured bout of the Claressa Shields vs. Christina Hammer event in April, earning a unanimous decision over former No. 1-рейтинг США. amateur Rydell Booker.
“In my SHOWTIME debut earlier this year, I felt I could have put on a better show but I won and that’s most important,” Franklin said. “Winning this fight is an important step toward my dreams of fighting for a heavyweight championship. This fight also is a chance for the fans to see me more focused and prepared. Jerry Forrest has been around the game for a while and he brings a lot of skills to the ring. I will be ready for him.”
Forrest (25-2, 19 КО), Ньюпорт-Ньюс, Вірджинія., has won eighteen consecutive bouts since dropping back-to-back contests to world title challenger Gerald Washington and Michael Hunter, whose only professional loss came to former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. Forrest, a 6-foot-1 southpaw, scored an eight-round unanimous decision over Joshua Tufte his last time out in April.
“This is a long time coming for me,” said Forrest. “My record and my potential are definitely worthy to fight in the main event on national television. This is where I should be. I’m very comfortable and I’m not at all overwhelmed. I’ve fought in the Nationals and big tournaments and I’m not afraid of the spotlight. Franklin throws a lot of punches and tries to bully you out. He’s not super accurate from what I see. He’s a heavyweight who will try to outwork you. I see him as a very similar fighter to Andy Ruiz. My training is going great, I haven’t been out of shape in two years. I’ve been in the gym grinding and doing it old school.”
Wallin (20-0, 13 КО, 1 Північна Дакота) зробив свій U.S. debut on SHOWTIME in April, also on the undercard of Shields-Hammer, but his fight with Nick Kisner was cut short after an accidental headbutt left Kisner unable to continue, resulting in a No Decision. The 6-foot-5 Wallin turned pro in 2013 and has gradually risen in the rankings by recording 20 straight wins in Europe prior to his American debut. The 28-year-old southpaw won the Swedish Boxing Championship at 16-years-old, fought against Anthony Joshua twice as an amateur and was a member of the Swedish National Boxing Team. Currently ranked in the top-ten by both the WBA and IBF, Wallin now has his sights set on becoming his country’s first Heavyweight Champion since Ingemar Johansson in 1960.
“My U.S. debut did not go the way I had hoped and I didn’t get a chance to show off my skills,” said Wallin. “I’m really looking forward to going out there again getting a chance to show a lot more. This is a fight I need to win if I want to go somewhere. I need to win and I need to look good doing it. I need to be sharp at all times and not take anything for granted. This is a sport where everything can change in the blink of an eye.”
Квіти (34-4-1, 21 КО) став професіоналом в 2003 and has enjoyed a long, successful career competing mostly as a cruiserweight. Undefeated through the first seven years and 25 бої в його кар'єрі, Flores suffered his first setback when he traveled to Australia to challenge Danny Green for his IBO Cruiserweight world title, dropping a unanimous decision. The Arizona native bounced back by winning eight of his next nine fights before getting a second chance at a world title, again traveling to his opponent’s hometown. На цей раз, Flores was stopped by WBC Cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew in Liverpool. Flores has since moved to heavyweight, where he has won two of his three fights.
“Not only is this a winnable fight for me, Мені 100 percent winning this,” said Flores. “I’m working with [тренери] Angel Heredia and Ibn Cason and world class heavyweight Kubrat Pulev. Working with this team is perfect for getting my strength and conditioning up for this fight, and sparring with one of the top guys in the world in Pulev is making me very sharp. I know Wallin is undefeated and has a good amateur style. He’s tall and has good boxing ability. I know he’s got some talent and is a young up and coming guy. He’ll be trying to make a name for himself off of my name, so I’ll be ready for that.”
Баррі Томпкинс викликатиме дій з боку рингу з боксом історик Стів Farhood і колишній чемпіон світу Рауль Маркес, яка виступає в якості експертів-аналітиків. Виконавчий продюсер є Гордон зал з Річардом Гога виробництва і Рік Філліпс режисури.
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Для отримання додаткової інформації відвідайте www.sho.com/sports слідувати на Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, SHOSports, #ShoBox, або стати шанувальником на Facebook по www.Facebook.com/SHOSports.
Про ShoBox: Нове покоління
З моменту свого створення в липні 2001, критиками SHOWTIME бокс серії, ShoBox: Нове покоління має ознаки молодий талант відповідає жорстким. The ShoBox філософія по телебаченню захоплюючим, натовпу приємно і матчах, забезпечуючи полігоном для бажаючих перспективи рішучості боротися за титул чемпіона світу. Деякі з зростаючого списку 80 бойовиків, які з'явилися на ShoBox і передові зібрати світових титулів включає: Еррол Спенс молодший, Андре Уорд, Deontay Уайлдер, Ерісланді Лара, Шон Портер, Гері Расселл-молодший, Ламонт Пітерсон, Гільєрмо Рігондо, Ноніто Донер, Девон Александр, Карл Фроч, Роберт Герреро, Тімоті Бредлі, Джессі Варгас, Хуан Мануель Лопес, Чед Доусон, Полі Маліньяджі, Ріккі Хаттон, Келлі Павлік, Пол Вільямс і більше.
