Архівы: Paschal Collins

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Гары Расэл JR. KNOCKS OUT PATRICK HYLAND TO RETAIN WBC FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY NIGHT ON SHOWTIME®

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Jose Pedraza Remains Unbeaten With Unanimous Decision Over Stephen Smith In IBF Junior Lightweight Championship

Catch The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® Replay
У панядзелак на 10 p.m. І/PT На ШО EXTREME®

Націсніце ВОТ Для фатаграфій From Stephanie Trapp/SHOWTIME

 

Машантукет, Канэктыкут. (Красавіка. 17, 2016) – WBC Featherweight World Champion Гэры Расэл-малодшы. retained his title with a remarkable TKO of Irishman Patrick Hyland Суботаon SHOWTIME from Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Канэктыкут. У са-функцыя, Хасэ Педраса defended his IBF Junior Lightweight title with a unanimous decision over Stephen Smith.

 

Сённяшні event was a family affair with Russell Jr. working his brother Antonio’s corner during сёння ўвечары undercard and boxing’s Smith brothers, including current WBO Super Welterweight World Champion Liam Smith, cheering from the crowd.

 

A relentless Russell brought the main event to a quick halt by registering three knockdowns in the second round, the last of which forced referee Danny Schiavone to end the contest at 1:33. Ад першага званка, Вашынгтон, D.C. native came out swinging with his trademark hand speed and dangerous power. Расэл, a southpaw, successfully broke down—and knocked out—Hyland with multiple vicious right hooks.

 

“We stuck to the game plan. We stayed sharp,” said Russell Jr., хто паляпшае свой рэкорд да 27 перамог, one loss, 15 накаўты.

 

“I’m ready to fight anyone in the division – Santa Cruz, Ці Селбі. We are ready. But what I really want is [Васіль] Ломаченко. I don’t care if he moves up to 147 фунты. I will go anywhere to get that fight,” Russell said.

 

“There aren’t many fighters who you instantly know are special,” said SHOWTIME Sports expert analyst Steve Farhood. “The combination of Gary Russell’s hand speed and accuracy instantly shows us that he’s special. That was plainly evident сёння ўвечары and at times his hand speed was frightening.”

 

Педраса (22-0, 12 КО) remained disciplined and came out victorious during his second IBF 130-pound world title defense. A combination of timing, hand speed and good defense allowed the Puerto Rican native to dominate the 12-round championship fight.

 

“This definitely was a tough fight but the training really came to advantage in this fight,” Pedraza told SHOWTIME Sports reporter Jim Gray. “I knew he was a tough fighter so I was always aware.”

 

“I had better focus сёння ўвечары. I had a better training camp,” said Pedraza, referring to his controversial split decision win over Edner Cherry two fights ago. “I knew that Stephen Smith was a great fighter and even after the knockdown, we were very cautious not to rush in.”

 

“Pedraza won сёння ўвечары with different weapons. Mostly right hands to the head,"Сказаў Farhood. “I had the fight even after eight rounds and once Pedraza dropped Smith in the ninth, he gained momentum that he never lost and he pulled away. It was an impressive performance but also an important one because it erased a lot of the negative criticism Pedraza received in his controversial win over Edner Cherry.”

 

Pedraza was the more accurate fighter, пасадка 50 percent of his power punches over the 12-round bout. The Sniper was able to pick his spots and pocket rounds once he figured out the distance. Smith had his moments, but wasn’t active enough.

 

Браян Кастер hosted the SHOWTIME telecast, з Маўра Ranallo calling the action, Hall of Fame analyst Аль Бернштэйна and former two-time world champion Полі Малиньяджи commentating and Джым Грэй справаздачнасць. У іспанскай адначасовай, Алехандра Месяц called the blow-by-blow and former world champion Рауль Маркес served as color commentator. The executive producer of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING was Дэвід Динкинс малодшы. з Bob Dunphy кіраўніцтва.

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Гары Расэл JR. супраць. PATRICK HYLAND, Хасэ Педраса Vs.. STEPHEN SMITH FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES & PHOTOS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER THIS SATURDAY, Красавіка 16, ЖЫЦЬ SHOWTIME®

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“Я need to maintain control of the fight, close the distance, and maintain the jab. Complete dominance.” –
Гэры Расэл-малодшы.
“To fight for the WBC title is everything I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid.”
– Patrick Hyland
“I have been waiting a long time for this day to come and we are going to demonstrate to Smith that I am a weapon.” – Хасэ Педраса
“I believe I have what it takes to fight anyone and nothing will keep me from becoming a world champion.” –
Stephen Smith

Націсніце ВОТ Каб спампаваць фота; Крэдыт: Стэфані Трап / Showtime
Нью-Ёрк (Красавіка 13, 2016) – WBC у полулегком вазе Гэры Расэл-малодшы. (26-1, 15 КО), з Capitol Heights, Md., and Irish contender Patrick Hyland (31-1, 15 КО), of Dublin, faced off at the final press conference Серада at Highline Ballroom in New York, as they approach гэта суботу Featherweight World Title fight live on ЧАС ДЛЯ ШОЎ® from the Fox Theater in Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Канэктыкут.
The SHOWTIME ЧЭМПІЯНАТ БОКС® telecast begins live at 11 p.m. І/8 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME with IBF Junior Lightweight World Championship clash between unbeaten Puerto Rican Хасэ Педраса (21-0, 12 КО) and mandatory challenger Stephen Smith (23-1, 13 КО), of Liverpool, Англія.
Here’s what the fighters had to say at У сераду final press conference.
Гары Расэл JR.
(On Patrick Hyland…)
“У першую чаргу, I gotta tip my hat off to him. I heard him say he was being trained by his father. Me and my younger brothers are also trained by my dad. My father is my favorite superhero, so it is very hard to deal with a situation like this and to bounce back and to grind and put all the hard work and effort into it after all the heartache and loss, I gotta tip my hat off to him for that.
I know that anytime you have a fighter that trains for six to eight weeks and prepares for no one else but you, is a dangerous fight. Ён высокі, he’s long, but we can take him. We’re going to handle it.”
(On returning from injury…)
“Я адчуваю сябе добра. Я гатовы; I put the work in at the gym. Як я ўжо сказаў раней,, I got cussed out several times and sometimes I left the gym feeling like the worst fighter ever. Але, прама зараз, we’re ready and we’re prepared to invest in my ability.”
(On what it means to have his brother Antonio on the card he’s headlining…)
“It means a lot. I’m looking forward to it. I’m actually more looking forward to watching my brother compete than my own fight. I will definitely be working his corner in that fight. It means a lot for us to be able to pass this information down from generation to generation and watch it grow and watch us build as a family and as a unit. It’s amazing.’
“He definitely has the potential to be the best. Him as well as Antuanne, who is now on the 2016 Olympic team. It’s all information passed down from generation to generation. I feel as though they definitely have the ability to be better than me. I would want them to be anyway.”
(On what he needs to win the fight…)
“I need to maintain control of the fight, close the distance and maintain the jab. Complete dominance; I want to touch the body early. He likes to move a lot, so we’re going to cut all that down.”
(On potential future opponents…)
“God willing, everything goes right come Красавіка 16, we would love to unify with Lee Selby. If I had my choice, I would go with Lee Selby first to unify. Immediately after that, I want Leo Santa Cruz and after that I need Lomachenko.
“I don’t care where [Ломаченко] moves. He can lose his next 10 баі, but before my career’s done he has to see me.”
PATRICK HYLAND
(On what gives him the sense of satisfaction in boxing…)
“To fight for the WBC title is everything I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid and all of the hard work that I have put in to get to this position to fight for it. I am happy and I am just living for it now for Субота ноч.”
(On being the first Irish boxer since Barry McGuigan to hold a featherweight world title…)
“It’s a whirlwind and it’s great. I’m just a local lad from Johnstown in Dublin and to be fighting on the big stage and to be fighting for a major world title, and again to be named the second featherweight ever to win a world title would be just amazing; a real dream come true for myself.”
(On Gary Russell…)
“I know he’s got fast hands. He’s a great southpaw and a great boxer so I have to be at the best of my ability у суботу night for that. I worked on a game plan in the gym to counter his hand speed and it all has to come together on fight night. I can do all this and say all that, but I just have to perform у суботу night and put it in by doing everything I’ve worked on to become champion.”
Хасэ Педраса
(On training camp…)
“I am feeling really good, we’re in the last stretch of conditioning. It was a very long and intense training camp but we saw improvements in my abilities. I have been waiting a long time for this day to come and we are going to demonstrate to Smith that I am a weapon.
(On Stephen Smith…)
“Smith is a very good boxer, he has a lot of abilities and intelligence. He’s a boxer with very good defense, but we already utilize a variety of strategies to be able to neutralize all of his abilities.”
(On what he plans to demonstrate у суботу…)
“With my abilities, такі як Субота, I will demonstrate that I am above Smith and that I am at the level of what I am, a champion. Агульны, I just want to put on a show and I hope that the fan base will enjoy this great card.”
(On what he learned from fighting Edner Cherry…)
“I learned what I have always said and what I have always done to this very day, which is never watching. I never watch too many videos of my opponent because on the day of the fight he could be a completely different fighter and I think that is what occurred then. Aside from that, he utilized a great strategy.”
(On his thoughts on other Puerto Rican boxers…)
“Actually I am a world champion just like Rocky Martinez; there are many Puerto Rican prospects. Like [Фелікс] Verdejo but I don’t consider him as a world title contender just yet. He hasn’t fought with a boxer of championship caliber but he is currently among the top fighters in Puerto Rico.”
(On other fights he may be interested in at 130 фунты…)
“I have always said that the less Puerto Ricans I fight, лепш. If it is the last option, I will fight with Puerto Ricans too but aside from that Rocky [Марцінес] the world champ, there’s Francisco Vargas, [Хаўер] Стан, to name a few that are at the top of my list.”
STEPHEN SMITH
(On his first time fighting in the U.S….)
“Я ўсхваляваны. If you want to make a name in boxing, then you’re going to do it in the states and that’s what I plan on doing by becoming a world champion Saturday.”
(On what he knows about Pedraza…)
“Добра, not quite a lot. I know his name from the amateur days. He’s well established, he’s an Olympian and he’s a talented man. To fight somebody consists of winning or not, it goes beyond tactics, beyond style and beyond skillset really. I believe I have what it takes to fight anyone and nothing will keep me from becoming a world champion.”
(On what he needs to do to get the victory…)
“It can be a different type of fight; we know he likes to switch it up and box from different stances. He’s obviously talented so it’s going to take a different set from each way but we know what to expect. I’ve gone over everything with my trainer Joe Gallagher and we’re ready to go.”
(On his brothers Liam and Callum being champions and what it could mean to potentially join them…)
“It’s special. Two weeks ago Liam and Callum won a European world title and it just gives me the confidence, the spirit to hike. I’m in a really good place mentally and I couldn’t be feeling better going into it. After my boot camp going successfully, it just makes you feel better going ahead to become a world champion.”
(On UK champions on the rise in the past year…)
“There’s a lot of history there and for myself and my family, so we do what we’ve always wanted to do and we’re looking to just keep moving forward.”
TRAINER JOE GALLAGHER
(On training camp…)
“It was good. Obviously it boiled up to Callum’s win. There’s a good momentum. Callum and then Stephen has his world title opportunity. It’s been a slow burning rise with Stephen but he’s got, as I call it ‘his World Cup final’ — something that is going to take heart and strength. His strength is going very well. Pedraza is a very good fighter, good orthodox, good southpaw, he can mix it up and we’re prepared for whatever style he wants to bring у суботу.”
(On the process of preparing for a fighter like Pedraza…)
“It’s a nightmare. It’s hard enough when you’re fighting a quality orthodox or a quality southpaw, of which he is, but not only that. He can also box on the back foot and on the front foot so we’re varying sparring partners, we’re mixing up the sparring in between the rounds, switching stances, and whichever way Pedraza wants to fight at the end of the night, I’m sure we’ll have an answer for.”
(On how he feels the fight will play out…)
“I think that’s all up to Pedraza, looking back at a few of his fights, he boxes slow and gets off to a good start but then he seems to lose his way a little in rounds. When you watch him against [Андрэй] Klimov, he started out very well, put him under manners very quickly and had him nearly beat by the fourth round but [Андрэй] managed to stay in very well and boxed really well. He got to the middle rounds, lost his way a little bit, switched southpaw, so either way it’s going to be fascinating. We’ve just got to make sure we don’t get caught to early when he’s quick and he’s sharp and he’s trying to put manners in Stephen Smith and then take him into the deep waters like Edner Cherry.”
(His prediction…)
“Stephen Smith. Possibly by knockout. Ня, definitely by knockout.”
# # #
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Former World Champion Chad Dawson, Featherweight Contender Ryan Kielczweski & Undefeated Prospects Antonio Russell & Carlos Gongora Highlight Undercard Action on Saturday, Красавіка 16 From Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Канэктыкут.

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Doubleheader of World Title Fights Featured on
SHOWTIME ЧЭМПІЯНАТ БОКС
(11 p.m. І/8 p.m. PT)
Машантукет, Канэктыкут (Красавіка 11, 2016) – A stacked undercard of action featuring former world champion “Дрэнны” Чэд Доусон (33-4, 18 КО), полулегком прэтэндэнтам Ryan Kielczweski (24-1, 7 КО) and undefeated prospects Антоніа Расэл (5-0, 4 КО) і Карлас Гонгарам (4-0, 3 КО) даходзіць да Foxwoods Resort Casino у Mashantucket, Канэктыкут., на Субота, Красавіка 16.
The event is headlined by a SHOWTIME ЧЭМПІЯНАТ БОКС doubleheader of world title fights: WBC у полулегком вазе свету Гэры Расэл-малодшы. battles Ireland’s Патрык “Карнік” Хайленд and IBF Junior Lightweight World Champion Хасэ “Sniper” Педраса takes on top contender Стывен “Swifty” Каваль from the UK, з тэлебачанні асвятленне пачынае ў прамым эфіры на SHOWTIME ў 11 p.m. І/8 p.m. PT.
Dawson will face the veteran Cornelius White (23-4, 17 КО) у 10-раўндавым бой у паўцяжкай вазе, Kielczweski enters the ring for eight rounds of featherweight action, Gongora competes in a super middleweight attraction while Russell takes on Leonardo Reyes (3-9, 1 KO) in a bantamweight fight.
Also entering the ring is popular super bantamweight contender Shelley Vincent (16-0, 1 KO) out of Providence, RI., who will have plenty of support behind her when she takes on New Mexico’s Elizabeth Anderson (4-7, 1 KO) на працягу шасці-раўндавым паядынку.
Rounding out the action are a pair of prospects making their pro debuts as Providence’s Anthony Marsella Jr. fights in a four-round junior welterweight match and Connecticut’s Mykquan Williams in a four-round welterweight contest. Williams is a highly touted local prospect who fought to a 45-13 amateur record including three gold medal performances at the Ringside World Tournament.
Былы чэмпіён свету ў паўцяжкай вазе, Доўсан returns to the ring looking for the 34й Перамога яго паспяховай кар'еры. 33-гадовы валодае перамогі над былымі чэмпіёнамі свету Бярнардам Хопкінсам, Antonio Tarver and Tomasz Ademek and most recently defeated Shujaa El Amin in December 2015. The veteran owns a 17-1 record in fights in his home state of Connecticut. He takes on the veteran White out of Houston who picked up victories in his last two starts over Marcus Oliveira and William Johnson.
Які заняў другое месца ў 2008 Турнір Нацыянальная Залатыя пальчаткі, 25-гадовы Kielczweski has become a staple fighting in his native New England. Нарадзіўся і вырас у горадзе Кўінсі, Маса., he bounced back from his first defeat to deliver a first-round knockout over Anthony Napunyi in May 2015 and followed that up with a victory over veteran contender Rafael Vazquez in October of last year. During this camp, Kielczweski served as a chief sparring partner of the 126-pound champion Russell Jr.
Twice a National Golden Gloves runner up, Расэл won the national championship in 2013 and he now looks to follow in the footsteps of his older brother and current 126-pound world champion Gary. A 23-year-old fighting out of Washington, D.C., Antonio has won four of his five fights inside of the distance. He faces the 22-year-old Mexican Рэес.
Fighting out of Brooklyn but originally from Esmereldas, Эквадор, Gongora was an Olympian in 2008 і 2012. З паваротам прафесіяналам у 2015, the 26-year-old has picked up four victories, including a fourth-round stoppage of Derrick Adkins in his most recent triumph in January.
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Красавіка 16 TRAINING CAMP NOTES: GARY RUSSELL, PATRICK HYLAND, Хасэ Педраса, STEPHEN SMITH

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SHOWTIME ЧЭМПІЯНАТ БОКС® World Title Doubleheader

Жыць на SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. І/8 p.m. PT) ад
Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Канэктыкут

Нью-Ёрк (Красавіка 7, 2016) – The boxers who will be fighting Субота, Красавіка 16 on aЧАС ДЛЯ ШОЎ CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® world title doubleheader are deep into their respective training camps as they continue preparation for their bouts at Foxwoods Resort Casino у Mashantucket, Канэктыкут.

 

У галоўным падзеі, жыць на ЧАС ДЛЯ ШОЎ® (11 p.m. І/8 p.m. PT), the talented and speedy southpaw Гэры Расэл-малодшы. (26-1, 15 КО) makes the first defense of his WBC Featherweight World Title against Irish contender Patrick Hyland (31-1, 15 КО). In the SHOWTIME co-feature, unbeaten sniper Хасэ Педраса (21-0, 12 КО) risks his IBF 130-pound world title as he defends his title for the second time against a mandatory challenger, Stephen Smith (23-1, 13 КО).

 

Расэл, who won the 126-pound title with a fourth-round knockout over defending champion Джоні Гансалес сакавіка 28, 2015, trains in Washington, D.C.

 

Хайленд, whose only loss suffered was to WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Хаўер Фартуна, has been training at a gym in Dublin, Ірландыя, owned and operated by his trainer, Paschal Collins, whose older brother Стыў was a former two-time WBO world champion. Paschal Collins also boxed as a pro but is best known for being Irish heavyweight Кевін Макбрайд’s head trainer during his shocking knockout of Майк Тайсан.

 

The switch-hitting Pedraza, a 2012 Пуэрта-Рыка алімпіец, has been working out in his native Puerto Rico. Каваль, of Liverpool, Англія, has been training in the UK.

 

Below is what the confident boxers had to say with less than two weeks to go before their major fights:

 

Гары Расэл JR., WBC у полулегком вазе свету

(On Training Camp)

“I’ve been in camp in Washington, D.C. for about eight weeks. I suffered the head butt before my November fight but I have been able to train this whole time and returned to sparring eight weeks ago. It’s been a really long training camp but I’m ready to go. This is the hardest part. Fighting is easy, but the preparation before the fight is where the hard work comes in. Being out of the ring so long is difficult, but it’s part of the business. Everything happens for a reason and I’m just really keyed in mentally.”

 

(On fighting Patrick Hyland)

“Hyland is going to come in there to win. You have to have that confidence to get in the ring. He’s preparing himself, but the question is, will it be good enough? I highly doubt it. We don’t take anyone lightly and we prepare to the best of our abilities. Everyone in the ring can pull off the upset. That’s why I have to be prepared to the fullest.”

 

“He’s not really a pressure fighter so I might have to take the fight to him. He’s long and rangy and he tries to keep his distance. He’s not a big puncher but he definitely has the ability to steal a fight.”

 

(On the fighting Russell family)

“My brother Antuanne made the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team in the 141-pound division and he has a chance soon to qualify for the games with a tournament in Azerbaijan. My other brother Antonio is going to be on my undercard as well. Within my family we’re actually the first set of four brothers to all win the National Golden Gloves. That just goes to show the level of coaching we get from our dad, to have a world champion, two Olympians and four National Golden Gloves winners. We’re trying to leave a legacy in this sport. We’re all very similar in temperament and attitude. We all want to be world champions.”

 

(On dealing with injuries)

“I’ve never had a fight where I was 100 працэнтаў. There’s always been something going on. I have had hand injuries since the beginning of my career but we have creative ways to handle that and preserve my hands. Зараз, Я выдатна сябе адчуваю. I just have to pick my shots more, but that’s where the speed becomes a factor.”

 

(On possible future opponents)

“If I can get by Hyland, I want to fight the winner of the Lee Selby vs. Eric Hunter fight and unify titles. After that I’d like to see Leo Santa Cruz and take care of that. Then I want another crack at Vasyl Lomachenko. I don’t care what weight Lomachenko is at, I’ll follow him. He has to see me.”
PATRICK HYLAND, Супернік ў полулегком

 

(On Training Camp)

“I’ve been training at Celtic Warriors Gym in Dublin since before Christmas because I had a fight here (Ірландыя) на Лютага. 6 but pulled out when I got word that I was fighting on March 12 (у Mohegan Sun). When that fight was postponed, I took it easy for two weeks until the Красавіка 16show was announced. That’s when I started picking up training again. I’ve been training really hard and putting everything on the line to become WBC champ. We plan to arrive in the U.S. a week prior to the fight.”

(On fighting Gary Russell Jr.)
“To challenge a great champion, Гэры Расэл, Малодшы, is an honor for me. I think Gary is an awesome fighter with great hand speed and boxing ability. I’ve been working with Jono Carroll, an unbeaten Irish southpaw with good hand speed and good movement, who is ideal for what I have to work on to beat Russell.”

(On fighting again in the U.S.)
“I love fighting in the U.S. because there’s always a great atmosphere at the fights and it’s the real home of boxing. I’ve met friends for life who I consider family from the Marlboro area (Hyland lived in Marlboro, N.Y., for a couple of years). They’ll be at this fight, as always.”

(On the fighting Hyland brothers)
"My brothers are no longer fighting. Their last fights were on the same show, Студзеня. 28, 2012 у Атлантыка-Сіці, which I headlined in (against Emmanuel Lucero). My older brother, Edward (“Pride of Tallaght”) fought at super featherweight. He runs his own Boxing Club in Dublin. My other brother, Полі, was a former European and Irish super bantamweight champion. He is back doing a bit of training. No other members of our Hyland family were in professional boxing. I’m hoping we’re not the last, хоць, as I’ve got a few nephews and my own son now. One day they might lace up the gloves.”

Хасэ Педраса, IBF Super Featherweight World Champion

 

(On Training Camp)

“I am currently training in the Municipal gym in Cidra, P.R., where I took my first steps in boxing. I decided to train here because it feels like home and I can feel the warmth of my people and I am able to set an example for those who are starting out in boxing as well.”


“My training started in December and it is divided into two sections (morning and evening). During the morning portion we work on all of the specifics of boxing, including gloving up in addition to physical training lasting about three and a half hours. For the evening portion of the training I run. Two days a week it is track training and four days of the week it is distance running for about two hours in the evening, making it a total of about five and a half to six hours of work daily.’’

(On his diet)

“Actually, Дзякуй Богу, I do not have a strict diet and can eat all varieties of foods. I am doing really well with weight and I just reduce portions in the evenings during the final stages of the camp to meet the required 130 фунты. That’s why I do not miss any foods. My favorite foods are steak and other grilled foods. After the weigh-in I prefer the pastas my mom makes. She always prepares three different kinds for me.’’

 

(On his team)

“My team is composed of Mr. Luis Espada (trainer-manager), Francisco Flores (conditioning and track trainer), Andres Melendez (трываласць і кандыцыянавання) і д-р. Hector Santos (cutman and spiritual director). I’ve been with my trainer, who is my father, для 14 years ever since I threw my first punch. I haven’t made any major changes since I became champion. I’ve remained the same humble young man from a small town. I just push myself more to reach the bigger fights in the five categories from 130 to 154.”

 

(On his challenger Stephen Smith)

“I have seen some videos with my team of his fights and I can see that he is a boxer with a lot of resources who utilizes hooks to the body just as much as to the head. He is strong but something that works in my favor is that he is a come-forward fighter. He can handle 12 rounds comfortably. I hope on fight night I can neutralize all of his abilities and get the victory. I wouldn’t doubt if the win came by a KO anywhere from the sixth through the eighth round.’’

(Plans for his future in boxing)

“There are conversations about going up to 135. I’ve been at this weight since 2007; my body is demanding for me to go up to 135. Eventually my aspirations as a boxer are to be able to make boxing history not just in Puerto Rico but in the world. I want to go up and be the champion in five categories.”

“First and foremost I would like to face Francisco Vargas; he’s a seasoned boxer and is strong with a lot of rage. He went to the Olympics like I did in 2008 and he became a champion in what could be considered the fight of the year for 2015, very dramatic. It would be the Mexico vs. Puerto Rico rivalry. Another fighter who I would like to face is the champion Javier Fortuna. He is simply just a loud mouth with a poor memory (or selective memory) but I’ll send him a note to look up what happened in boxing history during the Roman Cup 2006 у Дамініканскай Рэспубліцы. I’ll leave it to him as an assignment.’’

 

(On his inspiration and role models)

“My biggest inspiration is my family. It is they who always, дзень за днём, are there supporting me as my No. 1 fan. I am a pro-family man and my family is my engine with God as my strength. Together they inspire me to carry the responsibility on my shoulders of doing my best in and out of the ring.’’

 

“Floyd Mayweather. He is an intelligent boxer and his abilities distinguish himself. He also works and trains very hard and puts in the gym time. He’s a man of his word and he invests 100 percent to each in his training camps and knows how to manage his fans as well. So many fans would like to see him win and just as many like to see him lose, but people just want to see him.’’

 

STEPHEN SMITH, IBF Няма. 1 Super Featherweight Contender

 

(On the significance of this matchup)

“All fights are important but this one is especially very important for me to win so that I can get back to where I was in the division.’’

 

(On finally getting a crack at the world title)

“I’ve waited a long time for this opportunity, but the timing couldn’t be better. I’m excited to get the opportunity to win the world title live on Sky Sports in the UK and on SHOWTIME in America.’’

 

(His views of the defending champion)

“Pedraza is a good fighter with a good amateur background and he’s not a world champion for nothing. He can box from either stance but I am confident of winning. I wouldn’t expect it to be an easy fight. It’s a world title fight, it’s meant to be tough. I’m preparing for the best of him; I don’t think he was at his best last time out against (Эднер) Вішня.

 

“He could have lost that fight, but he got the win and he’s going to look to show he’s better than that. We’ve covered all bases as far as sparring for whatever way he comes out, and I think I have the game plan to beat him.

 

“It’s not like he’s looked at me and thought ‘he’s an easy fight’ – he has no choice if he wants to keep his title. I think this fight has happened at the right time for me. It’s dragged out a bit but I’ve got a good head on my shoulders and I think that everything happens for a reason. My last outing was a career-best performance and I think that this has come at the right time.’’

 

(On his strategy)

"(Трэнер) Joe Gallagher is as meticulous as anyone when it comes to preparing to face someone. Pedraza’s a lot more aggressive from the orthodox stance, but we’ve studied everything and we’re really confident. The gym is still going strong; we were gutted for Scott Quigg as we know how much he gives in the gym for each fight. Spirits were down for a bit but big fights keep coming round, and now I have my fight.”

 

(On answering the critics who said he’d never fight for a title after his 2011 defeat to Selby)

“Because I had such a successful amateur career, I think that big things were expected of me. I had a bit of bad luck with injury, the loss to Selby set me back, but that was more from people writing me off. Lee is world champion now so there’s no disgrace in that, but people were saying after that fight that I wouldn’t fight for a world title. It can be a fickle sport at times but I’ve come back stronger and I think I will prove a lot of people wrong in America.’’

 

(На his fighting brothers, Падлогу, Liam and Callum)

“The family is doing great things, but it’s just something that we all set out to do when we started boxing so it’s not really come as a surprise to us. We work hard every day and we’ve hit the goals we’ve set ourselves; Liam is world champion, Paul has boxed for the world title twice, Callum is on the verge and I box for a world title soon. Four brothers fighting for world titles is a massive achievement but for us, it’s not enough — we want to win them. I think it’s very achievable for us, Paul is back tonight and he’s looking for another shot, so it’s realistic to say that three of us will box for world titles this year.’’

 

(On making his U.S. дэбют)

“The training is the same but there’s more pressure and more media attention on this one as it’s the big one. I’ve never boxed in the states myself but I’ve been over there with Paul and Callum, and anyone who has brothers that box will tell you it is worse when they are fighting than when it’s your own fight. I know what to expect over there and I’m going to embrace it and soak it all up.”

 

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The event is promoted by DiBella Entertainment. The bout featuring Pedraza and Smith is promoted in association with Gary Shaw Productions, Universal Promotions and Matchroom Boxing.