Fort Myers, FL (June 22, 2016) – Welterweight rising star Bryant “Goodfella” Perrella has returned to the gym and is training in anticipation of his next bout.
On June 4, Perrella destroyed previously unbeaten two time National Golden Gloves champion David Grayton on ESPN. Rather than go on vacation or celebrate his victory, Perrella immediately wanted to resume training. At the advice of his team, he took a short period of time off before getting back into the gym less than two weeks after his career best victory.
Even though he’s currently waiting to get the word on his next fight date, the 27-year-old Fort Myers native believes he’ll be in another televised bout in the coming months. Naturally, his immediate goal is to raise his record to 15-0 while continuing to fight his way into the upper echelon of the 147 pound division.
“I live, eat and sleep boxing,” said Perrella. “This is what I do for a living and I take my career seriously. Since I’m moving up and believe I’m ready to take a big step forward in the welterweight division, there’s no time to waste. I don’t have any vices and stay in shape year round. Next fight, I’ll be even better and want there to be no doubt in anybody’s mind that I’m one of the next stars in the welterweight division.”
Fans can follow Bryant on Twitter @Bryantperrella.
Information on Perrella’s next move will be available in the near future.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (June 9, 2016) – Abner Mares, the former three-division world champion boxer, will be taking class, technique and power into the ring when he meets WBA Featherweight World ChampionJesus Cuellar on Saturday, June 25 live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS presented by Premier Boxing Champions from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Live coverage begins at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST.
Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com,www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.
Mares returns to the ring after a loss in one of 2015’s most-watched fights against featherweight world champion Leo Santa Cruz. In 2016 Mares changed his training camp to work with former world champion boxer and two-time “Trainer of the Year,” Robert Garcia (Mikey Garcia, Antonio Margarito, Marcos Maidana) out of his Riverside, Calif., facility. Mares has continued to work with his longtime strength and condition coach Luis Garcia (Andre Berto, Amir Khan). His fight against Cuellar not only marks his first fight of 2016 but a chance to capture a fourth world title.
“This is going to be a technical fight,” said Mares. “Cuellar is a hard-hitting fighter and since the fight was made we’ve been preparing for a real battle. I have no personal vendetta against him, however I am excited to see what monster the Mares-Garcia combination has created and gets unleashed. My power and spirit are 1000 percent. Fans are going to see a fantastic, clean, technical fight.”
For Mares’ fans the direction under the guidance of Garcia brings new possibilities for the fighter, and one that Garcia sees as the next step and progression for Abner. “I’ve been seeing the Abner that the world knew three to four years ago,” said Garcia about Mares’ training. “A warrior with tremendous boxing skills, that’s the Abner I see now. He’s in tremendous shape but it’s a different Abner. He’s been a warrior all his life and he will come to fight – he has that mentality – but his jab, his straight punches and footwork are better than what fans have seen in the past two years.”
This fight marks the first fight for Mares in New York.
“It’s my first time fighting and being in New York and I plan on giving the fans at Barclays a ‘Fight of the Year’ performance,” he said. “New York is the home of the American dream. Being a Mexican who came to the U.S. as a young child, it’s hugely symbolic for me as well as my family. This is my chance at winning my fourth world title and to do it in the city that started so many dreams and careers and on the first primetime fight on CBS in almost 40 years, it’s an important moment.”
ABNER MARES:
How are you preparing for this fight? …
“I’ve been training with Robert since December. When the original March fight was postponed and I had a chance to fight Cuellar for the title so we never really took a break. We did change our training regimen a bit to stay fresh, get stronger and work on some tactical and technical skills. Robert has a great eye and knowledge of the sport, having worked with so many fighters, including Cuellar. It gives me an advantage in preparation.”
Why the change in trainers? …
“I knew I needed to change my camp after the last fight. I felt that we had a solid camp but in the end, I didn’t stick to the plan and it resulted in a loss. I am a warrior, I’ll never give up, always come back. I am not afraid to take a fight. But I knew I needed a trainer whose plan I would have to follow versus having a trainer who would fit into mine. Robert and I come from similar backgrounds, his record speaks for itself and I know this partnership is going to deliver big wins.”
TRAINER ROBERT GARCIA:
What is Abner’s untapped skill? …
“Abner is very candid as a boxer. He has great skills in speed, footwork and power — he has all three and when combined he’s unstoppable. Sparring has been tremendous and if he does exactly what he is doing in gym and follows instructions then he can compete against any top featherweight in the world in my opinion.”
How is sparring? …
“Abner’s a beast. He’s doing great in our sparring sessions – his power is tremendous and his boxing has just become more effective. He’s always been a tremendous fighter who can box inside and on the outside. What the world saw and loved from him in August – his heart and ability to get in and fight – has been focused and strengthened. We’re very focused on winning and beating a hard-hitting fighter.”
Barclays Center’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ programming platform is presented by AARP. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.
READING, PA (March 28, 2016)–Marshall Kauffman’s King’s Promotions is proud to announce the signing of of former IBF Welterweight champion Kermit Cintron.
Cintron of Reading, PA has a record of 35-5-2 with 28 knockouts.
Cintron won his first twenty-four bout and established himself as one of the most feared welterweight’s in the world.
Of those twenty-four wins were stoppages over Said Ouali (7-0), Omar Davila (12-2), Ian Mackilop (14-1), Elio Ortiz (25-6) and Teddy Reid (22-5-1).
After coming up short against WBO world champion Antonio Margarito, Cintron stopped David Estrada (18-2), which set up a title opportunity against Mark Suarez.
On October 28, 2006, Cintron stopped Suarez in five founds ton win the title in Palm Beach, Florida.
Cintron made two defenses of his crown with stoppages over Walter Matthysse (26-1) and Jesse Feliciano, before losing to Margarito for a second time.
Since then, Cintron has posted many quality wins over the likes of Lovemore N’dou (46-10-1), Juliano Ramos (15-2), Antwone Smith (20-2-1), Jonathan Batista (14-1) and his last bout, which took place on March 15, 2014,when won a ten round unanimous decision over Ronald Cruz (20-2).
“I am very happy to add Kermit to the King’s Promotions stable,” said Marshall Kauffman of King’s Promotions. “Kermit and I have a long history together and we did some special things when I trained him. I am glad Kermit has come back home and now as a promoter, we feel we can get Kermit back into some big opportunities and get him in position to become world champion again.”
“I am excited to finally sign with a promoter,” said Cintron. ” I have had some offers but this is more exciting. This is the best thing for me in my career because Marshall trained and managed me. He knows me personally and he knows what I need in my career and I think its a great match. I am focusing on staying busy and getting another crack at a title, and I know Marshall will do the job in getting me the right fights and I will get that title shot.”
Those who know me personally would all say I am a mellow individual, until you seriously cross me, like, for instance, if you become the subject of an investigative report I’m working on, or sue me for $25 million. Sometimes I may take things like that as a sign you might not want me to really find out who you are and what you do behind closed doors to screw hard working people over.
This week, a certain individual who won’t even let me follow him in Twitter (https://twitter.com/danawhite) pissed me off to the point where I could only think of one thing to do. Because I’m officially blacklisted in every possible way by the UFC brass, and have even had restraining orders placed against my directly contacting the Fertittas and ANY UFC fighter, my best option is to publish a drastic diatribe here I am just going to call my “OPEN FU” to Dana “Effing” White.
I’m sure Mr. White will not take my calls or subject himself to a one on one interview with me. So, I will have to settle for a written FU…and a multi-tiered and multi-purpose FU.
FU, Dana “Effing” White… for many, many reasons…too many for one small blog post to do justice, but let’s just say Most of all FU….
For what you THINK you know about Holly Holm…
Hey, Dana, you wanna talk about your “effing” reality show “Looking For a Fight????” I was actually looking for a fight when I watched that old reality “shit show” when you were supposed to box Tito Ortiz, but HE magically backed out at the last minute.
Now, you, DANA “EFFING” WHITE, are telling Holly Holm about a decision YOU think she didn’t think through enough??? And now you act like someone pissed in your Wheaties because you have two upset wins at UFC 196 to work around and figure out how to make sense of somehow.
Boo “effing” hoo, buddy.
Welcome to how things don’t go as planned sometimes in the fight business, you ungrateful prick.
Holly Holm Was the Bantamweight Champion of the UFC when she allowed HER Manager (not Dana “effing” White) to negotiate the Tate fight on her behalf, and she knew (and her long-time manager knew, too) what she was doing and what she wanted. And guess “effing” what, Dana? She wanted to fight.
Sorry, Dana “Effing” White, but Holly didn’t want to sit on an “effing” sideline waiting for Ronda Rousey to finish her “effing” ROADHOUSE REMAKE!
Holly wanted to go to work… but unfortunately she has to work for a boss who has no idea what it’s like to step into HER office and handle HER daily workload with such tenacity, class, dignity and grace.
And I think maybe she looks back a bit differently than you do, Dana, with no “effing” regrets whatsoever for putting her absolute all into that fight and just plain getting caught in her one area of weakness in a battle where she likely would have won a three-round fight. Maybe if YOU were a fighter, Dana, you might get that whole concept. Maybe losing in this case only makes her better, stronger, and more durable as a career mixed martial artist. Who gives a damn if it makes her less marketable in your eyes? What do you really know, anyway?
UNLIKE YOU, Dana “Effing” White, Holly actually respects Miesha Tate and thought it would be a challenge to fight her. Yeah, she lost, but damn, she was absolutely correct about it being a challenge. I think the fight will go down as one of the greatest battles in female MMA history.
Now, why don’t you open your “effing” eyes, Dana, watch the fight again, and quit bitching about what should have happened in that cage you never fought in yourself.
Be grateful you have a champion you just paid $92,000 in fight pay (before bonuses) to take your organization’s belt from the girl you WANTED TO WIN (and paid $500,000 just to be there). It may not be what you expected, but the anxiety you feel about it is what you DESERVE to feel for being such a douchebag to the fighters who built the UFC.
My biggest questions on this subject for Dana are: Why are you such a biased, crooked asshole who can’t bother to give Miesha the time of day FOR ALL HER HARD WORK? Why can’t you give credit where it is due…on both sides of that fight? Why can’t you shut the “eff” up about what you think Holly or her management should have or could have waited for?
It’s not your place to look back with 20/20 hindsight and act like Holly and her manager should have gone all Nostradamus on this fight when you obviously didn’t see this shit coming, either, you dome-headed dimwit.
Fighters “effing” fight, Dana. That’s what they “effing” do, which you should know, since I am pretty sure you used to be an “effing” manager of MMA fighters yourself. Yes, that was many moons ago, but how could you forget?
Fighters don’t sit on their asses on corporate jets and stand at podiums in front of the press all day to earn the “effing” paltry paychecks your organization pays out to most of them. Most fighters simply cannot afford to wait around for shit to happen or for someone “worthy” enough in your eyes to step up and fight them.
Some fighters need to feed their kids. All of them need to pay their bills and for everything else involved with training camps, daily living expenses, travel and whatever costs medical insurance doesn’t cover when they have to address nagging injuries. Your shitty Reebok deal made it virtually impossible to get any other outside sponsors to help pay for anything like that stuff for many fighters, Dana.
Welcome to selling out and forgetting where you came from, Dana. You used to care more about fighters. Now you act like fighting in a cage is just like doing any other 9-5 job. It’s not. It’s “effing” hard work.
So, yeah, Holly chose to fight instead of waiting for Rousey to be ready for the rematch. And you think she needs your opinion now that everything didn’t work out as planned for you both?
FU, Dana.
She hurts a lot worse than you, and I can guaran-effing-tee that.
Oh…and…by the way…fighters are way more responsible for the growth and success of the UFC/Zuffa organization than you ever have been. And that’s real talk, you rich bitch with a stick up your ass because you were never good enough in your life to ever have your own official fight.
So, get over the God complex and learn to respect ALL of your fighters, not just the ones you want to see win because you might think you can work with them better or you think they will move the organization in a better direction. Respect the effort, the sacrifice and the pain ALL your fighters go through each and every day to get where they get. That belt you put on Miesha’s waist was EARNED, and don’t you ever think it is “effing” cool to call the fact that Holly Holm had the guts to face Miesha Tate “a mistake.”
It rings hollow, especially when I would consider that handing you a microphone to talk about MMA at all was THE greatest mistake the sport ever made, period! Anyone who would try to knock a former champion down a peg that way in his own organization does not deserve to be recognized as that organization’s president.
You have no clue what it’s really like to fight, and your criticism of Holly Holm tells me you can never possibly understand the mindset that led her to take the Tate fight and not wait an idle year for Ronda “effing” Rousey to be ready to appear at one of your precious shows.
So, FU Dana White for treating your former champ like she’s an idiot who doesn’t know how to control her own career without you butting your stupid, bald head into it. Holly’s fine without your advice, and she trusts her manager, which might be something you’re not familiar with, but for other people it is actually a reality of doing business with legitimate people.
FU, Dana for being a piss-poor ambassador for the sport, disrespecting fighters who bleed (and sometimes suffer lifelong injuries) for you and the sport, and totally underestimating and failing to grasp what it really takes to actually be a professional fighter who actually competes against other fighters…
Do you remember the days when you had to settle for being a lowly boxercise instructor because your boxing trainer Boston slapped you too hard in the ear once? You never had a single competitive fight in your life, Dana “effing” White, and that’s a DOCUMENTED FACT!
Do you ever even look back at those days before the silver-spoon-fed Fertittas helped you claw your greedy, selfish, egotistical ass into the position of OFFICIAL UFC MOUTHPIECE?
Do you remember those “hairy” days when you blew through $40 million of Fertitta funds to perpetrate the “Zuffa Myth” while claiming credit for the UFC brass singlehandedly legitimizing the sport and getting it regulated all by your “effing” selves? As if not a single FIGHTER nor any other industry professional who pioneered MMA before you dipped your greedy little paws into it had anything to do with it?
You’re in a different place now, Dana “effing” White, and it’s a delusional place. Like on the distant planet you live on, people actually believe YOU really, honestly, truly “effing” know what it’s ACTUALLY like to be an “effing” fighter? Do you actually believe YOU somehow could ever REALLY know that feeling?
REALLY?
You know what A FIGHTER is, don’t you, Dana? A fighter is a man or woman who has the courage to willingly step into unarmed combat against another actual man or woman instead of just criticizing up and down the guys and girls who do have the guts to actually stand across from another human being while knowing and internalizing that the accepted goal is to physically destroy each other.
A fighter, in more simple terms, is “one who fights.” And let’s be clear about one “effing” thing, Dana “effing” White, I know fighters, and YOU are no fighter.
You are nothing like a fighter, Dana “effing” White, and you never “effing” will be. You are too weak, both physically and mentally. Until we see you go through a six-week training camp and then get into the cage against someone and kick his ass, we shouldn’t have to listen to one damn “coulda,” “shoulda,” or “woulda” out of your cornfed mouth about what you think of any particular fighter’s performance or decision making process. Those people have the guts to do what you will NEVER do yourself, and you ought to respect that.
FU Dana White…For not recognizing Real Fighters Like Miesha Tate and Nate Diaz who keep at it no matter what and NEVER seem to earn your ULTIMATE RESPECT….
Nate Diaz stepped up to fight Conor McGregor for a reason. He had nothing to lose, and he wasn’t intimidated one bit. He famoulsy went on television with Fox Sports 1 on a split screen with Conor before that welterweight fight and quipped that his nemesis had already been choked out before, “by two lames.” Diaz also had the perfect instinct to add humourously that McGregor’s choke losses happened, “like a week ago.”
Diaz beat Conor in the shit-talk game long before he ever slapped him down and slipped that choke around his neck in the cage. The media created by that freakshow fight might have stopped the unchecked rise of your big, bold, six-headed dragon champion, but it created a new monster at the same time. And he’s a Reebok-hating, scowling, swearing, Stockton-slapping Mother-F$#king BEAST who doesn’t care what anyone else thinks about what he does or says.
You might think Diaz and his attitude are “bad for business,” but I think his victory was the best thing that could ever happen to all you smug punks running the UFC. It just proves once and for all that you do not control the MMA universe.
Nate Diaz went without respect and credit for being an MMA pioneer and a good UFC soldier for far too long. The bitterness brewed and boiled within him, and I loved every second of him letting it pour out in post-fight interviews after he choked the shit out of Conor until the Irish bloke tapped the “eff” out and left Dana White drooling in a stupor at the thought of having to congratulate a man who’s become more of a mortal enemy than a member of the big “team.”
More power to Nate and all the crazy, abrasive, in-your-face Diaz brother types out there in the UFC who will fight Dana “effing” White’s flamboyant fire with even more bravado and brash talk of their own. They can always say, “I learned it by watching you, Baldfather!”
As for Miesha Tate, she deserves true respect and admiration for being champ now after picking herself off the mat twice in the face of grueling losses to Rousey. Kudos to Tate for continuing her career and relentlessly focusing on getting by that Rousey armbar once and for all.
Though Miesha never did solve that Rousey submission dilemma, trying at all costs to get another crack at the belt paid dividends at UFC 196. Her never quit attitude led her to an opportunity of a lifetime, and she capitalized on it. Now, Dana, you actually have to pay this young lady what most of her fans would say she was worth a long time ago.
And now you simply have to treat Tate with a bit of reverence and appreciation for once in your ungrateful life, Dana “effing” White. I know it must pain you so much to give this young lady the credit she’s worked so incredibly hard for, because maybe she touched a nerve when she called you out in the past for being the true clueless and disrespectful prick you really are. She was right, and you were wrong about how great she really is at fighting. Then again, weren’t you also WRONG about women fighting in the cage, period?
So, you DON’T wanna be a fighter, Mr. White? Then step aside and let the people who DO wanna be fighters go to battle for you so you can ride around the world on your jet and act like you know what the “eff” you’re talking about when you stand in front of a microphone to describe the sport’s true athletes and what they do to make a living in mixed martial arts.
The line from Dana that most stands out to me as comblete BS in this whole debacle is this one:
“He’s an old boxing guy who thinks he’s smart and he isn’t,” White said of Fresquez [Holm’s Manager]. “I feel bad for Holly because I don’t know if she really knows what she lost.”
I have only two more “effing” questions for you Dana “effing” White…
1.) What makes you think you are really in any “effing” position to EVER know or understand what Holly Holm lost the other night? Aside from a few bad poker hands and tons of respect, the only thing you ever lost is your mind.
2.) Doesn’t your backhanded quote about Holm’s manager describe your own shitty character a whole lot better than that of Mr. Fresquez?
AND…just in case after reading all this anyone STILL needs yet another reason to have beef with the Baldfather:
New York, NY (February 25, 2016)–Boxing managers Split-T Management are proud to announce the signing of world ranked welterweight contender Ray Robinson to a managerial contract.
Robinson of Philadelphia, PA. has a record of 20-2 with nine knockouts and is currently ranked number-seven by the WBC.
Robinson, who turned professional in 2006 is on a seven fight winning streak that is over a 5 and a half year period.
The 30 year-old Robinson has wins over previously undefeated Roberto Acevedo, Darnell Jiles Jr & Aslanbek Kozaev.
Robinson has collected the Pennsylvania Welterweight title with an explosive 2nd round stoppage over former U.S. Olympian Terrence Cauthen (36-7). He won the vacant WBA-NABA interim title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Alberto Morales (11-1). Robinson captured USBA title with a 7th round stoppage over Ray Narh (26-2). He won the the WBO NABO title with the win over Kozaev.
In his most recent bout, Robinson retained the WBO NABO title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Sherzodbek Alimjanov (22-2) on April 17.
“I felt David McWater can help me get to my dream and become world champion.
I feel like it’s a matter of time before I get my shot to show everyone I am the top welterweight in the world. I fought some tough guys in my career and show I can compete and beat them,” said Robinson.
Said Split-T management CEO David McWater, “I think Ray is the most underrated fighter in America let alone in the welterweight division and can beat any welterweight on any given day. I’m unbelievably proud to be associated with such a class individual. Ray gives back to the community selflessly.”
Along with McWater, Robinson will be co-managed with Philly fixture Tom Moran who formerly represented Tim Witherspoon and Kassim Ouma and currently represents 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist John Joe Nevin.
“I feel Ray has matured so much as a fighter over the years and feel confident he can beat any welterweight when given the chance. He has always been a class act in and out of the ring and we feel great that he is a part of our team. It’s just a matter of time when the world will see he is the best in the welterweight division,”Joe Quiambao, Director of Boxing for Split-T Management.
Robinson, who is entered as a wild card entry in the WBC Welterweight tournament is a promotional free agent.
Split-T Management growing roster includes Undefeated Bantamweight Antonio Nieves; Undefeated Light Heavyweights Joseph Williams and Mighty Joe Jones; Undefeated Welterweights Wesley Tucker; Boubacar Sylla; Undefeated Super Middleweight Deandre Ware, Undefeated Heavyweights: Darlington Agha and Trent Rawlins and Adonis Stevenson conqueror, Super Middleweight Darnell Boone.
NEW YORK (Feb. 24, 2016)—After extensive discussions between DiBella Entertainment, Showtime Networks and Mohegan Sun, the March 12 boxing event has been canceled.
Following the injury to Keith Thurman and the postponement of the Thurman vs. Porter bout, we evaluated several options for salvaging the card, but various factors, including scheduling and programming issues, prevented the parties involved from doing so.
The featherweight bout between fellow three-division world champions Abner Mares and Fernando Montiel will remain paired with the Thurman vs. Porter welterweight world championship event, which is being rescheduled for a later date on CBS. The other bouts on the card will be rescheduled on a date or dates to be announced.
“Every effort was made to move forward with the remainder of this excellent card, despite the tight time frame,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “However, scheduling conflicts and other factors forced us to make the unfortunate decision to cancel the entire event. There are a number of attractive fights on the table and we look forward to presenting all of them to the fans as soon as possible.”
Tickets purchased for the March 12 event will be refunded at the point of purchase.
DiBella Entertainment, Mohegan Sun and Showtime Evaluating Options to Continue with the Remainder of the March 12 Fight Card
NEW YORK (Feb. 22, 2016)–Undefeated world champion Keith Thurman sustained an injury as a result of a car accident that has forced his March 12 welterweight title defense against Shawn Porter to be postponed. The announcement was made today by promoter Lou DiBella, president of DiBella Entertainment. According to his doctors, Thurman’s injuries are not considered serious and he is expected to be cleared to resume training in the coming weeks. Thurman vs. Porter was the main event of a scheduled two-fight card to be broadcast in prime time on CBS. This fight and the network broadcast will now be rescheduled for a later date.
DiBella Entertainment, Mohegan Sun and Showtime are evaluating the option of continuing with the remainder of the fight card on Saturday, March 12 with a transition of television coverage to SHOWTIME. Complete details are forthcoming.
“While it’s unfortunate that we must temporarily postpone this marquee matchup, a main event of the magnitude of Thurman vs. Porter requires both fighters be healthy and at their best.” said DiBella. “Keith is anxious to resume training as soon he is able and both he and Shawn are looking forward to a new fight date.”
Former Champion Porter Challenges Welterweight World Champion Keith Thurman In Exciting Primetime Matchup Saturday, March 12
Live On CBS (8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT)
Click HERE For Photos From Premier Boxing Champions
LAS VEGAS (February 19, 2016) – Welterweight star “Showtime” Shawn Porteropened up his training camp to media Thursday at Porter Hy-Performance Center in Las Vegas as he prepares for his primetime showdown with welterweight world champion Keith “One Time” Thurman on Saturday, March 12 on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS presented by Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) from Mohegan Sun Resort in Connecticut.
Televised action begins at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT with an all-action showdown between former multiple division world champions Abner Mares and Fernando Montiel.
Porter worked out for media along with his father and trainer, Ken Porter as he looks to become a welterweight world champion for the second time. Porter defeated multiple-division champion Adrien Broner in a primetime PBC main event last year and is looking to again find success under the bright lights.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are priced at
$300, $150, $75 and $35 (plus applicable fees) and are on sale now through
Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call (800) 745
3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets are also available at the Mohegan Sun
Box Office.
Here is what Porter and his father had to say Thursday:
SHAWN PORTER
On training camp…
“Training camp is going great. It’s been hard work as always and nothing really different specifically for this fight. Obviously it is always a different game plan for a different fighter but that’s about it.
“I’m not making too many adjustments from my previous fight, just taking what I learn from each fight and take those learning experiences with you. Going into this fight we will definitely have some of our past experiences show up.
“It is getting closer. I feel it every day. It’s approaching and the excitement is brewing. The closer it gets the more excited and more focused that I get.
On being perceived as the underdog…
“I do not feel like I am coming in as the underdog. In order to be the champion, you have to beat the champion. That is my outlook on this fight, not only to outpoint him but to make it very decisive and dominate the fight.
”My motivation is to prove the doubters wrong.
“I have faced a tougher opposition than Keith Thurman. I feel like that may work most to my advantage. I think that there will come points in this fight where I will put him up against things that he has never been up against. It is all about how he reacts to what I throw at him.
“My plan is to go in there and shake him up, make him uncomfortable and carry the fight just like that.
“I am ready and whatever Thurman has to bring. I’m ready for 12 rounds, I’m ready to knock him out. I’m ready to do whatever it takes to win. I’m ready.
On sparring with Thurman…
“We expect what we saw in sparring with him to show up in the fight. He moved around a lot when we sparred. There weren’t very many clean shots landed by either of us, but I know from sparring with him that I have to be aggressive and that I have to cutoff the ring.
“I would say that for the majority of this fight it is probably going to be me as the aggressor. He likes to bully guys at the beginning of the fight to wear them down to feel himself out.. We’re expecting him to move a lot more against me.
“We’re going to be aggressive, we’re going to be smart, we’re looking beyond this fight.
“In my last fight I didn’t get hit very much and I am taking that same mindset and defense into this fight.
On being the next Floyd Mayweather Jr…
“I am expecting to beat Keith and be the guy that everyone looks at.
“When you go up against someone at a high level like this, you go up and you show out.
“As far as Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, I think those faces are going away. The welterweight class is exciting and there’s going to be a new face on the top of that ranking. I’d like that face to be me.
“I don’t make any predictions; I just know I am going to win.
“I have been waiting for this fight since 2013. I had just gotten my title then and I could see the way his career was moving that there was a collision course. We didn’t know how long this fight would take to happen or when it would happen, but we knew it was coming.
“When I was told this fight was happening all I could think was ‘Ok, let’s do it’ and it took some time to make the fight happen but when we finally did our faceoff, it felt great to look him in the eyes and let him know ‘I’m coming after you.’
“For me to fight Keith it has always been something that was a part of my career, all business not personal. It was just something that I needed to do to get to where I want to be.
“Keith Thurman is a good fighter. Nothing really sticks out to me as something I should worry about. He’s a good athlete and a good boxer, but he is very beatable, he just hasn’t been beat yet.
“You’re only as good as you’re last competition. If you look at the Kell Brook fight, I was not as good as I should’ve been. Since then I am very good, but still I feel that you are only as good as your last fight until you prove otherwise.
“It is and isn’t personal. For Keith to be considered one of the top dogs in this weight class, it is personal to me to beat him and reign over him. Other than that, it is all business.”
KEN PORTER
On being his son’s trainer…
“Because I have the history of working with a lot of top-level amateurs who have moved on to the professional level, I think that Shawn sees that in me as an edge.”
On his history with Keith Thurman…
“I know him very well. I’ve had opportunities to work with him in the amateurs. I’ve had opportunities to work with him in the pros. I’ve worked in his corner in an amateur fight before, I’ve worked in his corner in a pro fight.
“Keith knows Shawn, they’ve sparred about 30 rounds. He knows speed and won’t come in the ring trying to land a significant shot from the beginning. If he’s throwing that punch, he’s probably running the other direction at the same time.
“I would challenge [Thurman] to come in the ring and fight, but I know he’s going to fight. I know he will try to outbox us and try to land a slick and unexpected punch. Anyone can land a shot on you, that happens, but it’s what you do after the punch that counts.
“We’re looking forward to trading punches, boxing with him, slugging with him. We’re looking for a fight.”
On what it will take to win this fight…
“At this point in time, there’s going to be a lot of adjustments that have to be made, and I can’t just determine what it’s going to take to do it, but I know it’s going to take everything – speed, quickness, power, aggressiveness, conditioning, making adjustments mentally – it’s an intellectual fight.”
TO BE INDUCTED INTO CALIFORNIA BOXING HALL OF FAME
GILROY, CA (February 17, 2016) – The “California Boxing Hall of Fame” is happy to announce that multiple division world champion, Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero, will be one of its 2016 inductees. The ceremony will take place at the Sportsmen’s Lodge Event Center in Studio City, CA on October 22, 2016.
“The Ghost” who once fought at super-bantamweight (122 lbs) successfully moved up several weight classes to compete at welterweight, winning multiple world titles along the way, becoming one of boxing’s most notable warriors. Still active today, Guerrero has plenty of fight left in him and wants nothing more than to get the fans more great fights. He is thrilled to be part of the 2016 class of inductees.
“To be inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame is a great honor,” said Robert Guerrero. “I have to thank my family and team for getting me to where I’m at today. I couldn’t have done it without them. As fighters, we put our lives on the line every time we step into the ring, and we do it for the love of the sport. The fans are the ones who benefit from our sacrifices and that’s what it’s all about. I love boxing and I want to let the fans know that I’m always going to give it my all every time I fight. To be part of the 2016 inductees is unbelievable.”
WHAT: 2016 California Boxing Hall of Fame induction ceremonies
WHEN: October 22, 2016
Starts at 11:00 am
WHERE: Sportsmen’s Lodge Event Center “Empire Room”
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9
FROM SANDS BETHLEHEM EVENTS CENTER IN BETHLEHEM, PA.
Televised Coverage Begins At 11 P.M. ET/8 P.M. PT
BETHLEHEM, PA. (February 3, 2016) – Unbeaten prospect Alex Martin (11-0, 5 KOs) steps up in the co-featured bout when he takes on Rossemberth Gomez (17-4-1, 13 KO’s) of Minagua, Nicaragua in a welterweight bout scheduled for eight-rounds.
The bout takes place on an exciting night of boxing that will be part of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 and BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes Tuesday, February 9 from Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Televised coverage begins at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT and is headlined by undefeated 2012 U.S. Olympian Jamel Herring (14-0, 8 KOs) taking on Colombia’s Luis Eduardo Flores (21-2, 17 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight bout.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $100, $75 and $45, not including applicable service charges and taxes and are on sale now. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.
In addition to his 2012 National Golden Gloves Championship, Martin won three Chicago Golden Gloves and a National PAL championship fighting out of nearby Harvey, Illinois. An owner of 340 amateur wins, he made it to the United States finals where he lost to eventual Olympian, Errol Spence Jr. Martin turned pro in 2013 and is yet to lose. The 26-year-old picked up four victories in 2015 and will begin 2016 against the 29-year-old Nicaraguan Gomez who will be making his U.S. debut.
“Training is good. I really do not know much about Gomez, but that doesn’t matter much at all because I just go in there and like to fight.”
Martin is ready to showcase his skills for the first time in front of a nationally televised audience and he knows this is just the beginning of positioning himself into bigger fights.
“It is a big step for me. This will show me and the fans how good I am and where I can go in my career.”
Without looking too far down the line, Martin would love a chance at his old amateur rival, Spence. Martin knows that he needs to continue winning and looking good to get that opportunity within in the next year.
“Spence is definitely on my radar. I can see us fighting by the end of 2016 or early 2017. I feel that I will be ready for that fight. He is just one of a few guys that I want to fight on my way to the top. I am just hoping that everyone tunes in on February 9th and the fans will remember my national television debut.”
