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David Benavidez Promises To Knock Out Ronald Gavril In WBC Super Middleweight World Championship Rematch In Co-Feature Of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® Tripleheader
Saturday, Feb. 17, Nyob rau SHOWTIME® from Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas & Los ntawm Premier Boxing Champions
Nyem NTAWM NO rau cov duab los ntawm Stephanie Trapp / Showtime
Nyem NTAWM NO rau cov duab los ntawm Chris Farina / Mayweather Promotions
Las Vegas (Feb. 15, 2018) – Ob-division ntiaj teb no yeej Danny Garcia thiab yav tas los lub ntiaj teb champion Brandon Rios faced off Thursday at the final press conference for their WBC Welterweight World Title Eliminator no hnub vas xaum, February 17live on SHOWTIME from Mandalay Bay Events Center, thiab los ntawm cov Premier Boxing Champions.
Garcia, who returns for his first bout since a unification showdown with Keith Thurman, promised to put on a show, while a confident Rios assured he was 100 percent prepared for what he deemed a “make or break” sib ntaus.
Saturday lub co-main event stole the show Thursday as undefeated WBC Super Middleweight World Champion David Benavidez promised to send top-rated contender Ronald Gavril into retirement in their anticipated rematch of a thrilling 2017 split-decision. Gavril, who floored Benavidez in the final minute of their Fight of the Year nominee, promised a different outcome in Saturday lub rematch.
Lub Showtime CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast pib thaum 10 p.m. THIAB/7 p.m. PT with welterweight contenders Yordenis Ugas thiab Ray Robinson facing offin an IBF 147-pound title eliminator.
Daim pib rau lub nyob kev tshwm sim, uas yog txhawb los ntawm Mayweather Promotions thiab TGB Promotions, yog ntawm kev muag khoom tam sim no thiab yog muaj nyob rau ntawm AXS.com.
Here is what the fighters had to say from Rhythm & Riffs Lounge in Las Vegas:
Danny Garcia
“I took a little under a year off just to enjoy my life. I’ve worked hard my whole life; I’ve been boxing for 20 xyoo. I just wanted to be a regular person and let my mind rest, spend time with my daughter and enjoy some of my money.
“Ntau tshaj txhua, I just felt like I needed the rest. It wasn’t about the hunger because I’ve always had passion for the sport. Kuv hlub boxing. I love the competition.
“I’m back now and I’ve been in camp for three months. Kuv cob qhia nyuaj. I feel great and I feel confident.
“It was a close fight against Thurman. I walked out of there with no injuries. Thurman was the one with the elbow injury, so he took more punishment than me. I could easily be unified champion of the world right now. Nyob rau ntawm lub kawg ntawm lub hnub, I’m a champion. That’s my mindset. What doesn’t break me, makes me stronger.
“It feels great to be from Philly right now. The atmosphere is crazy. When the Eagles won the Super Bowl, it felt like I won. They motivated me to go out there and do what I have to do.
“It’s the Danny Garcia show so I’m going to go in there and do what I want to do. I’m going to dictate the pace. If we want to bang, we can bang. If we want to box, we can box.
“I’ve faced fighters that came straight at me before. I’ve faced fighters that moved. I’m prepared for whatever. I’m a young veteran in the sport and what made me a true champion is adapting to anything and overcoming adversity. If I have to overcome adversity nyob rau hnub Saturday hmo ntuj, then I’m going to do that because that’s what I was built for.
“I need to get a victory nyob rau hnub Saturday hmo ntuj. I can’t overlook anybody. I’ve seen some crazy things happen in boxing. One punch can change everything, so I’m just focused nyob rau hnub Saturday hmo ntuj.”
Brandon Rios
“Kuv npaj txhij 100 feem pua. I’m ready to give the fans an exciting show and that’s what I’ve prepared for. That’s my style. I always come forward and I come to fight. We ain’t dancing, we’re going to be fighting.
“Robert Garcia has always been my brother. He’s a brother from another mother. It felt great to be back with Robert Garcia and I’m just ready for the fight now. Him and Donald Leary have me confident in myself, and that’s the most important thing.
“I’m going to take advantage of every opportunity. This can make or break me. I’m doing everything right in training and dieting. I usually say I can’t wait until weigh-ins but this time I can’t wait until Saturday.
“There’s no weight issue at all. I’m perfectly on-weight right now. I’m perfectly fine health-wise, there’s no injuries. Kuv 100 percent ready.”
David BENAVIDEZ
“I’m going to put Gavril into retirement after this fight. Kuv yuav mus khob nws tawm. This is going to be the fight of the night so you guys don’t want to miss it. He’s not going to want to box again after I get done with him.
“He dropped me but I wasn’t hurt at any point of that fight. I got back up and smiled. I did not feel his power at all.
“It wasn’t a tough decision to give him a rematch because it was a great fight. I just want to give the fans the fights they want to see. They said the first one was a war, let’s make this one a war too.
“I’m not offended by Gavril’s talk because he’s a good fighter. This is just more hype for the fight and more motivation for me to go in there and make it a war.
“Lub sij hawm no, there’s going to be a little bit more boxing. I really want to put this guy away so in order to do that, I need to step up every part of my game.”
Ronald Gavril
“In the first fight, I proved to everybody that I have the skill and the power to be the best in this division. I thought that I won the fight, especially with the knockdown. So now, I had more than eight weeks to prepare for this fight when I only had four weeks for the first fight. I’m better now.
“I was not surprised Benavidez gave me the rematch because it was such a good fight. I think Benavidez talks to much. He said before the first fight that he was coming to stop me in four rounds or five rounds. He cannot stop me. Thiab tam sim no, he said the same thing before this fight. He can’t do that. Why do you think he got a new fitness coach?”
YORDENIS UGAS
“Moving up from 140 rau 147 nyob rau hauv 2016 has been great for me. Putting on the extra weight only makes me stronger.
“I’m ready to fight Robinson. Kuv xav tias 100 percent and after I fight him nyob rau hnub Saturday, I’m looking forward to fighting (Errol) Spence if I’m successful.
“I’m going to jump on the fact that I have length and reach on him. I have the height advantage. I can find a way to come in and attack the body first.
“Qhov no yog twv yuav raug hu cov biggest sib ntaus ntawm kuv ua hauj lwm. It’s an eliminator so I’m going for the win nyob rau hnub Saturday hmo ntuj.”
RAY ROBINSON
“At one point, I used to put a lot of pressure on myself because of my name. I put so much pressure on myself that I even think I lost a couple fights. I look up to Sugar Ray Robinson, but I’m here to put my own footprints in the sand.
“I have learned from every fight and gotten better every fight as a pro and as a person. I have a great team now and they have only added to my craft.
“I feel confident. I did all of the hard work in the gym with my team. This is the easy part. I can box with a blindfold on. That’s the one thing I know how to do – sib ntaus. Nyob rau hnub Saturday, all of my hard work is going to pay off.”
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