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CLASH OF TITANS! Lucian Bute vs. Eleider Alvarez Feb. 24 at Videotron Centre of Quebec City

December 13, 2016 FNU47 Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Lucian Bute

MONTRÉAL (December 12, 2016) – Group Yvon Michel (GYM) and Gestev are very happy to confirm the Clash of Titans mega-event as former International Boxing Federation (IBF) super middleweight world champion Lucian Bute (32-3-1, 25 KOs) will face World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver light heavyweight champion Eleider “Storm” Alvarez (20-0, 10 KOs), Friday, February 24, in a 12-round light heavyweight bout at Vidéotron Centre of Québec City.

This event is a presentation of Vidéotron, in association with Mise-O-Jeu.

Eleider Alvarez

Alvarez will put his WBC mandatory challenger position to champion Adonis“Superman” Stevenson (28-1, 23 KOs) in danger with an end of April date for this world title fight having already been reserved.

Bute has also set his goal to challenge Stevenson. The veteran southpaw plans to clearly demonstrate that he deserves another wotld title shot, taking on the No. 1 conternder in undefeated Alvarez. Whatever the final outcome, the winner will be the most popular and legitimate challenger for Stevenson, dramatically increasing interest and notoriety of a totally Québécois world championship showdown.

All the ingredients are gathered to heighten popular interest in this fight, which will prove to be one of the most significant in the history of Quebec.

It is a local confrontation between two athletes who chose Quebec as their adopted home, fully integrating in the loal culture and learning French, as well as where they’ve fought the vast majority of their bouts. The result of this major clash will also have enormous repercussions at the international level in the light heavyweight division.

In one corner is former world champion Bute, who has delivered many inspirational performances during his 13 world championship fights (10-2-1, 8 KOs) to become a great star and admired celebrity in Quebec.

The other corner finds unbeaten Alvarez, a world-class fighter for the past three years who has delivered his most brilliant performances abroad, albeit mostly in the shadows of other great stars of Quebec. The former Colombian Olympian wants to establish his true value after having prepared for Stevenson by fighting opponents for more than the past year. He will earn his highest purse, which is similar to what he would have received to fight Stevenson first.

“It is the fans of Quebec in their entirety who will first be delighted with this mega fight and I am convinced that there will be no losers,” GYM president Yvon Michel said. “Although it is difficult to predict the outcome of this confrontation, most likely this fight will be so interesting and close that, eventually the two could get, one after the other, a world championship fight against the powerful southpaw champion of Montreal, Adonis Stevenson.”

“It was important for us to have this fight at the Vidéotron Centre,” added Vice-President Shows & Creative Content of Québecor, Michel Granger. “The last time (the Stevenson-Williams fight) was a success and it will be the same on February 24.”

“The last six months have been tough for me,” Bute explained. “After the Washington situation was settled, I was happy to finally sit down and discuss my next fight. I accepted as soon as I was offered the fight. We’re talking about an undefeated guy ranked number 1 by the WBC. It’s quite a challenge. I tip my hat to Alvarez for putting his position in peril.

“I was expecting the winner of the unification title fight between James Dégale and Badou Jack, but I had no guarantees and I could not afford to wait. My goal is to fight again for a world championship, whether it’s at 168 or 175 pounds, and I did not want to just take a meaningless preparatory fight.

“After evaluating all the options, we came to the conclusion that we had to take this fight,” Alvarez’ head trainer Marc Ramsey remarked. “Of course, there are risks … but it’s worth it. Eleider has long awaited an opportunity to box against someone recognized in Quebec, and people have not yet seen his full potential. He was all smiles when he received the offer.”.

“When Marc called me into his office,” Alvarez commented, “I was wondering what was going on. Generally, when he calls me into his office, it’s not good news. He asked me to sit down and if I wanted to face Bute. I smiled and said, yes. He is the most popular boxer in Quebec, so my motivation will be different. I’m doing this for myself and my family. I want to be world champion and now it’s going through Lucian. I’ve been looking a long time for a big fight like this and for the first time I will be the headliner.”

Tickets went on sale today (Monday, Dec. 12) on the Websites of Vidéotron Centre, Evenko and on Ticketmaster.ca

ABOUT GROUPE YVON MICHEL (GYM):

Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) was founded in 2004 by Yvon Michel and his associates. The organization’s mission is the development of high-level boxers through coaching support and especially by competitive management. To achieve its objectives, GYM actively recruits talent and organizes events and it is associated with the popular series, “Premier Boxing Champions (PBC),” and has developed major Videotron partnerships with Loto Quebec, TVA Sports, Centre Videotron, Casino de Montreal and Lac Leamy, Tonik GroupImage and Lapointe Dental Centre, in addition to collaborating closely with Rixa Promotions.

boxing, Showtime Boxing

JAMES DEGALE DEFENDS SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE IN QUEBEC CITY THRILLER OVER HOMETOWN FAVORITE LUCIAN BUTE SATURDAY ON SHOWTIME®

December 1, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

Eleider Alvarez Earns Right To Face WBC Light Heavyweight Champion

Adonis Stevenson, Who Calls Out Sergey Kovalev For June Unification

Adrian Granados Shocks Undefeated Amir Imam On SHO EXTREME

Catch The Replay This Monday At 10 p.m. ET/PT On SHOWTIME EXTREME

Click HERE To Download Photos From Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME

QUEBEC CITY, Canada (Nov. 29, 2015) – James DeGale defended his IBF Super Middleweight World Championship in a thriller over hometown favorite and former champion Lucian Bute on Saturday in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.

It was the first title defense for DeGale, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist from Britain who went on the road to Boston to win the title earlier this year and chose to defend in hostile territory.

Bute, who was attempting to win back the IBF belt he defended nine times between 2007 and 2012, put on an inspired and gutsy performance in an electric atmosphere to open the new Videotron Centre in Quebec City. But the unbelievable pace, as well as an arsenal of overhand rights, body shots and combos from the younger DeGale (22-1, 14 KOs) proved to be the difference as DeGale prevailed 116-112, 117-111 (twice).

“I’m young and I’m fresh. I’m peaking right now,” DeGale said. “I’m ready for the best in the world. Credit to Bute – he’s a great champion and believe me, he will be back.”

“Like I’ve said in the past, he is a world-class fighter. I’ve still got things to work on in the next three or four years and I’m going to be my best.”

Bute (32-3, 25 KOs) didn’t look anything like the fighter that lost to Carl Froch in 2012. But while the 35-year-old stalked the switch-hitting DeGale with a relentless attack, he couldn’t do enough to overpower the supremely active Brit, who threw 524 power punches compared to 278 for Bute.

“I think it was a great fight. I did my best tonight,” Bute said. “I think it was a close fight. He’s an Olympic champion, he’s a world champion. If the judges give him the decision I respect that. I’ll be back in the gym to work hard and continue to fight. I think it was a very close fight. I’m happy with my performance and I’ll be back in the gym to get back in the ring one more time.

“The last three years were difficult for me. After I lost to Carl Froch that was a very difficult period for me. I took a break, and now I’m back. I feel great, I feel healthy and now I have one more chance to be back on the top.

“Maybe a few rounds I waited too much and didn’t put the punches together and I let James fight me. When I pushed pressure and pushed back I won the round.”

In the opening bout on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, Eleider Alvarez earned the right to face WBC Light Heavyweight World Champion Adonis Stevenson with a close majority decision over Isaac Chilemba, scored 114-114, 118-110, 115-113.

Alvarez, ranked No. 2 by the WBC at 175 pounds, started quick and pocketed rounds against the No. 1 ranked contender Chilemba. But Chilemba weathered the storm and fought his way back in the fight as Alvarez couldn’t keep up the pace he established in the earlier rounds.

Both fighters came out with a sense of urgency in the 12^th and deciding stanza and if Chilemba had won the final round the fight would have been ruled a draw.

“I knew I had to finish the later rounds strong, but I believe I did enough to win the fight,” Alvarez said. “I’m ready to accept the challenge and face Stevenson. To be the world champion, you have to beat the champion. So that’s what I aim to do.”

Chilemba argued that Alvarez, who fights out of nearby Montreal, was the beneficiary of a “hometown decision,” although the judge who ruled the fight a draw was a local and the other two were from neutral territories.

“I thought I did enough to win it,” Chilemba said. “But it is what it is. I guess you can call it a hometown decision.”

After the fight, SHOWTIME Sports host Brian Custer sat down with Stevenson to get his thoughts on Alvarez-Chilemba and his future.

“It was a close physical fight,” Stevenson said. “He (Alvarez) won this fight but it was very close.”

“We talk about Kovalev because the WBC still ranks him the No. 1 contender. I want this fight to happen. The fans want it to happen. I said June is perfect for me. He said ‘OK, June,’ Kathy Duva said ‘No problem, June.’ Then she said on HBO. I said, ‘Forget about the TVs, let them talk.’ We want the fight to happen. Let the TVs work together and make it happen.

“I want to fight Kovalev. That’s the best opportunity for me because I want his titles. For sure, this fight will happen in June. I don’t have a problem; my team doesn’t have a problem. I want this fight in June.

Kovalev is scared. I talked to him, saw it in his eyes that he’s scared of me. It will happen, but I know Kovalev is scared. I want Kovalev. I’m very hungry to get his titles.”

Adrian Granados survived a first-round knockdown to shock undefeated super lightweight prospect Amir Imam in the opening bout of SHOWTIME BOXING ON SHO EXTREME with an eighth round TKO (2:34).

It was a crushing defeat for Imam, who entered the fight as the No. 1 mandatory challenger to WBC Super Lightweight World Champion Viktor Postol.

Imam looked like he was going to finish the fight early after a nice left-right combo floored the Chicago native. But after escaping the first, Granados dictated the tempo of the fight, worked the inside and prevented Imam – considered one of boxing’s most talented young contenders – from establishing his jab. With Imam unable to keep the fight at a distance, Granados picked apart the Don King-promoted fighter. After seven rounds of punishment and Iman gasping for air against the ropes Granados finished his opponent with a series of devastating combo shots.

An elated Granados (15-3-2, 10 KOs), who has losses to fighters with a combined record of 49-0, pleaded his case to become the mandatory challenger.

“I believe I should be the mandatory challenger,” Granados said. “He was in line and I stopped him. What does that mean? Come on. I was the underdog, but I just came to take it. I came to take it.

“It feels great. Once I had him wobbled I was like, ‘you’ve got to get him now. This time you’re not taking it from me.’ It was a flash knockdown. He caught with the right hand, but I was alright. I just popped right up and I knew he was going to try and finish me. We got out of it and went right back to work.”

Despite the demoralizing loss, Imam (18-1, 15 KOs) doesn’t regret taking a fight that will likely knock him out of title contention.

“I know people might say I shouldn’t have taken this fight, but I needed this fight in between as a tune-up for my next fight because I didn’t want to wait for the six to eight months for the world title shot.

“The key to the fight was my jab, I just didn’t use it enough,” Imam said. “But that’s the way it goes and I’m going to definitely come back stronger. I wasn’t thinking anything after that first-round knockdown. I’ve done that many times and didn’t think the fight was over. I wasn’t surprised at all by the way he came out. I know how he fights. He’s a good fighter and that’s all there is to it.”

In the opening bout of SHOWTIME BOXING ON SHO EXTREME, undefeated heavyweight prospect Oscar Rivas (18-0, 13 KOs) knocked out veteran Joey Abell (31-9, 29 KOs) at :46 of the second round.

Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will re-air onMonday, Nov. 30 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME while the SHOWTIME BOXING ON SHO EXTREME will re-air on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Both telecasts will be available On Demand beginning this Sunday.

Mauro Ranallo called the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING action with Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and former world champion Paulie Malignaggi commentating and Jim Gray reporting. In Spanish, Alejandro Luna called the blow-by-blow with former world champion Raul Marquez serving as color commentator. Barry Tompkins called the SHOWTIME EXTREME action from ringside with boxing historian Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst.

The executive producer of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is David Dinkins Jr. with Bob Dunphy directing.

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AMIR IMAM VS. ADRIAN GRANADOS, OSCAR RIVAS SHOWTIME BOXING ON SHO EXTREME PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES & PHOTOS

November 27, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

SHOWTIME BOXING ON SHO EXTREME Live at 9 p.m. ET/PT

From Vidéotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada

Click HERE For Photos From Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME

QUEBEC CITY, Canada (Nov. 26, 2015) – Undefeated WBC No. 1 ranked super lightweight Amir Imam (18-0, 15 KOs) and Adrian Granados (16-4-2, 11 KOs) faced off on Thursday ahead of their 10-round bout on Saturday, Nov. 28, on SHOWTIME BOXING on SHO EXTREME.

The SHOWTIME BOXING on SHO EXTREME telecast begins live at 9 p.m. ET/PT from the Vidéotron Centre in Quebec City prior to that evening’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast. In the SHO EXTREME opener, undefeated heavyweight and former international amateur star Oscar Rivas (17-0, 12 KOs) will face Joey Abell (31-8, 29 KOs) in a 10-round bout.

IBF Super Middleweight World Champion James DeGale (21-1, 14 KOs) will defend his belt against former 168-pound champ Lucian Bute (32-2, 25 KOs) in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING live on SHOWTIME^®(11 p.m. ET/PT). In the co-feature, the WBC’s No. 1-ranked 175-pound fighterIsaac Chilemba (24-2-2, 10 KOs) will square off with No. 2-ranked Eleider Alvarez (18-0, 10 KOs) in a light heavyweight world title eliminator for the right to face WBC Champion Adonis Stevenson.

Here is what the SHO EXTREME participants had to say on Thursday:

AMIR IMAM

“I know I’m taking a risk by taking this fight but I’m going to take advantage of this. I really don’t need rest because I’m in the gym anyway. So let’s just get this fight out of the way and I’ll just wait for the world title fight.

“I don’t feel pressure. I know what I jumped into when I got into this professional boxing game, and I have a good team around me. We’re a tight circle and very strong, and when the opportunities come, I’ll be ready to take advantage of it.

“People are talking about me wanting to fight Errol Spence and getting revenge (on a past U.S. Olympic boxing trials loss). I don’t have revenge on my mind. I mean, we could definitely do it when I move up a weight class, but right now I’m focused on a 140-pound title shot. I want that title shot in early 2016 against (current WBC world champion) Viktor Postol.

“(Postol) is a good fighter and he got the title for a reason, but you can’t hide and run for too long and my time is coming next year. You get one defense and then it’s all me. It’s all Young Master.”

ADRIAN GRANADOS

“I would say this is the biggest fight of my career. It’s going to be a great fight and I’m looking forward to a great night.

“(Imam’s) got a lot of tools and he’s very talented. We’ll take it round by round and make adjustments as the fight goes.

“I’ve rebounded well. I’m not satisfied with the way my career has gone and had a lot of bad decisions and management problems. I wasn’t brought along like my opponent was. But it’s helped me grow some thick skin and attributes to why I’m here today.

“I’ve faced tough fighters before and it’s not the first time I’ve been the underdog. I will pull off this upset.

“I’m looking to shock the boxing world on Saturday night.”

OSCAR RIVAS

“My strength is my speed and the way I put pressure on my opponent. So I’m going after (Abell) and will put a lot of pressure on him until he falls.

“I’m so thrilled and elated to fight again on a big stage. I fought on ShoBox in my last fight and it was amazing. It’s so important for me to get seen so I can fulfill my dream and get into the top 10 in my division.

“This is the biggest fight of my career and the biggest opportunity I’ve ever had. I just want to make sure I grab it and look spectacular.”

STACY McKINLEY, Imam’s manager and trainer

“I can’t find anything we need to work on. Amir is strong and technically sound and he’s getting more experienced every time he fights. He’s a devastating puncher. He’s the full package and that’s very tough to find. They don’t come around too often.

“I’d like him to fight Adrien Broner next year. I’d like to fight all the guys and unify all the titles next year. Boxing is going to need a new superstar now that Floyd Mayweather is gone, and we’re not going to wait 15 years to make another one. I think Amir unifies all the titles at 140 and 147, then we’d have our new superstar within 36 months.

“He has to use his jab to win on Saturday. He’s got a beautiful jab, the best jab in boxing. And everything has to come right behind it.”

# # #

The event, billed as “THE RECLAMATION”, is a presentation of Vidéotron in collaboration with Mise-O-Jeu. Tickets are on sale at the Vidéotron Centre box office, on www.ticketmaster.ca, at GYM (514) 383-0666, at InterBox (450) 645-1077 or at Champion boxing club (514) 376-0980.

@butelucian, @jamesdegale1, @yvonmichelGYM, @interboxca,@stormalvarez, @SHOsports,

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JAMES DeGALE VS. LUCIAN BUTE, ELEIDER ALVAREZ VS. ISAAC CHILEMBA MAIN EVENT PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES & PHOTOS

November 26, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

“They think it’s going to be a boxing match, but it will be a destruction.

It will be explosive. Three rounds – place your bets. Trust me.”

– James DeGale

“I have the power to knock him out and the skills to box him.

I’m just ready to become world champion again.”

– Lucian Bute

Click HERE For Photos From Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® This Saturday, Nov. 28,

Live On SHOWTIME^® at 11 p.m. ET/PT

From Vidéotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada

SHOWTIME BOXING ON SHO EXTREME Live at 9 p.m. ET/PT

QUEBEC CITY, Canada (Nov. 25, 2015) – Boldly predicting at least a sixth-round finish against hometown favorite Lucian Bute, a confident James DeGale held his IBF Super Middleweight World Championship belt high over his head during the main event press conference in advance of Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event.

“Gonna be six rounds, but it may be three,” DeGale repeated over and over as the fighters concluded their final shots for a packed room of media members on Wednesday at the Le Bonne Entente Hotel. DeGale (21-1, 14 KOs), from London, England, defends against the popular former 168-pound world champion Bute (32-2, 25 KOs), of Montreal, this Saturday from the Vidéotron Centre in Quebec City, live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT.

Also participating in the press conference were the two top ranked light heavyweights facing off in the co-feature. WBC’s No. 1-ranked 175-pound fighterIsaac Chilemba (24-2-2, 10 KOs), of Montreal, meets unbeaten, No. 2-rankedEleider Alvarez (18-0, 10 KOs), of Johannesburg, South Africa, in a light heavyweight world title eliminator. The winner earns the right to become the mandatory challenger for WBC Light Heavyweight World Champion Adonis Stevenson, who is expected to be in attendance on Saturday night.

NOTE: A new opponent was announced on Wednesday for heavyweight Oscar Rivas (17-0, 12 KOs), of Montreal. Joey Abell (31-8, 29 KOs), of Champlin, Minn., will square off with the undefeated heavyweight in the 10-round opening bout of SHOWTIME BOXING on SHO EXTREME.

Here is what the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING participants had to say on Wednesday:

JAMES DeGALE

“It’s on – fight time is finally here. I feel like a beast.

“They think it’s going to be a boxing match, but it will be a destruction. It will be explosive. Three rounds – place your bets. Trust me.

“I fought the best super middleweight southpaw out there in Andre Dirrell and look what I did to him. Once he feels my power that will be it. I’m going to start fast and throw loads of punches.

“I watched him against Carl Froch, watched him against (Librado) Andrade. He’s great in the center of the ring, but I’m not going to stand there. It won’t be a chess match. I’ll start fast and we’ll see how he takes it.

“Carl exposed him and I’ll finish him. But I don’t care about Carl Froch – he’s old. I’m the new champion. If he wants this belt, he’ll have to come get it.

“I’m an old school fighter – I don’t mind travelling to fight in my opponents’ hometown.

“He was a great champion who has fought some great fighters so I should get kudos when I beat him.”

LUCIAN BUTE

“It’s a great opportunity to fight for my old belt in front of my hometown fans. I think they’ll push me toward the victory. I’m looking forward to becoming world champion again.

“I think he’s the best super middleweight in the world right now, but I’m very confident in myself.

“I had a great camp. I’m just ready to become world champion again.

“I’m healthy, I feel great physically. I have the power to knock him out and the skills to box him.

“Now I have a chance to take back my belt against another English fighter.”

JIM McDONNELL, DeGale’s Trainer

“I’ve tried to come back and do what Lucian has done and it’s not easy. Tune in on Saturday night because what I’ve got is special, and you’ll enjoy what you see.

“It’s tough to win your world title back. I respect Lucian for trying, but James is a world class fighter. He’s ready for everything.”

HOWARD GRANT, Bute’s Trainer

“We did everything we had to do. Lucian is 100 percent prepared to surprise everyone on Saturday. Lucian knows what wearing that belt is all about – he wore it for about five years and he’s coming on Saturday to take it back to where it belongs.”

ELEIDER ALVAREZ

“This is my chance right now. I’m hungry and I’ve done everything I had to do to have the best camp possible for this fight. I’m facing a very intelligent boxer who is technically excellent. But I’ve always said that if I don’t face the best, then I will stay an ordinary boxer. So I must face the best, to be the best.

“When I wake up on Sunday morning, I’m going to be the mandatory challenger for the title.”

ISAAC CHILEMBA

“I had a great camp in Burbank, Calif., training there for six or seven weeks. I believe I should have a shot at Stevenson, and if this is what it takes to get there I will do whatever possible to make it happen. I’m up for the challenge.

“I’m fighting a good fighter and he’s undefeated for a reason. But I’m here to prove that I’m the best light heavyweight in the world. I will put on a good show on Saturday night and everyone will see.

“I have a lot of trials in my life, but I think that’s what makes me stronger and has made me what I am today. I don’t look back on what has happened and I appreciate what life has given me.

“He is a great fighter and I know it won’t be an easy fight. But I’ve put in the work and I’m ready.”

MARC RAMSAY, Alvarez’s Trainer

“This is the major leagues right now. These two are the best light heavyweights in the world. I’ve had the chance to work with Isaac because he has sparred in Montreal with Artur Beterbiev for two weeks. So I know him well. He’s a very complete and complex boxer. But I full trust my fighter to win this fight. It’s his chance.”

BUDDY McGIRT, Chilemba’s Trainer

“I just want to say it’s great to be a part of this event. Mr. DeGale is the champion and he’s coming to Mr. Bute’s country to fight him. That’s what boxing needs. It needs more fights like this to keep it on the rise.

“As far as our fight goes with Mr. Alvarez, I believe that besides (Sergey) Kovalev, these two are the best light heavyweights in the world. And I think they should be fighting for the title and not an eliminator to see who fights the champion.”

# # #

@butelucian, @jamesdegale1, @yvonmichelGYM, @interboxca,@stormalvarez, @SHOsports,

boxing, Showtime Boxing

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION DEFENDS AGAINST FORMER TITLEHOLDER LUCIAN BUTE SATURDAY, NOV. 28, LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

November 19, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

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Photo Credit: Frank Coppi/Matchroom Boxing

LONDON (Nov. 16, 2015) – Two days before he departs for Canada, IBF Super Middleweight World Champion James “Chunky” DeGale (21-1, 14 KOs) held an open media workout at the Stonebridge Boxing Club in London as he nears completion of a 10-plus week training camp for his title defense against former world champion and Canadian fan favorite, Lucian Bute (32-2, 25 KOs), of Montreal, on Saturday, Nov. 28, live on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT) from the Vidéotron Centre of Quebec City.

The event billed as “THE RECLAMATION” is a presentation of Vidéotron in collaboration with Mise-O-Jeu.

Here’s what DeGale had to say on Monday:

JAMES DEGALE:

“I think I am the best super middleweight out there right now. There are hard fights in the division. Badou Jack is a good fighter, but I think I beat him and beat him well if I stay switched on for the full 12 rounds.

“Arthur Abraham is still a tough customer and hopefully Martin Murray can do the business. I think he will beat him, although it’s hard to win in Germany.

“I want to prove I am the best, I will go anywhere to do it and that’s why I am defending my title in Canada. All the world champions in Britain have great rivals on the doorstep, so it’s a really exciting time domestically as well for boxing in Britain right now – but I firmly believe I beat everyone in this division.

“I like boxing away from home – maybe it’s time I started being called ‘the road warrior’. I won my world title in Boston and now I am defending it in Canada against a classy opponent in Lucian Bute. I know it’s going to be a hard fight but I am ready for that. My sparring has been great, I am hitting great times on the track, I feel strong in the gym and I am just looking forward to it.

“Nothing changes under Jim McDonnell – it’s all about hard work, long runs up Hampstead Heath, 15 round sparring sessions, five minute rounds in the gym – I’m always in great shape. We haven’t changed anything really. If anything, we’ve had to just adjust the mindset and train like a challenger even though I am the champion. That’s the way you have to think.

“I feel fresh, sharp and ready. I travel on Wednesday and I am raring to go. I just can’t wait to get in there now. I wanted to get out there a good 10 days early to acclimate to the weather and the time. Once I am there, I feel even more switched on.”

# # #

In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® Nov. 28 co-feature, undefeated Eleider Alvarez (18-0, 10 KOs) meets Isaac Chilemba (24-2-2, 10 KOs) in a 12-round WBC Light Heavyweight Title Eliminatorn. The winner becomes the mandatory challenger to WBC 175-pound champion Adonis “Superman” Stevenson.

Preceding the SHOWTIME telecast will be fights on SHOWTIME EXTREME(9 p.m. ET/PT): Undefeated, world-ranked Amir Imam (18-0, 15 KOs) facesAdrian Granados (14-3-2, 9 KOs) in a 10-round super lightweight match, unbeaten Oscar Rivas (17-0, 12 KOs) collides with Curtis Harper (12-4, 8 KOs) in a 10-round heavyweight scrap and, time permitting, Custio Clayton(4-0, 3 KOs) will be opposed by Ivan Pereyra (19-5, 13 KOs) in a four-/six-round welterweight bout.

Tickets are on sale at the Vidéotron Centre box office, onwww.ticketmaster.ca, at GYM (514) 383-0666, at InterBox (450) 645-1077 or at Champion boxing club (514) 376-0980.

@butelucian, @jamesdegale1, @yvonmichelGYM, @interboxca,@stormalvarez, @SHOsports,

boxing, Showtime Boxing

UNDEFEATED WBC NO. 1 CONTENDER AMIR IMAM TO FACE ADRIAN GRANADOS ON SATURDAY, NOV. 28, ON SHOWTIME EXTREME®

November 13, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

SHOWTIME BOXING ON SHO EXTREME^® (9 p.m. ET/PT)

Amir Imam vs. Adrian Granados – 10 Round Super Lightweight Bout

Oscar Rivas vs. Curtis Harper – 10 Round Heavyweight Bout

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® LIVE ON SHOWTIME^®(11 p.m. ET/PT)

James DeGale vs. Lucian Bute – IBF Super Middleweight World Championship

Eleider Alvarez vs. Isaac Chilemba – WBC Light Heavyweight Title Eliminator

NEW YORK (Nov. 10, 2015) –WBC No. 1 ranked super lightweight Amir Imam (18-0, 15 KOs) returns to face Adrian Granados (14-4-2, 11 KOs) in a 10-round bout on Saturday, Nov. 28 on SHOWTIME BOXING on SHO EXTREME.

The undefeated Imam is the mandatory challenger to WBC 140-pound champion Viktor Postol, who won the vacant title with a 10^th round TKO of Lucas Matthysse in October.

The SHOWTIME BOXING on SHO EXTREME telecast begins live at 9 p.m. ET/PT from the Vidéotron Centre in Quebec City prior to that evening’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast. In the SHO EXTREME opener, undefeated heavyweight and former international star Oscar Rivas (17-0, 12 KOs) will face Curtis Harper (12-4, 8 KOs) in a 10-round bout.

IBF Super Middleweight World Champion James DeGale (21-1, 14 KOs) will defend his belt against former 168-pound champ Lucian Bute(32-2, 25 KOs) in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® live on SHOWTIME^® (11 p.m. ET/PT).

In the co-feature, the WBC’s No. 1-ranked 175-pound fighter Isaac Chilemba (24-2-2, 10 KOs) will square off with No. 2-ranked Eleider Alvarez (18-0, 10 KOs) in a light heavyweight world title eliminator. The winner earns the right to become the mandatory challenger for WBC Light Heavyweight World Champion Adonis Stevenson.

The event, billed as “THE RECLAMATION”, is a presentation of Vidéotron in collaboration with Mise-O-Jeu.

One of boxing’s fastest-rising contenders, the 25-year-old Imam has knocked out 15 of his 18 professional opponents since turning pro in 2011. The Albany, N.Y., native is coming off a fourth-round knockout of former world title challenger Fernando Angulo on July 18 on SHOWTIME.

The 26-year-old Granados, of Chicago, has won three fights in a row since a close, split decision loss to undefeated welterweight prospectBrad Solomon on the undercard of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao PPV last May 2 in Las Vegas. Granados’ only other defeat since 2011 was a majority decision loss to then-undefeated Felix Diazin 2014. Granados, who holds a draw against former welterweight world champion Kermit Cintron, will move back down to 140 pounds for his bout with Imam.

The Montreal-based Rivas represented Colombia in the 2008 Olympic Games. The 28-year-old is coming off a three-knockdown, first-round TKO of Jason Pettaway on July 26 in his U.S. debut on ShoBox: The New Generation. Rivas returns to the province of Quebec, site of 16 of his 17 bouts, against the 27-year-old Harper, who is 5-1 in his last six fights.

Harper, of Jacksonville, Fla., is coming off a close decision loss to long-time heavyweight contender Chris Arreola on March 13. Harper was knocked down in the first round against Arreola but rallied in an entertaining slugfest.

Tickets are on sale at the Vidéotron Centre box office, onwww.ticketmaster.ca, at GYM (514) 383-0666, at InterBox (450) 645-1077 or at Champion boxing club (514) 376-0980.

@butelucian, @jamesdegale1, @yvonmichelGYM, @interboxca,@stormalvarez, @SHOsports,

boxing, Showtime Boxing

JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR. DEFEATS MARCOS REYESSATURDAY AT DON HASKINS CENTER IN EL PASO, TEXAS ON SHOWTIME®

July 20, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

McJoe Arroyo Wins IBF Junior Bantamweight World Championship & Amir Imam Earns Shot At 140-Pound Title On SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^®

Watch The Replay Monday At 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME

EL PASO, TEXAS (July 18, 2015) – Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. earned a unanimous decision (97-92, 98-91, 96-93) over Marcos Reyes in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on Saturday in front of 9,245 at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas.

Reyes was the more active fighter – he doubled Chavez’s output – but simply couldn’t hurt his larger opponent. Following a loss at light heavyweight last April, Chavez decided to attempt to campaign at super middleweight.

Chavez (49-2-1, 32 KOs), who was fighting for the first time with trainer Robert Garcia, seemed to be able to land his power shots at will, however he would pick his spots and had long bouts of inactivity. Although he was working with a new trainer, Chavez continued to bulldoze forward and fought a very similar fight as he did against Andrezj Fonfara in April, this time against a smaller opponent.

“I won. This is big for me and Robert,” Chavez said. “I can do it better, but I won and that is the important thing. I’m going to fight at 168 pounds. Little by little, I’m going to get down in weight. We know we’re doing much better work in the gym.

“In the third round I hurt my left hand. I think it’s broken, I don’t know. I’ll see the doctor. With all respect to Reyes, if I hadn’t hurt my hand I would have knocked him out.

“I connected on the best punches to the chin and the body. I hurt him, but I couldn’t finish him because I hurt my hand. He threw a lot of punches but missed a lot. He never hurt me. I felt I hurt him every time I landed.”

After the fight, Reyes (33-3, 24 KOs) preached his case to SHOWTIME reporter Jim Gray and pointed out the weight disparity.

“I feel I won the fight. I showed him how I box,” Reyes said. “I made the weight at 168 and he didn’t make weight. He’s like a light heavyweight fighting a middleweight.

“I was against all odds – the referee, the weight, everything. I think I won the fight. It’s OK – I did my best.”

In the co-feature, McJoe Arroyo won a technical decision over Arthur Villanueva to win the vacant IBF Junior Bantamweight World Championship after the bout was stopped at 2:10 in the 10^th round due to a deep gash over Villanueva’s right eye. The fight went to the judges’ scorecards and Villanueva was ahead 97-92, 98-91 after the judges scored the 10^th.

The Puerto Rican Arroyo (17-0, 8 KOs) became the third fighter from the island to win a 115-pound title.

The lefty-righty matchup was at times highly technical and foul-filled. Referee Rafael Ramos deducted a point against Villanueva (27-1, 14 KOs) for leading with his head in the sixth. In a different clash in the sixth, a deep gash opened up over the right eye of Villanueva that ultimately led to the stoppage. Ramos ruled that the clash that opened the cut was unintentional.

Dr. Brian August inspected the cut midway through the seventh round and again after the eighth. Ramos again signaled for August to inspect the cut in the 10^th and ruled that it was too deep to continue. In an interview with Jim Gray, August stated that he stopped the fight in the best interest of the fighter but that Villanueva claimed he was having no sight issues.

“When he was entering, he was entering low. He was clashing heads a lot,” Arroyo said. “Before the fight, I knew he was a tough fighter. All Philippine fighters come to fight. I knew I had to be ready for 12 rounds, boxing or brawling. It was a competitive fight but we just worked harder every round.”

When asked by Gray if it was hard to find his rhythm, Arroyo responded, “That’s a normal thing when a southpaw fights a right hander. We were both trying to be slick and smart. That happens when two boxers with the same style fight.”

Villanueva disagreed with the stoppage and called for an immediate rematch.

“It was a rough fight and very tough for me after the headbutt,” Villanueva said. “I thought I won the fight. I didn’t want them to stop the fight because it was just getting into the flow. I’m disappointed with the stoppage. I know I can beat him and I want an immediate rematch.”

In the opening bout of the evening, undefeated 140-pound contender knocked out Fernando Angulo with a thundering right to earn a mandatory shot at the winner of the scheduled fall showdown between Viktor Postol and Lucas Matthysse for the vacant WBC Super Lightweight World Championship.

It appeared to be a difficult fight for Imam (18-0, 15 KOs), but he was always in control and supremely accurate, landing 54 percent of his power punches compared to just 17 for Angulo (28-10, 16 KOs). Imam ended the bout in brilliant fashion with a powerful right to Angulo’s ear, forcing his opponent to fall face-forward to the canvas and the referee to instantly stop the contest at :56.

“I take my hat off. He’s a good opponent,” Imam said. “I just hit him with a big shot on his ear and he was done.

“These guys get the belts and just hold it. I’m going to get the belt and hold it with pride.”

Said Imam promoter and Hall of Famer Don King, “It was an excellent performance – just what I expected and more. You should never underestimate but pontificate when it comes to the ‘Young Master.’ We will take the belts and anyone that comes in front of us.”

boxing, Premier Boxing Champions, Showtime Boxing

PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON CBS & SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES & PHOTOS

July 17, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

Premier Boxing Champions on CBS: Saturday, July 18

at 4 p.m. ET/1p.m. PT

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^®: Saturday, July 18

at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

Click HERE For Photos From Esther Lin/SHOWTIME

Click HERE For Lucas Noonan/Premier Boxing Champions

EL PASO, Texas (July 16, 2015) – Fighters competing on the huge Premier Boxing Champions on CBS and SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING cards held an open to the public final press conference Thursday before they enter the ring this Saturday, July 18 at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas.

The evening event on SHOWTIME^® features Mexican superstar Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (48-2-1, 32 KOs) returning to the ring to face Marco Reyes (33-2, 24 KOs). In the co-main event, Puerto Rican Olympian McJoe Arroyo (16-0, 8 KOs) takes on Arthur Villanueva (27-0, 14 KOs) of the Philippines for the IBF Junior Bantamweight World Championship. Televised coverage begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT with undefeated 140-pound contender Amir “Young Master” Imam (17-0, 14 KOs) meeting former world title challenger Fernando “La Fiera” Angulo (29-9, 16 KOs) in a world title eliminator.

The afternoon’s PBC on CBS event is headlined by undefeated Irish superstar Carl Frampton (20-0, 14 KOs) taking on Alejandro “Cobrita” Gonzalez Jr. (25-1-2, 15 KOs). Televised coverage begins at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT with a heavyweight showdown between Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola (36-4, 31 KOs) and “Big” Fred Kassi, (18-3-0, 10 KOs).

Tickets for the evening event, which is promoted by Chavez Promotions, in association with TGB Promotions and Warriors Boxing, are priced at $200, $100, $75, $50 and $25 are on sale now. Tickets for the afternoon event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions in association with Warriors Boxing and Cyclone Promotions, are priced at $50 or $25 for general admission and are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the University Ticket Center at (915) 747-5234. Tickets are also available at www.ticketmaster.com.

Fans purchasing tickets for the evening session will also be provided a ticket in the same section for the afternoon card.

Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday:

JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR.

“I know I have a tough opponent in front of me. I’m ready. I’ve prepared very well with Robert Garcia. He has a great trainer too in Nacho Beristain.

“I’ve recovered well from my last fight. I had too much time away from boxing before. On Saturday everyone will see me at my best.

“When two Mexican fighters take the ring, there’s going to be a lot of action. You don’t want to miss any of this one.”

MARCO REYES

“I have a great deal of admiration and respect for Julio Sr. and Julio Jr.

“There is something magical that happens when two Mexican fighters step in the ring. I am very determined and ready to put on amazing performance.

“I will leave my all in the ring against Chavez Jr.”

MCJOE ARROYO

‘”This is the biggest shot I’ve had and I’m going to give it my all. This fight is very important to me.

“This is going to be a great fight. I promise that I’m going to leave everything in the ring on Saturday night.”

ARTHUR VILLANUEVA

“This is my first time on this big stage. I’ve fought all over the world and I just want to thank everybody for this great opportunity.

“I promise that I will give the best I have and a great fight this Saturday night.”

AMIR IMAM

“When I get the belt, I will hold it with pride with the name of “Young Master.

“I’m coming to put on a show and do damage. This is my title shot right here. I am not thinking of anything past this fight.”

CARL FRAMPTON

“El Paso is a big boxing city and people here love their boxing.
“I know that Gonzalez Jr. has a height and reach advantage on me. I think he’s going to try to keep it long. He’s young, hungry and from a good pedigree, I’m expecting a good fight.

“If I can perform at my best I should be able to get rid of this guy. I want to be explosive and that’s not disrespect to my opponent.

“There really isn’t anything different I did to prepare for this fight. We must get close to him. I brought in sparring partners similar to the stature of my opponent.

“If you want to create a legacy in boxing you must come to the United States. It’s important for me to come here, the time was right.

“There’s a few names I would like to fight next, possibly Scott Quigg, Abner Mares and Gary Russell.

“I’m can go forward, move back, stay in the pocket and most importantly I just do whatever it takes to win.

“I have an exciting style and the Mexican-American fans will appreciate it. They love an all-action style and I’m going to show them that I have a crowd-pleasing style.

“Everyone has been very friendly since I arrived in America. I’ve met many approachable and nice people. The weather is very different from back home so I’ve gotten to do some sunbathing in between training sessions, which is nice.”

ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ JR.

“I love being in the underdog role because every time I’ve been in the underdog role I’ve come out with the victory. I not only win, but I get the knockout. I love everything being against me.

“Having my dad as a former world champion can be hard. There can be a lot of pressure from my dad to be better than him. But he always has my back and is in my ear. I got a lot of experience from my dad.

“Frampton is a very intelligent fighter who hits hard. He’s too aggressive sometimes because in boxing you have to be more intelligent and try not to get hit. He’s a very good fighter; there’s a reason he is a champion though.

“In every fight you have to give it everything you have, no matter who you’re in there against. You have to leave it all in the ring and that’s what I do.

“I can box, but I’m Mexican so I like aggression too. It’s going to be a war. I want that title and I know he’s not just going to give it to me. I have to go get it.”

CHRIS ARREOLA

“I’m honored to be fighting for the first time in El Paso in front of these terrific boxing fans.

“I love fighting and I’m thrilled that fans all over the country can watch this fight on CBS Saturday afternoon.

“Fred Kassi is coming to win, this is a big opportunity for him, but I plan on putting on a show and being victorious on Saturday.

“Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. was a hero to me when I started fighting and it’s a thrill to know that he will be watching my fight in person.

“I want the green belt, it’s the one I’ve always wanted. After Kassi I want to fight Deontay Wilder and become a champion.”

FRED KASSI

“I thank Chris for this opportunity; it’s great to be fighting on this big day of boxing in the presence of Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.

“Chris is a hard-hitting heavyweight and I have a lot of respect for him but come Saturday I will have my hand raised.”

ROBERT GARCIA, Chavez Jr. Trainer

“There’s not much left to say. We had a great training camp. Everyone on the team has done what they had to do.

“Julio followed the instructions all camp and we’re ready to give the fans a great fight.”

JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ SR., Chavez Jr.’s Father

“I was ready to talk trash, but after Nacho was so kind I will follow in his footsteps.

“There is something special when two Mexicans step into the ring. I can promise my son is ready and I can promise a great fight.”

NACHO BERISTAIN, Reyes’ Trainer

“I have nothing but respect for Chavez and his team. I’ve known them for many years. I will not speak badly of them. I know on Saturday everyone is going to get a great fight on a massive platform on SHOWTIME with two Mexicans going toe-to-toe in the ring.”

BARRY MCGUIGAN, Frampton’s Manager

“I didn’t even know Frampton was from Belfast when I signed him. Once I learned more about him I thought that this was meant to be, his background is so similar to mine.

“The more I saw from Frampton the more I saw that he could really compete at the highest level of this sport.

“I’ve invested six years into Carl and it’s been the most enjoyable and gratifying experience of my life. Shane has developed into an incredible boxing coach and I’m hugely proud of him.”

SHANE MCGUIGAN, Frampton’s Trainer

“I used to box with Carl as an amateur and when my dad (Barry) used to ask me who I thought would be the best pro on the Irish team I’d say, ‘it’s Carl Frampton, he’s got world class style.’

“Five years ago my dad asked me to hold the pads for Carl a couple of times and it just gelled. Here we are today. We work really well together and I feel I found my forte as a coach.

“Gonzalez is no pushover but I don’t think he’s on Carl’s level. I think Carl is going to knock him out in an exciting fight. This is about making a statement. Next thing you know we’ll have the massive super fights coming.”

ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ, Gonzalez’s Father & Former World Champion

“The words other people say about this fight, they are only words. The fight is going to be Saturday and everyone is going to see what happens.

“My son is very prepared and he’s going to win. We’ve done everything right in camp. It’s my son’s time and he’s coming to win.

“They got the wrong opponent for Frampton. My son is a very strong fighter and everyone will see on Saturday.

“I love Mexico and this fight is going to be for Mexico.”

# # #

For more information visit www.sports.sho.com, www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @SHOSports, @jccchavez1, @RealCFrampton, @WarriorsBoxingProm, @TGBPromotions and @Swanson_Comm and follow the conversation using #ChavezReyes and #FramptonGonzalez become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.Facebook.com/WarriorsBoxingPromo or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog http://shosportspoundforpound.tumblr.com/.

boxing, CBS Boxing, Showtime Boxing

PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON CBS & SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®FIGHTER WORKOUT QUOTES & PHOTOS

July 16, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

Premier Boxing Champions on CBS: Saturday, July 18 at 4 p.m. ET/1p.m. PT

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^®: Saturday, July 18 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

Click HERE For Photos From Esther Lin/SHOWTIME

EL PASO, TEXAS (July 15, 2015) – Fight week kicked off with media workouts at the Redstar and Castro Chiropractor Center in El Paso Wednesday for the huge day of boxing on Saturday, July 18 as Premier Boxing Champions on CBS and SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING bring a full day and night of action to the Don Haskins Center.

The evening event on SHOWTIME^® features Mexican superstar Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (48-2-1, 32 KOs) returning to the ring to face Marcos Reyes (33-2, 24 KOs). In the evening’s co-main event, Puerto Rican Olympian McJoe Arroyo (16-0, 8 KOs) takes onArthur Villanueva (27-0, 14 KOs) of the Philippines for the IBF Junior Bantamweight World Championship. Televised coverage begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT with undefeated 140-pound contender Amir “Young Master” Imam (17-0, 14 KOs) taking on veteran former world title challenger Fernando “La Fiera” Angulo (29-9, 16 KOs) in a world title eliminator.

Fans purchasing tickets for the evening session will also be provided a ticket in the same section for the afternoon card.

Here’s what the fighters and their trainers had to say on Wednesday:

JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR.

“I am trying to get back to the level I once was at. I spent a lot of time out of the ring with non-boxing issues, but now I feel fully focused in the ring.
“I feel more comfortable in the ring and I feel like I have the right tools to win this fight on Saturday.
“Each fight you must prove something, you need to win and put on a good show. I think the fans will see a great fight on Saturday between two Mexican fighters. When I fight I try to do my best in the ring.
“I think 168 is a good weight class for me. Going into my last fight I had an extended period of time off and I didn’t know how my body would respond.
“I will have two more fights this year, but I can’t look past this Saturday. I respect my opponent, because all my opponents are looking to beat me.
“Training with Robert Garcia has been great. I have a great connection with him because he knows how fighters are feeling in the ring.
“I am working more on my jab, I have changed a little bit of my style under Robert Garcia.”

MARCOS REYES

“Training camp has been the best it has ever been and I am in great shape to win this fight.

“I am so excited for this opportunity to fight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. I have been counting down the days.

“I am not sure how it will end, but I know that I want the knockout. But, I have the preparation for 10 rounds so I just know I am going to win.

“I have the best trainer in my corner [Nacho Beristain]. He’s trained the best for many years. This is no mistake that we are training together and there is no room for mistakes on Saturday.

“He’s a great fighter. He doesn’t need to imitate Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., but he’s always trying to do it. He has skills, but as a boxer he keeps making the same mistakes imitating his dad. And that’s why he hasn’t done what he’s capable of in boxing.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen Saturday. They only thing I can tell you is that I’m ready to win and I will win on Saturday.”

CARL FRAMPTON

“I’m very excited. Fighting for the first time in the United States on CBS, this is an incredible opportunity for me to get great exposure.
“His dad was a great champion, a great fighter. I respect both Gonzalez Jr. and his father.
“It’s just levels really, and I am at a better level than Alejandro Gonzalez Jr. He’s a good fighter, I’m giving him credit. He will come to fight and make it interesting, but I have all the tools to beat him.
“He will try to keep it long, most of my opponents do. I can punch very hard and when I hit people they tend to go backwards.

“From the start he will try to keep it a long fight, but it’s up to me to use tactics that will work. We have plan A and plan B, but we think plan A will work.”

ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ JR.

“My career was going excellent until I made a mistake and took a fight that I shouldn’t have. My team was telling me no and I took the fight anyway which led to my first and only loss. They say ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,’ and I truly believe that.

“They call Carl Frampton a superstar in the UK. He has a world championship. I’m a contender.

“When I become champion, I will have a following, especially when I beat Carl Frampton.

“Everyone has a different style. I’m an intelligent fighter. I’m a Mexican that just takes punches. I can take care of myself. I’m 23-years-old and ready to fight a good fight against a good opponent.

“I have to take advantage of this opportunity. It is a great opportunity for me and I can’t wait to fight on Saturday afternoon.

“There are weaknesses in Carl Frampton’s game, but I can’t tell you in case he hears my plan.

“Its easy to see a fighter and tell them they should have done this or that. It is different when you’re in the ring. I always prepare 100 percent. I prepare for 12 rounds.

“I’ve only fought outside of Mexico one time and it was here in El Paso. I knocked my opponent out and I’m looking forward to repeating that performance.

“There’s a ton of fighters in my weight class and I’m the one that got this opportunity.”

AMIR IMAM

“Boxing forces you to be strong. It takes a lot to get in that ring.

“This fight is dedicated to Jake LaMotta. It is his birthday and a lot of people would get belts and not take them seriously, but he held belts with pride. I never met him, but I’m dedicating this fight to him.

“The goal is to fight for and win a world title.

“I’m a boxer-puncher. Every fight you learn something.

“Angulo is a veteran. He’s a good fighter. He’s been in title fights and fought some names. I’m prepared for a great fight.”

CHRIS ARREOLA

“The main thing is to give the fans a great show. I am going to go for that title. I’m working and grinding.

“Training camp has been going very well. I have been in camp for six weeks. The main thing about this fight is my boxing performance. My weight is what it is, this is me.

“I may not have the six-pack, but I will have the punch to knock somebody out.

“I am committed to boxing. I love boxing, and this training camp has been good for me.

“I would be a fool to say that it doesn’t cross my mind to fight again for the title. At the end of the day, Saturday is much more important than a title shot.

“I want my opponent out of that ring as soon as possible.”

ROBERT GARCIA, Chavez Jr.’s Trainer

“I can’t say I have noticed anything different because I haven’t been in his previous camps. All I can say is that he has showed me something that I didn’t expect.

“All I heard from the fans and the media was the way he conducted his training camps, but I was surprised. I got nothing but good results. He showed up to the gym every day and did everything he was supposed to do.
“He has sparred just around 100 rounds, that’s more than he has done in any other training camp. The training camp was much easier than I expected.
“I’m training Julio not just to beat Marcos Reyes, but I’m training Julio to get him better for three or four fights from now to look at something real big.
“This is the biggest opportunity in Reyes’ career, so we must be ready for him. He also has a great trainer in Nacho Beristain, who may be the best trainer ever, so we must be ready for that too.
“Right after Julio’s loss to [Andrzej] Fonfara, he got right back in the gym to prepare for this fight. He wants to fight on Saturday and then have two more fights before the end of the year. I think this is exactly what Julio needs, to stay active. The fighters that fight just once or twice a year lose their rhythm.”

JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ SR.

“Julio Jr. is in very good shape. He’s had a very good training camp with Robert Garcia and I’m very happy with him as a trainer.

“This fight is a must-win fight for my son. He cannot lose. It will hurt his career very much to lose again.”

BARRY MCGUIGAN

“Carl is looking sensational. He’s looking better every time he trains. He’s maturing. You don’t get guys who mature when they’ve won the title. They normally mature as a fighter working their way up, but he’s relatively inexperienced.

“He’s only had 20 fights, but he had an extensive amateur career. He’s a very talented guy. Chronologically, he’s 28, but physiologically he’s more like in his early twenties.

“He’s hugely excited about his U.S. debut and today’s turnout has only amped that up. We know we’re up against a difficult kid.

“We think he’ll be more difficult than his last mandatory defense against Chris Avalos. We think he’ll be cuter than Avalos and fight more defensively. Carl is going to have to go get him. The bottom line here is we have to make an impression.

“He has to be exciting and make an impact and then we’ll come back again St. Patrick’s Day and try to get the winner of Santa Cruz and Mares.”

NACHO BERISTAIN, REYES’ TRAINER

“This will be my third fight training Marcos Reyes. The other two times I trained him, Marcos won by knockout.

“Although he performed well in those two fights, I can see a big difference in Marcos. He is entirely focused on boxing and is much more mature. His mind is completely on his opponent and that’s what will make the difference on Saturday.

“Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is trying very hard to become just like his father and gain the same amount of fame that his father received. The only thing I can tell you is that Julio Cesar Chavez is the greatest fighter in Mexican history; he is phenomenal and made his name working very hard.”

# # #

boxing, CBS Boxing, Premier Boxing Champions, Showtime Boxing

PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON CBS & SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT

July 14, 2015 FNU47 Leave a comment

Lisa Milner

Thank you operator. Thank you everybody for joining us. We’re going to get to the fighters for this huge, huge day of boxing next Saturday, July 18. I did want to first turn the call over to Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports who can get into the details of the fights and the first fighter we will have speaking immediately after Stephen is Chris Arreola. But Stephen please kick it off.

Stephen Espinoza

Thanks very much Lisa. As Lisa said, it is a huge weekend of boxing coming up on CBS and SHOWTIME. First on Friday night we’ve got a stellar SHOBox card featuring six undefeated boxers in action.

Then on Sunday we have a unique day/night double header, which as far as we have found is unprecedented. It’s CBS and SHOWTIME teaming up to televise a total of five fights, including two world title fights and a title eliminator, all coming from the Don Haskins Center in my hometown, El Paso, Texas.

So the SHOWTIME family is very happy about these events, as are all the rabid boxing fans that are in the El Paso area. At 1:00 p.m. PT/4:00 ET on CBS we have the always exciting heavyweight star Chris Arreola as well as the U.S. debut of super bantamweight world champion Carl Frampton.

Shortly you’ll hear from both Chris and Carl as well as Carl’s promoter Barry McGuigan. Interesting note about Barry McGuigan, obviously a Hall of Famer in his own right. Barry McGuigan appeared in one of the first televised bouts ever on SHOWTIME back in 1986 against Steve Cruz. Unfortunately he didn’t win that night, but he was one of the very first televised events on SHOWTIME. It’s a pleasure to have him back.

Then in the evening portion of the telecast on SHOWTIME, 7:00 p.m. PT/10:00 p.m. ET we have what is now a three fight card. Happy to announce that we’ve added a third fight to the card, the very exciting Amir Imam will be taking on Fernando Angulo in a super lightweight title eliminator.

Then we are also excited to have a super flyweight world championship McJoe Arroyo, the exciting Puerto Rican star, against Arthur Villanueva. Of course the headliner is a battle of two very exciting Mexican fighters Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. and Marcos Reyes.

So all in all, it could be a very historic day. It’s certainly unprecedented as far as we know in in this sport. Now I’m going to turn back over to Lisa.

L. Milner

Okay great. Thanks so much and we’re just going to go straight ahead and introduce Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola. Chris could you please make an opening statement just about training camp and then we will open it up for questions?

Chris Arreoloa

Well I’m over here in Riverside training. I’ve been out here for the past seven weeks working hard, grinding every day, getting ready for this big fight in El Paso. You know El Paso is a big fight town and I’m looking forward to exhibiting my boxing skills and showing everybody that I’ve still got it and I’m still a force to be reckoned with and I’m going for the title run again.

Just talk a little bit about this next fight and your opponent. What do you know about him? And what are the keys for you?

C. Arreola

I know that he’s a very slick fighter, a very slick boxer, a boxer that switches a lot, switches from left to righty, depending on the kind of options that you offer them. And the thing that I’m going to need to do is use a lot of my angles and give him a different view because he’s a very skilled fighter and I want to take him out as soon as I can because they don’t pay me overtime. And the El Paso fans deserve a good outing from me.

I know you’ve had a couple of title shots in your career, Chris, and I know there’s been some talk of you getting another title shot in September. What’s your focus right now? What’s your mentality like?

C. Arreola

My focus right now, it’s the 18th. That’s my one and only focus because without that win, there is no title shot. You’re only as good as your last win, and that’s the way I feel. So all the talk is just talk. It doesn’t mean anything until I win this fight. Then we can really talk about it. So first things first is the 18th. I want to make sure that I put on a good fight because Fred is a good fighter and when I beat him I want to beat him in a fashion that people want to see me fight Wilder, not just have it given to me.

I want to deserve that title fight. I want people to want to see that fight. So that’s my main goal of this fight, to showcase my skills and show everybody that I deserve another title shot.

Chris is there an ideal weight for you to fight at and what do you plan to come in, tip the scales at on fight night?

C. Arreola

My main goal – first and foremost my main thing is being in boxing shape. My weight doesn’t reflect my training. The main thing is I want to be a good boxing weight and great boxing weight in order for me to go the full ten rounds, in order for me to throw 80 to 100 punches around. That is my main goal is to showcase my boxing skills.

As far as boxing weight, if I had an optimal weight, it would be in the mid-240s, like 44, 45, at the lowest maybe 42, but for this fight I’m thinking I’m going to come in in the high 40s, — 47, 48. But the main thing is El Paso fans are going to see a good boxing weight and a great boxing fight from myself.

How do you use your size advantage? How do you use your size advantage against an opponent, particularly on this fight coming up? How will you use that advantage you have?

C. Arreola

Well as far as my weight advantage, it’s more you’ve got to impose your will. You’ve got to impose your will as far as pushing him back. Pushing him back is smart with the jab and making sure I keep him in his heels because I don’t want him being on his toes because he’s very good on his toes.

So the main thing I have to do is impose my will, moving my head, working behind the jab, and pushing it back to the ropes. Once I push his back to the ropes, it’s trying to work his body from the body to the head. We love working the body.

That’s what I’m going to plan to do, is make sure that he knows that he’s in a fight, make sure that he understands that every time I touch him I don’t touch him to touch him, I touch him to hurt him.

What does it mean to fight on network television, which everybody gets?

C. Arreola

Honestly it’s a privilege and an honor to be fighting on national network TV where everyone gets it. It’s different to hear of regular person – a person that doesn’t even know boxing – know some boxers. Like I’ve been hit up by a guy like, “Hey do you know Keith Thurman?”

They never watched a boxing fight in their life. But the fact that now it’s on NBC, CBS, and all the three networks, people are able to watch boxers and showcase their skills. That’s one thing that I’m so happy and honored to do is that it’s not just a casual boxing fans but it’s anyone. Anyone could watch me fight, and that’s pretty dope. That’s really an honor and just drives me to want to display my skills a lot more, knowing that there’s going to be a wider audience watching me.

Chris. I was just wondering what you thought of Wilder’s performance against Molina and were you surprised that Molina was able to give him the trouble that he did considering what you did to him in your fight?

C. Arreola

To be honest with you, when I watched that fight I didn’t think it was going to last two, three rounds. Personally I think that Wilder carried him. First I think Wilder wanted to get himself rounds. I don’t think that Wilder was really trying to take him out until he actually pushed on the gas.

Sometimes trying to showcase you get caught and he got caught a couple times with some stupid shots that he should never have been caught with. That’s why I never want to go rounds. I don’t care who it is. I want to get him out of there as soon as I can because all it takes is one punch to get knocked out.

I honestly believe that Wilder was just showcasing. I believe that Wilder was just carrying him to fight. I take nothing out of that fight. I take no honor in me taking Molina out quicker than him.

Does it encourage you if you were able to get the opportunity to fight him?

C. Arreola

It didn’t encourage me. It didn’t make me feel any better, any different. What I got to see more off of him is when he fought Stiverne. Now that fight was a good fight. That fight is a fight that I see a lot out of Wilder and a lot of mistakes, a lot of good and a lot of bad in Wilder.

As far as him fighting Molina, did it encourage me? Man, honestly, I don’t fear anybody. I love fighting. I want to fight him just because I want to fight him, especially now since he has a title. And do I believe I could fight him? Yes and I believe that he hasn’t been in the ring with someone like me, someone that really doesn’t give a crap.

You know, I really don’t care about myself. I really care about winning the fight. I’m willing to put my life on the life because I want to win a fight. Now the time that I cried when my trainer stopped me, I didn’t cry because he said I quit or anything. I didn’t quit. I cried because of my pride. I’m a prideful man. I have too much fight for myself. And to quit, that’s horrible.

L. Milner

Thank you so much. If you give just one quick closing comment and then we’ll move on to Carl Frampton.

C. Arreola

Okay, well I’m really looking forward to July 18 to showcase my skills in front of the whole United States to watch showcase boxing. I’m happy that we’re up here and I can’t wait to showcase my skills in El Paso, Texas which I know has been hungry for big fights. See you on the 18th.

L. Milner

Perfect, thank you. Okay now I am delighted to introduce Carl Frampton and his Hall of Famer manager Barry McGuigan. We also have Alejandro on the line. But before we have him make an opening statement I did want Carl and Barry to say a few words.

Carl Frampton

I’m just looking forward to the fight. I think it’s going to be a good fight. Kind of reiterating what Chris just said there now, it’s giving me a chance to showcase my talents on CBS, terrestrial TV in the U.S., also terrestrial television in the U.K. on ITV. So I’m really looking forward to a good fight.

Barry McGuigan

Just to reiterate that point, as a manager and a former world champion myself, my name was sort of written in stone 30 years ago because I appeared on terrestrial TV. It’s been that way for a long time, and I think what PBC is doing – it’s great for us to be associated with the go-to guy at the moment in boxing.

To get terrestrial television fans interested in boxing, casual boxing fans, not just the aficionados but people who are genuinely of a casual interest in boxing but the ones who will watch big fights. I think it’s great not just for Carl Frampton but great for all the fighters on the bill and great for boxing in general.

So we’re thrilled to be here. We’re already in El Paso. Carl is expecting a tough fight from Alejandro, and we’re very much looking forward to it.

L. Milner

Okay, wonderful. We actually also have Alejandro Gonzalez, Jr. on the line. Alejandro could you make an opening comment just about how training camp’s going and preparing for Carl?

Alejandro Gonzalez

Well, we’re preparing 100% because we’re going to fight a great champion so we need to be 100% ready with the preparations.

Your name is not relatively known to the casual American boxing fan and in this fight you’re going to get massive exposure to American boxing time basically. What does that mean to you?

C. Frampton

That means a lot, that’s something me and my time have discussed, I’m pretty well known in the UK and Ireland but in the United States, unless you’re a diehard boxing fan you won’t know who Carl Frampton is.

So this is giving me the chance for a lot of exposure on terrestrial television. It’s a big deal. I think boxing has kind of been depraved. It’s a sport for the working class and the working class people are not getting to see it because it’s been hidden away on satellite channels for so long.

So this is great for me, well not only for me for boxing and also for our pretty new promotional team Cyclone promotions to have one of their fighters showcased on both sides of the Atlantic.

What was the main reason that you decided to jump on board with Al Haymon and make a trip over to the United States?

Carl Frampton

Well we discussed it with our team and it was a pretty easy decision to be honest. I think the exposure that we can get with Al Haymon is absolutely massive and huge.

Even more so than that he’s got a lot of the top fighters around the super bantamweight division all these names that I want to fight, you know, Leo Santa Cruz, Abner Mares, Gary Russell those sort of fighters that he’s got that Al Haymon controls.

So without linking up with him it would have been pretty hard to make them fights. So it was a pretty easy decision. We are very grateful for the opportunity here.

As I said before to the answer previously it’s giving me a chance for massive exposure here and that’s really the big thing, exposure both sides of the Atlantic.

B. McGuigan

If I could add to that, there isn’t any bigger than Al Haymon at the moment. If you want to get into the American market and the reality is Carl is a superstar in Britain and in Europe and in Ireland and the reality is when your career is dead and buried all they remember is the stuff you’ve done in the United States.

So it’s a very important decision for us to come over here and try and be impressive and trying to make a name for ourselves.

How much of that went into your decision to come over here and expand the market and be able to touch on those big fights against Leo Santa Cruz, Gary Russell or even Abner Mares if he can upset Leo in August.

B. McGuigan

Here’s the thing, here’s the thing again there are at the last count 27 million people of Irish descent in America I think that’s on the East Coast actually. So we want to get into that market.

It’s a great market, we need to get as many people on our side as possible and we have great respect for Alejandro and his dad. He’s got a great Mexican boxing heritage and obviously that’s the fight that we’re looking at and concentrating on at the moment.

But it would be foolish certainly of me not to look ahead and plan ahead and think about what are the super fights out there for us and that is against Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares, Gary Russell and I believe Frampton can to go 130 as well and be successful there.

But one stage at a time and we’re not taking our eyes off the ball on the 18th. It’s a very tough fight for us, Alejandro is a great fighter.

C. Frampton

I just agree 100% on everything that Barry said. If you want to do anything in America at the minute the way boxing is going Al Haymon is the man to link up with and we’ve done that.

I’m very pleased with doing that. Me and the team are all very pleased and we think that things are just really going to kick off. But again it’s one fight at a time.

I’m not looking past Alejandro. I leave it to my manager Barry and the rest of the team to think ahead but for me I just think about the fighter in front of me and that’s Alejandro .

He’s the only guy I’ve been thinking about for the last 14 week training camp and that’s the way it will remain until the fight.

I’m just wondering what your thoughts are on adopting fighting on the East Coast, beginning to draw in some of those new American Irish boxing fans who may not be familiar with you yet?

C. Frampton

That’s where we want to be, we want to be on the East Coast. We want to be fighting around the East Coast, New York, Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, those sort of places, Boston potentially as well.

I’m hoping that there is already talk about my next fight I’m not too sure where it will be but good chance my next fight could be in the UK and Ireland again somewhere.

Then we’d be looking to go to New York or the east coast. I think that’s where my American fan base will be, mainly on the East Coast.

I think they’ll appreciate the way I fight. It’s all well and good me winning fights but I think what the Americans and boxing fans want to see is exciting fighters and I think that I’ve got an exciting style to please them.

So East Coast is where we want to be. I think El Paso was the only matinee show that we could link up with British TV Time. So it’s setting pretty in the UK at the minute, it’s being shown at around 10:00 pm out of the UK.

That’s why we had to go to El Paso but, you know, I’m very happy for this chance to fight here but of course I want to fight on the East Coast.

B. McGuigan

Can I also add to that, what we see and Carl wants to do what GGG has done. We want to get the Mexicans fans on our site too and obviously the fight against Alejandro on the 18th of July is a fight that we, that Carl must win, he must win impressively. We hope that we will garner some support from the Mexican fans too and that they will appreciate Carl’s style.

What’s it like working with Barry and what kind of things have you learned from him during your time together?

C. Frampton

Well it’s great. I’ve been with Barry since six years ago. Originally at the start I had done a lot of training with Barry and he’s the best for me and taking me through training sessions.

I lived in his house while I trained in England, the South of England. I have a very good relationship with Barry and the rest of his family. His son is now training me at the minute and he kind of took the reins.

Barry is in the gym most days. He comes and watches me spar and he’s been there and done it, he’s done it all and to be getting advice every day of someone who has done that it’s obviously great and very beneficial to me.

I’m 28 years old I’m not the youngest guy in the world but I still feel like I’m learning all the time. I still feel like I’m getting better and I just try and soak as much information up as I can.

Barry can you bring to him I guess in terms of advice in the say of what to look for as he moves forward in his career?

B. McGuigan

I think Carl Frampton is one of the best Irish fighters that there’s ever been and that’s a bold statement and he’s 28 years old, he’s chronologically 28 but physiologically he’s only a young man because of the way he fights, the way his style is.

He doesn’t take a lot of punishment and he can box going back, going forward and I think he’s got a great style of fighting. I think the Americans are going to love him and the 18th of July is the fight where we make our first impression and I believe it’s going to be a big impression.

We’re expecting a tough fight but I really believe that Carl has both the personality, the fighting style and the charisma to make it work over here and, I believe we’re on the threshold of something very big.

Barry does it bring back a lot of memories for you seeing Carl.

B. McGuigan

The next best thing to actually fighting yourself is being involved with young men and developing talent and as you come along through your career and I’m sure the same is with Alejandro ‘s dad.

Being involved with kids and developing them, especially if they are your own child and often Carl feels like he is part of the family. He’s been involved so long and he’s a really talented kid. He’s very dedicated and it’s great to see him make progress.

For me vicariously I love and appreciate all of the things that he’s doing and making the progress he’s making and turning into the fighter that I always believed he could.

What do you see as being the potential for you fighting either or both Guillermo Rigondeaux and Scot Quigg?

C. Frampton

Look, I would like to fight them all. I think the situation with Quigg is he’s outpricing himself on a fight. He thinks he’s worth more than what he is. I was always told by my mother growing up never to sell myself short so I’m not going to sell myself short to Scott Quigg or Eddie Hearn.

I think the Rigondeaux fight is a great possibility. There’s rumors that he may be linking up with Al Haymon and if he does link up with Al Haymon then of course the fight would be easier to make. I believe I could win.

You look at Rigondeaux and I completely admire what he does and his fighting style, but I think I’m the only man in the Super Bantamweight division that can beat him. I’m ready to take that fight whenever it comes.

How long do you see yourself sticking around at 122?

C. Frampton

Well I can stay here as long as possible. I think I could probably, if I wanted to be, I could be a career super bantamweight. I find it that I’m making the weight division a little bit easier with each camp.

But I’m a big super bantamweight. I think Alejandro is maybe a few inches taller than me. He’s about five foot seven area. I’m about five foot five.

I’m strong. I’m very, very solid. I’m quite a super bantamweight. But if I wanted I could just stay here for the rest of my career. But I think it’s some sort of legacy and it’s important to move up the weight divisions. I think I would be very dangerous as well.

B. McGuigan

Very simple situation with Scott Quigg. Scott Quigg has got the regular title. Scott Quigg has never headlined to show, although he’s a champion and I really respect the guy. He thinks I don’t, but I do. I just want to set the record straight in America too. He’s a decent fighter, no question about it.

He never has fought the level of opposition Carl has fought. The real champion is Guillermo Rigondeaux. Scott Quigg doesn’t merit 50% of the purse. Carl has won all his title fights. He’s taken risks. He’s buying out arenas. He’s been a headline act; all of the things that Quigg has not done. Quigg has got the WBA regular title. The real champion is Guillermo Rigondeaux.

When Hearn took it upon himself to go and ask, he went behind our backs and asked if the fight could be sanctioned as a unification fight. He was told no because the real champion is Guillermo Rigondeaux.

So with that in mind, we don’t want the regular title. We’re not interested in the regular title. We’re interested in the fight, but not in that title.

We are of course interested in Guillermo Rigondeaux’s Super world title. That’s a different story. But the fact is, if we’re going to Manchester, we’re putting Carl’s credibility on the line and we’re going into his home first.

When you come into this fight with a voluntary defense, the guy gets as much as the champion wants to pay him. Or even in the mandatory position, it’s still a 75/25% situation. So we said we’d star at 70/30 but the least we would take would be 60/40, and they wouldn’t play ball. It’s as simple as that.

So the fight doesn’t matter and therefore we now have a situation where we can fight a number of these great guys, provided Carl gets back and gets past Alejandro on the 18th of July.

How much of an adjustment is it going to be for you not being in that arena full of the big supporting crowd for you?

C. Frampton

I think it will be absolutely fine. I’ve boxed all over the world as an amateur. I’ve boxed away from home a lot of the time. I’ve been in very, very hostile environments in Turkey. I remember Turkey being extremely hostile for some reason and I went out there and beat three Turks three years in a row.

Have you noticed any difference around since that fight on ITV?

C. Frampton

I get recognized a lot, but obviously back home in Belfast it’s very good, and especially around a fight. It’s hard to kind of go anywhere without someone coming and asking for a photograph or even just to shake your hand, which I don’t mind at all. I enjoy it and I enjoy people’s company and I enjoy chatting to him.

In London since the last fight it has got a little bit better. Well better or worse; whatever you want to call it. People are approaching me a little bit more. But I can still go fairly unrecognizable in London.

It’s all about the change. We’re fighting here on CBS here. I’m fighting on ITV at prime time – a prime time slot. We don’t have any other big shows to go up against. The last time I fought it was pretty late on ITV much of the day and stuff was on at the same time.

So they took a lot of viewing figures we’re expecting to do about a million viewers here, and obviously when you do that, more people are going to recognize you in the street.

Did you get any feedback from ITV?

C. Frampton

I think they were over the moon with it and that’s why this came back and they’re showing another. You know if they weren’t happy with it they wouldn’t have put me back on again. That’s the bottom line.

So ITV were very happy. They were very happy with their viewing figures and they want to continue a relationship with us and that continues with the fight on the 18th against Alejandro.

L. Milner

Okay, great. We’re actually going to take one question for Alejandro and then we have to move on to Julio Cesar Chavez. So can we please have this question for Alejandro and then we will turn it over.

Alejandro you’ve fought before at the Sun Bowl on the Julio Cesar Chavez undercard. Are you looking to upset Carl Frampton this way here and shock the world?

A. Gonzalez

Yes, this is going to be my second time fighting on Chavez’s undercard, but I’m very happy to fight a great fighter. But my dad told me, if you want to be best you have to fight the best. So that’s what I think that Carl Frampton is one of the best of the bantamweight champs.

Are you looking forward to fighting in front of a huge Mexican-American crow in El Paso?

A. Gonzalez

Yes, of course. In El Paso there’s a lot of Mexican people. Like I just said, Chavez is going to be in that fight and he’s a Mexican. So he has a lot of crowd. I have a lot of crowd and it’s going to be a great fight and a lot of people and a lot of Mexican and American people in the fight.

L. Milner

We do have Julio Cesar Chavez on the line so we’re going to jump over to the SHOWTIME

Julio Cesar Chavez

I’m very happy that we are close to the fight. I have five weeks with (Robert) and I prepared 100% for the fight. I feel ready to fight.

Julio, you’re always an honest person. You’ve always been very sincere about everything. And my question to you is, whether the biggest enemy of your career has been Julio Cesar Chavez, himself?

J. Cesar Chavez

I haven’t been 100% all the time, but my career has had lots of accomplishments. I was the first Mexican to win the Middleweight World Champion. I’ve been a World Champion. I’ve defended my belt. In addition to that I’ve beaten really great fighters. And I have a record of 48 and 2. And so it’s not fair to say that I haven’t accomplished a lot and haven’t been prepared all the time. But this is a great challenge.

Do you feel you owe the public a great performance?

J. Cesar Chavez

Obviously I have to win this fight. I have to be great.

I took on a challenge that was tough. I fought somebody who was 175 pounds. I fought somebody after two years of being inactive.

There were a lot of things going on in my career including the legal problems that I was going through at the same that I was trying to get ready for a fight. It was a tough challenge.

Even though it was a defeat for me I feel like I was a better fighter than him. But he was more prepared. I think that those were the factors. I plan to win this next fight.

L. Milner

Okay we actually have Marcos Reyes on the line before okay our next question I just want to let him say a few words about training camp.

Marco Reyes

Well I’ve been Mexico City for six weeks right now in camp with Nacho Beristain, my trainer right now. A number of you have been excited for that fight July 18 which I’m going to face with Julio Chavez and I’m going to be in great shape for it.

Nacho Beristain says that Julio changing trainers is not the issue, that it’s a personal and a mental issue and that’s the problem. Do you have a response?

J. Cesar Chavez

Robert Garcia is a great trainer. He has respect for a lot of people. He’s a respected trainer. I don’t understand what Nacho Beristain’s problem is.

He has in the past criticized me and he’s also criticized other people. In his career he goes around criticizing people. But, the facts are different.

I’m is first Mexican middleweight champion. I’ve only had two defeats. One was number two pound fighter which is Martinez. And I knocked him down, almost knocked him out, almost finished the right.

My second was against a natural 175 pounder who was ranked number four in the world who’s a very top level fighter.

So on July 18 I plan to show Nacho Beristain and everybody else that I’m one of the greatest fighters.

Julio have you ever thought about losing again since you lost again what would happen in your career with another defeat?

J. Cesar Chavez

I’m not planning on losing. I’m planning on winning. When I fight at my weight I can beat anybody. There’s nobody in boxing who can beat me when I fight at my weight.

I feel right now that I’m at the best. I feel this is the best part of my career. And on July 18 I’m going to win.

If I lost this fight then it would make me think about retiring because this is not the type of rival that should beat me. The type of rivals that I fought are much better and tougher than this rival.

What big name are you thirsty for?

J. Cesar Chavez

Well firstly I respect my opponent a lot. All opponent are dangerous because Reyes, he’s a tough guy.

I have big plans for the division, I will fight anyone out there.

But now I focus on Reyes. After that it’s whatever opponent comes. I’m ready for whatever name

I fight for the people and if the people want a big name I will fight anyone

L. Milner

Okay. Julio could you just close out today as you wrap up training camp and head into fight week in El Paso?

J. Cesar Chavez

I feel ready to show the people a great fight. I’m ready to show the people my great fighting and I hope they enjoy the fights. Because two Mexican fighters in the ring every time makes a great fight.

I want to send a big hug to all of the people in El Paso. I hope that they come out and support both fighters. This is going to be a great fight between two Mexican fighters.

But obviously I intend on winning this fight. And most importantly I plan on giving the fans a great fight on July 18.

For more information visit www.sports.sho.com, www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @SHOSports, @jccchavez1, @RealCFrampton, @WarriorsBoxingProm, @TGBPromotions and @Swanson_Comm and follow the conversation using #ChavezReyes and #FramptonGonzalez become a fan on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.Facebook.com/WarriorsBoxingPromo or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog http://shosportspoundforpound.tumblr.com/.

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