Photo courtesy of Timothy Hernandez. For more photos click HERE Upland, California (Jen 9, 2016) – It has been roughly five weeks since WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion Dominic “Pwoblèm” BREAZEALE (17-0, 15 KO nan) was notified that he would be facing newly crowned IBF world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (16-0, 16 KO nan). Nan tan sa a, Breazeale has been continuing to train diligently with world renowned trainer Manny Robles in preparation for his upcoming IBF world heavyweight title challenge. The heavyweight challenger from Alhambra, California and his trainer from East Los Angeles took some time out of Breazeale’s busy schedule to answer some questions about his training camp and the bout with Anthony Joshua on June 25th. When you first found out that you were selected as Joshua’s opponent, what were your initial thoughts? “When I received a call from my advisor Al Haymon and he told me the good news, I was excited. I immediately told my wife and then notified my team that we got the fight. I knew I was one of three possible opponents and I was happy that I got it. Ever since 2008 when I started getting into boxing, it was a dream of mine to be the world heavyweight champion. Eight years later, I’m here.” Back on May 4th, you traveled to London for the press conference to announce the fight. There was clearly a heated discussion between you and Joshua. What happened? “Oke, prior to going into the press conference, we took some photos outside of the building. Then we had the stare down. I guess he didn’t like that when he looked away, I kept staring at him. Se konsa,, since he was in front of the cameras, he started acting tough.” “I just let him know that he was in for a dog fight. I’m not going to back down and he clearly saw that. I’m not coming for a check; I’m coming for that title and bringing it back to the United States where it belongs.” How is training camp going? “Training camp has been going really well. I was actually in camp before the fight was announced so I am in great shape. My coaches Manny Robles and Edgar Jasso have a great fight plan for me and we are working hard in the gym. I have great sparring partners and they are helping me as well.” “My stable mates are also pushing me to train as hard as I can. I’m getting better every day and I couldn’t ask for anything more.” Coach Manny: how are things going in training camp? “Everything is going as expected. This camp is far beyond better than the last camp. Dominic will tell that this is beyond his best camp ever. Ou konnen, in his past camps he knew there was a routine every day. The last two camps, he expects something different every day. The variation of training keeps him focused and motivated and he is doing very well. I’m seeing overall improvements, from his ring generalship to his defense and footwork, putting punches together along with his balance and his jab.” “I see improvement in every aspect of his game and he is becoming a better overall boxer. We are working to win. We are working hard in the gym and that is where the fights are won. Our sparring is going really well as is the training. Strength and conditioning coach Darryl Hudson is doing a phenomenal job with Dominic and the results are showing. We’re coming to win.” Dominic: How does it feel to be going back to London fighting for a world title? “Li santi l gwo. I couldn’t have written the script any better. This is unfinished business. Retounen nan 2012, I earned a spot on the Olympic team after just a year and half of boxing as a competitive amateur. But everyone knows that the amateur ranks are nothing like the professional ranks. So far in my professional career, I have learned to impose my will on my opponents and that’s why I’m fighting Joshua for the world title. I’m looking forward to going back to London to finish what I didn’t four years ago.” What are your thoughts on the current state of the heavyweight division? “The heavyweight division is ripe for the pickings. You have an out of shape fighter like Tyson Fury who now holds two titles after getting a decision over Wladimir Klitchko, who clearly had an off night. I believe Klitchko will KO Fury and Fury retires.” “Then you have the controversy between Deontay Wilder and Alexander Povetkin. I was really looking forward to that bout. I sparred with Povetkin in Russia a few years ago and I know what he is capable of. I have a lot of respect for Deontay Wilder and it’s too bad that fight didn’t happen.” What are your expectations for how the bout with Anthony Joshua plays out? “I’m coming to London to win, klè ak senp. I’m going to pressure Joshua and just keep punching. He is going to think that he is fighting two or three Dominic “Pwoblèm” Breazeale’s and I expect to knock him out in the 6th or 7th round. Tankou June 25th, I will have a place in history as the new IBF world heavyweight champion.” Do you have anything is closing? “I want to take the time to offer my condolences to the Ali family. We lost a true legend and the greatest of all time. There will never be another man of his figure. Mr. Ali always inspired me to not only be the best in the ring, but the best human being possible. The world has lost a great man. My fight will be the first heavyweight bout since his passing and I intend to make him happy.” “Isit la vini pwoblèm“ #

Joshua and Breazeale Engage in Heated Exchanges

Jen 25 Event Marks Joshua’s Initial Title Defense & Premye goumen
Of Exclusive U.S. Television Agreement With SHOWTIME Sports^®

PHOTO DOWNLINK: HERE; Kredi: Matchroom Sport

JOSHUA KO HIGHLIGHT VIDEO: http://s.sho.com/1q11DOF

LONDON (Me 4, 2016) – Undefeated IBF Heavyweight World Champion Anthony Joshua and unbeaten American challenger Dominic BREAZEALE had an intense face-to-face meeting on Wednesday before a contingent of major sports media outlets in London to formally announce their Jen 25 konfwontasyon. The two were joined by SHOWTIME Sports Executive Vice President & Manadjè Jeneral Stephen Espinoza and Matchroom Sports President Eddie Hearn, as the executives announced Joshua’s new exclusive U.S. television deal. All four participants later took part on a teleconference with U.S. medya.

Highlights from today’s press conference at Hilton London Syon Park and teleconference are below.

Jozye (16-0, 16 Ko) will make the first defense of his heavyweight title against Los Angeles’ Breazeale (17-0, 15 Ko) live on SHOWTIME at the sold-out The O2 arena in London. The heavyweight showdown is the first of a multi-fight licensing agreement for Showtime Networks Inc., to be the exclusive U.S. television partner of Joshua, nan 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist from London.

Before the press conference, Breazeale and Joshua had to be separated. Breazeale approached Joshua and was asked if there was a problem. “I don’t know, brother, I’ve just come here to get the belt,” Breazeale said. "Sou Jen 25, you’ve got a problem. You’re a bad man because you’ve got a belt now.

“This is not acting, it’s heavyweight boxing. You can act all big and bad in front of all these cameras and your promoters, but in the end you’ve got to put a mouthpiece in your mouth and gloves on your hands.”

Joshua then told Breazeale if he had a problem, they could “settle it man to man.”

Here’s what Joshua and Breazeale had to say from the podium on Wednesday in London:

Anthony Jozye:

“There are a lot of positive things happening in boxing and a lot amazing things happening in my career at the moment. But I know enough to realize that this is a dangerous sport and you are only as good as your last fight. I fought and lost in the amateurs, and I know how quickly this can all change. It’s my job now to prepare myself properly and to keep this momentum rolling.

“Dominic and I are equals in many ways. He came up around the same time I did, through the Olympic Games and all. Koulye a,, with this U.S. TV deal with SHOWTIME and the deal with Sky Sports, Dominic Breazeale gets a chance to announce himself on the UK scene. And I have the chance to do the same in the U.S.”

“I’ll never overlook, never drop the ball. As far as I’m concerned, Se mwen menm ki pèrdan la. I know every day of training camp and every hour of every day, where I am in my preparations leading up to a fight. We have less than seven weeks to go and we will be ready.”

Dominic BREAZEALE:

“I am not here looking to see the final round. I’m not here to look at the judges’ scorecards. I am here to knock Anthony Joshua out. Period.

“I am very excited. I wish this fight was this weekend.”

When asked if he expected to fare better than his counterpart, Charles Martin.

“We are two totally different fighters. Anthony Joshua knows he is now getting in there with a beast. He knows he is in for a dog fight. He’s going to hit me and I am going to hit him. And whoever’s will breaks first will lose this fight.

“Charles Martin wasn’t prepared. He dropped the ball. He fought the wrong fight at the wrong time. He had just won the belt, was excited about that, and he took the wrong fight. I haven’t made that mistake. I won’t make that mistake.”

Here’s what the principals had to say during Wednesday’s teleconference with U.S. repòtè:

STEPHEN Espinoza, SHOWTIME SPORTS Executive Vice President

“UK boxing is on fire right now. There are more UK champions than any other country right now and at SHOWTIME we pride ourselves on bringing our viewers the best fights and the best boxers on the planet, whether they be American, British or from any other country. It is no surprise that our desire, our quest to seek out the most talented and most exciting boxers on the planet, has led us to Eddie’s doorstep and to this deal with Anthony Joshua. We have been discussing this for quite some time. Eddie is a great advocate and ultimately Anthony’s performances have spoken for themselves.

“We had originally intended to put Anthony on SHOWTIME two fights ago but the logistics just didn’t work out, so we were fortunate enough to make his U.S. TV debut with the title fight against Charles Martin and now we’ve done a deal in which we’ve hopefully laid a foundation for hosting Anthony on SHOWTIME for the remainder of his career.

“It was bold of them for entrusting this portion of their career to SHOWTIME. There’s a wealth of good fights in the heavyweight division and most importantly of all, Eddie and Anthony are willing to take all of them.

“I’m not the biggest fan of multi-fight deals but when you have a promoter and a boxer who have committed to taking the best fights available, big or small, nan U.S la. or the UK and anywhere else, it brings a lot of comfort to the network in doing those types of deals. From that perspective it was a no-brainer. We’re thrilled to have them.”

Anthony Jozye:

On coming to American and making statement:

“It’s a great opportunity to be on SHOWTIME because when I look back at my amateurs, I think that’s why I’ve had such a good career in Great Britain so far. It’s because people have been out to follow me since I was an amateur fighter. SHOWTIME worked with me on my first defense and now I get to build with the Americans. I’ve got friends out there and we’re going to build to a wider audience. If we can keep on building and growing organically, by the time I come out there it will be unbelievable. Just like I’m at home.”

On who he thinks will be his biggest challenge:

“I would have to say, Klitschko or Wilder. Klitschko because of the experience and Wilder because he’s the heavyweight champion of the world who’s defended his belt on multiple occasions. So I have to give him credit as the strong force of the division right now because he’s the only other champion who has defended his belt. As far as Klitschko, he’s won the belt and defended it time and time again. Those two are the main names I’m looking at.”

On how his life has changed since becoming a heavyweight champ:

“I’ve had no time. It has been three weeks since the belt was won and I know it was nice for my family. They all had a great time and my mom is telling everyone. So it’s nice to see her enjoy the fruits of labor, but for me, we got straight to organizing the next project, which is why we’re here now.

“You’re not a real deal until you fight in the states, so I thought there was a plan. Eddie has been doing a great job in the background while I’ve been in the gym and they (Hearn and SHOWTIME) pulled something together that is unprecedented, historical. Se konsa,, credit to the guys that put it together while we’re in the gym putting in the work. At first I was surprised because I didn’t understand the capacity of it, but now I’m looking forward to seeing how we build up things in America.”

On how it is being written about and talked about by credible boxing writers that he is the next big thing in boxing:

“I think that’s why it is important to stay fighting and in the gym. If you spend too long out of the gym then one event turns to two events; turns into the club after the event; turns into all of these expectations and promises, glitz and glamour get to you and I like to keep things (in place). I’ve got an unbelievable family, I’ve got friends around me that count as my family. I’ve got really good people that see me as the same Anthony that was a kid with them running around in the streets. The belt is a great achievement but I feel that why I’ve been so calm is that I think the sky is the limit, what we’re achieving so early on.

“I think I am capable of doing great things if I stay locked away in the gym and I think that is what is so important. To keep on improving time after time. I’ve got a long career ahead of me so I can’t let the expectations and the glitz and glamour get to me right now because it’s way too early for that right now.’’

On if he’s fighting to do something spectacular or look good:

"Èske pa, pa fè sa, pa fè sa. What I’ve been doing has been working, which has led me to this position. Se konsa,, all the expectations can’t put pressure on me because it may lead to something that we’re not used to, like a slugfest or a type of fight like that. I need to maintain composure but I definitely need to be effective because I feel like I’ll win but what’s important is how I win. The pressure for me is trying to impress my coach. That is one of my main pressures.”

Dominic BREAZEALE:

On the heavyweight division having a bad rep in the past and on how Joshua and Breazeale are different than recent previous fighters:

“I think the biggest difference is that we are separating ourselves with being big athletic guys. Anvan, in the past, there were just big, fò, aggressive guys in the ring just slugging it out. We are showing some athletic ability as far as using the jab, moving around the ring, throwing combination punches and things like that. We’re kind of taking it back to the days when you saw heavyweight fights like Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield. Not necessarily just big stiff guys that are kind of stuck in the mud. I am fortunate to be in the division at the time being right now and I am looking forward to it.”

Thoughts of Martin-Joshua clash, Martin’s performance and what he will do differently:

“I was very upset with Charles Martin’s performance against Anthony Joshua. I was expecting him to put out a lot more, give it a lot more, but unfortunately he didn’t. That four minutes in two rounds were very, very disturbing. One of the differences between me and Charles is that I am not Charles Martin. I’m a big statured guy, a big athletic guy and a strong guy and Joshua knows best that he’s going to be in the ring with somebody who mirrors his image and just a little bit bigger than him, just a little bit heavier and just a little bit stronger than him. Se konsa,, I plan on finding out if Anthony Joshua has got the legs and the lungs to go five, six, maybe seven rounds but at the same time I want to test his chin, test his body and see if he is the true heavyweight champ.’’

EDDIE HEARN, Matchroom boksè

“Probably for three years now, I’ve been knocking on the doors of American networks, telling them about this great young fighter. They’ve all been keeping an eye on Anthony Joshua, for sure and the victory on April 9 over Charles Martin to become the IBF Heavyweight champion really opened the doors.

“Anthony Joshua is the biggest star in world boxing and now we have a position with Stephen Espinoza and SHOWTIME where we will move forward together in a multi-fight deal which we hope will not be five, six, or seven fights, we hope it will be for the entire career of Anthony Joshua, for the unification of the heavyweight division. And as I have I said, the birth and the evolution of the biggest star in world boxing today.

“SHOWTIME in my opinion is at the forefront of dynamic boxing programs in the U.S. I think the fights and the shows are continuously pushing the boundaries, not just in America, but outside of America as well. We were privileged to have Quigg vs. Frampton on SHOWTIME and Andy Lee against Billy Joe Saunders recently. They’re picking up the biggest fights in world boxing in many different territories.

“For us this is a groundbreaking day. For a UK promoter and a UK fighter to sign a multi-fight agreement with SHOWTIME, gives me a huge amount of great pleasure commercially. I think it’s a groundbreaking day for British boxing as well, I think we’re on fire at the moment. We’ve got 12 chanpyon nan lemonn; James DeGale just defended his world title on SHOWTIME last weekend and we have another world champion fight this week with [Anthony] Crolla, Ricky Burns and Tony Bellew are both fighting for world titles to become the 13th and 14th Brits to win world titles. I really feel like the atmosphere, the energy and the vibes of the show that we’re producing are second to none. The atmosphere is electric, the passion is through the roof of the arena and now the U.S. man is going to get a chance to witness it time and time again with Anthony Joshua.

“The plan for us is to evolve Anthony Joshua in various different markets which will lead to U.S. fights as well and I will work closely with Stephen [Espinoza] to see if that’s possible perhaps even in November of this year, but we want to make Anthony Joshua a global star and that includes fighting in America. I am so pleased that the U.S. public will get the opportunity to watch Anthony Joshua on the No. 1 boxing network in America.”

Britain’s Joshua To Defend IBF World Title Against American Dominic Breazeale

Samdi, Jen 25 at The O2 in London In First Fight Of New Deal

 

LONDON (Me 4, 2016) – SHOWTIME Sports and Matchroom Boxing announced on Wednesday a multi-fight licensing agreement for Showtime Networks Inc., to be the exclusive U.S. television partner of undefeated heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua. The announcement was made today at the Hilton Syon Park outside London by Stephen Espinoza, Vis-Prezidan Egzekitif ak Manadjè Jeneral, SHOWTIME Sports and Eddie Hearn, President of Matchroom Sports.

 

The multi-fight agreement kicks-off on Samdi, Jen 25 when Joshua, a British sensation, attempts to make the first defense of his IBF Heavyweight World Championship against undefeated American challenger Dominic Breazeale at the sold-out The O2 arena in London. The addition of this heavyweight title fight, airing live on Showtime Networks in the late afternoon, bolsters a big day for boxing as later that evening on CBS, SHOWTIME will present the first live primetime boxing event on the CBS Television Network in nearly 40 ane.

 

Jozye, 26, has compiled a perfect knockout record of 16-0 ak 16 knockouts since turning professional shortly after winning the 2012 Olympic Gold Medal. Nan kòmansman ane sa a, Joshua earned the IBF world championship with a second-round knockout of defending champion Charles Martin on SHOWTIME, earning a heavyweight belt in the fewest number of fights in more than 20 ane. Pli lwen, Joshua is just the sixth Olympic Gold Medalist at super heavyweight to go on to win a professional heavyweight world title joining Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin.

 

The 30-year-old Breazeale (17-0, 15 Ko) has knocked out nearly 90 percent of his opponents since turning professional after representing the United States at the 2012 Olympics. Standing at 6-foot-7, the Los Angeles native is one inch taller than the 6-foot-6 Joshua. The former NCAA football quarterback is coming off a career-best victory of previously once-beaten Amir Mansour on Jan. 23.

 

Joshua vs. Breazeale will be the fifth heavyweight title bout to air live on SHOWTIME in the first six months of 2016, joining a stellar schedule that features many of the top-rated fighters in boxing’s deepest and most exciting divisions.

 

Epitou sou Samdi, Jen 25, Keith Thurman will defend his WBA Welterweight World Championship against former titlist Shawn Porter in a blockbuster matchup of two of the world’s best 147-pound fighters, ap viv nan 9 p.m. AK/6 p.m. PT. In the co-main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS, presented by Premier Boxing Champions, WBA Featherweight World Champion Jesus Cuellar will defend his title against former three-division world champion Abner Mares.

 

EDITORS NOTE: A press conference is currently underway in London. Quotes and photos to follow. A media teleconference for U.S. press with Joshua, Stephen Espinoza (Egzekitif Vis Prezidan & General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports) and Eddie Hearn (President of Matchroom Sport) kòmanse nan 1 p.m. AK/10 a.m. PT.

 

Klike sou HERE For Joshua Images Courtesy Matchroom Sport