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ROBERT “THE GHOST” GUERRERO DEFEATS ARON MARTINEZ VIA SPLIT DECISION IN MAIN EVENT OF SPECIAL AFTERNOON EDITION OF PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON NBC FROM STUBHUB CENTER IN CARSON, CALIF.

 

HARD-HITTING HEAVYWEIGHT DOMINIC BREAZEALE REMAINS UNDEFEATED WITH THIRD ROUND KO OVER YASMANY CONSUEGRA

 

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Photo Credit: Suzanne Teresa/Premier Boxing Champions

 

 

Carson, Calif. (June 6) – Southern California boxing fans were treated to an afternoon of hard punches and quick action as Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC took to the ring at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. The Saturday afternoon fight card, part of a jam-packed day of sports action on NBC, showcased a heavyweight brawl between Dominic Breazeale and Yasmany Consuegra and a fast and furious welterweight bout between Robert Guerrero and Aron Martinez.

 

In the PBC on NBC main event, Guerrero and Martinez let their fists fly from the opening bell to the closing bell in a showdown that saw over 1,000 punches thrown between the two welterweights over 10 rounds. It was clear from the beginning of the fight that Martinez was not intimidated by Guerrero’s skills or resume as he dominated the first several rounds, even dropping Guerrero in the fourth. But Guerrero was able to turn the table in his favor as the fight progressed and dominate the second half of the 10 round brawl. The judges scored the bout 97-95 and 95-94 for Guerrero and 95-94 for Martinez in a split decision victory that brought the crowd to its feet.

 

Breazeale, a 2012 U.S. Olympian and Southern California-native, needed less than three rounds to defeat previously unbeaten heavyweight Conguegra. The referee called off the fight at 1:49 of the third round after Consuegra hit the canvas three times as Breazeale extended his professional record to 15-0 with 14 KOs.

 

The featured fight on NBC SportsNet saw a featherweight battle between the once-beaten Argentinean Jesus Cuellar and former world champion Vic Darchinyan that came to a half when Cuellar knocked out Darchinyan at 1:04 of the seventh round.

 

NBCSN also featured the return of Alfredo Angulo, who scored a fifth-round knockout victory over Delray Raines in a middleweight contest that saw  “El Perro” raise his hand in victory for the first time since 2012.

 

Here is what the fighters had to say about Saturday afternoon’s fights:

 

ROBERT GUERRERO

 

“Aron Martinez came to fight and the fans got to see two warriors go at it.

“I can’t explain why I go to war so much. I just love to get in there and mix it up.

“When I got up off the canvas, I told myself…get up and win this fight.

“Once I started boxing I felt I started dominating the fight.

“We got the victory and now it’s time to move on to some big fights and give the fans the warrior type fights they deserve. I’m an action fighter and I’ll continue to be so.

 

“There is something about this arena that makes you want to stand there and trade.

 

“I just suffered the loss of my cousin. She passed away last week and this fight was for her.”

 

 

ARON MARTINEZ

 

“I’m very happy with my performance. I thought I won the fight.

 

“I thought the third scorecard was way out of line.

 

“It was a great experience fighting on NBC. I wanted to put on a great fight for the fans and me and Robert did that.

 

“I look forward to being more active and fighting again as soon as possible.”

 

DOMINIC BREAZEALE

 

“Its always a little different to fight in the afternoon. The fans came out to support me. I put on a big show and got the win.

 

“He was putting his hand on his right side and I was hitting him with the upper cut.

 

“I couldn’t ask for anything better.

 

“I’d love to be back in the ring as soon as possible.  Everybody did a great job putting this together. This was only three rounds right here and lets do it again in a couple months.”

 

JESUS CUELLAR

 

“I wasn’t hurt. It was more of a slip. Darchinyan is a very tough warrior and I’m glad I came out on top.

 

“I want to fight again as soon as possible. I saw Abner Mares sitting in the first row and I want to fight him next.”

 

ALFREDO ANGULO

 

“I have so many fans and I want to thank them. They are here cheering for me – cheering for the dog. I always say it’s for the fans and I want to thank them for the support.

 

“This is my first fight coming back to my old trainer [Clemente Medina] and it was great.

 

“A lot of people say ‘the dog is dead,’ but if you ask the people that saw my performance, they will all tell you the dog is alive and well.”

 

DEONTAY WILDER & ERIC MOLINA CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT

 

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Kelly Swanson

Thanks everyone for joining us today.  I’m excited about this call and this fight. Today we’re going to hear from both the fighters, Deontay Wilder and Eric Molina.  Joining us as well is Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment, and also Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports.

 

So, to make the formal introductions, I’m going to turn it over to Lou.

 

Lou DiBella

Thank you, Kelly.  It’s always a real pleasure and honor whenever you get to promote a heavyweight championship fight, and Deontay Wilder is the first American heavyweight champion in quite a while.  He’s getting the opportunity to defend his title, his first defense in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, on the campus of UAB from the Bartow Arena.

 

This will be televised as a main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on Saturday night, June 13.   This is an interesting time to be at the UAB campus because UAB just reversed a very controversial decision to disband its football program, so college football’s coming back to Birmingham and the campus of UAB and so is heavyweight championship boxing with Deontay Wilder.

 

Tickets are priced at $25, $50, $75, $100, $150, and $200, but there are less than 1,000 tickets left, and we expect a sold-out house of about 8,500 people and that tickets are going to sell out way before fight night.  So, if anyone wants tickets, get them as soon as you can at UABSports.com and AlabamaFightNight.com.  The doors will open at 3 o’clock.  The first bout will be at 3:30 p.m., and then SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHP BOXING on the air at 9 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. CT, and 6 p.m. PT.

 

The opening bout on SHOWTIME is a terrific world championship fight itself between 130-pound title contenders, Jose Pedraza and Andrey Klimov.  I’d like to invite Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports, Stephen Espinoza.

 

Stephen Espinoza

Thanks very much, Lou.  It’s an exciting day for all of us here at SHOWTIME.  Earlier today, we announced the imminent launch of a new online streaming service, SHOWTIME Direct to Consumers, which means all our award-winning programming, including all of our live boxing telecasts, will be available on the live East and West Coast feeds for SHOWTIME as well as all of our on demand content.  That service will launch in mid-July.

 

Later tonight, we have a great episode of 60 Minutes Sports, which includes a very revealing interview with some of the latest developments in the Pippa scandal.  That’s followed by the premier of ALL ACCESS: Deontay Wilder.  That’s at 10 p.m. ET/PT.  We’ll take a look back at Deontay’s signature win, that which earned him the heavyweight title through the award-winning lens of the series, and we’ll also, as usual, be taking a closer look at the personal side and showing you some of the depth of Deontay’s character that fans might not be familiar with this fall.

 

As for Saturday the  13, we have a big night of fights, perhaps one of our strongest nights of the SHOWTIME Extremecards to date.  That kicks off at 7 p.m. ET/PT.  That will kick off with two undefeated fighters in a WBC 135-pound elimination bout, Ivan Redkach, who many of you have seen several times on ShoBox against Dejan Zlaticanin, who is a very tough challenger.  Also, one of the staples of Extreme and a very highly regarded prospect, Julian Williams of Philadelphia, will be in tough against a Russian welterweight prospect, Arman Ovsepyan.

 

Then it’s SHOWTIME, a championship double header, as Lou indicated.  In the opening bout, we have undefeated amateur standout, Jose Pedraza of Puerto Rico facing heavy hitter Andrey Klimov.  Pedraza, of course, has represented Puerto Rico in the 2008 Olympics, was a gold medalist at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean games.  You’ve seen him featured on ShoBox.  He’s a very skilled fighter.

 

Andrey Klimov, also a top amateur, former Russian lightweight belt holder.  His only loss, of course, is to the current WBO 140-pound champion, Terence Crawford.  Lou will give  a little bit more into detail on main event and introduce the fighters, but allow me to say that we do expect a tremendous turnout for our first world champion boxing event and for our SHOWTIME Boxing telecast in the state of Alabama.

 

As we know, a packed arena adds a tremendous element of excitement to live television.  We’re proud to present this compelling and refreshing world heavyweight title fight live on SHOWTIME.

 

Back over to you, Lou.

 

L. DiBella

Thank you very much, Stephen.  The heavyweight championship bout features Deontay Wilder being challenged by Eric Molina.  Molina is 23-2 with 17 KOs.  He’s on a five-fight  winning streak and a three-fight  knockout streak, including a career best win over Davarryl Williamson.  His only loss since his pro debut came against Chris Arreola.  He’s ranked number 9 by the WBC.

 

He’s also a really interesting guy as I’ve gotten to hear him a few times over the course of this promotion, who does a lot to give back to his community, who has a great sense of charity and community, and he’s made it very clear that he’s got nothing to lose here.  He’s viewing this as an opportunity of a lifetime, and that he’s going to do anything and everything to shock the world and take that world championship away from Deontay Wilder.

 

So, it’s my pleasure to introduce world title challenger, Eric Molina.

 

Eric Molina

Hello, guys.  Just like Lou just said, that was a good introduction of who I am and what I’m coming in to do.  We’re very excited about the fight, the opportunity to go down to Alabama.  We know it’s going to be a very hectic environment down there, very uncomfortable environment, but Wilder is the champion, and he gets to enjoy all these privileges of all the guidelines of where we fight and all the logistics of it, so we’re excited for the opportunity to fight for the heavyweight world title and we are very prepared.

 

Training camp is going extremely well.  We’re closing up our training camp on Saturday, and we should be ready to go down to Alabama on Monday.  Everything’s looking very good, and we’re ready to go.

 

L. DiBella

Thank you, Eric.  Fight week, next week, there’ll be a slew of events leading up to the fight, including a workout on Wednesday and a public weigh-in on Friday.  I’d like people to follow AlabamaTitleFight.com for all details as they’re updated, including a lot of details about stuff that’s open to the public and that the people of Birmingham can enjoy during fight week, so that’s www.AlabamaTitleFight.com.

 

One of the proudest sons and the greatest sons of Birmingham, Alabama, is a young man who’s a physical specimen.  He’s 33-0, with an incredible knockout rate of 32 KOs in 33 fights.  Deontay Wilder had a brief but decorated amateur career that concluded with a trip to the Olympics where he won a bronze medal for the United States.  He won a 12-round decision over Bermane Stiverne in January to become the WBC heavyweight champion.

 

In his professional career he’s knocked out former Olympic gold medalist, Audley Harrison in one round, former heavyweight title holder, Sergei Liakhovich in one round.  He only began boxing in 2005, and his quick ascent in the sport was pretty amazing and actually the inspiration for a children’s book called Deontay the Future World Champ, and I guess that children’s book was prophetic because it’s now Deontay, the World Champ.

 

He was born in Tuscaloosa, grew up a diehard Crimson Tide fan, and he’s returning home to fight in Alabama for the first time in three years to defend his WBC heavyweight title for the first time.

 

So, it’s my honor and pleasure to introduce WBC heavyweight champion of the world, Deontay Wilder.

 

Deontay Wilder

Hello, guys.  I’m excited to have this opportunity to get back in the ring and display my talent more.  All the people that are going to be watching and the people that are going to be in attendance, it’s a pleasure and an honor to be able to get in the ring to do something that I love to do and I have a very strong passion about, so I’m excited about June 13.  I’m excited about coming to my home state of Alabama.

 

When I set forth becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, I got one part of it becoming the heavyweight champion, the WBC heavyweight champion of the world.  I’ve still got a long way to go, but I’m honored and pleased to have my very first title defense in Alabama.  We’re going to make history come June 13 by having the first title fight of any division in the state of Alabama, and that’s a pleasure and definitely an honor to me.  So, me and Eric will definitely be witnessing and making history come June 13.

 

I appreciate him for signing the contract and accepting this opportunity.  A lot of guys don’t get an opportunity to be able to fight for a world title, and I congratulate him on the opportunity.  I know it’s going to be a great fight.  He’s going to come to fight, and that’s what I expect.  I expect a great fight. He’s someone that got a big bark but want a big bite in the ring as well too, so that’s what I expect.  To all my fans, he’s coming to enemy territory.  He’s coming to an arena filled with nothing but majority of hometown people in the state of Alabama, so that’s a tough environment to come into and then facing one of the most dangerous guys in the division to date.

 

So, I applaud him for that.  I’m just ready. I’ve been waiting for a long time to get back in the ring.  After my last fight, I want to stay consistent.  I want to stay busy in fights.  I love to do this. God gave me the opportunity to do this.  I’m going to keep doing it, keep giving the fans what they want to see, and that’s great fights and defending my title as much as possible.  You can tell by my voice that I’m super excited.  I can’t wait.  There’s nothing like what I do, my job, and that’s to whoop a**, and I can’t wait to get up in there come June 13.

 

L. DiBella

Thank you, Deontay.  Well, now we’ll open it up for questions.

 

Q

As my understanding is, Deontay, a couple years ago, or three years ago, whenever it was, not that long after you turned pro, that the people in Alabama really created the boxing commission that is there to regulate the sport basically because they wanted their favorite son, Deontay Wilder, to be able to fight in the home state and to put on these kind of big shows.

 

When that happened, was the ultimate goal for you to put on a big event in your home state?

 

D. Wilder

This definitely was the ultimate goal.  My trainer and co-manager, Jay Deas, we set forth a goal to getting a commission here.  We had a lot of great champions that’s from here but couldn’t get fight due to the fact that there was no commission here.  I already had plans of after the Olympics turning pro and staying and residing here in my home state. I had a vision for this state.  I wanted to make it bigger than just college football.  I gave them opportunities to have a professional sport here, and that’s boxing, so once we got our commission, it was uphill from there.  A lot of people have gotten on board.  A lot of people have never troubled with boxing, period, in their life, until they read about the story of my movement, what’s going on, and a lot of people had lost interest in boxing until they read about my story, my movement.  Now, they’re on board.

 

So, it became a bit of a thing for the state of Alabama now, so they put me on top as far as the sport is concerned here in the state of Alabama because there’s nothing like a world sport, nothing.  Nothing national can compete with a world-level sport.

 

Q

I was wondering if you could mention who are some of those other top contenders that you guys looked to fight before you decided to make an agreement with Eric?

 

D. Wilder

Well, at this moment, I feel like stating names is irrelevant right now.  Next week will be fight week, and everything is focused on Eric Molina.  That’s the main focus, and I love the guys.  It wouldn’t do any good stating names.  They had the opportunity.  Eric stepped up to the plate, and we’ll congratulate him.  We’re going to put on a great performance June 13.

 

Q

How do you respond to the people who say,  ‘Eric Molina, who’s that?  And why should he be in a heavyweight championship fight?’

E. Molina

Well there are a lot of casual boxing fans out there that really don’t know too much about Eric Molina.  I have been in pretty big fights.  I fought Tony Grano, the NABF champion, ranked in the top 10  in the world for over a year.  If you look at my record, you see two losses.  In the casual boxing sense, you see those two losses.  Only a fighter knows how hard it is to bounce back from losses like those.

 

So, the casual fan doesn’t say ah, well, they say he’s got these two losses, but I know what I’ve been through to come back from my losses, things that I’ve learned from my losses, and I positioned myself back into being a top contender in the world.

 

A lot of these fights on my resume, you see fights, but you don’t see the other angles of what’s on the table, how long I had to prepare, the things I had to go through outside of the ring, so I’m glad that June 13th is coming up.  We’ve had a very smooth training camp, and I’m coming in with everything.  I’ve never been this prepared for a fight before.  I’ve never had the privilege to come in this prepared for a fight, so we’re excited about it.

 

Q

Eric, because your two defeats were in the first round, and because Deontay has so many first-round knockouts, he’s a fast starter, how pivotal is getting through the first round in this fight?

 

E. Molina

Well, it’s definitely important.  I think that this is definitely a fight that from the first bell, I think it’s going to be a fast-paced fight.  Deontay Wilder’s a big puncher, but I feel that I’m a big puncher also, so I think that it’s very important to be ready from the first bell.  Anything could happen at any given second.  It’s a heavyweight world title fight.

 

Q

Do you kind of feel that some pressure’s off of you to try to knock out everybody, or have to knock out everybody?

 

D. Wilder

I mean, you can say so, but I don’t live my life with pressure.  I’m an easy-going person.  I’m the type of person, people’s opinions about me doesn’t matter, especially when I’m in the ring because I know that everything I do, I prepare for, I train hard for each and every time, in camp, in training.

 

I’m always training, I never stop.  I don’t take any days off.  I’m always training because I love to do this.  I love to box.  I love to be able to get in there and perform for the fans, so I don’t have any days off.  But you can’t please everybody.  There are too many billions of people in the world to try to please every opinion, to try to please everybody. Even when people said things about me, what I couldn’t do, my last fight I proved everything to them.  That made me an even more dangerous fighter because now people know what I’m capable of doing.  Not only that I’m a puncher, but I can box.  I can have fun.  I can go 12 rounds and make it seem like it is nothing.  I can take a punch.  That’s nothing, but we’ve been telling people for years what I could do, just needed the right person in there for me to display my talents.  There’s no pressure on me at all.

 

I don’t go in there and try to look for the knockout, anyway.  I go in there and let my hands go, and if I get the knockout, I get it.  I would prefer the knockout, of course.  This is a heavyweight division.  It’s all based about power.  When people get dressed up and come out to that fight, they come to see a knockout.  They want to see a couple of rounds or whatever, to see what kind of skill and will that person has, maybe a little heart, and then they want to see the knockout because they’ve got other things planned for that night.

 

And when they come to see a Deontay Wilder fight, that’s what I want to bring them.  I want to bring them knockouts, but that last fight, it meant so much more than just a knockout because I did, I wanted to prove to people what I was capable of doing.  I think that particular night, winning a title, that was the perfect moment to prove what I’m capable of doing and what I’m all about.

 

So, now it’s time to get back on to my knockout streak like people expect from me, and that’s what I want to do, so here we go, baby.

 

Q

Lou, how were the ticket sales for the fight coming up?

 

L. DiBella

The ticket sales have been fairly remarkable, actually, 7,500 tickets already sold.  The capacity’s 8,500, so we’re not even in fight week and we’re looking at a sellout.  We’re not in the last few days, and we’re looking at a sellout.  I think we’re going to sell out before there’s a walk-up.

 

Q

Deontay, how does it feel just to go 12 rounds?  It’s something you hadn’t done yet in your professional career, and how did it feel just to not to say get the rounds, just to quiet a lot of the critics.  That was the one knock against you, how would you do in a 12-round fight?

 

D. Wilder

To go 12 rounds is, it’s something I do in training, I do in camp.  The hardest part in boxing is not the part where you go out there and compete and fight your opponent.  It’s the training part.  That’s the hard part, the training, what people don’t really see.

 

They think fighters just go out there one night, they fight 12 rounds or less, and then that’s it, they get paid, oh, that’s it.  But the hard part is in camp, what you do in training, what you do in camp.  That’s the ultimate hard part of it and we-12 rounds is nothing.  I’ve been telling 12 rounds is nothing to me.  It’s an appetizer.

 

Most of the time, we go 15.  After getting my belt, I was traveling for three months.  I got right back in the gym and did 20 rounds, easy, because I’m never out of shape.  I’m always full of energy.  I love to do this, so to go to 12 rounds, that wasn’t anything.  As you can see, I still had energy to go even six more, seven more rounds in that fight.  But to silence the critics, now, we’re talking about something.

 

To silence the critics, that was such a joyful feeling for me.  That right there meant a lot to me because like I said, we live in a world that’s based on opinions of many people.  Some people know what they’re talking about.  The majority of them and most don’t know what they’re talking about, and it was a remarkable feeling to be able to silence the critics.  It was even enjoyable to see their faces, to see their voice, to have to eat their words.  That was enjoyable right there.

 

Q

Did you ever think that in your wildest dreams this fight next Saturday would be taking place?

 

D. Wilder

I did dream it.  Sometimes things start with a dream, and they say dreams do come true, but dreams only come true if you allow them to.  It is not just going to come true just because you had dreamt it.  You’ve got to dream it, and then you’ve got to apply some kind of ultimate goal to it.  Then when you set a goal, you’ve still got to apply self-preservation, as far as gaining that goal and making that dream come true.

 

I dreamt it.  I spoke it into existence.  I believe in the power of the tongue, and I made my dream come true, and now we about to have it, about to make it the biggest thing in the state of Alabama.  It’s just a blessing.  I told people before, I’m a blessing to the state of Alabama, and a lot of people have agreed with me, that’s for sure.

 

So, I am very honored to be able to fight in my state because a lot of fighters can’t fight in their state.  A lot of fighters don’t have a home to come to, they have to fight elsewhere, but I have the honor and the privilege to have a state that’s behind me and has loved me, and I’m looking forward to it.  And like I said, me and Molina are going to make history that night.  Win, lose, or draw, we’re going to make history that night in the state of Alabama.

 

Q

How do you try to eliminate the distraction of fighting at home, people talking about bigger fights for you in the future?   How do you focus on this particular fight and not look forward or not get kind of caught up in the hoopla now of being the heavyweight champion?

 

D. Wilder

Well, for me it’s just when I look at an opponent, the task that lies at hand, I automatically focus on that.  I can’t look past nobody.  I can’t put nobody aside.  I treat every opponent that I get in the ring, no matter what their record is or what their resume may read, I look at this opponent as if he’s the most dangerous person in the world.

 

I look at an opponent as if I’m still a contender trying to gain me a world title, and that’s how I do all my opponents.  And by doing that, it keeps me focused.  It keeps me humbled as well too to do what I’ve got to do because this is boxing, and this is the heavyweight division.  Anything can happen in boxing.

 

No man can ever feel like he’s bigger than the next person because once you start doing that, you start loosening up, your training starts to get a little lighter because you’re not training, you don’t have that hunger any  more, and a lot of things will start to get exposed.  People take advantage of that and feel confidence in themselves.

 

So, I don’t want to be that type of fighter that I feel like oh, I’m at the top now, I don’t have to train as hard as I was when I was a hungry fighter, because I’m still hungry.  I’ve still got goals, I’m still looking to do things in this sport to make it bigger and better.   I tell people all the time that even though I’m the WBC heavyweight champion of the world, my heart still feels like a contender, and by my heart still feeling like a contender, it keeps me humble.  It keeps me grounded.  It keeps me very, I mean, very, very hungry.

 

Q

To quote Ric Flair, ‘To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man.’ And you know, the man in the heavyweight division for the last decade or so has been Wladimir Klitschko.  A lot of people are discussing you as the heir apparent to that, so while you’re staying hungry and moving up the chain and continuing to fight, is that something that’s in the back of your mind, and do you think that’s something that you’re going to have to conquer to truly be the full heavyweight champion of the world?

 

D. Wilder

Well, I’m going to put it like this, that fight is titled not if it’s going to happen, but when it’s going to happen.  Of course, that’s something I think about, but at this moment in time, I’m not focused on him.  He will get his turn as well too, and last time I checked, I have the most prestigious, most well-known, most precious, beautiful belt in all of boxing, something that’s been around for a very long time, and that’s the WBC crown, it’s something that everybody wants.

 

So, I have that.  I’m the owner of that, so I’m not worried about anything else.  Right now, it’s all about Deontay Wilder and Eric Molina, and that’s what I’m looking forward to, Deontay Wilder versus Eric Molina.

 

Q

Eric, is it motivating to you to — when you hear people say that you’re just someone to help Deontay — a spotlight matchup, a homecoming match, someone that he can look good against?  Does that give you even more motivation than just the fact that you’re fighting for the heavyweight championship of the world?

 

E. Molina

It definitely motivates me more because people have their opinions, and like Wilder said, a lot of people don’t know too much about different angles of boxing, so people don’t want to give me a shot, people don’t think I have a shot, and that’s fine.  I’ve used it as motivation.  I’ve definitely trained hard.  I’m stronger than I’ve ever been, and I’m not here to convince people to give me a shot or not.  I know what I bring to the table.  I know the size and strength that I bring to the table, and I don’t have to convince nobody to root for me or to give me a shot or to believe in me.

 

The people that love me, the people, my family and my fans, they believe in me, and I believe in myself, more importantly.  So, we’re coming in, I’m coming in June 13th, and I’m blessed to, well, God  has given me more strength than I’ve ever had, and I’m excited, and we’re good to go.

 

Q

Deontay, you had spoken about obviously being Alabama’s fighter, Alabama’s hero.  There’s some deep divisions in the state there.  You’re from Tuscaloosa.  You’re an avowed Alabama fan.  Have you united even the Auburn people behind you?

 

D. Wilder

I’m representing — Alabama football has its own rival and different things like that, but this is not Alabama football, this is a heavyweight championship world title fight, and I’m representing not only just Tuscaloosa, I’m representing the whole state.  I’ve got the whole state behind me.  This is a worldwide event, so I just can’t say I just got Tuscaloosa or have a rival with Auburn.  No, I’m representing the whole state of Alabama, and the whole state of Alabama is behind me.  That’s the unique and the special thing about it, that I’m representing the whole state, and people love that.  I’m looking forward to – definitely it’s going to be a packed venue, that’s for sure.  I’m looking forward to that and moving on to an even bigger venue than the state of Alabama.

 

We’ve got even bigger venues, and I’m looking forward to packing everything out, but right now it starts with the Bartow Arena.  I’m looking forward to displaying my talent there and making history right there, the first title fight in Alabama in any division right there at Bartow Arena.

 

Q

Klitschko was extended a little bit in his last time out with Bryant Jennings.  Did you see anything there that led you to believe that this guy’s not Superman?

 

D. Wilder

I mean, we all did.  We all seen loose holes.  We all see something that was there.  If anybody says they didn’t, then they’re a liar.  We all seen that, but when that time comes, I’m going to execute those things that I saw.  But right now, it’s hard to talk about another fighter when you’ve got one fighter that you’re getting ready to face and is on the phone now.

 

My focus is not on another fighter because if I don’t get past him, we can forget talking about anybody else.  It’s irrelevant to talk about anybody else if this fight isn’t done.  It’s not over yet, so it’s hard for me to state or talk about another fighter when I’ve got a task that lies at hand.

 

Once I get finished with Molina, then we can come back and talk about Klitschko.

 

Q

Do you give Tyson Fury much of a chance against Wladimir, and  whether or not he gets wiped out against Wladimir, is that still something you’d like to do, come to England and take Furyon, shut his mouth up?

 

D. Wilder

I give Tyson a great percent of the chance of coming in and being a new world champion.  It’s  all going to depend on him, how serious he takes this business, this game, how serious he takes training and the preparation for that.  I wish him luck on everything he does and on becoming the world champion.

 

There’s nothing like setting a goal to become a world champion and being that, seeing your hand raised high with that belt saying you are the world champion.  It’s a great feeling to be a world champion, so it’s going to be up to him.  Like I said before, we’ve seen what Klitschko did in his last fight, and we’ll see how he can adjust to a bigger fighter.  These are bigger guys now, and that’s what’s running division, the bigger guys.  That’s fine.  All the taller fighters in the heavyweight divisions are taking over, so we’ll see what Tyson has lies ahead, so we can only wait.

 

Q

Deontay, do you think you could be bigger for boxing than Floyd Mayweather?

 

D. Wilder

Oh, definitely.  Most definitely, and I say that with high confidence because the heavyweight division is the cream of the crop in the first place, and the things that I bring, the excitement, the personality that I have,  everything about me is all me, is totally me.  Some people, some guys when they have cameras in their face, they pursue to be a certain type of person.  Their persona about them changes or whatever, and then when the camera is off, they’re a whole totally different person.  I don’t have flip personalities.  I’m not a fake person.

 

Everything about me is real, everything you see, even the ALL ACCESS (on SHOWTIME).  You know, you all watch the ALL ACCESS, everything is me.  Nothing is scripted.  Nothing is planned out, nothing.  I can’t sit back and let somebody script something out about my life and what it is because it’ll be fake, and I won’t be able to go through with it because it wouldn’t be me.

 

So, I think I bring a lot of excitement to this division.  I have woken up a lot of people as far as friends to come back to the division and stuff like that, and I know I’m doing the right things.  People love me.  That’s what it’s all about, but I’m just glad to be a part of the movement because we’ve got a lot of other exciting heavyweights that have made it – come back alive again as well too, whether it’s bashing up the talking or whether it’s the excitement of the performance of their fights.  So, the division is definitely on the rise, and I’m looking to be the biggest thing in boxing, period.

 

Q

Deontay, you’ve said several times that your focus is just on this fight and Eric Molina and not anybody else in the heavyweight division.  Could you talk a little bit about what you know about Eric Molina and why you think you’re going to be victorious in this fight?

 

D. Wilder

Well, the only thing I know about Eric, he’s got a nice size as far as height-wise.  His weight, I know the record about the guy, and he looks pretty exciting.   He’s not the biggest, or tallest, but when people see two tall guys, I think he’s 6’5″ and I’m 6’7″, so when people see two big guys get in there, they automatically see the excitement and thrill, what they can bring.  I’m not the type of guy that looks at any kind of films or nothing like that.  I don’t believe in it.  I’ve never done it in all of my career, and I’m not going to start now.

 

I like to have a challenge.  I like to be surprised in the ring to see what they have so I can adjust to that fighter when I get them in the ring.

 

Q

Why do you think you’re going to be able to win in this fight?  What are your advantages?  You’re the favorite, obviously, but why do you think that’s going to play out?

 

D. Wilder

Well, my confidence is at an all-time high.  I’m always confident in any opponent that I get in the ring with.  That’s just my mentality.  I feel like if you don’t believe in yourself, then it’s hard to convince or motivate somebody else to believe in you.  You can have all the greatest trainers and all the strength trainers, the top of the line strength trainers in the world, but if they don’t really believe in what you’re doing, you don’t really believe in yourself first, then you can’t get those guys to be motivated to believe in yourself.

 

So, first and foremost, I believe in myself.  My confidence has always been over the top, no matter what opponent I get in the ring with. A definite advantage I have is my speed, my footwork and the power that I bring.  My defense is remarkable with my footwork.  My athleticism kills a lot of the fighters, and that’s what I’m going to bring to the ring.  So, I’ll come through anybody.  They’re all going to try and come, and that’s what they’re supposed to do.  I just hope they come in the hopes of really trying to take it.  That’s what I’m looking for.  I’m looking for a guy that’s very hungry, that’s really trying to take this belt, to make this exciting.  I want the most challenging opponent that I can get.

 

Q

Eric, obviouslywe know that Deontay’s the favorite.  He’s going to have the crowd behind him.  Why do you think you can win this fight being the underdog?

 

E. Molina

I’ve realized one thing, that people keep saying Alabama this and Alabama that.  We know how hectic it’s going to be going down there.  That’s what the heavyweight world championship belt’s all about.  You can’t expect to go in and fight no easy fights.  I mean, you want to become champion, you’ve got to go through hell to get it.  I’m expecting to go down to Alabama.  It’s going to be a hard situation, a very uncomfortable situation, his backyard, his people, his commission, his everything.

 

But to be heavyweight world champion, this isn’t easy, so I’m excited.  I’m mentally focused to go down there and face all these things.  Number one, I want to bring that title back.  I want to bring it back home.  And like I said, if people don’t give me a shot, I don’t got to convince them to give me a shot or not to give me a shot.  I know what I’m bringing to the table.  I know what I’m coming to do, and that’s all that counts.

 

Q

Eric, howmuch do you think you’ve improved as a fighter in the last few years?  Because you know everyone’s going to look at your record, they’re going to look at the loss to Arreola three years ago.  How much do you think you’ve improved since then?

 

E. Molina

Well, I’ve always believed that special fighters are able to learn from their losses, but not all fighters can learn from their losses.  I believe I’m a special fighter because I’ve learned from my losses, and I know I’ve learned from my losses.  I’ve been able to bounce back.  I’ve been able to be a better fighter.  I’ve been able to put things together better, and I mean, a lot of things about my record that people don’t really understand is how hard it is for somebody to bounce back from some of the losses that I’ve been through, how hard it really is.

 

So, I’ve definitely handled those things that were very challenging, and I’ve regrouped.  I’ve put myself back together.  I’ve become a contender again, and I’m definitely a stronger, more experienced, more confident fighter.  And I’m ready.

 

Lou DiBella

That’ll be it, guys. Thank you, Deontay.  Thank you, Eric.  Thank you, everybody, for joining us.  Just one more time, the event will be at the Bartow Arena on the campus of UAB in Birmingham, Alabama.  Tickets are $25, $50, $75, $100, $150, and $200, but there are less than 1,000 tickets left.  We expect a sold-out house of about 8,500 shortly, so get your tickets quickly at UABSports.com and AlabamaTitleFight.com.  Showtime Championship Boxing will be on the air at 9 p.m. Eastern Time, 8 p.m. Central Time, 6 p.m. Pacific Time.  The doors open to the arena at 3 p.m., first fight at 3:30 p.m., and thank you all for joining us.

 

# # #

“WILDER vs. MOLINA,” a 12-Round fight for Wilder’s WBC Heavyweight Championship, takes place Saturday, June 13, at The Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala. DiBella Entertainment and Bruno Event Team have joined forces to bring this event to Alabama. In the co-main event co-romoted by DiBella in association with Universal Promotions, Jose Pedraza will face Andrey Klimov in a 12-Round bout for the IBF Jr. Lightweight World Title. It will air live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).  Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

 

For more information visit www.sports.sho.com and www.dbe1.com follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @BronzeBomber, @LouDiBella and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #WilderMolina, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit http://shosportspoundforpound.

PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON NBC MEDIA WORKOUT & FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES & PHOTOS

 

Click HERE For Photos From Suzanne Teresa/Premier Boxing Champions

 

Click HERE For Workout Photos From Tom Hogan/TGB Promotions

 



 

LOS ANGELES (June 4, 2015) – Fight week continued today for the Premier Boxing Champions on NBC event taking place Saturday, June 6 at StubHub Center as fighters held a final press conference for media and fans at historic Olvera Street in Los Angeles.

 

Yesterday, fight week activities kicked off with media workouts at Wild Card West Boxing Gym in Santa Monica.

 

The Saturday afternoon telecast starts at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT on NBC featuring the heavyweight showdown between Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale (14-0, 13 KOs) andYasmany Consuegra (17-0, 14 KOs). Following that bout is the headlining event that pits former four-division world champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (32-3-1, 18 KOs) against Aron Martinez (19-3-1, 4 KOs).

 

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are priced at $200, $150, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and service charges, are on sale now and are available for purchase online at AXS.com.

 

Here is what the fighters had to say yesterday and today:

 

ROBERT GUERRERO

 

“I’m excited to get back in the ring. I’ve trained very hard and my focus is fully on this fight.Saturday afternoon you’re going to see a great fight.

 

“It’s a unique event starting so early. I’ll get up, eat and go fight but I’m ready for it.

 

“I want to fight often, inactivity is the worst thing for a fighter. I want to fight three-four times per year, every year.

 

“I never take another fighter lightly. This is a huge opportunity for Aron Martinez and I’m sure he’ll be ready for a real fight.

 

“Fighting on NBC puts all the eyes on me. I know how big of a platform this is.

 

“StubHub Center is a terrific venue, fans are right on top of you. I love fighting there and I’m not going to leave the fans disappointed.”

 

ARON MARTINEZ

 

“Come Saturday, expect a great fight. It’s going to be a war. I want to go in there and show everybody who I am.

 

“I know how tough of a fighter Robert is, he’s fought at the top level for a long time.

 

“I’m a brawler and I’m ready to test whatever skills he has. I need to close the distance, stay on top of him and get to him early. My power will surprise him.

 

“I love StubHub Center. I’ve been there many times to watch fights and can’t wait to fight there myself.

 

“This is a big opportunity for me, fighting on such a big card. We know Robert is a former world champion but I’m focused and ready. I’ve trained extra hard for this fight.”

 

DOMINIC BREAZEALE

 

“Everything starts off the jab, I need to put pressure on him early. I’ve seen a couple of YouTube clips of him fighting but the key is to focus on what I do best.

 

“This is a huge opportunity for me to fight on NBC at StubHub Center and I plan to take full advantage of it.

 

“This camp has been great, my whole team has done a phenomenal job getting me ready for this fight.

 

“I have to thank my opponent for coming out and putting his record on the line. When I’m done with him, he’ll be 17-1. I’m looking for an early round knockout and I want to keep the fans on the edge of their seats.”

 

YASMANY CONSUEGRA

 

“I’m very prepared for this fight. I’m thankful to Dominic for taking this fight and I can’t wait to put on a show this Saturday afternoon.

 

“I feel strong and ready for this challenge. My team has done everything they need to help me come out victorious.

 

“I was part of the national team in Cuba which is very difficult to do. I’m not worried about any hype leading into this fight.”

 

JESUS CUELLAR

 

“First Darchinyan, Then Leo Santa Cruz or Abner Mares, those are the fighters

I’m targeting.

 

“He can talk as much as he wants but we’re going to fight and find out who is better on Saturday.

 

“I’m very prepared and ready to represent Argentina. I trained hard and I’m ready to get in the ring. I’ve put in the hard work and I’m going to step inside the ring and showcase my talent for all of Argentina.”

 

VIC DARCHINYAN

 

“I will demolish this kid on Saturday, I have much more experience.

 

“He has no idea what’s going to happen.

 

“I was a champion for many years and want to win another title. I will show everyone that I’m still capable on Saturday.

 

“We’re going to see great fights and great action on Saturday. I’m ready to go and I hope everyone enjoys the fights.”

 

ALFREDO ANGULO

 

“I’m so happy to be here in Los Angeles and fighting so close to home. ‘The Dog’ is coming back and you’ll see that on Saturday.

 

“I’m very excited to be back in the ring. It’s been a bit of a layoff but I want to be as active and busy as possible.

 

“I’m back now with Clemente Medina. I work best with him and I’m happy to be back training in Los Angeles again.

 

“I recently got married. I’m much more settled and much more focused on my career. I look forward to becoming a champion again.”

 

OSCAR MOLINA

 

“My left shoulder is completely healed, the recovery took a while which was frustrating but now all systems are go.

 

“I’ve prepared well for this fight and I’m excited to go out and perform. It’s an honor for me to be on the same card as all these great fighters. I’m going to give a great show on Saturday.

 

“I don’t know much about my opponent but I’ve been very busy in the gym learning everyday and I look forward to setting the pace and fighting my fight on Saturday.

 

“I’ve been going to fights at StubHub Center for years and it’s great to be fighting there for the first time.”

 

# # #

 

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com andwww.nbcsports.com/boxing, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @NBCSports, @GHOSTBOXING, @ElPerro82, @JesusCuellarBOX & @VicDarchinyan and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, andwww.facebook.com/NBCSports.

Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller Growing Into Heavyweight Attraction

Miller Headlines Thursday, June 4 Show at LIU (Brooklyn) Paramount Theater

BROOKLYN (June 3, 2015) – Do not make the mistake of being fooled by his nickname, “Big Baby.”
Heavyweight prospect Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller possesses adult-sized power, and he’s the one making opponents ttwice when he steps in with them, and starts unloading power shots.

The 6-4, 260 pound Brooklyn-based boxer gloves up Thursday, June 4, in Brooklyn, on a show promoted by Dmitriy Salita’s Star of David Promotions. Miller, age 26, faces off with Michigan’s Damon “Bulldog” McCreary, who sports a 15-4 record.

Miller offered his prediction of what will go down on Thursday night at the LIU Brooklyn Paramount Theater. Or, rather, who…

“I will win by first round knockout,” Miller stated. “The jab will be the key. McCreary is a jittery fighter. The jab will calm him down and then I will bring the power.”

Longer term, Miller says he’s looking to build his record to 20-0, and then? “Look out Anthony Joshua! I’m looking at you!”

Joshua is a Brit boxer, who is making noise in the heavyweight division. Miller knows he can upset his apple-cart, soon.

First up, McCreary, though. Promoter Salita spoke about the show and Miller’s promise.

“I am honored to promote the first boxing show at this historic venue, the Brooklyn Paramount Theater,” Salita said. “It will feature Brooklyn’s own undefeated heavyweight sensation Jarrell Miller, who will electrify NYC. The buzz is building around Miller, me and co-promoter Greg Cohen are keeping him busy. He also fightsJune 26.With his power, and his charisma–his smile lights up a room!–I think the sky is the limit for “Big Baby!”

The Paramount is located at Long Island University, 1 University Plaza, Brooklyn, NY
In the 8-round co-feature, Dimash Niyazov (7-0-3, 4 KO’s) of Staten Island, NY takes on Ariel Duran (8-7-1, 5 KO’s) of Queens, NY in a Jr. Welterweight bout.
In 6-round bouts:
Steven Martinez (15-2, 12 KO’s) of Bronx, NY will take on an opponent to be named in a Super Welterweight bout.
Akil Auguste (6-1, 5 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY will fight Quincy Brown (1-2, 1 KO) of Millbrook, AL in a Middleweight bout.
In 4-round bouts:
Steve Geffrard (10-2, 7 KO’s) of Miami, FL will battle Eric George (3-9) of Niagara Falls, NY in a Cruiserweight bout.
Bakhtiyar Eyubov (5-0, 5 KO’s) of Almaty, Kazakhstan will take on Jason Thompson (5-9-4, 4 KO’s) of New York in a Super Welterweight bout.
Dewayne Zeigler (4-0-1, 4 KO’s) of Montgomery, AL will fight Jeremy Graves (0-4) of Niagara Falls, NY in a Lightweight bout.

Julian Sosa (1-0) of Brooklyn, NY will take on an opponent to be named in a Welterweight bout.

Super Bantamweight Michael Stoute of Long Island, NY will make his pro debut against an opponent to be named.
Tickets for the event are on sale and can be purchased online via Ticketmaster by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.

PEC was launched in April by Barclays Center developer Bruce Ratner and Onexim Sports and Entertainment, with all business operations overseen by Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark. PEC and LIU Brooklyn announced recently that LIU Brooklyn Paramount Theatre, located at Flatbush and DeKalb Avenues on the LIU Brooklyn campus, will focus on booking emerging talent. LIU Brooklyn Paramount will soon undergo a 24-month renovation and will host more than 120 events annually.

ABOUT STAR OF DAVID PROMOTIONS
Star of David Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature the brightest prospects, as well as seasoned pugilists, in and around the New York City area. Viewers have enjoyed watching Star of David fighters in recent years on Spike TV, ESPN2, MSG, and Universal Sports Network. Please visitwww.Salitapromotions.com for more information.

PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON NBC CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT & MP3 WITH ROBERT GUERRERO, ARON MARTINEZ, DOMINIC BREAZEALE & YASMANY CONSUEGRA

 

 

Click HERE For MP3

 

Lisa Milner

Thank you, everybody, for joining us today.  We have a very exciting call.  All four of the fighters participating on the televised portion of this Saturday’s Premier Boxing Champions on NBC telecast will be with us.  We are going to start with the heavyweights, and before we head to those fighters, I’m going to turn it over to Tom Brown, head of TGB Promotions to tell you a little more about the event and introduce our first set of fighters.

 

Tom Brown

Well, thank you and thank you very much to the media for joining us on this call.  TGB Promotions is very happy working again with PBC on this excellent card to be telecast on NBC this Saturday afternoon from the famed StubHub Center in Carson.  The doors openon Saturday at 11:00 a.m. with the first bell at 11:15 a.m.  We go on live TV starting at12:00 p.m. PT.  It’s a huge sports day for NBC.  They’re also telecasting the French Open, the Belmont Stakes, and game two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

 

The main event is former world champion, Robert Guerrero (32-3-1 18 KOs) out of Gilroy, California.  Robert’s no stranger to the southern California boxing fans, having posted two huge wins in recent years: the sensational 12-round decision over Andre Berto in November 2012 down in Ontario, and his epic fight-of-the-year win over Yoshihiro Kamegai on June 21, 2014 at the StubHub Center.

 

Aaron Martinez, West Covina, California has a record of (19-3-1, 4 KOs).  He made his bones on the southern California boxing circuit, and knows how valuable this opportunity to face Guerrero is on such a big platform.  Martinez never takes a backward step, never tires, and that’s his primary weapon:  incredible stamina.  With the styles of Guerrero-Martinez, this main event has all the makings of another action-packed StubHub Center war to add to the venue’s history.

 

In the televised co-main, the opening fight, we’ve got two outstanding, undefeated young heavyweight prospects:  U.S. Olympian Dominic Breazeale (14-0, 13 KOs).  He competed in the 2012 London games, and Yasmany Consuegra (17-0, 14 KOs) outstanding Cuban amateur with a perfect pro record.

 

Again, the doors will open at 11:00 a.m.  Tickets start at $25 and we’re looking forward to seeing the great boxing fans of southern California attend this great event.

 

L. Milner

We’re going to do the heavyweights now.  Dominic, could you make an opening statement before we turn it over to the media?

 

Dominic Breazeale

This is Dominic Breazeale.  Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.  I’m excited to be part of this fantastic card this Saturday, June 6th.  Can’t wait to get in the ring and show off my skills.

 

L. Milner

Great.  Thank you.  And Luis DeCubas Jr. is on the line to translate for Yasmany.  Luis, could you ask him to make just a quick opening statement and then translate that for us?

 

Yasmany Consuegra

I want to thank everybody on the call.  I want to thank NBC, the PBC, Al Haymon for this opportunity and all the people involved.  I look forward to a great fight.  On Saturday, I want to show everyone who I am.

 

Q

Hey, Dominic, it seems to me it’s safe to say that this is going to be your toughest opponent to date.  Would you agree with that, and if so, how excited are you to get this opportunity to move up in competition and show what you’ve been able to learn?

 

D. Breazeale

Definitely toughest competition to date thus far.  Definitely, Yasmany is 17-0, 14 KOs.  One of those guys that steps in the ring with a ton of confidence.  We’re both undefeated fighters and I was extremely excited when I got the call.  Thanks to Al and the team.  Thanks to NBC, we’ll be able to perform in front of the whole world, nationwide, and I couldn’t ask for more.  It’s a great setting, a great way to have a stepping-stone to the next level.  I want to be considered the top heavyweight and I guess you’ve got to fight top guys to get there.

 

Q

What do you know about Consuegra?

 

D. Breazeale

I know he’s got a great amateur record.  I know he did real well in Cuba, the Cuba National team.  He had some great fights here in the States.  He fought a lot in Florida.I know he’s got a boxing style.  I know he’s going to come out tough.  Cuban fighters always do.

 

Q

Dominic, you’ve had a lot of knockouts in your early career in the pros, but this is going to be your biggest fight yet with another undefeated fighter.  Can you talk about your transition from the amateur style, which obviously you had to do in the Olympics, to the professional style?

 

D. Breazeale:

Like you said, it’s going to be a big fight with a guy that’s undefeated.  I’m sure he’s coming in looking to knock me out.  I’m coming in to knock him out, for sure.  But, amateur transition into the pros, I would say was a little bit easier for myself than it was for most amateurs.  The amateurs, a lot of my wins came by way of knockouts, so I’ve been knocking guys out since day one.

 

It’s one of those things that I transitioned from putting punches in bunches to putting punches in bunches with power.  I’m throwing a lot more punches now.  I’m putting a lot more punches together with power.  Every punch I throw has got devastating power.  I not only punch with the right hand, but I can punch with the left.  So long as I make contact, somebody’s going down for sure.

 

Q

Can you talk about the experience factor?  You both fought a number of guys who have a lot of fights under their belt.  His last fight, he defeated Taurus Sykes, who’s been around for a long time, a guy with a winning record.  Tell us where you think you’re at.  Because eventually, everybody wants to become a world champion, but what level do you think you’re at and how does that compare to Yasmany?

 

D. Breazeale

I think I’m right up there, if not, definitely above him.  I’ve fought some very experienced guys and guys that have been former Olympians, as well.  Guys like Matt Galer, who have been in heavyweight ranks and considered top contenders at one point.  Me and Matt put on a great fight.

 

My last fight with Victor Bisbal, that was March 7th of this year.  He’s a Puerto Rican Olympian.  He came out with a great amateur background, very good professional background.  When I finally beat him he had fought some experienced guys as well, so I definitely have the experience there.  Not only as an amateur, but definitely as a pro, too.

 

 

Q

And a similar question for Yasmany.  To me, it looks like this is going to be your biggest fight as a pro.  Where do you think you are as a professional at this point?  Where do you think you rank overall in the professional ranks?

 

Y. Consuegra

It’s definitely my toughest fight.  Breazeale’s a real good fighter out of the pros, but I’ve also had a great amateur background.  I fought the best of the best, obviously.  The Cuban heavyweight program is much more difficult than the American heavyweight program, and he was an Olympian, but I won a lot of world amateur tournaments.  I look forward to just getting in the ring with Breazeale and showing what I’ve got, because I think I could beat Breazeale, and I think I’m ready for Breazeale.  The top guys in the division, I’m going to show them.

 

Q

Yasmany, how influenced are you by some of the great Cuban fighters and heavyweights of the past year:  Teofilo Stevenson, Felix Savon, and many others?  How much of a role have they played in influencing your style?

 

Y. Consuegra

Obviously, Cuba has a great history of Cuban amateur heavyweights.  I like to put my style more toward Savon, who is a power puncher, as looking for the knockout at all times.  And Stevenson’s a great fighter, but he’s more of a boxer, so was Roberto Balado, but that’s definitely a great point.

 

Q

How does it feel to be fighting on NBC in front of such a big network audience, especially on a day when you’re going to be right in between French Open final and Stanley Cup game.  Dominic, could you answer that first?

 

D. Breazeale

I am definitely excited.  I’ve got to thank NBC for giving me the opportunity to fight on this card.  It’s a wonderful date.  Can’t ask for anything better:  southern California, noon.  Sun’s going to be out.  The weather is going to be great.  Great venue at the StubHub Center there.  It’s definitely exciting.  Whenever I get a chance to perform in front of a hometown crowd, family and friends, and things like that, it brings out the best in me, so I’m definitely looking forward to it and, like I said, I’ve got to thank NBC, Al Haymon, Goossen Promotions for putting this all together.  My team, all of you guys, I definitely, truly appreciate it.

 

Q

And Louis, could you ask Yasmany the same question?

 

Y. Consuegra

Yeah, it’s definitely the biggest fight of my life, the biggest fight of my career.  At this moment, I’d also like to thank Dominic Breazeale for taking this type of risk.  Not too many guys are willing to take these risks to fight an undefeated heavyweight and fight the best.  So, it’s a big day for both of us, and come Saturday, I’m going to show everybody that I’m one of the top guys in the division.

 

L. Milner

Okay, great.  Thank you, both, so much.  We will see you this week for a great event.  We have the main event on the line now, so I’m going to turn it back over to Tom Brown to introduce Robert Guerrero and Aaron Martinez.  Tom, take it away.
T. Brown

Okay, great.  Thank you.  First, I’d like to introduce former world champion, Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero, again, with a record of 32-3-1 and 18 KOs, making a quick return to the PBC on NBC.

 

Robert Guerrero

I just want to thank everybody for being on and I’m ready to go.

 

T. Brown

Okay, we’ve got Aron Martinez here also, with a record of 19-3-1, and he understands how valuable this opportunity is to face Guerrero on such a big platform.

 

Aron Martinez

Yeah, of course, I’m here.  It’s a great opportunity for me; I’m ready for battle.  We’re at weight and everything went pretty good at this camp, and what can I say, man?  Just excited to fight Saturday.

 

Q

Robert, you’re a guy that has fought a lot of big name fighters over a really nice career, an illustrious career.  Does it become a little more difficult to get up for a fighter like Aron Martinez who is, kind of unknown, at least as compared to the other guys that you’ve fought?

 

R. Guerrero

No, not at all.  Coming off the last fight with a loss at the short end of the stick, it drives you to be hungry.  So, that’s why I wanted to get right back into the ring, stay active.  That’s one of the biggest problems with being inactive and not having enough action throughout the year.  The year layoffs, a nine-, eight-month layoff, it really kills you, especially at that championship elite level.  It’s hard to come back and be 100 percent sharp, so the plan is to just stay sharp all year and get back on it.

 

Q

What do you know about him?  Do you watch any tapes of your opponents or anything like that?

 

R. Guerrero

Yeah, I’ve watched some tape on him.  I watched a few of his fights that I found on YouTube and he’s a crafty little guy.  He’s in there and he can fight on the inside.  He’s got some good counter shots and he mixes it up.  So, you’ve just got to be ready for everything all around, because you never know what’s going to come your way, especially when this is such a big opportunity for him, fighting on NBC.  You know he’s going to come 100 percent ready and that seems to happen all the time when I fight somebody.  They come 10 percent better than they were in their last couple of fights, so it’s about being prepared and being ready for whatever comes.

 

Q

Is there any concern about coming back to the ring so soon after a brutal fight like you just had three months ago?

 

R. Guerrero

Oh, no, not at all.  To me, the fight wasn’t even that brutal.  It may have been brutal for Thurman, but I was just getting started toward the end.  It actually feels good to get right back in.  I got right back into the gym three weeks after that and stayed on it.  So, after I left that ring, I still felt good.  My body felt good.  I just had that cut, got that taken care of, but other than that, I feel great.  That’s why I’m jumping right back in the ring so quick.

 

Q

I know you’re a well-known fighter throughout your career, but was there any difference after fighting on that show.  That was the most viewed fight in quite a long time, being that it was on free TV on a primetime Saturday night.  So, I just want to know if anything changed on your end, like more notoriety.

 

R. Guerrero

Definitely.  When you have a 96-year-old woman come up to you in the parking lot and say, “Man, what a great fight; that reminds me of the olden days of boxing,” it’s nice to see that.  And you see all the fans coming around and just the average person that’s at the grocery store recognizing you, it’s huge.  It’s not just huge for my career, but it’s huge for boxing.

 

Q

Did that factor into your wanting to come back so soon?  I know you said you want to stay sharp, but, obviously, staying in the public eye helps as well.

 

Robert Guerrero: Oh, definitely.  Out of sight, out of mind. So you want to stay active, you want to stay busy; you want to stay sharp.  You want to stay in the public eye to make that big run before time passes.

 

Q

Aron, I just have one question for you. You’ve been out of the ring for over a year since your fight with Josesito.  Was there any reason for that delay?  Could you just not get fights or did you just want to take the time off to clear your head?
A. Martinez

It was just with my promoter, little here and there, they were not giving me the right fights. Anybody that knows me, I stayed in the gym, because that’s what makes it easy for me, making weight.  I never have trouble making weight and that goes to show that I stay active.  I stay active in the gym and that’s what it is.

 

Q

My question is for Robert Guerrero.  I was a little disappointed to see that it took you quite a while to get into the fight with Keith Thurman.  Do you feel like that’s going to be something you’re going to change for this fight with Aron, is taking off right off the bat, first round?

 

R. Guerrero

Yeah, it goes back to being active in the ring. Everybody says, well, I feel great, there’s no ring rust, and this and that, but you truly don’t know until you get into that ring.  Then, those long layoffs really kill me.  You develop bad habits.  You lay back a little bit too much, and you end up getting started a little bit late like I did in the Thurman fight.  But when I did get started, there was no stopping me.

 

So, that’s why I want to stay active and stay in the ring.  Like I said before, it’s being inactive, not being in the ring fighting.  You develop habits where you do start off slowly and I felt like after the fight, when I looked back on it, it felt like I was starting off like I was sparring and just working into it, warming up, and then getting started.  Glad to get that fight out of the way and shake off that ring rust, and it’s time to make that push.

 

Q

First question for Robert.  Can you talk about getting up for this fight, because you fought such top level opponents and championship fights, Thurman and Mayweather and higher profile fights, and I think in this fight, you’re going to come in as a favorite.  Can you talk about making sure that you don’t overlook Aron Martinez and staying sharp and getting up mentally.

 

R. Guerrero

You never want to overlook anybody.  I don’t care who it is.  You’ve got two hands, you can throw a punch.  Anything can happen in the ring.  So, you never want to overlook anybody.  I found that out earlier in my career with a loss against Gamaliel Diaz.  I was overlooking him, thought I was going to take him out and he ended up out-boxing me.  He beat me by one point.

 

So, it’s one of those things where you live and learn.  You learn your lesson throughout the years and at this level of boxing and competition, you’ve got to just be able to get up and do your job and be prepared for everything.  So, it’s not a problem.  It’s like second nature to me.  I wake up every day.  I run.  I do my gym work.  If I don’t do it, it feels like I’m cheating, because I’ve been doing it since I was a kid.  So, it’s just being well-prepared and I’m always well-prepared for every fight, as you’ve seen through my previous fights.  I come to fight no matter what.

 

Q

What do you think your advantages are over him coming into this fight?
R. Guerrero

Maybe the arm reach, the hand speed, the height.  It’s a matter of not just having the advantages, but putting them to work and using them, and sticking to your game plan and being well prepared and being able to execute.  So, it’s time to react when you get in that ring and what you’re going to do with everything to make it happen.

 

Q

Aron, I think Robert’s going to be the one coming in as the favorite in this fight, but I just noticed on a lot of the PBC cards, there have been a lot of upsets and unexpected outcomes coming in.  Tell us why you’re going in expecting to win and what the effect is being on the PBC card on NBC.  Does that add something special to this?
A. Martinez

Yes of course.  It’s on national TV at StubHub Center, this is where I grew up.  It’s my home base.  I’ve got 23 fights.  Out of these 23 fights, I’ve never been the favorite; I’ve always been the underdog.  I’m not even supposed to be at this stage. That’s what I’m looking forward to.  I’ve never been the favorite in any of my fights, so I come out for every fight.  I know Rob, he’s an excellent champion; he’s been in with the best.  He knows I train hard for this fight because I really want it and it and I’m going to lay it all on the line. This is what I’m talking about.  I’m on to show everybody.

 

Q

You’re coming off a little over a year layoff as you explained earlier, and he’s coming off just a three-month layoff after a 12-round fight.  Do you think that’s going to factor into this fight, especially if it goes the distance?

 

A. Martinez

No.  It’s like what Robert said.  You don’t really know until you get in the ring.  We could say a bunch of things now, but you never know until you get in the ring and you actually feel it, because once you’re in the ring, it’s a whole different story, how it’s going to be.  We train really, really hard for this fight, and we’re ready.  It’s whatever I’ve got to do, I’ve got to do.  We fight inside we box, whatever.  We’re ready for whatever comes our way.
Q

Aron obviously, I know you’re up for this fight, and Robert’s already expressed that he’s trained for this fight and he’s expecting the very best from you, it’s been asked twice on this call if Robert is overlooking you.  Do you find that disrespectful that nobody is giving you a shot in this fight?  Or do you just use it as extra motivation?

 

A. Martinez

No.  I don’t find it that way.  It’s what it is.  Robert has been up there with the best.  And I don’t find it disrespectful; it’s just what it is, and it makes me train harder and just to make a point that who I am and they’re going to see Aron Martinez in there on Saturday and they’re going to see who I am.

 

L. Milner

Okay, that was our last question.  Robert, do you want to make a closing comment?

 

R. Guerrero

Yes.  I just want to thank everybody.  Thank Al Haymon and thank my team and thank everybody who’s been putting in the work to get this together, and I’m coming to fightSaturday night.  I’m ready to go.  I’m excited and going on right before the Belmont Stakes and it’s a big event leading into another big event.  So, I’m excited and I just can’t wait to fight.

 

The thing is staying active all year and doing my job and giving the fans what they love to see and giving them a great fight.  So, thank all the fans and thank everybody that’s on the conference call.  I really appreciate it and God bless everybody.

 

L. Milner

Okay, thanks.  Aaron, do you want to make a closing comment?

 

A. Martinez

Yes, I want to thank NBC, PBC and all.  Goossen for giving me this chance to show what I’ve got on Saturday, and I thank Robert, and just give a good show to everybody on Saturday, and I’m ready to push off and I’m ready to go. Thanks, everybody.
Lisa Milner: Thank you. Fight week events start tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. at the Wild Card West Boxing Gym with a media workout and I hope to see everybody there.  Thank you so much.  Thanks to the fighters.  Thanks, Tom Brown, and thanks to the media.

 

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com andwww.nbcsports.com/boxing, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @NBCSports, @GHOSTBOXING, @ElPerro82, @JesusCuellarBOX & @VicDarchinyan and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, andwww.facebook.com/NBCSports.

DOMINIC “TROUBLE” BREAZEALE OPENS UP PBC ON NBC LIVE TELECAST & FACES UNDEFEATED CUBAN HEAVYWEIGHT YASMANY CONSUEGRA

Upland, California (June 3, 2015) – Top U.S. heavyweight prospect Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale (14-0, 13 KO’s) makes his return to the ring this Saturday afternoon, June 6th at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.  Breazeale, takes another step up in competition and faces Cuban heavyweight Yasmany Consuegra (17-0, 14 KO’s) in a battle of undefeated heavyweights.  The televised bout will support the Robert Guerrero-Arron Martinez main-event and will open up the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) live telecast on NBC.

 

Photo c/o Timoteus “FOE” Hernandez

The 2012 U.S. Olympian is coming off of a solid win against heavyweight veteran Victor Bisbal this past March during the inaugural PBC on NBC series.  Breazeale showed true heart and resilience after experiencing the first knockdown of his career early in the first round of the bout.  Breazeale recovered quickly and dominated Bisbal until the bout was stopped in the fourth round, resulting in Breazeale’s 14th win and 13th by knockout. 

Immediately following the bout with Bisbal, Breazeale asked his advisor Al Haymon for another tough-quality opponent and Breazeale was granted his request. 

“My last bout with Bisbal was by far the toughest opponent I have ever shared the ring with.  He caught me with a good shot and I recovered quickly.  I shook it off and ended up stopping him a couple of rounds later.  After the bout, I wasn’t happy that I was knocked down although many people told me that I showed resilience and that is what champions are made of.  Still, I wanted another tough opponent and Al Haymon gave me the opportunity,” said Breazeale. 

In addition to the quality opponent, Breazeale now has the chance to make an impression on many avid and casual boxing fans who will be watching the bout live on NBC Saturday afternoon, an opportunity Breazeale welcomes and is thankful for. 

“This is a dream come true for me.  Some of my previous bouts have been televised in the past, but not on a prime-time network where millions of people will be tuning in and see an American heavyweight like me.  The heavyweight division is the most popular division in boxing because of its excitement and this is a bout between two undefeated heavyweights.” 

If this bout turns out as well as Breazeale has worked so hard for, he is looking to transition from a top prospect to a contender.  Since turning professional two and a half years ago, Breazeale has been on the fast track to the world heavyweight title and has been learning from every training camp and fight thereafter under the tutelage of trainer John Bray. 

“I know I still have some room to

Photo c/o Team Breazeale

grow.  I’ve been learning in the gym everyday and with every bout that I have had.  In just 14 professional bouts so far, I feel that I have fought tougher opposition at this particular point of my career than the current American world heavyweight champion did in his first fourteen bouts. With the platform I have been provided this Saturday, I intend to make the best of it and will definitely give the fans watching at home an entertaining fight and hope to make a name for myself in the heavyweight division.” 

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are priced at $200, $150, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and service charges, are on sale now and are available for purchase online at AXS.com.

“Here Comes Trouble!

 

#

 

Mighty Michigan Boxers Promise Brooklyn Beat-Downs! 

Fight Card Part of Brooklyn Brawl Series
Promoted by Dmitriy Salita’s Star of David Promotions
BROOKLYN (June 2, 2015) -Promoter Dmitriy Salita is excited to present a night of professional boxing action at the Paramount Events Center on Thursday, June 4. The card will be topped by a main event which pits Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, a charismatic power puncher, from Brooklyn, taking on Detroit resident Damon “Bulldog” McCreary. Miller, who has pop in both hands, as evidenced by his 12-0-1 mark (10 KO’s), will be tested by the 15-4 Detroit native in a heavyweight clash.

“Detroit has produced some of the best fighters in the U.S. and the world,” said promoter Salita. “The rich history of Emanuel Steward and the Kronk Gym is something all Detroit fighters are aware of and seek to live up to. Detroit fighters come to fight! They will come to “Brawl” in Brooklyn and I can assure you, boxing fans will enjoy great, exciting fights!”

Edward Williams, another Michigan native seeks to add to his 9-0-1 mark (4 KOs) on Thursday, as does 4-0-1 lightweight Dewayne Zeigler. He is another Detroit destroyer, with four stoppages in his short career. The Alabama born boxer meets Jeremy Graves from upstate New York at the first boxing event at the new venue.

Trainer Theotrice Chambers III, who trains IBF Jr. Middleweight champ Cornelius Bundrage, trains Williams and Zeigler and says they are coming to wreak havoc in NYC.

“Zeigler is an exciting kid, very explosive, punches hard with both hands,” he said. “And Williams is a good boxer, has a lot of heart and determination. The people in Brooklyn are gonna love them.”

PEC was launched in April by Barclays Center developer Bruce Ratner and Onexim Sports and Entertainment, with all business operations overseen by Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark.

“I am thrilled to join with PEC to bring boxing to LIU Brooklyn Paramount,” said Salita. “Over the last few years, Star of David Promotions has brought New York boxing fans exciting shows with incredible fights through our Brooklyn Brawl Series. This card will be an exciting addition to our series.”

“This June 4 boxing event will reintroduce LIU Brooklyn Paramount to the sports community,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Barclays Center. “Dmitriy has provided great opportunities for aspiring fighters and we are looking forward to working with him to solidify our grassroots boxing efforts in Brooklyn.”

You can purchase tickets by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.

ABOUT STAR OF DAVID PROMOTIONS
Star of David Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature the brightest prospects, as well as seasoned pugilists, in and around the New York City area. Viewers have enjoyed watching Star of David fighters in recent years on Spike TV, ESPN2, MSG, and Universal Sports Network. Please visitwww.Salitapromotions.com for more information.

DEONTAY WILDER, ERIC MOLINA, JOSE PEDRAZA MEDIA DAY WORKOUT QUOTES & PHOTOS

 

Heavyweight World Championship Saturday, June 13,
Live On SHOWTIME
® From Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala.;

ALL ACCESS: Deontay Wilder Premieres June 3 On SHOWTIME

 

Click HERE To Download Photos Of Deontay Wilder

Photo Credit: Bill Hoffman

 

Click HERE To Download Photos Of Eric Molina

Photo Credit: Joel Martinez/SHOWTIME

Click HERE To Download Photos Of Jose Pedraza

Photo Credit: Victor Planas/Universal Promotions

 

NEW YORK (June 1, 2015) – Unbeaten Heavyweight World Champion DeontayThe Bronze BomberWilder, confident heavyweight contender Eric “Drummer Boy” Molina and unbeaten junior lightweight Jose “The Sniper” Pedraza participated in Media Day Workouts last Thursday for their fights Saturday, June 13, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala.

 

The power-punching, popular hometown favorite Wilder (33-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., will make the first defense of his title when he meets Molina (23-2, 17 KOs), of Raymondville, Texas, in the main event on June 13. Pedraza (19-0, 12 KOs), of Caguas, Puerto Rico, will meet Andrey Klimov (19-1, 9 KOs), of Klimovski, Russia, in a 12-rounder for the vacant IBF Junior Lightweight World Championship in the co-feature.

 

Below is what Wilder, Molina and Pedraza said during their separate Media Days in Northport, Ala., Weslaco, Texas and Cidra, Puerto Rico, respectively:

 

DEONTAY WILDER, Heavyweight World Champion

 

“It’s definitely a blessing to be able to fight in my state. When we set the goal to be heavyweight champion of the world that was one of the goals we set, to bring it to Alabama. Just to change it up and give Alabama some spice besides football, and to finally get the opportunity to have a major fight in the state of Alabama. This is what we were looking for when we worked to bring the commission here, and we were successful and got it done. This is what we were looking for.

 

“I want Alabama to be my home territory. It’s why I stay here. Some people still try to throw me out but my heart is here and I’ve got bigger and better plans. This is just the beginning.

 

“My team handles all the distractions (from fighting at home). I’ve got a wonderful team. I’m just ready to go. I’m ready to get this party started and welcome Molina to Alabama.

 

“My hand is fine.  We tested it yesterday for 10-ounce gloves because that’s the competition weight. We put it on and I felt great. It gave me even more confidence. I’m ready to get in the ring and do what I have to do and perform for my people.”

 

(on being world champion)

 

“We knew we would be doing a lot of traveling after getting the belt but we didn’t know the capacity of how much. It’s been a journey for me.

 

“I think I bring a different flavor to the sport of boxing, and I want to bring even more to the world.”

 

(on Molina)

 

“I haven’t heard from Molina but that’s good, that means he’s focused. I want him to come very focused. I know he’s going to be nervous and scared, but they say if you back a rabbit in a corner, they fight back.

 

“I’m most dangerous when I’m at home. I’m not going to let down my home crowd and let someone take what I’ve worked so hard for. He’s not going to come behind enemy lines and take anything from me.

 

“I want a great performance from him. I want a great performance for the crowd and people to say, ‘Hey, I want to come back for the next one!’ and to be hungry for the next one. We got a lot of fights we want to do in Alabama, and this is just the start. I want to move on from Bartow to the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC), which is bigger than the MGM Grand.

 

“Every title defense is proving something. I’m the world’s most wanted, and everyone wants it. I’ve got the WBC crown. It’s the most well-known, famous belt in boxing. Everyone wants their name on this belt, and I have it. Every fight is a dangerous fight when I’m putting the belt on the line, and I train as if everyone is a world champion.”

 

(on why he’s defending against Molina)

 

“We have a lot of other opponents, but Molina was the one to understand the opportunity that lies at hand. Some people can price themselves out and some teams make it so difficult that the fight won’t happen. They can really block themselves out from getting the fight. You can have the money or the opportunity. Molina understands what the situation is, and he stepped up to the plate and understands the opportunity at hand to be the World Heavyweight Champion.

 

“My last fight I proved to everyone what I was capable of. I can go 12 rounds and take a punch.  I can be just as fresh in the 12th round as the 1st.

 

“The sky’s the limit in what we’re trying to do. I represent the state. Even though I’m from Tuscaloosa, it’s not just where my gym is in Northport or Coffeeville. I represent the state of Alabama. I need a home territory and a home state not only where we can bring in local people, bring in the nation, but also bring in the whole world.”

 

ERIC MOLINA, Heavyweight Contender

 

“This is the fight that we dream about when we first lace on the gloves and I am extremely excited about the opportunity to fight for the biggest prize in sports, the WBC heavyweight title. I’ve been preparing and training very hard, and I’m almost at the point where we’re ready to go.

 

“We’ve studied a lot of Wilder, and expect a very physical fight. I think a lot of people are underestimating my strength and power. They know Wilder can punch but they are underestimating the power that I possess.

 

“We know it’s going be a hostile environment, fighting in basically his backyard, but he’s now the champion and with that he gets an opportunity in his optional title defense (to fight who he wants, where he wants). He gets to enjoy those opportunities, but that’s where I come in.

 

“Of course, I’m confident I can win the title. I think people look at my record and think this or that, but I don’t feel they understand my entire career, the things I have gone through and overcome, the different angles of boxing that more than meets the eye.

 

“Nothing against Deontay, who has worked hard to get to where he is, but he doesn’t represent the kind of fighter, in general, that I am. I’ve always had to fight and struggle from fight to fight. I never had a true training camp situation. I’m not saying he had things easy, but I had to work and juggle things to keep going. Only the fighters in my situation can understand it.

 

“I’ve been boxing for nine years. I have a BS and Master’s Degree and I’m in my fourth year teaching kids with disabilities. Along with boxing, this is what I do. This is who I am, and I am not ashamed of who I am either. I’m proud. If they want to consider me an underdog, fine. But I’m also the guy who got knocked out in his first pro fight and battled back to where I am now and I’m fighting for the championship.

 

“What people don’t know about me is that my career has been all about determination, strength and struggles. Other boxers, including Bernard Hopkins, lost their first fights and went on to win a world title. I’ve learned a lot from my two losses and now I have the confidence to accomplish anything.

 

“Bottom line is I am not trying to convince anybody who I am, I just want people to see who the real Eric Molina is — that I am more than what my record on paper indicates. I was NABF champion for a while but could never get a fight so I was dropped from the rankings. It was like I had to start over again. But I stuck to it, and with everything else I had going on outside the ring, things I had to put aside for this fight, still managed to get into the position I’m in now.

 

“I don’t think there’s ever been a heavyweight contender like me. Where I train, there are no other real heavyweights except for one or two. I have to fly guys in to help me work with the guys already here. I’ve been in camps with Bermane Stiverne; I often had to go to where the sparring was just to get the work.

 

“I’ve never been in a spot where things have been easy for me in boxing. I never had the odds on my side, the tools, the resources. But I still made it this far and want to go farther.

 

“I think the first round is very important. I expect that from the get-go that he will feel like he could hurt me, but I also feel very strongly that I could hurt him. So it is very important to be ready for that first bell.

 

“This is going to be a great fight, much, much better than many may be expecting, and I am ready.”

 

JOSE PEDRAZA, Unbeaten Junior Lightweight Contender

 

“As a Puerto Rican, every time I fight, I fight for the honor of my people. So, on June 13, I won’t only be fighting to win a world title, I’ll be fighting for Cidra, Puerto Rico and for all the Puerto Ricans out there watching me. Puerto Rico needs another champion and I’m here to deliver and make my people proud. I cannot afford to let them down. I won’t let Puerto Rico down. I’ll come back a champion.

 

“This is a great opportunity fighting on a big show on SHOWTIME. It has taken hard work, dedication and long gym work to obtain this big exposure on SHOWTIME.


“My last fight against Michael Farenas was very important to me because that fight was a title eliminator and, by winning, it opened the door to this fight and finally my dream of becoming world champion is close to arriving.


“It has been a long and hard training camp — intensive. We opened camp in Las Vegas in December. This camp has been special because it is for the world championship.


“Andrey Klimov is a strong boxer, always going forward, the jab and straight right are his best shots. The only thing I see is he is strong and has good fitness. From his last fight against Terrence Crawford I could see that he has problems when he fights a left-handed boxer with good movement. I will be working in side steps and with speed.


“I hope that he comes well prepared for me. We must do our best to give the fans a good show. OnJune 13, I will be a new champ and after that I want to make two defenses and move to 135.”


# # #

ALL ACCESS: Deontay Wilder, which chronicle’s the champion’s January fight against Bermane Stiverne and sets the stage as he prepares for his upcoming title defense, premieres on Wednesday, June 3 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
“WILDER vs. MOLINA,” a 12-Round fight for Wilder’s WBC Heavyweight Championship, takes placeSaturday, June 13, at The Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala. DiBella Entertainment and Bruno Event Team have joined forces to bring this event to Alabama. In the co-main event co-romoted by DiBella in association with Universal Promotions, Jose Pedraza will face Andrey Klimov in a 12-Round bout for the IBF Jr. Lightweight World Title. It will air live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).  Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

 

For more information visit www.sports.sho.com and www.dbe1.com follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @WilderVSMolina, @BronzeBomber, @LouDiBella and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #WilderMolina, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com.

SWEET HOME(COMING) ALABAMA! UNDEFEATED DEONTAY WILDER TO DEFEND HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD TITLE AGAINST ERIC MOLINA  ON SATURDAY, JUNE 13, LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

FROM BARTOW ARENA IN BIRMINGHAM, ALA.

 

Tickets Are On Sale Now!

ALL ACCESS: Deontay Wilder Premieres June 3 On SHOWTIME

 

Birmingham, Ala. (May 14, 2015) – Undefeated Heavyweight World Champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (33-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., will make the first defense of his title when he faces Eric “Drummer Boy” Molina (23-2, 17 KOs), of Raymondville, Texas, in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® on Saturday, June 13, live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala.

 

 

In the co-feature, undefeated Jose “The Sniper” Pedraza (19-0, 12 KOs), of Caguas, Puerto Rico, will be opposed by Andrey Klimov (19-1, 9 KOs), of Klimovski, Russia, in a 12-rounder for the vacant IBF Junior Lightweight World Championship.

 

The 6-foot-7 Wilder captured the heavyweight world championship with an impressive 12-round unanimous decision over defending titleholder Bermane Stiverne on Jan. 17 on SHOWTIME.  It was the first time the hard-hitting Wilder, 29, had fought more than four full rounds and the only time in his seven-year career that one of his fights went to the judges.  By winning, he became the first undefeated American to win a heavyweight title since Michael Moorer in 1994.

 

Molina, a 6-foot-5 southpaw, possesses punching power that commands respect and makes him a dangerous proposition for any opponent.  He has won five in a row, three straight by knockout, including an eighth-round TKO over Raphael Zumbano Love on the Wilder-Stiverne undercard.  If triumphant, the aggressive-minded 32-year-old would become the first Mexican-American heavyweight world champion.

 

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Bruno Events Team are on sale now.  Tickets start at only $25 with the best seats in the house going for $200.  VIP packages are also available.  To purchase tickets fans should visit alabamatitlefight.com.  Tickets are selling fast and a sellout is anticipated.

 

“It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to defend my heavyweight championship in my home state,” Wilder said. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time.

 

“It was one of my dreams to win a world title. This was my other dream to be able to defend it before all my fans in Alabama. I can’t wait until fight night to step into the ring and see the whole state coming out to support me.”

 

“I remember just a few months ago watching Deontay get ready for the biggest fight of his life,” Molina said.  “I thought to myself, ‘someday, that’ll be me.’  I stared with envy not knowing that a few months later I’d get my turn.

 

“Winning the heavyweight world championship is my dream.  Just as it was Deontay’s dream, it’s mine now.  He had his turn, though it will be short-lived.  I will become the first Mexican-American heavyweight champion.  Guaranteed.  So, champ, come prepared for war.  I’m coming to kick some ass.”

 

“Deontay Wilder is the first American to hold a heavyweight championship in years and one of the most exciting fighters in the division. His homecoming in Birmingham will be electric,” promoter Lou DiBella said. “The opening bout will be Jose Pedraza’s opportunity to establish himself as Puerto Rico’s next champion and a rising star. It will be a great night of boxing on SHOWTIME.”

 

“We are excited to work with DiBella Entertainment to bring the first ever heavyweight boxing championship to the State of Alabama,” said Gene Hallman, president and CEO of Bruno Event Team, a nationwide leader in sports event management.  “Alabama’s Deontay Wilder always puts on a show, so we expect the arena to sell out for this world heavyweight championship.”

 

“Deontay made an emphatic statement with his performance in January that he is one of the current and future stars of this sport, and we’re thrilled to welcome him back to SHOWTIME for his first title defense, ” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager SHOWTIME Sports.  “But we all know that one punch can change everything in the heavyweight division and Eric Molina will be coming to Alabama to prove just that.”

 

ALL ACCESS: Deontay Wilder, which chronicles the champion’s Jan. 24 homecoming parade in Tuscaloosa and his preparation for the upcoming title defense, premieres on Wednesday, June 3 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

 

Wilder, the first United States-born heavyweight champion since Shannon Briggs won the WBO belt in November 2006, was born and raised in Tuscaloosa.  He’s fought in Alabama five times, although the bout on the campus of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) will mark the first occasion he’s fought outside of Tuscaloosa (four times) or Mobile (once).  This will be the first fight in his home state since August 2012.

 

Wilder started boxing at the age of 21 after his daughter Naieya (pronounced nie-EE-ya) was born with spina bifida.  Despite his late start in boxing, Wilder would go on to represent the United States in the 2008 Olympic Games, where he won a bronze medal.  He is the last American male boxer to medal in the Olympics.

 

Until going the distance against Stiverne, Wilder hadn’t come close to putting in a full night’s work since turning pro in November 2008.  The then-virtually untested slugger had fought a total of 58 rounds, an average of 1.8 rounds per outing.  He’s registered 18 knockouts in the first round, eight in the second.

 

Molina, who resides in Weslaco, Texas, is a big slugger, rugged and strong.  He has good skills and movement and, like Wilder, got a belated start in boxing but has had only two defeats as a professional.

 

“The Drummer Boy” is on a roll, coming off five consecutive victories. Molina’s matchup with Wilder will be his first shot at a world title.

 

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“WILDER VS. MOLINA, a 12-round fight for Wilder’s WBC Heavyweight Championship, takes placeSaturday, June 13, at The Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala. DiBella Entertainment and Bruno Event Team have joined forces to bring this event to Alabama. It will air live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).  Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

 

For more information visit www.sports.sho.com and www.dbe1.com follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @BronzeBomber, @LouDiBella and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #WilderMolina, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog athttp://theboxingblog.sho.com.

Boxcino 2015 Finals on ESPN “Friday Night Fights” May 22, Corona, CA

For Immediate Release

ORANGE, Calif. (May 5, 2015) – Junior middleweight Brandon Adams (16-1, 12 KOs) is returning to a familiar situation. After coming up short in last year’s Boxcino finals and suffering the only loss of his career, the Los Angeles-native dropped down one weight class and fought his way back to the 10-round championship fight.

Adams faces the smooth boxing skills of John Thompson (16-1, 5 KOs) of Newark, New Jersey on Friday, May 22, from the Omega Products Outdoor Arena in Corona, Calif. in the Boxcino 2015 junior middleweight championship.

The Boxcino Finals is televised on ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” (ESPN2 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) and is co-promoted through Arthur Pelullo’s Banner Promotions and Ken Thompson’s Thompson Boxing Promotions.

“Everything is good, training is going well,” Brandon Adams said. “I‘m still in shape from my last fight and I’m coming to get what is mine. I’m going to put on a performance that will make everyone proud.”

“My training camp has been great,” John Thompson said. “I‘ve been working hard, staying hungry. I have one day on my mind and that is May 22nd.”

Tickets for the Boxcino Finals are priced at $50, $70, & $100, and are available for purchase online at ThompsonBoxing.com or by calling 714-935-0900.

In the co-feature, heavyweight talents Donovan Dennis (14-2, 11 KOs) of Cleveland, Ohio and Andrey Fedosov (27-3, 22 KOs) of Russia will meet in a 10-round fight to determine the Boxcino 2015 heavyweight champion.

Dennis and Fedosov have electrified the crowds leading up to the tournament finals. They both showed off their freight train like power by knocking out their respective opponents in the Boxcino quarter and semifinals.

“I’ve been in Los Angeles for training camp, getting good sparring,” Donovan Dennissaid. “I know Andrey will be ready, and so will I.”

“I’m glad that I’ve made it into the finals of this great tournament on ESPN,” Andrey Fedosov said. “I‘m training very hard in Los Angeles and I’m confident that I will win the fight.”

“I’m looking forward to the Boxcino finals,” said Artie Pelullo, president of Banner Promotions. “The finals will be terrific with two exciting and compelling fights.”

“We couldn’t be anymore excited to be a part of this wonderful tournament that has a long history of producing boxing stars,” said Ken Thompson, president of Thompson Boxing. “All four boxers understand what’s on the line, and I’m positive they’ll come out hungry and put on a tremendous boxing showcase.”

Additional information on the undercard will be announced shortly.
The Omega Products Outdoor Arena is located at 1681 California Ave., Corona, CA 92881 and can be reached at 951-737-7447. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. PT and the first bout begins at 6:15 p.m. PT.

For additional information please visit www.banner-promotions.comThompsonBoxing.com and. For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check our Facebook page, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram@bannerboxing and @ThompsonBoxing.