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Kelly Swanson

Bedankt iedereen voor het samenvoegen van ons vandaag. Ik ben enthousiast over deze oproep en deze strijd. Vandaag gaan we te horen van zowel de strijders, Deontay Wilder en Eric Molina. Deelnemen aan ons als goed Lou DiBella, Voorzitter van DiBella Entertainment, en ook Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President en General Manager van SHOWTIME Sports.

Zo, de formele introducties maken, Ik ga het over te dragen aan Lou.

Lou DiBella

Dankjewel, Kelly. Het is altijd een waar genoegen en eer wanneer je naar een zwaargewicht kampioenschap strijd te bevorderen, en Deontay Wilder is de eerste Amerikaanse zwaargewicht kampioen in een tijdje. Hij krijgt de kans om zijn titel te verdedigen, zijn eerste verdediging in zijn woonplaats Birmingham, Alabama, op de campus van UAB van Bartow Arena.

Deze zal worden uitgezonden als belangrijkste gebeurtenis op Showtime Championship Boxing op zaterdagavond, Juni 13. Dit is een interessante tijd om in de UAB campus omdat UAB net omgekeerd een zeer controversiële beslissing om zijn voetbalprogramma ontbinden, dus college football komt terug naar Birmingham en de campus van UAB en zo is zwaargewicht kampioenschap boksen met Deontay Wilder.

Tickets zijn geprijsd op $25, $50, $75, $100, $150, en $200, maar minder dan 1,000 tickets links, en we verwachten een uitverkocht huis van ongeveer 8,500 mensen en dat tickets gaat verkopen uit weg voor Fight Night. Zo, als iemand wil tickets, krijgen ze zo snel als je kan bij UABSports.com en AlabamaFightNight.com. De deuren gaan open om 3 uur. De eerste aanval zal worden op 3:30 p.m., en dan SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHP BOKSEN op de lucht in 9 p.m. EN, 8 p.m. CT, en 6 p.m. PT.

De opening bout op Showtime is een geweldige wereldkampioenschap zelf vechten tussen 130-pond titel kanshebbers, Jose Pedraza en Andrey Klimov. Ik wil graag Executive Vice President en General Manager van SHOWTIME Sports uitnodigen, Stephen Espinoza.

Stephen Espinoza

Hartelijk bedankt, Lou. Het is een spannende dag voor ons allemaal hier bij SHOWTIME. Eerder vandaag, kondigden we de op handen zijnde lancering van een nieuwe online streamingdienst, SHOWTIME rechtstreeks aan de consument, wat betekent dat al onze bekroonde programmering, met inbegrip van al onze live boksen uitzendingen, zal beschikbaar zijn op de live-Oosten en West Coast feeds voor Showtime, evenals al onze on demand content. Dat dienst zal lanceren in medio juli.

Later vanavond, we hebben een geweldige aflevering van 60 Minuten Sports, die een zeer onthullend interview met een aantal van de laatste ontwikkelingen in de Pippa schandaal omvat. Dat wordt gevolgd door de première van All Access: Deontay Wilder. Dat is bij 10 p.m. ET / PT. We nemen een kijkje terug te nemen bij Deontay handtekening overwinning, dat die hem de zwaargewicht titel verdiend door de bekroonde lens van de serie, en we zullen ook, zoals gewoonlijk, zijn het nemen van een kijkje op de persoonlijke kant en tonen u enkele van de diepte van het karakter Deontay dat fans niet vertrouwd zijn met deze val zou kunnen zijn.

Als voor zaterdag 13, we hebben een grote nacht van gevechten, misschien wel een van onze sterkste nachten van de SHOWTIME Extremecards tot op heden. Dat begint bij 7 p.m. ET / PT. Dat gaat van start met twee ongeslagen strijders in een WBC 135-pond eliminatie bout, John Redkach, die velen van jullie hebben al meerdere malen op ShoBox gezien tegen Dejan Zlaticanin, die een zeer lastige concurrent. Ook, een van de nietjes van Extreme en een zeer hoog aangeschreven vooruitzicht, Julian Williams van Philadelphia, zal in zware tegen een Russische weltergewicht vooruitzicht, Arman Ovsepyan.

Dan is het Showtime, een kampioenschap double header, als Lou aangegeven. In de opening aanval, We hebben amateur opvallende ongeslagen, Jose Pedraza van Puerto Rico geconfronteerd met zware hitter Andrey Klimov. Pedraza, natuurlijk, heeft vertegenwoordigd Puerto Rico in de 2008 Olympische Spelen, was een gouden medaillewinnaar op de 2010 Midden-Amerikaanse en Caribische Spelen. Je hebt hem gezien vermeld op ShoBox. Hij is een zeer ervaren vechter.

Andrey Klimov, ook een top amateur, voormalige Russische lichtgewicht gordel houder. Zijn enige verlies, natuurlijk, is om de huidige WBO 140-pond kampioen, Terence Crawford. Lou is een beetje meer te geven in detail op de main event en de invoering van de strijders, maar staat u mij om te zeggen dat we verwachten dat een enorme opkomst voor onze eerste wereldkampioen boksen evenement en voor onze Showtime Boxing uitzending in de staat Alabama.

Zoals we weten, een volle arena voegt een enorme element van opwinding aan live televisie. We zijn trots om deze boeiende en verfrissende wereld zwaargewicht titel gevecht live op Showtime.

Back aan u, Lou.

L. DiBella

Hartelijk bedankt, Stephen. De zwaargewicht kampioenschap bout beschikt Deontay Wilder uitgedaagd door Eric Molina. Molina is 23-2 met 17 KO. Hij is op een vijf-gevecht winning streak en een drie-fight knockout streak, waaronder een carrière beste overwinning op DaVarryl Williamson. Zijn enige verlies sinds zijn pro-debuut kwam tegen Chris Arreola. Hij is de nummer 9 door de WBC.

Hij is ook een echt interessante man zoals ik heb gekregen om hem een ​​paar keer in de loop van deze promotie te horen, die doet veel om terug te geven aan zijn gemeenschap, die heeft een groot gevoel van naastenliefde en gemeenschap, en hij maakte het heel duidelijk dat hij heeft hier niets te verliezen. Hij heeft het bekijken van dit als een kans van je leven, en dat hij gaat alles en nog wat te doen om de wereld te schokken en neem dat wereldkampioenschap weg van Deontay Wilder.

Zo, het is mij een genoegen om wereldkampioen titel uitdager introduceren, Eric Molina.

Eric Molina

Hallo, jongens. Net als Lou zei net, dat was een goede introductie van wie ik ben en wat ik ben komen te doen. We zijn erg enthousiast over de strijd, de kans om te gaan naar Alabama. We weten dat het gaat om een ​​zeer hectische omgeving daar beneden, erg ongemakkelijk milieu, maar Wilder is de kampioen, en hij krijgt al deze privileges van de richtlijnen van waar we vechten en alle logistiek van te genieten, dus we zijn blij voor de kans om te vechten voor de zwaargewicht wereld titel en we zijn zeer bereid.

Trainingskamp gaat zeer goed. We sluiten onze trainingskamp op zaterdag, en we moeten klaar om te gaan naar Alabama op maandag. Alles is op zoek naar zeer goed, en we zijn klaar om te gaan.

L. DiBella

Dankjewel, Eric. Vechten week, volgende week, er zal een hoop van de gebeurtenissen in de aanloop naar de strijd te zijn, waaronder een training op woensdag en een openbare wegen-in op vrijdag. Ik zou mensen willen AlabamaTitleFight.com volgen voor alle details als ze bijgewerkt, waaronder veel details over dingen die is open voor het publiek en dat de mensen van Birmingham kan genieten tijdens de strijd week, Dus dat is www.AlabamaTitleFight.com.

Een van de meest trotse zonen en de grootste zonen van Birmingham, Alabama, is een jonge man die een fysiek exemplaar. Hij is 33-0, met een ongelooflijke knock-out percentage van 32 KO in 33 gevechten. Deontay Wilder had een korte maar versierde amateur-carrière die met een trip naar de Olympische Spelen afgesloten waar hij won een bronzen medaille voor de Verenigde Staten. Hij won een 12-round besluit over Bermane Stiverne in januari om de WBC zwaargewicht kampioen te worden.

In zijn professionele carrière is hij knock-out voormalig Olympisch gouden medaillewinnaar, Audley Harrison in een ronde, voormalig zwaargewicht titelhouder, Sergei Liakhovich in één ronde. Hij begon alleen boksen in 2005, en zijn snelle klim in de sport was vrij geweldig en eigenlijk de inspiratie voor een kinderboek genaamd Deontay de Future World Champ, en ik denk dat het boek van kinderen was profetisch, want het is nu Deontay, de World Champ.

Hij werd geboren in Tuscaloosa, opgegroeid een diehard fan Crimson Tide, en hij is terug naar huis om te vechten in Alabama voor de eerste keer in drie jaar om zijn WBC zwaargewicht titel te verdedigen voor de eerste keer.

Zo, het is mijn eer en genoegen om WBC zwaargewicht kampioen van de wereld te introduceren, Deontay Wilder.

Deontay Wilder

Hallo, jongens. Ik ben blij met deze kans om terug in de ring te krijgen en mijn talent meer hebben. Alle mensen die gaan kijken naar de mensen die zullen worden in opkomst, het is een genoegen en een eer om te kunnen in de ring te krijgen op iets dat ik graag doen en ik heb een zeer sterke passie over, dus ik ben enthousiast over juni 13. Ik ben enthousiast over komst naar mijn huis staat Alabama.

Toen ik uiteengezet steeds de onbetwiste zwaargewicht kampioen van de wereld, Ik heb een deel van het steeds de zwaargewicht kampioen, de WBC zwaargewicht kampioen van de wereld. Ik heb nog een lange weg te gaan, maar ik ben vereerd en blij om mijn eerste titel verdediging in Alabama hebben. We gaan maken geschiedenis tot juni 13 door het hebben van de eerste titel gevecht van een afdeling in de staat Alabama, en dat is een genot en zeker een eer voor mij. Zo, mij en Eric zal zeker getuige van en het maken van geschiedenis tot juni 13.

Ik waardeer hem voor de ondertekening van het contract en het aanvaarden van deze kans. Veel jongens niet krijgen een kans om te kunnen vechten voor een wereld titel, en ik feliciteer hem op de mogelijkheid. Ik weet dat het gaat om een ​​geweldig gevecht worden. Hij gaat komen om te vechten, en dat is wat ik verwacht. Ik verwacht een geweldig gevecht. Hij is iemand die een groot schors kreeg maar willen een grote hap in de ring en te, dus dat is wat ik verwacht. Aan al mijn fans, Hij komt naar vijandelijk gebied. Hij komt tot een arena vol met niets anders dan de meerderheid van de geboorteplaats mensen in de staat Alabama, dus dat is een moeilijke omgeving in te komen en dan geconfronteerd met een van de meest gevaarlijke mannen in de divisie tot op heden.

Zo, Ik juich hem voor die. Ik ben net klaar. Ik heb gewacht voor een lange tijd om terug te keren in de ring. Na mijn laatste gevecht, Ik wil consequent blijven. Ik wil bezig in gevechten blijven. Ik hou ervan om dit te doen. God gaf mij de mogelijkheid om dit te doen. Ik ga blijven doen, blijven geven de fans wat ze willen zien, en dat is grote gevechten en het verdedigen van mijn titel zo veel mogelijk. Je kunt aan mijn stem dat ik ben super enthousiast. Ik kan niet wachten. Er is niets wat ik doe, mijn baan, en dat is een whoop **, en ik kan niet wachten om naar binnen te komen juni 13.

L. DiBella

Dankjewel, Deontay. Goed, Nu zullen we het te openen voor vragen.

Q

Zoals mijn begrip is, Deontay, een paar jaar geleden, of drie jaar geleden, wanneer het, niet zo lang nadat je pro draaide, dat de mensen in Alabama echt creëerde de boksen commissie dat er is om de sport in principe regelen omdat ze wilden hun favoriete zoon, Deontay Wilder, om te kunnen vechten in het land van herkomst en op dit soort grote shows te zetten.

Toen dat gebeurd, was het ultieme doel voor u om op een groot evenement in je land van herkomst gezet?

D. Wilder

Dit was zeker het uiteindelijke doel. Mijn trainer en co-manager, Jay Deas, we een doel voort te krijgen van een commissie hier. We hadden veel grote kampioenen die van hier, maar kon geen strijd te wijten aan het feit dat er geen commissie hier. Ik plannen van na de Olympische Spelen pro het draaien en blijven en die woonachtig zijn hier in mijn huis staat had al. Ik had een visie voor deze staat. Ik wilde het groter zijn dan alleen maar college football te maken. Ik gaf hen de mogelijkheden om een ​​professionele sport hier, en dat is boksen, dus zodra we onze opdracht, het was bergopwaarts vanaf daar. Een heleboel mensen hebben gekregen aan boord. Veel mensen hebben nog nooit last van boksen, periode, in hun leven, totdat ze lezen over het verhaal van mijn beweging, wat is er aan de hand, en veel mensen hadden interesse in het boksen verloren totdat ze lezen over mijn verhaal, mijn beweging. Nu, ze aan boord.

Zo, het werd een beetje een ding voor de staat Alabama nu, zodat ze me op de top tot aan de sport hier betreft in de staat Alabama, want er gaat niets boven een wereld sport, niets. Niets nationale kan concurreren met een wereld-niveau 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

Goed, 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?’

En. 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. Als je naar mijn record kijkt, 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.

Zo, the casual fan doesn’t say ah, goed, 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 13^th 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?

En. Molina

Goed, 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

Ik bedoel, 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, Bereid ik me voor, 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, hoe dan ook. I go in there and let my hands go, and if I get the knockout, I get it. I would prefer the knockout, natuurlijk. 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.

Zo, 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, werkelijk, 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 rondes? 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, dat is het. 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 rondes, easy, because I’m never out of shape. I’m always full of energy. Ik hou ervan om dit te doen, so to go to 12 rondes, 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, nu, 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, dat is zeker.

Zo, 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. Overwinning, verliezen, of tekenen, 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

Goed, 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.

Zo, 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, Ik bedoel, zeer, 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

Goed, 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. Natuurlijk, 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.

Zo, I have that. I’m the owner of that, so I’m not worried about anything else. Op dit moment, 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?

En. 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. Ik weet wat ik op tafel zet. 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, de mensen, my family and my fans, they believe in me, and I believe in myself, belangrijker. Zo, we’re coming in, I’m coming in June 13^th, and I’m blessed to, goed, 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. Niet Doen, 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. Ik ben op zoek naar – definitely it’s going to be a packed venue, dat is zeker. 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

Ik bedoel, 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. Zoals ik eerder zei, 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, definitief. 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 (op Showtime). Weet je, you all watch the ALL ACCESS, everything is me. Nothing is scripted. Nothing is planned out, niets. 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.

Zo, 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. Zo, the division is definitely on the rise, and I’m looking to be the biggest thing in boxing, periode.

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

Goed, 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, blijkbaar, but why do you think that’s going to play out?

D. Wilder

Goed, mijn vertrouwen is op een 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.

Zo, in de eerste plaats, 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. Zo, 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?

En. 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. Ik bedoel, 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, zijn volk, 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. Nummer een, 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?

En. Molina

Goed, 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.

Zo, 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, meer ervaren, more confident fighter. And I’m ready.

Lou DiBella

That’ll be it, jongens. Dankjewel, Deontay. Dankjewel, Eric. Dankjewel, iedereen, om bij ons te komen. Just one more time, the event will be at the Bartow Arena on the campus of UAB in Birmingham, Alabama. Tickets zijn $25, $50, $75, $100, $150, en $200, maar minder dan 1,000 tickets links. 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., eerste gevecht om 3:30 p.m., and thank you all for joining us.

# # #

“WILDER vs. MOLINA,” een 12-round strijd voor WBC Zwaargewicht Kampioenschap Wilder's, vindt plaats op zaterdag, Juni 13, The Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala. DiBella Entertainment en Bruno Event Team hebben hun krachten gebundeld om dit evenement naar Alabama te brengen. In de co-main event co-romoted door DiBella in samenwerking met Universal Promotions, Jose Pedraza zal worden geconfronteerd met Andrey Klimov in een 12-round Bout voor de IBF Jr. Lichtgewicht wereldtitel. Het zal de lucht live op Showtime (9 p.m. EN / 6 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Voorlopige periodes zal live worden uitgezonden op Showtime EXTREME (7 p.m. ET / PT, vertraagd op de West Coast).

Voor meer informatie bezoek www.sports.sho.com en www.dbe1.com volgen op Twitter opSHOSports, @BronzeBomber, LouDiBella EnSwanson_Comm, volg het gesprek met #WilderMolina, word fan op Facebook op www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing of bezoek http://shosportspoundforpound.

Heavyweight World Championship Zaterdag, Juni 13,
Live op Showtime^® Van Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala.;

All Access: Deontay Wilder Premieres Juni 3 On SHOWTIME

Klik HIER To Download Photos Of Deontay Wilder

Photo Credit: Bill Hoffman

Klik HIER To Download Photos Of Eric Molina

Photo Credit: Joel Martinez/SHOWTIME

Klik HIER To Download Photos Of Jose Pedraza

Photo Credit: Victor Planas/Universal Promotions

NEW YORK (Juni 1, 2015) – Ongeslagen wereldkampioen zwaargewicht Deontay “De Bronze Bomber” Wilder, confident heavyweight contender Eric “Drummer Boy” Molina and unbeaten junior lightweight Jose “De Sniper” Pedraza participated in Media Day Workouts last Thursday for their fights Zaterdag, Juni 13, op Showtime Championship Boxing^® live op SHOW TIME^® (9 p.m. EN/6 p.m. PT) bij Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala.

The power-punching, popular hometown favorite Wilder (33-0, 32 KO), van Tuscaloosa, Ala., will make the first defense of his title when he meets Molina (23-2, 17 KO), van Raymondville, Texas, in de belangrijkste gebeurtenis op Juni 13. Pedraza (19-0, 12 KO), van Caguas, Puerto Rico, ontmoet Andrey Klimov (19-1, 9 KO), van Klimovski, Rusland, 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, respectievelijk:

Deontay WILDERE, Wereldkampioen zwaargewicht

“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. Ik ben gewoon klaar om te gaan. 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, Zwaargewicht 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.

“Natuurlijk, 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 het algemeen, 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, fijn. 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.

“Dit gaat een geweldig gevecht worden, 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. Zo, op Juni 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. OpJuni 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, premières op Woensdag, Juni 3 bij 10 p.m. EN/PT.
“WILDER vs. MOLINA,” een 12-round strijd voor WBC Zwaargewicht Kampioenschap Wilder's, vindt plaatsZaterdag, Juni 13, The Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala. DiBella Entertainment en Bruno Event Team hebben hun krachten gebundeld om dit evenement naar Alabama te brengen. In de co-main event co-romoted door DiBella in samenwerking met Universal Promotions, Jose Pedraza zal worden geconfronteerd met Andrey Klimov in een 12-round Bout voor de IBF Jr. Lichtgewicht wereldtitel. Het zal de lucht live op Showtime^® (9 p.m. EN/ 6 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Voorlopige periodes zal live worden uitgezonden op Showtime EXTREME (7 p.m. EN/PT, vertraagd op de West Coast).

Voor meer informatie bezoek www.sports.sho.com en www.dbe1.com volgen op Twitter opSHOSports, WilderVSMolina, @BronzeBomber, LouDiBella EnSwanson_Comm, volg het gesprek met #WilderMolina, word fan op Facebook op www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing of bezoek de Showtime Boxing Blog op http://theboxingblog.sho.com.

VAN BARTOW ARENA IN BIRMINGHAM, ALA.

Tickets zijn nu te koop!

All Access: Deontay Wilder Premieres Juni 3 On SHOWTIME

In de co-functie, ongeslagen Jose “De Sniper” Pedraza (19-0, 12 KO), van Caguas, Puerto Rico, zal worden tegengewerkt door Andrey Klimov (19-1, 9 KO), van Klimovski, Rusland, in een 12-rounder voor de vacante IBF Junior Lichtgewicht World Championship.

The 6-foot-7 Wilder captured the heavyweight world championship with an impressive 12-round unanimous decision over defending titleholder Gold Cup op Jan. 17 op 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. Als triomfantelijke, the aggressive-minded 32-year-old would become the first Mexican-American heavyweight world champion.

Tickets voor het evenement, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Bruno Events Team are on sale now. Tickets beginnen bij slechts $25 met de beste plaatsen in het huis gaan voor $200. VIP-pakketten zijn ook beschikbaar. Om de aankoop van tickets fans moet bezoeken alabamatitlefight.com. Tickets verkopen snel en een uitverkochte wordt verwacht.

“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. Zo, 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 en CEO van 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, ” zei Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager Showtime Sport. “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, premières op Woensdag, Juni 3 bij 10 p.m. EN/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 Olympische Spelen, waar hij won een bronzen medaille. Hij is de laatste Amerikaanse mannelijke bokser te medaille op de Olympische Spelen.

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 rondes, 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.

# # #

“WILDER VS. MOLINA, een 12-round strijd voor WBC Zwaargewicht Kampioenschap Wilder's, vindt plaatsZaterdag, Juni 13, The Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala. DiBella Entertainment en Bruno Event Team hebben hun krachten gebundeld om dit evenement naar Alabama te brengen. Het zal de lucht live op Showtime^® (9 p.m. EN/ 6 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Voorlopige periodes zal live worden uitgezonden op Showtime EXTREME (7 p.m. EN/PT, vertraagd op de West Coast).

Voor meer informatie bezoek www.sports.sho.com en www.dbe1.com volgen op Twitter opSHOSports, @BronzeBomber, LouDiBella EnSwanson_Comm, volg het gesprek met #WilderMolina, word fan op Facebook op www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing of bezoek de Showtime Boxing Blog ophttp://theboxingblog.sho.com.