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VIDEO: GARCIA – JUDAH FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE




TENSIONS RISE AT DANNY GARCIA VS. ZAB JUDAH & UNDERCARD FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE AT BARCLAYS CENTER IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

Danny Garcia
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (April 25, 2013) – The final press conference for what will be an intense and emotional confrontation between unbeaten Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia and former Two-Division World Champion Zab Judah took place Thursday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the site of their 140-pound title fight this Saturday, April 27 which will be televised live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Both Garcia (25-0, 16 KO’s), the defending WBA Super, WBC and Ring Magazine Super Lightweight World Champion from Philadelphia, and the local favorite, Judah (42-7, 29 KO’s), of Brooklyn, participated in the jam-packed media event. They spoke, answered questions and posed for photos, but not at the same time.

The well-documented friction between the boxers and their camps made for a boxing rarity – a press conference during which the main event fighters and their teams did not sit on the dais simultaneously and were kept completely separated throughout the press conference, not even catching a glimpse of one another.

To watch Garcia, executives and the other fighters, click http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/31946461; for Judah’s turn at the podium, click http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/31949835.

In Saturday’s co-feature on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, undefeated WBO Middleweight World Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (28-0, 20 KO’s), of Manhattan, will make the first defense of his 160-pound crown against world-rated, hard-hitting Fernando Guerrero (25-1, 19 KO’s), of Salisbury, Md.,

Remaining tickets priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are on sale at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

Doors at Barclay Center open at 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday with the first non-televised fight starting at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Immediately following the world championship doubleheader on SHOWTIMEwill be a same-day-delayed telecast of former Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Amir “King” Khan (27-3, 19 KO’s), of Bolton, England, against former World Champion Julio “The Kidd” Diaz, of Coachella, Calif., in a 12-round 143-pound catch-weight scrap on SHOWTIME Boxing: Special Edition.

DANNY “SWIFT” GARCIA, Unified Super Lightweight World Champion

“I had a tremendous eight-week camp. I calculated the miles I ran, and you could say I ran to Barclays Center [from Philadelphia] and back.

“I feel tremendous, I’m injury free, I’m solid, I’m confident and I’m really motivated for this fight. I think I’m the most motivated I’ve ever been for a fight. I grew to be a heck of a dangerous fighter, more dangerous than I was before. I’m just smarter now. Saturday night, I’m going to be smart. I’m going to just destroy.

“I don’t have to talk, because I know I can fight. When the people come to watch me, they know they’re going to see either one of the best 12 round fights or the best knockout of the year.

“You can say what you want to say, but it doesn’t matter when you’re getting hit. All that matters is whether you can you take a hit from me or not, or if you can out-think me. They’re playing checkers and I’m playing chess.”

ZAB JUDAH, Former Two-Time World Champion

“We just left the gym together. Did I say anything to Danny? Did Danny and I have any words? Not one. Angel was the one that started this. He’s the one that called me all the names and was talking loud and starting trouble like he always does.

“If you go to a Bernard Hopkins fight in Philadelphia, the whole city comes out. If you go to a fight in Los Angeles for Oscar [De La Hoya], the whole city comes out.

“He’s [Danny Garcia] going to sleep. This isn’t a game. Welcome to Brooklyn. This is my home.

“I’m a person. I’m a human being. I have class about myself. I’ve changed my life in a drastic, major way.

“Saturday night they’re going to feel it. They can do all they want to do; they’re going to feel it. I’m ready. It’s about Zab Judah and Danny Garcia.

“Angel Garcia made himself a factor. Danny is so quiet, such a church mouse, that they don’t know who he is.

“Saturday night, you’re going to see the best Zab Judah. The guy you all fell in love with and the reason why you all know me is back. The hand speed, the power, the defense…it’s all here and ready to go.

“I don’t have any problem with my hands. I bring skills to the table. Like I tell everybody, it’s never been a question ‘can he fight?’ The only question everybody has is ‘is he in shape?’ When I’m in shape, you’ve seen the best. My defense is impeccable. My hands are super fast. My power is devastating. I have one-punch knockout power in either hand. I have more knockouts than the boy has fights.

“It’s a lot to be proud of – 17 years and still strong. I’m still campaigning at this height and level of boxing. Watch Saturday night and you’re going to see the best. You’re going to think I’m 25 again. Then what are you going to say?

“Angel Garcia can’t get under my skin. I don’t worry about him.

ANGEL GARCIA, Danny Garcia’s Father/Trainer

“Danny had a great camp. February 9th, he got a caught with a little injury, but that’s in the past. That’s not the future. The future is that he’s ready. He’s ready to go 100 percent, mentally and physically.

“It’s not about Brooklyn or Philly, it’s about who is the ‘King of the East Coast,’ and that is going to be Danny.

“He’s [Zab Judah] underestimating Danny like everyone else has done. The truth is that Danny’s going to be a champion for a long time.”

PETER “KID CHOCOLATE” QUILLIN, WBO Middleweight World Champion

“I’m dedicating this fight to Boston…Boston Strong.

“We have two trained athletes. We signed up to participate in this, the people that went to run that marathon, didn’t want to participate in what happened. I just want to give them strength through this.

“I want to thank Fernando Guerrero and his team. I’m happy to see Barry Hunter in his corner so he will be getting the best advice he can. It’s going to be a tremendous fight.

“This fight has many good qualities, Dominican vs. Cuban, but we do it for the whole Latin community coming together. We both are inspired by two baseball players – Sammy Sosa and Jackie Robinson. Long hair vs. short hair. One guy who hungers for a world title and a guy that is hungry to keep his world title.

“This might have been the best camp I have ever had.

“Guerrero is coming with his confidence. My confidence is there and we’re going to make this a tremendous fight.”

FERNANDO GUERRERO, Top Middleweight Contender

“I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life. I want to thank my opponent, Kid Chocolate. I think this is the way to promote a real good fight, if you can fight, just fight. He has character like me. We don’t need to trash talk, we don’t need to do anything, it’s just a sport that we do. I want to congratulate him on his title and I want to thank him for being a gentleman.

“A lot of times, people don’t understand that we’re not animals, we’re fighters. We fight like animals, but we’re not.

“On this card, there’s a lot of different races. Everybody’s saying I’m going for this race or that race, but there’s only one thing that matters, the only race that matters is the human race. It doesn’t matter if you’re black, white, Puerto Rican, red or blue.

“I represent whoever wants me, whoever has struggles, whoever wants to be a positive role model.

DANNY JACOBS, Top Middleweight Contender

“Not a lot of people stand up for something in boxing anymore. I want to stand for something. I want to be the face of boxing, but I want to do it in a positive light. Not a lot of people do that.

“I want to be able to say to (my son) ‘You can accomplish anything, but you don’t have to go the wrong route. You can be a positive light, you can be who you are and you can still shine and be the greatest.’ Our kids are the future.”

LUIS COLLAZO, Former World Champion

“Finally, I’m back. I’m excited to be back here in Brooklyn in my hometown. Come Saturday night, I’m going to do it for me, I’m going to do it for my fans, I’m going to do it for everyone that’s been with me since day one.”

EDDIE GOMEZ, Top Junior Middleweight Prospect

“We’ve got a lot of good fighters on the card Saturday night. Everybody’s looking to put on a show. I’m looking to put on a great show. I’m ready for this fight. I’m back at it again.”

MARCUS BROWNE, 2012 U.S. Olympian

“Like my last fight on the [Bernard Hopkins vs. Tavoris Cloud] card, I’m ready. From Staten Island to Brooklyn, I’m ready to put on a show. I trained hard for this fight. I’m ready. I’m going to let my hands do the talking.”

ZACHARY OCHOA, Top Junior Welterweight Prospect

“Not a lot of people can say, ‘I fought on a SHOWTIME card at Barclays Center.’ That really means a lot to me.

“I’ve been working hard. I’m hungry that’s why I call myself ‘Zungry, ‘because I’m hungry to make it to the top.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, President of Golden Boy Promotions

“All is great, all is wonderful. We have a tremendous lineup for Saturday night here at Barclays Center.

“Tickets are going really fast. We’re really happy that the response from fans has been tremendous.

On Danny Garcia “Nobody has ever proven him wrong. People can say this and that, but, until you prove somebody wrong, then there’s nothing to say. That’s what he’s been doing every single fight. He’s proving everybody wrong. Because of his work ethic, because he trains hard, he does everything right. He loves boxing and he’s in the gym constantly. His dedication to boxing is why he’s on top.”

BERNARD HOPKINS, IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion & President of Golden Boy East

“This is a great facility [Barclays Center] as the writers and everybody who’s been here knows.

“I’ll tell the young guys ‘all of these guys are good fighters, but you have to stand out in today’s world to be the best out of the pack.’

“I’m looking for a great show. I thank Stephen Espinoza again for putting on a great event that’s going to happen this Saturday. Everyone in Philly is talking about this fight.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports

“At Showtime, we’re now in the midst of a really exciting run of quality fights, perhaps the most exciting, highest quality run of fights maybe in the history of the network. Last week, we had over 38,000 people in the Alamodome and did the second highest rating for an individual bout in the history of the network according to Nielsen. This week, we’ve got another packed card with two 50/50 matchups on the televised portion.

“As a television executive, you’re not supposed to have favorite fights, they’re sort of like your children, you like them all. Every fight I schedule, I schedule with the full confidence that it’s something that I would want to watch as a fan, I would want to watch as a subscriber and it’s something that I’m proud of. To be honest, there are some fights, some events that have that little extra something, a little extra excitement, the little extra sizzle, and April 27th is one of those.”

BARRY BAUM, Senior Vice President & Chief Communications Officer, Barclays Center

“We’re really excited for our third night of championship boxing at Barclays Center. I want to thank everyone at Golden Boy for delivering another great card to Brooklyn.

“It’s very exciting to have two major fights here as well as a terrific undercard of a lot of Brooklyn fighters. I also want to let Golden Boy Promotions know how much we appreciate their commitment to bringing boxing to Brooklyn in such a big way. It’s a really a great relationship that we have. I also want to thank Steven Espinoza and SHOWTIME for all of your support for boxing in Brooklyn and for broadcasting the event on Saturday.”

ABOUT “GARCIA VS. JUDAH”:

Garcia vs. Judah, a 12-round bout for Garcia’s Unified Super Lightweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and supported by Golden Boy Promotions sponsors Corona and AT&T. In the co-featured attraction, WBO Middleweight World Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin puts his title on the line against hard-hitting Fernando Guerrero in a 12-round fight. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP).

Remaining tickets priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are on sale at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.




Video: Oscar De La Hoya




UNIFIED SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION DANNY GARCIA, WBO MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION PETER QUILLIN AND WORLD TITLE CHALLENGER FERNANDO GUERRERO MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES FROM GLEASON’S GYM IN BROOKLYN

Danny Garcia
NEW YORK (April 25, 2013) – As the countdown to Saturday’s eagerly anticipated doubleheader on SHOWTIME continues, undefeated Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia, unbeaten WBO Middleweight Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin and world-rated 160-pound contender Fernando Guerrero participated in a media workout Wednesday at the famed Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn.

In Saturday’s main event on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from Barclays Center in Brooklyn,Garcia (25-0, 16 KO’s), of Philadelphia, will defend his WBA Super, WBC and Ring Magazine titles against former Two-Division World Champion and hometown favorite Zab “Super” Judah (42-7, 29 KO’s), of Brooklyn. Quillin (28-0, 20 KO’s), of Manhattan, will make his first title defense when he faces the hard-hitting Guerrero (25-1, 19 KO’s), of Salisbury, Md., in the co-feature.

Also working out Wednesday was a young, promising local prospect who will compete on Saturday’s undercard, Zachary Ochoa (3-0, 3 KO’s), of Brooklyn. Ochoa will be opposed by Prichard, Alabama’s Calvin Smith (2-2) in a four-round super lightweight bout.

Remaining tickets priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are on sale at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

Immediately following the world championship doubleheader on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING will be a same-day-delayed telecast of former Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Amir “King” Khan (27-3, 19 KO’s), of Bolton, England, against former World Champion Julio “The Kidd” Diaz, of Coachella, Calif., in a 12-round 143-pound catch-weight scrap on SHOWTIME Boxing: Special Edition.

Here’s what the fighters said Wednesday:

DANNY GARCIA, WBA Super, WBC and Ring Magazine Super Lightweight World Champion

On how he feels going into the fight: “I feel great and 100 percent ready. I’m motivated, hungry and sharp. I’m focused and I’m ready to go in there on April 27 and put on a tremendous show.

“I don’t need negativity to motivate me. I’m a positive person. Negativity doesn’t motivate me. I’m motivated by positive things’

On fighting at Barclays Center: “I’m ready to take over Brooklyn.

On Philly fans coming to the fight: “I guarantee I have more fans than Zab has coming to the fight.

On training camp: “My training camp was perfect. I think it was the best training camp I’ve ever had. Everything was on point…sparring, running, training, conditioning. Everything went perfect.”

PETER QUILLIN, WBO Middleweight World Champion

On being a middleweight: “I’m just very blessed to be able to be part of a division that is always an attractive weight class. The middleweights, you’ve got the speed and then you have the power. It’s like 50/50. It’s an action-packed weight class. I just want to make sure that when I go out there, I’m adding my own part of history to that.

On how Guerrero stacks up to other opponents he’s faced: “Guerrero deserves a shot at the belt. It’s something he worked for all his life, just like I did. Nobody’s going to come here and beat me. I already know I can put in a hard 12 rounds. This time, I got the best that money can buy. I got the best trainers and the best camp. This has by far been the best camp in my whole professional career. I know I’m well prepared and I’m ready. I’m keeping this belt in New York City.

On fighting Guerrero: “For the opportunity that he got, it’s something that he’s got to take in and know that it’s right there in front on him. If he’s not prepared fighting a guy like me, it’s going to show right away. We can be friends outside of the ring, but as soon as we step in the ring, no more friendship.

On the biggest challenger to his title: “I welcome all challengers, but I know there isn’t a middleweight like me. I’m the best in the world. I look in the mirror and see myself and say, ‘even he can’t beat me.’ I know what I’m doing outside of the ring is helping me to be a better fighter in the ring. That being said, let them all come.”

FERNANDO GUERRERO, Hard-Hitting, World-Ranked Contender

On the delay of the fight: “You’ve got to be ready for everything in the boxing world. We’re so used to it, dating to even in the amateurs. Until you’re in the ring, the fight might not happen, and even when you’re in the ring, the opponent might not show up. For me it’s just that experience. You live it and you make the best out of it, and I surely do.

On what he’ll bring to the ring to get a win: “Explosion. We’ve got to bring that smart, we’ve got to bring that power and we’ve got to bring that hunger. It’s better shown in the ring. I’m not just excited for the fight. I want people to know what I can do.

On how many fans he’s expecting at Barclays Center: “When I packed the house in Maryland (for a fight against Derrick Findley in Salisbury), I expected one person to be there, my father, but thousands were there. (This fight) I’m expecting maybe two people. We’ll see how many people come and show up.

On acting like a gentleman at press events: “I can only be me. If I feel the need to cuss, I’ll probably do it, if I feel the need to not cuss, I probably won’t do it. I don’t try to sell fights. The fights should be able to sell themselves. I try to sell myself as the person that I am.

On how this is different than his other fights: “I’m expecting a lot out of myself. I’m going to try and push myself harder, mentally and physically. I want to impress myself, I want to develop.”

ZACHARY OCHOA, Undefeated Brooklyn Light Heavyweight

On his fight prediction: “My prediction is, I box my way to a knock out.

“I want to say thank you to Golden Boy Promotions and SHOWTIME for giving me the opportunity to fight on this card. It’s great for me to show my talent and show the world what I’m working with.”

ABOUT “GARCIA VS. JUDAH”:

Garcia vs. Judah, a 12-round bout for Garcia’s Unified Super Lightweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and supported by Golden Boy Promotions sponsors Corona and AT&T. In the co-featured attraction, WBO Middleweight World Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin puts his title on the line against hard-hitting Fernando Guerrero in a 12-round fight. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP).




Video: Zab Judah media roundtable




FORMER TWO-DIVISON WORLD CHAMPION ZAB JUDAH & APRIL 27 UNDERCARD FIGHTERS MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES

zabjudah
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (April 23, 2013) – Former Two-Division World Champion Zab “Super” Judah worked out for the media on Tuesday in preparation for his fight against Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny Garcia this Saturday, April 27, live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT) from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Joining Judah at Judah Brothers Boxing Gym in Brooklyn on Thursday were top middleweight contender Danny Jacobs (24-1, 21 KOs), of Brooklyn and 2012 U.S. Olympian Marcus Browne (3-0, 3 KOs), of Staten Island, both of whom will be featured in non-televised undercard bouts.

One of New York’s most accomplished boxers of all time, Brooklyn’s Judah (42-7, 29 KO’s) has faced some of the biggest names in boxing including Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto and Cory Spinks. The southpaw will look to dethrone the defending champ with his signature blazing speed and one-punch knockout power in his hometown of Brooklyn.

Philadelphia’s Danny “Swift” Garcia (25-0, 16 KO’s) was boxing’s breakout star of 2012, registering two convincing and impressive victories over legendary Mexican Erik Morales and a stunning fourth round knockout win over British superstar former Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Amir “King” Khan.

Immediately following Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will be a same-day-delayed telecast of SHOWTIME Boxing: Special Edition featuring Khan’s first fight in England in nearly two years against former World Champion Julio “The Kidd” Diaz. Khan (27-3, 19 KO’s), of Bolton, England, will face Diaz (40-7-1, 29 KO’s), of Coachella, Calif., in a 12-round 143-pound catch-weight bout.

Here’s what Judah, Jacobs and Browne had to say on Tuesday:

ZAB JUDAH, Former Two-Division World Champion

“First and foremost the most important thing is Saturday night. It’s not just about winning. This is New York. This is Brooklyn. New York fans are very tough. They don’t want you to just win by one point. They want to see you really win.

How much did the fight postponement affect him: “Actually I think it was a blessing in disguise. God is the best planner of everybody. We think that we have plans, but apparently he plans better than us. I took training camp very seriously from November all the way up until now. I think the extra preparation is the icing on the cake.

On defeating Danny Garcia to silence Angel Garcia: “It’s called killing two birds with one stone. Angel Garcia’s a trainer. He’s a father. He’s the older man. I respect my elders. At the same time, I can’t get in the ring and fight Angel Garcia. What do I do? I fight. I knock people out. I can’t do that with Angel. I am going to knock Danny Garcia out and watch Angel come in there and pick him up.

On having his relationship with his dad: “It’s going great. My dad has a business here in New York City. I live in Las Vegas. I’ve got businesses in Las Vegas, so we had to split up. He’s still my dad. He calls me. He even Skyped during my [camp] workout. It’s all great. We’re Team Judah today.

How he grades himself going into the fight: “Mentally and physically, I give myself an A plus. I feel very calm, very at ease, very comfortable in this environment. Everything seems to be working out the way that it should work out. We ready for it.

On Danny Garcia: “There’s no excuses. We don’t want to hear any excuses. We gave him his two months to let his rib heal up. His rib, neck, thumb, back, elbow, toe, whatever he hurt. It’s all fixed up now in hopes that Saturday night we just get moving and put on a good fight.

“Saturday night, may the best man win.”

DANNY JACOBS, Top Middleweight Contender

On fighting again at Barclays Center: “It feels good, a little bit more pressure is off of me now. The first time around was kind of special, so I was a little nervous, but I feel good now. I feel confident. My opponent is a last minute replacement, but at the same time we’re going to go in there and do our job.

On how he’ll top his last performance at Barclays: “I’m just going to go in there and not even think about it. I’m just going to do what I was trained to do. I have a job and my job is to go in there and get the victory by any means necessary.

On how he feels going into the fight: “Physically, I feel amazing. I was training for February 9, so when that fell out, I took a week, maybe two weeks off and then I got back into the gym. I’ve been ready for about two months.

On his future after the fight: “I’m looking to step up [my level of opposition]. I feel good. I feel like the rush is out. I feel like stepping up. The only way to get experience is to step up.

On his son coming to the fight: “Oh he’s definitely going to be there in the front row screaming, ‘Go Daddy, go.’ He’s my biggest fan and he loves boxing. He’s just a fan of the sport and I love it.

On his four-month layoff: “Mentally, it messes with you just a little bit. Once you train so hard, you have an eight-week camp and then that fight is off, it’s tough because you have time away from your family. I’m a professional, so this comes with the territory and I know I have a job to do on Saturday night.”

MARCUS BROWNE, 2012 U.S. Olympian

On his relationship with Danny Jacobs: “Danny is like a big brother to me. I love Danny. Being in the gym with him and working right next to him means a lot. He showed me the way. It’s a beautiful thing.”

On which fighter he’s looking forward to seeing on Saturday night: “It’s crazy, butthere’s a whole bunch. I’ve seen Danny Jacobs come up and watched him in the gym. I came up in the gym watching Zab. He’s the first lefty I knew about when I got first got into boxing. He was one of my favorite fighters. When I was coming up he [Zab] knocked out Spinks for the title.

“Don’t forget about the people suffering from Hurricane Sandy. Just because it’s not in the news, it doesn’t mean people are not still homeless.”

ABOUT “GARCIA VS. JUDAH”:

Garcia vs. Judah, a 12-round bout for Garcia’s Unified Super Lightweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and supported by Golden Boy Promotions sponsors Corona and AT&T. In the co-featured attraction, WBO Middleweight World Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin puts his title on the line against hard-hitting Fernando Guerrero in a 12-round fight. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP).

Remaining tickets priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are on sale at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.




FOX DEPORTES CLASSICS TO SHOWCASE UNIFIED SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION DANNY GARCIA & FORMER WORLD CHAMPION ZAB JUDAH ON APRIL 20

Danny Garcia
LOS ANGELES, April 19 – Before Danny “Swift” Garcia defends his Unified Super Lightweight World Championship against former World Champion Zab Judah on April 27 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. live on SHOWTIME, the two super lightweight stars will be featured on FOX Deportes Classics on Saturday, April 20 at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

In the main event, Garcia squares off with future Hall of Famer Erik “El Terrible” Morales in their first of two bouts that took place in 2012 and in the co-feature, Judah faces one of the most feared men in boxing, Argentinean knockout artist Lucas Matthysse in their 2010 showdown.

Despite his success in the 140-pound division, no one outside of his team knew how Danny Garcia would react to facing a legend like Erik Morales when they met in Houston, Texas on March 24, 2012. In his first world title fight, Philadelphia’s Garcia rose to the occasion, dropping Morales in the 11th round en route to a 12-round unanimous decision win that earned him the WBC 140-pound crown.

Former Two-Division World Champion Zab Judah had to walk through fire when he faced off against Lucas Matthysse at New Jersey’s Prudential Center on November 6, 2010. Judah rose from the canvas in the 10th round against his then-unbeaten foe to secure a 12-round split decision win and position him for a shot at the vacant IBF Junior Welterweight crown which he won four months later.

# # #

Garcia vs. Judah, a 12-round bout for Garcia’s Unified Super Lightweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and supported by Golden Boy Promotions sponsors Corona and AT&T. In the co-featured attraction, WBO Middleweight World Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin puts his title on the line against hard-hitting Fernando Guerrero in a 12-round fight. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP).

Remaining tickets priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are on sale at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

For more information on Golden Boy Promotions, visit www.goldenboypromotions.comor www.FOXDeportes.com, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.twitter.com/FOXDeportes visit us on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page or www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes.




DANNY GARCIA & ANGEL GARCIA PHILADELPHIA MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES

Danny Garcia
DANNY GARCIA, Unified Super Lightweight World Champion

“He [Zab Judah] is just another guy in my way. They all say the same thing. They think they’re going to beat me…until we get into that ring.

“Everything is going solid. This is one of my most solid camps. I’m running and sparring and looking sharper every day. We’re running a perfect schedule.

“[On his rib injury that postponed the originally scheduled February 9 fight date] I got hurt sparring. Boxing is a contact sport. It’s my first injury ever as a professional. I feel like there shouldn’t be any questions. My team and I made the right decision.

“Zab is from Brooklyn, but I’m the hometown guy. I was in New York City a few weeks ago, and a lot of people told me they are rooting for me. I know the crowd is going to be for me that night. I’m the champ.

“I feel like I’m hungrier now than ever. Everyone wants what I have. I have to always be on my A game. If you think like a champion, act like a champion and walk like a champion, you are a champion.

“I’m not really concerned about anything [that Judah will do in the fight]. I know I’m going to be at 110 percent and in perfect shape.

“I’ve fought tons of southpaws in the amateurs and in the pros. It’s easier for me because I can land my hard left hand and hard left hook.

“Experience doesn’t mean anything when you get hit. It is about how you can take a punch. When you get hit and let your hands go, experience doesn’t matter.

“I have to keep showing the world that I’m the best 140-pound fighter

“I think it’s personal when you go into a fight and a man is trying to hurt you. It’s always personal.

“[On the support of Philadelphia fans] It means a lot because Philadelphia is a fighting city. The support of the Latino community means a lot. There has never been a Latino world champion that has come out of Philadelphia. I have Latino kids come up to me everyday and thank me and say they look up to me. I want to keep holding it down for my city.

“Every fight, my fan base is grows. That’s how it is supposed to be. I’m happy that my city’s following me.

“I’ve been going to this gym since I was 10 years old. Everyone here knows me. Kids I grew up with tell me to keep doing my thing. They pay attention and recognize the hard work.

“140 [pounds] is a great division. I have been at 140 since the amateurs. I think I have two or three more left at this weight.

“You are going to see the best Danny Garcia on April 27. I am predicting a fourth round knockout.

“I don’t really have anything to say to him [Judah]. I am going to do what I do best, and punch him in the mouth.”

ANGEL GARCIA, Garcia’s Father & Trainer

“Danny doesn’t care what people say, but he is the champ.

“The truth hurts. Zab Judah fought Vernon Paris a year ago. Paris gave him nine rounds. Zab had his day. This is a new era of fighting. This is the Danny Swift era. He is the champion of the world.

“When Danny is fighting, I am in the ring with him. His opponent is fighting two spirits, not just one.

“The fighters needed someone to step up to the plate and SHOWTIME stepping up is the best thing that they ever did.

“Viva SHOWTIME!

“I train him, he fights them and Al Haymon picks them. At 140 pounds, no one can beat the champ.

“When it comes to the injury, things happen. He is on his A Game now.

“People say Danny is a basic fighter, but come on…he is the champion of the world.

“Danny went to college…he got his degree [in the ring]. A few more years he will get his masters.

“People are always going to talk. I don’t care what they say. I know we’re happy. Danny has more haters than lovers, but those are the people that are going to come see him. As long as they pay the money to see him, I’m happy.”

# # #

Garcia vs. Judah, a 12-round bout for Garcia’s Unified Super Lightweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and supported by Golden Boy Promotions sponsors Corona and AT&T. In the co-featured attraction, WBO Middleweight World Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin puts his title on the line against hard-hitting Fernando Guerrero in a 12-round fight. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP).

Remaining tickets priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are on sale at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling800-745-3000. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

Immediately following Garcia vs. Judah, Amir Khan vs. Julio Diaz, a 12-round 143-pound catch-weight bout, emanating from Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, England, will air on tape delay on SHOWTIME BOXING: Special Edition. Highlights of 2012 British Olympic Bronze Medalist Anthony Ogogo’s professional debut will also be shown during the telecast.




VIDEO: DANNY GARCIA




AMIR “KING” KHAN VS. JULIO “THE KIDD” DIAZ TO BE TELEVISED ON SHOWTIME IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE LIVE SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: GARCIA VS. JUDAH ON SATURDAY, APRIL 27

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NEW YORK (April 4, 2013) – British superstar and former Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Amir “King” Khan’s first fight in England in nearly two years against former World Champion Julio “The Kidd” Diaz will be televised on SHOWTIME® on Saturday, April 27, immediately following the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event featuring Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia against former Four-Time and Two-Division World Champion Zab “Super” Judah.

Khan vs. Diaz, a 12-round 143-pound catch-weight bout, will emanate from Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, England, and air on tape delay on SHOWTIME BOXING: Special Edition. Highlights of 2012 British Olympic Bronze Medalist Anthony Ogogo’s professional debut will also be shown during the telecast.

Capping an exciting night of boxing will be a replay of ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Guerrero, Episode 3 on SHOWTIME that will immediately follow the SHOWTIME BOXING: Special Edition.

Preceding the scrap between Bolton, England’s Khan (27-3, 19 KO’s) and Diaz (40-7-1, 29 KO’s), of Coachella, Calif., SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING will feature a pair of world title fights that will be televised live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT) from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Undefeated WBO Middleweight World Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (28-0, 20 KO’s), of New York, will defend against hard-hitting Fernando Guerrero (25-1, 19 KO’s), of Salisbury, Md., and in the main event, unbeaten Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia (25-0, 16 KO’s) will risk his world title belts against former Four-Time and Two-Division World Champion Zab “Super” Judah (42-7, 29 KO’s), of Brooklyn, N.Y.

Khan will be making his second consecutive appearance on SHOWTIME. Last Dec. 15, he captured the vacant WBC Silver Super Lightweight Championship with a dominant 10th-round TKO over previously undefeated Carlos Molina in Los Angeles.

Anthony Ogogo is a former Junior Olympic Champion, Junior World Champion and Commonwealth Games Silver Medalist. In London this past summer, Ogogo beat representatives from the Dominican Republic, Ukraine and Germany to win a Bronze Medal, thrilling his fans from throughout the United Kingdom. On April 27, the charismatic middleweight will begin his journey as a professional.

“The Return of the King: Khan vs. Diaz” is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Khan Promotions and sponsored by JD Sport and Maxi Muscle.

Tickets priced at £300, £200, £125, £75 and £50 plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale at the Motorpoint Arena box office, by calling (+44) 0114 256 5656, online at www.motorpointarenasheffield.co.uk or through Sports Corporation by calling 0845 163 0845 or at www.sportscorporation.com.

For more information on Khan vs. Diaz, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.amirkhanworld.com and www.motorpointarenasheffield.co.uk, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.twitter.com/AmirKingKhanand www.twitter.com/AnthonyOgogo, follow the conversation using #KhanDiaz and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/AmirKhanTheOfficialPage and www.facebook.com/AnthonyOgogo.

Garcia vs. Judah, a 12-round bout for Garcia’s Unified Super Lightweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and supported by Golden Boy Promotions sponsors Corona and AT&T. In the co-featured attraction, WBO Middleweight World Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin puts his title on the line against hard-hitting Fernando Guerrero in a 12-round fight. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP).

Remaining tickets priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are on sale at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

For more information on Garcia vs. Judah, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, http://Sports.SHO.com, follow us on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BarclaysCenter, @DannySwift, @SuperJudah,@SHOsports, follow the conversation using #BrooklynBoxing and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.




DANNY GARCIA VS. ZAB JUDAH AND PETER QUILLIN VS. FERNANDO GUERRERO CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT

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Kelly Swanson

We are doing this call to talk about the big fight coming up April 27th, the main event is Danny Garcia vs. Zab Judah, and also featured co-main event is Peter Quillin and Fernando Guerrero. And just for the little homework purposes we will start with Peter and Fernando, and then Danny Garcia and Zab Judah will be joining us immediately following, so we appreciate your patience and hanging in there while we do this call.

Before I introduce and turn it over to David Itskowitch with Golden Boy, I wanted to just mention to everybody that we do have a solid really busy April month for three great fights; and just from a media note, we will be doing a lot of conference calls, a lot of media days supplying you with plenty of information about all of those fights, so please watch your inbox. We don’t mean to inundate you with information, but due to the schedule, there will be a lot happening for those events.

But today we’re really focused on a great event that I look forward to seeing. At this point I’m going to go ahead and turn it over to David Itskowitch, Chief Operating Officer of Golden Boy Promotions.

David Itskowitch

Thank you, Kelly. Thank you everyone for joining us today. We are really excited about this show. We’ve been waiting for it for a long time, as everyone has been. As you know, originally was scheduled for February 9th, but was postponed after Danny Garcia suffered a rib injury. As Kelly mentioned, we have Danny Garcia versus Zab Judah in a 12-round unified super lightweight world championship fight. Our co-main event is Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin versus Fernando Guerrero in a 12-round fight for Quillin’s WBO middleweight world championship, Saturday, April 27th at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, sponsored by Corona and AT&T. Tickets are still available, but they’re going very quickly, price starting at just $25. You can get them at Ticketmaster or at the Barclays Center box office.

The event will be televised live on Showtime Championship Boxing beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time. We urge everybody to get out there and get their tickets, and if you can’t get your tickets, tune in live on Showtime.

Now I want to introduce the fighters. First up to say a few words a young man from Salisbury, Maryland, who had an impressive 2012: scored three wins, one over Jason Naugler in Mexico; the other over Jose Medina in Las Vegas; and J.C. Candelo in Texas. On April 27th the hard-hitting southpaw finally gets his chance at a world title, which he’s been waiting for for a long time. With a record of 25-1 with 19 KOs, Fernando Guerrero.

Fernando Guerrero

Hey, how y’all doing? I want to say hello to everybody that’s listening and Fernando Guerrero is going to be a champion.

Itskowitch

Thank you, Fernando. Now I’ll say a few words before we open up questions from the media. He became the WBO Middleweight World Champion by defeating World Champion Hassan N’Dam in a really, really exciting fight at the opening night for boxing at Barclays Center on October 20th of last year. He scored six knockdowns in the fight, really got the crowd going. It was really electrifying. April 27th will be his first defense when he fights Fernando Guerrero. He has a record of 28-0 with 20 KOs from Manhattan in New York City, Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin.

Peter Quillin

How’s everybody is doing? Thank you for allowing me to grace the phone with you guys. I just want to thank everybody that’s made this fight possible: Barclays Center; my promotion team; Golden Boy; my advisor, Al Haymon; my management, John C., Jimmy McDevin; my trainers Eric Brown, Robert Garcia and Brad Bowes; manager, Johnny Berez; my two assistants, Tiffany Carter and Lisa Mahoy. I’m just very blessed and make sure that y’all stay tuned to be able to watch Never Guerrero, because he’s never going to be the champ like me.

Q

Peter, you fought a steadily improved caliber of opponents; Jesse Brinkley, Craig McEwan, Ronald White and of course Hassan in your last fight. Can you talk about how that progression has kind of improved you and improved you experience-wise as a fighter?

Quillin

Yes, you know just the thrill of victory, the thrill of me having the will to want to be able to be better. Roberto Duran said it best, “Once you stop trying to learn and be better, then you’re no longer good enough anymore,” so I just think I take every task I do in boxing to try to make myself a better fighter. And not only that; outside of the ring, I’m trying to work on myself to be a better person; spiritually, physically, and mentally.

Q

You talk about how the Winky Wright fight, would you consider that kind of a transition that really helped you to prepare for the atmosphere that you faced against Hassan N’Dam when you’re fighting in your hometown?

Quillin

Well, we can all look at it like that, but I look at everything as a challenge in my life. Winky Wright was just only a starter where I was going to go in. I’m not up the ladder yet where I want to be. I want to be a unified champion. I want to be all these other things and whatever comes my way I just make sure that I bust the challenges down to become just a better fighter, a better champion. The Winky fight was only a practice towards where I wanted to be. I know before the fight a lot of the hear sayers would say that I wasn’t, you know, will make it look like an ugly fight; that Winky Wright will outclass me, and all these things were said about me. To put on the performance that I did against Winky I couldn’t do it without him at the same time; but most importantly, I just take everything for the experience to be where I’m at right now.

With this fight, fighting Guerrero, he’s a southpaw and I got super lots of experience with a lot of camps fighting southpaws. I just feel comfortable in the ring and like I said, everything you got to use to be a practice to wherever you want to be.

Q

Compared to you-and this is my last question for you, has he, you feel that Fernando has faced the kind of competition or the atmosphere that you’ve faced and had to be tested against? You think that’ll be an advantage for you, your experience in those types of situations?

Quillin

Well, all I can say Fernando having a large sense of amateur background and I can probably just imagine that everybody in his corner will always tell him he was going to be a champion all his life, so being able to go out there and have the amateur record that he had and be able to go out there and perform as a professional the way he did, fighting at home, main event in his home town of Salisbury and just having just the crowd behind him in the push, only can make a person better, if not, make him weaker.

As far as me, I was never told I was going to be anything like them. So every time I step out there, I just had to prove to myself-not to the people that told me I couldn’t do it, but to myself that I was able to do these great things that I’m doing in boxing right now. So with that being said, you know what I’m saying, like I don’t have any pressure, as far as knowing that I’m able to go out there and perform. Geez, I just fought Hassan, who some would consider the fighter of the year, whereas he was dropped six times. He got back up and he fought his heart out and then now I know with the experience that I’ve got 12 rounds of hard fighting underneath my belt, so I’m only as good as my last fight. I’m looking here to capture new moments. And I’m very happy to be able to do that on Showtime and do it at the Barclays and just have all the people that’s been supporting me support me for all the right reasons. Like I said, come April 27th, I’m only looking to create more great moments in boxing.

Q

Thank you very much, Peter. Now, for Fernando, like Peter said, he had to really step up in his last fight and like I was saying, he’s faced a lot of experienced guys in his career just recently. Do you feel like you are making a huge step up? Would it be accurate for me to tell you that going into the Barclays Center in such a big atmosphere? And what kind of a challenge is that for you, personally?

Guerrero

Well, basically every fight that I step in is a big step up and now this is gonna be my first fight of the year, and it’s gonna be the biggest step up for this year. Fighting in a large crowd doesn’t faze me because I’ve been doing it for the longest. Just like he said, I was always told that I was going to be a champion. I never expected anything less. People never expected anything less, but once when you get out in the real world, it’s not that easy. You’re not going to be a champion just because people tell you that you’re going to be a champion.

So now I’m here to prove it to the world and especially to myself. I heard it before. I want to make it true, and do it for everybody that believed in me and then just keep it going.

Q

How far are you away mentally from the loss to Grady Brewer? What did it take to come back from that and how well do you think you’ve done winning four straight fights like you have?

Guerrero

Well, the thing is it was one the hardest things in my life. When I was a kid I never even thought about death or anything like that, because you know how kids, they never think they can die, because they don’t understand where do you go and everything like that. So when you lose a fight like that, when you’re undefeated and everything like that, it’s hard, you know; and you go through those breakdowns. But the thing is it’s like that’s when they show your real colors, it’s easy. I was knocking everybody out, I’m the strongest.

Even in the amateurs, I always felt like I was the strongest. I never fought anybody that was stronger than me, but God always tested me. I think it’s because He wants to make sure that everything that He’s going to give me I really want it.

So how far am I from all that? I’m not far at all. I don’t want to be far from. Every fight, every position, every place that I’ve been it made me where I am now and who I am now. So the thing is, it’s just basically is written. I don’t really care about what’s going to happen or anything. It’s already written and if I’m meant to be a champion, I’m meant to be a champion.

All I’m doing is just I’m going with the flow. I’m going to go in there and just broadcast my talent and broadcast my speed. If he hits me hard, I’m going to hit him harder. If he’s fast, I’m going to be way faster. If he’s better, I’m going to be way better than that, so it’s just going with the flow. And if that wasn’t good enough, at least it will be good enough for me, because I know that I’m doing everything by the book and everything that I’m supposed to do; and all I’m supposed to do is just try my best. And with all of that, I will be the champ.

Q

I don’t know anybody who-very few people who didn’t see Peter’s last fight, so I imagine you saw that. You just said that if he hits you hard, you’re going to hit him harder; you’re going to be faster. I would wager if you asked him it took everything he had to win his last fight. If you find yourself in a fight like that with Peter, do you think you can wage that kind of a war where you have to get up and really answer blow for blow, second for second the whole fight through?

Guerrero

Well, a lot of times a lot of boxers don’t like-it’s funny that you ask that question. It would be an honor to fight that way. I would love to fight just like that because as a fighter, I mean I’ve been seeing it for so long, we want those historical moments. We want to make those historical moments. I’m a fighter. I’m Guerrero.

So the thing is is like I’ve never been bullied and I’ve never been in that aspect. A lot of times things happen and you just got to overcome them and I’m still here. I still know that I’m the best and I still feel like I’m the best and I feel like I’m a champion. So it’s not like I just woke up yesterday and that’s my job and said, hey, I’m going to start boxing. No, I’ve lost before in the amateurs and once when I lose, I just get way better and I beat the guy up the next time, so I’ve been through it all. And like I said, it’s already written. If it’s not for me, it’s not for me, but I’m here and I’m just going to take it and I’m going to go as far as I can with it.

Q

Okay, and my last question, you had mentioned that how low you were after the Grady Brewer fight. When you said you thought about-were you saying you actually thought about death, or were you just saying that you were low? I didn’t understand that reference.

Guerrero

No, no, no, no, low as in like of course you’re going to be low, especially with the type of-it’s like I’m the type of person that it’s all about the craft, because that’s all I had. I mean as an amateur I had 9,000, 10,000 people surrounding me all the time in Salisbury; and being a Dominican and being in Salisbury and being the type of person that I was, I was always named like I was the only one. From my home town, there’s only one person that came out of and did something; that was the girl from Terminator. So other than that, I was it, so it’s just when I meant that I was low, it just crushed me that I let a lot of people down. But then once when you grow up, you got to understand, too, that it’s my life in the ring, and they really didn’t care about that and they showed me that. A lot of people showed me that they don’t even care if I box or not. They only want me to just keep pushing and keep being that person that I am.

I’m never-a lot of people don’t understand I’ve never been in the streets. I’ve never been the type of person that had a bad life or anything. Yes, my life was difficult, but it doesn’t matter. I had a good household. I stayed in school, straight A’s and all that stuff, so for me it’s like boxing was just something that I was just good at; and then I emerged, but other than that, man, it’s not everything. It’s not everything.

My everything is the people. My everything is the youth. Every time when I go to the schools, when I went to the clinic, when I did my races for cancer and everything like that, that’s my everything; providing for them, providing for my people, providing for the people that provided for me when I came to America and made me feel good and made me feel like I’m at home.

Q

Peter, are you anxious to get back in the ring because of the delay of the original date back in February?

Quillin

Well, let’s just say this, this is my whole life. The only way I feel like I’m getting my therapy is being in that ring. So with that being said, I learned a lot of things about myself within the last camp in; it being cancelled the week before I was well prepared for and it tells a lot about me when I had to step out and learn how to deal with that situation, which long agonizing days and nights training hard. But most importantly, you got to think positive and I’m going to be even more super more prepared to be able to take this fight April 27th.

Q

And Fernando, as you all know, you are Dominican. The Dominican team won the World Baseball Classics. Congratulations. How much do you want this fight to add another championship for the Dominican Republic?

Guerrero

Hey, look, man. It brought a smile to my face that you even recognize that. I don’t really wear a steady hat, so whatever anything like that, because I don’t really get into all that, but I had to buy my hat, man. I’m like oh man, like I had to get it. Everybody has their day. Every country has been having their day. You see once with Pacquiao and then the Filipinos and then Mexico and then Puerto Rico. Then a lot of people in the back burner, they’re always laughing at us a little bit, like how many Dominicans have you ever seen with a Tito Trinidad title and all that other stuff, all the Cubans and everything like that?

But the thing is it’s like, I mean we’re small and we’re coming up. And little things like that even back in the day people didn’t understand when I tried to tell them the only person that I had to look up was Sammy Sosa. But they’re like, oh, he’s not from boxing. I was like, yeah, but that’s my idol. I want to be the Sammy Sosa of boxing.

But now we have a few other Dominicans that are winning their championships, it makes me feel good. It makes me feel proud of my country and I just want to be an addition to that and I want all those other people just to know that yes, we’re doing some things and we’re going to keep it going.

Q

Do you feel there is pressure to become a champion as a Dominican?

Guerrero

It’s no pressure at all. It just makes me feel good and all I want to do is just add to what we need too to our country. Boxing is pressure; so anything else is no pressure at all.

Q

Peter, how do you feel physically and what do you want the fans to know for April 27th?

Quillin

Well, let’s just say I feel very, very good. I just found myself in a place where in my life where it’s just like I’m just feeling physically, mentally strong. I just I’m very happy to be where I’m at right now. I don’t take anything for granted. I don’t take what Fernando was trying to do for his country away, because within ourselves, that’s very powerful. But at the same time, I have my own reasons why I should be doing what I’m doing. I’m doing this for just not being a Cuban-American, I’m a … I’m saying like a lot of Cubans that’s back in Cuba, they sit on the beach and it’s like a sad thing to watch. People just want to get out of that country and fight for opportunity.

So now that I’m here and I know that it’s very important to be able to say yo man, it ain’t about the sand. It ain’t about nothing else besides myself. Like I hear Fernando talking about he’s doing it for the fans and he’s doing it for everybody. But to be able to do it for somebody else, you have to be able to do it for yourself first to be able to prove to other people that, you know what I’m saying, you’re doing it for yourself; and that’s what the fans are going to support, you doing it for yourself.

So, me doing this, it’s more than just like for Cuba and my father, who came over here with just a pair of pants and a shirt with no shoes on and come over here to make a-

Guerrero

I’m sorry to cut you off, Peter.

Quillin

I didn’t cut you off.

(Overlapping voices)

Guerrero

I could never do it for somebody else.

Quillin

I respect what you’re doing. I respect what you’re doing, but when I gave the opportunity to talk and you gave your long answers, I respect that, but now it’s my turn to talk. I’m the champion; respect the champ.

Right now I’m telling you that whatever you’re doing and for whatever reasons you’re doing it, you’re finding the wrong reasons and I’m going to exploit those reasons why you’re doing this for the wrong people. The only thing amounts to when he’s talking running from a cat is when you run into this whole thing and he’s mad that he ran from the cat. All right, when he comes out of the hole and he decides that he’s going to fight the cat and be able to put up a fight and he decided it’s a fight that he can’t win, he runs back to the hole.

Listen man, we both fought older guys. We both had those kind of things in our life to say what we at, why we are at now in life, and right now I’m trying to prove to myself that I’m the strongest champion out there. You will not beat me April 27th. The only thing you’re going to know how to do is run back in that hole like you did with Grady Brewer. You know how to lose. Me and you fighting from two different points of views; you fighting not to want to lose again. I’m fighting to keep my undefeated record and be the powerful champion that God sent me here to be.

Guerrero

Are you done?

Quillin

Yes, let’s keep it short and straight to the point because that’s what I’m going to do when I fight you. We’re going to keep it straight, straight to the point.

Guerrero

The only way we can keep it straight and short to the point is in the ring, my man, you know.

(Overlapping voices)

Quillin

I’m going to prove that April 27th. It is already said and done man.

Guerrero

You just started yesterday and God has blessed you and there’s no doubt, but I don’t respect nobody because I’m the champ. When you get into the ring, you’re not going to fight ….

Quillin

No, you’re fighting an animal, a hungry little animal, that’s what you’re fighting. The only thing you’re going to be in this fight is …

Guerrero

Every animal has his day and you’re not an animal until you face me.

Quillin

I’m the champ. I’m the champ. I’m the champ.

Q

Fernando, I know you have a huge following in Salisbury, Maryland. I was just wondering what type of a response you’re expecting when you step into Barclays, you know, tapped into the Dominican community from New York City.

Guerrero

Well like I said, the following has always been great, but all I need is one or two people. Like I said, all I need is one or two people, and they always come through for me not just because I’m doing it for myself or anything. I fight for different reasons. Boxing, it’s not just about boxing. It’s about what boxing means to those people, what I have achieved, and that’s what I do. I just get in there for those people because those are the ones that made me and I’m going to put my life on the line.

I don’t care about the fight with this dude. I’ve lost … amateur. That’s nothing new to me. Life is not, it’s like a lot of people try to make it seem like because I was in the Dominican Republic and I had no shoes and I had-Peter, you don’t know anything about having no shoes or nothing. You probably never even been to Cuba. Your dad told you.

Quillin

I said boxing is fighting through the struggles. It’s not fighting for two or three people. Boxing is fighting through the struggles. I have been to Cuba. I witnessed my family living in the same house that my father lived in over 32 years ago. I’ve been to the Dominican Republic. I’ve seen how people live in DR. I’ve been to China; I’ve been everywhere.

The thing that’s important to me is that I’m doing this for myself and nobody else, so once I step in there on April 27th the only thing Fernando Guerrero is going to be able to do is run back in that hole because I’m going to be a cat on his ass.

Guerrero

Yes, okay. Well, he already said what I was going to do, so I can’t say anything about that, but we’ll see it in the fight. I’ve never been the type of person that I don’t even know what he’s talking about rat and mouse or whatever and all that stuff and the cat. I just know that I know what made me. I know what I fight for and my purpose, my purpose and that’s what I’m going to go with, my purpose, my heart.

I don’t see this just myself. I see it from everybody. I see from all that energy everything, that’s what keeps me alive and that’s where I’m going to put and that’s what I’m going to show the whole world over there. If you fight for yourself, if you do it for yourself, y’all gonna be … yourself, by yourself.

Swanson

That was the last question for Peter and Fernando, thank you so much for joining us today. That was very exciting. I can’t wait to see the fight, so we are now going to say good-bye to you. Thank you for taking your time to join us and we will see you fight week here in Brooklyn, New York.

Quillin

I’m looking forward to that. I’m looking forward to that. I want to make a closing comment. I want to say make sure that y’all go tune in to this fight April 27th. I going to be only on animal status and I hope and I just pray that he’s ready when he comes, they should allow him every last allow him to wear headgear because I’m coming straight for you, homie. I’m done with this call. Have and nice and blessed day. Hit up www.kidchocolate.com.

Swanson

Thank you. Now we have our main event fighters on the line, so I am going to one note of homework, Danny Garcia will be having his media day in Philadelphia this Thursday. The alert will go out after the call. Now I’m going to turn it back over Dave Itskowitch to make the opening introductions, and here we go. Dave.

Itskowitch

Thank you, Kelly. Introducing now, I want to say a few words; this young man is one of New York’s most accomplished fighters of all time. He’s a former five-time world champion, that’s super lightweight and welterweight, former undisputed welterweight world champion on swings over Cory Spinks, Lucas Matthysse, Micky Ward, Junior Witter and DeMarcus Corley, has also shared the ring with Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto and Kostya Tszyu. He’s won six of his last seven bouts, most recently in ninth round technical knockout win over then unbeaten Vernon Paris last March.

On April 27th he’s going to look to use his speed, wring savvy and vast experience to capture the unified title from the younger Garcia. He’s got a record of 42-7 with 29 KOs from Brooklyn, New York, Zab “Super” Judah. Zab.

Zab Judah

What’s up, y’all? Five time champion of the world, the last undisputed welterweight champion in the world.

Itskowitch

Now I would like to introduce the unified super lightweight world champion. He was boxing’s breakout star of 2012 and was a top candidate for 2012 Fighter of the Year honors as a result of his spectacular performances. He won his first world title in March of 2012 by dropping and then decisioning the legendary Eric Morales for the WBC 140 pound title. Garcia had unified the titles in July for the stunning fourth round knockout of the Amir Khan netting him the WBA Super and Ring Magazine world championships. He helped to open Barclays Center for boxing business last October with a one punch knock-out of Morales in their rematch, which was really spectacular, and a candidate for 2012 knock-out of the year.

He has a record of 25-0 with 16 KOs from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Danny Swift Garcia. Danny?

Danny Garcia

What’s up, guys? Thanks for having me on. I just want to let everybody know I’m having a great camp, really motivated. I’m 110% ready and I can’t wait to show people my skills April 27th on Showtime.

Q

I want to start with Danny. Can you talk, Danny, just a little bit about what exactly happened to you with the injury and then your thoughts when it came to the point where you actually had to postpone the fight and move it from February to April?

Garcia

Yes, it was three weeks out to the fight. It was Saturday and I was fine. I sparred three different guys. I did 12 rounds. After I got done sparring, I had a sharp pain on my side. I thought maybe it was a cramp or something, but when I cooled down, I couldn’t I put my hands past my head, because I couldn’t stretch because the pain was so severe, so I went to the ER. I got my ribs checked and they said I had a bruised rib. They said that it would take four to six weeks to heal, so I tried to train with it another week, but I couldn’t run or anything because it was taking my breath away. So we had to make the decision I was supposed to spar that Saturday. I couldn’t spar, so I couldn’t go through a championship fight not sparring for three weeks, because timing is everything.

So we had to make the smart decision and we had to postpone the date, but now I’m 110% ready and we’re about four weeks out and it’s coming up faster than you know it.

Q

So Danny, it hasn’t given you any problems since you were able to go back and spar.

Garcia

No, I’m 110 percent ready. We healed it right. We started sparring at the right time. We did a couple treatments. We’ve done our physical training and I’m just strong and I’m ready to go.

Q

Okay, Zab, I wanted to ask you about that. Can you talk just a little about the mental aspect of being very close to a very important fight and having it get postponed because you’ve already been probably at that point through, probably well over a month of training camp and it comes sudden where you didn’t do anything wrong. You’re still in good shape. You’re getting ready and your opponent gets injured and has to postpone the fight. What’s that like to deal with the disappointment and have to recharge and get back in there?

Judah

Oh, nothing. I’ve been in the game. I understand in this boxing sport that we’re in, things happen. I mean Danny got hurt, Danny got hurt. I mean it’s nothing to that. I just got to, you know what I’m saying, put our cards right and keep on timing about the things that we’re doing and keep a watch on our preparation and our preparation is great; and we just took a little bit of time off and came back at the right time, just stay sharp in gym. And April 27th it’s going to be an explosive night.

Q

How is that, how long did you actually take off, like while he was recovering from the injury, because the fight was postponed for a month and a half? Did you take off a couple days, a month, a week, whatever?

Judah

I’m in that work zone again, you know what I mean, so I would take off days here and there, you know what I mean, so I don’t know exactly. I know I didn’t take off no straight day, you know what I’m saying? I kept it moving and kept-even if I was just doing conditioning, playing basketball or whatever it was, I was doing something.

Q

When Danny first got hurt and the fight was announced that it was postponed, you had made some comments, I think it was you made some comments that that you didn’t believe that he was injured and that maybe he wasn’t in shape and there was some talk that maybe he’d been seen out partying in Philadelphia leading up to the fight, celebrating the last victory against Morales and maybe not taking you that seriously; and that was the reason why the fight got postponed. Is that still your opinion or do you believe that Danny got injured and, like you said, stuff happens in boxing?

Judah

I mean my opinion is my opinion; you know what I’m saying? I mean what has to happen, you know what I mean? I don’t really know, but Danny has got one story. We got another story, but Danny is a fighter, so Danny-who am I to say what really happened to him? I can’t judge that, man. I mean April 27th we’re going to find out everything.

Q

Zab, you know you’ve been around. That’s an understatement. This is actually his I guess fourth or fifth champion that he’s fighting in a row and each time the guys he’s fought has pointed to his inexperience as something they would exploit. Out of all those guys, you are the most experienced and most accomplished that he will have fought. What will you bring to the ring that he hasn’t seen before?

Judah

I mean, everything, just me coming to the ring, period, you know what I’m saying, Lem? Just from him being in Brooklyn and … is something that he’s never seen before, you know what I mean? He’s going to experience things that he’s never seen. Like I said, he did open up the Barclays Center. He opened it up with me, you know what I’m saying, Lem? That’s my city. You know what I’m saying? I’m the king of that city and come April 27th we’re going to show it.

Q

When you fought Vernon Paris you seemed as though you were-I mean it was like ten years previous. I mean you really brought it and can you say what the difference between you that night and, say, you against Khan and you against maybe the latter half of the Matthysse fight, why were you so much on in that fight and can you be the same in this fight?

Judah

Yes, just that my whole focus is different, you know what I mean? When they told me I was going to Brooklyn against the undefeated fighter, like Vernon Paris, I was excited. See, people don’t understand. Fights and people don’t give me, it’s opportunity of things that gets me, you know what I’m saying? I’m saying with me having the opportunity of being the only and last man to unify a weight division, a junior welterweight, because of what the WBC rules are now, so to my understanding there will be no more undisputed champion of the world after this fight is done. So for me being that I did it at welterweight and I’ll come back and do it at 140 again, that’s going to be beautiful to me. So it’s the opportunity that excites me, not the people or the situation.

Q

Okay, Zab, thank you very much and good luck in the fight.

Danny, you already talked about your injury, and like I said before, each of the guys you fought, Campbell, Holt, Morales, …, Khan, they all pointed to your inexperience and your father countered that saying that they weren’t as good as they thought they were. What did you learn and how does it kind of, I guess does it motivate you when you hear that kind of talk? Does that bring out the best in you in those fights?

Garcia

I feel like the last fight … they say they had more experience than me; but I feel like none of that matters when I step into the ring, because that don’t matter when you’re getting hit. When you’re getting hit, it don’t matter how much experience you’ve got. Can you take the punch? That’s the only thing that matters. I’m in great shape. I feel like I’m in great shape, I’m focused and I’m doing the right thing. Nobody can beat me. The only person that can beat me is me and that’s like if I go in the ring not at 110% of shape and I’m focused, I’m ready to go; I feel strong and it’s going to be an epic night April 27th.

Q

Your last two knock-out victories over Khan and over Morales, was that a product of your improvement, or was that a focus? What do you attribute those to, because you’d fought Morales, gone the distance with him before, and then Khan was knocked out by you after having you lost to Peterson?

Garcia

I guess I would just say growing as a fighter and getting more confident, believing in yourself and that’s what I do. Every time I step into that ring, I don’t care who it is. I always know that I’m going to win the fight no matter if I’m the underdog or if I’m picked to win. I go in the ring with always knowing I’m a winner and that’s what I bring into the ring every time.

Q

My last question for you is, you know Zab is a great fighter. He’s been a champion five times and he’s fought great fighters. Do you respect his skills and also what does he bring to the ring that does in fact pose a challenge?

Garcia

No doubt you’ve got to respect anybody who puts on gloves. He’s the world champion. It’s not easy to become a world champion in this game, especially with the politics, so anybody who is a world champion you got to give him respect and you got to respect him as a man. I’m never going into the ring not respecting another fighter, because they got two hands just like you got two hands. So any fighter that tells you they don’t respect nobody going into the ring, that’s a lie, because if you don’t respect nobody you’re going to get knocked out underestimating them, so I respect every fighter. I don’t underestimate no fighter. I go into the fight 110% focused and ready and that’s what I’m gonna bring April 27th.

Q

But with Zab specifically, is he any different? He’s a southpaw, he’s also very skilled. Is he any different than the last four or five guys you fought?

Garcia

We’ll just have to see. We’ll have to see. Anything is easier said outside the ring than in the ring, everything that the story will be told April 27th. You can say you’re going to do this, you could say you’re going to do that. I can say he’s different, I can stay he’s faster. I can say he’s more experienced, but we won’t know till we step in the ring.

Q

Danny, what did you see in Zab’s fight with Amir Khan that he could bring up to this fight against you? When you fought Amir, you know how he’s a strong fighter, a quick fighter. What do you see in that fight?

Garcia

It was a good fight. I think speed was a problem for him and he couldn’t keep up with him, but this is a different style fighting. It’s a different style for this fight and it’s going to be an explosive fight.

Q

Zab, how about yourself? You fought Amir … before Danny. Do you use that as a benchmark to see what you can do or what should you do to defeat Danny when the fight comes?

Judah

No, no, I’m a whole different style, a different fighter than Amir Khan is, you know what I mean, so Amir Khan and Danny Garcia, they fight, you know what I mean? I think that means Danny is going to be a whole different type of fight than Amir Kahn and Danny Garcia.

Q

Danny, Zab spoke about the importance for him fighting in Brooklyn in his hometown. There’s a big Hispanic community in New York also. You’re from next door, from Philly. How important is it to you to fight in a big venue like that where you fought Eric Morales in the rematch?

Garcia

I’m happy. I’m very excited because I’m happy that I’m bringing a big fight back to the east coast and a lot of people on the east coast they’re missing out on boxing, because there hasn’t been a lot of big championship fights. So just bringing a big fight back to the east coast for the Puerto Rican fans, the Philadelphia fans, the Brooklyn fans, all the fans in the east coast, that means the world to me, because we’re bringing boxing back in the east today.

Q

Finally, Zab, you’re a multi-new world champion. You’ve been on the top. You know how difficult it can be. You know the pressure that comes from … champion. How do you see that as an advantage for you against a young fighter who’s facing for the first time the superstardom where you’ve been before? Could that be a detriment for him and affect his focus?

Judah

No. I’m preparing for the best of Danny Garcia that can ever be. You know what I’m saying? When I train, you got to understand, I don’t train for a regular Danny Garcia. I train for like my own fight with oh Mike Tyson or somebody … Mohammed Ali. This is who I’m preparing for, you know what I’m saying; so when you prepare and get your mindset at a thing like this, you run into nothing but flying colors. You know what I mean? I mean I’m pretty sure Danny is going to come in there; he’ll come in there swinging his hooks. He’ll start with his right hand and he’s going to come in there doing what he’s got to do. You know what I’m saying? And just super going to be ready. But like I said, this is why the fans, to come on out, get your tickets or tune in live at the TV, get your popcorn and sit down and let’s watch this process.

Q

Hello, Danny. How does it feel for people to question the legitimacy of the injury after it happened?

Garcia

Any time something happens, there’s always going to be a controversy, but I can’t do nothing else to prove it but get ready for April 27th and fight. That’s behind me. I’m looking at the future and now that’s the past and the future is April 27th. I know … everything is going great, no injuries, no nothing and it’s going to be a great night.

Q

Zab, my first question is to you. Pretty much I mean you’re known worldwide. You fought many fighters. Looking at Danny, do you see anything any different in him, or is it just like another boxer?

Judah

No, I mean Danny really you respect him as a champion. You respect the skills that he’s bringing to the table. He has youth on his side. He’s a young fighter, he’s coming in. He’s very excited to be in this position and you know what I’m saying? We know Danny Garcia is going to come in and fight hard, you know what I mean; so you got to take that and just prepare for it. The old man showed you what to do, and that’s …. He showed you what … how to go in there and annihilate these young boys, you know what I mean, and you just got to follow the game plan and follow through. That’s it.

Q

Can you talk to me a little bit about your training process, how have you prepared for this fight?

Judah

The training has been phenomenal, you know what I’m saying? It’s kind of funny; I went to three different training camps. I was supposed to fight Lamar Peterson first, then the first Garcia fight and then now the second training camp, so it allowed me to get a lot in, you know what I’m saying, a lot of good sparring and a lot of good training, and sharpening up my skills. I think as I sit here today I’m really sharp right now and I’m 100% ready and focused and I’m ready to go 12 rounds. Let’s get it on. I just can’t wait now.

Q

You also have elaborated how Brooklyn is your hometown and it’s home field advantage, I guess, something very important for you. Can you elaborate on how important it is fighting in Brooklyn for you?

Judah

It’s somewhat like a basketball game or a sport games or a football game. When you’re home you got the fans behind you, cheering. You got the momentum, you’ve got the energy. You know what I mean? It’s going to be a lot of energy in that building that night and you know what I’m saying. I think most of it is, I think most of it and all of it is going to be on my side, you know what I’m saying, but that’s why I want to fight, you know what I’m saying? … is going there, and showing your skills.

One thing overall, when people say you’re Zab, …, people say Zab wasn’t in condition. Nobody has ever questioned my skill level as a fighter; you know what I’m saying? Everybody said if that Zab Judah we know get in shape and come in there fully prepared and focused 100% like he should, there’s nobody on this planet that can beat him. And I think April is going to show, you know what I’m saying? Like I said, it’s nothing personal against Danny Garcia. It could have been any other fighter in this position. Danny is the champion, and boxing you go for the championship, you know what I’m saying? He got the championship and we’re going to take it. That’s it, you know what I mean? There’s no hard feelings. You know what I’m saying?

Q

And Danny, first of all, I know you don’t speak Spanish. I know every time I’ve interviewed you, it’s always been through your dad, but if you could just tell me first of all, how are you doing after your injury? How are you feeling right now?

Garcia

I’m doing great. I’m 110 percent ready and I’m training hard and we’re four weeks out to the fight. I feel good and I’m ready to go.

Q

What do you want the fans to know from Philadelphia, what do you want everyone, the Latinos, the community here in the southeastern Pennsylvania and around the world pretty much, what do you want everyone to know about your fight coming up?

Garcia

I want them to know, first of all, I want everybody to come out and … Philadelphia … there’s already a whole bunch of people I know that’s going out. I bump into people in traffic when I’m going to the store, anywhere I go, people tell me, hey, I’m going to the fight. I’m going to the fight; I already got my ticket, so already I know I got a lot of support coming from Philadelphia. I’m pretty sure I got fans in New York, the Spanish fans, the hip hop fans, whatever. I know they’re going to come out and they just want to win. It’s a great night and I know I’m going to have the support. I know I’m going to be ready and I know it’s going to be a good night.

Q

Danny. How is your training camp going and who are you sparring with?

Garcia

Training camp is going well. I’ve been sparring with a couple local guys, a couple local guys. I’ve got some new guys coming in today, so we’re doing good. You really don’t have to go that far for work and we live in Philadelphia, especially the everybody brings their best in the gym and everybody is tough in Philadelphia. Some of the best work is in Philadelphia and … We get new guys in today and we’re going to finish our camp with them and be ready for the fight.

Q

Zab, Danny, who are you sparring with to get ready for this fight?

Judah

I have a couple … same way, we got a couple of guys that we flew in and a couple guys from … California. We got a couple local Vegas guys here and you know.

Garcia

And training camp has been phenomenal. You know what I’m saying? As far as sparring, I mean I don’t have-I probably went through multiple trainings, I probably went through a total of ten guys already, you know what I’m saying? So a lot of guys don’t stay in camp long with me so they’re in and out, you know what I mean? Hey, we’re prepared and ready to go for April 27th.

Q

Hey, my first question is for Danny. Danny, Jose Soman made a statement about a month ago, and in the statement he said that you must either choose this organization’s belt, which is WBC, or relinquish your title. Have you made a decision on which belt you’re going to keep?

Garcia

To be honest with you, I don’t know nothing about that. I don’t worry about the policy side. My job is to train for the fight. I’m not worrying about what belt I got to keep going into the ring or the organization is going to restrict me or nothing like that. I’m pretty sure I got this far for this long. He knows how hard I work. He knows the dedication and the fact that … belt, so I’m just go into the ring and defend whatever title that I defend. I don’t really worry about the policy side of the thing and I just train.

Q

And your first training camp for the … fight, you had …, sorry, and he mentioned also in the media that your injury was actually a thumb injury and somehow the rib injury came out later. Can you explain that situation?

Garcia

Well, I guess when I was hurt he didn’t want to tell nobody it was a rib injury. I’m just thinking how he would think just in case I did keep-just in case I did go into the fight, he didn’t want nobody to know that I was probably injured on my rib. But other than that, I want to know why he would lie, but I don’t know.

Q

Okay. And Zab, the last time that you fought in Europe for 140 pound title against a Puerto Rican fighter, the outcome wasn’t so positive. What have you done now to change the outcome for this fight?

Judah

I prepared myself different for these fights. Back then, I was never-I mean I … train … for all those fights, you know I’m saying? But now my focus … is totally different.

Q

And you’re going to be in your hometown Brooklyn for this fight. For everyone in Brooklyn and for everybody in the world-

Judah

And for the record, I only lost to one Latino fighter, that was Cotto. The other ones that I fought I knocked out. Check the record.

Q

No, no, I know. I just said that the last time you fought a 140 pound fighter in New York, that’s what I said. My last question to you is what does it mean for you, what does it mean to Brooklyn for you to come out the victor in this fight?

Judah

It would mean a lot. We’re in Brooklyn; the city needs a great champion. It need somebody to stand up for the city, you know what I’m saying? That’s for my American fans and Latino fans. New York City is New York City is my city, you know what I’m saying, so I have a lot of Latino friends. I have a lot of African-American friends. I have a lot of friends, period. I have a lot of all kind of friends, races, it’s a lot of-I got everybody in my circle. I just think that it’s our problem again; you know what I’m saying? Brooklyn once reined in the early ’80s and the early ’90s with Mike Tyson and now Zab Judah is gonna come back in and take over again. This time we got an arena to represent it.

Q

Danny, you opened up the Barclays Center for boxing this past fall, and there’ll be a lot of fans from Philly making the trip to see you fight. Do you feel like you’ll be fighting at home come April 27th?

Garcia

Yes, definitely. It’s an east coast fight in the east. Philadelphia is right next to New York. There’s a great atmosphere. I think when I fought at the Barclays Center that was one of the best atmospheres I ever fought in. It’s a brand new arena. Everything was nice. The atmosphere was nice. The people are nice out there. I got a lot of love out there and they made me feel like I was at home and I’m looking forward to doing the same thing April 27th.

Q

Okay. Absolutely, it was historical. Okay, there have been some criticism over your last win over an aged Erik Morales, but Zab Judah is a resurrected fighter. Is there anything you feel you need to prove against a seasoned veteran like Zab?

Garcia

I feel like I have nothin’ to prove, I have to just go in the ring and I don’t worry about what nobody say about me; how I fight, the way I fight, fighting older guys and none of that. That’s not my job. My job is not to match make. My job is not to worry about what people think. My job is to train and get ready for a fight and give the fans of boxing a great performance no matter who is it against. That’s my job. And that’s what I’m going to bring into the ring April 27th, a great conditioned Garcia and he’s gonna go in there and do what he does best.

Q

That’s old school right there; I like that. Okay, not to look past Zab, but I know you saw the Rios/Alvarado fight this last weekend. You like to collect title belts these days. What are your thoughts on possibly facing either Rios or Alvarado in the future?

Garcia

As far … I know it was a good fight. It was a good fight for boxing. You don’t stop many fights, I mean they both like to fight and my focus is Zab Judah. Other than that, I really can’t talk about any other fighters. Congratulations to Mike Alvarado. He did his thing and now it’s time for me to do my thing.

Q

All right. Well, we look forward to seeing you do your thing on April 27th. Okay, next questions are for Zab. Zab, you fought in New York on a number of occasions. However, this is the first time you’ll be fighting in your home town, Brooklyn. Do you feel any additional pressure fighting at home for the first time?

Judah

It’s my second fight …

Q

Oh sorry, okay, I’m sorry about that. I didn’t know that was actually in Brooklyn. Okay, well, being that you’re going to be fighting in the Barclays Center for the first time, is there any additional pressure fighting there for the first time?

Judah

No, I think it’s going to be great because you get to have your peers finally get to come out and see me fight. A lot of people always was kind of upset because they could never ever get to come to my fight, because it was always in Vegas. All the big ones is in Vegas or other places. I’m saying now they get to take a train or a bus or drive right there and walk and come check out Super Judah, so I think it’s going to be a phenomenal atmosphere and it’s going to be great.

Q

You’ve been around for a long time despite being 35 years old. Do you feel your experience is going to be the key factor in this fight?

Judah

I just think that my mindset is different right now and I know it and I know certain things that I do and choose to do, you know what I’m saying? That my mindset is different. And people always say, the fans have said it for years, is that focus, nobody that can beat him. I think that finally I made it to that peak in life right now.

Q

And one last question, you resurrected your career many times over the years. You’ve stayed in top shape all these years and you still look like you’re in your mid 20s. What are some of the things you have done to help continue your legacy over these years?

Judah

Just hard work, you know what I’m saying? I’ve always been an athlete. Throughout the years, I’ve never been the type of fighter where I’ve never done nothing, I’ve just stopped doing other things, you know what I mean, so I’m always in good shape. I don’t know. Just stay focused. Understand since I was six years old, this is all that I’ve ever done in life; you know what I’m saying? Boxing has only been my only job ever and it’s a job that I love and I take pride in to it. It’s almost a gift and a curse. Sometimes we’re having talents and skills and that allowed me not to train as hard as I should have trained for certain fights, you know what I mean? And I paid the consequences on that. But at times when I did stepped in there and I did put 100% work in, it always came out with flying colors.

Q

Things got a little heated between you guys at your last press conference. How’s the postponement ease the temperaments of the any personal animosity that you guys had?

Judah

Oh no, never, this is all business; you know what I’m saying? Things like that happen. I think what … did was beautiful because it allowed the fans and everybody to take place and to bring the light to the situation; you know what I’m saying? It’s probably something that I needed just to light the candle and the fuse under myself and it was great for boxing. It was great for the sport. As far as animosity or somebody like having like somebody really want to be sad, I mean I’m saying my mother sleeps good at night. I’m pretty sure Danny’s mother does, too, so it’s not. There’s no beef.

Q

Danny, any hard feelings on your camp?

Garcia

I got feelings about this that … no. It was only for everybody to watch me and … fighting it … from the press conference to a great night in boxing and that’s entertainment …. Nobody wants to watch a boring press conference or a boring fight or nobody will watch it. Like I said, they didn’t know, now they know now.

Garcia

I want everybody to come out April 27th. It’s going to be a great night for the Philadelphia fans, the Brooklyn fans, the Puerto Rican fans. I’ll be on my A game and at the end of the fight and still champion of the world, Danny Garcia.

Judah

Yes, it’s going to be a great night of boxing. I just hope all the fans come out or be locked in by the TV if you’re not coming out. Brooklyn is back, keep God first. Anything is possible and … that’s it.

END OF CALL

Garcia vs. Judah, a 12-round bout for Garcia’s Unified Super Lightweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and supported by Golden Boy Promotions sponsors Corona and AT&T. In the co-featured attraction, WBO Middleweight World Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin puts his title on the line against hard-hitting Fernando Guerrero in a 12-round fight. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP).

Remaining tickets priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are on sale atwww.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

For more information on Garcia vs. Judah, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, http://Sports.SHO.com, follow us on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BarclaysCenter, @DannySwift, @SuperJudah, @SHOsports, follow the conversation using #BrooklynBoxing and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing orwww.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.




APPROXIMATELY 50,000 TICKETS SOLD FOR BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK MEGA-FIGHTS

Saul Alvarez
LOS ANGELES, March 21 – Boxing fans and sports enthusiasts have spoken to the tune of approximately 50,000 tickets purchased for the unprecedented three consecutive weekends of mega-events in April and May, all of which are promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.

The three-week marathon of championship boxing excellence begins with the WBC and WBA Super Welterweight Unification bout between Canelo Alvarez and Austin Trout at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday April 20 which is co-promoted with Canelo Promotions and Leija & Battah Promotions, followed by the Unified Super Lightweight World Championship between Danny Garcia and Zab Judah at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, April 27 and the grand finale, “MAY DAY: Floyd Mayweather vs. Robert Guerrero” on Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada which is co-promoted by Mayweather Promotions. The April 20 and April 27 SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING events will be televised live on SHOWTIME® and the May 4 “MAY DAY: Floyd Mayweather vs. Robert Guerrero” mega-event will be produced and distributed by SHOWTIME PPV®.

“The fans’ response to this amazing schedule of boxing events, which occur one right after the other, has been overwhelming,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Across the country from Brooklyn to San Antonio to Las Vegas, we have seen a rapid response from sports fans and boxing loyalists who have purchased tickets to support these terrific boxing events.”

Schaefer continued, “The public’s enthusiasm about this three week run, culminating with the return of Floyd Mayweather to the MGM Grand Garden Arena, reinforces our strong belief that if you provide and deliver competitive matches at the highest level, the public will respond enthusiastically and support this sport we love. In addition, fans across the country that cannot be there in person, can see all of these fights on SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME PPV (May 4). We are thrilled to partner with SHOWTIME to continue to provide excellent programming throughout the calendar year to those who love and appreciate the sweet science of boxing.”

Ticket sales for Canelo vs. Trout have been so overwhelming that promoters Golden Boy Promotions, Canelo Promotions and Leija & Battah Promotions will soon extend the available seating by putting additional tickets on sale. San Antonio can expect more than 30,000 fans in the building come fight night, proving once again that Texas is a hot spot for boxing aficionados.

Coming off of witnessing the record-breaking performance by IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Bernard Hopkins on March 9 at Barclays Center, Brooklyn boxing fans are gearing up for another stacked fight card taking place Saturday, April 27 headlined by Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny Garcia facing Brooklyn’s own Four-Time and Two-Division World Champion Zab Judah.

The three-week lead up ends on Cinco de Mayo weekend with a nearly sold out event featuring the ring return of boxing mega-star Floyd Mayweather against Six-Time and Four Division World Champion Robert Guerrero. The event, which takes place on Saturday, May 4 at MGM Grand and will be produced and distributed live on SHOWTIME PPV, will undoubtedly sell out, once again showing Mayweather’s incredible drawing power at the box office.

About Canelo vs. Trout:

Canelo vs. Trout, a 12-round WBC and WBA Super Welterweight World Championship Unification fight, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, Canelo Promotions and Leija & Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. The fight will air live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT) and is presented in association with Greg Cohen Promotions.

Remaining tickets priced at $100, $25 and $10, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are available for purchase at the Alamodome box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling (800) 745-3000.

About Garcia vs. Judah:

Garcia vs. Judah, a 12-round bout for Garcia’s Unified Super Lightweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored Corona and AT&T. In the co-featured attraction WBO Middleweight World Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin puts his title on the line against hard-hitting Fernando Guerrero in a 12-round fight. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Remaining tickets priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000.

About “May Day: Mayweather vs. Guerrero”:

“MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts and AT&T. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Also featured will be Daniel Ponce de Leon vs. Abner Mares, a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship.

Remaining tickets for priced at $1,500, $1,250, $800 and $600, not including applicable service charges, are on sale now with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.




DANNY GARCIA RIB INJURY FORCES POSTPONEMENT OF FEBRUARY 9 FIGHT AGAINST ZAB JUDAH

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BROOKLYN (January 27) – Due to a rib injury sustained while training, Danny Garcia will be unable to compete in his scheduled February 9 world title defense against Zab Judah which was to be televised by SHOWTIME® from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. As a result, the event, and its undercard bouts, have been postponed until Saturday, April 27 at Barclays Center and will be telecast live on SHOWTIME.

All tickets purchased for the February 9 event will be honored on April 27.

Garcia vs. Judah, a 12-round bout for Garcia’s Unified Super Lightweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and supported by Golden Boy Promotions sponsors Corona and AT&T.

Tickets for the April 27 fight, priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, are on sale now and are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000.




INSPIRATIONAL MIDDLEWEIGHT STAR DANNY “MIRACLE MAN” JACOBS TO FACE BILLY LYELL ON SHOWTIME EXTREME® TELECAST LIVE FROM BARCLAYS CENTER IN BROOKLYN ON FEBRUARY 9

Daniel_Jacobs
BROOKLYN, January 24 – On Saturday, February 9, Brooklyn’s own Danny “Miracle Man” Jacobs continues his phenomenal comeback following his successful battle against cancer with a 10-round middleweight bout against rugged Billy Lyell that will be featured live on the SHOWTIME EXTREME telecast at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast) from New York’s newest home for world-class fight action, Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Headlining the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® event at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast) will be the highly anticipated title bout between Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia and hometown hero Zab “Super” Judah while in the co-main event, New York’s Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin defends his WBO Middleweight World Championship against popular contender Fernando Guerrero. Also featured that evening will be Brooklyn boxing mainstay Dmitriy Salita facing Hector Camacho Jr., son of the late “Macho” Hector Camacho.

“We are so thrilled that Danny Jacobs is getting back in the ring for the third time in less than five months,” said Oscar De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions. “Billy Lyell is going to do what he can to put an end to Danny’s undefeated comeback streak, but the ‘Miracle Man’ will be hard to stop.”

Following a harrowing, but victorious fight against cancer that kept him out of the ring for over a year, Brooklyn’s Jacobs (24-1, 21 KO’s) returned on October 20, 2012 at Barclays Center and scored an emotional first round knockout victory over Josh Luteran. In December, the 25-year-old Jacobs made it two for two in his comeback when he halted tough Chris Fitzpatrick in five rounds and will seek a similar result in his next bout at Barclays Center against Lyell.

A 10-year professional hailing from Warren, Ohio, Billy Lyell (24-11, 5 KO’s) is a gritty competitor who always shows up to fight when the bell rings. Willing to fight the best competition available at the drop of a hat, Lyell has been in the ring with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., James Kirkland, Yory Boy Campas and Vanes Martirosyan. He owns a 2009 victory over John Duddy in which he handed the Irishman his first professional loss. A former world title challenger, look for the 28-year-old Lyell to be in Jacobs’ face from start to finish on February 9.

# # #

Garcia vs. Judah, a 12-round bout for Garcia’s Unified Super Lightweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and supported by Golden Boy Promotions sponsors Corona and AT&T. In the co-featured attraction on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, WBO Middleweight World Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin puts his title on the line against hard-hitting Fernando Guerrero in a 12-round fight. In fights featured on SHOWTIME Extreme, boxing’s most inspirational fighter, Brooklyn’s Danny “Miracle Man” Jacobs faces veteran Billy Lyell in a 10-round middleweight bout and Brooklyn’s Dmitriy Salita faces Hector Camacho Jr. in a 10-round junior middleweight fight. The SHOWTIME Championship Boxing telecast begins live at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) with preliminary fights to air live on SHOWTIME Extreme at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, are on sale now and are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000.




WBO MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION PETER QUILLIN TO DEFEND TITLE AGAINST TOP CONTENDER FERNANDO GUERRERO AT BARCLAYS CENTER IN BROOKLYN ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9 LIVE ON SHOWTIME

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BROOKLYN (January 11, 2013) – WBO Middleweight World Champion and New Yorker Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin will make his first title defense against Fernando Guerrero in the co-featured bout to the world title clash between Unified Super Lightweight Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia and Brooklyn native Zab “Super” Judah at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday, February 9 live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.

In addition to Quillin and Garcia, the stars of last October’s inaugural boxing event at Barclays Center will return to the sport’s most popular new venue.

SHOWTIME Extreme will start the televised action with a 10-round junior middleweight bout between Brooklyn’s Dmitriy Salita and Hector Camacho Jr. along with a 10-round middleweight fight featuring boxing’s most inspirational fighter, Brooklyn’s Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs, who continues his comeback following a successful battle against cancer against an opponent to be named.

Other undercard fights will feature the New York professional debut of Staten Island’s 2012 United States Olympian Marcus Browne in a four-round light heavyweight fight as well as crowd- pleasing Boyd Melson, whose dedication to finding a cure for spinal cord injuries makes him a true champion, who will fight in a six-round middleweight bout against an opponent to be named.

Garcia vs. Judah, a 12-round bout for Garcia’s Unified Super Lightweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and supported by Golden Boy Promotions sponsors Corona and AT&T. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) with preliminary fights to air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 7 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, are on sale now and are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000.

“We’re happy to be back in Brooklyn with the great main event of Danny Garcia vs. Zab Judah and a stacked undercard that has something for every boxing fan, from championship bouts to crossroad fights, to appearances from New York’s best,” said Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “This will be another great night at Barclays Center.”

“The inaugural fight card at Barclays Center last October was a rousing success as we teamed with Golden Boy to bring championship boxing back to Brooklyn for the first time in more than 80 years,” Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark said. “We expect an even more exciting event on February 9, as we continue to offer great title fights while giving emerging New York fighters the opportunity to showcase their talents in Brooklyn’s grandest ring.”

“It’s a great feeling to be back in Brooklyn for my first title defense and I am going to give fans what they are looking for again,” said Quillin. “The crowd at Barclays Center pushed me to another level last October when I won my title and I can’t wait to win for them again on February 9.”

“This is the moment every fighter dreams of and I feel like everything is finally aligned for me to win my first world championship on February 9,” said Guerrero. “Quillin is an exciting, aggressive fighter like me and we’re going to put on a show for the great fans in Brooklyn.”

“It’s a special feeling to be able to fight in my home borough again,” said Jacobs. “This was an extra special holiday season for me and my family. To look back on last October when I had the chance to return to the ring and continue my career was an early Christmas present that no one can ever take away from me. My fight on February 9 gives me the opportunity to continue my championship quest.”

“I love fighting in Brooklyn and to now face Hector Camacho Jr., another legendary New York name, the stakes will be extremely high on February 9,” said Salita. “I look forward to the opportunity and feel confident that I will be victorious that night.”

“It is going to be an exciting, but very emotional night for me on February 9 when I fight at Barclays Center,” said Camacho. “I am fighting for myself, but it will also be a tribute to my dad who was loved throughout all of New York. I plan to honor and represent the family name with a win of Dmitriy.”

“This moment is what I’ve been waiting for since I first started boxing and I just can’t wait to fight,” said Browne. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to showcase my skills in front of my fans and make my hometown debut at Barclays Center. Everyone on Staten Island and in New York City has shown me a tremendous amount of support and I’m ready to put on a great show on February 9.”

With an exciting style and a flair for the dramatic, Quillin (28-0, 20 KO’s), who lives in Manhattan, carried the momentum from his June 2012 win over Winky Wright into Barclays Center on October 20, winning the WBO middleweight title with a six-knockdown performance against previously unbeaten former World Champion Hassan N’Dam. Ready to top that epic win with an encore performance, Quillin will make the first defense of his crown against Guerrero.

Long one of the most popular fighters on the East Coast, Guerrero (25-1, 19 KO’s) took his show on the road in 2012, and with wins over Jason Naugler (TKO 4) in Mexico, Jose Medina (W10) in Las Vegas, and J.C. Candelo (TKO 6) in Texas, he showed the development of his game and his readiness for a world title shot. On February 9, the hard-hitting southpaw gets the opportunity he’s been waiting for.

Following a harrowing but victorious fight against cancer that kept him out of the ring for over a year, Jacobs (24-1, 21 KO’s) returned to action on October 20 and scored an emotional first-round knockout win over Josh Luteran. In December, the 25-year-old Jacobs halted tough Chris Fitzpatrick in five rounds and he expects similarly positive results in his next bout at Barclays Center.

One of New York’s most popular fighters, Salita (35-1-1, 18 KO’s) is ready for another world title shot and a win over Camacho Jr. on February 9 will move him one step closer. A decision winner over Brandon Hoskins at Barclays Center last October, the 30-year-old Salita aims to keep his five fight-winning streak and his championship dreams alive with a win over Camacho Jr.

The son of the late, great “Macho” Camacho, Hector Camacho Jr. (54-5-1, 29 KO’s) will undoubtedly be looking to leave an impression and score a victory in his father’s home city on February 9. The winner of 11 of his last 13 bouts, the 16-year veteran of the sport has been waiting for an opportunity like this in the Big Apple. In his first local bout since 2001, the 34-year-old from San Juan can’t wait to hear the bell ring.

A member of the 2012 United States Olympic team, Marcus Browne (2-0, 2 KO’s) proudly represented Staten Island in London, and now that he’s back home, he’s ready to impress his growing number of fans. Undefeated in his two fights as a pro, the 22-year-old southpaw dispatched of both Codale Ford and Ritchie Cherry in his first two bouts.

31-year-old middleweight Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson (10-1-1, 4 KO’s) got a scare from underrated Jason Thompson at Barclays Center last October when he hit the deck early in the bout, but the talented and resilient Army veteran battled back to earn a six-round draw in one of the most exciting fights of the night. On February 9, the New Yorker vows to leave the ring victorious in a six-round middleweight fight.

Opponents for Jacobs, Browne and Melson will be announced shortly.

Opening the event will be two four-round bouts featuring Manhattan junior welterweight Zachary Ochoa (3-0, 3 KO’s) and Philadelphia bantamweight Miguel Cartagena (5-0, 3 KO’s) who will both compete against opponents to be named.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com,www.barclayscenter.com, http://Sports.SHO.com, follow us on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BarclaysCenter, @DannySwift, @SHOsports, follow the conversation using #BrooklynBoxing or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.facebook.com/ShoBoxing.

# # #

Located atop one of the largest transportation hubs in New York City, Barclays Center is accessible by 11 subway lines, the Long Island Rail Road, and 11 bus lines.




DANNY “SWIFT” GARCIA AND ZAB “SUPER” JUDAH ANNOUNCE FEBRUARY 9 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT AT BARCLAYS CENTER IN BROOKLYN


NEW YORK (December 2, 2012) – Tensions flared as Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia and former Four-Time and Two-Division World Champion Zab “Super” Judah formally announced their Saturday, February 9 world championship fight at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, which will be televised live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.

Garcia, Judah and their camps had to be separated mid-way through Saturday’s press conference at Gallagher’s Steakhouse in New York City after Garcia’s father Angel made comments while addressing the media. Judah took offense to Angel’s promise that his son, the WBA Super, WBC and Ring Magazine Super Lightweight World Champion would knock out the Brooklyn native.

Garcia vs. Judah, a 12-round bout for Garcia’s Unified Super Lightweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and supported by Golden Boy Promotions sponsor Corona. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). Preliminary fights will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME®.

Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, go on sale on Monday, December 3 at 10:00 a.m. ET and will be available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000.

Here’s what the participants had to say during Saturday’s press conference:

DANNY GARCIA, Unified Super Lightweight World Champion

“It’s going to be another epic show. [To Judah] Come February 9th, I’m going to show you. I’m going to knock you out.

“Now there’s going to be a fight on February 9th.

“I am old-school. I always go for the knockout.

“I’m going to punish him. I’m going for the knockout. This is not going past four rounds.

“This is my time. It is going to be a great fight.

“He [Judah] is going to try hard because he is fighting in Brooklyn, and he is in his hometown. He is going to do a lot of barking and I am going to do a lot of biting.

“I won the title in Houston in front of Morales’ fans. I beat Khan in Vegas; he had a lot of fans there, so this isn’t anything new to me.”

ZAB JUDAH, Former Four-Time and Two-Division World Champion

“You’ve got a hungry Zab Judah. Get your seatbelt on because it’s going to be a roller coaster on February 9th.

“When you come into Brooklyn you have to show some respect. [To Garcia] Take your ass whooping and head down I-95.

“Danny is a cool, calm fighter. His dad is the mouth.

“I am not perfect. I make mistakes. I got mad.

“I am too fast, too slick and too strong for Garcia. February 9th is going to be fun.

“My first title fight was on SHOWTIME and now I have a chance to win the unified title [on SHOWTIME].

“It’s a dream to have an arena right in my borough. After 16 years as a professional, I am going to be able to give my borough the championship of the world.”

ANGEL GARCIA, DANNY’S FATHER & TRAINER

“Danny is blessed. I am blessed because of Danny. I train him, Al [Haymon] picks ’em and Danny fights ’em.

“Zab was a champion, that was his time, his era. There’s a new era. It’s about Philly right now.

“Danny is still undefeated. We’re not leaving those titles in Brooklyn.”

BERNARD HOPKINS, President of Golden Boy East

“A lot of fighters have made history in New York City, including myself. What better way to start the second show at Barclays Center than with a fight like this one? Golden Boy put on a great show in October and we are coming back with another great show on February 9th.

“Zab can’t be underestimated or disrespected. He always brings his ‘A’ game. Everyone knows Zab comes to fight. He brings it. Garcia, a Philly guy, is representing himself, his family and the City of Brotherly Love.

“They love Zab Judah in Brooklyn like they love Mike Tyson.

“This will be a test for Danny to disprove to any doubters out there. He’s taking on someone he doesn’t have to fight…a living legend.”

RICHARD SCHAEFER, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions

“This is the kind of fight that was easy and quick to put together. Both of these guys wanted this fight.

“When you have two fighters that really want it, it results in a great matchup.

“We have fantastic pricing for this fight starting at 25 dollars. That’s like the price of a movie ticket.

“The undercard will have Danny Jacobs, if he gets past his fight tonight and Peter Quillin.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports

“At SHOWTIME, we are committed to bringing our subscribers the biggest names and most established stars, as well as discovering and building the stars of the future. On February 9th, we will be featuring both of those [types of fighters].

“It’s hard to believe in less than a year Danny has gone from an interesting prospect to a bona fide world champion. He has put his name on the short list of boxing’s household names.

“Zab Judah has been on that list for quite some time. February 9th will be Zab’s 10th appearance on SHOWTIME and every single appearance has been entertaining and compelling.

“This will be Danny’s litmus test.”

SEAN SAADEH, Vice President of Programming for Barclays Center

“We’re thrilled to have this fight at Barclays Center. Our first fight was great and the energy was electric.

“Brooklyn is known for raising some of the best fighters and the world and we want Barclays Center to be their home.

“We are proud to continue that tradition with Brooklyn’s own Zab Judah.

“We want up-and-coming Brooklyn fighters to aspire to fight at Barclays and we want it to be their ultimate goal.

“In October, Danny Garcia showed us why he was one of the most elite fighters in boxing we are looking forward to showcasing him again.”




VIDEO: ZAB JUDAH




VIDEO: DANNY GARCIA




DANNY GARCIA VS. ZAB JUDAH SET FOR THE UNIFIED SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9 AT BARCLAYS CENTER IN BROOKLYN


BROOKLYN (December 1, 2012) – Following an unforgettable night of fights in October to open a new era of boxing in Brooklyn at Barclays Center, Golden Boy Promotions and SHOWTIME return to the area’s most spectacular new venue on Saturday, February 9 with a world championship bout featuring WBA Super, WBC and Ring Magazine Super Lightweight World Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia against former Four-Time and Two-Division World Champion and Brooklyn’s own Zab “Super” Judah.

“Zab’s a great fighter, one of the best of his era, but it’s my era now and I’m going to prove it on February 9,” said Garcia, who will be making his third title defense. “The crowd in Brooklyn was great for my last fight, and I can’t wait to put on another show for them. I plan on ending this one the way I did my last fight at Barclays Center…by knockout.”

“I’d like to thank Danny Garcia, Golden Boy and Barclays Center for this opportunity,” said Judah. “I’m blessed to be able to come back home to Brooklyn, perform for my fans, and win another world championship. Danny is a talented fighter, but I have tricks he’s never seen before. This will be the defining fight of my career, and I can’t wait.”

“The atmosphere at Barclays Center was electric for our first event there in October and I know it’s going to be bigger and better on February 9,” said Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “Danny Garcia is an exciting young champion making statements with each fight and Brooklyn’s own Zab Judah is going to test him like never before. This is a Fight of the Year candidate in February, and I can’t wait to get back to Brooklyn to see it.”

“We are thrilled to bring another exciting championship fight to Barclays Center for what is sure to be a dramatic evening for boxing fans,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Barclays Center. “Our inaugural boxing event in October was a rousing success as we are delighted to re-ignite boxing’s powerful tradition in Brooklyn.”

“After a strong 2012 lineup of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, 2013 will prove to be even better,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “On February 9, we are expecting a spectacular night of boxing at Barclays Center featuring a rising champion in Danny Garcia and Zab Judah, a boxing main-stay who hails from Brooklyn. Fans came out strong in Brooklyn and tuned into the SHOWTIME telecast during the last fight at Barclays Center and we can’t wait for the same to occur come February 9.”

Garcia vs. Judah, a 12-round bout for Garcia’s Unified Super Lightweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and supported by Golden Boy Promotions sponsor Corona. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). Preliminary fights will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME®.

Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, go on sale on Monday, December 3 at 10:00 a.m. ET and will be available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000.

Philadelphia Danny “Swift” Garcia (25-0, 16 KO’s) has been boxing’s breakout star of 2012, and a top candidate for Fighter of the Year honors as a result of his spectacular performances on the sport’s biggest stages. A top prospect and contender in the years leading up to 2012, the 24-year-old won his first world title fight in March by dropping, then decisioning the legendary Erik Morales for the WBC 140-pound title. Garcia then unified the titles in July with a stunning fourth round knockout of British Superstar Amir Khan before opening Barclays Center in October with a one punch knockout of Morales in their rematch. Now Garcia has his sights set on taking out another superstar in Zab Judah.

One of New York’s most accomplished boxers of all time, Brooklyn’s Zab “Super” Judah (42-7, 29 KO’s) has lived up to his nickname with blazing speed, one punch power and classic performances. A former world champion at super lightweight and welterweight, the 35-year-old southpaw owns wins over Cory Spinks, Junior Witter, DeMarcus Corley and Lucas Matthysse, while also going toe-to-toe with modern greats like Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto, and Kostya Tszyu. The winner of six of his last seven bouts, most recently a ninth round technical knockout win over then unbeaten Vernon Paris in March, Judah is amped up to fight in his hometown for the second time as a professional on February 9.

Televised co-features and a stacked lineup of undercard bouts will be announced shortly.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com,www.barclayscenter.com, http://Sports.SHO.com, follow us on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BarclaysCenter, @DannySwift, @SuperJudah, @SHOsports, follow the conversation using #BrooklynBoxing or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.facebook.com/ShoBoxing.




VIDEO: GARCIA – JUDAH PRESS CONFERENCE BRAWL




Team Peterson nets low Peterson – Judah purse bid


Headbangers Promotions which is headed by Lamont Peterson’s manager/trainer Barry Hunter won the purse bid to stage the IBF Jr. Welterweight championship bout between Peterson and former world champion Zab Judah for $50,000 according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“The fight must be done in 90 days, or by Jan. 2, 2013,” said Lindsay Tucker of the IBF.

“My thing is I’ve been around a long time and financially I’m OK in life,” Judah told ESPN.com. “I know that I need that title for the Zab Judah train to stay afloat. So we’re gonna be there. We’re coming to D.C., with a game plan. I’m in top shape right now. You can ask anyone in the gyms in Las Vegas. I’ve been killing guys in the gym.

“We are in. I know the bigger picture. I know what Zab Judah winning means. I said I ain’t doing this only because of the money. I’m fighting because I still love the sport and I love what I do, and I know I’m good at it. I’m doing pretty fine in life. I’m not starving. I ain’t never worked in my life. Boxing is all I ever did and I live great and every time my back is against the wall, like with this here fight, I pull it out.”

“I’m ready for this fight,” said Judah, who turns 35 on Oct. 27. “I don’t know if Peterson is ready. I’m here to show everybody that I’ll still reign. I know what I gotta do even with my last performance (against Paris) being great. I was disappointed with that purse. I was mad. I wasn’t going to do the fight. But it wasn’t about money. I live to do what I do. I know I can fight and I know where my mind is at. I’m doing things right. It’s the same thing with this fight with Peterson.”




Judah eyeing Marquez fight for July 14


According to Dan Rafael of espn.com former Jr. Welterweight & welterweight champion Zab Judah is in the running to secure a July 14 showdown with Juan Manuel Marquez at Cowboys Stadium.

“It’s a fight I have campaigned for,” said Judah, who is from Brooklyn, N.Y., but lives in Las Vegas and has been around the media center this week. “This is a fight I wanted a couple of years ago and I still want it. I want him. He fought Floyd Mayweather and never touched him and he got dropped. I can do that, too.”

Main Events promoter Kathy Duva, who promotes Judah, told ESPN.com that Top Rank chief Bob Arum has contacted her about Judah.

“I’ve been having discussions with Bob for the past 24 hours,” she said Friday. “But the deal is not done. Obviously, we’d love to do it. I think it’s a saleable fight, a terrific fight. These guys are both big names, so we would love to do it and it’s not a complicated deal to make.”

“He really wants the fight,” she said. “But Bob hasn’t made us an offer yet. He’s exploring what it would take to make the fight, but I know we can make it if this is the fight they want to do. Bob knows that Zab is available, so we are talking about it.”

“It’s a fight that makes sense,” Judah said. “Marquez wants a fourth fight with Manny Pacquiao. I want a fight with Manny Pacquiao, too. The winner should get Pacquiao.”




VIDEO: ZAB JUDAH

Former two division champion Zab Judah talks about his impressive stoppage over Vernon Paris




Judah impressive in stopping Paris

Zab Judah (41-7, 28 KO’s, 138lbs) had his first ever fight in Brooklyn, NY, and it was up against rising talent, Vernon Paris (26-0, 15 KO’s, 138lbs). The bout took place at the Aviator Sports Center, which has become the home for boxing in Brooklyn.

With Judah being a southpaw and Paris in the orthodox stance, both fighters quickly worked at establishing their straight hands. Judah was the first to gain control, and he showed no signs of losing that control.

Any analyst will tell you that when opposite handed fighters face eachother, footwork is key. If one fighter’s lead foot is outside his opponent’s, he has the angle and leverage to land the better blows. Paris was losing the footwork battle badly. Judah beat him to the punch every single time as Paris could not grasp the very basic aspect of proper punching against a southpaw.

Judah repeatedly stunned Paris throughout the fight. To his credit, Paris showed a great chin, and was occasionally able to follow up with good shots of his own. But those shots were few and far between.

As both fighters entered the ninth round, Paris was way behind on the scorecards and needed something drastic to occur in order to come away victorious. Judah made sure that wouldn’t happen by sticking to the gamelan that was working to absolute perfection. He stunned Paris with another left hand and backed him into a corner. With Paris stunned and trapped, Judah stepped back and measured the situation before unleashing another combination that forced the referee to step in and call the fight. Judah came away victorious in impressive fashion, acoring a TKO victory at the 2:27 point in the ninth round.

The popular Tomasz Adamek (44-2, 28 KO’s, 222.5lbs) took to the ring against Nagy Aguilera (17-6, 12 KO’s, 226.5lbs) in what was expected to be a one sided affair. Aguilera was aggressive early, taking advantage of Adamek’s notoriously slow starts. Aguilera did well until Adamek landed a left hook that badly wobbled Aguilera’s legs.

From that point on, Adamek was in control of the slugfest, repeatedly landing the ol’ one-two combination, and then slipping out of harms way. Despite the I’ve sided nature of the fight, Aguilera landed some hard blows of his own, temporarily quieting some of Adamek’s passionate fans.


After ten rounds, the scores read 99-91, 100-90, 100-90 for Adamek, giving him the unanimous decision victory.

Sergei Liakhovich (25-4, 16KO’s, 231lbs) took on Bryant Jennings (12-0, 5 KO’s, 219.5lbs) in a crossroads battle. From start to finish, Jennings was in total control of the bout. His better footwork led to better opportunities to throw combinations. And throw combinations he did. Jennings landed at will and had Liakhovich staggered in nearly every round. Liakhovich was just too slow and had no answer for Jennings.

Over the course of eight one sided rounds, Liakhovich took a beating. Before the round, the ringside physician took Liakhovich aside for a closer look. He let the fight continue, and Jennings continued the beating. After the round was over, the doctor advised that the fight should should be stopped. Jennings was credited with a TKO victory at the 3:00 mark of the ninth round.

Cruiserweights Santader Silgado (20-0, 18 KO’s, 196lbs) and Willie Herring (13-9-3, 4 KO’s) took to the ring next. The experts in attendance were going to get a good look at Silgado, who boasts an impressive record.

Things did not start so peachy for Silgado, as Herring turned out to be a crafty counterpuncher. The early rounds were a closely contested chess match.

In order to work his way inside, Herring made many aggressive lunges forward that led to headbutts. Eventually, a headbutt seemed to open up a cut over Silgado’s right eye, but luckily, his cutman, Danny Milano was on hand, and the bleeding was stopped.

Things changed in the fifth round. Silgado landed a body blow, and Herring was able to sell it as a low blow. From that point on, Silgado was in control and used his advantage in size very well for the rest of the fight. Herring’s continued attempts at selling phantom low blows did not work.

The final round saw lots of fireworks as Herring was able to land some looping hooks. The second half of the round had Silgado back in control. In the end, the final scores read 77-75, 78-74, and 78-74 in favor of Silgado, giving him a unanimous decision victory.

Much to the delight of his adoring Brooklyn fans, Curtis Stevens (21-3, 15 KO’s, 162lbs) made short work of Romaro Johnson (11-5-1, 6 KO’s, 160lbs) in their bout. Not long after the opening bell, a combination from Stevens sent Johnson onto the canvas. Johnson quickly made it up to his feet, but Stevens gave him no breathing room, and another combination sent Johnson down.

Johnson beat the count again, but the referee stayed close by to jump in if there was danger. That danger came quick, as another combination landed, and the referee called an end before Johnson even landed. The time of the TKO came at 2:16 of the first round.

The opening bout og the evening saw Angel Garcia (1-0, 1 KO, 130lbs) dominate and stop Alan Beeman (debut, 129.5lbs) in three rounds.




FOR BRYANT JENNINGS THE TIME IS NOW


NORTH PHILADELPHIA – Upstart heavyweight Bryant Jennings, 12-0, 5 KOs, believes that when opportunity knocks, you have no choice but to answer. In January, Jennings stepped into the main event of the inaugural telecast of NBC Sports Network’s “Fight Night” boxing series by seizing one of those unlikely opportunities that sometimes come along. On one week’s notice, Jennings accepted a fight with another undefeated prospect and came away with a nationally televised 10-round victory, and for the first time in his career, left a fight with a little buzz surrounding his name. That buzz translated into yet another opportunity for Jennings on the very next NBC Sports Network “Fight Night” show, promoted by Main Events, March 24th. The fight will be part of fantastic night of boxing featuring Zab Judah vs. Vernon Paris. The broadcast begins at 10PM ET.

Photo Credits: John DiSanto http://www.phillyboxinghistory.com

On March 24th, Jennings will take on his stiffest test to date when he meets former WBO heavyweight champion Sergei Liakhovich, 25-4, 16 KOs, at the Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn, New York. Although Jennings impressed in his last bout, a unanimous decision over Maurice Byarm, some believe that with the worldly Liakhovich, he’s bitten off a little more than he can chew. But Jennings doesn’t agree.

“I know for sure that I’m ready,” Jennings said before his typically rigorous workout at the ABC Recreation Center in North Philly. “Everything I do is for a reason. It’s a pretty good step up for me, and I know it’s not going to be easy. But I got to move forward. Everything is going to get tougher now. I know that’s the way it has to be.”

The fact that Liakhovich has been to the top of the heavyweight division and has faced a level of opposition far deeper and more accomplished than the 27-year old Jennings, figures to be the former champ’s biggest edge in the fight. However, supporters of Jennings can’t help but wonder if Liakhovich still has enough gas left in his tank to fight off the challenge of a hungry and confident prospect like the Philadelphian.

“They say he’s been there, but in the last four years he’s had four fights. And he’s lost two of them,” said Jennings’ trainer Fred Jenkins, Sr. “You’ve got an old race horse going against a young race horse. So who you betting on?”

Photo Credits: John DiSanto http://www.phillyboxinghistory.co

Jennings knows what his opponent has done in the past, but realizes that now is time to make the most of his latest and biggest opportunity.

“He’s trying to work his way back to being a contender, and I’m here to step in his way,” said Jennings. “He’s also in my way, so that’s when we clash and collide.”

Jennings’ desire to win is palpable. Under the watchful eye of his trainer, Bryant sweats and grunts his way through a daily training regimen that emphasizes hard work and clear focus. This is one young man who does not look beyond the next step. He refuses to be seduced by the promise of his potentially bright future.

“What’s in front of me right now, this fight, is more important than my future,” Jennings said. “Tomorrow is not promised, so I’m working on what’s going on right now. My future lies within this fight.”

Photo Credits: John DiSanto http://www.phillyboxinghistory.com

Be sure to tune into NBCSN for all the action following the NCAA basketball tournament!

To find the location of the NBC Sports Network on your local cable, satellite or IPTV provider, click here:http://www.nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/30092015/ns/sports/

Fight Info:
Tickets to the blockbuster triple-header, priced at $200, $100 and $75 and may be purchased by calling Main Events (973) 200-7050, Peltz Boxing (215) 765-0922, or online through www.peltzboxing.com. The non-televised undercard fights will begin at 7:30 p.m., the NBC Sports Network Fight Night broadcast will begin at 10 p.m. ET on Mar 24th.

The Aviator Sports and Events Center offers free parking. You can also take public transportation via the Q35 MTA bus from the Flatbush Avenue/Brooklyn College subway station.

NBC SPORTS NETWORK FIGHT NIGHT SCHEDULE (All Times ET)
Saturday March 24,10pm – Aviator Sports and Events Center, Brooklyn, NY
Friday, June 1, 9-11 pm – Sands Casino Resort, Bethlehem, PA
Saturday, June 16, 9-11 pm – Site TBA

Saturday, December 8, 9-11 pm – Site TBA

Tweet the link to NBC Sports Network Fight Night channel finder: bit.ly/175UuU

Twitter: #FightNight

Twitter: @main_events @NBCSN




Two Big Heavyweight Bouts Added to NBC Sports Network Fight Night’s Blockbuster Judah-Paris Show


The White Wolf, Sergei Liakhovich will take on Philadelphia’s hot Bryant Jennings in a 10-round co-feature, while heavyweight Tomasz Adamek makes his first ring appearance since facing Heavyweight King Vitali Klitschko on Saturday, March 24th when the NBC Sports Network’s “Fight Night” boxing series comes to Brooklyn’s Aviator Sports Complex. In the main event of the evening, Brooklyn’s Zab Judah takes on unbeaten Junior Welterweight Vernon Paris in a mandated fight for the #1 position in the IBF.

Jennings, 12-0, 5 KO’s, who made an enormous hit with the NBC Sports Network audience, last month, when he stepped into the main event on just five days’ notice on the inaugural “Fight Night” broadcast and captured the Pennsylvania Heavyweight Title in an exciting 12-round brawl with Maurice Byarm, will face one of the big men who he replaced that night. Liakhovich, 25-4, 16 KO’s, caught a tough break just a few days earlier when no suitable opponent could be found to replace top contender Eddie Chambers on short notice when he suffered two broken ribs in sparring and had to withdraw. Always ready to do battle in the ring, Liakhovich was anxious to get back on the fight calendar as soon as possible.

Liakhovich, “I am glad to be fighting on NBC Sports Network. I look forward to my fight with Jennings. I like fighting guys who appreciate a challenge like me. I am in great shape and can’t wait to get back in the ring.”

Russell Peltz of Peltz Boxing said that Jennings was eager to get back in the ring, “We feel we should strike while the iron is hot. Why go backwards after the win over Byarm?”

A former World Light Heavyweight, Cruiserweight and IBF International Heavyweight champion, Adamek, 44-2, 28 KO’s, is equally anxious to begin his climb back up to the top of the heavyweight rankings with his first ever appearance in Brooklyn. A suitable opponent is being sought and his name will be released shortly.

“This show is shaping up to be quite extraordinary,” promoter Kathy Duva said. “There will be excitement from start to finish and I’m sure that every boxing fan who can’t get a ticket won’t want to miss the broadcast on the NBC Sports Network.”

Gary Quinn, Sr. Director of Programming & Acquisitions NBC Sports Group added, “We are pleased with the high caliber of the March 24th card from top to bottom. We are building on the positive momentum we established with our January 21 show. Fans will be able to tune in for another fantastic night of boxing March 24th on NBC Sports Network Fight Night.”

Tickets to the blockbuster triple-header, priced at $200, $100 and $75 and may be purchased by calling Peltz Boxing, (215) 765-0922, or online through www.peltzboxing.com. The non-televised undercard fights will begin at 7:30 p.m., the NBC Sports Network Fight Night broadcast will begin at 10 p.m. ET on Mar 24th.

The Aviator Sports and Events Center offers free parking. You can also take public transportation via the Q35 MTA bus from the Flatbush Avenue/Brooklyn College subway station.

Promoted by Main Events in association with Super Judah Promotions and Peltz Boxing.

Be sure to tune into NBCSN for all the action following the NCAA basketball tournament!

NBC SPORTS NETWORK FIGHT NIGHT SCHEDULE (All Times ET)

Saturday, March 24, Aviator Sports and Events Center, Brooklyn, NY
Saturday, June 16, 9-11 p.m. – Site TBA
Saturday, December 8, 9-11 p.m. – Site TBA

To find the location of the NBC Sports Network on your local cable, satellite or IPTV provider, click here: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/30092015/ns/sports/

Tweet the link to NBC Sports Network Fight Night channel finder: bit.ly/175UuU

Twitter: #FightNight

Twitter: @main_events @NBCSN

Facebook: facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing facebook.com/NBCSports




Judah Files Protest – Requests Rematch With Khan


Zab “Super” Judah has filed a protest with the Nevada Athletic Commission and has also sent letters to both the WBA and the IBF requesting that those organizations order a rematch with Amir Khan.

According to the protest letter, Judah’s requests are predicated upon the inappropriate actions of the referee, who was clearly not in a position to see the low blow administered by Khan which ended the fight, as well as the referee’s reluctance to sanction Khan for repetitious hitting behind the head and holding Judah down throughout the bout.

A copy of the letter that was sent to the WBA, as well as the IBF and the Nevada Athletic Commission outlining the details of Khan’s infractions, is attached, along with a link to the video tape illustrating the repeated fouls, is attached.

Bill Halkias, Super Judah Promotions, “We know Zab was behind on the scores cards but there are numerous examples in boxing history where boxers that were behind came back with a knockout. The fact that Zab was behind has no bearing on whether the low blow call was wrong. We still had seven more rounds to fight. Zab still could have won, but that opportunity was wrongfully taken away from him”

“Before making any judgments, I would ask everyone to take a look at the tape,” Promoter Kathy Duva of Main Events, said. “The video doesn’t lie.”




Khan, Judah, and our AAA rating


Englishman Amir Khan will never fail to look unbeatable against an opponent who considers contact optional. If you are a prizefighter who relies on once-youthful reflexes to get the better of every exchange, there’s a good chance you have no chance against Khan. He is too fast and confident. He is going to hit you, and if being hit ruins your prefight strategy, ruined you will be.

Brooklyn’s Zab Judah, older and slower and newly devoted to the Prince of Peace, was just such a man – one who wanted no part of being hit.

And so, Saturday at Mandalay Bay, Amir Khan stopped Judah at 2:47 of round 5 with a punch that hit Judah on the belly button, making Khan a unified titlist at 140 pounds. And Judah – who try, try, tried again to get the fight stopped – was left with little more than another professional paragraph that ends “, if only.”

After the fight, Khan said he believed Judah a better boxer than Timothy Bradley, the recognized champion at 140 pounds. Khan is right. If you understand the word “boxer” in the headgear-and-big-gloves, hit-and-don’t-get-hit, make’em-say-“ooh! ahh!” sense of the term, Judah is a better boxer than Bradley. But Bradley is twice the fighter Judah is.

Don’t for a second think Khan’s ability to dominate a formerly flashy prizefighter with diminished reflexes is indicative of how Khan would fare against a prime volume puncher. Khan looked unstoppable against Paulie Malignaggi. And it told you nothing about how he’d look when Marcos Maidana laid hands on him. Maybe Malignaggi was no Zab Judah, but neither was Maidana any sort of Timothy Bradley.

Frankly, it’s hard to concentrate on another disappointing match in a papered (but still sparsely occupied) arena in a depressed American city when there is a looming debt crisis.

Let’s spend some time thinking about this looming crisis, then. No, not the politics of it. That part is beneath us. Rather, let’s look at the consequences of our Treasury bonds losing their AAA rating.

Since July of 1944, America has effectively owned the world’s printing press. When the Allies met in Bretton Woods, N.H., and agreed to make the dollar the world’s reserve currency, our country was given an extraordinary economic advantage. We have not used this advantage predatorily as European history tells us we could have, no, but we’ve still taken some liberties with it. In 1971, President Nixon “temporarily” suspended the redemptions we’d promised the Allies – dollars to gold – and floated the world’s reserve currency, and every other currency along with it. In the 1980s, President Reagan used the printing press to lose a race to bankruptcy with the Soviet Union.

Today we are told to fear a takeover of the world’s economy by China – as if the yuan were poised to replace the dollar. That is unlikely. After all, it took 65 million deaths in World War II for the world to agree on a common currency.

But what if our Treasury bonds were to lose their AAA rating?

It is instructive to look at the case of American International Group (AIG) in 2008 to start answering that question. AIG, believe it or not, never exactly defaulted on its debt. Instead, it issued an incredible number of bonds to borrow money to leverage its positions. And AIG’s bondholders bought those bonds based on their AAA rating – with an agreement that if AIG were to lose its high rating, it would provide additional collateral.

When AIG’s debt was downgraded by rating agencies, it suddenly had to produce tens of billions of dollars in additional collateral to meet its obligations. Its ability to raise additional capital reflexively cancelled, AIG faced default, and our federal government – owner of the world’s printing press – intervened, covered AIG’s debt, and prevented default.

Now, imagine AIG were a country whose debt the entire world owned and who suddenly lost its AAA rating. Then imagine there was no federal government to step in and prevent default.

Welcome to the United States of America in 2011.

What happens if U.S. Treasury bonds lose their AAA rating? Nobody knows. The quality of American debt is the one constant in every economic model designed and used for the last 67 years. America is uniquely empowered by the rest of the world to print money in a crisis. It has never struck anyone that a country with this advantage would consider not using it.

Every fixed-income model used by every country relies on the U.S. Treasury bond to be a standard. If this were to change, one assumes, the algorithms on which the world’s financial models are built would trigger immediate downgrades of every entity that owns U.S. Treasury bonds.

And you thought AIG was interconnected?

If American debt loses its AAA rating, it will be ruinous to our way of life, and more ruinous to everyone else’s. Quickly enough – deprived of its standard – the credit-rating system, itself, will disappear. And without a way to know who will pay and who will default, the entirety of the global economy will congeal.

Take solace in this, though: Unlike the case of 2008, when a tiny and private band of men conspired to end the world’s economy, this time it will be elected officials of the United States that publicly raze it. A democratic solution for ending the world as we know it – which does seem fairer.

Oh, about Amir Khan? It’s hard to say. He seems to be positioning himself for a run at the winner of Mayweather-Ortiz (Mayweather) at welterweight. Timothy Bradley seems to be positioning himself for a run at Manny Pacquiao. That is, both Khan and Bradley are mapping their careers on the assumption that Pacquiao-Mayweather never happens. Hard to argue with them.

Chances are, we’ll be deprived of both Bradley-Khan and Pacquiao-Mayweather, then. Let’s hope that’s the extent of our deprivations.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry




Khan’s body shot gets an argument and victory over Judah


LAS VEGAS – It was a career on the borderline. Zab Judah always walked it. Amir Khan knocked him off of it Saturday night with a body punch. There will be controversy about the punch. Legal? Illegal? Below-the-belt? Right on it?

Review the video. Go ahead and argue. Judah surely will. He always has. Judah and controversy are a combination, if not a tiresome redundancy. There’s no way to separate them. Perhaps, Judah is an older, wiser man.

Perhaps, Judah has changed. There’s no doubt that Khan has. He changes and changes a little bit for the better almost every time he steps through ropes for a significant fight. He confounded Judah seconds after the opening bell, moving in-and-out foot and landing precise jabs as he circled to his right.

Judah, whose right eye was slightly hurt in an apparent collision in the first round, appeared confused, then weary. He began to drop his right hand, leaving himself wide open to Khan combos that were sure to come. They didn’t, only because of body shot in the fifth round that put Judah on his hands-and-knees before he started arguing.

Judah bent over after he was rocked by a right hand. As he held on, Khan threw another right to the body. At first, it looked as if it might have been below the belt.

But repeated reviews from different angles of video at the Mandalay Bay Events Center appeared to show that the punch landed right on Judah’s belt, gold above his black trunks. At 2:47 of the round, referee Vic Drakulich counted out Judah, a loser by knockout. Other than the ensuing controversy, there was nothing technical about it.

“The shot when he went down was clean on the belt,’’ said Khan, who earned a minimum of 1.07 million and added Judah’s IBF junior-welterweight belt to his WBA title “If the fight had gone a few more rounds, I would have knocked him out with a clean shot. I knew he was hurt. It was only a matter of time.’’

At ringside, a theory quickly began to circulate about whether Judah simply went down to avoid the beating that seemed to be inevitable. His post-fight comments only seemed to support that speculation.

“I thought it was a low blow,’’ said Judah, who collect a minimum of $500,000. “I thought the referee was trying to give me a standing 8-count. I didn’t understand.’’

Yeah, it is hard to understand how Judah thought he could get a standing eight count when he was on hands, knees, an occasional elbow and never his feet.

On the back of Judah’s belt, there was this inscription: Godspeed.

Should have been goodbye.

On the undercard
The Best: It was another chapter in an ongoing comeback for Texas middleweight James Kirkland (29-1, 26 KOs), who scored his second successive stoppage by putting an overwhelmed Alexis Hlores (15-3-2, 11 KOs) onto his knees at 28 seconds of the second. Kirkland, who is fighting to restore his earlier promise after a stretch in prison, scored a first-round KO after he got knocked out in April.

The Rest: Unbeaten Peter Quillen (25-0, 19 KOs) threw chocolate kisses at the crowd and the corner for Jason LeHoullier (21-6-1, 8 KOs) of Dover, NH, threw in the towel at 1:38 of the fifth after the Brooklyn middleweight nicknamed Kid Chocolate punished him wit body shots and uppprcuts;

featherweight Gary Russell (17-0, 10 KOs) of Capitol Heights, MD, put some more polish on an already bright future by scoring one knockdown and winning all eight rounds in a one-sided decision over Eric Estrada (9-2, 3 KOs) of Chicago;

Philadelphia heavyweight Bryant Jennings (9-0, 4 KOs) was stronger and faster throughout six rounds for a unanimous decision over Theron Johnson (5-6, 1 KO) of Chicago;

lightweight Jamie Kavanaugh (8-0, 3 KOs) of Hollywood, Calif., won a six-round unanimous decision over Marcos Herrera (6-6-1, 2 KOs) of Arvada, Calif.;

Brooklyn super-middleweight Josiah Judah (10-1-1, 2 KOs) scored a six-round majority decision over Rafal Jastrzebski (4-7-1, 1 KOs) of Poland;

junior-lightweight Ronny Rios (15-0, 7 KOs) of Santa Ana, Calif., moved in a hurry and finished Noe Lopez (8-9, 5 KOs) in a hurry, stopping the Mexican at 1:12 of the first round.