Luis Ortiz scored three knockdowns and remained undefeated by winning a 12-round unanimous decision over Malik Scott in a heavyweight bout in Monte Carlo.
Ortiz dropped Scott in both round’s four and five with left hands. In round nine, Ortiz dropped Scott with a counter left to the body.
Knockout machine Luis “King Kong” Ortiz is one of the most exciting fighters in the tradition-rich heavyweight division. Now, he makes his first ring appearance across the Atlantic when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: LUIS ORTIZ VS. MALIK SCOTT is seen SATURDAY, NOV. 12 at 4:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from the Salle des Etoiles in Monte Carlo, with an evening replay at 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT). The HBO Sports team will call all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.
Other HBO playdates: Nov. 13 (9:45 a.m.) and 15 (12:40 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Nov. 13 (4:10 p.m.) and 14 (12:05 a.m.)
The fight will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals.
Luis “King Kong” Ortiz (25-0, 22 KOs), 37, originally from Camaguey, Cuba, and now living in Miami, Fla., meets Philadelphia’s Malik Scott (38-2-1, 13 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round contest. Currently boasting a knockout-to-win ratio above 80%, the dangerous Ortiz is on a quest for worldwide recognition and title belts. Scott, 36, is a seasoned pro who fought 13 years before absorbing his first loss in 2013.
The Monte Carlo telecast continues HBO’s initiative of presenting intriguing fights from across the Atlantic in the late-Saturday afternoon time slot. In the past three years, HBO Boxing has also visited London, Moscow, Hamburg and Dusseldorf.
Immediately following the prime time replay at 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT), HBO Sports will present the special ROAD TO KOVALEV/WARD set for approximately 12:30 a.m. (ET/PT).
Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.
All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.
The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jon Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.
® HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.
Watch #HeyHarold! Ortiz vs. Scott (Click to Watch)
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Luis Ortiz says he’ll rule the Heavyweight division in 2017 as he prepares to take on Malik Scott in Monte-Carlo on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports in the UK and on HBO in the US.
Ortiz is one of the most feared fighters on the planet and has blasted away 22 of his 25 opponents inside the distance, with the vicious Cuban’s last two outings underlining his fearsome reputation as dismissed Bryant Jennings in seven rounds to land the interim WBA crown in December and then destroyed Tony Thompson in six rounds in March.
‘King Kong’ is hunting down World honours and makes his European debut against Scott his first fight under the Matchroom banner and the 37 year old monster revealed his excitement at his upcoming schedule.
The Heavyweight division was thrown wide open when Tyson Fury ended the long-standing reign of lineal champion Wladimir Klitschko in Germany in November 2015. A slated rematch between the pair failed to happen though and with Fury now out of commission as he deals with personal issues outside the ring, the throne sits vacant waiting for a new king to emerge – and Ortiz believes he’s the man to beat the likes of Anthony Joshua MBE, Deontay Wilder and Klitschko and rule the world.
“I want to fight the very best and I want to be the Heavyweight champion of the world,” said Ortiz. “I’m willing to fight anyone, any champion, any place, any time. I’m ready for anyone: Joshua, Wilder, Klitschko. I know I can beat all of them.
“I feel I have been at my peak for many years now. I have simply been late arriving on the US Heavyweight boxing scene. I have been fighting since I was in elementary school. Boxing is a very, very deep passion of mine.
“Now, it is a way to give my family a better future, and I tell you, no one will stand in my way of accomplishing this. In my eyes, I am the Heavyweight champion of the world and if anyone, any other champion, is willing to challenge me, to face me, I can and will prove it.
“I do have a lot of respect for the Heavyweight champions. They have accomplished a lot and have sacrificed a lot to be where they are. They do deserve recognition. I just want the chance to beat them and be [seen by all as] the next true Heavyweight champion.
“I think Fury was able to shake up the Heavyweight division and because of him, the division is now one of the most exciting divisions to watch! I just want to get the opportunity to face him, or Wilder, to prove I am a champion as well.”
Scott’s clash with Ortiz is part of a huge night of action in Monte-Carlo as WBA World Bantamweight king Jamie McDonnell defends his crown against Liberio Solis. It’s the fifth defence for the Doncaster ace, who followed his stoppage win over Javier Chacon with a pair of impressive wins over Tomoki Kameda in Texas last year and stopped Fernando Vargas in nine rounds at The O2 in London this April.
Stephen Smith has a second World title crack, challenging WBA Super-Featherweight kingpin Jason Sosa. Smith travelled to Connecticut to meet IBF ruler Jose Pedraza in April in his first outing for a World belt, and recovered from that points loss with a commanding win over Daniel Brizuela in his hometown of Liverpool a month later. Puerto Rican-American Sosa defends his strap for the first time having ripped the crown from Javier Fortuna in Beijing in June.
Martin Murray is targeting World title action in 2017 but faces a stiff test in the shape of former interim WBA Middleweight champion Dmitry Chudinov.
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Malik Scott says that his best years are still to come – and he’ll prove that by handing a first loss to dangerous Heavyweight Luis Ortiz when they clash in Monte-Carlo on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports in the UK and on HBO in the US.
American star Scott recorded impressive back-to-back wins over Alex Leapai and Tony Thompson in his last two outings to get in the frame for a big-time outing, bouncing back from a first round loss to Deontay Wilder back in March 2014.
Ortiz has been dubbed the most avoided Heavyweight on the planet, but Scott insists that this is a fight he’s wanted and the Philadelphian believes that beating Ortiz can be the springboard to him winning World titles, not ‘King Kong’ Ortiz.
“I don’t want people to get the wrong end of the stick – I picked to fight Luis Ortiz,” said Scott. “People have crowned him as the next king of the Heavyweight division, so that’s the kind of guy I want.
“Is he the most feared? Anyone will fight him but for the right amount of money. He’s a 6ft 4in Cuban southpaw – he’s got a hell of a pedigree, he can fight and he’s dangerous – but that makes me want to fight him. I gravitate to risks like this, because the rewards out there are huge.
“I went to Australia and beat Leapai, I came home to beat Thompson who had just beat Odlanier Solis, another guy that had been hyped. People said that Thompson would beat me, I gave him a clinic. Ortiz is dangerous, but a punch at Heavyweight can change everything. He doesn’t know what it’s like to sit on the shelf and wait for a fight, get messed around by opponents. I am just as hungry as he is.”
Scott’s clash with Ortiz is part of a huge night of action in Monte-Carlo as WBA World Bantamweight king Jamie McDonnell defends his crown against Liberio Solis. It’s the fifth defence for the Doncaster ace, who followed his stoppage win over Javier Chacon with a pair of impressive wins over Tomoki Kameda in Texas last year and stopped Fernando Vargas in nine rounds at The O2 in London this April.
Stephen Smith has a second World title crack, challenging WBA Super-Featherweight kingpin Jason Sosa. Smith travelled to Connecticut to meet IBF ruler Jose Pedraza in April in his first outing for a World belt, and recovered from that points loss with a commanding win over Daniel Brizuela in his hometown of Liverpool a month later. Puerto Rican-American Sosa defends his strap for the first time having ripped the crown from Javier Fortuna in Beijing in June.
Martin Murray is targeting World title action in 2017 but faces a stiff test in the shape of former interim WBA Middleweight champion Dmitry Chudinov.
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Luis Ortiz (25-0, 22 KOs) Quotes:
“I always had faith in my manager and friend, Jay Jimenez, but I never expected this fast turn around and I’m so excited about the future. God has been great to me and my family – I’m ready.
“I’m going to be very busy over the next few months and looking forward to boxing in many countries as we continue my journey to the heavyweight World championship.
“I am a very experienced fighter. I have had the best boxing education with more than 350 fights under my belt. I believe I have the ability to adjust to any fighter and any style. That was evident in my fights with Jennings and Thompson.
“I am very proud of myself. I’m also very proud how I am bringing Cuba back into the minds of all boxing fans. Cuba is one of the most accomplished countries in terms of boxing. The style and speed and all the things we have, they are taught to us at a very young age. This is what makes us great boxers.
“I want to fight the very best and I want to be the heavyweight champion of the world. I’m willing to fight anyone, any champion, any place, any time. I’m ready for anyone: Joshua, Wilder, Klitschko. I know I can beat all of them.
“I feel I have been at my peak for many years now. I have simply been late [arriving] on the US heavyweight boxing scene. I have been fighting since I was in elementary school. Boxing is a very, very deep passion of mine.
“Now, it is a way to give my family a better future, and I tell you, no one will stand in my way of accomplishing this. In my eyes, I am the heavyweight champion of the world and if anyone, any other champion, is willing to challenge me, to face me, I can and will prove it.
“I do have a lot of respect for the heavyweight champions. They have accomplished a lot and have sacrificed a lot to be where they are. They do deserve recognition. I just want the chance to beat them and be [seen by all as] the next true heavyweight champion.
“I think Fury was able to shake up the heavyweight division and because of him, the division is now one of the most exciting divisions to watch! I just want to get the opportunity to face him, or Wilder, to prove I am a champion as well.”
Malik Scott (38-2-1, 13 KOs) Quotes:
“I don’t want people to get the wrong end of the stick – I picked to fight Luis Ortiz. People have crowned him as the next king of the heavyweight division, so that’s the kind of guy I want. If it wasn’t him, I wanted to fight David Haye or Anthony Joshua.
“Is he the most feared? Anyone will fight him but for the right amount of money. He’s a 6’ 4” Cuban southpaw – he’s got a hell of a pedigree, he can fight and he’s dangerous – but that makes me want to fight him. I gravitate to risks like this, because the rewards out there are huge.
“I went to Australia and beat Leapai, I came home to beat Thompson who had just beat Odlanier Solis, another guy that had been hyped. People said that Thompson would beat me, I gave him a clinic. Ortiz is dangerous, but a punch at heavyweight can change everything. He doesn’t know what it’s like to sit on the shelf and wait for a fight, get messed around by opponents. I am just as hungry as he is.
“I can only blame myself for lost opportunities. Inconsistency has cost me. Fans, managers and promoters have to trust your performances in this sport and I haven’t been consistent enough – but that has nothing to do with my ability.
“Leapai and Thompson are top ten guys and now I have Ortiz which is must-win for me. You cannot afford today to put two wins together then lose. People’s attention spans these days are so small. You have to keep winning and show people that you are a winner, that’s what I have to do.
“I have boxed a few southpaws but none of Ortiz’s quality. Luis is the best of all the southpaws but I don’t see perfection. I don’t look at the invincibility that the casual fans see and if I can take advantage of those holes in his game he’s going to taste his first loss.
“Everyone he’s beat has been on a plate for him, but against me, he’s going to have to work to get his shots off, I’m no dummy in the ring, I’m very intelligent, and I believe I will be victorious (Saturday).”
The previously announced heavyweight showdown between Luis Ortiz and Malik Scott slated for Saturday, November 12 from Monte Carlo will be televised live in the U.S. on HBO, beginning at 4:00 p.m. (ET/PT).
“Fans know Luis Ortiz as a heavyweight knockout machine, and we’re happy to announce his showdown with Malik Scott from Monte Carlo live on our network on Nov. 12,” said Peter Nelson, executive vice president, HBO Sports.
One of the world’s most intriguing and exciting heavyweights, Luis Ortiz (25-0, 22 KOs), looks to add another impressive performance to his resume when he battles Malik Scott (38-2-1, 13 KOs) on Saturday, November 12 at Salle des Etoiles, Sporting Monte-Carlo. The bout will be televised in the U.S. live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 4:00 p.m. (ET/PT). Same day replay at 11:05 p.m. (ET/PT).
Los Angeles, CA (October 12, 2016) World ranked heavyweight contender MALIK SCOTT,
(38-2-1, 13 KO’s), is headed to the world’s foremost tourist destination, Monte Carlo, on Saturday, November 12 to face feared, undefeated and #1 ranked “King Kong” LUIS ORTIZ,
(25-0, 22 KO’s) at the Salle des Etoiles for the vacant World Boxing Association Inter-Continental Heavyweight Title.
“This is the fight I wanted, I picked him, “said Scott. “I told my promoter Tom Brown one of the three, either Anthony Joshua, David Haye or Luis Ortiz.”
“After Ortiz beat Bryant Jennings the media starting talking about his invincibility and that he was the most feared heavyweight and I immediately wanted to fight him. There’s no such thing as unbeatable and I welcome the challenge to prove it.”
“If I’m on my game on November 12, I’ll shut him out. He’s going to gas out early and I’ll put on a boxing clinic,” continued Scott. “Ortiz is my pathway towards a world title opportunity, this is my time to shine and slay ‘King Kong’.”
“Because of his rep this fight will get a lot of international attention and I’ll be looking for full credit when I beat him, no excuses.”
A native of Philadelphia, now residing in Los Angeles, Scott fights under the Sherman Oaks’ based TGB Promotions’ banner.
“Malik has wanted another big fight and this opportunity to face Ortiz comes at the right time,” said TOM BROWN, President of TGB Promotions. “Malik is fearless and isn’t at all intimidated by Ortiz’s rep, he’s fought or sparred every notable heavyweight over the last fifteen years.”
Known as a true road warrior of the sport, last October Scott traveled to Orlando, Florida winning a dominant ten round decision over former world title challenger Tony Thompson. The previous October, Scott defeated Alex Leapai, also a former world title challenger in Australia.
The heavy-handed Ortiz has stopped his last four opponents, most recently the aforementioned Tony Thompson in the sixth round on March 5, 2016. Prior to that Ortiz brutally stopped former world title challenger Bryant Jennings in the seventh round on December 19, 2015.
Scott vs. Ortiz is presented by Matchroom Boxing in association with TGB Promotions and will be telecast LIVE in the UK on Sky Sports.
ABOUT TGB PROMOTIONS
In March of 2015, following the loss of Dan Goossen, Brown started his own promotional company, TGB Promotions. TGB Promotions helped launch the Premier Boxing Champions franchise on NBC with the network’s first major primetime fight in over 30 years. The debut of the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC was the most-watched professional boxing broadcast since 1998.
As the matchmaker for Goossen Promotions, Tom Brown deftly guided the careers of many world champions including U.S. Olympic Gold Medalists, David Reid (1996) and Andre Ward (2004) in addition to working with World Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson.
Brown’s work has received a wealth of accolades from industry insiders and media worldwide. The NABF has lauded his work many times, bestowing their matchmaker of the year award upon him six times. The IBF also presented TGB Promotions its award for Most Active Promoter for the year of 2015.
Most recently the work of Brown has brought to prominence; former world champions Paul Williams and Rico Ramos in addition to highly ranked contenders Chris Arreola, Vanes Martirosyan, John Molina Jr., and Josesito Lopez along with numerous top young prospects including Olympians and twin brothers, Javier and Oscar Molina.
Sherman Oaks, CA (October 31, 2014) Friday night in Crestmead, Queensland, Australia, perennial contender “King” MALIK SCOTT dominated former world title challenger and hometown favorite ALEX LEAPAI enroute to a ten round unanimous decision.
Out boxing and outhustling Leapai throughout the fight, Scott relentlessly tagged the shorter foe, continuously impressing the judges who scored the bout 100-90, 99-91 and 97-92.
With the win, the Philadelphia native Scott improved to 37-2-1 (13KO’s) while Leapai fell to 30-6-3 (24KO’s).
“This one was for Dan, I was inspired throughout my training to win this fight for him” said Scott of his longtime promoter Dan Goossen who passed away at the age of 64 on September 28th.
“It wasn’t a difficult fight for me, I stuck to my game plan and got him running into my combinations, dominated the fight from the opening bell.”
About the upcoming year, Scott was emphatic about wanting bigger fights and also about a rematch. “Wilder, I want to fight Deontay Wilder again, I’m positive the results would be different this time.”
“We’re very proud of Malik’s performance, he went across the globe and won the fight decisively against Leapai,” said Tom Brown of Goossen Promotions. “This puts him back on track and headed into much bigger fights in 2015. He’s had some bad luck against Glazkov with the scores and Chisora with the quick count over the last two years but the way he fought tonight shows that he can compete with any of the top heavyweights in the world.”
Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia (28-0, 16 KOs) defeated Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera (20-4, 7 KOs) via a majority decision to remain undefeated on Saturday night in front of a sold-out crowd at Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®.
Garcia established himself in the first round, landing the bigger punches against Herrera. But it was quickly clear that the challenger wasn’t going to let Garcia off easy, peppering the champion with strong shots to his body and head. By the end of round four, Garcia’s corner, specifically his father and trainer, Angel Garcia, could be heard telling the champion urgently to step-up his game and take control. Herrera, of Riverside, Calif., pressed on and proved himself as a worthy opponent with both fighters exchanging vicious shots throughout the extremely close match.
With the raucous crowd partial to the defending champion, whose father was born and raised in Puerto Rico, Garcia seemed to be carried by the cheers in what turned out to be the toughest fight of his career. At the end of the fight, SHO STATS reported that Garcia had landed 150 power punches compared to Herrera’s 82. Herrera landed more overall punches with 221 to Garcia’s 204. The final scores were 114-114, 116-112 and, 116-112.
After the fight, Garcia spoke with SHOWTIME Sports® ringside reporter Jim Gray, saying, “He is a crafty veteran and I know every time I step in the ring, every fighter wants what I have. So I expect them to bring everything. I had to make adjustments and I had to push the fight. He is a good fighter but I am a true champion. I had to make adjustments and pull it out. I needed to find my comfort zone but once I adjusted and got him on the ropes I knew I was doing good. I had to keep my composure and use my power shots. He came to fight and he did and it was a great fight.”
When asked if he felt he did enough to win the close decision, Garcia said, “I wanted to knock him out in front of my fans but he was tough. I know nothing is going to be easy from this point on for the rest of my career. I thought I won the fight. The Puerto Rican fans here support me. I love them.”
Regarding a potential move up in weight, Garcia told Gray, “I think making 140 pounds might have affected my performance a little bit. I need to sit with my camp and see if I should go up to 147 and start a new journey. It’s been getting a little hard so maybe I need to think about moving up.”
After the fight, Herrera told media that he felt he won. “I thought I was fine-tuned,” he said. “I came perfectly prepared for this fight. I was trying to push the fight. I came to box but he wasn’t making a fight so I am the one that had to make the fight. I was the one putting the pressure on to make the fight. I feel like I won the fight. I thought I finished strong at the end too. I thought I won the fight.”
Heavyweight Deontay Wilder made it 31 for 31 in the knockout department has he stopped Malik Scott in a scheduled 12 round bout.
Wilder landed a left to the temple that was followed up by a right hand that sent Scott to the canvas. Scott tried to get up but stumbled at the count of ten of the fight was over at 1:36 of round one.
Wilder, 227 lbs of Tuscaloosa, AL is 31-0 with 31 knockouts. Scott, 238 lbs of Van Nuys, CA is 36-2-1.
After the fight, Wilder spoke with Grayabout his performance. “I’ve got power. I’ve got natural power. This is something that you can’t buy. This is something that you can’t enhance and put in your body. This is all natural pure Alabama power. The left hand was right to the temple, to the head, and that is a soft spot. My power is crazy. I go through the gloves. Even though he had his gloves, there is nothing stopping that. Even though it went through his glove it still hurts.”
When asked if he is ready to take a step up and fight for a heavyweight title despite having not faced the top fighters in the division, Wilder responded, “All the testing is done in the gym. I bust my butt off in the gym to come here and perform for all the people and I make it look easy. I don’t care if I don’t go past four rounds or solve all the questions that people have about me. I have one mission and it is to unify all the heavyweight belts.”
After the fight Scott, upset by his performance, said, “I got caught. I don’t really remember what happened because I never saw the shot coming. I know he caught me with the left hook. I am so disappointed. I trained really hard. It is just awful.
In what turned out to be a highly entertaining rematch of former world champion, Juan Manuel Lopez made it two for two against Daniel Ponce De Leon in by scoring a 2nd round stoppage in a scheduled 10 round Jr. Lightweight bout.
De Leon struck 1st in round two by scoring a knockdown from a hard left hook. Lopez came back by depositing De Leon from a right hook. A flurry sent De Leon to the canvas for a 2nd time. Lopez finished the fight by landing some hard power shots on the ropes and the bout was stopped at 2:44 of round two.
Lopez, 129 lbs of Caguas, PR is now 34-3 with 31 knockouts. De Leon, 128 3/4 lbs of West Covina, CA is now 45-6.
Former world title challenger Daniel Jacobs took out Milton Nunez in round one of their scheduled 10 round Middleweight bout.
Jacobs scored three knockdowns from a left hook and the latter two came from right hands. The bout was stopped upon the third knockdown at 2:25 of round one.
Jacobs, 161 1/2 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 27-1 with 24 knockouts. Nunez, 162 lbs of Barranquilla, COL is now 26-10-1.
LONDON (March 14) – Knockout heavyweight sensation Deontay Wilder would love to face off against British stars Tyson Fury or Dereck Chisora but must first come through his toughest challenge to date.
The American bruiser lines up against the well respected Malik Scott this Saturday night in Bayamon, Puerto Rico on the undercard of unified light-welterweight star Danny Garcia’s clash with Mauricio Herrera, live and exclusive on BoxNation.
The 28-year-old Wilder has amassed a chilling knockout record having dispensed of all of his 30 opponents by brutal stoppage.
Some have questioned the level of competition so far for the man being touted as the next great American heavyweight, but against Scott he goes in against an opponent who has only lost once, that coming somewhat controversially against Chisora last year.
An emphatic victory over the skilled 33-year-old Scott would go a long way to silencing those critics and get tongues wagging as Wilder looks to take over Wladimir Klitschko’s iron throne.
“It’s important for me to perform to the best of my ability and show people that I’m real, show people that I’m a legit heavyweight and once I continue my knockout streak and win, hopefully I can get some of the people onboard that’s not onboard,” said Wilder.
“I have already won a lot of fans over that wasn’t with me in the beginning. A lot of them, they take different fights to crack than others but I think this fight right here is going to crack a lot of people. It’s going to bring a lot of fans onboard once I do what I’ve got to do and that’s win,” he said.
“Everybody around the world is waiting for this fight, even a lot of former champions are waiting on this fight saying this is the most exciting heavyweight bout this year and they’re looking forward to it,” Wilder told BoxNation.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ goes in against Scott with the victor set to face the winner of Chris Areola and Bermane Stiverne for the WBC heavyweight world title, which was recently left vacant following the retirement of Vitali Klitschko.
It is this incentive that is spurring on Wilder to be as ruthless as ever when he steps into the ring this weekend.
“Whoever wins this fight goes on to fight for the title,” he said. “It’s something that I’ve been waiting for all of my career and Malik has been in this game longer than I have so I’m sure he’s been expecting the same thing.
“I have thought about it over and over again, and when it comes to Malik, being that we’re such great friends – it’s going to seem kind of harsh or kind of bad for me to say this – but I want to seriously hurt him without hurting him as far as keeping my knockout ratio going.
“As far as showing people that even when I’m with a serious contender that the same results can happen and because I’m going in there and I’m not going to hold nothing back. That’s just not in my nature, that’s never been in me,” Wilder said.
“When there’s a fight there’s a fight and when I’m inside of that ring my whole mentality changes – I’m not even Deontay anymore, I’m ‘The Bronze Bomber’. And ‘The Bronze Bomber’, he don’t take no prisoners! He don’t take no hostages.
“He’s going to seek and destroy and that’s what ‘The Bronze Bomber’ comes to do, so, you know, I love Malik but he’s not fighting Deontay Wilder, he’s fighting ‘The Bronze Bomber’ and I’m going in to knock him out,” Wilder said.
Should Wilder prevail in his eventual quest for world title glory a potential superfight with either Tyson Fury or Dereck Chisora could be set up.
Both men are expected to face each other this summer in an eliminator for the WBO heavyweight world title and the Alabama native would be up to renew Anglo-American hostilities in a possible unification showdown.
“That would be excellent but not only for me but for the winner of the other belts as well too and both of us meeting to unify both belts,” said Wilder.
“It would be fresh faces in the top of the division – so that would be great. Wlad [Klitschko] has been down for a long time and a lot of people like to see the rotation of fresh faces and I think that will be a great move if they [Chisora or Fury] can win it and I go on to win it and we fight for the belts,” he said.
“That would be cool but this is the heavyweight division and even though some things make sense and sound good, sometimes they get detours. But I would love that fight and would love to come to the UK and make it happen,” he said.
Wilder vs. Scott & Garcia vs. Herrera is live on BoxNation (Sky Ch.437/490HD & Virgin Ch.546) this Sunday at 2am. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.
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Danny Garcia 139 3/4 – Mauricio Herrera 139 1/4
(WBA/WBC Super Lightweight title)
Deontay Wilder 227 – Malik Scott 238
Juan Manuel Lopez 129 – Daniel Ponce De Leon 128 3/4
LOS ANGELES (March 12, 2014) – As Puerto Rico prepares for a stellar SHOWTIME® doubleheader featuring Danny “Swift” Garcia’s unified super lightweight world title defense against Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera and the heavyweight clash between unbeaten Deontay Wilder and Malik Scott, fans at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon can get ready for even more explosive action as the undercard will feature top contenders Daniel “The Golden Child” Jacobs, Jose “Chelo” Gonzalez and Ed “The Lion” Paredes, future stars of Puerto Rican boxing. Additionally, there’s the previously announced SHO EXTREME® headliner pitting former world champions Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez and Daniel Ponce de Leon against each other in a rematch for the WBO International Junior Lightweight Title. Also in action will be John Karl Sosa, Prichard Colon and Pedro Vicente.
In the 10-round SHO EXTREME co-feature, Jacobs will look to keep the momentum from his knockout win over Giovanni Lorenzo going when he battles Miami’s Milton “El Misil” Nunez.
After surviving a harrowing battle with cancer that not only threatened his promising career, but his life, Brooklyn’s Daniel “The Golden Child” Jacobs (26-1, 23 KOs) turned into boxing’s miracle man, returning after more than 19 months away to knock out Josh Luteran in 73 seconds on October 20, 2012. Two more stoppage wins over Chris Fitzpatrick and Keenan Collins followed before the 27-year-old made a statement to the world with his third round technical knockout over former world title challenger Giovanni Lorenzo. On Saturday, Jacobs is back to face Colombia native Milton “El Misil” Nunez (26-9-1, 24 KOs). A 26-year-old power puncher, Nunez’ last nine wins have come by way of knockout, all in four rounds or less, so expect fireworks from start to finish in this one.
Toa Baja’s Jose “Chelo” Gonzalez (22-1, 17 KOs) will be back in the ring for the first time since his gutsy WBO title fight against Ricky Burns last May, facing an opponent to be announced in an eight-round lightweight bout. Forced to withdraw from the fight after the ninth round against Burns due to injury, the 30-year-old contender, who has scored 12 of his last 13 wins by knockout, is eager to get back to another title fight as soon as possible.
In an eight-round welterweight bout, Hollywood, Florida’s Ed “The Lion” Paredes (34-3-1, 22 KOs) will continue his quest for a world title opportunity when he meets the Dominican Republic’s Yoryi Estrella (10-9-2, 7 KOs). Currently ranked sixth in the world by the WBC, and ninth by the WBA and IBF, the 28-year-old Paredes will bring a 14-fight winning streak into the ring with him against the hard-hitting and upset-minded Estrella.
Fans in Bayamon will witness an all-Puerto Rican clash in the junior welterweight division on Saturday when 21-year-old Caguas phenomenon John Karl Sosa (8-0, 6 KOs) attempts to keep his perfect record intact in a four-round matchup against Toa Baja’s Antonio Sanchez (5-2-2, 3 KOs), who is coming off back-to-back bouts against unbeatens Jamel Herring and Ivan Redkach.
Plus, 2012 Puerto Rican Olympic team member Prichard “Digget” Colon (7-0, 7 KOs) of Orocovis risks his unbeaten slate in a six-round super welterweight bout against an opponent to be determined. In the four-round featherweight opener, Mayaguez’ Pedro Vicente (4-0, 1 KO), who prepared for this fight in the Danny Garcia gym in Philadelphia, faces Bayamon’s own Karl Garcia (3-2, 1 KO).
“Garcia vs. Herrera,” a 12-round WBC Super Lightweight World Title on Saturday, March 15, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Swift Promotions in association with PR Best Boxing and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. The co-main event, Deontay Wilder vs. Malik Scott, is a 12-round WBC Final Heavyweight eliminator bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will air live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). In the main event on the SHO EXTREME 7 p.m. ET/PT, (Delayed on the West Coast) portion of the card, former world champions Juan Manuel Lopez and Daniel Ponce de Leon square off in a 10-round rematch for the WBO International Junior Lightweight Title.
Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $150, $200 and $400 plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale now at www.tcpr.com and by calling 787-792-5000.
BAYAMON, PUERTO RICO (March 12, 2014) – Danny Garcia, his father/trainer, Angel, and other participants for the big fight card this Saturday, March 15, on SHOWTIME and SHO EXTREME participated in the final press conference Wednesday at Braulio Castillo Theater, Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
In Saturday’s main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), undefeated Unified Super Lightweight World ChampionGarcia (27-0, 16 KOs), of Philadelphia, will defend against Herrera(20-3, 7 KOs)of Riverside, Calif., from the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. In the co-feature, heavyweight knockout specialist Deontay Wilder (30-0, 30 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., meets Malik Scott (36-1-1, 13 KOs), of Philadelphia.
Former world champions Juan Manuel “JuanMa” Lopez (33-3, 30 KOs), 30, of Caguas, P.R., and Mexico’s Daniel “Ponce” de Leon (45-5, 35 KOs), 33, of Los Angeles, meet in a grudge rematch for the WBO International Junior Lightweight Title in the 10-round main event live on SHO EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT). In the opening bout on SHO EXTREME, promising Danny Jacobs (26-1, 23 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y., faces hard-hitting Milton Nunez (26-9-1, 24 KOs), of Barranquilla, Col., in a 10-round middleweight match.
What the fighters and executives said Wednesday:
DANNY “SWIFT” GARCIA, UNIFIED SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION
“I had a tremendous camp. This Saturday I’m going to win for my people in Puerto Rico and take my belt home with me.
“I love it here in Puerto Rico. I love the weather and the beautiful people. Everything about the culture is like where I grew up in Philadelphia. It’s just like Puerto Rico but it’s just the city life. But it’s the same thing. We eat the same food. We listen to the same music. Everything is the same but it’s just a little part of North Philadelphia. Everything is the same except for the snow.
“I trained in Philadelphia. I had a good training camp in Philadelphia. I did everything I was supposed to do. I didn’t take shortcuts. I came to Puerto Rico a week before the fight for my training. I’m 110 percent. I’m in the best shape. I am ready. I did what I always do and I’m ready.”
MAURICIO “EL MAESTRO” HERRERA, SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT CONTENDER
“I started boxing with my two brothers when I was 13 with no gear, bare hands. My father used to watch and get a good laugh out of it. My older brother got me my first punching bag but my mother was the first one that took me to the gym, to a gym at a church. I truly have the support of my family.
“I trained well, very well. I don’t take this fight lightly; fighting Danny is not something to take lightly. But I’ve fought guys tougher than him for peanuts.
“My biggest purse before this fight was $30,000. I’ve worked in construction and other handy jobs. This is my opportunity. This is my chance and I’m not about to let it pass me by.”
ANGEL GARCIA, DANNY GARCIA’S FATHER AND TRAINER
“March 15, [Danny] will still be the undefeated Champ of the world. Herrera, you’ve got to give him hope. Hope that he doesn’t get knocked out. You’ve got to give the man hope. His family is here. I respect that. They love him. There is nothing wrong with that. But come March 15 [Danny] is still the undefeated Champ of the world. This isn’t something that just happened. This was a dream, a dream that I had when Danny was a child. Danny is meant to be. Dreams aren’t meant to be broken not this one anyway.
“He [Herrera] has fought guys, opponents. You’re fighting in Puerto Rico now. Danny is 100 percent Puerto Rican. I don’t care what they say. He is my blood. I am Puerto Rican. He’s Puerto Rican. On March 15, he will still be the undefeated Champ of the world. And I will promise you that.
“I won’t put my head involved in this one because my daughters got nervous. They told me, ‘Dad, please don’t say that.’ People thought that it was a joke. I really meant that. Would Herrera’s coach do that? No, because that is the difference between his team and our team. My soul is in the ring with Danny. I would die for Danny and he would die for me.”
WILLIE SILVA, MAURICIO HERRERA’S TRAINER
“I’m pleased to be back in Puerto Rico. I want to thank Golden Boy for giving us this opportunity, an opportunity that we have been waiting for some time now and we are grateful for that.
“We are here to win this fight. We are not here to see if we can win, we are here because we know we CAN win.
“Danny Garcia’s parents claim he is Puerto Rican, but he is NOT a Puerto Rican, he’s from Philadelphia. He doesn’t even speak Spanish.
“We came to Puerto Rico, ready to fight. Mauricio is ready and watch, come Saturday night Mauricio is going to shock more than one. We are leaving Puerto Rico with Danny’s belts.”
DEONTAY WILDER, WBC CONTINENTAL AMERICAS HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
[About fighting in Puerto Rico]”I feel great! Like Tony the Tiger! I have lots of fans out here, a lot more than I thought I did. They showed me love right when I arrived. When I found out I was fighting in Puerto Rico I was super excited! Puerto Rico is a beautiful island with beautiful people and beautiful weather!
[About Malik Scott’s style] “I haven’t seen Malik Scott personally fight but he’s been in my camp before. He was one of my sparring partners in my past camps. He was a lot of help and very competitive. He knows my style and what I bring to the table. We know each other’s style. Whoever gets first to the punch will win. The smarter and better looking person will win and that’s going to be me.”
MALIK SCOTT, TOP HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER
“I am extremely proud of Danny Garcia. This is my first time meeting him. Congratulations comrade. The thing that prides me the most about fighting on his undercard is that any good coach can take a fighter and smooth out his jagged edges, but Angel Garcia he took his son from scratch. That is the definition of a true and great trainer so I am proud of him for that.
“In my opinion, Deontay Wilder and I are the biggest fight in the heavyweight division right now. I am extremely excited and I am taking on a dangerous fighter with the magnitude of Deontay’s punching power and the aura that has been built around him. It will take that type of fighter for me to rise to the great level that I believe I am going to be at come Saturday night. I believe out of everyone that has fought Deontay I have the highest skill caliber. I am not coming to test him; I am coming to beat him. I am from Philly. I live in California. I’m happy for this opportunity and come Saturday night I am going to take full advantage of it. ”
JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ, WBO INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION
“I’m very grateful to God for having presented me with this opportunity. I’m grateful for the people from Puerto Rico for their continuous support.
“This is going to be a great fight. He’s going to try to get a knockout, I’m going to do my job as well and definitely the one that is better prepared will come out victorious, and that will be me.
“I came here to show Puerto Rico and the rest of the world that Juanma Lopez has still some game to show.
“It was not mere coincidence that I won the first fight against Ponce De Leon, I won because I’m a better fighter. On Saturday, March 15, Ponce better be ready, because I’m ready and I’m not about losing.”
DANIEL PONCE DE LEON, FORMER WBC FEATHERWEIGHT WOLRD CHAMPION
“I’ve been training hard and I’m ready. There’s not much left to do to prepare other than make weight on Thursday and give my best on Saturday.
“This is going to be a great fight. I feel very good because I prepared well. I’m ready. This is the comeback of my career. I’m ready.
“Juanma has a heavy punch. Most of his wins have been by way of knockout and that is something to watch out for, but I can also pack a punch and he better watch out because I might knock him out. ”
IVAN PADILLA, BAYAMON SPORTS DIRECTOR
“Bayamon is proud of hosting Danny Garcia vs. Mauricio Herrera. We welcome boxing because we love boxing. We are always ready to be boxing hosts.
“We are able to host events of this magnitude because we have great people that help us put them together.
“We cordially welcome Danny and his father. We know his mom is from here, from Bayamon and we are very proud.”
ERIC GOMEZ, VICE PRESIDENT OF GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS
“It’s always a great pleasure to be back in Puerto Rico. But this time is different because we are bringing a big card to the island with the help of one of the best, PR Best Boxing. They have a great team in Puerto Rico and this is the beginning of something big.
“We are presenting a main event with the fighter of the moment, one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, Danny Garcia, and this is particularly special for me, because I saw him grow.
“I met Angel and Danny in the Olympic Trials and I saw something special in him. He was a champion in the making.
“I knew he was special the first time I saw him fight as an amateur at the Olympic Trials. His style was unique; he packed a combination of Tito Trinidad, Wilfredo Gomez, Miguel Cotto and Juanma [Juan Manuel Lopez]’s styles, truly impressive. So, to see him here today, being the great champion than he is, is truly special for me. ”
ABOUT “GARCIA VS. HERRERA”:
Garcia vs. Herrera, a 12-round WBC Super Lightweight World Title on Saturday, March 15, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Swift Promotions in association with PR Best Boxing and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. It will air as the main event of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). In the co-main event, Deontay Wilder takes on Malik Scott, in a 12-round WBC Final Heavyweight eliminator bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions. SHOWTIME Boxing on SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT, Delayed on the West Coast) will feature Juan Manuel Lopez and Daniel Ponce de Leon in a 10-round rematch for the WBO International Junior Lightweight Title.
Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $150, $200 and $400 plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale now at www.tcpr.com and by calling 787-792-5000.
For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.prbestboxing.net and www.sports.sho.com follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/shosports, www.twitter.com/dannyswift, www.twitter.com/elmaestro1,www.twitter.com/bronzebomber, www.twitter.com/malikkingscott, www.twitter.com/danielponcedel1 and www.twitter.com/Juanma_lopez, follow the conversation using #GarciaHerrera or become a fan on Facebook www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/PRBestBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing