NFL STAR TOMMY ZBIKOWSKI, HALL OF FAME PROMOTER BOB ARUM CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT
Posted on | March 4, 2011 | No Comments
Baltimore Ravens Safety to Face Richard Bryant In
Opening Heavyweight Bout on March 12 SHOWTIME PPV
(Attention Boxing Writers: He’s Looking for a Nickname)
NEW YORK (March 4, 2011) — Former Notre Dame and current Baltimore Ravens safety Tommy Zbikowski will compete in his second professional fight on the undercard of the “Relentless: Miguel Cotto vs. Ricardo Mayorga” world super welterweight championship fight, Saturday, March 12, at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nev., produced and distributed LIVE on SHOWTIME PPV®, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Zbikowski, who goes by the name Tommy Z in the ring, has played three seasons with the Ravens. He will take on Richard Bryant (1-2, 1 KO), from London, Ky., in a four-round heavyweight bout on the evening’s first televised match.
Top Rank Inc., CEO Bob Arum made the announcement on a conference call with Tommy Z on Friday.
Tommy Z (1-0, 1 KO) is a former Chicago Golden Gloves finalist. He made his professional debut on June 10, 2006, on the undercard of the Top Rank-promoted Miguel Cotto-Paulie Malignaggi world junior welterweight championship at Madison Square Garden, knocking out Robert Bell (2-2), in just 49 seconds.
Asked if he was going to stick with Tommy Z as his boxing name, he responded: “I think so. I’ve always just gone by Tommy. When I start boxing full-time I’ll get a real nickname. I’m waiting for a boxing writer to just give me a nickname for boxing because I’ve never had one and I’ve always looked forward to having one. I can’t be a self-proclaimed whatever. So I’m just waiting for a nice nickname to stick.”
Here’s more of what Tommy Z and Arum had to say on Friday:
TOMMY Z:
“Regardless of what happens with the (Collective Bargaining Agreement) and all those talks, I will fight on March 12. I’ve been waiting five years and counting down the minutes for March 12.”
What do you remember about your first pro fight?
“It was a lot of nerves. It was the first time taking off the head gear. It was the real deal. It was the professional ranks and Madison Square Garden. It was my top moment in my athletic career and a moment that I feel like was yesterday to me. I remember everything about that night. I remember the locker room, the fight night, afterwards. It was a lot of fun. It was a hundred rounds of sparring for 50 seconds of fighting, so I’ve been itching and itching to get back to fighting.”
What will be your strategy on March 12?
“I’m going to do kind of what I’ve always done. I’m going to fight my fight. I’m going to give a lot of cruiserweights and heavyweights trouble because I’ve always fought like a welterweight. I think I’m going to give a lot of fans pleasure watching me because of my high pace.”
Is there any risk of injury getting into the ring?
“Other than getting knocked out there is not really that many problems that are going to happen. There’s not really going to be any torn ACLs or bad ankles. Things like that. I’ve never actually been injured in a fight or sparring. All of my injuries have come more from football more than anything. And if you can make it through four years of college football and three years in the NFL without getting too many injuries, then you should be all right because that’s the most dangerous sport in the world.”
How does your training style differ and how is your training going with Orlando Cuellar, Glen Johnson’s trainer down in Miami?
“Just from talking to him he’s got a very modern philosophy on how he trains fighters. You know, a lot of people in boxing are still stuck in that old-school training of jogging for four or five miles. This guy, in talking to him and hearing everything he does with his fighters and training them as individuals, he modifies it and gives you those special little details of the professional fight game that is going to take a fighter to another level. Working with him has been great and I look forward to working with him.”
What has been the Ravens reaction to you getting back into boxing?
“Well actually they gave me a tender as a restricted free agent, so technically and legally there is nothing that can stop me from fighting on March 12. I’ve let Chuck Pagano, my defensive coordinator, know. With all the talks going on now there is really no one that can say no to me. I’ve just continued on in the training and hope that they would respect my decision, which I think they have and they will because they know of my past fight at Madison Square Garden and that I was a professional boxer before I was a professional football player.”
Beyond this fight, what are your future plans in boxing?
“Right now, I’m just looking forward to being a professional boxer again. I’m just looking forward to getting this fight on March 12 under my belt. Then I will get in the gym and figure out when the next time that I’ll be able to fight.”
Is it possible you could fight three or four times into the summer?
“I think that’s definitely possible. Because now the way I’m feeling as compared to the way I was at Madison Square Garden is so different. I was still in college and an impressionable kid on what I thought needed to be done in being a football player and an athlete which was lifting weights, which really did not help out my boxing. Since then, I’ve been more functional in my training with not a lot of weight training. Right now I’m at about five and a half rounds of fighting at my pace without getting tired. So I’d like to keep working in the gym and keep up my pace and be able to fight six or seven rounds. I mean, if you’re able to keep that pace, then four rounds shouldn’t be that much for you and right now four and five rounds is feeling really good.”
So this is not a one-shot deal like when you were at Notre Dame?
“Nah, I don’t think so. I’m walking around at about 195, 196 pounds. On a good day when I’m eating a ton, I’m up to 198. So I feel like cruiserweight would be a good weight for me so I’m not giving up too much in weight.”
What are your best assets as a fighter?
“I’ve just always tried to be an all-around fighter because you never know what kind of situation you’re going to be in or what type of fighter or style you’ll be up against. Growing up I was never just stuck in one gym just because I was so active in football, wrestling, track, baseball, boxing. I was in every other gym, any gym, with every coach, any style. A 12 by 12 ring, in a phone booth, a pro ring. Any type of style from slick to pro style, so any style you can possibly come up with I’ve learned something from and tried to make a little bit of it my own. My style changes not only every fight but every round.”
What will it mean to have your football buddies there?
“I talked to them the other day. It’s just great to have the support of other athletes and guys that were on your team who have that respect for you and not only talk about, ‘Hey, next time you fight we’re going to be there.’ But now it’s actually happening. Guys like (Ravens teammates) Ed Reed, (John) Dewan, Chris Carr, (Dominique) Foxworth. They’re all going to be there. I know Paul Kruger and Haloti (Ngata) will be driving over, too. I’ll have to have (330-pound defensive lineman) Haloti do the hawk before he walks in. If (Bryant) sees Haloti in my corner there’s no way this guy’s fighting me. We should have a good representation from the NFL.”
Do you think you would ever consider leaving football behind and concentrating strictly on boxing?
“At some point I will. I know that if I keep playing football there will be a long section of my life missed without boxing. But I’m still young. I know a lot of boxers’ primes are 29, 30, 31 years old, so I know I have time. But God I’ve missed it. I’ve enjoyed every minute of getting back into it. Just getting back in the gym and the hard work and getting my timing back; just that feeling of fighting again. If you haven’t done it, it’s hard to describe.”
There’s been a feeling for a long time that the best heavyweights are in the NFL right now. Do you believe that?
“It might be true. The Klitschkos are the best right now and they’ve been the best for a long time. Just because they’re in Europe doesn’t mean there are not great heavyweights. I think a lot of the American heavyweights right now are playing football. Boxing is honestly one of the most athletic things you can do and to be a good boxer you have to be very athletic. Right now you’re seeing the top athletes go to college to get an education. I think if you have boxing back at the collegiate level you might have some more American heavyweights but right now they’re seeing that as the best path to go.”
What football players would make good boxers?
“If you let me train Haloti Ngata he’d do some damage. He’s seriously the most gifted athlete I’ve ever been around and he’s 330 pounds. There’s no one who would be able to compete with him physically. He’s just a bear.”
How are the NFL talks progressing?
“It’s good they’re still talking but I’m not sure what’s been said or what’s been done or why the (lockout date) has been extended. At least they’re talking and it should move things along faster. If it’s done by the end of next week, I’m not sure about that but at least it’s moving.”
BOB ARUM:
“As long as he is available to fight we plan to keep him very busy whether it’s once a month or every two to three weeks. He’s been off for awhile but our matchmakers feel like he can compete at the top level of boxing at cruiserweight, so we’re going to keep him as busy as his schedule permits. Obviously, once they have to go back to training camp, we will be back on hiatus again. But as long as he’s available, he will be kept very, very busy.
“We’ve gotten calls today from other NFL football players. Osi Umenyiora called and he said he’s bringing some of the football Giants over to the fights on March 12.”
Tags: chicago golden gloves > college > everything > fight > Madison Square Garden > miguel cotto paulie > miguel cotto paulie malignaggi > moment > NFL > pace > player > promoter bob arum > Ricardo Mayorga > showtime ppv > tommy zbikowski > top rank inc > type > way > weight > welterweight championship
Yuri Foreman Talks About His Return to the Ring – Saturday, March 12 on SHOWTIME PPV
Posted on | March 4, 2011 | No Comments
Tags: Auto > draft > March > PPV > return > ring > Saturday > SHOWTIME > showtime ppv > Yuri Foreman
SHOWTIME Sports Update from Columbus, Ohio for STRIKEFORCE: FEIJAO vs. HENDO – Saturday at 10pm on SHOWTIME
Posted on | March 4, 2011 | No Comments
Tags: Auto > columbus ohio > draft > FEIJAO > HENDO > Saturday > SHOWTIME > sports > Strikeforce
Pro Wrestling Duo Takes on New Adventures
Posted on | March 4, 2011 | No Comments
(Largo, FL) – Legendary Professional Wrestler and Entrepreneur Fidel Sierra and Fantasy have seen their success blossom in and out of the wrestling ring from Sierra’s Championship reigns to owning a popular hot spot in Largo, Florida; Sierra and Fantasy have taken the world by storm.
Sierra is best known for wreaking havoc in the Pacific Northwest, Florida, NWA, WCW, and Puerto Rico, by popular demand of his fans.
Over the years Sierra has held some prestigious titles such as the Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship, Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship, NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship, NWA Florida Tag Team Championship with Ricky Santana and NWA World Tag Team Championship, and Cuban Heavyweight Championship among many others.
He’s also wrestled some of the legends in professional wrestling from Hulk Hogan to Ric Flair (to a one hour draw for the world title in Oregon), to the late Curt Hennig, The Rock, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Puerto Rico’s Great Carlos Colon, The Grappler and many more.
Sierra attributes his success and tenacity in the ring to his manager and wife Fantasy. She has stuck by his side helping him win championships and making sure he’s a force to reckon with inside the ring. And if you think she just sits outside cheering him on… your wrong! Fantasy has no qualms getting physical to help Sierra win.
Sierra and Fantasy still appear in Florida Underground Wrestling, held every Tuesday night at Gasoline Alley in Largo.
To learn more about his championship wrestling career visit http://cubanworldwide.com
When Sierra isn’t lacing up the boots and throwing people around the ring, you can find him and Fantasy running one of Tampa Bay’s top hotspots for great food and fun at “Crazy Dave’s Sports Bar.”
Together Sierra and Fantasy have established a place where anyone can come and feel at home, all while eating some of the best food in area. It lays claim to the famous 9 inch Cuban.
To make your visit even more exciting, Crazy Dave’s Sports Bar offers contests and games including darts, pool and live music and of course… beautiful women.
It’s also not uncommon to see some of today’s top celebrities and athletes stop by to play pool, and partake in some of Crazy Dave’s exciting contests… and who knows mingle with the crowd. With the Yankees Spring Training Facility, The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, The Tampa Bay Rays and Tampa Bay Lightning, and hotspot for professional wrestlers, you’re likely to see one of your own hometown hero’s on any particular night.
Come by, bring your family and enjoy the hospitality and great friendships found at “Crazy Dave’s Sport’s Bar” located in Largo, FL.
To find out more about Crazy Dave’s Sports Bar visit http://crazydavessportsbar.com
Fidel Sierra and Fantasy are available for interviews. Please contact Shannon Rose, Eclectic Media Productions (347) 92-STARS or (347) 927-8277, Email: info@mediaproductions.tv
Fidel Sierra and Fantasy are represented by Eclectic Media Productions National PR firm. Website: http://mediaproductions.tv
Tags: Auto > blossom > cold steve austin > curt hennig > draft > Duo > Havoc > Hulk Hogan > Legendary > nwa florida tag team > nwa world > professional > sports > spot > stone cold steve > stone cold steve austin > Storm > tag team championship > underground wrestling > visit > world tag team > wrestler
STRIKEFORCE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES, FEIJAO, HENDERSON, COENEN, CARMOUCHE, KENNEDY, MANHOEF, MASVIDAL, EVANGELISTA
Posted on | March 3, 2011 | No Comments
Thursday, March 3, Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Telecast This Saturday, March 5, Live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT;
Non-Televised Undercard Fights Start at 7:30 p.m. ET
COLUMBUS, Ohio (March 3, 2011) – The eight fighters who will compete in televised fights during a STRIKEFORCE World Championship Doubleheader this Saturday, March 5, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) participated in a final press conference Thursday at Nationwide Arena.
The event, STRIKEFORCE’s first in the state of Ohio, will take place in conjunction with The Arnold Sports Festival, the nation’s largest health and fitness exposition founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Tickets are on sale at the Nationwide Arena ticket office, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com and Ticketmaster by phone (800) 745-3000. The first non-televised, undercard fight starts at 7:30 p.m. ET. Doors will open at 7 o’clock.
In Saturday’s main event, Dan Henderson (26-8), of Temecula, Calif., will challenge defending belt-holder Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante (10-2) of Brazil for the STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Championship. In a second world title fight, Marloes Coenen (18-4) of the Netherlands will risk her lightweight (135 pounds) title for a first time when she faces Liz Carmouche (6-0) of San Diego, Calif.
Other televised fights: American military hero Tim Kennedy (12-3) of Austin, Texas, faces Melvin “No Mercy’’ Manhoef (24-8-1) of Amsterdam, Holland, in an important middleweight (185 pounds) match and undefeated Billy Evangelista (11-0) of Fresno, Calif., will take on Jorge Masvidal (20-6) of Miami, Fla., in a lightweight (155 pounds) encounter.
What the fighters had to say Thursday:
FEIJAO
“I prepare for the next fight and I train for that opponent. I’m thinking about Dan Henderson and not thinking about the championship.
“I don’t care that no one has successfully defended the (light heavyweight) title. I care about preparation, training and getting inside the cage to fight.
“I always train like a family. Antonio Rodrigo is like my mentor. He helped me a lot. He’s always there with me. My coaches and I have made a strategy for this fight.
“With a big challenge you train more and more. Henderson is a big challenge and that is what makes this sport exciting.”
DAN HENDERSON
“One of the benefits of fighting at 205 (pounds) is I get to enjoy my food. One of the drawbacks is I have to fight guys his (Feijao’s) size.
“I don’t feel any added pressure fighting for the title. Every fight for the last few years has been pretty big so I don’t feel any added pressure fighting for the title.
“He’s (Feijao is) a different fighter than Anderson Silva so it doesn’t matter that they train together. And I think I’ve improved a lot since I fought Anderson.
“A lot of the techniques are similar in MMA. You just have to look at your opponent and their technique and tweak your game plan a little bit.
“Obviously, I wouldn’t be here if winning a world title wasn’t one of my goals. But the challenge of fighting someone like Feijao is exciting. He’s big, he’s tough and he’s strong. I would definitely enjoy having the belt but the reason I fight is for the challenge.”
MARLOES COENEN
“I’m always prepared and ready to go. This will be a very exciting fight. Liz will come in very determined because of the opportunity she’s getting, but this is an important fight for me, too.
“I need to stay humble because when you start to get cocky is when you’ll lose. I’m comfortable, my weight is good. I can fight at 135 and 145, but I feel a bit stronger at 135 pounds.’’
LIZ CARMOUCHE
“I’m absolutely grateful and excited for this chance. I look forward to the challenge. I’m all about challenges.
“This is going to be a fierce, non-stop back-and-forth fight that I expect will go five full rounds.
“We train for five round fights, so stamina will not be a problem. I can’t wait to fight Marloes on Saturday.’’
TIM KENNEDY
“I’m just excited to be fighting a guy that comes to fight. Manhoef is exciting and comes to win. It is exactly the recipe for a good fight and that’s what I want on Saturday.
“I expect a fast-paced, explosive fight. I don’t see it going the distance.’’
MELVIN MANHOEF
“All fights are important and every time I step into the cage I’m confident I will win. I’m not treating this fight any differently, but it would be good to get a win to reestablish myself.
“I’m not making any excuses, but I know I had (Robbie) Lawler but I made a mistake and it cost me the fight. I went in for the kill and dropped my hands and he caught me.
“Striking is definitely my strong point, but I’m prepared to go anywhere the fight goes on Saturday. The key is for me to be aggressive and fight my fight and not force it.
“Kennedy is a very good, determined fighter. This is going to be an all-action fight.’’
BILLY EVANGELISTA
“I’m looking forward to dropping back down to my natural weight of 155 pounds. My last fight was my first in nearly a year and the first since my injury. I fought a guy stronger and bigger than me and in a totally different weight class. Performance-wise, I expect to be much better on Saturday.
“I don’t watch tapes of opponents so I don’t know much about Masvidal other than he’ll have a height advantage. I’m confident that I can win what will be a very hard fight and take the next step up. A win gets me closer to the STRIKEFORCE belt – the ultimate goal is for me to fight for the STRIKEFORCE title.”
JORGE MASDIVAL
“I’m happy to be fighting for STRIKEFORCE again. I’m looking forward to fighting on SHOWTIME.
“I had a great camp and I’m in great shape. I’m very confident.’’
Tags: amsterdam holland > arnold schwarzenegger > arnold sports > Auto > Billy Evangelista > carmouche > com > Doubleheader > draft > FEIJAO > fight > March > military hero > nationwide arena columbus > nationwide arena columbus ohio > opponent > Strikeforce > Ticketmaster > time > title > WORLD > world title fight
Magee Ready For March 19th Battle With Bute In Montreal
Posted on | March 3, 2011 | No Comments
Challenger Calls IBF 168 lb. Champ “Without a Doubt, the Best in the Division”
Montreal, Thursday, March 3, 2011 – Brian Magee (34-3-1, 24 KO’s, IBF #8) spoke to members of the North American media today via conference call from his training camp in Ireland, where he’s preparing for his March 19th showdown at Montreal’s Bell Centre with IBF Super Middleweight champion Lucian Bute (27-0, 22 KO’s).
Here’s what the mild-mannered, yet hard-hitting challenger had to say about Bute; a fighter who many, Magee included, consider to be the best Super Middleweight in the world.
On his training camp
Everything has been good so far. My preparation has been hard. I’m looking forward to coming to Montreal. I’ve been there before, and I can’t wait to come back and visit the city. I’ve worked hard, and I can’t wait to fight in Montreal.
On fighting a southpaw as good as Bute
I don’t think a southpaw wants to ever fight another southpaw, especially one as skillful as Lucian Bute. What you have to do in the gym is go through a game plan and hopefully stick to it. Southpaws are tough enough to handle, but I think they’re even tougher to handle for other southpaws. So it’s a tricky one. But it’s a style I’ll be working hard on.
Where does Bute rate compared to the rest of the Super Middleweight division?
Without a doubt he’s the best in the division. He’s such a skillful fighter. He’s a worthy world champion, and good at everything. He’s good at moving back and good at coming forward. And he’s a good counter puncher. He’s just a good all around fighter. He’s the type of fighter that I want to be. He’s not just good at one thing, he’s good at everything.
There’s no doubt about it, he’s a world-class fighter, and a worthy world champion.
Is Bute a more complicated fighter than WBC 168 lb. champ Carl Froch (who Magee lost to via TKO 11 in May of 2006)?
Of definitely. His movement and his speed make him much trickier than Froch. They’re quite similar in size, but I think Lucian has the edge in speed, movement, and boxing ability.
Other than Carl being orthodox, they’re not unlike in stature and size. They’re both power punchers and fighters, and Carl is a good boxer and a thinker in there as well. So people do underestimate Carl’s boxing ability. But they’re very similar.
How would you describe your fighting style
I’m tough, but I try to be a good boxer-fighter. I admire fighters who get in the ring and compete with skills, and not just go in there and fight. So I try to box and fight. But I’m a very determined fighter, and whenever I’m in the ring, I give 100%.
Is it possible that Bute and his camp see you as only a tune-up before bigger fights, and could they be taking you for granted as an opponent?
I don’t think he’ll take me for granted. He hasn’t gotten to where he is by taking anyone for granted. He’s the champion, and I expect him to prepare like a champion.
As far as being a tune-up, I think my last couple of fights people have thought that. When I went to Denmark to fight Mads Larsen, people thought that, and I won that fight. What people say doesn’t affect me at all. I’ve got a job to do, and I try not to listen to other people’s opinions. Every fighter wants to win every fight, and I’m no different.
(Editor’s note: On January 30, 2010, Magee stopped Larson via TKO 7, in Aarhus, Denmark)
On the motivation of fighting in front of Bute’s adoring fans in Montreal
(Pat Magee, Brian’s manager, no relation) We went to Denmark and fought Mads Larsen. He’s a superstar, the “Golden Boy” in Denmark, and Brian just pulverized him. I mean, he was all over him. And Larsen’s a southpaw also, let’s not forget. And a similar size to Lucian. So Brian is looking at this fight as a mirror image of what he did to Larsen, and he hopes to do the same to Lucian.
Does you expect a long fight?
(Pat Magee) Brian has the capabilities of ending this fight early or late. One of his great attributes is his stamina, and doing 12 rounds is not a problem to him. We’ve studied very closely Bute’s infamous fight with Andrade where he came apart in the last couple of rounds, and that’s very interesting to us.
At 35, is this your last chance to be a world champion?
Chances to fight for world titles don’t come easy these days. So if you’re a decent fighter like myself, it’s hard to get yourself back up there again once you’ve been beaten. It’s like a game of Snakes and Ladders. You can climb up a ladder quite quickly, but once you fall down, you can slide down a long way and you have to start again.
Hopefully I won’t have to find out. But I feel I still have my best in the tank yet. After March 19th, we’ll see what the future holds. But I see myself boxing for a few years yet.
What did you take away from that loss to Froch?
I’m glad Carl has had so much success after our fight. It really showed me the caliber of fighter I was in against.
I made the mistake in the 11th round, and I let myself get caught. It’s just a tough lesson in boxing that no other sport has. But I’ve dusted myself off, and I’ve clawed my way back, and now I’m fighting for a world title.
I learned a lot from that fight, and hopefully I can carry those lessons to victory.
Do you fear a hometown decision?
No matter what, when you fight abroad, you’re always going to have that in the back of your mind. The way I look at it, I just go in there, and do the best I can, and hope everybody else sees the fight the same way. I can’t worry about that until that night. It’s out of my hands.
Favoritism always goes to the local fighter, but I can’t worry about it until it actually happens.
Tickets on sale
Tickets for this InterBox March 19th Gala are available at the Bell Centre ticket office by contacting www.evenko.ca or dialing 1-877-668-8269, or by calling Club de boxe Champion at 514-376-0980.
Tags: Auto > BATTLE > Bell Centre > Brian Magee > Carl Froch > challenger > Champ > draft > everything > fight > IBF > Lucian Bute > March > Middleweight Champion > puncher > s bell > southpaw > super > Super Middleweight > today > wait > World Champion
HALL OF FAME PROMOTERS BOB ARUM & DON KING Media Conference Call Highlights
Posted on | March 3, 2011 | No Comments
NEW YORK (March 3, 2011) — Legendary promoters Bob Arum and Don King took a stroll down memory lane on Thursday, recapping their 80-plus combined years as two of boxing’s biggest and most powerful promoters.
The national media conference call also gave Arum and King a chance to discuss the upcoming, highly anticipated world championship event between boxing superstars Miguel Cotto and Ricardo Mayorga on Saturday, March 12, at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, produced and distributed LIVE on SHOWTIME PPV®, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
The event marks the first time in five years that the Hall of Fame promoters have joined forces for a promotion.
Here are some highlights of what Arum and King had to say on Thursday:
BOB ARUM:
“There’s never been a better salesman in boxing than Don King. I worked my tail off as a promoter because I had such a measuring stick, a bar to reach. I think Don made me a lot better a promoter than I would have been and I think I made Don a better promoter than he would have been.
“Contrast this to the other so-called promoters today who all they can do when they get competition is whine and complain and shriek that a promoter has their fighters fighting their own fighters; instead of getting out and competing against me and Don. These guys don’t deserve to be called promoters.
“I have no problem dealing with another promoter. The operative word is promoter. Don King is a promoter. He knows how to sell a fight and he knows how to sell an event. We don’t fight with each other while we do the event. We promote the event and we know what the goal is. I mean look around today, other than maybe Kathy Duva, how many real promoters are their out there in boxing in this country? I say very few. They’re free riders who make deals with a network or some Indian casinos and they call themselves promoters? To me, that’s not a promoter.
“I don’t think Mayorga beats Cotto. I just don’t see it. If he does though, Mayorga vs. Pacquiao will be the biggest pay-per-view event of all time.”
What are your crowning moments in promoting?
“My crowning achievement is when De La Hoya fought Trinidad and Trinidad got the decision and Don was gloating on the microphone when I pulled the plug. And they couldn’t hear him anymore. That was my crowning achievement.”
Does that include when you pulled Don out of the ring during the Hagler-Leonard fight?
“That was second.”
What’s been the key to yours and Don’s longevity and success?
“First, nothing replaces hard work. And second is we are both workaholics. Sometimes people get old and out of touch, but I have always had a policy in my company of getting younger and bringing in people who are smart who can keep up with Facebook and Twitter and so forth.
“If Don had Mayweather and I have Pacquiao, I didn’t say the fight would be made in a day. I said the fight would be made within one hour. Don and I would have cut to the essentials. We would have worked out the few details and we make the fight. Mayweather would do well to go with Don. It would be one of the greatest promotions ever.
“Don and I first worked together on the Ali-Frazier III fight in Manila. But the one we really did a great job on – because boxing on closed circuit had really died from 1976 to 1980 – was the first fight between Leonard and Duran in Montreal. That one set all kinds of records and had the country really nuts. That was the first promotion of this modern era and a great success. And that was the first pay-per-view fight.”
Will you be doing more events together?
“Don and I bring different types of energy to a fight and I think it works. I think the public is intrigued and gets to know about the event. It benefits the fighters and it benefits the public and it benefits the sport of boxing. So by all means we are going to do other events together.”
DON KING:
“It’s great to be working with a real professional like Bob Arum. He’s a real professional promoter. Every day is a new day and there is an excitement in the air. Ricardo Mayorga has been working very hard and dedicatedly and committedly to dethrone Cotto on the 12th. There are a few days left. It’s just nine days away and I call it an escape fight. We want to bring boxing back to the people. That’s what it all basically boils down to. And the people will respond in time.
“I never would have known how good I was if I wouldn’t have had Bob Arum. So I’ve always been able to be a promoter of the people and for the people and by the people with my magic lines and my people ties. And so when you have somebody who is formidable you have to deal with what is real and you cannot rest on your laurels. You’ve got to make the next one better than the last one. And so he’s always been there sniffing at me which means I have to go out there and work that much harder to bring the people the best in boxing.”
When did your relationship with Bob go from acrimonious to harmonious?
“We’re not acrimonious, we’re promoters. And that’s what we do. We have to seize the environment and take time to see what’s going on and figure out what’s the best way for the promotion to go. If it needs a little acrimony then we’ll give them a little flavor of acrimony. You can’t cook with cold grease. You’ve got to turn the stove on. You can’t bake a cake without electricity. So you’ve got to take each one as they come. But no, I’ve never just hated him. Get even with him? Well absolutely. So how do you pay back? You can’t just go out there and jump on his back or punch him. So you work hard to find ways to show a punch to the kidney. Or a little embarrassment here or a hilarious situation there. At the same time you’ve got to wait for your fighters to be able to fill the prophesy. So we use it interchangeably so you have all the ingredients that makes it necessary to have a great fight?
How does this promotion differ from the ones you’ve work on in the past?
“This one is vintage. It’s like a fine wine, it gets better with age. This one is something that is very gratifying. You always want to get something that will cause a lot of unrest and a lot of drama. Surprisingly we are delivering on this fight so far, keep my fingers crossed. Because I know my fighter is crazy and so does Bob. But this is the most promotable fighter that’s out there today. All he has to do is to dedicate himself and nothing will be able to beat him in the box office or otherwise. And that’s what I’ve encouraged him to do. I’ve never seen him so dedicated. He’s going to have his plate of Puerto Rican beans on the scale with him at the weigh-in. Now he’s talking like the fighter that I used to have. He’s finally returned home. We want to just make this a great fight for the public. It’s going to be delicious.
“You will never be able to replace boxing as a sport. What Bob and I have seen is boxing going down because there were no heroes. And so what we did was come together to save a sport that has been so good to us and to the American public. From the Rumble in the Jungle to the Thrilla in Manila from all the great fights including Hagler-Hearns, now we want to give the people what they really want to see and that’s the excitement of a great prize fight where the fighters come to fight. So it’s our commitment to give something back to the people and not just take, take, take and then whine when you don’t get anything back. Let’s show people what we can do and that’s what we’re doing.
“I’m already planning on Cotto getting knocked out then Mayorga gets a shot a Pacquiao. And after he knocks out Pacquiao then we go after whoever Bob has developed next … We are going to get more promotions that are great for the people. Not playing the game of hide and seek. You know, ‘I see you.’ So get this on pay-per-view. It’s a must-see.”
What are your crowning moments in promoting?
“My first would be when I had Muhammad Ali in the Rumble in the Jungle and he did something that nobody else thought he’d be able to do when he beat George Foreman. That set the tone for a whole new era. For Ali to pull that out that then led to so many more crowning achievements … Everyone in the press predicted he was too old and he was finished and he wouldn’t beat this giant of a man in George Foreman and he won. That was a crowning achievement.
“This is not a new beginning. It’s a return to glory. We are back into the forefront of boxing, the Sweet Science. We are just renewing old acquaintances.”
Tags: Auto > Bob Arum > championship > chance > draft > fight > indian casinos > Kathy Duva > lane > Legendary > March > MGM Grand > Miguel Cotto > Pacquiao > Promoter > promoter don king > promotion > Ricardo Mayorga > showtime ppv > stroll down memory > stroll down memory lane > today
Quotes from yesterday’s media conference call featuring Sergio Martinez
Posted on | March 3, 2011 | No Comments
NEW YORK, NY (Mar. 3, 2011) – Yesterday’s media conference call featured Middleweight Champion, Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez in advance of his “Diamond Elite” clash with WBO Jr. Middleweight Champion, Sergiy “Razor” Dzinziruk on March 12 from the MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods, airing live on HBO World Championship Boxing. Also on the call were Martinez’ advisor Sampson Lewkowicz, and Lou DiBella, the promoter of the event.
Below are quotes from the call’s participants:
WBC Emeritus & The Ring Middleweight Champion, Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez:
“It definitely wasn’t a lucky punch (vs. Paul Williams II). Anybody who has seen the tape – it’s not too long – see me throwing the same punch six times and landing five and then I knock him out. It was a premeditated punch, not lucky.”
“Like Lou said, he wants me to knock this boy out; however, people don’t know the quality of this champ to knock him out. I need to do the job and I’m ready to fight, if I knock him out or go the distance. But I will predict a knockout. I’m ready for either.”
“I’m very happy and content that I finally got my dues (after Williams II) to be recognized. It’s because of the hard work in the gym that I was able to come up with this victory.”
“I never want an easy fight. I want to fight the best. Mayweather cannot fight me; Manny Pacquiao cannot fight me. So, I need to fight somebody very challenging and the best opponent, or the best challenger, is Sergiy Dzinziruk. Nobody else is left.”
“Everybody’s wrong. The fight was officially made by HBO and HBO got the best available opponent, Dzinziruk, because he has the credentials. I didn’t lose the title, only for a few months, because after I beat Dzinziruk, whoever is at 160 (pounds) I want to fight, regardless of whom it’ll be. And I have no issues with that and nobody forced me to fight because I only want to fight the best.”
“I believe that in a way I gave up the title because I have a promise to fight Zbik and I needed to give up the title. However, I’m very proud and honored to be fighting for the Diamond belt that, I believe, is the most beautiful belt I’ve ever seen. There is lots of prestige to be part of that and I thank the WBC for this great opportunity and the WBC never closed to door to me, to the contrary, the WBC opened the door. Today, I am who I am.”
“It’s really a pity in my case because of problems fighting opponents or challenges. I’m not thinking of going up to 168 (pounds) because I’d be too small physically. So, I plan to stay at 160 for the rest of the year and then see what it takes for the future. I believe I’m too small for ’68. I will give too much of an advantage to 168-pounders.”
“I’m surprised that he (Dzinziruk) talked like that (“Sergio isn’t special”). But he will find out March 12th that he was wrong. I believe I have something special.”
“Really, this is the hardest training camp I’ve ever had. Former two-time champion, Daniel Santos, is with me, who fought Dzinziruk, and the other (sparring partner), Austin Trout, is the WBA 154-pound champion. I have the best sparring partners I can get.”
“I know very well…I’ve fought similar guys (to Dzinziruk) several times in Europe, but the problem is, no press in America know them. I’m used to it and he will use all of his intelligence against me and wait for me to make a mistake to counterpunch. I know what I need to do to avoid any complications. So, I have no problem with that.”
“It was very hard and sad to give up the title. I wanted to defend that title every time I could until the end of my career. But at this time I’m happy with the outcome, if my next fight after this I will recoup the title. I will demand to fight for the title, on behalf of my promoter, if he wants me to fight at 160, so (the winner of) Zbik and Chavez Jr. must face me or give up the title to me.”
“It (Feb. 21 was his birthday) was a very happy day for me. I got up at four in the morning, as normally, and finished training at 10 o’clock at night. It was no different except that I received phone calls of congratulations from all over the world and that was happy for me. But I worked normal like every day.”
“I will never celebrate – I dislike parties – after the fight. I like to be with my close friends and have dinner. That’s special. No, I won’t party after any fight. I don’t like parties.”
“I need to dictate the pace of the fight. I will not allow him to dictate. I’m the champion and I want to be the pound-for-pound best. So, I need to prove I can dictate the fight. The strategy I plan to use is being discussed. I just started discussing it with my trainer, Gabriel Sarmiento, because we do that the last week. For now, the only thing I do is training like I would train for any other fight.”
“It will be very good for Cotto, for me, and the fans so maybe it can happen in 2011.” (In regard to a fight between Martinez and Miguel Cotto.)
Martinez’ Advisor, Sampson Lewkowicz:
“I’m very happy to be part of Team Martinez and I definitely believe I have an excellent promoter who did a great job bringing Martinez to this position. Let’s hear from the champion, a great champion in and out of the ring, Sergio ‘Maravilla’ Martinez.”
“He (Sergio) will not get in the ring with somebody who doesn’t have the stature. He will not do it.”
“He’s never talked about money. Every time when there are negotiations with Sergio Martinez and his team, there never was an issue and that is unheard of. He is the champion of the press; he is always available for the press.”
Statement from Martinez’ Trainer, Gabriel Sarmiento (read by Martinez’ strength-and-conditioning coach Cicilio Flores):
“Gabriel apologizes. He couldn’t be here today and in fact he’s training Javier Fortuna right now, who will also be on the undercard. Victor Cayo, he’s training him now, as well as Victor Gonzalez. Again, he apologizes for not being on this conference call. It’s very important to him but all he needs to say is his fighter, Sergio Martinez, is having the best training camp and one of the hardest training camps. In fact, he is hitting harder today than his last fight against Paul Williams. He is guaranteeing a knockout. He is very excited about this fight and he isn’t taking Dzinziruk lightly at all.
Promoter of “Diamond Elite” and Martinez, Lou DiBella:
“I want to point out that, even since our call (on Tues., Mar. 1), tickets are moving very, very well at Foxwoods. I’m urging people to get their tickets as quickly as possible, particularly at lower price ranges because those are moving very quickly and there are still some great ringside seats available. But I’m very, very happy with the performance of the event at the site and I think we’re going to have a great crowd at the MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods. As everyone knows it’s going to be televised by HBO Sports and Andy Lee and Craig McEwan are in the opening fight.
“The fact that this fight is happening is a tribute to the type of champion Sergio Martinez is. In a lot of ways this is a no-win fight: this is the best fighter in the world, Dzinziruk, that no one knows. He is a very difficult guy to fight because of his defensive style, because of his great jab, his movement, and he’s a very well skilled guy. He’s really unknown in this country, but this is the fight HBO wanted. They wanted Sergio in a difficult match-up and it’s typically Sergio Martinez’ way. Sergio said, ‘Put him in front of me and I’m going to fight him,’ and he is. He is the boss and that’s why he’s become the ‘People’s Champion.’ He lost his WBC title and he’s now fighting for the Diamond title. Honestly, he’s doing that because he’s fighting the best and this is why he has captured the imaginations of so many boxing fans and why everybody is looking forward to March 12th to see this fighter and what he brings.
“Certainly, I’m proud to have Sampson Lewkowicz, the great boxing guy and one of the smartest men in the sport and great judge of talent, as my partner and Sergio’s advisor. I wouldn’t be promoting Sergio Martinez if Sampson didn’t bring it to my attention and that’s been one of the most fortunate things to happen to my company in recent years. Certainly, promoting Sergio Martinez has been an absolute pleasure.”
“Obviously, Sergio is looking for the biggest fights possible. We pursued the possibilities with Cotto and had conversations with Arum but the fight didn’t materialize. He (Arum) wasn’t interested in reaching out beyond his stable. But this is the most difficult fight; this is the toughest fighter out there. I said it’s a no-win situation, but if Sergio knocks this guy out at least intelligent people in boxing and the people who’ve seen Dzinziruk fight will know what an accomplishment it is.
“It’s just unfortunate that with a fight of this degree of difficulty, that the public doesn’t know the opponent. The opponent is a champion in his own right. He’s in his mid-thirties and never lost a fight and has had loads of successful title defenses. He’s a very, very good fighter. And this is consistent with Sergio’s pattern: from Kermit Cintron to Paul Williams, to Kelly Pavlik, to Paul Williams, and now to Sergiy Dzinziruk. There’s not a single fighter in the sport, not one, that’s gone through a ‘Murderer’s Row’ like that in recent fights. And like I said, that’s a credit to the greatness of Sergio Martinez.”
“One thing that makes Sergio so unusual is, yeah, I felt the way I felt, but his attitude was, ‘if they think this is the hardest guy, put him in front of me.’ There haven’t been guys like that I’ve had. I’ve promoted guys before that don’t shy away from challenges, but I’ve never had a guy like this whose attitude is: if you think this guy is the hardest, then that’s who I want to fight.”
“If HBO holds true with that as their principle goal, forward through the rest of the year and holds everybody to the same standard, then you’ll never hear a peep out of us about them insisting on us fighting anybody. And the truth is, what Sergio said is 100-percent the reality because he didn’t make a peep out of fighting Dzinziruk because he realized that’s who they wanted him to fight, and when he knew he was going to be paid appropriately, he was gung-ho to do it. “
“Sergio is studying English and his teacher is Nadia (Sergio’s translator). She’s really good and after he beats Dzinziruk, I’m going to twist his arm to say a few words in English at the press conference.”
“People who want to watch Cotto will have to pay about $50 to watch it and the same people, in all probability if they’re boxing fans and have HBO, will go back-and-forth. They’ll buy pay-per-view and go back-and-forth to watch both shows because that’s how hardcore boxing fans are. But I’m confident people want to see Sergio Martinez and that we have a great doubleheader on HBO that people will watch. So, sometimes, there are two fight cards in one night and it’s unfortunate. I prefer that there be only one – it’s better for the sport but people who have HBO don’t have to pay extra money to see this fight but they have to pay $50 to see Cotto. So, I’m guessing that even the people buying the Cotto show will switch the channel to watch Sergio Martinez.”
Tickets for “Diamond Elite: Martinez vs. Dzinziruk” are priced at $450, $250, $125, $75, and $50, and are available now through the MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods box office. Tickets can be purchased online at www.mgmatfoxwoods.com, by calling the box office at 1-866-646-0609, or in person at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods box office.
Tags: Auto > call > draft > fight > Foxwoods > HBO > Lou Dibella > lucky punch > maravilla > March > Mayweather > MGM Grand > Paul Williams > premeditated > press > Promoter > s media > Sampson Lewkowicz > today > trainer > training > WBO
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