MARQUEZ VS. DIAZ: WHO’S THE SQUID PICKIN’?

Posted on | July 28, 2010 | No Comments

MANDALAY BAY SHARK REEF GIANT PACIFIC OCTOPUS

NEXT TO ENTER SPORTS PREDICTION ARENA WITH

SELECTION OF MARQUEZ VS DIAZ WINNER

TOMORROW! THURSDAY, JULY 29 AT 9:30AM

SHARK REEF AQUARIUM AT MANDALAY BAY RESORT & CASINO

WHAT: After receiving international aquatic signals from the Mullusk Paul in Germany (the octopus who became well known for picking winners in World Cup games earlier this summer), the Giant Pacific Octopus at the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay will enter the world of sports predictions on Thursday morning when he makes his selection for Saturday night’s Lightweight World Championship between Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez and Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz. The unnamed, one year old male octopus weighs an estimated 40 pounds, has a six foot reach and tentacles roughly three feet long.

WHO: GIANT PACIFIC OCTOPUS

RICHARD SCHAEFER, CEO GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS

SHARK REEF AQUARIUM CURATORS

WHEN: Thursday, July 29

9:30am-PRESS CALL

9:45am-SELECTION BEGINS

WHERE: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino Shark Reef Aquarium

Entrance: Shark Reef Entrance, located on the Casino Level just past the South Convention Center.

(The Aquarium is closed for public entrance so please bring press identification for entry).

FACTS: Marquez vs. Diaz II “Fight of the Year: The Rematch” is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Marquez Boxing Promotions, and sponsored by Tecate and AT&T. The 12-round rematch of the 2009 “Fight of the Year” is scheduled for Saturday, July 31 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, and will be for Marquez’s Ring Magazine, WBA and WBO Lightweight World titles. The fight will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT.

Tickets for Marquez vs. Diaz II are priced at $350, $250, $150, $100 and $50 and are on sale now. Tickets are available for purchase at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

NCM Fathom will broadcast Marquez vs. Diaz II in high definition LIVE to more than 270 movie theaters nationwide at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT. Tickets to see the fight on the big screen are available at theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com.

TDR This wk- Flynn, Greenlee, Manning, Kulczycki, Buckley, Metcalf

Posted on | July 28, 2010 | No Comments

Hello again Wrestling Fans. We return to the Brute Adidas studios for this weeks show brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods.

Join Scott Casber, Geoff Murtha (Simpson), Ryan Freeman (Ok State) and Randy Crimmins.
Geoff Murtha joins us courtesy of Mass Mutual Financial Services, Ryan Freeman courtesy of ATT.

Guests Include:

9:01 Tim Flynn- Head Coach of the Edinboro Fighting Scots

9:20 Joel Greenlee- Head Coach of the Ohio Bobcats. Joel will be inducted in the
UNI Hall of Fame this September.

9:40 Mark Manning- Head Coach of Nebraska Cornhuskers

10:01 Mike Kulczycki- Asst Coach of the Wolverines of Michigan

10:20 Brendan Buckley- Head Coach for the Columbia Lions

10:40 Brent Metcalf- NCAA Champion, training for Gold, he does well is Baku and is now back on
US soil. We’ll catch up.

Wrestling fans- Episode 68 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check TV Guide for listings.

How to watch and listen-

TDR and TDR TV. It’s appointment Radio and TV!

TDR on Radio: LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa.
Delayed Saturday nights at 7:00 PM Eastern on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan,

TDR TV: Mediacom Cable Ch. 22. IA, MO, AK, NE, MN, IL Tues. 5 PM, Sat. 10 AM
Time Warner Cable Ch. 813 New York Sat. 12 Noon
Call your local cable operator and ask them to carry TDR TV

TDR on Internet: You can join us Saturday mornings at Takedownradio.com

TDR TV On Internet: 31 various web sites now carry your favorite wrestling news show

Thanks to our affiliates, our media partners and friends at Livesportsvideo.com.
Thanks for watching and listening!

Crossroads fight for Jens Pulver on ‘War on the Mainland’ PPV show

Posted on | July 28, 2010 | No Comments

Sylvia-Buentello one of 3 PWP Title fights Aug. 14 in Irvine, CA

SAN DIEGO (July 28, 2010) – In what could be the final fight of his often electrifying MMA career, former UFC lightweight champion Jens “Little Evil” Pulver finds himself at the crossroads for his August 14th on the “War on the Mainland” card, taking on upset-minded Diego “El Nino” Garijo in a Special Lightweight Attraction, live on Pay-Per-View from Bren Events Center in Irvine, California.

Pulver (22-13-1), fighting out of Nampa, Idaho , is riding a 5-fight losing streak into his match against Garijo (4-1-0), the fan favorite from San Diego who can make a name for himself with a victory against his celebrity-status opponent.

“I can’t keep getting cut and submitted,” Pulver said from his Orange County training camp. “It’s not like I’m getting knocked unconscious or beat-up. I’m tired of losing. It’s important that I win this fight and do it my way. I always win my way. I have a game plan: I need to be open-minded, listen to my corner and be confident. Obviously, it’s not easy being confident having lost my last five fights, but I’m excited to find out. I have to win and fight smart doing it.

“I’m sick and tired of losing, even though I’m getting caught in submission holds, not getting beat up. I’m only 34 and nobody is going to tell me I’m too old or when to stop. This is a crossroad fight for me, though. If I can’t fix these little things and keep losing, it’s time for me to hang it up.”

Pulver’s career peaked in 2001-2002, when he defeated, in order, Caol Uno for the UFC lightweight title, successfully defending his UFC belt twice against Dennis Hallman and superstar B.J. Penn, followed by a win versus Rob Emerson.

“I still do this because I love it,” Pulver explained. “I don’t fight for riches or fame. I just love the competition and training.”

Two-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim “Maine-iac” Sylvia faces former UFC and Strikeforce title challenger Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello in the main event for the vacant Powerhouse World Promotions (PWP), LLC Heavyweight Championship

“War on the Mainland,” presented by Powerhouse World Promotions, is being distributed by Integrated Sports Media at 10:00PM ET/7:00PM PT in North America on cable and satellite Pay-Per-View via iN Demand, DIRECTV, Avail-TVN and DISH Network, as well as Viewer’s Choice, Bell TV and Shaw PPV in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $29.95. It will also be available in the United Kingdom via Primetime Live. The PPV card will also be streamed live on Internet PPV outside of the United States, Canada and United Kingdom by going to www.WarontheMainland.com.

Sylvia-Buentello is one of three PWP title fights (5 X 5, all other fights are 3 X 5). Former WEC titlist Jason “The Punisher” Lambert (25-11-0) meets 8-time World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion Allan Goes (17-3-0) for the vacant PWP Light Heavyweight title belt. Former UFC title challenger Thales Leite (17-3-1) takes on Strikeforce veteran Falaniko “Niko” Vitale (27-9-0) for the PWP Middleweight crown.

Also fighting on “War on the Mainland” is Brazilian middleweight Gustavo “Ximu” Machado (18-8-1) vs. Rick Reeves (10-3-0) and Mexican welterweight Jorge “The Naked Man” Ortiz (16-5-1) vs. veteran Terry Martin (19-8-0).

Undercard fights featuring local fighters include lightweights Joao Silva (3-2-0) vs. Erin Beach (1-0-0), lightweights Cleber Luciano (3-3-0) vs. Todd Willingham (2-4-2), welterweights A.J. Mathews (3-0-0) vs. Sean Choice (1-0-0), and pro-debuting lightweights Evan Aitkins vs. Chad McCausland. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets, ranging from $35.00 to $110.00 reserved and $110.00 to $295.00 on the floor, are on sale at the Bren Events Center Box Office (10 AM/PT-6 PM/PT, Mon-Fri), going on line to www.bren.uci.edu or www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling 1.949.824.5000.

Doors open at 5:00 PM/PT, first bout 6:15 PM/PT, first PPV bout 7 PM/PT – 10 PM/ET. Go to www.WarontheMainland.com or www.bren.uci.edu for additional information.

Vendor opportunities and sponsorships are available by calling 1.858.798.1541.

Muay Thai Seminar with Felice “Lil Bull Dog” Herrig AUG 14

Posted on | July 28, 2010 | No Comments

Muay Thai workshop taught by Felice “Lil Bulldog” Herrig
SATURDAY AUGUST 14th
MBD Martial Arts – Des Plaines,IL

COST: $50 PER PERSON
Ages 16 & over

Seminar starts at 12 NOON – SAT AUG 14th

MBD Martial Arts
1673 Oakton St
Des Plaines, IL 60018
(847) 297-2788
www.MBDmartialarts.com

Seminar is open to EVERYONE!
ALL schools, ALL levels, ALL styles are welcome to attend this informative, hands on workshop taught by Muay Thai Champion Felice “Lil Bulldog” Herrig

Please forward this email to anyone that may have an interest in attending!

CALL or EMAIL to reserve your spot ASAP!!
MBD MARTIAL ARTS IS PROUD TO OFFER THIS HANDS ON WORKSHOP TAUGHT BY A WORLD CHAMPION.

FELICE HOLDS 6 TITLES IN KICKBOXING & MUAY THAI.

IKF US BANTAM WEIGHT MUSY THAI CHAMPION!

CALL OR EMAIL TODAY TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT! SPACE IS LIMITED
!

DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TRAIN LIKE A CHAMPION WITH A TRUE CHAMPION!

If you saw “Fight Girls” on the Oxygen channel then you know Felice as the standout fighter of the series who went to Thailand and put a beating on her Thai opponent. In addition to being trained by Master Toddy and Gina Carano, and dominating her opponents as a result, Felice was also the fan favorite among the girls on the show along with her roommate, and now good friend, Kerry Vera, wife of the UFC’s Brandon Vera.

After Fight Girls, she went on to fight for the St. Louis Enforcers in Chuck Norris’ “World Combat League”, where she entertained the crowds with her gutsy performances, even getting Fight of the Night for her last fight.

Felice co-hosted the Chicago-based MMA news show “Combatwire” on CLTV. She interviews and trains with fighters such as Bas Rutten, Clay Guida, Miguel Torres and Andre Arlovski. You can watch episodes online at www.combatwire.com.

Felice’s championship titles include:

* 2005 IKF Womans Bantamweight North American Champion.
* 2006 IKF Womans Bantamweight World Champion.
* 2006 W.A.K.O. womans Bantamweight National Champion
* 2007 W.A.K.O. Womans Bantamweight National Champion
*2008 IKF US Bantamweight Muay Thai Champion

If you saw “Fight Girls” on the Oxygen channel then you know Felice as the standout fighter of the series who went to Thailand and put a beating on her Thai opponent. In addition to being trained by Master Toddy and Gina Carano, and dominating her opponents as a result, Felice was also the fan favorite among the girls on the show along with her roommate, and now good friend, Kerry Vera, wife of the UFC’s Brandon Vera.

After Fight Girls, she went on to fight for the St. Louis Enforcers in Chuck Norris’ “World Combat League”, where she entertained the crowds with her gutsy performances, even getting Fight of the Night for her last fight.

Felice co-hosted the Chicago-based MMA news show “Combatwire” on CLTV. She interviews and trains with fighters such as Bas Rutten, Clay Guida, Miguel Torres and Andre Arlovski. You can watch episodes online at www.combatwire.com.

Felice’s championship titles include:

* 2005 IKF Womans Bantamweight North American Champion.
* 2006 IKF Womans Bantamweight World Champion.
* 2006 W.A.K.O. womans Bantamweight National Champion
* 2007 W.A.K.O. Womans Bantamweight National Champion
*2008 IKF US Bantamweight Muay Thai Champion

HANK LUNDY PROMOTIONAL BATTLE ERUPTS; BOXER’S CONTRACT AT CENTER OF FREE AGENCY DISPUTE

Posted on | July 28, 2010 | No Comments

There is a promotional battle brewing over the contract of “Hammerin'” Hank Lundy, and Jimmy Burchfield is not about to let go of the Philadelphia fighter coming off the first loss of his career. Check out the dueling press releases below.

“HAMMERIN” HANK LUNDY IS NOW A PROMOTIONAL FREE AGENT (This Message Came in To FNU at 1:33 PM on July 28, 2010)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PHILADELPHIA (July 28, 2010)—World ranked (WBO #7); and once beaten Lightweight, “Hammerin” Hank Lundy is now a promotional Free Agent after leaving Jimmy Burchfield CES Boxing.

Lundy, 18-1-1 with ten knockouts has become a fan favorite because of his action style and many television appearances on ESPN 2 Friday Night Fights, will be looking to get back in the win column after his first professional setback which took place on July 9th after getting stopped by Johnny Molina in a bout that Lundy was dominating.

“Certain obligations were not met in his contract”, said Lundy’s manager, Ivan Cohen.

“We believe that Hank is still one of the best Lightweights in the world and we will be looking for another promoter who we believe will advance his career to world championship status.”

Burchfield: ‘Lundy isn’t a free agent’ (THIS EMAIL CAME IN AT 6:38 PM July 28, 2010

PROVIDENCE (July 28, 2010) – Jimmy Burchfield, President of Classic Entertainment and Sports, Inc., categorically denied reports issued today that lightweight prospect “Hammerin’” Hank Lundy (18-1-1, 10 KOs) is a promotional free agent.

“He is not a free agent and promoters shouldn’t be speaking with him or his team,” Burchfield explained. “CES turned him pro and we have completely and totally honored our end of the contract. We just had him fighting on national television twice within 90 days.

“We’ve worked through his different managers and trainers, never wavering in our full support of Hank. Like with all of our fighters, other than actually fighting for them, we do everything we can to help them, in and out of the ring, including Hank. We still strongly believe in him.”

Go to www.cesboxing.com for information about CES or any of its fighters, including Lundy.

-CES-

THE NEWLY FORMED SPARTAN FIGHT PROMOTIONS IS FOCUSED ON BRINGING BOXING BACK TO ATLANTIC CITY, AS IT ONCE USED TO BE

Posted on | July 28, 2010 | No Comments

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (July 27, 2010) – With G&P Fitness and Boxing Center officially opened, President and CEO Mike Brestle is continuing his quest to make a difference in the community of Atlantic City as well as the boxing and fitness industries. With a brand new state of the art boxing and training facility, located squarely in the heart of Atlantic City, Brestle is ready to launch Spartan Fight Promotions. Spartan Fight Promotions’ goal is to be Atlantic City’s premier sports and entertainment promotional company. “Our main focus and vision is to bring the sport of boxing BACK to Atlantic City, just as it was not too long ago during the times of Iron Mike Tyson and Arturo Gatti,” says Brestle.

Spartan Fight Promotions mission is to provide their fans with an exciting, competitive and entertaining evening of world class boxing action. What makes Spartan Fight Promotions unique is their willingness to work with any and all promoters, managers and fighters in the sport to help achieve their vision of making the best and most entertaining fights for the fans on a consistent basis. As Spartan Fight Promotions continues to grow and build their brand, their focus will remain to present fan friendly fight cards, while building and sustaining long lasting relationships that are based on trust, loyalty and mutual respect. This vision is the key to the success of Spartan Fight Promotions and their ability to represent the sport’s top talent on a local, national and international level.

The Spartan Fight Promotion team will be comprised by some of the sport’s brightest and freshest talent. Jim Kurtz is the President of Boxing Operations at Spartan Fight Promotions and will handle many of the day to day responsibilities. Kurtz is well versed in many areas of the sport and he is highly respected by his peers within the sport. He is one of the sport’s youngest and most well respected managers and advisors. He has vast promotional experience and he has even handled matchmaking responsibilities. Working along with Kurtz will be former Main Events matchmaker, Brian Little. Little has established an impeccable reputation within the boxing community. With over the fifteen years of experience and having worked hand in hand with some of the sports most respected talent, Brian brings a wealth of knowledge to Spartan Fight Promotions. Brian has experience handling everything from matchmaking, arranging boxer travel, public relations and site coordination.

“Kurtz and Little will coordinate the day-to-day and event operations for Spartan Fight Promotions,” according to Brestle. “Their extensive experience, combined with the rest of our dedicated staff, will help lead Spartan Fight Promotions towards achieving our goal, to ‘bring boxing back to Atlantic City’ while establishing a reputation throughout the boxing world for staging world class boxing events. Kurtz and Little will be key components to achieve our goal of signing, developing, and mentoring talented boxing professionals and helping them achieve their dreams of becoming World Champions!”

The Spartan Fight Promotions plan is to promote 6-8 boxing shows per year while establishing a well defined presence in New Jersey and the Atlantic City region in particular. To reach these lofty goals, Spartan Fight Promotions is committed to dealing with any promoter, manager and fighters in the sport to make the most competitive and entertaining fights for the fans. With each and every Spartan Fight Promotions experience boxing fans will be able to see and feel the Spartan Fight Promotions difference.

Brestle concluded, “We look forward to seeing everyone at the fights. I am sure the attendees will become loyal fans of Spartan Fight Promotions and they will continue to be a part of our future. Spartan Fight Promotions strives to be the best in all that we do and we look forward to providing our fans with events that they will remember!”

JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ and RAFAEL MARQUEZ HOLD NEWS CONFERENCE LUNCHEON ANNOUNCING THEIR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT

Posted on | July 28, 2010 | 1 Comment

LOS ANGELES (July 27, 2010) – Undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight champion JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ and two-division world champion RAFAEL MARQUEZ, the pride of Puerto Rico and México, respectively, hosted a News Conference Luncheon announcing their highly anticipated world featherweight title fight on Tuesday in the Gold Ballroom at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles.

The fighters were joined by their teams, including promoters Bob Arum, Ivan Rivera, Gary Shaw and Fernando Beltran.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with PR Best Boxing, Zanfer Promotions, Gary Shaw Productions and SHOWTIME, the Lopez-Marquez world championship fight will take place Saturday, Sept. 18 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be televised live on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

Lopez (29-0, 26 KOs), of Caguas, Puerto Rico, will be making his second defense of the featherweight title he captured in January. He previously held the WBO junior featherweight crown during a two-year reign which included five successful title defenses, four by knockout.

Marquez (39-5, 35 KOs), of México City, has held the International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight and World Boxing Council (WBC) super bantamweight titles. He’ll be looking to join his brother Juan Manuel as the only brothers to win world titles in three different divisions. Marquez returns to the ring after knocking out arch rival Israel Vasquez in the third round of their May 22 championship bout to even up their historic series at 2-2.

Here’s what the principals had to say on Tuesday.

JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ

“For me this is a great honor to fight a fighter the caliber of a Rafael Marquez. When you fight the best you become the best and this is the opportunity for me to become the best. To fight a guy at this level it is my chance to show everybody what I’m capable of doing. I’m really looking forward to this fight.

“Me and (Felix) Tito (Trinidad) are good friends and we talk a lot. You know, I can’t believe it when he calls me and talks to me and says he wants to be my friend. He was my idol and now all of a sudden he’s my friend.

“I’m here for the fans. They are the ones that made me and I want to give them the best show I can. Whenever I go into the ring I’m always thinking of my fans.

“I know I’m going to have to go in there smart and fight intelligently. You can’t just go in there and trade with this guy. You have to know when to strike.”

Regarding his legacy:

“The fans will ultimately decide that. I just want them to remember me.”

RAFAEL MARQUEZ

“I am very prepared for this. In my career I have only fought the best fighters out there and that’s what I will continue to do. I feel I’m fighting one of the best in Juan Manuel Lopez.

“Who wouldn’t like to be remembered as one of the best ever? I think I will be remembered as a warrior fighter who fought the best. When I’m all finished I would like to be a guy who is remembered as one who always put his entire heart into a fight. I have loved this sport since I was a little kid and I just want people to think of me as someone who always gave their all.

“I feel the best at this weight, 126. I feel better than 118 and better than 122. This is also just my opponents’ third fight at 126. So no, I do not regret this decision to fight at this weight.

On the fight being held the weekend of Mexico’s Independence Day:

“There will be a lot of Mexican fans in Las Vegas celebrating that weekend. I will be very patriotic and represent by holding up the Mexican flag.”

“I know they say (Lopez) has big punching power, but I have faced big punchers like Vazquez. I know he is younger also. But age has nothing to do with anything in this sport. It all depends on how you take care of yourself and how you prepare yourself for the fights. And that is the key. Age will not make a difference.

“This fight will end by knockout. And I’m going to win.”

BOB ARUM

“What we have with this fight is the pride of Puerto Rico against the pride of Mexico taking place at the Palace of Boxing, the MGM Grand Garden Arena at MGM Resorts International.

“I remember the first time I ever saw JuanMa. He must have had one pro fight and he was there telling me, ‘I want to fight for a world title.’ It’s one thing to be a great fighter. It’s another thing altogether to be as charismatic a fight as JuanMa is. His compatriot Tito Trinidad was that type of fighter and JuanMa is of the same make and mold. He is beloved by the Puerto Ricans who live on the islands and those who also live here in the continental United States.”

GARY SHAW

“This fight has the ability to have a great trilogy and beyond just as Marquez-Vazquez had. This is a very meaningful fight for Marquez as he could be part of the first brother team to hold three world titles.”

MARQUEZ VS. DIAZ II FIGHT WEEK NOTES

Posted on | July 27, 2010 | No Comments

HEARTS OF GOLD – JACOBS, GUERRERO AND JUAREZ DEDICATE JULY 31 FIGHTS TO THEIR LOVED ONES

Danny Jacobs, Robert Guerrero and Rocky Juarez are always motivated to succeed when they step into the ring, but this Saturday night, there is more than just winning on their minds. The three pugilists are all fighting for loved ones who have given them strength and encouragement in their careers and in their lives.

Jacobs is dedicating his fight to his grandmother Cordelia Jacobs, also known “Lady Bird,” who passed away Saturday night from lung cancer just months after being diagnosed. Jacobs was already planning on dedicating his first title fight to his grandmother, who helped raise the Brooklyn native and, as a devout Jehovah’s Witness, never actually saw any of Jacobs’ fights. With her sudden passing, thoughts and prayers are with Jacobs and his family during this difficult time.

“I know my grandmother wanted me to pursue my dream,” said Jacobs. “She would want me to do what I have to do to win. So I’m really focused for the fight.”

Guerrero will dedicate his fight to his wife Casey who was diagnosed with Leukemia in November of 2007. Guerrero withdrew from a scheduled March world title fight against highly touted Australian Michael Katsidis in January to be at his wife’s side when she received a bone marrow transplant. Fortunately, the transplant was successful and Guerrero is happy to report his wife is in remission and will be ringside Saturday night to support her him.

“My wife is doing excellent,” said Guerrero. “Our family is stepping up and taking care of what she needs and is giving me the ability to be able to just focus on the fight, train and do what I’ve got to do to be ready.”

Juarez, who considers him self a “young-old boxing veteran” continues to strive to reach his lifetime goal of becoming a world champion. Since he was a boy, he shared this dream with his grandfather until he passed away. Now Rocky dreams alone, but continues to dedicate his fights to his grandfather. A win in his fight on Saturday night will get him one step closer to another title shot and another chance to make his grandfather proud.

“If you go out to say you’re going to do something, you have to do it,” said Juarez. “I wanted my grandfather to see me become a world champion. I have always had that fire inside, and that is going to continue until I achieve my goal.”

MARQUEZ ARRIVES IN THE UNITED STATES WITH A BANG

Over the weekend, a series of events were held to celebrate Juan Manuel Marquez’s arrival in the United States when he landed in Los Angeles before heading to Las Vegas for his July 31 fight against Juan Diaz.

With adoring fans awaiting his arrival at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday and hundreds of fans supporting him at a rally at Placita Olvera on Sunday, Marquez could feel the fight was finally upon him.

On Monday, Marquez, joined by other fighters on Saturday night’s card including Dmitry Pirog, Jorge Linares and Frankie Gomez, worked out for the media at the Fortune Gym in Hollywood before leaving for Las Vegas.

“My visit to Los Angeles has been very rewarding because of the support I received from all the fans there,” said Marquez. “Arriving in Los Angeles after training camp always signals to me that a big Las Vegas is right around the corner. I have no doubt that this fight with Diaz is going to be as good as the first one, if not better.”

MARQUEZ, PIROG AND LINARES LOS ANGELES WORKOUT QUOTES

Juan Manuel Marquez

“This is going to be a great fight. It will definitely live up to the Fight of the Year hype. I know Diaz is working hard and is going to do everything he can to avenge the knockout and regain the lightweight title. He has a lot to prove

and I

am going to do everything I can to defend my title.

“I feel a great amount of responsibility to my fans. A lot of emotions go through me when I think about my fans and the Mexican people. I want to make them proud when I step into the ring.

“If Diaz were in front of me, I would wish him luck

“I am not worried about the drop in weight [from his last fight at welterweight]. I am feeling great. I feel stronger and faster. I definitely think this is my ideal weight.”

Dmitry Pirog

“I am fully acclimated since coming to America on July 17. I am ready to fight.

“I have always wanted to fight in America. I like American fans. I have fought in Europe and in Europe; the fans pick the home fighter. In America, it’s not always like that. If you give a good fight, they will like you no matter where you are from.

“I have watched tapes of Jacobs. When you have experience in the ring and are confident, you can adjust to any style and I know that is what I am going to do.”

Jorge Linares

“You win and lose in this sport. That is part of life. I had some personal issues and they are behind me now. This is not a title fight, but it is a stepping stone to a title shot.

“All of my training and preparations have been great. I am ready for the fight. I have been sleeping well, eating well and training really well.”

Oscar de la Hoya

On the main event:

“Saturday night is a continuation of the first fight between Marquez and Diaz. Juan Diaz was right there, and then Marquez got him.

“Diaz has made adjustments and Marquez is going to go for the knockout again.

“I think Diaz’s cut changed the whole scenario during the first fight. It was a matter of time after that. Cuts have a lot to do with an outcome.

On the undercard:

“Robert Guerrero has all of the ability to go in there and fight as hard as he can. There are so many emotions for him with everything that has happened with his wife. Now we are going to see the real Guerrero inside that ring. He is going to fight the way he should…worry free.

“Jorge Linares is something special. After a loss, it is about how you bounce back. I think Jorge can and will bounce back.”

MARQUEZ VS. DIAZ II MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL HIGHLIGHTS

There is a lot to say when it comes to the exciting matchups on the Marquez vs. Diaz II “Fight of the Year: The Rematch” fight card. The personalities involved with the July 31 mega-event including fighters, promoters and trainers all participated in a series of media conference calls in recent weeks leading up to fight week. Below please find highlight quotes from each call for use in fight preview coverage.

In case you missed it! Check out the MP3 recordings of each of the media conference calls:

· Undercard Announcement Conference Call

· Robert Guerrero and Joel Casamayor

· Juan Diaz and Ronnie Shields

· Danny Jacobs and Dmitry Pirog

· Juan Manuel Marquez
and Ignacio Beristain

· Rocky Juarez and Jorge Linares

Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez

“I’m not thinking of any way I can be different or do anything differently. I’m coming with everything. I’m not going to be overconfident because I’ve beaten him, because I’ve knocked him out. I’m going in just like as it was the first fight, 100 percent ready to take care of business.

“Well, it’s very motivating but the key factor there is victory. To me, victory is everything. It’s very important. It motivates me. It keeps me going to defend my titles with the pride and honor and having my hand raised at the end of the night, that’s the most significant and what brings it out in me. I don’t know how but it comes out because of that determination that I have to win.

Q: I want to know if you’re drinking your own urine in preparation for the fight.

J. Marquez: Yes, sir.

Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain, Marquez’s Trainer

“I’m very happy that Juan has been training with the same professionalism as always. Juan is like a fine wine that only gets better with age. He’s having a better, technically, a better camp and is training much better than the first fight with Juan. I expect the courage that Juan Diaz ‘Torito’ brings and the courage that Juan Manuel provides that this will provide another great fight like they did in Houston and that the fans are going to win, all around.”

Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz

“This fight here, a lot of people have been mentioning to me that it’s a do or die fight. Well, I don’t think it is a do or die fight. I think it’s a win-win situation because either I become a world champion once again and become a super star or it opens up doors for me to do other things and focus on other aspects of my life.

“I’m not one of those guys that has a six-pack, that has muscles all over my body, so when these people are going through these tough, economic times and have their individual rights infringed upon and they see me, a Mexican American, who came from illegal immigrants and has become a World Champion and has also achieved his college education, then for a split second or for that night at least that they see me fighting in there it’s like I’m fighting for them. They see me in there, everything that I’ve accomplished and they know that whether it is them or their children, that if they fight or work hard enough that things are going to get better and that their lives can change and they can achieve the American dream.”

Ronnie Shields, Diaz’s Trainer

“I think our game plan is going to be similar to what we followed last time. We made some minor adjustments. Juan is a valiant puncher, so we have to play off of that, but I think we have to do it in a way that benefits Juan. I’m not going to say how we’re going to do that, but I think we definitely have to benefit and use his boxing skills also.

“Juan is a really good boxer and that’s what got him to being champion of the world from the beginning, being able to beat all of the guys he’s beaten before. But with Marquez, this guy is such a smart guy. I mean he’s not going to be a Hall of Fame guy for nothing, because he’s been in there with the best. He’s beaten the best, so we have to outsmart him and I think Juan has the capabilities to do that.”

Danny “The Golden Child” Jacobs

“This fight also has a big significance because, as you all may know, I didn’t have a chance to make the 2008 Olympic team. When you think about the Olympics, you think about U.S.A. versus Russia. You don’t think about anybody else other than the Russians. And Dmitry is probably the top, if not one of the top Russian fighters out there, and I’m probably the top Middleweight American fighter. So to me, this is my Olympics and this is my gold medal that I never had an opportunity to win, as well as the WBO belt.

“This is going to be a stellar fight because I know I’m hungry. I’m pretty sure he’s hungry. He’s training hard. And two undefeated fighters who are young and in their prime, it just goes for a great fight. I’m excited and ready to put my skills against his and see the outcome.

“Well, not only do I watch tapes of Dmitry and watch the YouTube clips, but I dream about this guy. I go to sleep thinking about this guy. This guy is all I think about, and this victory is all I think about. So the analysis that I get of seeing him fight is that he’s a very crafty fighter.”

Dmitry Pirog

“We both [Pirog and Jacobs] have amateur experience, we both have the skills and we have the experience that we need for this fight. We’ve both had good fights. We’ve had oppositions. Many of the opponents I’ve faced previously thought they were going to defeat me and I had a record even lower, so I don’t feel that it’s that important. Psychologically, I’m ready for a fight like this, and that’s the most important. As long as I feel confident and I want to do it, that’s what makes the fight happen

“What I like about fighting in America, and the reason I’ve dreamt of fighting in America, is that the boxing scene is a lot more developed. I think what’s most important is to give your best and fight well and everything should be fair, as far as the judging and the fans and everything else. So that’s why I think everything’s going to be okay, and I’m very confident about fighting. I don’t feel like anything is going to happen that’s going to disappoint me.”

Joel Casamayor

“Robert Guerrero is one of the best upcoming fighters in the world and it’s always a great opportunity to bring him to my den.

If I beat Guerrero, I’m in line for anybody and I could fight any fight I would want.

“I think obviously when a fighter gets a little older in his career, he starts going a little more off experience. My ability is still there. One thing that has changed as the years have gone by is my focus. I’m a lot more focused now. When I was a lot younger, I thought I would get away with some of the things I did in training camp, I shouldn’t have that I’m not doing now. Experience is going to be there, but the ability and the condition and everything is going to be there on July 31st.”

Robert Guerrero

“My wife is doing great. She’s doing so great. That’s why I’m taking big fights and getting back in the ring. If she wasn’t doing too good, I wouldn’t be taking any big fights because of the focus you need to be in there. With Joel Casamayor, it has to be 100 percent.”

“Joel Casamayor is an Olympic Gold Medalist. He’s had well over enough amateur fights. He’s a very experienced guy, a Four-time World Champion. He’s been there, done it. He’s been in with the best. You’ve got to be on your toes with a Joel Casamayor. You can’t take him lightly. Especially him being one of the elite fighters in the sport and also a lefty, you’ve got to take him seriously and be 100 percent ready and make sure no stone is unturned when you get in the ring with him.”

Jorge Linares

“I’m here to show that my boxing and my speed and my skills, my technical attributes are, if not the same or better than they were in the past. And the most important thing is that because of this, we’re going to give a great fight for the fans. They deserve it. I want to show that the winner can move on and move on to bigger and better things.

It’s a compromise because it’s an obligation for me after losing the title that I have to come back and now have the opportunity to do it here in Vegas and against a tremendous fighter like Rocky. So whoever is to succeed gets to move on to bigger for a world title.”

Rocky Juarez

“As a young man at 30, I can consider myself a young/old veteran in the ring. I think the way to keep my spirits up is just basically through that goal, the goal of becoming a world champion, and the people who have faith in me, as well as myself, having faith within myself to become world champion.

“But it’s just the fact that I have so much to prove, not only to myself, but to the critics and also the people who believe in me that I said what I’m going to do is become world champion. So that gives me that motivation, that push to continue to have that drive and continue boxing and giving everything that I have inside the ring.”

Oscar de la Hoya

“I believe that we have put together the best undercard, top-to-bottom, of any fight card that we here at Golden Boy have ever put together and that was a commitment we made to the fight fans out there. That’s exactly what we wanted to achieve.

“Everybody knows these fights are exciting. Everybody knows these fights can go either way. These fights are not mismatches. These fights are not fights where we know who is going to win.

“Well, the great thing about this is that, this is kind of like do or die for every fighter that we have on this card, for every fighter this is do or die, including the main event.”

Richard Schaefer

“I think this one here, as I said, I have to admit I think is the best we’ve ever done and I made that comment when we had the press conference and I really wanted to try to live up to it. We really don’t want this to be a stand alone. We really want this to set a standard and set a trend.”

# # #

Marquez vs. Diaz II “Fight of the Year: The Rematch” is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Marquez Boxing Promotions, and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and AT&T. The 12-round rematch of the “2009 Fight of the Year” is scheduled for Saturday, July 31 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, and will be for Marquez’s Ring Magazine, WBA and WBO Lightweight World titles. The fight will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT.

The stacked July 31 pay-per-view undercard will feature Daniel “The Golden Child” Jacobs vs. Dmitry Pirog in 12-round bout for the vacant WBO Middleweight title, Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero vs. Joel “El Cepillo” Casamayor in a 10-round junior welterweight bout and Jorge “El Niño De Oro” Linares vs. Rocky Juarez in a 10-round lightweight bout.

Tickets for Marquez vs. Diaz II are priced at $350, $250, $150, $100 and $50 and are on sale now. Tickets are
available for purchase at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

NCM Fathom will broadcast Marquez vs. Diaz II in high definition LIVE to more than 270 movie theaters nationwide at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT. Tickets to see the fight on the big screen are available at theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com.

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