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DANNY GARCIA, MAURICIO HERRERA, DEONTAY WILDER, MALIK SCOTT, JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ, DANIEL PONCE DE LEON AND DANIEL JACOBS PUERTO RICO MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES & PHOTOS IN ADVANCE OF SATURDAY, MARCH 15 BOUTS LIVE ON SHOWTIME®
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Credit: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME
BAYAMON, Puerto Rico (March 13, 2014) – Unified Super Lightweight World Champion
Danny “Swift” Garcia, Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera, WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion Deontay “Bronx Bomber” Wilder, Malik “King” Scott, Juan Manuel “JuanMa” Lopez, Daniel Ponce de Leon and Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs spoke to themedia during an open workout at Amelia Municipal Boxing Gym in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico in advance of their respective fights this Saturday, March 15 bouts at Cloliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, which will air LIVE on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and SHOWTIME EXTREME.
Below is what the fighters had to say just two days away from fight nigh:
DANNY “SWIFT” GARCIA, Unified Super Lightweight World Champion
“I’ve never really had my own dates it’s always been on another guy’s date. We’re focused, I know he’s going to come to fight but we’re going to get the job done.
“This is a dream come true, I’ve received a very warm welcome.
[On whether or not there is a language barrier] “I understand Spanish, but it took me coming here to get my confidence up and it’s bringing me closer with my culture.
“I just want to keep the Puerto Rican tradition of champions alive.
“I’m going to win this fight for Puerto Rico. I train hard and had a great camp and I’m going to bring it for Puerto Rico.
“I sparred with all undefeated prospects, a bunch of tough kids. They kept me working and getting better.
MAURICIO HERRERA, Super Lightweight Contender
“We feel great, camp is over and we’re 100 percent confident.
“I’ve fought tough guys in the past. Danny is human like me, I have no fear.
“I know a lot of people are overlooking me, he’s seen me fight but I don’t think he really knows who I am. He’s getting a little cocky but we’re trained for 100 percent of Danny Garcia.
“The fight fans have been warm to me, I haven’t seen anything bad about me. I think the people just want to see a great fight.
“The game plan depends on how Danny comes out, I can be a boxer and I can brawl. Whatever is more comfortable for me. I think I can beat him and that’s what I’m going to do.”
DEONTAY WILDER, WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion
“Being in someone else’s territory doesn’t scare me at all. I want to be the fighter that travels all over the world like Ali and other greats have.
“I told someone I’m loving Puerto Rico so much that maybe when I get the belt I can have a title defense here.
“You can expect a knockout Saturday. Get your best outfits, have fun and get there early. You already know how it’s going to end.
“I wouldn’t want any guy other than Malik to go up against in this fight. It’s a big eliminator match for the WBC belt and what better person to give the opportunity to than my own brother. Whichever one of us wins we’re going to support the other.
“Come Saturday night we’ll put the friendship aside and give the people a great show and you can hear it from me, we’re not holding back our punches.
“There are so many sides of me that people haven’t seen. It will take that right opponent to bring it out of me. Malik has those skills and that ring knowledge to bring it out of me.”
MALIK SCOTT, Top Heavyweight Contender
“In a sense it’s weird getting in the ring with a friend. Me and Deontay love each other, but we don’t love each other that much to not go out for the heavyweight championship of the world.
“My career, my life and the trials and tribulations I’ve gone through to get here, it’s all on the line Saturday night.
“Deontay is big, 6 foot 7 and he fights every inch of it. I also see a lot of loopholes in his game so I need to take advantage of them.
“I plan on taking him into deep water and baptizing him. It’s not going to be easy but I have a strategic game plan and I’m going to stick to it.”
JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ, WBO International Junior Lightweight Champion
“I’m so proud fighting here in Puerto Rico, this is mi tierra [my land]. I can’t describe it, Puerto Rico is a piece of my heart.
“My weight is on the dot for tomorrow and on Saturday I’m going to give my Puerto Rican fans a great fight.
“Ponce De Leon is a different fighter now than he was back then when we first met. He’s faster, more experienced and better prepared. It’s going to be a war. When that bell ring on Saturday, there going to be thunder bolts, so get ready.”
DANIEL PONCE DE LEON, Former WBC Featherweight World Champion
“I’m a different guy than the guy I was when I fought JuanMa and he knows it. I know is not going to be easy, but I’m ready and I’m back.
“I’ve trained very hard and coming Saturday night, my fans are going to see a Ponce De Leon that is going to make them proud. “
DANIEL JACOBS, Middleweight Contender
“It’s a privilege for me to be in Puerto Rico. It’s my second time here and I really appreciate the land and the people because they appreciate the sport of boxing, all the way down to the grandmothers.
“I’m on the road to success from beating cancer, this is my fifth fight now. I’ve captured the WBC Intercontinental belt and hopefully this is just another stepping stone to get me to the world championship.
ANGEL GARCIA, Danny Garcia’s Father and Trainer
“Herrera can bark all he wants, but a dog that barks doesn’t bite. Dogs that don’t bark, will bite, and Danny’s not the barker.
“The State House honored Danny this morning and voted unanimously on him being a Puerto Rican. It feels good to get the love that he’s received. He might be Latin-American, but he has got the blood of me and his mom and people are realizing that.
“Slowly but surely, like he became world champion, that’s how we’re going to earn our fans in Puerto Rico.”
WILLIE SILVA, Mauricio Herrera’s Trainer
“Danny is a good fighter, that’s why he’s a champion. Mauricio is very tough and an overall good fighter. I think Danny picked the wrong guy to face.
“There have been some good fighters who couldn’t even touch Mauricio.
“I think it’s going to be a big upset. Mauricio is in incredible condition and he spars 12 rounds like nothing.”
MARK BRELAND, Deontay Wilder’s trainer
“Malik and Deontay have a great respect for each other from sparring together in the past. I think it’s going to be a great fight it’s a matter of who shows up.
“We’ve had a great camp and gotten a lot of great rounds in sparring. I’ve tried to tire him out as much as I can.
“Deontay’s strength is in his power punches and how he stays on top of you. His only weakness is the experience, which we’re working on.
“I love Puerto Rico. My favorite fighter of all time was Wilfredo Benitez. As a little kid I used to look in the mirror and pretend to be him.”
“Garcia vs. Herrera,” a12-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 SHOWTIME 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.
CONTACTS:
Marylyn Aceves/Ramiro Gonzalez, Golden Boy Promotions: (213) 489-5631
Kelly Swanson/Lisa Milner/Flo Jocou, Swanson Communications (202) 783-5500
Chris DeBlasio, Showtime Networks Inc.: (212) 708-1633
Annie Kruger, Showtime Networks Inc.: (212) 708-1663
Nicole Chayet, Showtime Networks Inc.: (212) 708-7319
John Beyrooty/Matt Donovan, BZA/SHOWTIME: (562) 233-7477/(818) 462-5613
Aleudi Rosario, PR Best Boxing Press: 787-406-7219
Media Credentials: www.magnamedia.com
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