PHOENIX (Aug. 22, 2018) – Ray Beltran is returning home to defend his title and Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe is looking to bring some lightning and thunder to the desert.

Beltran will defend the WBO lightweight title against former 130-pound champion José Pedraza, Dogboe will make the first defense of his WBO 122-pound world title against Hidenori Otake, and Mayer will face off against Edina Kiss in a six-round special attraction.

Beltran-Pedraza, Dogboe-Otake will be televised on ESPN and ESPN Deportes on Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The entire undercard will stream on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m ET.

On Wednesday, many of the fighters from Saturday’s 11-fight card worked out for the media at Michael Carbajal’s 9th Street Gym. This is what they had to say.

Ray Beltran

On life as a world champion: “Things have changed a little bit, the way people talk to me and act around me. For me, I still feel like I’m a contender. I’m still the underdog.”

“I think fighting Jose Pedraza and defending my world title near my hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, is a dream come true. Defending my title against a Puerto Rican, with the rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico, there’s nothing better than that.”

On fighting in Arizona: “You know how I am. I try to fight and put on a good show and try to make my fans happy. It’s going to be a great fight!”

José Pedraza

On the significance of becoming a two-weight world champion: “It would mean a lot to me because not everyone gets the opportunity to become a world champion. Even fewer boxers become two-division world champions. I am going to take full advantage of this opportunity.”

On staying active in 2018 with three fights: “I like to be more active. I can see the difference. I am more focused. I see that now I’m more mature as a fighter.”

On fighting pressure fighters like Beltran: “A pressure fighter is a perfect style for me because I am more of a boxer. The pressure Beltran puts on a fighter is different because he knows how to cut the ring off very well. He’s going to be tough, but I know we’re going to be victorious.”

Isaac Dogboe

On life as a world champion: “I give praise to the man upstairs, God of creation. We thank him for everything that has happened to Team Dogboe. Being a world champion is great.”

On the reception he received in his native Ghana after winning the title: “The whole nation came out to meet me at the airport. It was amazing.”

On joining the rich history of Ghanaian world champions: “I am very humbled. Boxing in Ghana isn’t as regarded as it is over here. We’ve been able to revive boxing over there. They are loving it. We are changing the perspective of the sport. It is great.”

On Hidenori Otake: “Otake is very strong, physically strong. He has a great record. You can’t underestimate Otake. We’re not underestimating him at all. He’s someone we have our eyes on, and we’re making sure, come Saturday, we are going to take him out.”

On the lack of trash talk compared to before the Jessie Magdaleno fight: “Otake is a gentleman. He’s so humble, and when two humble warriors come together, it’s mutual respect. And that’s how we’re taking it.”

Hidenori Otake

On Isaac Dogboe: “He is a good pressure fighter and a strong fighter. I’m going to use his pressure and his power against him.”

On the recent success of Japanese fighters: “Japanese boxers have been fighting very well recently, and I am looking to do the same. It’s great for Japanese boxing when we come to America and do very well.”

CIDRA, P.R. – José “Sniper” Pedraza already knows how it feels to have a world title in his hands. Now, the former world champion guarantees he will experience that sensation again on Aug. 25 at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

On that night, Pedraza (24-1, 12 KOs) will challenge WBO Lightweight champion Ray Beltran (35-7-1, 21 KOs) in the main event of an ESPN-televised card.

Pedraza, who will depart for Las Vegas on Saturday to finish training camp, worked out for the Puerto Rican media Wednesday afternoon. This is what he had to say.

About his world title fight: “I feel very motivated, and I know I will have a great fight against Ray Beltran. He is a strong fighter who always leaves everything in the ring and battled for a long time until becoming a world champion. I know that this will be a classic war between Mexico and Puerto Rico.”

On what fans can expect from him on Aug. 25: “Fans can expect great boxing skills and a great victory from myself. I am focused on my career and on this fight. On Aug. 25, Puerto Rico will have a new world champion.”

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Beltran-Pedraza, the Isaac Dogboe-Hidenori Otake WBO junior featherweight title bout, and Mikaela Mayer vs. Edina Kiss will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10:30 p.m. ET, with undercard action streaming live beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. on ESPN+ — the recently-launched multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

Tickets to this world championship doubleheader, priced at $125, $75, $50, and $25, not including applicable fees, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the Gila River Arena Box Office, by phone at 800.745.3000, or online at www.gilariverarena.com.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing,facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes.

Use the hashtags #BeltranPedraza, #DogboeOtake, and #MayerKiss to join the conversation on social media.

Crawford vs. Horn and Pedraza vs. Antonio Moran to be aired on ESPN+ beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET

LAS VEGAS – Jose “Sniper” Pedraza is nearing a title shot. Pedraza will see action June 9 on the Terence Crawford vs. Jeff Horn world championship event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Pedraza (23-1, 12 KOs), from Cidra, Puerto Rico, will challenge Antonio Moran (22-2, 15 KOs) in a 10-rounder for the WBO Latino lightweight belt.

Tickets for Crawford vs. Horn, priced at $500, $300, $200, $100, and $50 (limited availability), are on sale now and can be purchased online through axs.com, charge by phone at 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resorts box office.

Pedraza, a former super featherweight champion who made two successful title defenses, returned from a 14-month layoff on March 17 to score a shutout, eight-round decision over Jose Luis Rodriguez. Moran is riding a three-bout winning streak since a split decision defeat to Emanuel Lopez.

“I am excited because this will be my first fight in Las Vegas, which everyone knows is the fight capital of the world. I am determined to give a great performance,” Pedraza said. “I know Moran is a good fighter and coming to upset my plans, but I have worked very hard to make sure that does not happen. I expect to be victorious on June 9 and will continue to show I am a force at lightweight.”

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing, Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: @trboxing, @ESPN, @ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes. Use the hashtag #CrawfordHorn to join the conversation on social media.

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ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International segment and ESPN. ESPN+ also offers fans two exclusive, original boxing programs The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Mondays, weekly) and In This Corner (twice monthly). In addition to boxing content, fans that subscribe to ESPN+ get thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks – for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year).[FB1]

About ESPN+

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ESPN+ is an integrated part of a completely redesigned ESPN App. Already the leading sports app, the new ESPN App is the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans and a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation. With a richer, increasingly more personalized experience, the new ESPN App curates all of ESPN’s incredible content into an experience unique to each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also available through ESPN.com.

Info by Top Rank Press

 

El excampeón mundial peleará el 9 de junio en el MGM Grand de Las Vegas.

El excampeón mundial José “Sniper” Pedraza no tendrá que esperar mucho tiempo para regresar al ring. El púgil puertorriqueño tiene en agenda retar al mexicano Antonio “Toño” Morán por la faja Latina de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB), versión de las 135 libras.

El duelo será el 9 de junio y tendrá como escenario el MGM Grand de Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Nos llegó una comunicación de que José formará parte de la cartelera de Terence Crawford. Vamos a pelear por el cinturón Latino con la posibilidad de que sea una eliminatoria por el título mundial”, especificó Luis Espada, padrastro y entrenador de Pedraza.

Pedraza (23-1, 12 KO) regresó a la ruta ganadora el pasado marzo cuando venció por decisión unánime a José Luis Rodríguez en Nuevas York. Eso, junto a que firmó con la empresa Top Rank, coloca al boricua en una posición para aspirar a una faja mundial. Actualmente, Reymundo Beltrán es el monarca de la OMB en la división ligera.

“Si José le gana a Morán, esa pelea de título mundial podría llegar para el otoño. Definitivamente, antes de que termina el 2018 peleará por un campeonato”, dijo Espada. “Todo dependerá de cómo salga de la pelea contra Morán, pero estaríamos mirando para octubre o noviembre”.

Morán (23-2, 16 KO), conquistó el cinturón Latino de la OMB el pasado octubre cuando venció a Salvador Briseno por nocaut en el segundo asalto.

“Morán el alto y se ajuste bien al estilo de boxeo de Pedraza. Comenzamos a trabajar enseguida que salió de la pasada pelea porque sabíamos que existía la posibilidad de que volviera para mayo o junio. Pronto estaremos buscando a boxeadores altos que lo ayuden en los guanteos”, concluyó Espada.

http://www.primerahora.com/deportes/boxeo/nota/sniperpedrazabuscaraeltitulolatinodelaomb-1280863/