Two-time Olympic gold medal winner Zou Shiming is not prepared to announce his retirement.

Shiming, who turns 37 in May, is at a crossroads in his life after sustaining optic nerve and bone socket injuries to his left eye in December. The boxer was rushed to hospital after suddenly losing sight in his eye on the flight home to Shanghai.

Shiming’s career took a major hit last July, when he lost his WBO flyweight title after being stopped by huge underdog Sho Kimura of Japan. The Chinese star was the lead promoter of that contest – after parting ways with Top Rank and even severing his relationship with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach.

There have been reports that Shiming owes millions to his agents – reports that his wife denied.

Fans of the boxer, and some of his close friends, are pleading with him to retire.

“It will be a very difficult [decision to make] and it would be like bidding farewell to an old friend whom you have known for more than 20 years. To be honest, I don’t have the courage to do this [quit the ring] at the moment,” Shiming said to the South China Morning Post.

“But if I am really forced to do so, I think there are a lot of other roles I can play in boxing such as working with the China Boxing Association or training the young Chinese boxers so that they can fulfil their dreams just like I’ve fulfilled my dreams.”

“My sporting career is quite perfect. Not all Olympic gold medallists can say they have become a professional world title holder and vice versa. I am so happy to have witnessed Chinese boxing rising from the ashes and for achieving Olympic honour for my country and then winning a professional world title. I know a boxer’s ability is limited and an athlete’s career is not very long. My optic nerve [in his left eye] has been injured since 2014 and it’s been deteriorating. Even the doctors cannot tell me if I can fully recover if I opt for surgery. That’s why I am still considering what’s best for me.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/zou-shiming-i-courage-retire-moment–126353?print_friendly=1

Miguel Cotto (41-5, 33 KOs), the only four-division world champion in Puerto Rico’s rich boxing history, earned his sixth world title with a unanimous decision victory against the Japanese slugger Yoshihiro “El Maestrito” Kamegai (27-4-2, 24 KOs) for the vacant WBO Junior Middleweight World Title in front of a sold-out crowd of 7,689 boxing fans at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. The judges scored the bout 119-109, 118-110, and 120-108 in favor of Cotto.

“I tried to do my best, and I think I did that tonight,” said Miguel Cotto. “I am happy with my performance. Kamegai is a tough fighter and opponent. It was during round five or six that I knew he was going to make it to the 12 rounds. Come December 31, I will retire. I’ve done it all. I’m 36 going on 37, and I think I’ve come to the end of my career. I will fight once more in December. I’ll let Freddie [Roach] tell you who I want.”

“We want the winner of Canelo-GGG,” said Freddie Roach, trainer to Miguel Cotto.

“I felt so much frustration not being able to land any of my punches,” said Yoshihiro Kamegai. “I could not catch him at all. I couldn’t catch him at all. He is such a talented legend, and I am so glad I got the opportunity to fight him.”

     

CARSON, CA – AUGUST 26: Yoshihiro Kamegai punches Miguel Cotto in a 12 round unanimous decision loss during the WBO Junior Middleweight title fight at StubHub Center on August 26, 2017 in Carson, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

 

www.boxingscene.com/photos-miguel-cotto-returns-drops-big-bombs-on-kamegai–119888?print_friendly=1

 Photo: Tom Hogan/Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions

By Miguel Maravilla

Four-division world champion Miguel Cotto (40-5, 33 KOs) of Puerto Rico hosted a media workout Wednesday afternoon at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, California ahead of his bout against Japan’s Yoshihiro “El Maestrito” Kamegai (27-3-2, 24 KOs). Cotto will take on Kamegai next Saturday, August 26 at the Stub Hub Center in Carson, California live on HBO World Championship Boxing. Cotto and his Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach had a full workout here is what they had to say.

“We are one week away from the Kamegai fight. Camp was good and I am ready,” Miguel Cotto told Fightnews.com®. “Kamegai is a tough, strong, fighter that comes forward. He will come ready to prove who he is. There is no doubt that I will come out with the victory.”

“Camp was great. He is looking real good. We got the game plan down and we are one-hundred percent ready,” added Roach. “His opponent comes, comes, comes and don’t stop. He is always in great shape but I think Miguel will catch him along the way. It won’t be easy.”

Santa Ana, California’s Ronny Rios (28-1, 13 KOs) took part in Wednesday’s workout as he goes up against Rey Vargas (29-0, 22 KOs ) of Mexico in the co-feature bout for the WBC super bantamweight title.

“This is a big fight. A world championship fight vs. an undefeated fighter. It feels good fighting on this card. It’s the secret be time I fight on a Cotto card but most importantly fighting for a world title,” Rios told Fightnews.com®. “Expect a hungry fighter and show everyone an exciting fight.”

www.fightnews.com/miguel-cotto-media-day/3056

Photos: Sumio Yamada

Unheralded underdog Sho Kimura (15-1-2, 7 KOs) scored a stunning eleventh round TKO over WBO flyweight champion Zou Shiming (9-2, 2 KOs) on Friday night to claim the WBO belt at the Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China. 

Bleeding badly from a cut above the right eye, Kumura finally caught up with the fleet-footed Zou and battered him to the canvas with a barrage of punches. Zou staggered to his feet but was unable to continue. Time was 2:28. At the time of the stoppage, Zou was ahead 96-94, 97-93 on two cards. Kimura was ahead 96-94 on the third card.

This was Shiming’s first defense and first fight since bolting from promoter Top Rank and trainer Freddie Roach. Shiming promoted this card himself under his Zouxuan Sports banner.

            

www.fightnews.com/kimura-dethrones-shiming-shock-tko/1841

World renowned trainer Freddie Roach shared important details regarding the training camp of Miguel Cotto (40-5, 33 KOs), the only Puerto Rican boxer to ever win world titles in four divisions, as he prepares to go to war for the vacant WBO Junior Middleweight title against the Japanese slugger Yoshihiro “El Maestrito” Kamegai (27-3-2, 24 KOs). Cotto will attempt to obtain a sixth world title in four divisions and will appear on HBO for an astounding 23rd time. The event takes place Saturday, August 26 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Roach, a Hall of Fame trainer who was supervising a recent sparring session at the Wild Card Boxing Club, shared Cotto’s training camp routine, which consists of:

    Strength and conditioning at 5:00 am with Gavin McMillan (exercises are done either at the gym, pool, nearby hills or at the track).
    Breakfast at around 8:30 am. (Cotto likes to cook all his meals himself; his diet is normal, avoiding fried food).
    Light snack at around 11:15 am.
    Sparring three days a week at 1:00 pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
    Boxing routine on at 1:00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
    Dinner at around 5:30 pm.

Roach also provided additional training camp details, including the strategy for taking advantage of the exciting and crowd-pleasing style of Kamegai.

“Kamegai [Yoshihiro] is very aggressive and I like that. I think it should make for a great fight because he’s coming forward all the time and always looking for a knockout. Guys who look for knockouts, get knocked out. So, we’re working on countering his attack, and it’s going really well so far,” Roach concluded.

“I feel great, everything is working perfectly in camp together with Freddie and Gavin on every workout session. Freddie has a great game plan and I just follow him and do my best every day at gym. We look forward to have a big win” Miguel Cotto said.

“For more than 16 years, Miguel Cotto has represented Puerto Rico. He has given fans incredible fights at a number of weight classes, and has won world titles in an astounding four divisions,” said Oscar De La Hoya. “Now, after nearly two years out of the ring, as he attempts to claim a sixth championship belt, we are fully expecting a tough war between him and Kamegai.

www.boxingscene.com/photos-miguel-cotto-grinding-hard-kamegai-showdown–118866?print_friendly=1

Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach has revealed that his star pupil for the last decade, eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao, barely spoke to him in the aftermath of the recent twelve round decision loss to Jeff Horn.

The loss unexpected, with nearly every expert picking Pacquiao to either dominate or knock the untested Horn out. Neither happened, with Horn winning a unanimous decision based on scores of 117-111, 115-113 and 115-113.

There is a rematch clause in play, if Pacquiao decides to go in that direction.

After the contest was over at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Roach claims that Pacquiao wouldn’t even say two words to him or look him in the eyes. Roach also claims that he’s yet to be paid for his work in the fight.

“I was trying to see where his head was at, and I could not even get him to say hi to me. I don’t know if he was upset with me or what,” Roach told Sports Illustrated.

“I really don’t know if he’s mad at me. But I can tell you this: I haven’t been paid yet. So who knows?”

In the weeks leading up to the fight, Roach had warned that if Pacquiao struggled against a fighter like Horn – it was likely time for the 38-year-old veteran to retire from the sport.

Roach wonders if Pacquiao was being silent because he was worried that his trainer would advise him to hang up the gloves.

“Maybe that’s what he thought I was there to tell him,” Roach says. “But I wouldn’t pick that moment. There were a lot of people. I wouldn’t embarrass anybody like that. He was definitely avoiding me.”

Roach explained that Pacquiao fought in a manner that he’s never seen in over ten years of working with the Filipino star.

“Manny wasn’t himself. He didn’t look like the Manny Pacquiao I’ve known for a long time. It was almost over in the ninth. One more round like that and, man … he just couldn’t do it,” Roach says.

www.boxingscene.com/roach-not-sure-if-pacquiao-mad-me-i-paid–118385?print_friendly=1

Jeff Horn’s trainer Glenn Rushton predicted how the Aussie boxer would beat Manny Pacquiao 24 hours before the fight.

Pacquiao looked disinterested in the lead-up and admits taking Horn lightly after sensationally losing to the Aussie boxer.

Trainer Freddie Roach and advisor Michael Koncz did all his talking for him at the start of the week.

They clearly took a dismissive attitude towards Horn and Rushton, laughing off their challenge for the WBO welterweight title and egging Pacquiao on to seek an early knockout win.

In front of a packed hometown crowd at Suncorp Stadium, Horn punched his ticket to boxing’s big time with a gusty performance to win Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight championship.

Pacquiao said he accepted the judges’ decision and didn’t take Horn as seriously as he should have.

“I didn’t expect (he would be) that tough,” he said.

Pacquiao’s Aussie trainer and former heavyweight boxer Justin Fortune also admitted they underestimated the 29-year-old local hope.

“He fought better than we ever thought he would,” Fortune said.

“Jeff fought 100 times better than he’ll ever fight again. The kid’s got a lot of heart, a lot of balls. We’ll see where he goes from there.

“We knew he would fight nothing like we ever saw him on video, because 50,000 people, it’s your home, you’ll fight.”

But Fortune made it clear he did not agree with the result.

“The referee was sketchy, the judges were crazy,” Fortune told reporters.

“Manny lost the fight, but Jeff Horn looks like a pumpkin. Those scores, that card? It should be the other way around.

“You can make as many excuses as you’d like – it was a sh*tty referee, sh*tty judging. But that’s boxing.

“You get given a gift sometimes, you get screwed sometimes. But when you come to someone’s house you’re supposed to mess them up… never leave it in the judge’s hands.”

www.boxingscene.com/fortune-horn-fought-better-we-ever-thought-he–118183

 

Michael Koncz, the long-time adviser to eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao, agrees with the opinion of Top Rank’s CEO Bob Arum – who felt Pacquiao’s corner was overconfident and unprepared for last weekend’s world title defense against 2012 Australian Olympian Jeff Horn.

Pacquiao’s head trainer, Freddie Roach, and other members of the corner, admit they very surprised with the toughness and the durability of Horn. Prior to the contest, they were giving Horn zero chance of wining.

Horn upset the odds, winning a twelve round unanimous decision to capture Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title before a crowd of over 51,000 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia. The three judges were in agreement, scoring the contest 115-113, 115-113 and 117-111 for Horn (17-0-1, 11 KOs).

The veteran promoter believes the entire corner dropped the ball in what was a very winnable fight for the eight division world champion. And Arum says the entire corner should be on point here – including head trainer Freddie Roach, assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez, conditioning coach Justin Fortune and cut man Miguel Diaz.

“What the hell is wrong with that corner? Why wasn’t Freddie Roach out in the ring between rounds yelling at the referee? It’s his job, and there’s confusion in the corner with the languages, with Buboy and Miguel Diaz yelling and screaming like a maniac,” said Arum to The Los Angeles Times.

“And Freddie has to stay close to Manny to give him some advice … to me, they were so overconfident going in — Justin Fortune tells the press that the only way Horn can win is if Manny trips going into the ring. I had seen the kid. I told everybody he was a big, tough kid who could take a punch. I didn’t think he’d beat Manny, but it wasn’t the same Manny.”

Koncz, also felt the corner was lacking.

“The corner didn’t have a strategy. They were all amazed Jeff Horn was such a tough, rugged fighter and they didn’t adapt to it. There’s a lot of blame to go around, but the bottom line is the kid had a lot of heart and came to win and did everything he could to get it, and the referee let him do more than he should have,” Koncz said.

“If we go back to Australia, I’ll be more involved with the promotion and the selection of the judges and referee. I relied heavily on the WBO. Everybody can be blamed for everything for this. If we do have a rematch, there’s got to be a lot of changes. We’re not sure he’s ever going to fight again. I told Manny before the fight that if things didn’t happen, we would sit down and make decisions on what we need to do.”

www.boxingscene.com/koncz-backs-arum-pacquiao-corner-strategy–118194?print_friendly=1

World Boxing Organization (WBO) Welterweight World champion Manny “Pacman’ Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KOs) and his Hall-of-Fame trainer, Freddie Roach, held a media workout today in Australia, preparing for this Saturday night’s ESPN showdown between Pacquiao and his title challenger, Jeff Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs).

MANNY PACQUIAO: “We have a really good plan for this fight. We worked hard in training camp both in Manila and in General Santos City. I’m totally focused for this fight. I am not looking past this fight because at this point in my career, every fight is the most important. There are no tomorrows if I don’t win today.

“Jeff Horn is OK. I’ve watched video of his fights. He brings a lot of action into the ring. 

“I know what he is feeling. I remember everything about my first world title fight.

“Being a senator and training for a fight is hard. It takes discipline and time management. Luckily, the Senate has been in recess for the past few weeks and I have been able to focus on training for my world title fight.

“A Senator’s job is to defend his people … to fight for their rights.

“I know Jeff Horn used to be a teacher. In the ring, I’m a teacher too.

“I am ready for Jeff to come out and be aggressive. If he does that it will be a great fight for the fans.

“The biggest crowd I ever fought in front of was at Cowboys Stadium against Joshua Clottey. I’m told this could be bigger [51,000+]. I am very excited for doing that, even though they may not be rooting for me. I am also very happy that ESPN will be televising it live.to the U.S. Now everyone can see it. It’s good for boxing.”

FREDDIE ROACH: “Manny is a performer. He loves people, loves a big audience. Brisbane has all that for this fight. He’ll be fighting in front of the biggest crowd of his career.

“Not everyone gets the opportunity to fight for a world title. It was always my dream but I never fought for one. It’s a big deal. Jeff Horn earned this opportunity. He is the WBO’s mandatory challenger.

“Manny gave me 110% in training camp. He always does. No one works harder in the gym. The difference in this camp from recent ones has been his aggression. He’s scored several knockdowns and I haven’t seen that in years. He has kept his foot on the pedal throughout, even when he’s had a sparring partner in trouble. After his ring work he is singing and dancing – not well – but that’s not the point. He is really hungry to make a statement in this fight against Horn. He’s even playing Shakira during his workouts again and he hasn’t done that in years.”

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/pacquiao-im-totally-focused-fight-407726

BRISBANE, Australia — Manny Pacquiao attended church and had a light training session in Brisbane on Sunday after arriving late Saturday for his July 1 world title fight against Australian Jeff Horn.

The 38-year-old Pacquiao was accompanied by trainer Freddie Roach, conditioning coach Justin Fortune, sparring partner George Kambosos Jr. and other members of his entourage, which his spokesman said totaled about 160.

“Training is good. We did a lot of hard work. I am very excited for the fans to give a good show to show my best and in boxing ring,” Pacquiao told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio. “Some reports coming out of the Philippines that I haven’t been training hard are not true. It just happens that when some of our friends came around to our training camp, we weren’t doing much and people assumed I wasn’t training hard.”

Roach, who has trained such world champions as Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya and Wladimir Klitschko, said Pacquiao intends to keep his world title.

 

“He has the best work ethic in the world. He trains hard every day, and we do 48 boxing rounds every day, nonstop — just work, work, work,” Roach said. “We are here to win the fight. We don’t take anyone lightly.”

Pacquiao, who now is a Philippines senator, has a career record of 59-6-2 with 38 knockouts. The fight against Horn will be Pacquiao’s first defense of the title he won in November with a unanimous decision over Jessie Vargas.

The 29-year-old Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs) is a 2012 Olympian.

The fight is expected to attract a sellout crowd of about 50,000 at the outdoor Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. It is scheduled for early afternoon next Sunday, which will be Saturday evening in the United States. The fight card will air live on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET.

  

www.boxingscene.com/photos-manny-pacquiao-grinding-hard-brisbane-horn–117950?print_friendly=1

 

WBO Autographed Belt auction

The WBO family invites you to participate in the auction of a special item to support a great cause.

The article being auctioned is an original WBO Championship Belt autographed by former five-time world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield; current world light heavyweight champion Andre Ward; former world light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev; famed boxing announcer Michael Buffer and Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach.

By participating in this auction you would not just have the chance to acquire this unique item, invaluable for any boxing or sports memorabilia collector, but you will also be helping raise funds for cancer research and treatment.

All you have to do is take part on the eBay auction by clicking on this link:

http://stores.ebay.com/auctioncause/city-of-hope

All proceeds will go to benefit City of Hope.

ABOUT CITY OF HOPE
City of Hope is an independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Designated as a comprehensive cancer center, the highest recognition bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, City of Hope is also a founding .member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, with research and treatment protocols that advance care throughout the na¬tion. City of Hope’s main hospital is located in Duarte, California, just northeast of Los Angeles, with clinics throughout Southern California. U.S. News & World Report ranks it as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” in cancer. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation and genetics.

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Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach and undefeated lightweight contender Felix “El Diamante” Verdejo both arrived at the hotel in New York City at the same time on Tuesday. WBO #2 rated Verdejo (21-0, 14 KOs) faces Juan Jose ‘Piquet’ Martinez (25-2, 17 KOs) in Saturday’s HBO co-feature in the Theater at Madison Square Garden. Vasyl Lomachenko meets Rocky Martinez for the WBO jr lightweight world title in the main event. Roach trains two-time Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming of China, who tops the undercard lineup and will be making his U.S. debut.

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/shot-of-the-day-152-341131

eca86bda350e18c326a20e  Zou Shiming practices with trainer Freddie Roach on Wednesday at the Mendez Boxing gym in Manhattan. Zou, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and current WBO flyweight champ, will make his US ring debut on June 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Niu Yue / China Daily –

By William Hennelly (China Daily USA) –

The mild-mannered Zou Shiming, who weighs 110 pounds or so, seems too friendly to be a boxer.

But when he is in the ring firing off a series of staccato jabs and crosses, it’s easy to see why he is a two-time Olympic gold medal-winner and world champion.

China’s most famous boxer was at the bustling Mendez Boxing gym in Manhattan on Wednesday for a workout open to the media. The affable Zou and his wife, Ran Yingying, a star with Zou on a reality TV show in China, spoke to China Daily after the lively training session.

The flyweight Zou will make his first US ring appearance as a pro on June 11 in none other than New York’s Madison Square Garden.

“I think it should be a dream for all boxers to set foot in a world-class arena like this during their career,” Zou said. “I feel extremely excited. But I’m controlling my excitement, so I hope it could burst out when the fight starts on Saturday.”

“I feel he is really awesome,” his proud wife said. “His preparation, his conditioning and his cooperation with coaches – everything is awesome. He has been training so hard recently, I believe everyone will be able to tell from the fight on Saturday.”

Zou, 35, the World Boxing Organization International flyweight champion, will face a man slightly more than half his age in 19-year-old Jozsef Ajtai of Hungary. The non-title 10-round bout will be featured on the undercard of the Roman Martinez-Vasyl Lomachenko fight and televised on HBO.

“I believe he will be full of momentum, like a tiger coming down the mountain,” Zou said of his opponent. “But I’m also very well prepared.”

The appearance is a poignant one for Zou, who was saddened by the passing of Muhammad Ali on June 3. After all, it was the Garden where “The Greatest” had perhaps his most ballyhooed heavyweight fight, the 1971 classic against Joe Frazier.

“I hope I can pay a tribute to him with a nice victory on Saturday. I planned to go visit my idol Muhammad Ali after winning a professional bout. But now, I can only pray he is at peace in heaven and free from illness and pain,” Zou posted on his Weibo account last week.

Ali died at age 74 after a long battle with Parkinson’ s – a disease that Zou’s trainer, Freddie Roach, 56, has been coping with since he was 27.

Known for his work with Manny Pacquiao, Roach, whose roster of fighters also includes Miguel Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, has no plans to let up. He was in the Mendez ring with Zou on Wednesday, deftly deflecting Zou’s rapid-fire punches with training mitts. (Zou also parried with Zhang Chuanliang, his veteran Olympic trainer.)

A decade or so ago, Roach said Ali and his daughter visited Roach’s gym in Los Angeles unannounced. They discussed boxing and their treatment to reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s.

“We got to know him pretty well,” Roach told The Associated Press. “He played jokes, he did magic, he hit the heavy bag, and the best thing for me was when he started hitting the heavy bag, his tremors went away and he had no problems at all, and it was like when I get in the ring and get on the mitts with the fighters and so forth, all my symptoms kind of go away so our comfort zone was similar.”

Zou’s last bout was in Shanghai, where he defeated then-unbeaten Natan Santana Coutinho of Brazil in an eight-round technical knockout for the WBO title on Jan 30.

A son of Zunyi, in Southwest China’s Guizhou province, Zou has a pro record of 7-1, with two knockouts. The lone defeat was to Thailand’s Amnat Ruenroeng on March 7, 2015, by unanimous decision.

Zou’s January fight in Shanghai was billed as “The Return of the King”, the second event in the Chinese League of Fists organized by his promoter Top Rank and SECA. It marked Zou’s return to boxing after the loss to Ruenroeng and was watched by an estimated 36.5 million in China.

“No matter what the final outcome, I must show Chinese athletes’ fortitude, courage and confidence to everybody,” he said. “China’s sports are under rapid development, so even in a sport we are not that good at, like boxing, we should have a place of our own.”

www.usa.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2016-06/09/content_25662038.htm

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By Dave Spencer –

In a grudge match for the unified light heavyweight world championship, WBA/IBF/WBO world champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (29-0-1, 26 KOs) systematically demolished former world champion Jean Pascal (30-4-1, 17 KOs) over seven rounds on Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Kovalev dropped Pascal with a jab in round one, but it was ruled a slip. “Krusher” then battered Pascal in every round. Freddie Roach finally pulled the plug after seven rounds of punishment.

http://fightnews.com/Boxing/kovalev-punishes-stops-pascal-323040

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Pacquiao won his first major title in 1998, defeating Thailand’s Chatchai Sasakul to capture the World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight title. Pacquiao then moved up in weight class.

He won his first fight in the United States in 2001, where he scored a sixth-round knockout of Lehlo Ledwaba to win the International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior featherweight title.

Pacquiao didn’t stop here. He followed his wins to clinch the Ring magazine featherweight champion title in November 2003 knocking out Mexico’s Marco Antonio Barrera.

Pacquiao then continued his winning streak, lifting the World Boxing Association (WBA) and IBF featherweight titles, the WBC and The Ring’s junior lightweight titles, and the WBC lightweight title.

If there was someone who was in full support of him in his successful journey, it was American trainer Freddie Roach, who transformed Pacquiao into a multifaceted boxer without detracting from his natural aggression or punching power.

Pacquiao, under the guidance of Roach, was the Boxing Writers Association of America and The Ring’s Fighter of the Year in 2006 and 2008.

In December 2008 Pacquiao beat American boxing star Oscar De La Hoya in a celebrated non-title welterweight bout in Las Vegas.

With the series of wins in 2008, Pacquiao had become a complete fighter. His excellent footwork, blazing speed, and a vastly improved defence made him one of the world’s finest boxer.

Though Pacquiao’s popularity as a pay-per-view (PPV) boxing attraction was already increased since 2002, the win against De La Hoya changed the boxer’s life completely. The fight was sold for approximately 1.25 million.

Who can forget his one-punch second-round knockout of England’s Ricky Hatton in 2009 that crowned him as The Ring’s junior welterweight champion (his sixth weight class as a champion and his ninth as a professional boxer).

In November 2009, he continued his spectacular show when he defeated Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico in 12 rounds to take the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title.

Pacquiao defended the title on in 2010, defeating Joshua Clottey of Ghana in 12 rounds. But his 15-bout winning streak came to an end in June 2012 when he lost his WBO welterweight title to Timothy Bradley in a controversial split decision.

Now, Pacquiao’s next major bout is scheduled to be against the undefeated Floyd Mayweather on May 1, 2015, i.e., a few hours from now, which is billed as the ‘Fight of the Century’.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/manny-pacquiao-profile-the-pac-man-packs-a-punch/543097-5-23.html

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El campeón mundial welter de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB), el filipino Manny Pacquiao, estará enfrentando al campeón mundial welter de la Asociación Mundial de Boxeo (AMB) y el Consejo Mundial de Boxeo (WBC), el estadounidense Floyd Mayweather Jr., en la Súper Pelea de este mismo sábado, 2 de mayo, en la legendaria Arena Grand Garden del Hotel MGM Grand de Las Vegas, Nevada. 

El invicto estadounidense Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. y el filipino Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao se encontraron este miércoles, al mediodía, en la última conferencia de prensa, previa a su mega pelea, en el teatro “KA” del Hotel MGM Grand. 

“Quiero agradecer a Dios por este día fabuloso para todos. También a todos los sponsors y promotores de este evento. Mi primera pelea fue aquí en el MGM en Junio del 2001 y mucho ha pasado desde entonces, el apoyo de los fanáticos y los medios. Agradezco y los invito a ver esta buena pelea este sábado. Quiero que sepan que todo lo que he logrado fue porque Dios me dio la fortaleza. Antes estaba hambriento en las calles y nunca imagine que llegaría a esta posición y todo es gracias a Dios. Los dos hemos trabajado duro y espero que logremos un gran espectáculo para la gente este sábado. Yo daré todo de mí, por la historia del boxeo,” dijo el campeón de la OMB, Manny Pacquiao. 

“Primero, quiero agradecer a Dios, que sin el, nada de esto es posible. Esto ha sido un evento increíble y mucha gente ha vendido. El entrenamiento fue increíble. Mi papa hizo un gran trabajo, con mi tío, tuvimos un gran campamento de entrenamiento. Agradezco a todos los fanáticos del mundo, que nos han apoyado en los últimos 19 años, quiero decirles ‘Gracias!’. Es tiempo de pelea ya. Han venido aquí a sentir emociones, a ser testigos de un gran evento y eso es lo que traemos a la mesa. Esta es pelea más grande en la historia del boxeo y yo soy parte de esto. Es algo muy grandioso. Me siento bien, me siento fuerte y los veré a todos el sábado. Gracias!,” dijo el campeón del CMB y súper campeón de la AMB, Floyd Mayweather Jr. 

Estaban presentes en la mesa principal, el promotor Bob Arum, el entrenador de Pacquiao, Freddie Roach, el presidente del CMB, el mexicano Mauricio Sulaiman y el presidente de la OMB, el puertorriqueño Francisco “Paco” Valcárcel. 

“Estoy honrado de estar aquí representando a mi padre, Jose Sulaiman. Estoy muy orgulloso y agradecido por todos en hacer esta pelea una realidad. Estarán peleando por el orgullo y por la eternidad. El CMB creo la faja esmeralda que ganar el ganador. Estoy muy contento que el CMB pueda contribuir con esta faja especial en una de las peleas mas importantes en la historia del boxeo,” dijo el presidente del CMB, Mauricio Sulaiman. 

“Cuando estaba caminando hasta este teatro, los fanáticos del boxeo me paraban y me preguntaban, ‘¿Paco, Paco, quien ganara esta pelea?’ y yo solo respondí ‘El Boxeo será el ganador’. En el boxeo todo puede pasar y al final, el ganador será el mundo del boxeo y sus fanáticos,” dijo el presidente de la OMB, Francisco “Paco” Valcárcel. 

Dos duelos de campeonatos del mundo del CMB y la OMB, que serán televisados en el PPV, son los principales del gran respaldo del Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, que incluye un total de seis peleas. 

El campeón mundial supergallo del CMB, el mexicano Leo Santa Cruz (29-0-1 y 17 KOs), estará exponiendo su titulo ante su compatriota, José Cayetano (17-3 y 8 KOs). 

El campeón mundial pluma de la OMB, Vasyl Lomachenko (3-1 y 1 KO), esatara defendiendo su cetro ante el retador boricua, Gamalier Rodríguez (25-2-3 y 17 KOs). 

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao es un duelo de Campeonato mundial unificatorio pactado a 12 rounds en peso welter y es una promoción de Mayweather Promotions y Top Rank Inc y será televisado por PPV (HBO y Showtime) en Estados Unidos, por Azteca y Televisa en México, desde las 9:00 p.m. Este/ 6:00 p.m. Pacifico desde el MGM Grand Garden Arena de Las Vegas.

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http://notifight.com/mayweather-y-pacquiao-en-gigantesca-ultima-conferencia/

Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao

Por Carlos Narváez, EL VOCERO5:43 pm

No toda las conferencias de prensa tienen una alfombra roja. Floyd Mayweather Jr. y Manny Pacquiao la tuvieron ayer, lo que refleja la magnitud del combate que ambos están por enfrentar.

Mayweather Jr. y Pacquiao se vieron las caras el miércoles en el único frente a frente que tendrán hasta los días previos al mega pleito entre ambos el 2 de mayo en el MGM Grand de Las Vegas, Nevada.

Los campeones del peso welter, considerados como los mejores libras por libra de los últimos tiempos, se encontraron en un atestado Nokia Teather de Los Ángeles, lugar que recibió desde horas tempranas a los cerca de 500 miembros de la prensa que se congregaron para presenciar la histórica presentación.

Una enorme alfombra roja dirigió el camino de los púgiles desde la entrada del teatro hasta el escenario.

El anunciador insignia de HBO, Michael Buffer se encargó de presentar a Pacquiao, un diez veces campeón del mundo y un ocho veces reinante en divisiones diferentes.

Mientras que ‘El Clásico’, Jimmy Lennon Jr., voz principal de los eventos de Showtime, tuvo a su cargo la presentación del invicto, Mayweather.

Ambos púgiles no tardaron en posar frente a frente por cerca de un minuto desplegando una electrificante energía en el icónico recinto del Este estadounidense.

“Gracias a HBO y a Floyd, a Top Rank y a todos por hacer este combate posible. Creo que este es el combate que han estado esperando desde hace cinco años. Estamos bien contentos y trabajaremos lo más duro para éste combate”, dijo Pacquiao.

“Los haremos felices el 2 de mayo. Y lo más importante es que el nombre de Dios sea glorificado. Que la gente, sepa que es Dios, que hace que uno venga de la nada, y logre todo lo que soy hoy”, agregó el filipino que tiene marca de 57-5-2 y 38KO’s.

Fue un encuentro cordial entre ambos equipos. Las únicos que tuvieron un encuentro de ‘egos’ fueron los representantes de las televisoras, Stephen Espinoza (Showtime) y Ken Kershman (HBO), quienes dejaron en claro sus logros en las carreras de ambos peleadores.

“Ha sido un largo camino. Pero aquí estamos ahora”, dijo Mayweather Jr.

“El 2 de mayo, el combate del siglo, será entre los dos mejores peleadores. Creo que no pudimos escoger el mejor momento. Mi equipo buscará el mejor plan tal y como lo hemos hecho en todos mis combates. La acción hace las peleas, yo trabajaré hasta el límite de mis capacidades. Pero una cosa sí sé sobre cualquier deporte, cuando pierdes está en tu mente. Si pierdes una vez, o dos, es en tu mente. Desde el día uno he dicho que seré el ganador y así será”, aseguró Mayweather quien tiene foja de 47-0 y 26KO’s.

Pacquiao y Mayweather acordaron la última semana de febrero firmar el combate del que venían hablando desde el 2009. Floyd tendrá una garantía de $150 millones, mientras que Pacquiao obtendrá $100 millones.

Se espera que el choque genere más de $300 millones y que las ventas de ‘pague por ver’ superen las 3 millones.

Mayweather es campeón welter y súperwelter del Consejo Mundial de Boxeo (CMB), mientras que Pacquiao es titular de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB).

“Primero fue Alí-Frazier, luego Leonard-Durán, Leonard-Hagler. Y ahora es el momento para Mayweather-Pacquiao”, dijo el promotor Bob Arum. “Todo el mundo debe estar interesado en el combate. Senadores, presidentes, artistas, personalidades del deporte. Todo el mundo”, agregó el fundador de Top Rank.

Un total de 150 países podrán tener acceso al combate que será presentado en alianza entre las dos más grandes empresas de televisión, Showtime y HBO.

“Hubo grandes obstáculos. Pero luego de que ellos dos se encontraron, pues ahí fue que supe que el combate podría celebrarse”, comentó Stephen Espinoza, director de Shotime Sports, previo al frente a frente.

Leonard Ellerbe, representante de Mayweather Jr., dijo que los boletos del pleito comenzarán en los $1,500.00 hasta los $7,500.00.

Hace unos días el promotor Bob Arum comentó que todos ellos ya habían sido vendidos.

 

http://elvocero.com/prometen-ser-combate-del-siglo-mayweather-y-pacquiao-ver-galeria/

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By Miguel Maravilla –
Photos: Chris Farina/Top Rank –

“I am glad and happy to fight again in Macao. It’s good for us to promote boxing in Asia and China,” eight division world champion and reigning WBO welterweight champion Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KOs) told Fightnews.com on Wednesday. Pacman is set to take on WBO junior welterweight champion Chris Algieri (20-0, 8 KOs) on November 22 in the Cotai Arena at the Venitian Hotel in Macao, China live on HBO Pay per view.

We caught up with Pacquiao in Los Angeles at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. The international tour started in Macao, then made stops in Shanghai, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and will wrap today in New York. “The tour has been good. It’s been really fun. After this we’ll start to train,” Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao will begin his training camp with his longtime trainer Freddie Roach in Pacquiao’s hometown of General Santos City in the Philippines. This will be the second time in three fights that Pacquiao trains in the Philippines. “Training will be for about eight weeks we will know what to work on in preparation for this fight,” Pacquiao said. “It’s the same, it depends where you are fighting. In Macao it’s the same weather and time as the Philippines. If the fight was in the U.S then it’s good to train in LA at the Wild Card.”

In his previous fight, The Pacman avenged his controversial loss to Timothy Bradley Jr. “Before the second fight with Bradley I never thought of it as revenge. I just proved that I won the first fight,” Pacquiao said.

In Algieri’s his previous contest he dethroned Ruslan Provodnikov and win the WBO junior welterweight title. “The fight was very close he won the fight and he deserves it,” Pacquiao commented. “He got knocked down twice and came back. Let’s give him credit.”

Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach also trains Provodnikov and was in the corner for the Algieri fight. “I think Ruslan did enough to keep the title. It was a close fight. That’s the way things go. It could have gone either way,” Roach told Fightnews.com

The Long Island native stands at 5’10 and uses his height and reach to his advantage. The size difference between him and Pacquiao was obvious. “It’s nothing new for me to fight a taller opponent. I am not alarmed about that,” Pacquiao said.

Roach added “He is left handed and leads with the power hand. He has a good jab. We’ll be prepared to take that jab from him. We will have the right sparring partners, a bunch of tall guys.”

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Pacquiao also talked to us about his desire of a rematch and fifth fight with his rival Juan Manuel Marquez. “You know I wanted the Marquez fight and they declined. We then went after the next best opponent,” Pacquiao said.

There have also been reports in recent days of a possible showdown with junior welterweight champion Danny Garcia later down the line. Pacquiao assured that the focus is currently set on Algieri. “Any fighter has a chance to fight with me but right now I have to focus on my upcoming fight with Algieri,” Pacquiao stated.

Pacquiao vs. Algieri will be a scheduled 12 round championship fight for Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title. This will be Pacquiao’s 18th appearance on HBO PPV since bursting on to the scene with a sixth round TKO over Lehlohonolo Ledwaba back in 2001. As he went on to be a superstar scoring big wins over Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, and Timothy Bradley. Pacquiao looks to bring that intensity to the ring that helped him get those notable wins.

“I’m always motivated. I always have the fire in my heart. In my mind I have to continue to be intense,” Pacquiao said. “Expect a lot of action a good fight,” Pacquiao concluded.

Roach said “Don’t be surprised if Algieri runs late in the fight like he did against Ruslan.”

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http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/pacquiao-expect-a-lot-of-action-a-good-fight-259397

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Photos: Chris Farina / Top Rank

Superstar Manny Pacquiao and New York’s undefeated (20-0) WBO Jr. Welterweight champion Chris Algieri make their ‘Grand Arrival’ at The Venetian Las Vegas on ‘Day Six’ of their worldwide media tour.

Pacquiao and Algieri, along with their respective trainers Freddie Roach and Tim Lane, promoters Bob Arum, Joe DeGuardia and Artie Pelullo, and Ed Tracy, President and CEO of Sands China Ltd., are on a 27,273-Mile Media Tour, that began on Monday, August 25 at The Venetian Macao. The 12-day tour includes press conferences or public and private appearances scheduled for Macau, Shanghai, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York.

Promoted by Top Rank and Sands China Ltd., in association with MP Promotions, Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, Banner Promotions and Tecate, the Pacquiao vs. Algieri world welterweight championship event will take place Saturday, November 22, at the Cotai Arena in The Venetian Macao Resort in Macau,China.

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It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/pacquiao-algieri-grand-arrival-258869

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San Francisco, California   — “DAY FOUR –  Superstar Manny Pacquiao(R) and New York’s undefeated (20-0) WBO Jr. Welterweight champion Chris Algieri(L) make a special appearance on “Yahoo Sports Talk Live” with host Jim Kozimor(ctr) at Comcast SportsNet Bay Area , Thursday on ‘Day Four’  of their worldwide tour.

Pacquiao  and Algieri , along with their respective trainers Freddie Roach and Tim Lane, promoters Bob Arum, Joe DeGuardia and Artie Pelullo, and Ed Tracy, President and CEO of Sands China Ltd.,  are on a 27,273-Mile Media Tour, that began on Monday, August 25 at The Venetian Macao. The 12-day tour includes press conferences or public and private appearances scheduled for Macau, Shanghai, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York.

Promoted by Top Rank® and Sands China Ltd., in association with MP Promotions, Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, Banner Promotions and Tecate, the Pacquiao vs. Algieri world welterweight championship event will take place Saturday, November 22, at the Cotai Arena in The Venetian Macao Resort in Macau,China.

http://www.boxingscene.com/photos-pacquiao-algieri-continue-tour-san-francisco–81556

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Photos: Chris Farina/Top Rank –

New York’s undefeated (20-0) WBO Jr. Welterweight champion Chris Algieri arrives in San Francisco with trainer Tim Lane on ‘Day Three’ of his worldwide tour with superstar Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao and Algieri , along with their respective trainers Freddie Roach and Tim Lane, promoters Bob Arum, Joe DeGuardia and Artie Pelullo, and Ed Tracy, President and CEO of Sands China Ltd., are on a 27,273-Mile Media Tour, that began on Monday, August 25 at The Venetian Macao. The 12-day tour includes press conferences or public and private appearances scheduled for Macau, Shanghai, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York.

Promoted by Top Rank® and Sands China Ltd., in association with MP Promotions, Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, Banner Promotions and Tecate, the Pacquiao vs. Algieri world welterweight championship event will take place Saturday, November 22, at the Cotai Arena in The Venetian Macao Resort in Macau, China. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

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http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/algieri-arrives-in-san-francisco-258442

Pacquiao_Algieri_Macau-PC680Photos: Chris Farina/Top Rank

Article By Karl Freitag

The kickoff press conference for the November 22 clash of champions between WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and WBO jr welterweight champion Chris Algieri took place Monday at the Venetian Macao in Macau, China.

“This fight is going to be a good fight,” promised Pacquiao. “Algieri is undefeated, he’s a good boxer, I saw his last fight with Ruslan. He took a lot of punches but he’s a very tough boxer and fought back…my opponent is tough and I like that. The last fight that we had here with Brandon Rios we did a good job, but Algieri’s different than Rios. He’s faster than Rios, he’s taller than Rios, so it will give me a hard time.

“It’s been a long time that the fans of Manny Pacquiao have been expecting a knockout. This fight I’m going to try to do my best to make the fans happy and if the knockout comes it’ll come, but what I’m trying to do is focus and win the fight.”

Algieri was very gracious toward the Pacquiao Team for accepting the fight and stated he deserved this chance. “I earned the right to be here,” said Algieri, who is significantly taller than Pacman. “I bled for this. I trained for this my whole life. This opportunity means the world to me. I’m going to prepare myself the best I possibly can…I will give it my absolute all, just like I showed in my last fight and every fight before that.”

Pacquaio’s trainer Freddie Roach said Manny’s training camp will be held in General Santos City, Philippines. “I know Chris has a master’s degree,” commented Roach. “But Manny has a Ph.D in boxing.”

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http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/pacquiao-and-algieri-face-off-in-macau-258169

More Pacquiao-Algieri Quotes

WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and WBO jr welterweight champion Algieri will announce their November 22 world championship fight during a two-week 27,273-mile international media tour, which kicked off Monday with a press conference at the fight location, The Venetian Macao. The tour will include stops in Shanghai, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT. If you plan on attending live, tickets go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. August 29 (details later in this report).

Manny Pacquiao: “Chris Algieri fought an exceptional fight in June to win the world title from Ruslan Provodnikov. I am impressed and intrigued by his scientific approach to training and boxing. He may be the smartest and the fittest athlete I have ever faced and that makes him the most dangerous. I worked hard to reclaim my welterweight title and I will work harder to make sure I keep it on November 22. As always, I dedicate this fight to my fellow Filipinos around the world and to bring glory to the Philippines. ”

Chris Algieri: “It is a real honor to fight a future Hall of Famer like Manny Pacquiao and I am looking forward to being introduced to a whole new market and fan base in the Far East. My last fight against Ruslan Provodnikov got the world’s attention, now I am going to show what I can really do. I have the utmost respect for Manny and his great team, but make no mistake — I am here to win and I have nothing on my mind but beating a legend.”

Pacquiao Trainer Freddie Roach: “I underestimated Algieri when he faced Ruslan Provodnikov in June but I won’t make that mistake again. I hope he understands that this is a fight and not a marathon. Algieri is going to face the best of Manny Pacquiao because Manny is going to have his toughest training camp ever. I am looking forward to a great fight and Manny’s finest hour on November 22.”

Algieri Trainer Tim Lane: “Over the past 14 years I have trained and watched Chris become a Master of the Art of Boxing. His hard work ethic, discipline and dedication are second to none. Chris has been in the gym after only one week off from his last bout with New York trainers Keith Trimble, Dr. Mike Camp and Tony Ricci who have kept him in great shape through the years and continue to help him get stronger and faster between and during all camps. Training camp will officially start in late September in New York and finish in Las Vegas before leaving for China. Let it be known, there is a New ERA in the world of boxing and on November 22. Chris Algieri will once again Shock the World and become the New WBO Welterweight Champion!”

Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum: “The battle between the two world champions will be a fantastic fight. Manny’s non-stop attack style will be challenged by Algieri’s laser-like punching.”

Algieri’s promoter Joe DeGuardia: “It has been a great year. In February we had Chris at The Paramount on ESPN, in June on HBO winning the World Championship at Barclays Center in dramatic fashion against the feared Ruslan Prodvodnikov. Now we are excited to announce that he will be at The Venetian Macao against legendary Manny Pacquiao on HBO Pay-Per-View. It has been an unprecedented meteoric rise that will continue on November 22. I look forward to this intriguing and ‘landscape-changing’ fight.”

Edward Tracy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sands China Ltd: “Sands China is thrilled to be bringing Manny back to Macao again to fight at the Cotai Arena this November. Since Manny’s sold-out Venetian Macao debut in November 2013, we’ve worked continuously with Bob Arum and Top Rank to host three more successful boxing cards at the Cotai Arena and two live screening events of US cards; and further, announced our partnership on the mainland China television program ‘Fist Power – Fight to Win.’ We’re happy to see these events helping promote the growth of boxing in the region while raising the profile of Macao as a world centre of tourism and leisure.”

Mark Taffet/HBO Pay-Per-View: “Against all odds, Manny Pacquiao has produced a brilliant, Hall of Fame career. He’s accepted challenges around the globe and established new frontiers, including fighting on pay-per-view from Macao. Now another young, talented and unassuming prizefighter named Chris Algieri will try to defy the odds and fulfill his dreams by challenging Pacquiao for his welterweight crown. In Chris Algieri, fight fans see a great American story with added intrigue based on the heart and courage he displayed in his recent victory over Ruslan Provodnikov.”

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/more-pacquiao-algieri-quotes-258181

Alvarado_Ruslan_PC_130813_004aPhoto: boxnews.com.ua.googleimages/

Fight Week for the WBO world junior welterweight championship fight between defending champion Ruslan Provodnikov and undefeated scholar-brawler and Long Island native Chris Algieri continued Wednesday with a media workout at the Everlast Lab in Hoboken, NJ. Provodnikov, his Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, Algieri, WBO junior middleweight champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade, mandatory challenger Brian “The Lion” Rose and female star Heather “The Heat” Hardy where among those on hand.

“The Siberian Rocky” had a chilling message for unbeaten challenger Algieri.

Ruslan Provodnikov: Algieri seems like a smart man and I expect him to be a smart boxer. We’ll see how practical his boxing theories are in the ring on Saturday. If I have to die in the ring to win, that is what I will do. Is Algieri willing to do the same? He had better or he will not defeat me. I do not like fighting boxers who do not engage, like Algieri, but I am used to it. I will chase him and hunt him down. I am a hunter when I am in the ring.

Freddie Roach: He may be undefeated, but Chris Algieri has never faced anyone like Ruslan. He may be a good student in school, but Ruslan will be teaching Algieri a crash course on how to lose on Saturday night. Ruslan is going to pour everything he has into this fight. His sole mission is to turn out Algieri’s lights.

Chris Algieri: Pressure has always made me step up to the competition. I prepared, I am in shape. Fight night, I am going to show who I really am. Ruslan has this great power in his punches but if you can’t land them, the power really doesn’t matter. I have to go out there and control the center of the ring. Push the pace and go out there and use my boxing IQ. I have been preparing for the power by not getting hit. I am not much into prediction but all I can on Saturday, “AND THE NEW….”

Provodnikov-Algieri takes place This Saturday, June 14, at Barclays Center. The fight will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The co-main event will feature Andrade-Rose. A replay of Cotto-Martinez will also air on the telecast.

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/provodnikovif-i-have-to-die-in-the-ring-to-win-that-is-what-i-will-do-is-algieri-willing-to-do-the-same-249324

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Marc Abrams: The “Siberian Rocky” Ruslan Provodnikov will defend his WBO Junior Welterweight Championship against undefeated New Yorker Chris Algieri Saturday night, June 14, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and it will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark. The card is being promoted by Banner Promotions and Top Rank, in association with Star Boxing. The telecast will kick off at 10:00 p.m. Eastern with the WBO Junior Middleweight title collision between undefeated defending champion Demetrious Andrade and mandatory challenger Brian Rose of the United Kingdom. On the call we have Ruslan Provodnikov, his manager, Vadim Kornilov; Promoter Art Pelullo and Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach. We also have Chris Algieri.

Arthur Pelullo: On behalf of Banner Promotions and Top Rank, and naturally Joe will say introduce himself dealing with his company; we’d like to thank everybody. It is going be a heck of a night. It’s going be a great show. Chris Algieri, who’s with Joe DeGuardia of Star Boxing, is undefeated. A Long Island native, he’s basically fighting in his backyard. It’s going to be a very difficult fight for Ruslan Provodnikov. And we’re very excited about being at the Barclays Center. Brett Yormark and his team have been very helpful to us. HBO is going to televise the event live in the U.S. and it will be seen live in several countries as well.

Joe DeGuardia: Thank you, Artie. I’d like to echo your comments. I’m very excited for this fight on June 14. And I think it’s going be a fantastic night of boxing between being in Brooklyn, being on HBO and having such a fantastic co-feature fight — Demetrious Andrade’s first world title defense — and the main event fight, Ruslan Provodnikov, who everybody knows is one of the toughest fighters in boxing today, against undefeated Chris Algieri of Long Island. I’m really looking forward to a great fight and glad to be there on June 14.

Vadim Kornilov: We’re excited to finally have Ruslan fighting in New York, considered one of the most Russian-populated cities in the United States and we’re very excited to see all the fans come out — a lot of people from all over the United States to see the fight live. We hope that Chris is going be as well prepared as Ruslan to make this fight a great looking fight for TV and for all the fans.

Ruslan Provodnikov: I’m very happy to be fighting in New York. I’m happy to be the first big Russian fighter to fight at the Barclays Center. HBO thank you very much for supporting the rest of my team. I appreciate everybody’s support. Everything’s going well. And I’m glad to be here with Freddie Roach
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Freddie Roach: We’ve had a great training camp, great sparring partners. We know Algieri is great young boxer and we’re getting as ready as we can for him. And we’re doing very well. I’m happy where we are right now and we will be in New York on Saturday night [May 31] to finish up the work and can’t wait–we can’t wait to get this one going.

Joe DeGuardia: At this point in time I’ll introduce both Chris Algieri, undefeated, 19-0 from New York, Long Island, New York, pride of Huntington and his trainer as well, Tim Lane.

Mr. Chris Algieri: I’d just like to say thank you. And I want to say hello to everybody as well. I’m very excited for June 14, preparations are going really well out here in training camp in Las Vegas and we are very happy with where things are going. June 14 is going be a great night. It’s a real honor to be fighting at the Barclays Center and being HBO and to be fighting in my home state. I’m looking forward to it.

Ruslan, do you feel that you have to win in fantastic fashion now so that big name opponents will have to face you? I know that you feel you’ve been ducked. Do you feel that in order to get big fights now you have to win in fantastic fashion?

Ruslan Provodnikov: Definitely it’s a big responsibility for me. Most importantly because now I’m a world champion and I’m defending my title. I have to fight like a world champion. I will try to finish the fight in a great fashion, as always, because I always do.

How do you feel with the frustration of not getting a big name opponent for your next fight? Chris is a very good fighter, but he doesn’t have the name value right now at least of Juan Manuel Marquez or Tim Bradley.

Arthur Pelullo: Neither did Ruslan before he fought Tim Bradley. So, you can’t look past anybody. That’s just my two cents. They thought it was going to be a workout against Bradley. And, believe me, Chris Algieri is a very difficult fight. And I’m sorry for interrupting.

Ruslan Provodnikov: No, it does not bother me. I’m very loyal to my space in life and Chris is a great opponent. He’s a great fighter. And this is what happened and this is the way it should have been. I know my time will come.

Artie, I just wanted to ask you, kind of piggy backing on what was being said, are you taking any extra measures to reassure that Ruslan doesn’t underestimate Chris or is it pretty safe going that he’s taking the fight seriously as you’d want him?

Arthur Pelullo: We always take fights seriously. And we get ready for every fight 100 percent. So, I mean at the level we’re at right now, the World Title level, you can’t take anyone for granted. And we’re in great shape for this fight.
Chris, about your underdog status right now, do you understand that it’s simply because you haven’t had a chance at the spotlight yet? I mean granted you have definitely been on Friday Night Fights as have a lot of great fighters, but you’re not getting the attention Ruslan has. Are you offended by that or do you just see it as ‘Oh well, that’s going be the case because I haven’t really established my name and I won’t be able to until I beat someone like Ruslan?”

Chris Algieri: No, I don’t take any offense to it. It’s just the nature of the game in this situation. I haven’t had those big name fights yet. I’ve only been on TV a couple of times. But I have been working very hard throughout my entire career and getting ready for this opportunity. And on June 14, everybody’s going to see who I am and see what I bring to the table and that’s when everyone can really see what Chris Algieri’s all about.

Chris, your background is in kickboxing. At this point do you see it as beneficial to your boxing career having that background or detrimental?

Chris Algieri: I definitely do see it as a benefit. I’ve been in big fights and I’ve fought fighters from all over the world before. I’ve been in very tough fights, physically demanding fights, long fights. But, I think that really has carried over in my boxing career and has brought me to where I am today.

Ruslan, the nickname Siberian Rocky, I was wondering who gave it to you and if you are aware–if you have watched the Rocky movies and what the nickname means to you if you have, indeed, seen those Rocky movies.

Ruslan Provodnikov: The nickname Siberian Rocky to me means that a lot. It means to never give up.
Freddie, how much time have you had with Ruslan in contrast with the last camp ahead of the Alvarado fight?

Freddie Roach: We’ve been doing very well now and we had a full camp together and last time I was busy with Manny so I missed the last week of the camp. But, this time I’ll be there the entire time. Ruslan and Miguel Cotto will both be traveling together to New York. So, we can all work together in New York and we’ve had a full camp this time.

Was it Manny Pacquiao last time or was it really the Cotto [fight against Delvin Rodriguez] camp the week ahead of time?

Mr. Freddie Roach: It was actually the Cotto camp because the fight was in Florida so I did take Ruslan to Florida with us to be with us for that week. And then he and Marvin traveled, and Gavin traveled too, for the last fight.

From your perspective as the trainer what is the difference for Ruslan in terms of what he gets out of that additional time with you?

Freddie Roach: Well, we work very well together, but Marvin is a great assistant also because Marvin’s one of the assistants that doesn’t change. He knows my style. He knows what I want and he follows instructions very well. And he did a great job in that fight against Alvarado, so I don’t think we lose anything with Marvin and Ruslan being together.

Tell me about–you said he does a great job. On fight night and in training camp last time ahead of the Alvarado fight, what was it that Marvin really brought in terms of continuing your game plan and helping Ruslan get that success that he did?

Freddie Roach: He knows the rules and so forth. We had a little problem with the other camp [Alvarado] on a rules issue. And we won that argument. And then Marvin’s professionalism in the corner. He doesn’t get excited. He stays calm. He talks to his fighter. He doesn’t scream at them. He doesn’t yell at people. People don’t respond to being yelled at. And he’s very good at that. He’s the best assistant I’ve ever had.

How long has he been with you?

Freddie Roach: Three years.

What will Marvin’s role be with you for this upcoming fight with Chris Algieri?

Mr. Freddie Roach: He’ll be right beside me. And we’ll talk about the strategy. We have a strategy for the fight, but we’ll talk about what adjustments we need to make during the rounds and we believe the lead guy in this fight for Ruslan.

Artie, I know that the fighters themselves don’t like to look beyond the current opponent, but what are you looking at for Ruslan should he triumph on the 14th?

Arthur Pelullo: The most important thing, and you said it, is June the 14th. So, right now there are a lot of fights out there for both Chris Algieri and Ruslan Provodnikov, whoever is the winner. I really would just like to stay focused on this event. I actually don’t believe getting into details about what’s out in the horizon because that means you’re assuming you’re going to win. And I just think that right now the Algieri fight, when it was first made, a lot of people didn’t believe that it was going to be a difficult fight. And I knew it all along that it’s going be a difficult fight. I know he’s a tough guy. I know he’s coming to win. So, for me to start talking about future events, I think that’s premature. Right now it’s Chris Algieri and he has to get through fighting an undefeated kid, which is a very difficult fight.

Arthur Pelullo: So, that’s my best answer I can give you about a future event.

So, obviously, the fights that Ruslan had last year, both the closest loss with Bradley and the win over Alvarado, were big for his career and brought him to this position where he’s at now — where he gets to be the A side. But, should he triumph over Algieri on the 14th, what do you believe that that would do for his career?

Arthur Pelullo: Both of these kids have to win. Their careers are predicated on winning. It’s not like you’re Donovan McNabb, he’s playing for the Eagles. He’s getting $10 million year, whether the Eagles have a good year or a bad year. The winner of this fight will move on to a big fight. So, on June the 14th, at about 1:00 a.m., come over to ringside and ask me the question then about what the next fight is. And I’ll let you know.

Chris, you’ve seen Ruslan fight on TV. What do you think that Ruslan does well and what do you think are some of the weaknesses that you’ve seen in his game?

Chris Algieri: Ruslan is a great fighter and a great champion. It’s a real honor to be in there with him. I have seen him fight before. I’m actually a fan of watching Ruslan fight. He’s a pressure fighter. He comes forward. He’s super tough, very durable. He’s a good strong puncher and he maintains his pressure throughout the bout. He moves his head when he needs to and crosses the line and he closes the distance very well. Those are the things that my team has been studying to work on. But, just based on past fights, there is a weakness with dealing with a jab and a boxer and movement, but really those are the things that we’ve been trying to work most on. But, at the end of the day it’s a fight. Ruslan is going to press the action. I’m going o have to stand and fight at times. So, we’ll be ready for that as well.

Are there any opponents that you faced that you feel are similar to what Ruslan will be bringing to the table?

Chris Algieri: Yes, I think I’ve fought a couple of guys who were pressure fighters and big punchers. My last opponent Emanuel Taylor was a very, very well-known knockout puncher. He had one-punch power. He also threw a lot of very tight short punches. I fought a fighter, a Puerto Rican fighter, Jose Peralta, who is a shorter, stockier pressure aggressive guy as well. So, I feel like I’ve dealt with similar, but not quite like Ruslan-type fighters in the past.

Chris, how does kickboxing training translate into boxing and how do you feel you’re going to capitalize on such a big fight?

Chris Algieri: Well, in terms of the question about kickboxing — a lot of the techniques are very similar to punch techniques. The fact that I’ve been fighting without a headgear for such a long time I think has really helped with my defense in my pro boxing career. But, in terms of how this sport is fought; it’s a totally different pace. Boxing is a lot faster. Conditioning is a lot more intensive. Fights are longer. But, I think I’ve made those changes over the past 19 fights and conditioning has never really been a problem. But, in preparation for this fight, my last couple camps have been going really well. And we didn’t really see that we needed to change too much. My team, my coach, my camp, has put in a tremendous amount of work to develop a great program for this fight for my strength and conditioning. And my trainers, Tim Lane and Keith Trimble, have a great game plan that we’ve been working on. And we’ve been executing. So, we’re ready for this big fight.

Chris, what gym in Vegas have you been training at for this fight?

Chris Algieri: I’ve been training at my coach’s gym, Xtreme Couture MMA. It’s actually an MMA gym.Tim Lane, trains at that gym, so we’ve been stationed over there.

What’s the philosophy behind training in Vegas and being so far away from Long Island and how it benefits you in terms of minimizing distractions. You’ve been doing this since, what, 2010 I think?

Mr. Chris Algieri: I’ve been moving around quite a bit to training camps. Long Island is not really a great place to be a professional athlete. Things are very far away. Things are expensive. There are no other top level pros in the area. You generally have to go west and go into Brooklyn, into Manhattan, which is quite a trek from Long Island. So, it doesn’t really make sense for me to stay out there. It just makes things a lot more difficult. I have a trainer at home, Keith Trimble, who I work with while I’m in New York. And then I have my trainer here, Tim Lane, here in Vegas, so we come out here and train here. And there are just great fighters all over the place. There are great gyms that are in a very close proximity. And there are top level guys here at all times.

In terms of prepping for this fight, was your sparring specifically designed to find pressure fighters who are like Ruslan, because you’ve been talking about his ability to pressure? Was that the focus of your sparring or did you change it up?

Mr. Chris Algieri: Absolutely. My coaches set up this camp perfectly. And they were out here in Vegas scouting out perfect sparring partners for this camp while I was in New York training and getting into condition. I had some good sparring while I was in New York and then I came out here and have had great sparring thus far.

Freddie, what impresses you about Algieri when you watch him on tape?

Freddie Roach: He’s a good boxer. He moves well. He’s has a good jab. He’s a solid boxer. But nobody’s perfect and we have a very good game plan.

Do you think he’ll wilt under Ruslan’s pressure as the fight goes on? Is he vulnerable to body shots in your opinion?

Freddie Roach: I think everybody in the world is if you work on it hard enough. So, we’ll see.

Vadim, you had given me perspective on Ruslan’s popularity in Russia compared to some of the other fighters. Can you address his popularity? And, from what I understand, he the most popular of fighters from Russia?

Vadim Kornilov: Well, in Russia I think right now is between Kovalev and Ruslan. But there’s been a lot of different polls and ratings and stuff like that that have shown Ruslan coming ahead. I think they’re about at the same level. Ruslan passed the bigger fights and fought some bigger opponents. I think because of that, Ruslan has taken off a little bit more.

What do you think is his appeal? He really seems to come off, especially the night that he won the title, you know, you watched HBO’s “Two Days With”–before the Alvarado fight — and he brought his mother. And he was really emotional. He mentioned fighting for the people.

Vadim Kornilov: He’s very grounded. He’s not spoiled or jaded. And I think people can really relate to that.

Can you elaborate on that?

Vadim Kornilov: It’s the type of person that he is and the way he is with people and the fans, and the way he fights. I think people can really relate to that and just by watching the way he is in the ring. I think that basically goes to people’s love for him. Ruslan is fan-friendly inside and outside the ring.

Arthur Pelullo: I think he has the right nickname, the Siberian Rocky because everybody can relate to the underdog. And everybody can relate to a guy fighting his way out of less than ideal conditions — whether it’s poverty or a low income environment — to reach a better level financially in their life. A better life in general. When he fought Bradley he was considered just the opponent and it was a payday. And what he did was he rose to the occasion. People like that. People can identify with somebody who’s a working class person. There were a lot of great fighters in history that were like considered working class guys and everybody wanted to be a part of their bandwagons. And they attracted fans because they were the people’s guy. And Ruslan’s a people’s champion. He’s a tough guy. And he’s straight. He tells you the way it is. After he reviewed the tape he said listen, I could see how people thought Bradley won the fight. People like that. It’s like when he — if he lost a fight, he lost the fight. If he won the fight, he won the fight. That’s what people want to hear. People like straight stuff, straight talking. And the Russian citizens, they’re right up there. They want the truth. They don’t want a lot of good bologna. And I think they appreciate that he’s a straight forward guy. And he’s has a lot of Mexican fans and American fans because on top of all of that he’s the most TV and fan-friendly fighter right now in America. That’s my opinion.

Ruslan, please explain where you’re from, what you overcame and also what you feel personally – what you try to bring across in appealing to your audience?

Ruslan Provodnikov: I came from a small village in Russian called Beryozovo. I had a very hard upbringing. Hard work. The reason, you know, for the fans I think that’s a good question for the fans. I don’t know why. I’m doing a lot of … that’s a good question for the fans to ask why they like me.

Why do you fight the way you do and when you say things like the belts aren’t important, the money isn’t important, it’s the way I fight and what people think of the way I fight. Do you think that is an aspect of your fighting style and your personality that goes to your fans?

Ruslan Provodnikov: Everything I said is because the way I fight comes from inside of me. It’s my character. And I’m probably never going to fight differently. And people love me probably because of that, and of who I am. I am who I am in the ring and I just put everything in the ring. It’s who I am.

Chris, you talked about two of the guys on your resume who you feel are most similar to Ruslan. You talk about which fights in particular where you feel like he’s had problems, talked about his jab. The jab that seems to bother him. Can you talk about the fight that you feel like he’s had the most problems in?

Chris Algieri: I mean the Tim Bradley fight, even Alvarado when he boxed a little bit. I’m not big on watching tape or watching my opponents. I’ve seen Ruslan’s fights because I watched them live. Like I said, I was a fan while Ruslan has been fighting. And my coaches have done the studying and have watched other fights and told me what the strategy is
.
Okay, anything from watching his against Herrera?

Chris Algieri: No, I hadn’t seen that whole fight to tell you the truth. You know, my coaches did and they’ve said that they saw certain things and certain aspects that we want to capitalize on. And we’ve been working on those things. But, like I said, I don’t really watch too much tape. I’m a fight fan. I don’t study my opponents all that much in terms of their past performances because boxing is all about rhythm and really you can’t watch a guy’s rhythm from watching a fight. Everyone’s different on fight night.

Freddie, you talked about not wanting Ruslan to fight Manny Pacquiao. If he keeps winning and if Pacquiao beats Marquez or whichever fight is next, don’t you think the demand will increase for him to fight Pacquiao. And if it does will you then relent and allow the fight to happen?

Freddie Roach: I have both fighters and I would hate to lose one of them, one of the fighters. But, the thing is if the demand does come again, we’re going to have to let it happen and it’d be a sad day for me. But the thing is, I probably sit both fights out and just watch it on TV myself.

You wouldn’t be at either corner? You’ve said in the past Manny’s your number one guy.

Freddie Roach: Manny is my number one guy and so forth. But, Ruslan’s very close to me. And Ruslan’s been a very hard worker. But, the demand is getting closer and closer, so with the win here it could happen. And Manny is running out of opponents right now, and that’s the way it goes.

But you would watch the fight on TV?

Arthur Pelullo: We’ll give him a ticket. Freddie, you got a ticket. Don’t worry about it. See, you got a ringside seat for the fight. Freddie, no problem.

If everything goes according to plan and according to your expectation, how will this fight go and will it end in a knockout in approximately what round?

Freddie Roach: We have a tough opponent in front of us and he has been knocked out before in kickboxing matches. So, we will put pressure on him and we will do the best we can to get him out of there. And I think every fight should end in a knockout and I look. We don’t go looking for a knockout. We’re going to go out there and win every round one at a time. It won’t be easy up to that point that’s for sure.

Hey, Chris, like you I have a BA from the Harvard of Long Island Stoney Brook. And I’m curious, as you make a decision to go from possible pre-med into a sport that so many people would see as counter to healing, towards health et cetera.

Chris Algieri: The way I look at it is boxing is definitely a hurt business, but at the end of the day it is still a sport. And there are certain requirements, you know, required of each fighter medically to make sure that we’re all fit to fight. And I feel that the way that I prepare for fights and the way that my style is that I take as little damage as possible. Of course, there’s a tremendous risk involved, but my plan is to minimize that risk the best I can by being as prepared as possible and fighting the way that I do. But, in terms of just my future plans and where I come from, you know, it doesn’t really determine. Boxing is my passion. This is what I’m doing now and I can still do it. I can still perform it at this high level. And I’m honored and blessed to be able to do that. But, there’s life after boxing. And there’s always time to go to school. There’s always time for me to pursue what my future career goals are. And this is what I’m doing now because I can and I love it.

Do you feel based on your academic background and your diverse athletic background that you have an intelligence edge when you’re in the ring?

Chris Algieri: I would say so. I mean, I fight in a way that I use my intelligence when I fight in a way that definitely IQ can help. But, you know, it is about the boxing IQ when it comes to just stepping inside the ring. Being good at calculus is not going to help me in a fight. But, being able to analyze certain situations, especially in a mind-body sense, like you said, because of my athletic background definitely has helped my progression in the sport. I think I’ve learned at a fast rate because of my past experiences and because I am a student of the game.

So, truth be told, when you’re in schools like the schools that you’re in and you’re getting that kind of education and then you tell the people around you that you’re going to box professionally, how many stares did you get? How many wooly eyes did you get?

Chris Algieri: Countless. You know, I was a lab technician for years at our culture and Harvard Laboratory and initially no one really believed me that that’s really what I wanted to do was to be a fighter and that I was fighting. And then more and more people were seeing what I was doing and they were coming to fights and they were watching me fight. And I think I turned a lot of those people around. I had a lot of people in the science community trying to talk me out of fighting, but I really don’t get that much anymore. I think that people are a lot more on board because of where we’ve gone and are excited to see how far I can take it.

Chris, we’ve seen the two more rounds documentary and we saw what Ruslan did to Mike Alvarado, a true warrior, one of the best action fighters of this era. How are you prepared to deal with the mental aspect of the fight? You’ve got a man across from you, who’s willing to take your soul, so to speak, and is going to try to break you down and make you quit. But, despite the athletic nature of the fight, how do you plan on dealing with the mental aspect of the game and how do you overcome any fear you may have?

Chris Algieri: Well, I think that one of my best aspects, as a fighter, is my mental strength and my mental advantage. I am fully committed and I sacrificed quite a bit for this fight and this career of mine. And, like I said, this is a passion. And my mental focus definitely has helped me throughout my entire career and I think it’s going to continue to pay dividends in this fight.
Do you have any fear? Do you have any fear fighting Ruslan Provodnikov?

Chris Algieri: I mean I believe that there’s fear involved in any fight. But, when it’s fight night and the preparations are over, I feel nothing but confident. I’m looking forward to June 14. Everything is going the way that I had hoped and dreamed. And I’m actually really looking forward to this fight. Now, it’s an opportunity for me to showcase my skills and to be in with one of the top guys in the game. So, it’s just a great opportunity all around. I don’t concentrate too much on the fear. I’m just getting as prepared as possible.

Chris, you’ve fought so many fights of your professional career in Long Island in front of hometown crowds. And I think my understanding when this fight was made that one of the reasons, among others, that you got the fight was because it was going be in New York and most likely you would bring a crowd with you, which would perk up the attendance at the arena that you’re having this fight at. My question for you is how big of a deal is it and how much does it mean to you to be in your first world title fight and be doing it in front of your hometown people?

Chris Algieri: It’s crazy, but this is what I envisioned in my mind for my first world title fight. I had envisioned it being in Madison Square Garden, of course, because there was no Barclays Center 10 years ago when I was thinking about this. But, it’s amazing to be fighting in the Barclays Center. It’s such an incredible arena. It means a tremendous amount to me to be fighting for a world title, my first world title fight, in my home state. So, it makes it that much bigger and that much more of a grand event.

And the other thing I wanted to ask you about is style of the fight. We know, and that Ruslan has talked about in his call, he’s about pressure and coming forward and going to you the way he did against Bradley, the way he took care of Alvarado. You are more of a boxer. I mean your knockouts are not the way his are. Is this basically comes down to, if I’m wrong here, you’ve got to outbox him to win this fight. He’s not a guy that goes down very often. He’s not a guy that’s been stopped. Do you look at this as you’ve got to just go out and box pretty much the perfect kind of fight and win that decision otherwise it could be trouble for you?

Chris Algieri: No, the monster of campus and master boxer. We’ve got to go out there and be a master boxer. This is a boxing match. It’s not a barroom brawl. So, I’ve got to go out there and use my skills. And as much as Ruslan is a come forward and pressure fighter, it takes a certain amount of skills. And I know him and his team have been working on — I’m sure working on more boxing skills and trying to work their game plan. So, it’s not just a fight. This is a boxing match. And we’re both going to go out there with our strategies. And, you know, a big part of mine is going to be trying to be a master boxer.

Do you feel like if he is able to pressure you and get right close to you and take it to you that if you have to you can stand and trade with guy because that’s the–he’s going to try to impose himself on you compared to another guy that might also want to box with you.

Chris Algieri: Yeah, I mean absolutely. There’s no shot that that I’m not going to have to fight. This is a boxing match. Ruslan’s going to put the pressure and he’s going be in front of me. But, at the same time even though I’m deemed the boxer and he the puncher, once we’re inside, I can still punch. I’m still going be in there, still being able to throw and use my skills on the inside.

Ruslan, you are the pressure fighter, the guy that likes to go there and get his guy mix it up, not necessarily the technical boxer. Is it all about for you tracking this guy down and getting him out of there?

Ruslan Provodnikov: All my career I’ve had to fight guys that were taller than me and had longer arms. And all I’ve had to do is try to get to them and try to pressure them. It’s no secret what my plan is. Of course I’m going to pressure. We know what he’s going to do. I mean they all try to box me and they all try to move and jab. But, I’m going to follow my plan and always do is that break the first one down outside. I can break him down from the distance from up close and from anywhere. And but the question is always how much can–how long can he jab?

Freddie, I wanted to ask you about that also. You know, how well he’d be able to go after a guy like Chris who is longer and is also a good boxer who has good movement? I mean Ruslan has not faced a lot of guys like that in his career it seems to me.

Freddie Roach: No, we definitely have to pressure him and cut the ring off and control the ring. And Chris is a very good boxer with long arms. And we have to break him down and get inside early, set traps and we need to really control the ring. And that’s what we’ve been working on quite a bit. Ruslan’s getting very good at controlling the ring and keeping himself in the best spot. So, I think that’s the big key to the fight is who’s going control the ring.

When this fight was originally announced Nassau Coliseum was very much on the table to host this fight. I just wanted to know how close it was to actually taking place there and what swayed it to go to Barclays instead?

Arthur Pelullo: Well, it was very close to happening there. We agreed to make a deal there and then we didn’t actually — weren’t able to sign the agreement. The gentleman was out sick. And then I get a call from Vadim, ‘don’t sign anything.’ You know, we have the opportunity to move it to the Barclays Center. And that’s exactly what happened.

Is there a plan for you to build up Ruslan in the East Coast specifically? I mean he’s now fighting 30 minutes away from Little Odessa.

Arthur Pelullo: Well, that was one of the main reasons why we decided to move the fight. He is in Brooklyn. He is 30 minutes from Brighton Beach. There is a large community of Russian people there. And we believe the ticket sales are going well. And we think that he’s going to become a star in that area. And the manager, general manager, president of the arena and the president of the Nets Brett Yormark, loves it, loves the kid, loves the fight. And would like to have more than one Ruslan fight there because things are going so well. It doesn’t hurt that, the owner of the Nets, Prokhorov, is a Russian too and he’s been very good at helping us get everything through Vadim and Albert, friends of Vadim’s in Russia, to help us get this deal. The bottom line is that Ruslan Provodnikov is a ticket seller and we think it’s going be a good show. And where better for him to defend his title for his first time, but in an area where we hit the market of his people, which is a great idea. And we got lucky, timing is everything.

Chris, question for you. I know you said it was always your dream to fight in New York, well, specifically Madison Square Garden. Was there any disappointment knowing that the fight wasn’t a little bit closer to home and Nassau Coliseum as opposed to your friends having to drive in or take a train instead?

Chris Algieri: No, the only disappointment was that being as Nassau would have been a very historic event because there hasn’t been a fight there in I believe almost 20 years. But, other than that, no, not at all. You know, Barclays is, like I said, is a beautiful arena. It’s brand new. Everything in it is pristine there. And they’re holding–you know, it’s pretty much the premier venue in the New York area now. But, in terms of my fans and I think the most of the people that I talk to are–were a lot more excited for it to be at the Barclays than even Nassau. It’s very easy to get to from Long Island, so it’s no issue.

Arthur Pelullo: I’d just like to say thank you to everybody for joining us. Like I said, we think it’s going to be a great event. As we just talked about, the main event, is a very intriguing fight because Chris Algieri is now where Ruslan Provodnikov was about two years ago when he fought Bradley. So, we’ll see what Ruslan is made of and because he’s supposed to win a fight like this, but it’s a very difficult fight. And I wish both of them good luck. The co-feature being Demetrius Andrade is going to be a heck of a fight with the number one contender against Brian Rose. That will also be a fight will determine the direction of his career. As you all know, the press conference will be Thursday, the weigh in is Friday. The doors open at 6:00. The first bout will be at 7:00. We will be airing the fight live internationally. The international show will start about 9:00 p.m. There’s plenty of tickets available. The ringsides are going very fast. But, there are a few tickets available in those price ranges as well. I want to thank everybody for coming, Chris, Joe, Ruslan, Freddie, and Vadim and everybody on the call. Thank you very much, guys.

Joe DeGuardia: No, I’ll just echo your comments, Artie. I appreciate everybody being on the call. I’m certainly looking forward to June 14 where I think we’re gonna have a fantastic match and certainly a wonderful boxer, puncher, bull matador, all those kind of clichés that we’ll be able to see on June 14. I think it’ll be a great night. And be sure to be there at the Barclays Center or tune in on HBO June 14.

Ruslan Provodnikov: You know everybody, it was a great conversation and I want to wish good luck to Chris. I hope you do have a great training camp. And I’ll see everybody June 14.

Chris Algieri: I would just like to thank everybody for being involved in the call and for everybody who came and called and asked questions. I wish the best of luck to Ruslan and his team and to Freddie and the rest of your camp, that I hope it goes well. And I will see you guys on June 14.

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World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight champion, the “Siberian Rocky” RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV defends his world title against undefeated scholar-brawler CHRIS ALGIERI, Saturday, June 14, at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. The fight will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark®, beginning at 10:10 p.m. ET/PT.
www.eastsideboxing.com/2014/provodnikov-algieri-interview-transcript/

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By Keith Idec –

There was a time not much longer than a year ago when even diehard fight fans were about as familiar with Ruslan Provodnikov as they are today with Chris Algieri.

Like the powerful Provodnikov (23-2, 16 KOs) did against then-unbeaten Timothy Bradley, Algieri will attempt to make the jump from ESPN2 fighter to HBO staple against Provodnikov on June 14 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The 30-year-old Algieri is unbeaten (19-0, 8 KOs), but Provodnikov’s famous trainer doesn’t think the ex-kickboxing champion from Huntington, N.Y., is capable of upsetting his rugged Russian fighter.

“Algieri is a tough fighter,” Freddie Roach told BoxingScene.com. “He’s a good boxer and he’s a conditioning freak. I think Algieri will give us trouble at the beginning of the fight, but we’ll break him down and knock him out in the late rounds.”

The 12-round Provodnikov-Algieri fight for Provodnikov’s WBO junior welterweight title will headline HBO’s “Boxing After Dark” telecast two weeks from Saturday. HBO’s doubleheader will open at 10 p.m. ET June 14 with another 12-round bout between WBO junior middleweight champ Demetrius Andrade (20-0, 13 KOs), of Providence, R.I., and England’s Brian Rose (25-1-1, 7 KOs).

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=78278