The California State Athletic Commission passed emergency regulations Friday with an eye to resuming combat events in the summer months.

The commission met via video conference Friday morning and its guidelines were sent to the California Office of Administrative Law.

“When that process is finished, we’ll start,” said Andy Foster, the CSAC’s executive director.

Among the key parts of these regulations, according to Foster, is that, “the fighters will be tested between two and three weeks before their event for the COVID-19 virus. If they’re clear, we’ll accept them on the bout card and we’ll approve the fights if they meet the other criteria.

“Then two days before they travel, they’ll fill out a questionnaire and when they get to the hotel, they’ll be isolated and tested again with their fight camps. Everybody involved in the promotion will be tested on that day,” continued Foster. “Anybody that the promoter deems ‘essential’ to their promotion — and we approve them to be there, and that could be media — anybody that is in that building that’s part of the promotion is going to need to be tested.”

Foster acknowledged that weighing heavily on the committee’s minds was Jacare Souza, who was scratched from the UFC 249 card in Jacksonville, Florida, on the weekend of May 9 for testing positive for the coronavirus.

“We learned from that event, and I want to be clear, that’s not to put down the UFC one bit, they had a great plan and everything,” he said. “We learned by watching that, just how contagious this virus could be. So we want to mitigate that risk.”

Everyone working corners will be forced to wear a mask and surgical gloves at ringside, but there will be no limit on how many people can be in the facility on fight night.

“I don’t plan on doing that,” said Foster, who explained, “because there’s a financial interest. I mean, every person that the promoter puts in there, they are responsible for testing, the promoters are paying for the testing and for the accommodations. So you’re talking about a lot of money for each person. So they’re going to have a vested interest to run with only ‘essential’ personnel.”

It’s not clear who will have the first show in California, but Eric Gomez, the president of Golden Boy Promotions, told ESPN, “Our plan, right now, we would like to go July 4th, and we’re working towards that. We’re doing a lot of work behind the scenes to ensure that all the right guidelines and protocols are going to be followed, and that the commission is going to be satisfied with all our efforts.”

Gomez, whose company is looking to do a show at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California, is looking at other possible states to stage cards, but for Los Angeles-based Golden Boy, California makes the most logistic sense.

“Production-wide, it’s easier, it helps us because we’re not hauling stuff all over the country and there’s a lot of production companies here in California,” Gomez said.

Smaller outfits like Thompson Boxing, which has been running club shows since 2001, say they are ready to resume operations with these new rules.

“The moment that they say ‘go’ — we’re ready,” Thompson vice president Alex Camponovo said. “We’re going to run shows without the public most likely at Omega Products [in Corona, California] indoors, with all the guidelines and procedures that we have to do.”

Foster pointed out that, “these particular regulations will go away when the state of emergency ends. So the commission can vote to make it go away, and it will end.”

Boxing has been at a standstill throughout the world since mid-March. Foster says he has received numerous calls during the past couple of months from those in the business wondering when they could start scheduling shows.

“We’ve got to do something for the industry, we’ve got to get it up and rolling,” Foster said. “But we’ve got to do it in a safe away. We’ve got to do that in a thoughtful way, and we did that today by passing a regulation package where at least it fits the ‘Phase 3’ resiliency road map, where sports can resume without live audiences.

“This is a way for that to happen.”

By Steve Kim/ ESPN.com

Patrick Teixeira (31-1, 22 KOs) of Sau Paulo, Brazil will make the first defense of his WBO Junior Middleweight World Title against undefeated challenger Brian “El Boxi” Castaño (16-0-1, 12 KOs) of Buenos Aires, Argentina in a 12-round battle.

The event will take place Saturday, April 25 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

“I am very happy and excited to defend my world title for the very first time,” said Patrick Teixeira. “I worked very hard to become a world champion, and I won’t let anyone take that away from me. I know that Castaño, as my mandatory challenger, is tough and experienced, but my team and I are more than ready to go to war and deliver a great performance for all the fans at Fantasy Springs.”

“I’m delighted to announce this epic card of international proportions,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “For this huge event, we’ll have fighters from four different continents battling it out for world titles from all four sanctioning bodies. Fans of professional boxing will be treated to a banquet of big fights headlined by Sergey Kovalev vs. Sullivan Barrera, along with the returns of world champions such as Patrick Teixeira, Rene and Felix Alvarado, and Chayaphon Moonsri. Don’t miss this festival of world champions on April 25 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and live on DAZN.”

The WBO World Light Heavyweight Championship Clash Canelo vs. Kovalev undercard will be brimming with action as it features the returns of Ryan Garcia, Bakhram Murtazaliev, Seniesa Estrada, Marlen Esparza and many others. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively as one of the most anticipated events this fight season on DAZN.

“We have put a lot of thought into this long-awaited night, and we’re eager to deliver one of the best undercards of the year,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “This event will feature some of our brightest talents taking on the toughest fights of their careers. With Ryan Garcia, we have a huge star in the making, but he’ll need to get past a tough, hard-hitting contender in Romero Duno to secure his path for a world title. We also have Seniesa Estrada and Marlen Esparza, who will look to final end their rivalry in a fight for the Interim WBA Flyweight Title. So, whether in person or live on DAZN, a new chapter in boxing’s history will unfold on November 2.”

As announced previously, rising superstar Ryan Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs) of Victorville, Calif. will look to defeated WBO NABO Lightweight Champion “Ruthless” Romero Duno (21-1, 16 KOs) of Cotabato City, Philippines in the 12-round co-main event to Canelo vs. Kovalev WBO World Title Duel. This will be a fight between two of the hardest-hitting lightweights in the Golden Boy stable.

“This is a big moment for me,” said Ryan Garcia. “These opportunities don’t come often. It’s my chance to show what I’m capable of on the biggest stage in boxing. I’m not going to let this opportunity slip. I’m fighting against Romero Duno, the opponent I wanted since the beginning, so I’m going show that I’ve reached another level on Nov. 2.”

“This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for,” said Romero Duno. “I’m so excited to be part of a such a big night as the co-main event of Canelo vs. Kovalev. This fight has been building up for some time. I’ve had my eye on Ryan Garcia for a while now. I promise to do everything it takes to beat him on Nov. 2 and take home a big victory for the Philippines!”

Puerto Rican knockout artist Angel “Tito” Acosta (18-1, 18 KOs) will defend his WBO Jr. Flyweight World Title for a second time as he takes on Mexican warrior Abraham Rodriguez (23-1, 11 KOs) in the 12-round main event of the Oct. 13 edition of Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas. The action will be streamed live globally on Facebook Watch via the Golden Boy Fight Night Page beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET.

Acosta is a 27-year-old world champion who has won all of his fights by knockout. Acosta has knocked out fighters all over the country, including stoppage wins in New Jersey, Texas, Florida and New York. In 2017, Acosta traveled to Japan to take on Kosei Tanaka for a world title, and though he lost in what was a very tough fight, the native of San Juan, Puerto Rico returned in his very next fight to capture the WBO Jr. Flyweight World Title with a 10-round technical knockout victory against Juan Alejo in Dec. 2017.

“I feel happy to be making my second defense against a Mexican fighter,” said Tito Acosta. “I know that Mexicans always come to give a war. Abraham Rodriguez will come very well prepared, and I’m sure we will give a great fight between Puerto Rico and Mexico.”

Rodriguez is a 23-year-old native of Sonora, Mexico who remained undefeated in 22 fights after his making his debut in April 2013. The 108-pound pugilist scored all of his wins in Mexico, though suffered his first defeat earlier this year against Alejandro Villaseñor. Rodriguez bounced back in July against Jorge Miguel Hernandez, putting him in place for title contention on Oct. 13.

“I’m mentally and physically motivated for this fight,” said Abraham Rodriguez. “I’m going to come very well prepared to give a war, which is always what happens when you have a fight between the two countries of Mexico and Puerto Rico. I’m happy to have the chance to elevate the name of my country against a someone who I know will come prepared for a battle.”

“This is an exciting time for Puerto Rican boxers,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “There are many world champions from Puerto Rico right now, including Alberto Machado. We’re proud to work with Miguel Cotto Promotions to give a great platform to some of Puerto Rico’s world champions, so it’s a great pleasure to have Tito Acosta headline this Facebook Watch event.”

“I’m very excited to have Tito Acosta headlining in Las Vegas for the first time in his career,” said Miguel Cotto, President of Miguel Cotto Promotions. “He is a rising Puerto Rican star and has everything to become a successful name in boxing. I can’t wait to watch him perform in Las Vegas on Facebook this October 13.”

Acosta vs. Rodriguez is a 12-round fight for the WBO Jr. Flyweight World Title presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions. Murtazaliev vs. TBA is a 10-round junior middleweight fight presented by Main Events and Golden Boy Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy, “Never Stop, Never Settle.” The fights will take place on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018 at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas. The action will be streamed live globally on Facebook Watch via the Golden Boy Fight Night Page beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET.

Tickets for Acosta vs. Rodriguez are priced at $75, $50, $25, and $10, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets go on sale Thursday, Sept. 27 at 10:00 a.m. PST. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or The Joint Box Office at (702) 693-5000.

 

Sadam Ali: Cotto is coming to MY territory

 

Jr Middleweight title challenger Sadam “World Kid” Ali (25-1, 14 KOs) hosted a media workout at his gym in Brooklyn ahead of his fight against WBO world junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (41-5, 33 KOs) set for this Saturday at Madison Square Garden. “I’m really excited to be fighting at MSG against a legend. I know what’s in front of me, and I know what I’m stepping up to. I’m different. I’m a bit of a boxer. I can brawl if I need to. And I have my little tricks.

“My motivation is being on HBO, it being a world title, and my career honestly. People say I didn’t deserve this fight, but they haven’t been paying attention to my career. This is my hometown. I grew up here. Cotto is coming to my territory…he’s got power. I need to focus on not getting stuck. I worked a little bit with Danny Jacobs and Curtis Stevens for this fight…I want to thank all the fans who are coming to watch my fight! It’ll be a great one!” Juridiska svenska kasinon låter dig spela med bankid .

 

007_Peter_Quillin_Workout

By Lem Satterfield –

A Showtime-televised 175-pound unification bout between Bernard  Hopkins and Beibut Shumenov will be supported by Peter Quillin’s third defense of his WBO middleweight title against Lukas Konecny on April 19. The card will take place at the DC Armory in Washington.

“The fans in D.C. have been enthusiastic and supportive of the sport whenever we’ve brought an event there, and I know they will love this championship doubleheader,” said Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, in a release.

“Bernard Hopkins continues to amaze everyone with his performances in the ring, but when he faces Shumenov, he’ll have to pull out all his veteran tricks to keep his amazing streak going. This may be the toughest test he’s faced at light heavyweight.”

In his last fight, Hopkins, 49, unanimously decisioned Karo Murat in defense of the IBF belt he won by unanimous decision over Tavoris Cloud to extend his own record as the oldest man to win a significant crown.

Hopkins first set the record at the age of 46 by outpointing Jean Pascal for the WBC’s title in May of 2011 before losing the belt to Chad Dawson by majority decsion a year later.

During an interview with RingTV.com last month, Hopkins said he was “itching” for a knockout, “because I haven’t had a knockout since 2004, when I knocked out Oscar De La Hoya,” referring to a ninth-round stoppage in September of that year.

Hopkins (54-6-2, 32 knockouts) has history in the D.C. area, having made his first attempt at winning a title there, falling by unanimous decision to Roy Jones Jr. at RFK Stadium in 1993.

But Hopkins later won the IBF middleweight title in nearby Landover, by seventh-round knockout over Segundo Mercado in 1995.

Hopkins went on to defend the crown a record 20 times before losing to Jermain Taylor in 2005. He made his last appearance in D.C. with a seventh-round technical knockout of Robert Allen in 1999.

“It’s no secret that my one of my biggest goals has been to unify the titles, and getting to do that in a city where I have a lot of history is the best-case scenario,” said Hopkins.

“I’m coming back to break another record by unifying the title, and I’m looking to get my first knockout since I fought Oscar De La Hoya in 2004. I know Shumenov is tough, but I’m tougher and I’m not going to let him make a name for himself by being the one to stop me.”

Hopkins was ringside in December when Shumenov (14-1, 9 KOs) ended an 18-month absence by scoring a third-round stoppage of Tomas Kovacs for the fifth defense of his WBA belt.

A 30-year-old native of Kazakhstan now living in Las Vegas, Shumenov avenged his only loss by beating Gabriel Campillo for the title in 2009.

In doing so, Shumenov established a record for the light heavyweight division by defeating Campillo in just his 10th professional bout. He made his first defense six months later with a unanimous decision over Vyacheslav Uzelkov, who had knocked out Campillo in 2007.

Shumenov will be making his first trip to D.C.

“I am very excited that the fight is going to happen against one of the greatest fighters ever,” said Shumenov. “I am going to do everything possible and impossible to get the victory.”

In his last three fights, including two defenses of the title he won fighting Hassan N’Dam in 2012, Quillin (30-0, 22 KOs) has scored a combined 11 knockdowns.

“I can’t wait to get back in the ring and defend my title once again,” said Quillin, 30.  “I’m excited to be fighting in front of the great fans in D.C. and I will give them a show on April 19. Konecny is an experienced challenger, and you can’t overlook anyone with 50 wins, but I’m going home with the title, and I’ll be looking for another knockout.”

A 35-year-old former title challenger who never has been stopped, Konecny (50-4, 23 KOs) will be after his third straight win since falling by unanimous decision to Zaurbek Baysangurov by unanimous decision in 2012.

“I have a lot more experience than Quillin, and the fans will see that on April 19,” said Konecy, who has fought mostly in his home country, the Czech Republic.

“This is my first fight in the U.S. and I don’t plan on going home without that belt. Every fighter dreams of fighting for and winning a world championship, and I am thankful for the chance to do that against Peter Quillin.”

http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/323493-bernard-hopkins-beibut-shumenov-peter-quillin-lukas-konecny-double-header

 

 

Next card a Caballero family affair

Fantasy Springs and Golden Boy already announced its next fight card, which will feature fan favorite Randy Caballero in the main event.

Caballero (15-0, 8 knockouts) will defend his WBO NABO bantamweight title against Manuel Roman (15-1-3) on Aug. 24 at Fantasy Springs. It will be Caballero’s 10th fight at Fantasy Springs.

What will make the night especially memorable is that younger brotherRyan Caballero will make his professional debut on the card.

By: Leighton Ginn

http://www.mydesert.com/article/20120730/SPORTS03/207300310/Boxing-Notes-Fantasy-Springs-announces-next-card

According to sources with knowledge of the situation, Juan Manuel Marquez (54-6-1, 39KOs) will not be fighting on July 14th at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. There have been disagreements over the opponent, with Marquez pushing to fight southpaw boxers like Cesar Cuenca and Mercito Gesta.

Marquez wanted a southpaw opponent to prepare for a potential fourth meeting with Manny Pacquiao in the fall. Top Rank had initially wanted to match Marquez against undefeated Brandon Rios, which the Mexican veteran rejected because Rios wasn’t a southpaw.

There were even discussions between Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions to match Marquez against countryman Erik Morales, but again Marquez wasn’t too eager, telling BoxingScene.com last week that he wasn’t interested because Morales wasn’t a southpaw.

One source told BoxingScene.com that Marquez had yet to finalize an opponent – and considering the July date is only a few weeks away, there simply wasn’t enough time to properly promote a pay-per-view event in such a short time period.

MORE DETAILS TO COME…………..

 

By Keith Idec

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=53113

яндекс

Michael Koncz, the advisor to WBO welterweight beltholder Manny Pacquiao, told RingTV.com on Monday that he is in Las Vegas to speak with Top Rank Inc. CEO Bob Arum about Pacquiao’s next opponent.

Although WBA junior middleweight beltholder Miguel Cotto appears to be the current frontrunner, Koncz told RingTV.com that WBC welterweight titleholder Floyd Mayweather Jr. is not yet out of the picture.

Koncz would not confirm or deny whether or not he expects to meet with Mayweather, who lives in Las Vegas.

“I am in Las Vegas right now having various discussions and meetings with different people, and we have not closed the door on Floyd Mayweather,” said Koncz.

“I’m here in Las Vegas pursuant to Manny’s instructions trying to finalize his next bout. No doors have been shut on any of our options to this point.”

Pacquiao has been targeted for a return bout on June 9 in Las Vegas at either the Thomas & Mack Center or the MGM Grand, with the possibilities being Cotto, Mayweather, RING lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez IBF/WBA junior welterweight titleholder Lamont Peterson or WBO junior welterweight beltholder Tim Bradley

Cotto’s advisor, Gabby Penagaricano, has confirmed to RingTV.com that there have been talks with both Pacquiao and Mayweather, the latter regarding a fight on May 5.

Koncz and Mayweather have been in personal communication since late-November, when Koncz made a visit to the unbeaten fighter at his Las Vegas-based gym.

Last week, Pacquiao confirmed to the Filipino TV network ABS-CBNthat Mayweather had called him in the Philippines from Las Vegas and that they spoke by telephone

The conversation with Mayweather “went OK, the talk about the negotiation proceeds forward,” said Pacquiao, adding, “I said that the 50-50 was approved and there’s no problem. Anytime. It’s in your hands. We’ll just wait if it’s OK with you.”

Mayweather’s version of the conversation differed a bit.

“He asked about a 50/50 split and I told him no, that can’t happen, but what can happen is you can make more money fighting me than you have made in your career,” said Mayweather.

“I also let him know I’m in control on my side, but he needs to get on the same page as his promoter so we can make this fight happen.”

Mayweather is slated to begin an 87-day jail sentence staring on June 1, and has targeted May 5 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for his next bout.

But Arum and Koncz have dismissed that date for Mayweather-Pacquiao, citing their camp’s desire to construct a 40,000-seat, temporary outdoor venue near the Las Vegas Strip in late May or early-June to maximize revenue.

Pacquiao’s selection process began on January 10 in his native Philippines, when Koncz and Arum presented the candidates to him.

 

Photo by Chris Farina, Top Rank Inc.

Photo by Tom Hogan, Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions

 

by Lem Satterfield

http://ringtv.craveonline.com/blog/171215-pacquiaos-advisor-

By Ryan Maquiñana

Birthday No. 25 came and passed yesterday for unbeaten NABO junior lightweight beltholder Eloy “Prince” Perez, and aside from the usual gift-wrapped boxes and candle-laden cake, there was plenty to celebrate on the boxing front.

After only five of his first 23 pro bouts ended via stoppage, Perez (22-0-2, 6 KOs) scored a surprising second-round demolition of Daniel Jimenez eight weeks ago on TeleFutura in front of his hometown fans of Salinas, Calif.

The win garnered Perez some newfound attention by none other than his promoter Golden Boy, who then commenced arrangements to pit him against their other 130-pound prospect-turned-contender, Adrien Broner, for the newly vacated WBO crown.

Amid negotiations eventually falling through with some bad blood between the two beginning to boil, Perez has finally begun to turn a few heads in the boxing world, having been awarded NABO Fighter of the Year among other honors.

BoxingScene caught up with the rising contender, who along with assistant trainer Sam Garcia commented on negotiations with Broner, his recent power surge, and his upcoming TeleFutura “Solo Boxeo Tecate” headliner this Friday against Ira Terry (24-6, 14 KOs) in Salinas.

PEREZ ON HIS 25TH BIRTHDAY AND HIS RECENT ACCOLADES:

“It’s like I’m all over the place now.  I just won NABO Fighter of the Year.  I just saw myself in the Ring rankings.  It’s crazy.  To be honest, I just woke up, and I didn’t even know it was my birthday.  I’ve been so focused on camp.”

PEREZ ON HIS MINDSET DURING THE JIMENEZ KNOCKOUT:

“I was just happy to get through it.  Training camp was hard.  It wasn’t really about the fight as much as what I had to do to get there.  My trainers ran me hard.  It showed in the fight.  I couldn’t even sleep after the fight.  I pulled an all-nighter because I still had all this energy.  It didn’t even sink in until I got home.”

PEREZ ON WHETHER HE CAN SUSTAIN THIS POWER SURGE INTO FRIDAY:

“I think this time, I finally got a fighter who came to fight, and I showed what I could do when I’m given an opportunity to take advantage of it. I’m 25 years old and I’m still figuring everything out.  I’m getting stronger every day and becoming more confident in my power working with the Garcias and Dean Familton.”

SAM GARCIA ON PEREZ’S PERCEIVED LACK OF POWER:

“If you look at the previous fights, not too many people saw the Dannie Williams fight, and Dannie Williams was face-first on the canvas in the first round.  If you go back further, he stopped Juan Santiago.

“If you give Eloy a guy who comes to fight, Eloy will be able to show off his work better against somebody’s who’s willing to fight, willing to engage, and willing to put it on the line.  Daniel Jimenez came in to win, and not to pull a [Omar] Narvaez against [Nonito] Donaire or an Alejandro Rodriguez, who came to survive.  And when you have a situation like that, Eloy can use his speed and his power to hurt somebody, not just counterpunch.”

PEREZ ON MATCHING UP WITH TERRY:

“I’ve seen a couple of his fights on YouTube.  That’s my trainer’s job to come up with the gameplan, and mine is to be prepared.  I’ve seen some of fights of his, and I’m seeing how I can break him down.  I’m going to do what I usually do, and that’s counterpunch and be accurate.  I know he starts a little quick, and that’s it.  I’m just focused on what my team has planned.”

PEREZ ON TERRY HAVING BEEN KNOCKED OUT FOUR CONSECUTIVE TIMES LEADING UP TO THIS FIGHT:

“I really don’t care what he’s done in the past.  We’ll find out what he has in the ring and how hard he’s been able to prepare over the past few weeks.  If I see an opening, I’ll take it, and if not, I’ll keep looking to get my timing down.”

PEREZ ON STAGING HIS SECOND STRAIGHT FIGHT IN SALINAS:

“I think it’s awesome.  It’s always a positive thing for the city being able to have everyone be a part of it, and see what Garcia Boxing is all about.  I just want to represent Salinas as best I can.  We’ve had fighters like Chuy Rodriguez and Jose Celaya work with the Garcias, and now I just want to finish what they started.”

PEREZ ON FIGHTING ADRIEN BRONER:

“As far as Adrien Broner, I’m going to beat his ass when the time comes.  Today, tomorrow, next month, next year, whenever it’s time for us to meet in the ring.  When it comes to negotiations, Kathy Garcia my manager, my team, and Golden Boy Promotions—Oscar De La Hoya said they have bigger things for me—so that’s their job.  My job as a fighter is just to be ready.  I trust my promotional company and my team and my manager.

“And besides, why fight him now when it can be a bigger fight in the future when we both have titles?  It can be bigger than what it could have been.  We both have bigger fights ahead.  So to answer your question, I would love to fight Adrien Broner, but he also has to come fight me somewhere fair.  I’m not going to Cincinnati, and I know he doesn’t want to go to Salinas.”

GARCIA ON PEREZ’S ROAD AHEAD:

“I think we’re going to after the IBF.  It depends on what they say.  We love the WBO, and we’ve chased that prestigious title for a long time, but the way it’s working now, it’s going to be hard to work that out with Golden Boy having Adrien Broner in their stable and handing him the title.  It makes sense for us to go after the IBF title and Juan Carlos Salgado who makes great action fights.  I think that’s a fight that both of them could look good in, and I think Eloy would come in on top.

“Salgado’s got confidence in his power against boxer-types like Eloy.  I mean, he stopped Jorge Linares, so that looks like the most aesthetically pleasing fight.  The thing is, before we can get there, we need to get ranked higher than the top 25 in there.

“So we’re trying to get someone in the top 15 like Jason Litzau, Monty Meza-Clay, or Martin Honorio.  There’s been talk about Vicente Escobedo, but we’re talking with the promoters to see if he even wants that fight.  If we beat any of those guys, we’ll get a shot at Salgado down the line, then a unification megafight hopefully between Eloy and Broner in the summer or even the fall.”

PEREZ ON HIS TWO DEDICATIONS FOR FRIDAY’S FIGHT, ONE FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS AND ANOTHER FOR LIVER CANCER PATIENT SY SHERMAN:

“We have two dedications.  First, we’re fighting for all the people who have dealt with breast cancer.  Olaya Hernandez, who’s the sister of my trainer Max Garcia, and Malena Garcia, a family friend of ours, fought breast cancer and survived, so we will be fighting for them and all women who have dealt with it one way or another.

“About Sy, I read his story at lunch, and he’s a really tough kid who’s been through a lot.  He’s nine years old, and he’s already going through chemo[therapy] every few weeks.  For me, he’s a fighter, battling liver cancer, and having the courage to fight it. See this site for a good example.  He’s fighting for his life every day.  You don’t want anyone to go through what he’s doing, much less in childhood.  I’ll definitely be fighting for them.”

Ryan Maquiñana is the boxing correspondent at Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America, and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Advisory Panel.  E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at www.maqdown.com or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

 

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=45421