 |
| Zab Judah |
Zab Judah, Former Five-Time and Two-Division World
Champion
"I'm the real Brooklyn, New York.
"This is my office. They built this arena for me and
on Saturday night I'm going to show the world why.
"We're in a
gladiator sport. We have to fight to the best of our abilities. People want to
see tough fighters with skills. Even though my last fight was a setback, it
still got me back here today.
"Paulie wasn't born here, he migrated from somewhere
else. To me if we were comparing sneakers I'd be Jordans at Foot Locker and he'd
be Canal Street, he's not authentic.
"I'm authentic, I'm from here. I'm born and raised
here."
"I feel great because I know we're going to have a
Brooklyn champion in myself.
"I'm going to make sure Paulie's job [as SHOWTIME
announcer] is locked in stone. After this he's going to be a full-time
commentator.
"I came up doing this, I probably have more street
fights than I have gym sparring sessions. You can ask anyone in my neighborhood,
I was fighting anybody. I'm 36-years-old. I've never done anything but
box.
"This isn't a game for me. People keep saying this
fight is friendly but at the end of the day these are the old Roman days. Only
thing different is I can't behead him, so I'm going to knock him out.
"I do the impossible. I'm the only one to put more
hands on Floyd Mayweather than anyone ever has.
"I don't like to talk too much, but I'm
ready.
"I love this, I'm good at this, we're the
headliners.
"I know that this is a special opportunity for me,
it's the opportunity to crown yourself the King of your city."
"This is the old Roman days, there can only be one
king and I'm taking it back to that. Saturday night, I'm back."
 |
| Paul Malignaggi |
Paulie Malignaggi, Former Two-Time, Two-Division
World Champion
"Team Malignaggi worked really hard this camp and
we're ready.
"I was blown away to be in the main event of such an
incredible card. When I saw the co-features I said 'Wow.'
"Seeing everyone come up here [to the podium]
one-by-one really lets me know how amazing this card is.
"It humbles me and blows me away that I'm still
fighting with these top-level athletes.
"Me and Zab have had a lot of longevity across these
years. The fact that we're still at this level speaks volumes about our skills,
determination and ring savvy.
"Camp has been hard. I was very motivated, even
without a world championship on the line. Zab is right, there can only be one
king.
"Beating a Zab Judah leads to a world title fight. I
have no doubt about it."
"The rewards of winning a fight like this are
motivating in and of itself."
"This is like working in those gladiator days. You
didn't get to pick who you fought. It could've been your friend, but it's either
him or you.
"Somebody has to win and somebody has to lose on
Saturday night. I've prepared very well.
"One thing we say in Brooklyn, is 'Brooklyn, stand
up!' and Saturday I know Brooklyn will stand up."
 |
| Devin Alexander |
Devon Alexander, IBF Welterweight World
Champion
"[To Shawn Porter] I already beat you. So it isn't
going be any different Saturday night.
"I'm ready. I'm 120 percent ready. I'm focused. Shawn
is a solid fighter. He stepped to the plate like some people didn't. You guys
know I was supposed to fight somebody else but Shawn Porter stepped up to the
plate and now I've got to take care of him.
"I'm going to continue to win, continue to prove to
people that I'm an elite fighter, that I deserve to be at the top, and that's
what I'm going to do.
"Come Saturday night my winning ways are going to
continue."
 |
| Shawn Porter |
Shawn Porter, Undefeated Welterweight
Contender
"I'm here, Showtime Shawn Porter is in the
building.
"We had camp in Las Vegas. It was beautiful. It's
been beautiful being here in Brooklyn and I'm ready to do it.
"This was my hardest camp training for my hardest
fight.
"Not to take anything from Alexander, except his
belt, but I know what he's got to bring and I'm ready to handle it."
 |
| Erslandy Lara |
Erislandy Lara, WBA Super Welterweight Interim
World Champion
"I just want to thank my whole team for all the hard
work we've put in this camp"
"On Saturday night, I'm going to be ready for Trout
and we'll see who's got the balls to win this fight"
Austin Trout, Former
Light Middleweight World Champion
 |
| Austin Trout |
"I'm happy to be here, I'm happy to bring it back to
Brooklyn. New York runs in my blood. A lot of people don't know my mother, my
grandmother, were both born and raised here. New York is in my blood.
"Over a year ago I came back to New York and I
retained my title going against Cotto and I'm looking to have a repeat to regain
my title back because I feel like that's my belt.
"Earlier this year I may have lost it, but I learned
a lot from it and it's made me the better, stronger fighter, a stronger
man.
"You all are going to see the reinvention of Austin
Trout Saturday night."
 |
| Sakio Bika |
Sakio Bika, WBC Super Middleweight World
Champion
"I feel so very blessed and so very happy. On
Saturday, Anthony Dirrell says he is going to take the belt off of me. I am not
so sure it will happen. I don't know if he can do it. I don't know if he has the
balls to do it.
"On Saturday it will just be Anthony Dirrell in the
ring. On Saturday Anthony will step in the ring and feel the power."
 |
| Anthony Dirrell |
Anthony Dirrell, Super Middleweight
Contender
"Come Saturday, it's destiny. I've been through a lot
- cancer in 2006. I overcame that. Motorcycle accident that broke my legs and
hands. I overcame that. So Sakio Bika can't hold me back. This is meant to be
and come December 7 it's over. It's going to be trouble for him.
"He looks for the knockout, but doesn't get it every
time. I'm going to be looking for the knockout so that's what's going to
happen.
"So everyone come out and support December 7. It's a
hell of a card."
 |
| Sadam Ali |
Sadam Ali, Undefeated Welterweight and 2008 U.S.
Olympian
"I'm very excited for this fight. Second time
fighting at the Barclays Center, my home, in front of my hometown of course. And
look at the card we have going on, it's going to be so exciting top to bottom
and I'm just ready to go out there and show what I can do."
Marcus Browne, Rising Light Heavyweight Star and
2012 U.S. Olympian
"I'm grateful to be on this card. You've got guys
like Paulie that watched me coming up in the amateurs.
You've got guys like Zab that I watched coming up as
a kid. So this is a beautiful thing with all of these other guys on this card. I
mean it's a great card."
"I'm a fan first, but at the end of the day I've got
to take care of business.
"I'm ready to go on Saturday night and I know these
guys are. So God bless you guys and enjoy the show."
Bernard Hopkins, IBF Light Heavyweight World
Champion and Golden Boy Promotions Partner
"First, there's a lot of history here in Brooklyn.
It's becoming a major hotbed for boxing. At the Barclays Center, we're making
history and I'm happy to be part of that and also part of the
promotion.
"The four televised fights could be a main event on
any day on any card. So to me, it's an early Christmas present to those who tune
in and also come to the fight.
"To see four championship fights in December, closing
out the year with a bang, are something special. But to see Paulie Malignaggi
and Zab Judah, two Brooklyn legends that have basically the same fans, collide
will be an extra treat for fight fans.
"This year has been a great, record-breaking year for
ratings and of course the highest grossing pay-per-view of all time.
"The main event is going to be one of those fights
where don't know who is going to win. It is going to be a barnburner. Its
impossible to say that one guy has a landslide chance of winning. It is just
that close."
Brett Yormark, CEO of Barclays
Center
"Welcome back to the Barclays Center. We appreciate
everyone being here today. We are thrilled to host another outstanding night of
boxing at Barclays Center this Saturday night. The 'Battle of Brooklyn' between
Paulie Malignaggi and Zab Judah has great significance because the two represent
the strength and the resilience of this great borough. As Paulie has said 'It's
exciting to win a world title but it doesn't compare to winning the world
championship of Brooklyn.'
"This is the culmination of our first year of boxing
in Brooklyn, so it's fitting to have two of the greatest fighters from here
taking the ring in this building on Saturday night. More than just a feature
bout, Golden Boy Promotions has delivered an exciting fight card from top to
bottom and we look forward to giving boxing fans another great at Barclays
Center.
"Thanks to fighters like Paulie and Zab, Bernard
Hopkins, Peter Quillin, Danny Jacobs, Danny Garcia, Louis Collazo, Eddie Gomez
and up-and-comers like Marcus Browne, Sadam Ali and many others, Barclays Center
has become the heart of boxing on the East Coast. It has also become a place for
local boxers to become inspired to become future champs."
Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and
General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports
"This is a special card. There's really no other way
to describe it. When we, Golden Boy, Barclays Center and SHOWTIME first began
putting this card together, we wanted it to be something special, something
memorable to cap off the year.
"We quickly decided that we wanted not just one or
two good fights, or even, three good fights, but four high-quality, competitive,
evenly matched fights. Three world title fights capped off by the 'Battle of
Brooklyn' between Paulie and Zab, the two most well-known and accomplished
fighters from Brooklyn in the sport today.
"As Bernard pointed out, it's no exaggeration to say
that these are four main-event quality fights. Sakio Bika and Anthony Dirrell
have been main event fighters. Erislandy Lara and Austin Trout have both been
main event fighters. Devon has been in numerous main event fights and of course,
we all are familiar with Paulie and Zab's great history.
"This is the type of card that SHOWTIME has become
known for. High quality and competitive fights top to bottom. No mismatches, no
one or two fight cards.
"Most of all I'd
like to thank the fighters, acknowledge that it takes the commitment of the
fighters to fight tough fights. It's something that often goes unrecognized, but
every fighter on this card has agreed to, has made the commitment, to fight in a
tough fight. And that's what makes this card so special."
# # #
ABOUT
"JUDAH VS. MALIGNAGGI":
Judah vs.
Malignaggi is a 12-round fight
for the NABF Welterweight title taking place on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013 at
Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The event is promoted by Golden Boy
Promotions in association with Super Judah Promotions and sponsored by Corona,
AT&T, Grudge Match and Casamigos Tequila. In the co-featured bout, Devon
Alexander puts his IBF welterweight title on the line in a 12-round bout against
Shawn Porter, Erislandy Lara defends his interim WBA Super Welterweight title in
a 12-round fight against Austin Trout and Sakio Bika defends his WBC Super
Middleweight title against Anthony Dirrell in a 12-round bout. The SHOWTIME
telecast begins at 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT immediately following ALL ACCESS:
Broner vs. Maidana which begins at 7:30 p.m. ET/ 4:30 p.m. PT. The telecast will
be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).
Tickets
priced at $250, $125, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes and service
charges, available through Joseph Dimitri by calling 718-942-9669 or email jdimitri@brooklynnets.com
No comments:
Post a Comment