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BERTO: “This Fight Sells Itself”

Published

11 years ago

July 25, 2013

The Sweet Science

ANDRE-BERTO-vs.-JESUS-SOTO-KARASS25-7-2013

ANDRE BERTO vs. JESUS SOTO KARASS

KNOCKOUT KINGS II FIGHT WEEK MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES & PHOTOS

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Tripleheader

Saturday, July 27, LIVE on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT)

From AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas

Here is a short video to whet your appetite.

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ANDRE BERTO, Former Two-Time Welterweight World Champion:

“Everything has been going well. I have a new team with Virgil Hunter and we've been putting in good work. San Antonio asked for me and we're here. Saturday night is definitely going to be something to tune into.

“Soto Karass is a tough opponent, but I'm here to represent and give these people a real good show.

“Our styles match up well. It sets up for an exciting fight. He's a tough veteran that keeps going and brings the action and I'm one of the top guys that like to dish out punishment. This fight sells itself.

“I feel like I just need to go in here and do what I know how to do. I'm positive that I can do the things that I know how to do. If I do that, it might be a short night. It's called Knockout Kings, baby.”

JESUS SOTO KARASS, Veteran Welterweight Contender:

“I'm getting into the ring to kick my opponent's ass. That's my game plan.

“I'm ready. I'm two pounds away [from making weight]. The weight is not a problem. I can't wait until Saturday night. The Mexican fans here motivate me and I'm going to show why I'm the champion on Saturday

night.

“I want to tell fans to come support and help Jesse James Leijah and Mike Battah in their campaign to support breast cancer awareness. I'm a part of it. Please come and donate $10. It's cheaper than a six pack.”

OMAR FIGUEROA JR., Undefeated Texas Rising Star & Number Three Rated WBC Lightweight Contender:

“This is it. This is what we've been working so hard for.

“I live only four hours away, so this totally feels like home. Texas has the best fans in the world and I'm glad to be a Texan.

“My plan is to go in there and give a great fight. He's a great guy and he's ranked number one for a reason. I've prepared really hard for this fight and I'm ready to go 12 hard rounds.

“This is what it comes down to. It's the bottom of the ninth, two outs, full count. There's no room for butterflies.

“This is what we've been working for 17 years for and it's finally here. I'm not going to let it slip.”

NIHITO ARAKAWA, Number One Rated WBC Lightweight Contender:

“It's great to get this opportunity for a world title. I'm going to bring the world championship back home with me.

“I don't care what people say. I'm just happy to have the chance to fight. I know he's the favorite here in Texas, but I'm ready. I'm ready to get in the ring.”

DIEGO CHAVEZ, WBA Interim Welterweight World Champion:

“We've worked very hard. I've had two opportunities with Paulie Malignaggi slip away and fall out, so it's been a long time out of the ring, but I'm back in shape and ready to go. We know Thurman is very strong and he's coming to fight, but I'm prepared for that.

“The strategy is no secret. Thurman is a strong kid and he's going to come forward. I can't let him come forward. I have to meet him in the center of the ring and land my punches.

“My punches are strong and they're going to hurt him. Nobody has ever hurt him before. I think my punches will and I'll stop him before the 10^th round.

“My title stays with me and it's going back to Argentina. I'm going to knock him out.”

KEITH THURMAN, Undefeated Number Four Rated WBA Welterweight Contender:

“I've been training real hard back in my camp in Florida. It's about to be a fight Saturday night. Someone is going to sleep, I can guarantee you that. No matter what side of the fence you're on, you better bet on the KO. No lie. One time, baby…that's the nickname. I come and bring it all the time.

“It's going to be a show. This is a great card with a great undercard. It's Knockout Kings II and we're trying to do it big here in San Antonio.

“I guarantee Saturday night you're going to see a great performance. I'm a warrior for life. I prepare for death in every battle. I'm not scared of this. He's 22-0 with 18 KO's and I'm 20-0 with 18 KO's. That's why I can guarantee you someone is going to sleep.

“Come out and show your support, but don't blink.”

ANTHONY DIRRELL, Undefeated Super Middleweight Contender:

“I will knock him out, but I'm not going for it.

“My brother beat him, but that has nothing to do with me. I'm just too good for him. He has nothing on me.

“After I beat him, I want a [world] championship. I'm going for Sakio Bika. That's next. That's the belt I want.

“I had the best training camp of my life. There's no way I lose this fight.”

ANTHONY HANSHAW, Super Middleweight Contender:

“Training camp was good. I'm ready to go. I just came off of a bad loss. I should have won the fight, but I'm ready to go. I'm in tip top shape. I didn't take any time off. I got this call and I was ready to go.

“I fought his brother and that pushes me. I fought Andre, but I wasn't in good shape. I went into camp at 205 pound and had to get down to 168. I was weak, but I'm good now. I don't think about his brother at all. I'm ready to go.”

EMANUEL LEDEZMA, San Antonio Super Middleweight Prospect:

“It feels great fighting in my back yard. We have a lot of die-hard fans here that want to see a good show, so we're going to give it to them.

“We hit it hard. We always do. This fight is a rematch. I already beat this guy and I'm going to do it again. I did rock him in the fourth round last time, but this time if I do catch him, I'm going to finish him.

“I always prepare 100 percent, but as San Antonians we have to make a statement. We have to let people know that when they come into our house we're going to make them feel it. This guy wants to come into our house and make a ruckus and we're not going to let it happen.”

FELIX PIEDRA, Super Middleweight Prospect:

“I'm here to make a statement. He's a local favorite, but I'll have some fans form Weslaco here rooting for me. I'm going to win over the San Antonio fans by the end of the night.”

ABOUT “KNOCKOUT KINGS II”

“Knockout Kings II,“ featuring former Two-Time Welterweight World Champion Andre Berto facing tough Mexican veteran contender Jesus Soto Karass in a 12-round main event for the vacant NABF Welterweight Championship, takes place Saturday, July 27 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Leija & Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. In the 12-round co-featured attractions, Weslaco, Texas' undefeated rising star Omar Figueroa Jr. squares off against Japan's Nihito Arakawa for the vacant WBC Interim Lightweight World Championship in a fight promoted in association with Teiken Promotions and undefeated power-puncher Diego Chaves faces fellow unbeaten knockout artist Keith Thurman for Chaves' WBA Interim Welterweight World Championship in a fight promoted in association with KO International. The tripleheader will be broadcast live on SHOWTIME® at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT and will be available in Spanish via second audio programming (SAP). Preliminary fights will air on SHOWTIME EXTREME^® at7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

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2015 Fight of the Year – Francisco Vargas vs Takashi Miura

Published

9 years ago

January 4, 2016

The Sweet Science

The WBC World Super Featherweight title bout between Francisco Vargas and Takashi Miura came on one of the biggest boxing stages of 2015, as the bout served as the HBO pay-per-view’s co-main event on November 21st, in support of Miguel Cotto vs Saul Alvarez.

Miura entered the fight with a (29-2-2) record and he was making the fifth defense of his world title, while Vargas entered the fight with an undefeated mark of (22-0-1) in what was his first world title fight. Both men had a reputation for all-out fighting, with Miura especially earning high praise for his title defense in Mexico where he defeated Sergio Thompson in a fiercely contested battle.

The fight started out hotly contested, and the intensity never let up. Vargas seemed to win the first two rounds, but by the fourth round, Miura seemed to pull ahead, scoring a knock-down and fighting with a lot of confidence. After brawling the first four rounds, Miura appeared to settle into a more technical approach. Rounds 5 and 6 saw the pendulum swing back towards Vargas, as he withstood Miura’s rush to open the fifth round and the sixth round saw both men exchanging hard punches.

The big swinging continued, and though Vargas likely edged Miura in rounds 5 and 6, Vargas’ face was cut in at least two spots and Miura started to assert himself again in rounds 7 and 8. Miura was beginning to grow in confidence while it appeared that Vargas was beginning to slow down, and Miura appeared to hurt Vargas at the end of the 8th round.

Vargas turned the tide again at the start of the ninth round, scoring a knock down with an uppercut and a straight right hand that took Miura’s legs and sent him to the canvas. Purely on instinct, Miura got back up and continued to fight, but Vargas was landing frequently and with force. Referee Tony Weeks stepped in to stop the fight at the halfway point of round 9 as Miura was sustaining a barrage of punches.

Miura still had a minute and a half to survive if he was going to get out of the round, and it was clear that he was not going to stop fighting.

A back and forth battle of wills between two world championship level fighters, Takashi Miura versus “El Bandido” Vargas wins the 2015 Fight of the Year.

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Jan 9 in Germany – Feigenbutz and De Carolis To Settle Score

Published

9 years ago

January 4, 2016

The Sweet Science

This coming Saturday, January 9th, the stage is set at the Baden Arena in Offenburg, Germany for a re-match between Vincent Feigenbutz and Giovanni De Carolis. The highly anticipated re-match is set to air on SAT.1 in Germany, and Feigenbutz will once again be defending his GBU and interim WBA World titles at Super Middleweight.

The first meeting between the two was less than three months ago, on October 17th and that meeting saw Feigenbutz controversially edge De Carolis on the judge’s cards by scores of (115-113, 114-113 and 115-113). De Carolis scored a flash knock down in the opening round, and he appeared to outbox Feigenbutz in the early going, but the 20 year old German champion came on in the later rounds.

The first bout is described as one of the most crowd-pleasing bouts of the year in Germany, and De Carolis and many observers felt that the Italian had done enough to win.

De Carolis told German language website RAN.DE that he was more prepared for the re-match, and that due to the arrogance Feigenbutz displayed in the aftermath of the first fight, he was confident that he had won over some of the audience. Though De Carolis fell short of predicting victory, he promised a re-vamped strategy tailored to what he has learned about Feigenbutz, whom he termed immature and inexperienced.

The stage is set for Feigenbutz vs De Carolis 2, this Saturday January 9th in Offenburg, Germany. If you can get to the live event do it, if not you have SAT.1 in Germany airing the fights, and The Boxing Channel right back here for full results.

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2015 Knock Out of the Year – Saul Alvarez KO’s James Kirkland

Published

9 years ago

December 29, 2015

The Sweet Science

On May 9th of 2015, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez delivered a resonant knock-out of James Kirkland on HBO that wins the 2015 KO of the Year.

The knock-out itself came in the third round, after slightly more than two minutes of action. The end came when Alvarez delivered a single, big right hand that caught Kirkland on the jaw and left him flat on his back after spinning to the canvas.Alvarez was clearly the big star heading into the fight. The fight was telecast by HBO for free just one week after the controversial and disappointing Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao fight, and Alvarez was under pressure to deliver the type of finish that people were going to talk about. Kirkland was happy to oblige Alvarez, taking it right to Alvarez from the start. Kirkland’s aggression saw him appear to land blows that troubled the young Mexican in the early going. Alvarez played good defense, and he floored Kirkland in the first round, displaying his power and his technique in knocking down an aggressive opponent.

However, Kirkland kept coming at Alvarez and the fight entered the third round with both men working hard and the feeling that the fight would not go the distance. Kirkland continued to move forward, keeping “Canelo” against the ropes and scoring points with a barrage of punches while looking for an opening.

At around the two minute mark, Alvarez landed an uppercut that sent Kirkland to the canvas again. Kirkland got up, but it was clear that he did not have his legs under him. Kirkland was going to try to survive the round, but Alvarez had an opportunity to close out the fight. The question was would he take it?

Alvarez closed in on Kirkland, putting his opponent’s back to the ropes. Kirkland was hurt, but he was still dangerous, pawing with punches and loading up for one big shot.

But it was the big shot “Canelo” threw that ended the night. Kirkland never saw it coming, as he was loading up with a huge right hand of his own. The right Alvarez threw cracked Kirkland in the jaw, and his eyes went blank. His big right hand whizzed harmlessly over the head of a ducking Alvarez, providing the momentum for the spin that left Kirkland prone on the canvas.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez went on to defeat Miguel Cotto in his second fight of 2015 and he is clearly one of boxing’s biggest stars heading into 2016. On May 9th Alvarez added another reel to his highlight film when he knocked out James Kirkland with the 2015 “Knock Out of the Year”.

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