Thursday, October 3, 2019

Golovkin-Derevyanchenko Final Presser Quotes


Credit: Amanda Westcott/DAZN 

Press Release: By DAZN – NEW YORK, October 2, 2019  Boxing’s pound-for-pound superstar attraction Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin (39-1-1, 35 KOs) from Karaganda, Kazakhstan and Brooklyn-based Ukrainian challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko (13-1, 10 KOs) gathered for the final press conference before their much-anticipated battle for the vacant IBF/IBO World Middleweight titles on Saturday, Oct. 5, live from Madison Square Garden in New York and streamed exclusively on DAZN. Golovkin, who has worn a world championship belt every year since 2010, is trying to extend that streak into 2019. It is one of several highlights this fight season on DAZN – an entire fall featuring boxing’s biggest matchups in one of the best schedules in boxing history.

Quotes from today’s press conference are below.


Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin

“I’m so happy. I’m happy because my opponent is so great, so strong, everybody is ready. Everything is ready. I want to say thanks to people who support boxing, who support my team, who support this show, and support DAZN. This is a great time for me and a great time for boxing right now. I’m ready. I’m so excited.”
“We had more time this camp than previously. We have a lot of understanding of each other, we tried a lot of different things. Of course we always need more time than we’re allowed, the more time we have, the more we can try, the better we’ll be. Lots has been done. We’ve come a long way. And we’ve accomplished a lot. We will demonstrate whatever we achieved this Saturday.”

“Let’s be honest. At this level, every contender is serious. Sergiy has a lot of experience. We’re talking about two belts here and he has been a contender before. We are approaching this as serious as we can.”

How likely is a fight vs. Ryota Murata and would you go to Japan for it? “Of course that would be very interesting. Murata is an Olympic champion, a world champion, and the platform we are on – DAZN – is developing at a fast pace in Japan currently. I think this is something that would be very interesting. Of course I’ll be willing to go to Japan. Look at what Eddie’s doing right now as an example, with the Ruiz vs. Joshua rematch organized in Saudi Arabia. This is an example for the development of boxing. Of course, the same level needs to be maintained, it should be adequate support and if all the requirements are met, we’ll be open to going to Japan.”

“If you want me to move to 168, make it interesting. And, that would be a temporary move up because I’m a natural middleweight. So going to 168 would be going outside of my comfort zone. I feel very comfortable at 160.”

Thoughts on Canelo vs. Kovalev: “I think that was his only option. Of all the offers he had, the only option was for him to take the fight with Kovalev. I don’t know if he’s going to win, but I know that Kovalev is gaining more from that fight than Canelo.”

Johnathon Banks – Trainer to Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin

“Any camp with GGG is special. The only difference between this camp and the last camp is we had a longer amount of time but the goal is always the same. The longer we’re together, the better things can be.”

“I don’t think it should always be my way or the highway, since the fighter is the one who’s closest to the action. For me, I like to talk to the solider who’s going into battle because he sees things that the general up high on the horse may not see, and I also might see things that he doesn’t see. That’s why it’s a team and a great collaboration.”

“[Camp] felt like a year, no offense, it was long but time flies when you have fun. For me, it’s a great pleasure to be in the gym with GGG because he loves to be in the gym. He loves what he does and I love what I do, so it’s a pleasure to be there working with a like-minded individual and to perfect the craft.”

“Everybody says every training camp is a good training camp. This one was like all the rest, it was a good camp. GGG and I are looking forward to this fight on Saturday night. I think it’s going to be a very competitive fight. I think it’s going to be a tooth and nail type of fight. For me, way before this fight was announced, I was always looking at Derevyanchenko and always thought he was a good fighter. I just think this is going to be one of those fights where everyone keeps standing up, sitting down, and it’s going to be another 4th of July. Just looking at the style of the two individuals, it makes a good fight. Gatti and Ward are two guys tailor made for each other and I believe that this fight is going to be that tooth and nail type of fight too.”

Eddie Hearn – President of Matchroom Boxing USA

“Sometimes we have to pinch ourselves at how far DAZN has come over this 12 month period. When you look at the roster of fighters, when you look at the full schedule of DAZN right now – unquestionably, it’s the #1 schedule in the sport of boxing. There’ve been some great fights made on other networks but most of the time you have to pay $80 for a single one. DAZN is changing that - $99.99 for the year. Their schedule is completely head and shoulders above every other platform in the business right now. We’re passionate about what we do and it’s only just getting started. Things are only just getting warm, they haven’t even heated up yet. These guys are invested in the sport.”

“The plan is Saturday night and Gennadiy becoming a two time world middleweight champion. We already have plans beyond that in my head but for the fighter it’s Saturday night only. The key is to stay active and stay in control and build your destiny globally. There are so many options in terms of 160 and 168 and I think it’s so exciting, and we as a team are very excited about 2020, but also as a team understand that first things first – Saturday night. We have multiple options worldwide for Gennadiy to box around the world, but this Saturday night is so important for the career and future of Gennadiy.”

“Integrity and respect are two things we don’t see too much of these days in boxing, but this is something this man carries at all times. I prefer – role model and ambassador. Someone we can really pin the sport of boxing to, and watch how he carries himself to inspire a younger generation to promote this sport how it should be promoted.”

“Don’t waste your breath with the question, who will you fight next? The answer is absolutely anyone. That’s why Gennadiy Golovkin is such a throwback fighter. Anybody. We know what he gave in this obligation, what he committed to, there is no one in the sport of boxing that Gennadiy Golovkin won’t fight. But the only thing that matters right now is Saturday night and a chance for this young man to make history.”

Tom Loeffler – GGG Promotions

“This will be GGG’s 7th time here at MSG. Most fighters dream of fighting here but to do this for the 7th time, I believe he is the active fighter with the most fights here at the Mecca of Boxing. We’re proud of that, we’re proud to have built him here. Regardless of who he fights, what style, he always makes it exciting. Even if the fighter is very defensive, Gennadiy finds a way to knock him out.”

“A fight like this wouldn’t be possible without the support of DAZN. DAZN signed GGG to a multi-fight deal. The schedule that DAZN has come up with this fall, when you have the top names in boxing fighting on the same streaming service, it’s a big statement to how far they’ve come.”

“This fight is between two guys that actually want to fight. [GGG] doesn’t back away from anyone. Anyone you put in front of him, he’s never wavered, he always wants to fight the best, he considers Sergiy Derevyanchenko one of the best right now. For Andre Rozier, this is the third time he’s taking a bite of the GGG apple, some people say third time’s the charm, but I think Johnathon Banks would definitely disagree with that.”

Sergiy Derevyanchenko

“I have to work on my jab, I have to stay focused on my jab. I also can’t stay in one place so he doesn’t get comfortable. If I work and punch the angles, that’s going to be my shot. I’ve got a lot of confidence in myself, I also have confidence in my team. When we get into the ring, we’ll do everything to win that fight. We’ve had a phenomenal camp leading up to this fight and I’m extremely motivated. Saturday night, I’m ready to rock and roll. There was a void the last two camps not having Andre there. This camp, the whole team is together and I feel a tangible difference. If I fight with Andre in my corner, it’s an advantage. I not only listen to him, I actually execute on the game plan that Andre has. They see things that I don’t see, and they bring it to me. I think the experience that Andre has against him is going to help me. Andre knows his strengths and weaknesses and he’s shown me a game plan for it.”

“I’m not betting on the fact that Golovkin is getting older, he’s still a very dangerous fighter. Golovkin is still very motivated.”

“This just means my career is progressing the way it should progress, I should fight in small venues and graduate to bigger venues. It means that my team is doing the right things for me. The thing that’s left is the world championship title. I want to fight everyone in the middleweight division and the goal is to beat everybody. To be a true star in boxing you have to fight the best people, and this is the next step. Everyone always wants to talk about how many belts you have, who you beat, all the names that you beat. So, this is what you need to do to get to that next level.”

Andre Rozier – Trainer to Sergiy Derevyanchenko

“We are a team. This was a fantastic training camp and you often hear people say – that was the best training camp ever. This was THE best, and I repeat THE best training camp ever. Why? Because this young man is the best athlete anyone can ever work with. We’re fortunate enough to have him in our family. He knows that, he doesn’t say a lot, it’s either yes or no, and sometimes it’s just a shake of the head, but his work ethic is dedication to the sport and his diligence is why he’s going to rise to the top and be victorious on Saturday.”

“[GGG] is a fantastic young man, he’s always been a consummate professional when I’ve had the chance to face him, and this I assume is going to be the same thing. He’s going to come ready to rock and roll and be that special individual but we have a major, major force he will be facing on Saturday. This time, it’s going to be a truly difficult task for him to overcome.”

Keith Connolly – Manager to Sergiy Derevyanchenko

“If he wins this fight, he’s an eight-figure fighter. He won’t step into the ring unless he makes at least $10 million regardless of who he fights next. He actually wanted to fight Canelo more than he wanted to fight GGG, thought it was a better fight stylistically. So he’d welcome a Canelo fight. They’d have to step up to the plate and pay top dollar. But first he has to win Saturday night, and then he’ll be in a life-changing position.”

“I can legitimately say the kid is not nervous. He’s cool as a cucumber and he’s ready for the 5th. You don’t have 410 amateur fights and win 390 of them and not have a chance to win the fight against Gennadiy on Saturday. He definitely has a chance to pull it out.”

Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment

“This stretch that DAZN is about to have is a stretch that is good for the sport of boxing. Unlike some people, I never screamed pay-per-view is dead but you do have to look at value. To be able to see what you’re about to see on DAZN with GGG and Derevyanchenko, and back-to-back-to-back major events like Canelo vs. Kovalev, Andy Ruiz and Joshua, those would absolutely be pay-per-view events. And it’s less than $9 a month. If you subscribe now for a year, it’s less than $27 – that’s a third of a pay-per-view. And there are three fights coming up that would all be pay-per-view, not to mention everything around it. If you’re a boxing fan, you have to acknowledge the value that is DAZN and subscribe now. Just $27 between now and the end of the year is one of the great bargains in boxing.”

“As great as I think [GGG] is, and I think he’s one of the greatest of all time, walking into the hall of fame on the 5th anniversary of the day he stops fighting, one of the greatest fighters to come out of his country, one of the greatest fighters to come out of Eastern Europe, all good things must end. We’re not bringing Sergiy to just compete – he’s showing up to win. GGG has always fought the best fights available to him, and he’s always been that much better. But, Sergiy belongs in there with him. And on Saturday night, Sergiy is going to upset the applecart and shock the world.”

Joseph Markowski, EVP of DAZN North America

“We are one year into our love affair with boxing, and we’re very excited to be back here in the Garden. Many of you saw our fall advertising campaign premier during last weekend’s Sunday Night Football matchup, which had the biggest ever audience over the last four or five years. The reason why we’re so confident about buying that advertising real estate is because we believe we have the strongest schedule in the history of boxing. Fight season on DAZN will be serving up the biggest events this fall, including the rematch of biggest heavyweight upset in decades: Ruiz vs. Joshua II on Dec. 7, and before that, Canelo against Kovalev on Nov. 2, and a fantastic crossover bout to bring a whole new audience into boxing with KSI vs. Logan II on Nov. 9. But it all kicks off this Saturday with Gennadiy Golovkin back in title action. We’re tremendously excited about that. Sergiy – welcome to DAZN. Gennadiy – you’ve been a great partner, this is a huge test for you to get through and we’re excited to broadcast that live and exclusively on DAZN.”

Joel Fisher, EVP of Marquee Events and Operations at Madison Square Garden

“As always, we’re extremely excited to host another great night of championship boxing here at the Garden, at the Mecca of Boxing. There’s no better place to see a boxing match than MSG. I want to welcome the Big Drama Show back to the Garden. We have a tremendous and great relationship with Gennadiy, this will be his 7th fight here, and there’s nothing like the great fans of New York, his great fans. Saturday night he’s going to face a really tough opponent. We’ve seen him fight here before, his fight against Daniel Jacobs was just an incredible fight so he’s going to put up an incredible match. He’s really hungry. I think this has got all the ingredients for a great, great fight.”


Promoted by GGG Promotions and Matchroom Boxing USA in association with DiBella Entertainment, remaining tickets to the latest action-packed episode of the Big Drama Show may be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.msg.com.

For more information, fans can follow DAZN’s U.S. social channels: @DAZNUSA on Facebook, @DAZN_USA for Twitter, and DAZN_USA for Instagram.

About DAZN:
DAZN is the largest global sports streaming platform in the world. Since launching in 2016, DAZN has expanded across four continents with the app currently available for download in the United States, Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Japan and Brazil. In the U.S., DAZN has made its mark as an attractive alternative to pay-per-view within the combat sports industry. The platform features big fights from Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, GGG Promotions, Bellator MMA, the World Boxing Super Series and Combate Americas, all for one affordable price, on any device - including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. DAZN also features live MLB action each day of the season with its new daily show, ChangeUp. The much-anticipated daily program The Pat McAfee Show launched in September.

For more information about DAZN including schedules, compatible streaming devices/platforms/smart TVs, availability around the world, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com.

Material Courtesy of: DAZN/Photo Courtesy of: Amanda Westcott/DAZN Used with permission.

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