Jacobs-Chavez Final Press Conference Quotes

Press Release: By DAZN – PHOENIX, Arizona, Dec. 17, 2019 – Fight Season on DAZN closes out the year with a stacked card featuring Daniel ‘Miracle Man’ Jacobs making his super middleweight debut at 168 lbs. against Mexican star Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on Friday, Dec. 20 at the Talking Stick Resort Arena. 

Credit:Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA

The main card of the evening will highlight Julio Cesar Martinez taking on Cristofer Rosales for the vacant WBC World Flyweight title in a 12-round bout, and Maurice Hooker will make his welterweight debut against Uriel Perez in a 10-round bout. The preliminary bouts will showcase Liam Smith battling Roberto Garcia, Josh Kelly going up against Winston Campos, and undefeated Rashad Mati taking on Rakim Johnson.

Ahead of their bouts, the fighters took the podium in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon to discuss their preparation, and excitement going into Friday night.

DAZN coverage on Friday night will begin at 7 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. MST, with the main card starting at 9 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. MST.

Eddie Hearn

“We’re happy to be here in Arizona. What a year we have had on DAZN, our first year promoting shows here in America. Tons of great fights, and who can forget the sweet moment when Anthony Joshua recaptured the heavyweight championship of the world in Saudi Arabia. We’re ready for another big night on Friday. We’re learning so much about the American market, and coming here seeing the response from Arizona has been incredible. It’s going to be a terrific atmosphere for the main event, Jacobs vs. Chavez Jr. at 168 lbs., and can’t wait for the young fighters coming through on the undercard. This is a big fight week, and so much talent we’re going to talk too.

It has been a magical year, this fight for me was a natural for me. When Jacobs lost the middleweight title to Canelo Alvarez we felt it was time to move up to the super middleweight division. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. we know about the popularity with Julio, his father, this seemed like a natural fight to make. If you’ve watched on social media, Julio’s preparation for this fight, it looks like he has been training seven to eight times a day for this fight. This is Julio’s big opportunity to come back, and for Daniel Jacobs it’s his time to set up a shot at the world title in 2020.”

Daniel ‘Miracle Man’ Jacobs

“First off l like to thank the fans of Arizona. The amount of attention I’ve gotten has been through the roof. The fight fans are excited for a big fight card such as this, and I look forward to putting on a great show. I want to thank Eddie Hearn, Matchroom and DAZN for allowing to me display my skills on such a platform on such a level every boxer dreams of. I want to thank Chavez  for accepting this fight, and his lawyer for doing a such a great job for making this fight happen.

This is a great opportunity for me. I’m stepping up to the super middleweight division. I feel like this is the perfect weight for me. I’m two pounds away from 168 lbs., and that’s probably the first time ever. I’m probably going to eat breakfast the morning of the fight. I feel strong, my whole camp has been positive and happy. I couldn’t have asked for a better camp than what I’ve had. I look forward to displaying those skills we worked on in the gym come Friday night. When I fought for the championship at middleweight and campaigned in the middleweight division for the last two years, you don’t understand the amount damage I put on my body to make weight. We’ve been looking exceptionally well inside the gym, but those last two weeks is when we leave it it in the gym, and now I have the opportunity to carry over the skills, be hydrated, be 100%. Now I can let the skills my team sees, and give the world an opportunity to see that. I look forward to this test come Friday night. God willing we get the victory we can move on to bigger and better things.”

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

“Thank you Eddie Hearn, Matchroom and DAZN for giving me this opportunity. Thank you to Jacobs for giving me this opportunity in my career. I’m ready for this fight on Friday, I’m on a diet, I’m ready. I know Jacobs is a very good boxer and fighter. I’m 100% ready for this fight. I know him, I’ve seen him in fights, saw him in the loss to Canelo. I’m ready this will be a great fight. Thank you to my lawyer for helping me in this big movie with the commission. I’m ready and I came to win this fight.”

Julio Cesar Martinez

“I hope we have a great fight this Friday and let the best man win.”

Cristofer Rosales

“I’m really grateful for being here. I’m grateful for the opportunity to fight here. Blessing for everyone.”

Maurice Hooker

“I’m happy to be here and going to put on a show on Friday. I want to let everyone know in the world to know, I’m back! I’m happy about this fight an hopefully get another title shot at 140 lbs. I don’t want to go out like that, I feel like I’m one of the best at 140, and I’m going to put on a show on Friday. I’m not overlooking my opponent, I know he’s a last minute opponent, he’s a good fighter, and he’s tough. I’m going to show the world why I’m on a whole other level, and show you all why I’m one of the best at 140 lbs.”

Uriel Perez

“I have nothing much to say, I’m really happy for this fight. My rival is a bigger height, but I respect him and all the fighters that are here. Hoping to close very well.”

Roberto Garcia

“I got called for this fight on Sunday, which is awesome because my anniversary was on Saturday. Some think it’s short notice, but it’s not cause as a fighter it’s never short notice. I’m grateful for this opportunity, and I’m going to make the best of it.”

Liam Smith

“Glad to be fighting again. I’m happy we got a good opponent, Roberto Garcia is coming to win. I know he will be fit and ready. I’m in very good shape and had a very good camp. Looking forward to fighting, and want to be back in the mix for the titles.”

DAZN looks forward to kicking off the new year with two highly-anticipated cards featuring junior middleweight champion Jaime Munguia moving up to middleweight to face Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan on Jan. 11, and undefeated middleweight star Demetrius Andrade defends his WBO world middleweight title against contender Luke Keeler in Miami on Thursday, Jan. 30. Also on that card will be IBF world super featherweight titlist Tevin Farmer defending against JoJo Diaz, and unified super bantamweight Daniel Roman defending his titles against Murodjon Akhmadaliev. 

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 service. Since launching in 2016, DAZN has expanded to nine countries across four continents with its app 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 service 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 The Pat McAfee Show, live MLB action each day of the season with its daily show ChangeUp and a growing number of projects from DAZN Originals.

Material Courtesy of DAZN / Photo Courtesy of Ed Mulholland Matchroom Boxing USA Used with permission.

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

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Kiswe and FITE Announce Partnership To Reach International Audiences

Press Release By FITE TV -  New Providence, NJ, December 17, 2019 - Kiswe is proud to announce that we are 

partnering with FITE, the premier global streaming platform for combat sports. The new 

partnership will combine FITE’s live and on-demand programming with Kiswe’s cloud-based 

technology to deliver an unparalleled viewing experience for MMA, wrestling and boxing fans 

around the world.  

FITE will leverage Kiswe’s CloudCast platform to integrate remote commentators into their live 

fights to make combat events originating from around the world accessible to every segment of 

their global audiences. Kiswe and FITE will also work together to enhance the viewing 

experience for fans by enlisting industry experts as guest commentators and adding custom 

features like social media prompts, graphic overlays, stats and more.  

 “We continually seek enhancements and value for our events on FITE, “ asserts FITE COO 

Michael Weber. “Having combat sports programs now available in multiple languages, where 

applicable, is the wave of the future and truly positions FITE as a worldwide digital television 

sports platform for our viewers and our programming partners utilizing Kiswe’s innovative 

technology.” 

“Kiswe Mobile is thrilled to partner with FITE,” says Mike Schabel, CEO of Kiswe Mobile. 

“Combat Sports is one of the few sports that truly has global appeal and reach. We know that 

engagement increases when audiences are allowed to hear the event narrated in their local 

language and from familiar voices. CloudCast helps FITE deliver that high-quality user 

experience at scale. 

International viewers can experience the next CloudCast-powered event by tuning into AEW 

Dynamite on FITE on Wednesday, Dec. 18th at 8pm ET.  

About Kiswe: 

Kiswe provides cloud-based solutions that transform linear TV and content into personalized 

and interactive video experiences to increase viewership and engagement. By partnering with 

visionaries in sports, music and live entertainment to lead the shift in remote production and 

unlock experiences that bring fans closer to live events and shows. Kiswe is headquartered in 

Murray Hill, NJ and has offices in New York City, Washington D.C., London, Belgium, 

Singapore, and South Korea. Kiswe’s other interactive video apps include HBCU GO, PFL Live 

and many more. To learn more about Kiswe Mobile, visit http://www.kiswe.com/. 

About FITE: 

FITE is the premium digital streaming platform for combat sports featuring over 1,000 premium 

live events per year. FITE is available globally through its iOS and Android mobile apps, Apple 

TV, Android TV, ROKU and Amazon Fire TV. In addition, FITE supports Chromecast, PS4, 

Xbox, and 7,000 models of TV sets, streaming MMA, Pro Wrestling, Boxing, Bare Knuckle and 

Traditional Martial Arts live events to its 2.2M registered viewers. Available online at 

www.FITE.tv. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @FITETV and on Facebook at 

https://facebook.com/fitetv. 

Material Courtesy of FITE TV Used with permission. 

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved. 

MIKEY GARCIA SIGNS WITH MATCHROOM BOXING USA

Press Release: December 16, 2019 By DAZN – Mikey Garcia has signed a promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing USA.

Former four-weight World king Garcia (39-1 30 KOs) will return to action on February 29, exclusively live on DAZN, as the California favorite looks to regain his World champion status and continue his glittering career at the elite level.

Garcia, who turned 32 today (December 15) will step back into the ring early in 2020 for the first time since moving up two-weights in March to face Welterweight ruler Errol Spence in a bid to win World honors at a fifth weight, and Garcia is on the hunt for more World title clashes and big name showdowns to add further scalps to a stellar resume that boasts wins over the likes of Adrien Broner, Roman Martinez and Orlando Salido – and Garcia believes that the best is yet to come.

“I am happy to announce my return to the ring for February 29,” said Garcia. “I am eager to make my return and grow my legacy. I look forward to working with Matchroom Boxing USA and DAZN and I want to thank all my fans for the continued support. Fight details will be announced soon and I can’t wait to be back in the ring.”

“I’ve been talking to Mikey for over a year now and I’m so happy to welcome him to the team,” said Eddie Hearn. “Mikey is a standout star and I’m looking forward to working with him on big fights moving forward. 

“He will return to the ring on February 29 and we will be announcing the opponent and venue shortly. The talent within Matchroom and on DAZN is unprecedented – we look forward to an epic 2020!”

“Mikey Garcia joining the DAZN roster will allow us to deliver even greater value to our subscribers as our Fight Season schedule begins to take shape for 2020,” said Joseph Markowski, DAZN EVP, North America. “We’re a data-led business and so we’re naturally drawn to the fact that Mikey has consistently delivered numbers - whether it’s been television audience, pay-per-view buys or ticket sales. We look forward to welcoming his fans to DAZN on Leap Year Day."

Material Courtesy of: DAZN Used with permission.

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

The Boxing Truth®️is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

CANOY VS. JOYI WORLD TITLE FIGHT WEIGH-IN

Press Release: By Sanman Promotions – EAST LONDON, SOUTH AFRICA. Joey Canoy (W15 KO8 L3 D1) easily makes weight and tipped the scales at 103.5 pounds while former minimumweight world champion Nkosinathi Joyi (W28 KO19 L5 D1) weighed a pound heavier at 104.5 pounds in their weigh-in for the IBO World Minimumweight belt. The fight will be held tomorrow, December 16, 2019 at the ICC Hotel,  East London South Africa. 

Credit: Sanman Promotions  

Canoy has been on knockout winning streaking recently beating Ryan Makiputin and Rodel Tejares. Meanwhile, Joyi’s latest win was a unanimous decision against Nhlanhla Tyirha for the WBO African light flyweight title. Joyi has the experience advantage having faced former world champions including two TKO losses to our Filipino champion Rey Loreto.

“I had no problem making weight. I know I’m fighting on enemy’s turf so I cannot let this end at the judges’ hands. I believe in the integrity of the judges but a win will be easier if I go for the knockout. This is a make or break fight for me. I will give it my everything. I am determined to bring home that belt and settle for bigger fights next year”, Canoy stated.

Material and Photo Courtesy of: Sanman Promotions Used with permission.

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved. 

Ortiz-Soloman Weights

The official weigh-in for Friday night’s Boxing card promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, headlined by a twelve round Welterweight bout between undefeated rising contender Vergil Ortiz and Brad Soloman, took place on Thursday in Indio, CA. The official weights for the entire card are as follows.

Main Event: Welterweight  - 12Rds.

Vergil Ortiz 146 3/4lbs. vs. Brad Soloman 146 3/4lbs.

Super-Middleweight - 10Rds.

Bektemir Melikuziev 167 1/2lbs. vs. Vaughn Alexander 166 1/2lbs.

Lightweight - 10Rds. 

Alberto Merchado 135 1/4lbs.  vs. Luis Porozo 134lbs. 

Welterweight - 10Rds.

Alexis Roacha 146 1/2lbs. vs. Roberto Valenzuela 146 3/4lbs.

North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Jr. Welterweight championship - 10Rds. 

Luis Feliciano (Champion) 140lbs. vs. Herbert Acevedo 139 1/4lbs.

Ortiz vs. Soloman takes place Tonight (Friday, December 13th) at Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino in Indio, CA. The card can be seen on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN in the United States and several international countries beginning at 7:30PM ET/4:30PM PT (U.S. Time.)

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, availability around the world, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com. Check your local listings internationally.

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved. 

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison 

Ruiz-Joshua II: Boxing 101

The circumstances that led to the rematch between unified IBF/WBO/WBA/IBO Heavyweight world champion Andy Ruiz and former champion Anthony Joshua had intrigue from start to finish. It began with Ruiz scoring an improbable upset by stopping the previously unbeaten Joshua in June in Madison Square Garden. An upset alone often warrants a rematch on its own, but the circumstances that led to that first encounter as well as what led to the immediate rematch were as much a part of the story as what took place inside the ring.

Circumstances that saw Ruiz a top contender and former world title challenger step into a world championship fight on limited notice was at the core of the story back in June of this year. The question of how prepared Ruiz would be after taking the fight on limited notice was logical to ask. What did not get much attention prior to that fight was the effect a change of opponent had on Joshua and the stresses the then champion had to endure before facing Ruiz.

First, Joshua was making his United States debut and had  chosen to do so in the hallowed halls of Madison Square Garden. This alone is enough to elevate an athlete’s stress level, but when one adds the contributing factor of an originally scheduled opponent was pulled from the fight following testing positive for banned substances, it is not hard to understand how a fighter may not be focused after a change in opposition is made.

As most know, it was Andy Ruiz who was able to capitalize on the biggest opportunity of his career in stopping Joshua in seven rounds. Although it was known almost immediately that Joshua would invoke his immediate rematch clause, there was a question as to whether or not that would be the case in part due to Ruiz’ promotional ties being under the banner of the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) brand as well as his initial rejection of the rematch taking place where it ultimately would, Saudi Arabia.

Fortunately for the fans of the sport, the fighters themselves, as well as the intention of exposing Boxing to a new audience, the politics of the sport did not play much of a factor in determining if the rematch would be an immediate one. The second encounter between Andy Ruiz and Anthony Joshua took place on December 7^th in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia at the newly opened Diriyah Arena. An outdoor venue that held 15,000 spectators.

Despite consistent rain throughout the evening, it would not have a factor on the fight. This rematch centered on one person in this observer’s eyes, the former champion Anthony Joshua. Those who read the preview of this rematch penned byyours truly in the days before the fight, I stated that it was my view that Joshua needed to fight a tactical fight from start to finish in order to be successful.

While this differed significantly from the norm for Joshua, who had prior to the first fight had scored knockouts in twenty-one of twenty-two professional fights prior to the first fight, it was something I felt was necessary and if it could be executed well would only benefit him in his career going forward. This of course is often easier said than done and the question was if this were Joshua’s strategy this time around, whether he would be able to maintain a disciplined approach for the entire fight.

What was immediately evident was Joshua used more side to side movement than was the case in the first encounter. Although an approach where a fighter chooses to use their physical advantages to their advantage does not always translate into entertaining bouts to watch, Boxing purists likely enjoyed the way Anthony Joshua fought this fight. By understanding the physics of the fight and knowing the if he used his height and reach advantage over the champion, it allowed Joshua to control the combat. Working behind a consistent jab and using lateral movement to avoid being a stationary target, Joshua was able to execute his fight plan extremely well.

An element of this rematch that received significant attention centered on the weight of the champion going into this fight. Ruiz, who weighed in at 268lbs. for the first fight, had said that he intended to come in lighter for the rematch. This was not the case however, as the champion weighed in at 283lbs. fifteen pounds heavier than when he won the title in the first fight.

Although Andy Ruiz has never had the physique that would suggest that he is a top Heavyweight, let alone a world champion, I do not believe that the issue of weight was the overriding factor in his performance in the rematch, which was not similar to the one that we saw in the first encounter. The champion had trouble cutting the ring off and neutralizing Joshua’s movement and despite maintaining a hand speed advantage over the former champion, he simply could not get into a consistent rhythm.

While some have said since the fight took place that this could be attributed strictly to Ruiz’ weight, in this observer’s eyes it has more to do with the difference in Joshua’s performance and strategy as compared to the first fight. Perhaps Ruiz felt that Joshua was not capable of making adjustments for the rematch and may have expected a similar style to be standing across the ring from him as was the case back in June. This obvi,ously is purely speculation, but it would not be the first time that a world champion would make an assumption prior to a rematch.

Despite having moments periodically throughout the twelve round bout, Ruiz was unable to force Joshua to break from his disciplined approach and that is what ultimately led to Anthony Joshua winning the fight with a convincing twelve round unanimous decision to regain his unified World Heavyweight championship and become a two-time world champion in the process.

For his part, Ruiz now the former champion stated almost immediately after the fight that he could have been better prepared and did not make excuses. Although in a world where just about anyone can share their opinion with the world on any given subject and there was no shortage of criticism and/or ridicule directed toward Ruiz following the fight, it was refreshing to see a fighter not make any excuses and accept the defeat with class. The former champion also suggested that he would want to face Joshua for a third time to make the series of fights between them a trilogy.

Some may not believe that a third fight is warranted, but the facts are that each man holds one win each and that alone usually is enough justification for a third fight. Whether or not a third encounter between the two will take place within a relatively short time frame as the first two fights did remains to be seen.

This observer believes it is more likely that Joshua will likely look to make a mandatory title defense to begin his second reign as a unified world champion as undefeated former World Cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk is currently the number one contender in the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Heavyweight ratings and per the four world championships Joshua currently holds being unified, Usyk is the next contender in line for a world championship shot. There is also the possibility assuming that Joshua does choose to fulfill his mandatory defense obligations that if he is successful and retains the championship that he will then look to face undefeated WBC world champion Deontay Wilder in a fight to fully unify the Heavyweight division, assuming of course that Wilder retains his portion of the World Heavyweight championship in his upcoming rematch against undefeated former Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury.

For now, Anthony Joshua has answered some of his critics and frankly should take time to enjoy his victory after producing a near flawless Boxing performance. Even in an era where there are five major world championships per weight class and the sport is always subject to criticism/ridicule, it is not an easy task to win a world championship, let alone to do it twice. Where Anthony Joshua ultimately will rank in the book of Boxing history is unknown, but having shown the ability to bounce back from defeat and regain his crown, his stock has definitely gone up as 2020 approaches.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison

Update

We would like to let our readers know that new material will be released here on the website on Thursday, December 12th with a feature discussing the recent Heavyweight World championship rematch between Andy Ruiz and Anthony Joshua. Stay tuned. "And That's The Boxing Truth.

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison