Three of the four fighters who will be featured on Saturday’s excellent doubleheader on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING participated in a workout Wednesday that was open to the media and public. It was held at the TKO Boxing Gym in Anaheim, Calif.
In what will be a slugfest from start to finish, Vic Darchinyan will defend his International Boxing Federation (IBF), World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) super flyweight belts against Jorge Arce in Saturday’s main event live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
The once-beaten, hard-hitting Darchinyan (31-1-1, 25 KOs), of Sydney, Australia, by way of Armenia, will be making his first defense since unifying the 115-pound division with a one-sided ninth-round knockout over Mexico’s Cristian Mijares Nov. 1, 2008, on SHOWTIME.
A winner of five in a row and 31 out of his last 32, the popular, crowd-pleasing Arce (51-4-1, 39 KOs), of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, is the current WBA interim super flyweight champion and is a former WBC 115-pound and World Boxing Organization (WBO) 108-pound titleholder.
The co-feature on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING will pit WBC No. 5-ranked contender Antonio DeMarco (19-1-1, 13 KOs) against “Kid Diamond” Almazbek Raiymkulov (27-1-1, 15 KOs) in a 12-rounder for the North American Boxing Organization (NABO) lightweight title.
The event, co-promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, and Bob Arum’s Top Rank, Inc., will take place from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Remaining tickets, priced at $250, $125, $90, $60, $45 and $35 on sale, can be purchased through Ticketmaster (all Ticketmaster outlets), by phone, 714-740-2000, online at www.ticketmaster.com and at the Honda Center box office. (note: additional tickets at $35, $45 and $60 have been made available)
What the fighters had to say Wednesday:
VIC DARCHINYAN
“I am anxious, focused and confident. My weight is great. I am ready to go.
“I expect this is going to be a good fight. I’m not looking to knock him out in the first round. He is a tough fighter and I know he is here to give me a tough fight. So this might go a couple rounds.
“But once I hit him – and before he realizes what hit him – the fight will be over.
“I got a lot of attention when I was undefeated, but the recognition is more now that I beat Mijares like a baby. Being undisputed champion means more.
“I know I have a target on my back and that everyone will be gunning for me. That’s why I am not overlooking any opponent, including Arce.
“Arce has done a lot of talking, but I like it when they talk and think they are going to beat me. That way, when it is over, I can remind them of what they said while I am holding the belts.
“I’ve been chasing, following this guy around Mexico for three years. I can’t wait for Saturday.’’
JORGE ARCE
“Darchinyan’s greatest strength is his mouth. I am not intimidated by the devil; why would I be intimidated by him? His biggest weakness is his chin. When he gets hit flush, he doesn’t get up.
“I am ready for anything he has to offer and looking forward to testing him and finding out about his will to win. I know what my will to win is. But we’ll find Saturday about his.
“He hasn’t been fighting really elite Mexican fighters and I have trained for this fight like I never have before. I’ve had a great camp. I’ve been chopping trees and swimming to improve my strength. I’ve sparred with southpaws for the first time. Lefties have never given me a problem.
“People think because I lost to Mijares and Darchinyan beat Mijares that Darchinyan will automatically win our fight. But that’s not how it works. It is just talk. It is neither here nor there. Styles make fights. You’ll see after I nail him what I am saying.
“I am very happy and excited to be here and I am looking forward to fighting in Anaheim again and showing SHOWTIME that I deserve to be on their network. I appreciate this opportunity.
“I am not leaving that ring without the three belts. I am smarter than him.’’
ANTONIO DEMARCO
“The only thing I can say is that this is going to be an exciting fight. I have a lot of respect for my opponent in and out of the ring.
“I have prepared for this like it will be the toughest fight of my career. It is especially important to win because what happens Saturday will go a long ways to what will happen to me in the future.
“I am confident of victory for several reasons, but the top two are that I am going to win for my wife, Tanya, and my three-and-one-half-month-old daughter, Camila.’’
THEY DON’T CALL HIM “THE MATADOR” FOR NOTHING! MAYORGA BAGS ANGULO FIGHT LIKE A TORO MOWER!
Undefeated junior middleweight sensation ALFREDO “Perro” ANGULO of Mexico, has lost the scent of his scheduled next victim — former world champion Ricardo “The Matador” Mayorga. The Angulo-Mayorga WBC super welterweight title elimination bout was scheduled to take place on February 14, 2009 — Valentine’s Day — at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., and televised live on HBO, beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT However, word has leaked out that Mayorga has taken an extended smoke break from training camp and has pulled out of the fight to determine the WBC’s No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger.
“Now we know why they call Mayorga ‘The Matador,’ he’s full of bullsh*t,” said Angulo’s promoter Gary Shaw. “This is as unprofessional as it gets. We don’t hear he’s pulled out from his promoter or manager, just from everyone else in boxing. You have to wonder if he ever intended to fight at all. Mayorga didn’t show at the press conference in Florida and we have yet to see his mandatory 30-day weigh-in report from the WBC. Obviously it wasn’t a red cape he was waving, it was a red flag! But life goes on and we will make every effort to find a worthy opponent for Angulo to preserve his spot on the card and the HBO broadcast. ”
Angulo (14-0, 11 KOs), of Mexico, is riding a 10-bout victory-by-knockout streak dating back to 2006. The former Mexican Olympian is currently world-rated No. 1 by the WBC and the WBO and No. 7 by the IBF. Mayorga (28-7-1, 22 KOs), from Nicaragua, has a resume that boasts victories over Vernon Forrest, Fernando Vargas and Andrew Lewis and world titles in the welterweight and super welterweight divisions.
Shaw will also be presenting Ali Funeka (30-1-2, 25 KOs), of South Africa, the IBF’s No. 1-rated lightweight contender and mandatory challenger, making his U.S. debut, challenging world lightweight champion Nate Campbell (32-5-1, 25 KOs), from Tampa, in the co-main event of the February 14 HBO broadcast.
ISRAEL VAZQUEZ NOT FIGHTING ON APRIL 23RD!!!
Amidst inaccurate internet reports, boxing superstar Israel “EL MAGNIFICO” Vazquez will not be fighting April 23rd against Rolly “Matsushita” Lunas.
Said Vazquez’s manager Frank Espinoza “I saw the report and I can say this fight is absolutely not happening. I have never spoken to Lunas’ Japanese manager Naoyuki Kashimi about this. This is strictly a fabricated story and is apparently an attempt for Lunas’ people to somehow attach his name to Israel’s. Truthfully, it’s an insult to Israel to try and use his name like this and mislead the fans.”
“As I’ve stated in the past in regards to Israel’s return to the ring, through the appropriate avenues at the proper time we will release information on his return.”
Vazquez, 43-4 (31KO’s) is currently ranked on numerous Pound for Pound lists including # 4 by Yahoo Sports, # 5 by Ring Magazine and
# 6 by ESPN and #7 by Sports Illustrated. More information can be viewed at his website, www.israel-vazquez.com
The ESPINOZA BOXING CLUB was started in 1991 by Los Angeles area businessman Frank Espinoza. Espinoza has earned numerous accolades for his management skills from many boxing newspaper and internet writers. In the September 2008 issue of Ring Magazine, Espinoza was praised for his outstanding handling of the career of junior featherweight world champion and “Pound for Pound” superstar Israel “EL MAGNIFICO” Vazquez.
In 2007, Espinoza was awarded the Manager of the Year award from the World Boxing Hall of Fame and inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame.
Along with managing Vazquez, Espinoza also manages a young squad of talented and promising fighters composed of Luis Ramos, Carlos Molina, Abraham Lopez, Ronny Rios, Manny “Suavecito” Roman and Jesus “Pollo” Hernandez.
Among the world champions Espinoza has managed in the past are Martin “Gallito” Castillo, Enrique Sanchez, Isidro “ CHINO ” Garcia, and “MIGHTY” Mike Anochondo
For more information on The Espinoza Boxing Club, please visit their newly remodeled website at www.espinozaboxingclub.com