Live Stream: Cotto vs. Canelo Official Weigh-In

By Boxing News - 11/20/2015 - Comments

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MIGUEL COTTO VS. CANELO ALVAREZ UNDERCARD FINAL MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES AND PHOTOS

Fighters featured on the Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez undercard hosted a media workout in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino ahead of their scheduled fights on November 21. Joining in the day’s festivities, WBC Super Featherweight World Champion, Takashi Miura (29-2-2, 22 KOs) and undefeated top contender Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas (22-0-1, 16 KOs), who are scheduled to face off in a12-round battle, gave fans something to cheer about as they shadow boxed in the ring.

Also in attendance, former WBA and WBO Super Bantamweight World Champion and one of boxing’ best pound-for-pound fighters Guillermo Rigondeaux (15-0, 10 KOs) of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba and Drian Francisco (28-3-1, 22 KOs) of the Philippines not only showed off in the ring, but spent time with fans at the media event ahead of their 10-round super bantamweight fight.

Miguel Cotto Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions, undefeated, multiple-regional title champion Jayson “Star” Velez (23-0-1, 16 KOs) of Caguas, Puerto Rico, and opponent Santa Ana, California’s Ronny Rios (24-1, 10 KOs) were also in attendance ahead of their Puerto Rico vs. Mexico themed 10-round featherweight bout.

IBF Bantamweight World Champion, Randy “El Matador” Caballero (22-0, 13 KOs) and England’s Lee “Playboy” Haskins (32-3, 14 KOs) were on hand to show off in the ring and address members of the press ahead of their scheduled 12-round world championship bout.

Making his Las Vegas debut, heavyweight prospect Zhang Zhilei (5-0, 3 KOs) of Zhengzhou, China came into the ring and gave the fans a display of power.

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Below is what the fighters had to say about their upcoming bouts.

TAKASHI MIURA, WBC Super Featherweight World Champion:

“This is a big fight for me and I am ready to defend my title and prove I am still the best fighter in the division.

“This will be my fifth title defense and my tenth consecutive victory. I am proud of that accomplishment and will be ready to give fans an exciting fight.”

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FRANCISCO VARGAS, Super Featherweight World Title Contender:

“I have had a great training camp, with a lot of conditioning running in the mountains and making sure I sparred with fighters who had similar qualities to Takashi.

“The thought of carrying Mexico with me has made me concentrated and motivated to win the fight on Saturday.

“I am feel good and my goal is always to bring the best of myself in the ring and so far I feel like I have delivered exciting fights to all the fans. Saturday will be no different. I am ready to deliver a great fight and I am also ready to deliver a victory to Mexico.

“I feel ready to fight him. We know that the Japanese come and fight hard but I think the Mexicans are better.”

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GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX, Former WBA and WBO Super Bantamweight World Champion:

“I would like to thank Roc Nation Sports for the opportunity. I’m really happy to be a part of the Roc Nation family now. Signing with Roc Nation has been the best decision I have made. They are capable of taking my career to the next level. It’s what I need to stay active in the ring and give the fans what they want. I appreciate all the fans coming out today. The preparation is done and I’m ready to get in the ring and give the fans a show.

“I’m a very good boxer. And I’m always going to be ready for the next fight. And the fans are going to see that I can put on a show every time. Get ready to see what’s coming next.

“To the rest of the super bantamweights out there with belts, beware because I am coming for them. I’m coming for all the belts and I am going to destroy them all.

“I am the real champion. And everyone knows it. If you want to step in the ring with me, to prove it, let’s do it. It’s up to the fans to demand it from their champion to step up and get in the ring with me. They can run, but they can’t hide.

“Once I’m done with Francisco, I’m ready to fight everyone else. My energy after that will be spent winning all my belts back. I don’t need to say I am the best. I demonstrate it. I will fight anyone at my weight.

DRIAN FRANCISCO, Super Bantamweight Contender:

“I know that Rigondeaux is one of the best fighters. He’s one of the top four or five best fighters in the world. But I’m here to fight and I am here to win.

“I’m mentally prepared for this fight. I hope the fans will support me. I will do my best in the ring.”

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JAYSON VELEZ, Featherweight Contender:

“I’m excited, I feel happy, it’s my first time fighting here, fighting in a great event, fighting in Las Vegas, first time fighting on HBO Pay-Per-View, I’m happy, what more can I ask?

“I’m ready to be a world champion, I’m ready to fight Ronny. He’s a top fighter but I will beat him.

“Mexico vs Puerto Rico are the top fighters in boxing so I’m happy to be part of that.”

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RONNY RIOS, Featherweight Contender:

“I’m not going to say anything, I’ve never been a talker. I’m just going to go out there and show it.

“It means a lot to me that my fans have stood by me. Last year was a very hard year for us so that means a lot. I’m really thankful and grateful.

“Fighting at this level, getting an opportunity like this, we have to take our game up ten notches. We’re focused, we’re ready and stay tuned and watch. I’m sure you’ll see an exciting fight.”

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RANDY CABALLERO, IBF Bantamweight World Champion:

“It’ll be an action-packed night but I promise everybody it will be my night to shine. I’m going to show them why I’m the IBF Bantamweight world champion.

“I don’t care who it is, I’ll fight anybody. From heavyweight to straw weight, I’ll take whoever.

“I know him, I see that hunger in him, a young hungry Canelo that wants to come out on top where he belongs and I think he’s going to pull it off.”

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LEE HASKINS, IBF Bantamweight Mandatory Challenger:

“Fighting in Las Vegas, fighting in a fight of this magnitude, I never thought in my dreams I’d be on an undercard like this, that’s what’s giving me the extra push.

“It feels absolutely amazing, just to be here. The magnitude of the fight, seeing everybody here, just up in the middle of the Vegas square, it’s incredible.

“I take nothing away from that, I’m sure he’s done a lot of sparing and he’s just as ready as myself. I’m just looking forward to having a great fight.”

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ZHANG ZHILEI, Heavyweight Prospect:

“I really appreciate the exposure that I will have on Nov. 21. And I welcome the fans from all over the world to watch my fight and to see how exciting I can make the fight. I will do my best to get a knockout.

“I don’t know a lot about my opponent, just basic information. For training, I concentrate on my part and what my trainer has told me. For me, I just have to do what I do in the ring.

“I’ll bring an exciting fight to Nov. 21 and I’ll make everyone remember there’s a giant from the East.”

Randy Caballero vs. Lee Haskins, a 12-round fight for the IBF Bantamweight World Championship, is presented in association with Bristol Boxing Ltd. and will be featured as part of the preliminary undercard available on digital platforms starting at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. Also part of the preliminary undercard available on digital platforms will be a four-round heavyweight bout featuring 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist Zhang Zhilei who faces Juan Goode.

In addition to the great action inside the ring, the event will feature a special live performance by 2015 Latin Grammy nominee Yandel. The performance will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View after the second fight of the pay-per-view telecast.

A limited number of tickets priced at $2,000, $1,750, $1,250 and $650, not including applicable service charges, can be purchased at the Mandalay Bay box office, ticketmaster.com, mandalaybay.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling (800) 745-3000. Ticket orders are limited to four per person.

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Boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez has refused to look too far ahead as he prepares for his ’50-50’ fight with WBC middleweight world champion Miguel Cotto. The stacked 160-pound division is brimming with talent including WBA and IBF knockout king Gennady Golovkin, WBO champion Andy Lee who defends his title against the undefeated Billy Joe Saunders, with Daniel Jacobs set to take on former champion Peter Quillin.

The victors are expected to face each other to determine who is the undisputed number one at the weight but Mexican ace Canelo knows he has it all to do against the legendary Cotto in an edge-of-the-seat BoxNation thriller exclusively live this Saturday night.

“I am 100% focused on this fight. My focus is winning this fight – it’s very important. Whatever happens after this fight, will happen after this fight, but this is my primary focus,” said Canelo.

“The only thing that I am focused on is Saturday night. Once this fight is over, we will determine which direction we will go.

“This is a very difficult fight – it’s a 50/50 fight. I’m here, I’m ready to win, and I’m willing to win. All my fights are necessary to win,” he said.

The bout represents one of boxing’s most anticipated fights this year with both men renowned for their exciting all-action styles.

They have a common opponent in pound-for-pound hotshot Floyd Mayweather, with four-weight world champion Cotto having given the unbeaten star a tougher night when they met back in 2012, something which will have no bearing on this fight according to Canelo.

“You know what, that doesn’t affect me [people saying Cotto did better]. Styles make fights. He may have done better – Cotto might have done better against Mayweather. However, I did better against Austin Trout, and Cotto didn’t do that good against Austin Trout,” Canelo said.

“All fights are different, all styles are different, so that’s not going to affect me at all.

“All of my fights I learned something. There are some important fights, there are some difficult fights, but with all these combined fights you gain experience, and with that experience I’m going to display that on Saturday night,” he said.

Canelo goes into the fight with just that solitary loss on his record to Mayweather having accumulated 45 wins, including 32 knockouts, at just 25 years of age.

The former unified light-middleweight champion will have the chance to become a two-weight world champion against the Puerto Rican Cotto in what is his most significant fight since he shared the ring with Mayweather.

“I’m not worried about the pressure. I am more concerned with the motivation. I am training. I’ve had a lot of fights, and I’ve learned a lot,” said Canelo

“Both of the fights [Mayweather and Cotto] are important. They’re in a different division. The one with Mayweather was for the unification of pound-for-pound, and now this is at a different weight division, so it’s important also.

“Plus, this is Mexico versus Puerto Rico, and more importantly I’m motivated and inspired and looking forward to Saturday.

“It’s going to be a great fight. The styles will accommodate to ensure that. If the knockout comes, it comes, if it doesn’t, I’m prepared for whatever happens in the ring,” he said.

Cotto v Canelo is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 525, TalkTalk 415, online or app) this Saturday night. Visit boxnation.com to subscribe.



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