Lou DiBella
Welcome, everybody, to the Santa Cruz-Frampton telephone call. The event is Saturday, July 30, 2016, on SHOWTIME. The action begins on SHOWTIME at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time; that’s 6:00 p.m, Pacific time from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The main event is Leo Santa Cruz versus Carl Frampton for the WBA World Featherweight Championship. The co-featured SHOWTIME bout features Mikey Garcia versus former champion, Elio Rojas. Both men are former champions. It’s a junior welterweight 10-round bout.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by my company in association with Cyclone Promotions and presented by Premier Boxing Champions start at $38 and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, BarclayCenter.com, or by calling 1-800-745-3000. They are also available at the box office at the Barclay Center, and group discounts are available.
This is a sensational card that will actually begin on SHOWTIME EXTREME at 7:00 pm Eastern time and Pacific time. And the SHOWTIME EXTREME bouts feature an opening bout: a terrific matchup between Ivan Redkach and Tevin Farmer. And the main event that features SHOWTIME’s own announcer, Paulie Malignaggi in a battle for Brooklyn against Brooklyn’s own Gabriel Bracero.
The opening bout on the SHOWTIME telecast features two junior middleweights, two of the best in the world, in Tony Harrison versus Sergey Rabchenko. So it’s a tripleheader on SHOWTIME.
On this call, we’re going to begin with Mikey Garcia and Elio Rojas. Elio Rojas will be challenging Mikey Garcia; Mikey’s end of his 2-1/2-year layoff.
Elio Rojas from San Francisco de Macorís, the Dominican Republic, has a record of 24 and 2 with 14 KOs. He’s the former WBC Featherweight Champion. He’s returning from a near-two-year layoff.
He’s fighting Mikey, who’s ending a 2½–year layoff himself, trained by his brother, Robert, former WBO Featherweight and WBO Super Featherweight World Champion, and who holds a number of big wins over Orlando Salido, Juan Manuel Lopez, Romàn Martínez and Juan Carlos Burgos.
Before I introduce the fighters though, I want to introduce the man that made this entire card possible, the Executive VP and General Manger of SHOWTIME Sports, Stephen Espinoza.
Stephen Espinoza
Thanks very much, Lou. We are all getting ready and are very excited for another outstanding card top to bottom at Barclays Center – to continue the momentum of our outstanding June 25 fight, we’ve got a really interesting set of matchups.
The first women’s championship title fight at Barclays Center with Amanda Serrano defending her title, to Paulie Malignaggi, SHOWTIME’s own on-air talent, returning to the ring against fellow-Brooklynite, Gabriel Bracero, the super welterweight eliminator, Harrison versus Rabchenko.
And of course, the two fights that we are here to talk about today, our two feature bouts, starting with the much-anticipated return of Mikey Garcia to the ring who was one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport before his layoff.
It is a very positive thing in the sport for someone of Mikey’s caliber to be returning. We’re excited to see what he has planned for a new division. And as is typical for Mikey’s career, he never takes the easy way out.
In Elio Rojas, he has a former world champion, also coming off a layoff of his own, but with 2½ years out of the ring, Mikey certainly could have taken a much easier fight. And no one would have criticized him whatsoever. But that’s not Mikey’s style. And he found someone who’s a very worthy challenger, a tough fighter, former world champion in Elio Rojas at 24 and 2, 14 KOs, so this is a good, good test for both guys.
In terms of our main event, of course, this is really one of the most anticipated fights of the second half of the year, and we are proud to be bringing it to you right on the heels of the fantastic Thurman-Porter fight last June 25 in this very same venue.
If you have been watching SHOWTIME at all, you’ve seen Leo Santa Cruz been featured many times as one of the most fan-friendly and popular young fighters in this sport. Carl Frampton is on a mission to launch his brand and generate the kind of fan base here in the U.S. that he has across the Atlantic.
We started that process with him on CBS almost exactly a year ago and he is also an exciting fighter, and this is as close to guaranteed action as you’re going to get. So top to bottom, we’re thrilled to be bringing this card. We’re very proud to be there, and we will see you all on July 30.
L DiBella
Thank you, Stephen. So without further ado, I’m going to get to the co-featured bout. I’m going to introduce, first, the former WBC Featherweight champion of the world, returning from a near two-year layoff. From San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic, his trainer, will translate for him. The former world champion, Elio Rojas. Elio, will you say a few words?
Elio Rojas
I would like to thank you all. I’m so very happy to be. I’m really glad that this fight is going to take place. I put it in the work and will be going in there strong. I had a great camp.
L. DiBella
All right. Thank you, Elio. I’m going to turn it over now to former WBO Featherweight and WBO Super Featherweight world champion, two-division world champion. Undefeated with a record of 34 and 0 with 28 KOs. The Pride of Oxnard, California, Mikey Garcia.
Mikey Garcia
Thank you, Lou. I’m here. I’m ready. Finally getting to show people my boxing skills in front of the world, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m well-prepared for the fight. I’m looking forward to a very good fight.
I want Elio to come at his very best and perform, because that’s what I will bring, the best out of me. I think this is a wonderful fight. We’re both former world champions. Because we are coming out from lengthy layoffs, we should be very hungry to get down at this challenge and move forward our careers.
So I really, really want to have a good fight. I think the fans are going to be very surprised with my performance on July 30.
Q
Mikey, during your layoff, how much time did you train, and how did you manage your training without having a fight on the horizon? Was it difficult for you to train without a fight? And how much sparring did you do? Did you make sure to get in the ring every once in a while and spar?
M. Garcia
I was saying, even though it’s been 2½ years, I stayed in the gym almost the entire time. I probably took maybe two to three weeks off throughout the entire two-year period. I was always active, always in the gym, and I was doing a lot of sparring, actually.
I helped out a lot of the guys in my brother’s gym, starting with Marcos Maidana when he fought Mayweather. I was his primary sparring partner, and we worked a lot of rounds with him.
And then the fights that my other gym members like Saul Rodriguez – I was helping him, I was helping Max Perez, and the new guys that my brother has, they’re fighting frequently. Very, very frequently.
So I kept helping them in the gym. And that allows me to stay in shape, because even though it’s been 2½ years, really honestly, it seems like it was six, nine months for me, because I stayed in the gym. I stayed active. I stayed in shape. And I never really took too much time out of the gym.
Q
Why did Elio Rojas choose Mikey Garcia and why Mikey Garcia choose Elio Rojas?
M. Garcia
I could have chosen another opponent – a much easier opponent, being that I’ve been gone for over two years, but that’s not what I want. I don’t want criticism. I don’t want the fans to criticize me or my opponent. We had a few names that we mentioned, but they were not available, either for timing, or they already had another fight scheduled, or other opponents just clearly said no.
And Elio was available. We looked at him. He’s a former world champion. I remember him from when he was champion at the featherweight limit. And he’s a very good fighter. He’s got excellent skills. He’s also coming out of almost two-year inactivity period, so I’m assuming he’s hungry. I’m assuming he’s excited to be back and wants to take his career to the next level.
It’s a great opportunity for both of us to showcase our skills and the winner will go on to bigger and better things. And that’s what I want. I want him to come in and perform to the best of his abilities, because that will also bring the best out of me.
E. Rojas
I’m taking this fight because I mean to show the world I’m an elite fighter, and the only way to show it is to beat the elite fighter, which is Garcia. That’s why I need to show the world that I’m able to be on top with the big names. I deserve this opportunity because the public never gave me the respect that I deserves. That’s why I’m taking this fight with a top fighter.
Q
Mikey, can you talk about what New York has meant to you in your success there?
M. Garcia
Well, New York has always been very good to me. I’ve already fought in New York several times. I think, if I’m not mistaken, this is my fourth fight in New York, and New York has always shown a lot of love.
I love New York. I actually think it’s a great place for boxing. A lot of boxing history in New York. And the fans — I see a difference. Fans are real boxing fans. They’re not just fans of the show itself, let’s go to a fight because it’s the thing to do on a Saturday night. There’s some boxing fans.
No, these fans actually follow the sport. They support the fighters, and they’re there, early on. They’re there to watch the show, not just the main event. So you can see the boxing history. They support everybody there. They show me a lot of love, lot of respect, and it’s all good in New York.
Q
What did it feel like being in that crowd on June 25, and do you expect a similar atmosphere when you fight there again on the 30th?
M. Garcia
Well, I hope it’s very similar because it was great. It was an awesome experience. I mean, Barclays Center is great. It’s huge, and the fans, like I said, you can just feel the atmosphere. You can feel the electricity in the fans, and when we were there and all the fans, storm us and me, and take photos, and pictures, and sign items, it’s great.
It’s wonderful to get that love and that appreciation from the fans, being that I’m out here from Southern California, and we’re all the way on the other coast, and you still get all that support from the fans. It’s wonderful, so I hope that we get the same feeling, and that the fans show up and give us their love and support.
Q
Can you talk about Rojas, in terms of his style? Is he similar to any opponent that you’ve faced, and if so, is there an opponent you feel brought out the best in you and hopefully he will too?
M. Garcia
Every opponent is a little bit different. I think Rojas is a very good, wonderful boxer. He’s experienced, definitely. He’s a former world champion. I’m just getting ready for whatever Rojas decides to show up. If he wants to box, and use his reach, and straight punches to keep me at a distance, then I’m going to have to find ways to get inside or counter him from the outside.
If he decides to come forward and try to bring the fight to me, then I’m ready for that too. I’ve been sparring wonderful guys here at the gym to be ready, and prepared for any kind of Rojas that shows up. I make the right adjustments in the ring. If we see something not working so well, we’ll make the adjustments, and we’ll always try to make sure that we’re on top of everything.
M. Garcia
I just want to say thank you for the opportunity, everybody. Stephen and DiBella for putting this show together and allowing me to perform. I expect a great fight. I expect a great performance, and let’s just go out there and do our thing. Rojas is going to be ready. I’m sure he’ll be ready and excited, just like I am. I wish him the best of luck, and let’s put on a great show for the fans.
E. Rojas
We’d like to thank you, everybody, for the fight. SHOWTIME, we’d like to thank you. We’d like to thank Garcia for taking the fight. I’m coming ready on July 30. I’m going to be a different Elio Rojas from before. I’m going to gain the respect that I never got. I’m taking home the victory.
L. DiBella
Thank you, both of you guys, and we’re going to move on to the main event now. Thank you both.