16.01.05 – Oscar “EL TORITO” Diaz, 18-1 (11KO’s) and Al “SPEEDY” Gonzales, 16-1-1 (7KO’s) are preparing for battle on Friday, February 4th as the opening bout on Showtime’s live professional boxing series, SHOBOX, “The New Generation” live from the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut..
The Diaz/Gonzales battle is scheduled for ten rounds and is the opening bout on the telecast that features contenders David Diaz. 26-0 (14KO’s) and Kendall Holt, 17-1 (11KO’s) in the main event.Tickets for this huge night of professional boxing can be purchased in advance by calling 1-800-200-2882. For directions to Foxwoods Resort Casino, please visit their website at www.foxwoods.com . The SHOBOX broadcast will begin at 11pm EST/PST.
While preparing to do battle with each other early next month in their respective camps, warriors Oscar Diaz and Al “SPEEDY” Gonzales wanted to make sure that it was clearly understood what the winner wants, a chance to shut up motormouth and overly hyped Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi.
Said Dino Duva of Duva Boxing, promoter of the action packed card on February 4th, “Its getting more and more ridiculous with each passing week with Paulie. This was supposed to be his bout on the 4th to fight Oscar, we had a verbal commitment from his camp and they backed out. Same thing happened last year, he verbally commits to fight, calls everyone at 140 out in the press and then backs away when the fight is offered. If he really believes in himself he’ll accept the challenge to fight Oscar or SPEEDY after this fight. That’s what boxing is all about, fighting your peers.”
“Everyone else at 140 is fighting all the other prospects and contenders and Paulie thinks he can run off at the mouth and hide when it comes time to fight real guys. His camp keeps on choosing obscure guys like Ramiro Cano and Sandro Casimonica. No one knows these guys and he brags about some WBC ranking as if it gives him credibility which he so clearly doesn’t have.”
Continued Duva, “Look Oscar and SPEEDY will fight anyone, anywhere, that’s what this great sport of ours is all about. Same with other young 140’s like Kendall Holt, David Diaz, Mike Arnaoutis, Ebo Elder, Courtney Burton and so many others. Plain and simple Paulie is scared to death of these guys as he knows he’ll be exposed for what he is.”
Speaking from his training camp in New Jersey at the Duva training facility Oscar Diaz was very focused on his match with “SPEEDY”. “This is the most important bout right now, I have to beat Gonzales before I think about anyone else.” Asked specifically about Malignaggi, Diaz stated, “he’s fought no one so how can anyone judge how good he is.”
Echoed his trainer Lou Duva, “Its all talk, he gets in the press because of his promoter who’s done a good job keeping him undefeated against a bunch of guys who aren’t in either Oscar’s or “SPEEDY”‘s league. Look at this great card and the guys they’ve all faced. All four of these guys are warriors and its insulting that Malignaggi gets press off his mouth rather than his fists.”
Calling from his Las Vegas camp while watching SPEEDY work with Floyd Mayweather Jr., Pat Doljanin of Team Gonzales stated, “Al’s more than ready for Oscar as I’m sure Oscar is for Al. That what boxing is all about. Fighting guys you think are your peers. Apparently, Team Paulie thinks his peers are unknowns from foreign lands that no one has heard of. In some article recently Paulie was talking about hand speed and working with guys with fast hands. Al doesn’t talk about who he trains with because those aren’t real fights, just training sessions. He just finished six rounds holding his own against Mayweather, one of the best fighters in the world with maybe the fastest hands in the sport. Paulie would have ducked out of the ring as soon as Floyd got in.”
Speaking about the challenge made by Dino Duva for Malignaggi to fight the winner, Doljanin said, “That’s perfect. Tell Paulie to come to the fight and he can sign the contract to fight the winner as soon as the bout is over. We’ll give him until May for his mitts to heal and get right at it. If he can talk it, he should be able to back it up.”
Said “SPEEDY”, “I need to take care of business on the 4th and that’s what I’m preparing to do. After that I’ll pummel that little Paulie into his delusional place he’s coming from. Calling out everyone at 140 and then not having the balls to back it up. Get serious, either Oscar or I or the rest of us at 140 can beat him with one hand. Come to the fight Paulie, see four true warriors and see how hopelessly you don’t fit in the mix and then keep fighting guys no one knows, you’ll be safer that way.
Finally Dino Duva said, “I’ll leave his name at the door and have a seat for him and his guest right at ringside for the event. Its a short drive up to Foxwoods from his home base in New York City. I want him to see real junior welters in action. I want him to agree to fight the winner of Oscar/SPEEDY right there. I’ll have the contract in my hand, let’s see if he signs it.”