Photos by: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME – Andre Dirrell weighed 168 ¼ pounds and Tony Hanshaw tipped the scales at 169 pounds during Thursday’s weigh-in. Antonio DeMarco weighed 135 pounds, while Juan Castaneda weighed 134 ¼. In a match-up of top super middleweight prospects, undefeated 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Dirrell (14-0, nine KOs) will take on once-beaten Hanshaw (21-1-1, 14 KOs) in a 10-round showdown Friday, May 2, on ShoBox: The New Generation (live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT delayed on the west coast).
In the co-feature, the promising and once-beaten DeMarco (18-1-1, 13 KOs) will take on undefeated Castaneda (12-0, nine KOs) in an eight-round lightweight bout. Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, will present the doubleheader from Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, Calif..
ANDRE DIRRELL
“Hanshaw is slow with his feet and his hands. I have to watch out for his left hook. I can’t run because of the size of the ring, so it will be an action-packed fight.”
“When I’m throwing punches, I have to watch out for Hanshaw’s counter left hook. I will make him pay every time he misses.”
“I am going to come out in the first three rounds and bring the action to Hanshaw. It will be unlike any performance I’ve ever had. I will have my way against him and bring the fight to him immediately.”
“The fight against Curtis Stevens (June 16, 2007) was a downside for me, but I won and got better. It was just bad. I let myself down more than anybody. I hurt inside. I have learned my lesson. Everyone will be impressed on Friday. My back is against the wall in this fight and I have to perform.”
“I’m done with the bums. I just want to get more fights. I should be ready for a world championship fight after 19 fights.”
“I’m doing this for me. It is like an aspirin to a headache. I want to right a wrong and get it off my chest.”
“I am always nervous before all of my fights because of the anticipation. I feel great and nothing can stop me. I have to keep smiling because this is the perfect opportunity.”
“I won’t let anyone down. I will be impressive against Hanshaw. I can’t wait to get in there and show my talents.”
TONY HANSHAW
“I thought I did pretty damn good against Roy Jones Jr. I thought I won the fight. I learned a lot from the experience. I am more focused now and in better condition than I have ever been.”
“I didn’t have my proper rest going into the Jones fight because of the press conferences and interviews.”
“I have never trained like this before. I am swimming, lifting 300-pound tires. It’s just crazy. I am hitting harder. I have more stamina. I have been working with a personal trainer for the first time.”
“If Dirrell tries to run like he did against Stevens, I will cut the ring off like I always do. I’m a busy fighter, and I’m always in my opponent’s face. I’ll be in Dirrell’s face on Friday.”
“I’m at my peak. This is my year. I’m 30 years old and back with Ronnie Shields. After fighting Jones, I should have had a world title fight by now. I’ve been sitting for 11 months. I can’t make any money sitting.
“I’ve been sparring with cruiserweights, so Dirrell is going to be nothing.”
“I have been ready for a big fight. I am not getting any younger. My time is now. I am ready for the top guys. I’ll take out Joe Calzaghe. He stunk up the place against Bernard Hopkins.”
RONNIE SHIELDS (Hanshaw’s Trainer)
“We have to slow Dirrell down and not allow him to get into a groove. We have to dictate the pace of the fight.”
“Dirrell is slick and has a lot of skill, but he is not going to impress anyone by running.”
JUAN CASTANEDA
“I consider myself to be an extremely aggressive fighter. I love to come forward and bring the action to my opponent, but I can box if I need to.”
“DeMarco comes forward, so his style fits me perfectly. Hopefully, we will go toe-to-toe in the center of the ring and slug it out. This will be my toughest fight.”