After weeks of intense preparation, the wait has dwindled down to scant hours for IBF Junior Featherweight world champion, “The Canadian Kid” Steve Molitor (27-0, 10 KO’s), prior to his title defense against undefeated Argentine, Ceferino Dario Labarda (18-0, 7 KO’s) at Rumble at Rama V, taking placing at Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario..
The fight airs live on TSN and TSN HD on Friday, Aug. 29 at 10:30 p.m. ET and will be available on-demand at TSN.ca following the conclusion of the live broadcast.
Wednesday morning, Molitor and Labarda met face-to-face for the first time at the official pre-fight press conference, with both fighters eager to finally step into the ring.
“Labarda said he felt an illusion earlier that he was going to come over here and win. Well, come Friday night, I’ll show he’s right, it was an illusion,” Molitor said.
“I know he has everything to gain. But I’m not taking him, or anyone else, lightly.”
“I’m ready.”
While the quietly confident Labarda might be out of his element here in North America – he will be making his first professional appearance outside of Argentina – he’s eager to show the world what he’s capable of.
“I’m well prepared for this fight, like all my fights,” Labarda said through an interpreter.
“Everywhere I go I put on a good show, and I’m going to win on Friday. I hope everybody enjoys the fight.”
One guy ringside who won’t be casually taking in the action Friday night is Molitor’s new trainer, Stephane Larouche, who will be guiding his new charge
through battle for the first time.
Larouche, for one, thinks of Labarda as more than just a sacrificial lamb brought in to be cannon fodder for the local hero, Molitor.
“This guy (Labarda) is a tough challenger. He has nothing to lose. He’s a good puncher, and has a good amateur background,” Larouche said.
“But Steve is going to be at the top of his game, and plans on keeping the belt here in Ontario.”
Larouche, who also is chief second for IBF Super Middleweight champion Lucien Bute, and WBC Light Heavyweight champion Adrian Diaconu, has enjoyed working with Molitor, and is keen on bringing even more out of the undefeated champion.
“Steve is so strong,” Larouche said of his new protégé.
“He’s much more powerful than most guys at 122 lbs. He just hasn’t been able to show it yet.”
“The thing is though is that he’s such a great fighter, you don’t want to try and change him in five weeks. That would be stupid.”
Tickets for Rumble at Rama V are $125, $75, $50 and $25, and are on-sale in-person at the Casino Rama Box Office, and at all TicketMaster locations, by calling (416) 870-8000, or ordering on-line at www.casinorama.com. Ticket prices do not include applicable taxes or service charges.
Doors open at 7:00 P.M. First bell for the exciting undercard is at 8:00 P.M.
‘Golden Boy’ Promotions, HBO Latin America Group Introduce New Boxing Series
MEXICO DF, August 27, 2008 — Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions announced a two year agreement with HBO Latin America Group yesterday to collaborate on a new television series that showcases young Latin American boxers who are destined to be the sport’s stars of tomorrow.
The series, entitled “Next Boxing Generation”, will be comprised of twelve events per year that will be held in different Latin American countries and will be broadcast live in prime time, one Saturday a month, exclusively on HBO Plus. Six events per year will occur in Mexico, with the remaining six taking place in other South American, Central American and Caribbean countries. The first event of the series is scheduled for September 20 in Monterrey, México.
“I am extremely excited to be promoting our first series of events in Mexico and throughout Latin America,” said Golden Boy Promotions President Oscar de la Hoya. “Showcasing young Latin American stars on the rise in their home countries is something that I have looked forward to since Golden Boy Promotions was founded and I am proud to partner with HBO LAG on this venture.”
“We are thrilled to team up with Oscar de la Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions on our first original sports programming series,” said Gustavo Grossmann, Vice President and General Manager of HBO LAG Networks. “This series is an exciting addition to our sports programming lineup and reinforces HBO Plus’s commitment to being the only premium channel in Latin America to broadcast boxing events. We are very proud that Latin America’s next generation of champions will be groomed here on HBO Plus.”
“With this partnership, HBO LAG reaffirms its interest in supporting local athletes. Boxing is a sport with an increasing fan base and it is necessary to give young Hispanic athletes the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities,” said Emilio Rubio, President of Distribution and Media Development for HBO LAG.
“Globalization of the Golden Boy brand while showcasing top boxing talent has always been a company goal,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. “Our partnership with HBO LAG on “Next Boxing Generation” is an exciting way to put that effort into high gear.”
About HBO Latin America Group SM
HBOLatin America GroupSM is a group of companies affiliated to Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.P., Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., The Walt Disney Company and Ole Communications Group.The companies comprising HBO Latin America GroupSM own, operate and manage leading cable and satellite programming in Latin America, Brazil and the Caribbean, including the signals HBO®, HBO® Plus, HBO® Family, Cinemax®, Max PrimeSM, Warner ChannelSM, Sony Entertainment Television, A&E, The History Channel, E! Entertainment Television, AXN, The Biography Channel and Animax.
About Golden Boy Promotions
Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions was established in 2002 by Oscar de la Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. In 2007, in its fifth year of promoting, Golden Boy Promotions set a record by selling over 2.5 million in pay-per-view homes in a single night. Also in 2007, Golden Boy Promotions established the record for highest grossing pay-per-view homes in a single year with more than 4 million total. Golden Boy Promotions is one of boxing’s most active and respected promoters, presenting shows in packed venues around the United States on networks such as HBO, HBO Latino, TeleFutura, SHOWTIME, Versus and ESPN.
Golden Boy Promotions currently has close to 60 fighters under contract, from future hall of famers Bernard Hopkins, Sugar Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Marquez to current world champions Ricky Hatton, David Haye, Joel Casamayor, Israel Vazquez and Gerry Peñalosa. Also included on the company’s roster are top contenders Jeff Lacy, Juan Diaz, Daniel Ponce De Leon, Jhonny Gonzalez, Librado Andrade, Rocky Juarez and Rey Bautista; 2004 Olympians Abner Mares, Vicente Escobedo and Rock Allen; and highly regarded prospects Danny Garcia, Jermell Charlo, Hylon Williams and Carlos and Juan Velasquez.