LOS ANGELES (April 23, 2011) – Colombia’s Yonnhy Perez is a usually quiet and humble man but he always speaks the truth with brutal frankness.
“I plan to knock out Vic Darchinyan early in the fight,” said the former IBF bantamweight titleholder Perez who is co-promoted by Thompson Boxing Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions. “I want fight fans to get the message.”
Perez doesn’t mince words or use hyperbole. He lets his fists do the talking and carries out his projections with precision accuracy. He’s trained with extra focus and now intends to lash out with full force on his vaunted foe Darchinyan.
Colombia awaits the return of their hero and he knows it.
“There’s nothing more I want than to return to my country with a world title belt,” said Perez. “I’m sticking to what I trained to do throughout my camp and that’s to knock out Darchinyan.”
Nothing else matters to Perez.
Tonight’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING broadcast from the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles (10:30 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast), between former IBF Bantamweight Champion Yonnhy “El Colombiano” Perez (20-1-1, 14 KOs) and two-division world champion Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan (35-3-1, 27 KOs) will have a lot on the line.
Promoter Gary Shaw says he’ll petition the IBF to sanction an Interim title fight between them and IBF #4-rated Abner Mares.
Mares saw his title shot dissolve earlier this week when champion Joseph Agbeko was stricken with sudden-onset sciatica and their fight had to be cancelled.
“If Agbeko cannot fight in a timely fashion and defend his title, I will personally petition the IBF to let the winner of this fight for the title against Mares,” stated Shaw.
Added Perez, “I have no doubt that I will end the fight early and I look forward to fighting my good friend Abner (Mares) once again (referring to his first thrilling 12-round encounter against Mares that ended in a majority draw last year.)
“It’s what I trained to do,” stated Perez matter-of-factly.
Tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster.com, via Ticketmaster charge-by-phone lines (800) 745-3000 and at STAPLES Center Box Office.
Doors at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE open at 4 p.m. PT. The first non-televised undercard fight starts at 5 p.m.
The event is promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, Don King Productions, Thompson Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions, and is sponsored by Corona and DeWalt Tools.
Shaw Supremely Confident of Geale Victory
Shortly after tonight’s fights in Los Angeles, promoter Gary Shaw of Gary Shaw Productions will follow his fighter, ‘The Real Deal’ Daniel Geale, to Berlin in advance of Geale’s May 7 clash with IBF Middleweight Champion Sebastian Sylvester at the Jahnsport Stadium in Neubrandenburg, Germany.
Shaw says he likes Geale’s chances in this fight. “Daniel understands where he is, and what we has to do and I know he will be ready for whatever comes his way.”
Geale (24-1, 15 KOs), a former IBO Middleweight Champion and current IBF #1 rated mandatory challenger, made the 27-hour flight from his native New South Wales, Australia today, to ensure the eight hours time difference is not a factor.
Shaw will make the trip after he oversees his bantamweight showdown between Vic Darchinyan and Yonnhy Perez.
“I am very excited to watch my fighter take the title from an experienced champion like Sebastian Sylvester. If you look at their recent common opponent, Sylvester struggled to a split draw with Roman Karmazin and Daniel got him out of there. I am supremely confident in my fighter. If you like upsets, don’t miss this fight.”
Geale vs. Sylvester will be televised through Main Event PPV on both the Foxtel and Optus networks.