Olympic Champion James DeGale is taking inspiration from pound-for-pound best Manny Pacquiao as he looks to bounce back by winning the European Super-Middleweight title.
DeGale lost a close points decision to fierce rival George Groves last time out, but is aiming to get back to winning ways against the champion Piotr Wilczewski, from Poland, on October 15th at the Liverpool Echo Arena, live on BoxNation, Sky platform Channel 456.
“A majority of the great fighters have a loss on their record, Manny Pacquiao is a good example, some even have a couple of losses,” he said at yesterday’s BoxNation launch at the Indigo in London’s O2 Arena.
“It’s a part of the game and it’s how you deal with those losses, when you get a loss on your record what matters is how you bounce back, look at Pacquiao now,”
“There couldn’t be a better opportunity for me to bounce back by winning a European title fight, and that in turn could put me back on course to win a world title next year.”
The 25-year-old London boxer has admitted he hasn’t seen much of his opponent, but from what he has seen knows he has a tough task against Wilczewski.
“To be honest I’ve not seen to much of Piotr,” DeGale continued. “However from what I have seen he’s a good fighter and he’s record speaks for itself with only one loss,”
“He’s been there and done it, he’s tough, he’s durable and he can box when he wants to and he won’t come to Liverpool and let go of his titles easily,”
“I’ve been sparring with Darren Barker and have had some great rounds with him, camp has gone fanatically well and the fight is only three weeks away now and I can’t wait.”
Now ‘Saint George’, the British and Commonwealth Super-Middleweight Champion has joined Frank Warren’s promotional banner, he feels the pair will definitely cross paths again.
“Straight after our last fight I said ‘let’s get it on’ but Geroge didn’t want it,” he added. “We are on a collision course again for sure, hopefully he carries on winning and defending his titles and when I win the European title, it’s sooner rather than later when we fight again,”
“It’s the fight everybody wants to see and the boxing fans want to see, so we’re going to have to do it again.”
See James DeGale v Piotr Wilczewski for the European Super-Middleweight title and the WBO World Light-Heavyweight Championship between Nathan Cleverly and Tony Bellew on October 15th live from the Liverpool Echo Arena; then live from the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, the WBC World Light-Heavyweight title between the legendary Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson, live and exclusive on BoxNation on Sky platform Channel 456.
Tickets for the Liverpool Echo Arena, priced at £50, £100, £150 and £250, are available from:
Liverpool Echo Arena
Box Office: 0844 8000 400
www.echoarena.com
Frank Warren Promotions
www.frankwarren.tv
“THE LATIN SNAKE” LOOKS TO SPOIL THE COMEBACK OF “SHIBATA” FLORES
NOVEMBER 4 BOUT AT FANTASY SPRINGS RESORT CASINO
HEADLINES “SÓLO BOXEO TECATE”
INDIO, Calif., September 23 – Southern California’s home for exciting boxing action, Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif., will once again be the host for an explosive night of fights on Friday, November 4 when Golden Boy Promotions presents what promises to be a memorable middleweight matchup between former World Champion Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora and longtime contender Jose Alfredo “Shibata” Flores in a fight that will headline TeleFutura’s “Sólo Boxeo Tecate.”
Mora vs. Flores, a 10 round middleweight bout, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and is sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and AT&T. Doors open at 6:00pm PT on fight night and the first bell rings at 7:30pm PT. The TeleFutura broadcast begins at 11:30pm ET / PT (10:30pm CT).
Fans at home can also be part of the action by participating in Cinturón Tecate and voting for the fighter in the main event who displayed the most character in the ring by sending a text message to 55333. Voting will be open through the end of the weekend.
Tickets, priced at $25, $35 and $45, are on sale now and available for purchase at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.
Former World Champion Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora (22-2-2, 6 KO’s) has had a wild 11-year professional career thus far, but the 30-year-old from East Los Angeles is far from finished when it comes to thrilling fans around the globe. Winner of the first season of NBC’s “The Contender” in 2005, Mora captivated viewers with his personality and story. Yet it wasn’t until he beat the late Vernon Forrest in 2008 for the WBC Super Welterweight World Title that he earned the respect of the diehard boxing crowd. Mora lost the belt back to Forrest in his first defense, but bounced back to stop Calvin Green in seven rounds in April of 2010 and fought to a 12-round draw with future Hall of Famer Sugar Shane Mosley in September of 2010. Following a controversial split decision loss to Brian Vera in February, Mora returns on November 4 to face “Shibata” Flores with the aim of recapturing a world title in the near future.
A respected contender at 154 pounds for years, Jose Alfredo “Shibata” Flores (45-11, 26 KO’s) never met a challenge he wasn’t willing to take head on. Turning professional in 1990, he fought his way through the tough Mexico and California fight circuits, earning respect and a world ranking along the way. The owner of several regional titles, Flores squared off against Fernando Vargas, Raul Marquez, Paul Vaden, Vince Phillips and Vernon Phillips before leaving the sport in late 2002 to pursue a singing career. In 2010, the southpaw returned to the ring and after winning two of his three comeback bouts, he is looking forward to testing himself against Mora.