JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ:
“I flew in today from Mexico City and am happy to be here. I want to do all I can make to this the biggest selling pay-per-view fight ever.
“I’ve been training in the higher altitudes and I’m right on weight. We had 11 great weeks of training and now it’s waiting for fight week to begin.
“All the preparation has been done. Now it’s just about having the fight of my life to settle everything once and for all.”
BOB ARUM:
“Boxing and horse racing are both making a strong comeback; boxing more so but horse racing is not far behind. Some people say boxing is dead but there has never been this type of money given out to fighters.”
On recent reports of a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight on May 5, 2012:
“If you ask me if it will happen right now I would have to say no. We have to get past Marquez first and that’s where our focus is, but I don’t believe anything Mayweather and his team are saying right now about a date and location for the fight.”
TIMOTHY BRADLEY:
“I’ve never done anything like this. I mean, to put a boxing ring right next to a horse track? Who does this? It’s just a great way to promote our big week and it’s money well spent. It’s just great to see so many fans come out and support us.
“I’ll take Manny in this fight (against Marquez). Manny just has too much size on him. I think it’s going to be a great fight.”
On a potential fight with Pacquiao:
“I’d have to fight a perfect fight to beat him but I’ve seen weaknesses that I know I could expose and would win that fight.
“I’ll fight Maywather right now. I’ll fight Manny. I’ll fight Khan. I’ll fight whoever they put in my way. I don’t care who it is. Just bring them on.”
HATTON PROMOTIONS NEWPORT CARD CANCELLED
GARY BUCKLAND has suffered a muscle injury and been forced to withdraw from him his British super-featherweight title defence against Paul Truscott in Newport on Saturday November 26.
In light of the injury, Hatton Promotions have cancelled the entire card but plan to return to Newport when Buckland is fit enough to fight again, hopefully in early 2012.
Hatton Promotions head Ricky Hatton: “It is a real shame, but we had no option but to scrap the card once we realised Gary’s would be side-lined.
“I am sorry for all those fans that were looking forward to his first defence, but we will be back in the New Year.
“There will be plenty of Hatton Promotions cards in South Wales in 2012 as we look to build a fan base for Gary and other upcoming fighter in the area.
“I just look forward to seeing Gary back in the ring defending his domestic title before moving on to European and world honours.
“We are still planning to stage a show on November 26 in another British town and hopefully that will be confirmed in the coming days.”
Fans that had already purchased tickets for the Newport card can get a full refund from the point of purchase.
Middlesbrough’s Truscott will now box on Hatton Promotions card at Oldham Leisure Centre on Saturday (Nov 12) when he boxes Dezzie Higginson over eight rounds.
BUNCEY’S BOXING HOUR TONIGHT: CHISORA, HATTON, CROLLA ON SHOW
Steve Bunce has lined up another cracking Boxing Hour on BoxNation (Sky Platform Ch. 456) LIVE tonight from 8pm.
On the show this week will be:
– Former British Heavyweight Champion Dereck ‘Del Boy’ Chisora comes in to talk about his future plans.
– US writer Gary Andrew Poole, author of the excellent Manny Pacquiao biography Pacman, looks ahead to this Saturday’s big fight in Las Vegas between Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez.
– Ricky Hatton also talks about Pacquiao and making his debut as a trainer this Saturday in Oldham for prospect Adam Little.
– British Lightweight Champion Anthony Crolla discusses his title defence against Willie Limond and Ricky Burns’ great win over Michael Katsidis .
– On the phone will be 2008 Olympian Bradley Saunders and Frank Warren’s latest star signing.
– British and Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury talks about his forthcoming title defence against Neven Pajkic.
– Team GB Head Coach Robert McCracken looks at London 2012 and the forthcoming box-off between Andrew Selby and Khalid Yafai for the flyweight slot.
– Unbeaten prospect Bradley Skeete, who racked up win number five on Saturday at Wembley Arena, comes in to talk about his progress and future plans.
If you have any questions for Buncey, send emails to: buncey@boxnation.tv