(Photo credit: Chris Farina/Top Rank) SAN JUAN, P.R. (January 17, 2012) – World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight champion ORLANDO “Siri” SALIDO (37-11-2, 25 KOs), from Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, México, and former WBO featherweight champion JUAN MANUEL “Juanma” LOPEZ (31-1, 28 KOs), from Caguas, Puerto Rico, took part in a news conference on Tuesday to announce their World Featherweight Championship rematch.
The news conference was attended by San Juan Mayor JORGE SANTINI and took place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, at the Museo de Vida Silvestre.
“I am very happy to have this very important show in our city,” Santini said. “We know how good Orlando Salido is but we are also are very confident that Juanma will be at his best and will regain his world championship.”
Lopez-Salido II will take place Saturday, March 10, and will be televised live from Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, P.R. on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast.) The SHOWTIME telecast will open with undefeated No. 1 featherweight contender MIKEY GARCIA (27-0, 23 KOs), from Oxnard, Calif., risking his record and rating as well as his impending world title shot in a 10-round featherweight battle against an opponent to be announced.
Here are what the fighters had to say on Tuesday:
ORLANDO SALIDO:
“I expect a very different fight. I know he will be better then last time.
“But I don’t see him changing much. He might try in the beginning to fight in a different style but he will come back to his strengths. He is going to feel that he is the better and stronger man, and that he is not.
“I want to show that my first win was not a fluke. I came back to fight in Puerto Rico because he gave the opportunity to me to fight for a world championship here and I have never had any problem winning in an opponents’ home base.”
JUANMA LOPEZ:
“I am very happy to have the opportunity to fight in the Roberto Clemente Coliseum where my idol Tito Trinidad had so many fights and this is a dream come true for me.
“I want to thank Salido for coming back to Puerto Rico and giving me this opportunity. I knew Salido was a tough fighter and he came prepared and beat me and I offered no excuses.
“This fight is the most Important of my career and I will train very hard to regain my title.
On changes he will make in this fight:
“We will make changes for this fight like all fights. But I don’t want to give too many specifics. Most importantly against Salido I have to be intelligent inside the ring.
“I don’t see him changing at all. He won his first fight with me and I’ve seen his last two fights before that. He’s going to fight the same style.
“You have to be smart and use your boxing skills. That is the only way to beat Salido. I learned that in our first fight.”
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with PR Best Boxing Promotion, Zanfer Promotions and the city of San Juan, tickets to Lopez-Salido II go on sale today. Priced at $400, $200, $100, $75, $50 and $25, tickets can be purchased at www.tcpr.com or by phone charge by calling Ticket Center at (787) 792-5000.
Gunn to Defend World Heavyweight BKB Title at BKB 2 February 25
Gunn to Defend World Heavyweight BKB Title at BKB 2 February 25
Earlier this evening the World Bare Knuckle Boxing Association announced that BKB 2 will take place February 25 in Arizona, with current World Heavyweight Bare Knuckle Boxing Champion Bobby “The Celtic” Warrior Gunn putting his title on the line against an opponent to later be named.
The first sanctioned bare knuckle boxing match since 1889 took place last August 5, 2011, when Bobby Gunn defeated Richard Stewart to claim the vacant linear world heavyweight BKB title, last held by John L. Sullivan.
Since the reemergence of BKB last summer, the sport has grown tremendously in popularity on an international level, with countless fighters stepping forward expressing their interest in competing in the original form of combat.
“It means a great deal to me to be part of the first and only sanctioned bare knuckle boxing association,” said Bobby Gunn. “Since the first fight there has been a lot of talk about different organizations popping up with bare knuckle fights. But we are the only real deal out there, the rest are just pretenders. If the fights aren’t sanctioned, then they don’t really mean anything towards the sport. We were the first to legitimize this sport, and we are going to move forward with the old BKB ways, not changing or modifying anything.”
Bare knuckle boxing combines the strategy and technique of a gloved boxing match with the excitement and stand-up of a MMA fight.
“In August the world got a taste of BKB, and they’ve been craving more,” said Gunn. “With BKB 2, they are going to see fireworks. We are going to show why BKB will soon be as mainstream as gloved boxing and MMA.”
Having been surrounded by BKB all of his life, Gunn is glad to see it finally becoming a sanctioned, organized sport.
“There is a false conception that bare knuckle boxing is savage and extremely dangerous, but it’s incredible the precautions they take with the sanctioned fights,” said Gunn. “We have two referees, two doctors ringside, and the fight isn’t about hurting your opponent; it’s about using technique, strategy and discipline to pick shots and outwork and outsmart the other fighter to win.
“Lastly I want to thank my great team and my great attorney for making this second sanctioned BKB bout happen. If not for your hard work this wouldn’t be possible.”
For more information on BKB 2 visit www.WBKBA.com.
Joel Diaz, Jr. Answers Bell ShoBox debut Friday night
NEW YORK (January 18, 2012) – Undefeated super featherweight prospect Joel Diaz, Jr. is a true throwback fighter, always in top shape and ready to go just in case a call comes seeking a late replacement for a high-profile fight.
That call recently came for the 19-year-old Diaz (6-0, 5 KOs), who will be making his ShoBox: The New Generation debut Friday night against unbeaten Guy Robb (7-0, 3 KOs), opening in an eight-round bout on the televised portion of a card headlined by a World Boxing Association (“WBA”) super bantamweight title fight between Rico Ramos and Guillermo Rigondeaux, live from Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
The opening came when a leg injury forced Brandon Gonzales out of his fight against Caleb Truax. Diaz was supposed to fight Friday night on a card in Woodland Hills (CA) along with his Boxing 360 stable-mate and fellow Palmdale (CA) resident, super middleweight DonYil Livingston (7-0-1, 4 KOs), who faces Michael Walker (19-11-2, 12 KOs) in an six-round bout.
“I was training to fight in Woodland Hills when I got a call offering me the fight on ShoBox instead,” Diaz explained the circumstances. “I couldn’t turn down a one-time opportunity like that, so I’m fighting on ShoBox. It surprised me because not too many fighters get a chance to fight in the co-main event on ShoBox with only six pro fights. It’s a great opportunity to show everybody what I’ve got and, hopefully, I’ll be able to keep fighting on Showtime.”
Diaz’ promoter, Mario Yagobi (Boxing 360 founder/CEO), has expertly moved Joel. Friday night will mark his fifth fight under the Boxing 360 banner in only eight months. “Joel is a special prospect,” Yagobi said. “He started boxing at the age of nine and won 85 of 95 amateur matches. His power is incredible, especially for a 19-year-old who weighs less than 130 pounds. Joel’s a real good kid, too. His potential is limitless and boxing fans all over the country are going to know about him after watching ShoBox this Friday night.”
Diaz is fortunate he doesn’t get paid by the round. His last four fights have ended in the opening frame, including his most recent (Nov. 5) against 59-fight veteran Manuel Sarabia. “Not everybody is the same,” the crowd-pleasing Diaz spoke about his quick work looking ahead to Robb. “If I can’t finish him off in the first couple of rounds, I’m conditioned to go the full eight rounds, if that’s what it takes for me to win. I don’t know a lot about my opponent other than he’s also undefeated (5′ 6″) and a little shorter than me (5′ 8″). Pops (his assistant trainer/father Joel Diaz, Sr.) and (head trainer) Hector Vallardes watch tapes of my opponents. My job is to do what my corner tells me.”
Just like a throwback fighter Joel Diaz, Jr. is, despite his young age.
Other members of Boxing 360’s stable include IBF World Light Junior Lightweight Champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano, Maurice “Sugar Moe” Harris, Leon “Hurry Up” Moore, former IBF super middleweight champion Alejandro “Naco” Berrio, unbeaten welterweight prospect Vitaliy “Demyan” Demyanenko,WBC Caribbean & NY State super middleweight champion Lennox “2 Sharpe” Allen, Dominican lightweight champion Eudy “AK47” Bernardo, Nick “Hands of Steel” Casal, Mike Mollo, Aleem “The Hammer” Whitfield, Travis “The Notorious” Peterkin, Bryan Acaba, Joey Dawejko and “King” David Estrada.
Go to www.Boxing360.com for more information about Diaz, Livingston, Boxing 360 or any of its other fighters as well as upcoming scheduled events.