Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia, Top Lightweight Contender Mauricio Herrera, WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder, heavyweight contender Malik “King” Scott, WBO International Junior Lightweight Champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez and Former WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce De Leon are deep in training camp for their respective March 15 bouts in Puerto Rico live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) and SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT).
Here is what the fighters have to say about how their camps are going and how they feel about the night of action coming up on Saturday, March 15, at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez.
Where are you training and when did you start?
Danny Garcia: “I’ve been training in Philadelphia for about eight weeks.”
Mauricio Herrera: “I started training the day I signed for this fight. I’ve been training out of Riverside, Calif. at a gym called Capital Punishment Gym with my trainer Jose Torres.”
Deontay Wilder: “I’m training back home in Tuscaloosa, Ala.. I’ve been training non-stop since my last fight but officially started sparring on Feb. 17.”
Malik Scott: “I’ve been training at the Ten Goose Boxing Gym since about mid-January.”
Juan Manuel Lopez: “I have been training at the Caimito Gym since the beginning of January. It is the same gym used by Tito Trinidad for many of his fights and also by Oscar De La Hoya while he was in Puerto Rico.”
Daniel Ponce de Leon: “I’ve been training for about a month at my gym in Montebello, Calif..”
If you had to pick the most challenging camp moment, what would that be and why?
Danny Garcia: “Losing weight and sparring is always the toughest challenge in training camp.”
Mauricio Herrera: “This camp has not only been the toughest, but it’s been the smartest. I have changed things that didn’t work for me in my past camps and implemented more things that work.”
Deontay Wilder: “I would have to say it’s working with the Wladimir Klitschko camp. A lot of great moments all around with that camp. I came with questions and left with answers.”
Malik Scott: “We’ve had a smooth training camp so we haven’t had one.”
Juan Manuel Lopez: “The whole camp has been somewhat challenging because it is the first time I am training in a different gym that is far from the one I normally use.”
Daniel Ponce De Leon: “The most difficult situation for a fighter is to make weight. I recognize that I was struggling in my last two fights to make the junior featherweight division.”
What are your thoughts on your opponent now that you are deep in training?
Danny Garcia: “Mauricio is a tough fighter but I am 110 percent ready; come March 15 it will be another epic performance by me.”
Mauricio Herrera: “I don’t see Danny Garcia as any different than anyone else. I don’t want to hold him way up on a pedestal the way his dad does. Danny Garcia is just like me. We both bleed and we both feel pain.”
Deontay Wilder: “I think Malik will come to fight and make this heavyweight showdown one of the best to come this year. So many people are super excited about this matchup that they can’t stop talking about it and that’s what the heavyweight division needs. I love the excitement and I’m very happy to be a part of bringing the division back to where it once was.”
Malik Scott: “All my thoughts are on staying focused and getting ready for March 15.”
Juan Manuel Lopez: ” This will be a difficult fight for me. I am sure that it will be different than the first one.”
Daniel Ponce de Leon: “Juan Manuel Lopez is a tough fighter. He has power and I know he will never lose his power. I expect a tough fight.”
How do you feel about fighting in Puerto Rico?
Danny Garcia: “Fighting in Puerto Rico is a dream come true. I’m very excited and I can’t wait to give my fans in Puerto Rico a great show.”
Mauricio Herrera: “I feel great about fighting in Puerto Rico. There is a lot of love for the sport of boxing in Puerto Rico, so that gives me more incentive to bring everything I’ve got to the ring. In the end, I’ll fight anywhere. The ring can be in Puerto Rico, Riverside or Las Vegas. It’s a different crowd but the ring and my desire to win is the same.”
Deontay Wilder: “I’m super excited about fighting in Puerto Rico. I look at it like this beautiful island, beautiful weather and beautiful people. I love traveling and one day want a home there near the beach.”
Malik Scott: “All I know is, inside the ring it will be like home.”
Juan Manuel Lopez: “I am super happy to be fighting in Puerto Rico and I see it asa great opportunity for my career.”
Daniel Ponce De Leon: “I feel fine about fighting in Puerto Rico. I don’t have any pressure. I know I am in his house but a lot of people will enjoy the fight.”
The fighters participating on the “Garcia vs. Herrera” televised fight cardhave also taken to social media, sending out updates and photos from their training in anticipation of their March 15 bouts:
Danny Garcia – @DannySwift – http://instagram.com/dannyswiftgarcia
Mauricio Herrera – @elmaestro1
Deontay Wilder – @BronzeBomber – http://instagram.com/bronzebomber
Malik Scott – @MalikKingScott – http://instagram.com/215king
Juan Manuel Lopez – @Juanma_Lopez – http://instagram.com/juanjuanmalopez
Daniel Ponce de Leon – @DanielPoncedeL1 – http://instagram.com/danielponcedel1
“Garcia vs. Herrera,” a12-round WBC Super Lightweight World Title on Saturday, March 15, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Swift Promotions in association with PR Best Boxing and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. The co-main event, Deontay Wilder vs. Malik Scott, is a 12-round WBC Final Heavyweight eliminator bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will air live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). In the main event on the SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT) portion of the card, former world champions Juan Manuel Lopez and Daniel Ponce de Leon square off in a 10-round rematch for the WBO International Junior Lightweight Title.
Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $150, $200 and $400 plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale now at www.tcpr.com and by calling 787-792-5000.
