Monica Sears
Thank you, everyone. Just wanted to get it quickly turn it over to our fighters for today. First of all I would like to introduce David Itskowitch of Golden Boy Promotions who will give an overview on our upcoming fight, September 8th at Hard Rock.
David Itskowitch
Welcome to the Devon Alexander versus Randall Bailey Conference Call. The fight is a twelve round fight for Bailey’s IBF Welterweight World Title. In the co-feature we have another great fight, world title fight, Ajose Olusegun versus Lucas Matthysse, which is a 12 round fight for the vacant WBC Interim Super Lightweight World Title.
The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with The Great Promotions and DiBella Entertainment with Olusegun versus Matthysse and presented and association with Arano Box Promotions. Our event is sponsored by Corona and AT&T. Saturday, September 8th from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas live on Showtime beginning at 9:00 Eastern/Pacific with preliminary fights to air on Showtime Extreme beginning at 7:00 p.m. Eastern/Pacific.
Tickets are available now prices very reasonably starting at $25, very reasonable price for two world title fights. They are available through Ticketmaster and through the Hard Rock Hotel Box Office.
Now to say a few words about Randall Bailey, I’d like to introduce our co-promoter, President of DiBella Entertainment, Lou DiBella.
Lou DiBella
Can I just say that the opening fight is a terrific fight with Olusegun and Matthysse fighting for the vacant WBC 140 pound interim title, and Gary Shaw and I promote this fight, it is going to be great opener. And in the main event I’m really proud to be promoting Randall “KO King” Bailey, likely to be the hardest puncher in boxing. He’s got lots of power, The biggest puncher in the entire sport, and Devon I think realizes as good a boxer as he is, as talented as he is that one punch landed silently from Randall Bailey could end any fight.
Randall’s punching power at 147 is bigger than his punching power at 140. And he’s dangerous from the beginning of the first round until the last second of the 12th as Mike Jones learned the hard way, and the fight with Jones was way ahead and too devastating and knocked down in a devastating knock out late in the fight to put Randall in this position. Made Randall a world champion again, and he knows that Devon is there to try to take his title and Randall is there to keep it.
And I want to introduce the biggest puncher in boxing, the most feared puncher in boxing, Randall “The KO King” Bailey. Randall, do you want to say a few words?
Randall
I just want to say I’m excited about this fight. Can’t wait for the fight and I’ve always wanted this fight. Even at 140 I wanted to fight but I was never able to get it but I’m happy I’m able to get it right now.
David
Also wanted to acknowledge before we get to Devon, Kevin Cunningham who was instrumental not only in Devon’s career but in his life. Just want to acknowledge and thank him for everything. He’s Devon’s trainer so thank you, Kevin.
Want to introduce now a young man who had a very impressive amateur career, over 300 wins, turned pro in 2004, won the WBC Super Lightweight World Championship in August 2009 by stopping Junior Witter. Added the IBF World Title with an 8th round knockout over Juan Urango, and then went on to defeat Andreas Kotelnik via unanimous decision.
The only blemish on his record is a technical decision loss to Timothy Bradley in the unification fight which came after a head-butt from Bradley Affected Devon’s vision. He rebounded from that fight with a 10 round split decision victory over Lucas Matthysse, and in his last fight went on to beat Argentinian knockout artist Marcos Maidana proving that he’s ready for the big time at 147 pounds.
Now, he’s ready for Bailey, going to face him on neutral territory and will look to win his second divisional world title, with a record of 23-1 with 13 KOs from St. Louis, Missouri, Devon Alexander “The Great.” Devon?
Devon
Hey, what’s going on guys? I just want to say welcome to everybody on the conference call and I’m excited for this fight. I could become three time world champion on September 8th and I’m excited about that. I’m jammed. I’m pumped up. I’m sure Randall Bailey’s going to come to fight. I’m ready. I’m 123% ready so I’m just ready to get the fight on so welcome, everybody.
Q
Not much, man. Hey, and Kevin, how you guys doing? This question is for both of you. I’m one of those guys that wasn’t surprised but obviously impressed with your performance against Maidana because your contention had been for a long time that the weight of making 140 was the major issue. Having said that, can you talk about the challenge that was posed by Maidana and segue into the challenge that is posed by Bailey and what you think this challenge will bring out of you, Kevin, both of you if you could address that?
Devon
Okay. Well, for me like you said the 140 division the weight was getting a bit too much for me. I’m getting bigger. I was getting older and getting a lot stronger, a lot of muscle, a lot of lean
muscle on my body, and not knowing that it was putting a strain on my body I kept making the weight and kept making the contract weight like I promised on my contract and that’s what I do. I make the weight and I get in there and fight, but as you saw in the fights I wasn’t looking my best. I wasn’t looking 100% so we made the choice to move up to 147 and now I’m stronger. I’m faster. I’m back to my old self again.
The Bailey fight is going to bring the best out of me because he’s a veteran in the game and he knows what he’s doing in there, and he’s going to come to fight. He’s going to be ready, and like he said he’s got that one punch knockout for the title. That’s not my worry. This is boxing so I’m going to be ready for whatever he brings.
Q
He said that he thought that first off all he has a lot of success against southpaws even though he lost to Urango. He’s dropped him and he’s dropped every southpaw he’s faced and that he feels that he softened up Urango for you to have an easy fight.
Devon
Well, I mean that doesn’t make sense. I mean for him to say he softened up Urango that means he should have been able to stop him and continue, you know, knock him out and go ahead and finish him but he didn’t finish him. I finished him so that’s kind of like contradicting himself.
Then for-so that’s contradicting himself.
As far as him fighting southpaws, Urango’s not a pretty talented fighter like me. He’s not a pretty talented southpaw like me. I’m a natural southpaw who’s got steels and he thinks in the ring. Them fighters don’t think in the ring, and if he thinks that’s what he’s going to get on September the 8th he’s in for a rude awakening.
Q
Here’s my last question for you, Devon. What did you gain, if anything, from Mike Jones’ performance against Bailey? He was winning the fight and he got caught twice late in the fight.
Is there anything to be gained from that performance and that result?
Devon
Well, it was a sloppy fight. Mike Jones fought sloppy the whole fight, and Bailey was anticipating throwing a right hand all night so you can’t really take anything from the fight other than always be alert and just follow instincts. For me I don’t care about anything that Randall Bailey’s going to do on September 8th. I mean this is boxing. Everybody hits hard. Everybody, you know, a boxer everybody has two hands, two legs and everything so I don’t care. So, September 8th he better be ready.
Q
Randall, when you fought Mike Jones it took you quite a while to land that right hand.
Obviously, it was a combination of you landing the right punch and him, I guess, maybe moving forward and making a mistake. Is there anything you can do to create more of an opportunity in this fight rather than having to wait for Devon to come forward or slowdown to land that punch?
Randall
No because Devon is a lot smaller than Mike Jones was and he’ll be surprised, know what I’m saying? What they don’t understand is if he comes forward in the whole fight, if he moves I’m going to cut him off and we’re going to fight. So he can talk about me being ready, he better be ready. I’m ready to go to war. That’s what I come for. I’m not coming to the fight for nothing easy. All that boxing shit he think he going to be doing he better fight fool.
Q
So you feel like you can cut off the ring-
Randall
I know I can cut off the ring. I know I can cut him off and when I cut him off he’s going to have to fight; most all that skill and all that other nonsense, alright.
Q
As Lem was just asking a little bit about the Mike Jones fight and I wonder when you’re in the ring is it a great sense of confidence knowing that even if you’re behind, even if you are in with a guy that’s maybe going to be faster than you or can box circles around you that you have the one thing that can do the greatest for any fighter, which is to knock anybody out with one punch?
That if you just keep on trucking that maybe you can get the guy out of there which is what you have done many times, is that like a comfort for you in the ring? Do you always know that it’s there for you in your back pocket?
Randall
Well, I know it’s always there but just me being in the ring moving, you know, when I’m moving in the ring I’m lining these guys up for that punch. It just it took a little longer for Mike Jones. Even in these other fights see when I move in the ring my right hand is there so they’re worried about the right hand. I’ll tell you everybody gets hit with the right hand. What you going to do when you get with it is all you’ve got to worry about.
Q
When you see the kind of destruction that punch can do what do you think of it? Because I’ve watched you, Randall, for a long time and I’ve seen you knock a lot of guys out and it seems like from the moment that the bell rings to start a fight you’re looking to land the one right hand to the moment that the fight ends or you do land the right hand. That you may power with the jab and you may move a little bit but you’re a one-trick pony with the best trick there is, just one shot.
Randall
Exactly. I’ve been working on it since I was 16. I hide it very well and when I land it it’s destructive.
Q
Were you at all surprised that you-because it seemed like maybe Mike was-not that he was dominating by any stretch of the imagination, but probably winning that fight that you guys had back in June, did you think that you were behind and you needed that knockout or what was your thoughts as you dropped him for the first time and then knocked him out later?
Randall
No, I knew I was behind. I knew I was behind in the fight. I knew I’d win the fight, but like I said, he gave me a half a door open and that’s all I needed. He left me a half a door and that’s all I need to get it in.
Q
How do you then go about to deal with somebody like Devon who is a much faster fighter than Mike Jones is?
Randall
It doesn’t matter how fast Devon is he gets hit. He gets hit with right hands constantly. Everybody he’s fought has hit him with right hands so he’s going to come into this fight and I’m not going to hit him, please. If he had them hit him trust me I’m going to hit him.
Q
Hey, Devon. You hear Randall saying that you get hit with a lot of right hands and that as he said at some point in the fight he’s going to land that right hand. What do you do to make sure that doesn’t happen, like what happened to Mike Jones and many others?
Devon
All I’ve got to do is follow my game plan. I’m not going to say too much. All I’ve got to do is follow my game plan me and my coach has set out. It has worked. Me and my coach game plan has worked thus far and that’s all I got to do. That’s all I got to say. He can come in there and he can take me lightly. He can say all this and that. If he lands he’s going-what landed? Try to land it, that’s all you got to do. Just try to land it.
Q
Knowing you for a while and watching you and covering your fights for a long time and, Devon, to me like you figure-like tell me if I’m right about this, you figure he can try to throw that right hand all night long but because of the way you box and the quickness you possess and the game plan that you and Kevin are devising that you’re going to be in there basically making him look like a fool running around trying to nail you and you just going to out box him.
Randall
No.
Devon
That’s not all I got in my arsenal. That’s not the only thing boxing. Of course, I’m a prepared boxer. I’ve got skill and I use my skill to my advantage but that’s not all I’ve got and he’ll see September 8th that’s not all I got.
Q
Kevin, I wanted to ask you about what you’ve been hearing between Randall with the right hand and Devon with the game plan. Can you talk a little bit about how you go about preparing a guy to face a fighter that has one very distinct advantage, the right hand, and a very dangerous weapon? How you go about preparing to take that away from him?
Kevin
Well, that’s going to be Randall’s problem is all he has is the right hand. That’s going to be a problem in this fight because he’s going to need more than one hand and one arm in this fight, and when he gets in the ring with Devon he’s going to find out if he throws the right hand he’s going to pay for it every time he throws it. So he isn’t going to be trying to get it off like he thinks he is.
Q
Hey, Devon, Lem brought it up earlier about the Maidana fight. I mean he was a big knockout guy and you had to watch out for him and you did a good job of staying away. Lessons learned from that or what have you gained from that on going up against another knockout guy?
Devon
Well, you know, Maidana is Maidana. Maidana he’s a come forward type of guy. He’s a brawler. He comes at you all night throwing bombs and Randall Bailey is a more subtle type of fighter so it’s going to be different, but I’m versatile. I adjust to my opponent and so whatever Randall Bailey’s going to do I’m going to adjust to that. I can either box or I come forward and that’s what Randall Bailey’s not getting in his head. Maidana was different. Maidana’s way different from Maidana but I’m going to adjust to whatever Randall Bailey’s going to do in the ring.
Q
And let’s see you’ve fought all over the world but now you’re finally-this is your first fight in Las Vegas right? Talk about the excitement of finally getting to fight in Las Vegas.
Devon
Well, you know, I think in my opinion every fighter wants to make it to Vegas. I think that’s the fighting capital of the world. You know some of the best fights have came out of Vegas and this will be my first debut in Vegas so I’m excited about that.
Q
Do you think that the winner of this fight is going to be in a position to possibly challenge Floyd Mayweather in his return fight?
Devon
In my opinion it’s a good start. It’s a hell of a statement. Whoever wins this fight is going to be in a good position, so you can say that but you never know. You just never know in this game and what Floyd wants to do.
Q
And my next question is for Randall. Randall, I know we spoke and there’s been a lot of talk about the venue of this fight, and it seemed like from the beginning you wanted it in Las Vegas. Are you happy that it’s going to be in Las Vegas number one; and number two, does this make you feel more-do you think it’s more fair judging than your usual venue?
Randall
Yeah. I said Las Vegas from the beginning because I just felt like it’s a good enough fight for Las Vegas, and I didn’t feel like I should have to go to his home town when I’m giving him an opportunity to fight for the title. So hey, I’m cool all the way around.
Q
Thank you very much. Hello, everybody. First question I have is for Devon. Devon, everybody seems to be talking about this fight as if it’s going to be a boxer against a puncher and you as a southpaw trying to get around Randall’s right hand. Do you think that’s going to be an accurate description of this fight, a boxer against a puncher, or do you think it’s going to be a little more complex than that?
Devon
It’s going to be a little more complex than that because I’m not just coming in the ring just to run around and get hit. That’s a misconception people got of me. This is boxing. You’ve got to try to hurt the guy and I’m definitely not going to be just running around. I’m going to put some hurt on Randall Bailey and he’s going to feel it.
Q
Was there anything that you learned from the Maidana fight? Even though he’s a different kind of fighter than Randall Bailey but he’s known as somebody who is more of a slugger and you dominated that fight, was there anything that you got from that fight in terms of technique or competence that you could apply in this fight?
Devon
Definitely. Definitely. You guys definitely-whoever saw the fight definitely saw my power.
My power’s there and I’m not doing nothing but getting more power and I’m steady learning. I watched the fight at least about six or seven times and I’m always perfecting my craft. I’m always seeing what I can do better and in the Maidana fight I saw that I could have easily stepped to him and be smart about it and possibly stopped him. It’s a learning lesson and I’ll take advantage of it next time.
Q
Okay. And for Randall, have you seen the fight that Devon had with Maidana and is there anything that you saw in that fight that you could use to your advantage?
Randall
Yes. I saw a lot of hitting and holding and that’s not going to happen with me. I don’t play the hugging game. When he’s trying to hold I’ll be punching.
Q
You talked earlier about cutting off the ring. If he’s going to want to say circle away from your right hand what are you going to do because a lot of people feel he will have the speed advantage?
Randall
He does a lot and the ring isn’t but so big and he’s not a big guy so I’m definitely going to get to him.
Q
What do you think has been key to this resurgence in your career because you know at your age a lot of fighters are pretty much finished or retired or just about finished and your reaching new heights? I mean the Mike Jones fight was obviously the most recent example. What have you done to keep yourself at the top of your game by being a veteran?
Randall
Well, I’ve never really abused my body. I never train light so no problem because I’m always training hard in the gym, you know. I’m always just laying around. I’m …. I’m just a laid back kind of guy. I never really get too excited about too many things, but I’m just laid back. I don’t really party a lot. I got to a couple of fights here and there and most of the time I’m just at home chilling.
Q
Hi. Thanks for taking my call. A couple questions for both fighters. If I could start with Randall Bailey; Randall, obviously many people consider you to be the best single punch knockout artist in boxing today. Is that something that you feel you were born with or is that a skill that had to be developed like any other skill in boxing?
Randall
I think the power I was born with but like I said I’ve been throwing my right hand since I was like 15, 16 years old, and I mean diligently practicing on it since then. It’s like whenever I felt you’re going to get hit with it. I don’t care what you do; you’re going to get hit with it. It’s just what you’re going to do after you get hit with it.
Q
The one punch knockout artist in boxing seems to be something of a lost art today. Why do you think that is, Randall?
Randall
Because a lot of guys don’t have it. Well, other than Mike Tyson I’m pretty much alone out here with that talent, you know able to do it.
Q
Is there anybody out there that even has similar one punch power to you out there in boxing today?
Randall
Oh, I haven’t seen it if it is.
Q
Thanks. A couple questions for Devon. Devon, is there anything that you do in terms of preparation either mentally or physically differently for a fight against someone who is obviously known for that one punch knockout power?
Devon
Of course. I get ready for each fight different. I don’t get ready for a fight the same never. Each fight has a specific game plan so of course I’m preparing differently for Randall Bailey, and me and my coach, like I said, got a game plan. I trust in the game plan 100% and all I got to do is implement that and we’re going to be ready.
Q
What did you think of Tim Bradley’s performance against Manny Pacquiao and do you think he deserved the win?
Devon
It was a, you know, all right performance against Tim Bradley but in my opinion I thought Pacquiao edged it out just a little bit, but for me going back and watching the fight again, you know, Bradley kept keeping the pace going and I thought Pacquiao slowed down. So you go watch it again you know you kind of say, “Hmm, it was closer than what I thought.” But I had Pacquiao slightly to win it.
Q
If you bet Bailey do you want to fight Tim Bradley again in a rematch at welterweight or do you have your sights set elsewhere?
Devon
Well, you know, first I’m focused on the September 8 and then after that I definitely would love that rematch with Bradley but the best situation that is for me. My coach is good at that. He’s good at figuring out the best opponent for me, and we’ll just have to see when we cross that road. It could be soon.
Q
One more question, Devon. Do you have any regrets about your reaction to the clash of heads in the 10th round against Bradley and not being able to continue after the head-butt?
Devon
Yes. It’s a learning lesson for me too. It’s just boxing. This is boxing and you’re going to have circumstances that you’ve got to get through when you’re inside them four corners. And as I’m getting older-I just turned 25. I’m getting older and I’m still learning and I definitely have regrets on not continuing but we have to take those risks. What are you going to do? So I lived to see another day. I’m back on top at 147 and here it come back full circle and I’ll be ready for it again.
Monica
All right, everyone, thank you for joining today’s call. I appreciate everyone taking the time out, especially both fighters from camp. We will be sending around updates of upcoming events for the media and looking forward to September 8th at Hard Rock and live on Showtime. Thanks, everyone.
END OF CALL
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Alexander vs. Bailey, a 12-round fight for Bailey’s IBF Welterweight World Title taking place Saturday, September 8 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with The Great Promotions and DiBella Entertainment and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will air live at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) with Ajose Olusegun facing Lucas Matthysse for the vacant WBC Interim Super Lightweight title in the co-featured fight which is presented in association with Arano Box Promotions. Preliminary fights will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $75, $50 and $25, along with a limited number of VIP suite seats priced at $150, are available for purchase at the Hard Rock Hotel Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.
