Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN featured fighters were joined by local Brooklyn favorites featured on this Saturday’s undercard for a media workout at Gleason’s Gym in advance of their respective showdowns at Barclays Center.
Saturday’s headlining event features undefeated star Danny “Swift” Garcia (30-0, 17 KOs) as he takes on two-time world champion from Brooklyn Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi (33-6, 7 KOs) in a 12-round welterweight tilt. Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT as Brooklyn’s Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs (29-1, 26 KOs) defends his middleweight world title against former world champion Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora (28-3-2, 9 KOs).
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Swift Promotions, are priced at $250, $150, $120, $75 and $45, not including applicable service charges and taxes, and are on sale now. Tickets are available at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com and at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. For group tickets, please call 855-GROUP-BK.
Here is what the participants had to say Wednesday:
DANNY GARCIA
“[On going up to 147 pounds] You’re going to see a lot more energy in the ring. You’ll see a smarter fighter. I’ll have more agility and we’re going to go in there to get the job done.
“We’re just working hard. At the end of the day it’s about being 100 percent prepared. I did everything right this camp and I’m ready.
“The game plan is to go in there and be Danny Garcia and be spectacular. I don’t know which Paulie to expect but I’m prepared for any version of him we see. I’m sparring a lot of guys who move and guys who come forward so I’m ready for anything.
“If we’re both at 100 percent then I’ll take my 100 percent over his without a doubt. My style is made to beat any fighter in the game. I’m sure he trained hard but we’re going to get this victory.
“I’m only focused on being a fighter. I don’t think anybody can beat a 110 percent Danny Garcia. At the end of the day, I know I beat a lot of good fighters and I’m going to show my heart in the ring.
“There’s no pressure but I’m looking forward to an excellent performance. I’m ready to fight today if the fight was today. I feel faster at 147. I won’t be flat-footed in there. You’re going to see it all on Saturday.
“I feel like I’m one of the most versatile fighters in the sport. I’m going to feel strong for 12 rounds on Saturday. I’ve felt strong all camp.”
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI
“I feel great at 147 pounds. I’ve always felt very strong at this weight and it’s where I should be. I still had to make sacrifices in training but I’ve never made weight so easily. I’m coming off back-to-back camps and I feel like I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been.
“To be a two-time world champion you need to be able to do more than just jab and move. My IQ and my overall boxing ability and skillset make me the fighter that I am today.
“I don’t think Danny is overlooking me but I feel that the fans and the media are. I love challenges and I love things that motivate me. I wake up in the morning saying this is hard, but I know I can do it.
“The bigger the challenge the more excited I am. It brings the best out of me. I have fought some of the greatest fighters of our time. There’s no reason I would stop now.
“Fighting at home at Barclays Center against Danny Garcia, one of the biggest fights in boxing, I couldn’t ask for more.”
DANIEL JACOBS
“Sergio Mora is a slick fighter. He can slip punches well and he’s defensively minded. He’s a cagey fighter but he lacks power. He has a lot of defensive flaws and I just have to be patient and take advantage of them.
“We have a game plan in store, but in a pro fight anything can happen. You have to be able to adjust on the fly.
“I have a great team that helps me take care of things so that I can focus on training. I avoid all distractions that would take me away from being at my best.
“Fighting on the PBC cards has been outstanding. I love the intro and coming out on that stage. I felt like a superstar.
“This training camp has been a pleasure, hard work but a pleasure. It was difficult because Sergio is so hard to prepare for. You can’t prepare for it with sparring or just one thing. I’m looking forward to showing my true skills and showing what a true champion is.”
SERGIO MORA
“I’m thrilled about this opportunity. I’ve had two huge letdowns before with world title shots falling through. Now that this is here, there is no way I’m going to let it pass me by.
“I’m happy to be here. I’m happy to be at Barclays and happy to be on PBC. I love being the underdog and I’m going to shock the world on Saturday night.
“I’m in the second phase of my career now, DiBella and PBC have saved my career and my life.
“PBC is great, it’s free TV and we’re putting out heart, blood, sweat and tears into this and the fans get to see it on free TV. This is great for the fans, for the fighters and for the entire sport as a whole; it’s what boxing needed.”
RAFAEL VASQUEZ
“This is a great opportunity and a blessing to be on this card. There’s so many great fighters from Brooklyn. Barclays Center is great and it gives us fighters from Brooklyn the opportunity to fight at a first class venue right here at home.
[On his Autistic eight-year-old daughter Kaylene]…”I want to show other people that are dealing with this, that they are not alone. I see this as a blessing to be able to raise awareness and speak out and show other families that are struggling with Autism that we are in this together.
“When people see me step into the ring I want them to know that I’m not only fighting for myself but I’m fighting for them. I want to be the face of Autism in boxing.”
HEATHER HARDY
“It’s really important to me that I stay relevant and that I’m a part of the conversation so when I saw this fight coming up in August I made sure that I was on this card.
“There really is extra motivation going up against Renata Domsodi again. I felt like when the two of us faced off last time and the bout was ruled a no contest that we owed it to every other female boxer to show that we belong there and I thought she quit.
“Renata was coming in with her face down swinging her arms and I charged her while she was coming in and that caused the cut. We’ve been working on stepping to the side when she does that and being a little bit more patient.
“If all goes well Saturday I’ll be ready to get back in the ring in September. I’m in shape and I live in the gym. This is what I do. You have to stay a part of the conversation. I want to see a higher level of competition every time I step into the ring.
“This is probably the hardest I’ve ever worked, out of all of my camps. Not for any other reason than just putting in extra work. Honestly I’m in the best shape of my life.”
TRAVIS PETERKIN
“I’ve trained so hard, I put blood, sweat and tears into this. I put my soul into this. I put my life into this. We’re ready.
“It’s no secret that I’m from Brooklyn, born and raised, I didn’t move here from anywhere. Guys like Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe and Shannon Briggs I just want to follow in their footsteps. I want to be great and learn from those that came before me.
“I’m a boxer-puncher. I’ll adapt to the fighter. If he runs, I’ll go get him. But I also know how to be smart and use my technical abilities.
“I’m facing a tough guy in Lenin Castillo. He’s got a good record and was a 2008 Olympian. Everything looks good on paper, but when the time comes, I’m going to take him out.
“I train right here at Gleason’s. When we’re a couple months from a fight everybody is smiling and joking but when we’re this close to the fight, everybody is serious. It’s all about hard work.”
For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.barclayscenter.com and www.dbe1.com. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @DannySwift, @PaulMalignaggi, @LouDiBella,@ESPNBoxing, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/fanpagedannyswiftgarcia, www.facebook.com/PaulMalignaggi, www.facebook.com/barclayscenterand www.facebook.com/ESPN. Follow the conversation using #PBConESPN and #BrooklynBoxing.
