PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS TO DELIVER LIVE COVERAGE OF ERROL SPENCE JR. VS. SHAWN PORTER WEEK EVENTS VIA FOX SPORTS PLATFORMS, SATELLITE & STREAMING

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PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS TO DELIVER LIVE COVERAGE OF ERROL SPENCE JR. VS. SHAWN PORTER WEEK EVENTS VIA FOX SPORTS PLATFORMS, SATELLITE & STREAMING

WEDNESDAY, September 25: FOX SPORTS PBC PAY-PER-VIEW
Final Press Conference
7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT/4 p.m. PT

THURSDAY, September 26: FOX SPORTS PBC PAY-PER-VIEW &
FS1 PBC FIGHT NIGHT PRELIMS Final Press Conference
2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT/11 a.m. PT

FRIDAY, September 27: Official Weigh-In
2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT/11 a.m. PT

Welterweight Champions Errol Spence Jr. & Shawn Porter Headline
FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View Saturday, September 28 from
STAPLES Center in Los Angeles

Premier Boxing Champions will deliver HD Satellite and online streaming coverage of fight week events leading up to this Saturday’s PBC on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event headlined by IBF Welterweight Champion Errol Spence Jr. and WBC Welterweight Champion Shawn Porter going toe-to-toe on Saturday, September 28 from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

Please see below for the Satellite coordinates that can be used for all three events Wednesday through Friday. You will also find a schedule of events that includes the opening and closing windows for the Satellite of each event:

Satellite Coordinates:
Satellite: Galaxy 17, 23K, Slot C; Location: 91 degrees west; Downlink Freq.: 12164.5 Horizontal; Bandwidth: 9 MHz; Modulation: DVBS-2, 8PSK; FEC Rate: 3/4; Symbol Rate: 7.2 Msym/s; Data Rate: 15.678 mbps; Pilots: On; Roll off: 25%; Video: HD 1080i / 59.94 / 16:9; Compression: MPEG-4; Chroma: 4:2:0; Delay: Low; GOP Structure: 32
Frame Structure: IBBBP; PMT & Video PID: 100 & 101; Audio Bit Rate: 384 kbits
102: Ch. 1: English Stereo Left; Ch. 2: English Stereo Right

Schedule of Events (All Events Take Place At Intercontinental Hotel – Wilshire Grand Ballroom 2):
Wednesday, September 25: FOX SPORTS PBC PAY-PER-VIEW Final Press Conference – 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CT/4:00 p.m. PT

Window Opens: 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT/3:30 p.m. PT
Window Closes: 8:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. CT/5:00 p.m. PT x 30

Thursday, September 26 – FOX SPORTS PBC PAY-PER-VIEW & FS1 PBC FIGHT NIGHT PRELIMS Final Press Conference – 2:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. CT/11:00 a.m. PT

Window Opens: 1:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. CT/10:30 a.m. PT
Window Closes: 6:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. CT/3:00 p.m. PT x 30

Friday, September 27 – FOX SPORTS PBC PAY-PER-VIEW WEIGH-IN – 2:00 p.m. ET/
1:00 p.m. CT/11:00 a.m. PT

Window Opens: 1:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. CT/10:30 a.m. PT
Window Closes: 3:00 p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. CT/12:00 p.m. PT x 30

Saturday, September 28 – Post Event Highlights will be available 15 minutes after conclusion of PPV broadcast

Satellite Coordinates for Post Fight Highlights:
Satellite: Galaxy 17, 23K Upper; Location: 91 degrees west; Downlink Freq.: 12169 MHz Horizontal; Bandwidth: 18 MHz; Modulation: DVBS-2, 8PSK; FEC Rate: 3/5; Symbol Rate: 15 Msym/s; Data Rate: 26.698 mbps; Pilots: Off; Roll off: 20%; Video: HD 1080i / 59.94 / 16:9; Compression: MPEG-2; Chroma: 4:2:2; Delay: Low; GOP Structure: 30; Frame Structure: IBBP; PMT & Video PID: 100 & 101; Audio Bit Rate: 384 kbits; 102: Ch. 1: English Stereo Left; Ch. 2: English Stereo Right

For any problems with Satellite Coordinates, please contact Victor Verno: vverno@strategictv.com ; 551-208-5738

Full live coverage of Wednesday and Friday’s events will also be available on FS1 and the FOX Sports app on the dates and times that are listed above. All fight week events, including Tuesday’s Grand Arrivals with Live Musical Performances at 5 p.m. PT, can be seen on the Premier Boxing Champions YouTube page.

The stream can be ingested via the rtmp stream below. If you are unable to connect to the primary stream, please use the alternate stream.

Primary Stream for all events:
rtmp://live.restream.io/pull/
play_725421_b02214888a27a6217302

Alternate stream:
rtmp://live.restream.io/pull/
play_725421_8393bdb58b34e9e2f689

For any problems with the streaming coordinates, please contact Jason Aron: Jason@jasonamedia.com; (201) 694-4359

ERROL SPENCE JR. VS. SHAWN PORTER GRAND ARRIVALS FEATURE EXCITING MUSICAL PERFORMANCES & FIGHTER WORKOUTS TUESDAY AT XBOX PLAZA AT L.A. LIVE

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ERROL SPENCE JR. VS. SHAWN PORTER GRAND ARRIVALS FEATURE EXCITING MUSICAL PERFORMANCES & FIGHTER WORKOUTS TUESDAY AT XBOX PLAZA AT L.A. LIVE

Hip-Hop Artists Casey Veggies, Young Miller Tha Don, Ohana Bam, Mariachi Band & More Kick Off Fight Week at Unique Event

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC EVENT BEGINS AT 5 p.m. PT

Grand arrivals and media workouts for the welterweight title unification clash between IBF Champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. and WBC Champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter will kick off fight week on Tuesday evening at Xbox Plaza at L.A. Live with a unique combination of boxing’s best and Los Angeles’ diversely vibrant music and entertainment culture.

To celebrate the blockbuster “Spence vs. Porter” event taking place Saturday, September 28 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and headlining a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View, the fighters’ grand arrivals and media workouts will begin at 5 p.m. PT and feature all pay-per-view fighters including Spence and Porter, Anthony Dirrell, David Benavidez, Mario Barrios, Batyr Akhmedov, Josesito Lopez and John Molina Jr., plus Robert Guerrero & Joey Spencer, who compete in FS1 PBC Fight Night Prelims.

In addition, and to recognize L.A.’s cultural scene, special performances by well-known L.A. hip hop artists Casey Veggies, Young Miller Tha Don and Ohana Bamwill take place. Plus, one of the area’s best Mariachi bands, Mariachi Espuelas de Jalisco, will be on-hand. The entire event will be hosted by Jason Lee from Hollywood Unlocked, who also appears on “Love and Hip Hop LA”, Nick Cannon’s “Wild ‘N Out” on MTV and who recently signed a lucrative contract with the iHeartRadio network for HU.

Fans who can’t attend the special event live will be able to livestream the festivities on FOXSports.com and the Premier Boxing Champions YouTube Page.

Spence vs. Porter headlines pay-per-view action beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT that will also feature WBC Super Middleweight Champion Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell against unbeaten former champion David “El Bandera Roja” Benavidez in an explosive 168-pound showdown, unbeaten rising star Mario “El Azteca” Barrios meeting fellow unbeaten Batyr Akhmedov for the WBA Super Lightweight Title and rugged veteran Josesito López battling battle-hardened brawler John Molina Jr. in a 10-round welterweight attraction.

FIGHTER GRAND ARRIVALS & MEDIA WORKOUTS – OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

When: Tuesday, September 24 beginning at 5:00 p.m. PT

Featuring: Fight week grand arrivals and media workouts for pay-per-view fighters Errol Spence Jr., Shawn Porter, Anthony Dirrell, David Benavidez, Mario Barrios, Batyr Akhmedov, Josesito Lopez and John Molina Jr., plus Robert Guerrero & Joey Spencer, who compete in FS1 PBC Fight Night Prelims.

Performances from Hip-Hop artists Casey Veggies, Young Miller Tha Don and Ohana Bam, plus Mariachi band and appearance from Jason Lee of Hollywood Unlocked.

Location: Xbox Plaza at L.A. Live, located at 800 W. Olympic Blvd.; Los Angeles, CA 90015

Los Angeles-born Casey Veggies is a renowned rapper and songwriter and a founding member of the popular hip hop collective Odd Future. As a solo artist, he has toured internationally and worked with a slew of other rap superstars including Mac Miller, Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla Sign, Nipsey Hussle, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler the Creator, YG, Dom Kennedy, Hodgy Beats, Juicy J, Kirko Bangz, Hit-Boy and Domo Genesis, among others. The 26-year-old has also performed sold-out shows with Roc Nation artist Rita Ora at SOB’s in NYC and appeared on MTV’s RapFixLive.

New Orleans native Young Miller Tha Don is a rapper, actor and humanitarian, currently living in Beverly Hills. Miller is related to hip-hop superstar Master P and has performed internationally with many of rap’s best-known artists. Under his D. Miller brand, Miller designs and distributes clothing, shoes, accessories and electronics. He is also known for providing clothing and food to the homeless at various shelters and underserved areas of Los Angeles.

Los Angeles-based Chicago native Ohana Bam is a rapper once acclaimed by Rolling Stone Magazine as an “Artist You Need to Know.” Often compared to fellow Chicago native and superstar Chance the Rapper, Bam rose to prominence on the strength of his albums Tree Up and Pigeons & Planes. Bam’s work showcases impressive versatility that spans rap, pop, dancehall, rock, soul, and more.

A force in the Southern California urban community, Jason Lee is the CEO of Hollywood Unlocked, an influential pop culture blog with 1.6 million Instagram followers. Lee burst onto the scene on “Love & Hip Hop Hollywood” and was also featured on MTV’s “Wild ‘N Out”. This year he signed a deal with iHeartRadio to host a weekly radio show featured on 50 iHeartMedia Urban Contemporary stations nationwide.

Tickets for the September 28th event, which is promoted by Man Down Promotions, TGB Promotions and Shawn Porter Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com.

SHAWN PORTER, ANTHONY DIRRELL & ROBERT GUERRERO LAS VEGAS MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES & PHOTOS

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SHAWN PORTER, ANTHONY DIRRELL & ROBERT GUERRERO LAS VEGAS MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES & PHOTOS

WBC Champion Porter Faces IBF Champion Errol Spence Jr. in Welterweight Title Unification that Headlines FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View Saturday, September 28 from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles

Dirrell Defends Super Middleweight Title Against Unbeaten David Benavidez in Pay-Per-View Co-Main Event While Guerrero Headlines FS1 PBC Fight Night Prelims

Photos from Leo Wilson/Premier Boxing Champions

LAS VEGAS (September 18, 2019) – WBC Welterweight Champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter, WBC Super Middleweight Champion Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell and former three-time world champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero hosted a media workout in Las Vegas Wednesday as they near their respective showdowns taking place Saturday, September 28 from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

Porter will headline the FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View in a highly anticipated welterweight title unification against Errol Spence Jr., while Dirrell defends his belt against unbeaten David Benavidez in the pay-per-view co-main event as part of action beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Guerrero will take on Jerry Thomas in a welterweight attraction that highlights FS1 PBC Fight Night Prelims preceding the pay-per-view and beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the September 28th event, which is promoted by Man Down Promotions, TGB Promotions and Shawn Porter Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com.

Here is what the fighters had to say Wednesday from Barry’s Boxing Gym in Las Vegas:

SHAWN PORTER

“Shawn Porter is going to leave the ring with two belts. I’m going to hit him. I’m going to hit him hard and I’m going to do things you’ve never seen anyone do against Errol Spence.

“I’m expecting there to be adversity for Errol. There’s going to be a moment where he realizes he’s losing this fight. He has to be solid psychologically. I don’t know if he’s going to be in the ring. I believe I have the advantage there and that I know how to get into his head.

“I think Errol’s confidence is natural like mine. But I think that he’s fed his confidence to the point where some arrogance has come out. I think he’s going to show that in the fight early on. He’s going to have to adjust. Once he recognizes that, I expect the arrogance to go out the window and that he’ll have to figure it out.

“I’ve never seen Errol go through any adversity in the ring. I don’t think anyone has been able to challenge him the way I can challenge him. I’m really looking forward to it.

“There’s a combination that comes from Shawn Porter that you can’t get anywhere else. It’s the speed, power, agility and intelligence. You have to make a lot of adjustments on the fly and be ready. I’m hard to prepare for. Spence probably has one or two things that he’s expecting, but it’s not going to go that way.

“I’ve been in Errol’s position before and I know what it’s like to think that all I had to do was show up and be me. I’ve gotten to a point where I realize now that I have to do more.

“I don’t think there’s too much to figure out with Errol. The game plan is to make him make the adjustments. Things don’t always go to plan, but I still think I know what he wants to do in there. He’s not going to give you a lot to adjust to, but what he does do, he’s supreme and he’s great at.

“Southpaws always bring the best out of me. I’m young again. You’re going to see the best Shawn Porter.

“I think Errol has a lot more to lose in this fight. He’s never had to deal with a loss, and most people aren’t expecting him to lose. He’s in the perfect position being considered a top welterweight. But from my perspective, I just have absolutely no intention on losing.”

ANTHONY DIRRELL

“This is going to be a good fight. David Benavidez is a warrior and I don’t take anything away from him. But I know that I have all the tools to beat him. He’s never fought someone like me. Everyone he knocked out, he was supposed to knock out.

“I have everything I need in my arsenal. I’m versatile. I can switch it up if I need to. If I need to sit in the pocket, I can. If I need to box, I can. I just don’t think Benavidez is what everyone makes him out to be.

“I’m going for the knockout. I go for the knockout in every fight. If it doesn’t happen, I can still go 12 rounds and come out victorious.

“This win would build my legacy. Some people expect me to lose, and I’m happy about that. This just takes my career to another level.

“I’m not looking past this fight. I’m focused on David Benavidez. After this fight I can talk about unification or whatever. Put first I have to take care of David.

“A loss is a loss no matter which way you put it. Whether you lose by a mile or half a round. That’s in the past and we’re only focused on the future. There’s an undefeated 22-year-old fighter trying to take what I’ve got.

“You put all the work in when you’re in the gym, then you have to leave everything in the ring. We trained too hard to not do that. I’m very confident. At the end of the day, the fans are going to win.

“I’ve seen Benavidez fight before. My coaches have watched him closely and will come up with the game plan. He’s quick, but we’ll be ready.”

ROBERT GUERRERO

“I feel great right now. Everything has been going smoothly and I can’t wait to just go to work out there. All the hard stuff is done, now it’s just maintaining and staying ready.

“I’m excited for this opportunity. I’m well prepared and ready to go. It’s like any other fight. You leave no stone unturned, execute your game plan and do what you have to do to win.

“The fans are going to get what they always get from me. I’m going to come to fight, take care of business and leave everyone with something to remember.

“In a lot of my fights, I just walked guys down. I’ve had guys like Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia fighting just to hang in there, and I wasn’t even fighting to my full potential. I was just walking them down. But my skills are boxing, that’s how I fought at the lighter weights. I got away from what I was good at.”

ERROL SPENCE JR. VS. SHAWN PORTER MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT & AUDIO RECORDING

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ERROL SPENCE JR. VS. SHAWN PORTER MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT & AUDIO RECORDING

Click HERE for Audio

Ray Flores
Thank you very much, operator. We greatly appreciate the media joining us from around the world. We continue the countdown for the big night of boxing coming your way on Saturday, September 28. That is a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. This is a stacked card from top to bottom.

It is a loaded event and our main event, which we are joined by the main event participants, is hotly anticipated welterweight title unification matchup, the IBF Champion Errol “The Truth” Spence, Jr. and the WBC champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter, get closer to their battle for welterweight supremacy.

The four-fight Pay-Per-View card starts at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. It is preceded by FS1 PBC prelims that come your way at 7:30 p.m. Et/4:30 p.m. PT. Tickets for the event are going quickly and they are promoted by Man Down Promotions, TGB Promotions and Shawn Porter Promotions. They’re available right now at AXS.com or if you live in the Los Angeles area, at the STAPLES Center box office.

Now a man that has been very busy promoting big events all over the world, the President of TGB Promotions, a man who knows boxing better than anybody, here is Mr. Tom Brown.

Tom Brown
Well thank you, Ray, and thanks everyone for joining us today. Both Errol and Shawn are having great training camps. There’s tremendous excitement about this fight and both fighters are in incredible shape. It’s really a sensational matchup and one of the best fights that can be made in boxing’s hottest division, the welterweights, with two world champions, unifying the title.

Errol Spence Jr. is one of the most talked about fighters in the sport. Many consider him to not only to be the best welterweight in the division but the best fighter in the world. But he’s going to get all he can handle from Shawn Porter, who has always faced the best of the best in his illustrious career. This is really the type of fight that elevates the sport of boxing. So it’s going to be a tremendous night of boxing, a big night on Saturday September 28. We have a great card and I hope everyone joins us. Thank you very much.

R. Flores
Thank you very much, Tom. And as Tom pointed out, both Shawn Porter and Errol Spence, Jr. are in impeccable shape. Now this man I’m getting ready to introduce, one of the champions, captured his title last September with a victory over Danny Garcia, also holds wins over the likes of Andre Berto, also Adrien Broner and Devon Alexander, while taking on the best in the division throughout his career, most recently coming off a title defense victory against Yordenis Ugas live on FOX in March. He is originally from Akron, Ohio but now living and training in Las Vegas alongside his father, Kenny Porter.

He is a two-time welterweight champion of the world. I know he’s very happy on this Tuesday, especially with his Cleveland Browns picking up a very impressive victory over the New York Jets yesterday. His record 30 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw, 17 win by way of knockouts. Please welcome the always entertaining and charismatic “Showtime” Shawn Porter.

Shawn Porter
What’s up, everybody? Thanks for having me on. We’re about two weeks away and I couldn’t be any more excited than I am right now. So I’m even excited to do these interviews right now with you guys, so let’s go, let’s do it.

Q
Where does that mentality come from you where there really does seem to be a genuine willingness to just look down the list and fight the best guys available that you and your team can make a match against, Spence being the next one?

S. Porter
It’s how I grew up. It’s how my dad raised me and it’s where I come from. We were never allowed to shy away from any challenge and that’s the way I’ve lived my life. So when it comes to taking on Errol Spence, to me it’s like taking on any other fighter. It’s not like taking on, as everyone has coined him, the boogeyman or the best welterweight in the world. To me I’m taking on another great, exciting fighter and I’m going to beat that great, exciting fighter.

Q
So it is Spence specifically that you wanted to fight or was it Spence was a guy that had one of the other world titles?

S. Porter
I think it’s Spence specifically. I think it’s specifically Spence because of not only him having a belt but who is and what he’s done in the sport so far. Being undefeated and, again, being coined as the boogeyman of the division I’m like, “Yo, I need that. I need to beat that guy. I need to fight that guy.” And so that’s where the hunger really comes from for me.

Q
So then what was it can you say that put that in your mind or had your dad put that in your mind? Did you ever talk about that?

S. Porter
Again, it’s how I was raised. I can tell you story after story that would confirm that that was how I was raised. But I was ten years old playing football against guys who were 12 and 13 years old and it doesn’t sound that big but back then when you’re ten going up against preteens it’s a big deal.

So even at that young age, my dad has always challenged me and made sure I not only put out my best but I was going up against the best. And you look up, I’m 31 now and this is 100% familiar territory for me because it’s where I come from.

Q
Did you just embrace fighting all those big names pretty much right off the bat as long as the business was right?

S. Porter
Yes. For me it was always about embracing the name or the opportunity or the fighter, whatever you may want to call it. I think for me coming into the game, the way that I came into the sport and the business being ran the way that it was ran for me, I was always told who I would fight and there was never really ever a fountain of guys to pick from. They were always hey this is who’s next, this is when, this is where, and so that’s how I’ve been bred into this sport.

So when you talk about fighting the mandatory challenger, Yordenis Ugas, and why would you fight him and a lot of different questions were posed to me, in my mind he’s the mandatory, he’s the guy they told me I had to fight. That’s who I’m going to fight. So, again, I think it’s the mindset that I’ve had a very young age from that seems to resonate for me.

Q
Tom, I was wondering if you could speak to that.

T. Brown
Where I really saw it with Shawn the first time was it was our second PBC show on March 13 back in 2015 when Roberto Garcia pulled out. We brought another opponent in. There was never any questioning; he was fighting. We brought Erick Bone in and he was a tough kid. Both Shawn and his father just said whoever you get, we’re here to fight. So that’s where he really showed me that he was a fighter, both he and his father, just what he talked about, the way he was raised back in Ohio.

Q
Could you talk a bit about your time fighting at that much higher weight and some of the fighters you specifically fought there and if that gives you confidence going into this fight with Spence?

S. Porter
I think fighting 165 pounds is no secret that the majority of the guys that I fought as an amateur were a lot bigger than Errol Spence, not just bigger than Errol, they were a lot bigger than Errol Spence and I’m talking about guys like Daniel Jacobs, who fights at 160 pounds, 168 pounds now. I fought against Oleksandr Usyk, who is unified champion over there in the Ukraine, a heavyweight now. I fought him at 165 pounds back in the day when we were about 20 years old and beat him.

I have wins against Jacobs and Demetrius Andrade. Me and Andrade were one and one in the amateur division. The last time that we fought we were 165 pounds and I beat him to go to a tournament as the amateur. The experience is there. The experience against taller, bigger opponents is there.

For me looking at Errol Spence, I don’t look at him like he’s a bigger guy than me. I don’t think he’s one of the bigger guys in the division. I think that he’s been matched up against guys who have made him look a lot more powerful and bigger and stronger than he is. Trust me when I say he’s met his match in this one.

Q
Can you talk about how you’ve balanced broadcasting and fighting and if you’ve had problems straddling those two professions and your focus going into this fight?

S. Porter
I’m blessed because FOX Studios is just a rock’s throw away from Vegas so I can get there in just an hour. I do my thing. I actually have workouts and routines set around the filming and then on the ride home after we film. So it really has not been a hard thing for me to balance at all, the even more blessed part about it is I know the majority of the guys.

I’ve seen the majority of the fighters for a long, long time, then as amateurs and now I’ve known them as pros. So when it comes to things like being there to talk about these guys even that part of it is not strenuous for me because I know a lot of these guys, I know their styles, I know what they do, what they bring to the fight. So usually for me I’m just kind of shaping up on their statistics more than I am on who they are and who they bring to the ring. So it has not been a hard thing for me to balance and I’ve enjoyed it very, very much to this point.

Q
I know a couple weeks ago you mentioned that you were going to spar with Demetrius Andrade. I just wondered if you had the opportunity to do that and how it went if you did.

S. Porter
We’re still working on getting Andrade to Vegas. We tried to get him in D.C. He had some family conflicts going on and now we’re working on getting him into Vegas in the day or two so that we can get that last little bit of great work in. He’s a tremendous athlete.

We’ve used him time and time again when I fought southpaws and even when I fought orthodox fighters because he gives us such great work and he’s definitely a tough competitor and he makes it fun and enjoyable as well. So we do look forward to having him in Vegas and finishing up time with him in the next couple of days.

Q
Spence has said he’s going to knock you out and there are other people who have said that he’s going to be the first person to do that. Has that surprised your or driven you at all because you’ve always shown such a great chin?

S. Porter
I’m not surprised to hear him say he wants to knock me out. He’s even said I’m going to knock you out. I’m not surprised to hear him say that because I know his mentality. I know who he is as a person. He’s very, very driven and competitive, and I get that. The part about it for me is I think he may be trying to psyche himself out into thinking he can do it.

I think I have a proven chin. I’ve got a record for saying no fighter really wants to prove his chin. We never want to get hit, get hurt, anything like that but I’ve taken some pretty good shots from some top guys out there and I’ve managed to handle that and win and come out on top.

So when it comes to Errol Spence, I don’t look at his power any different than anyone else I’ve been in the ring with and I’m going to go at him like I’ve gone at Keith Thurman, like I’ve gone at Danny Garcia, like I’ve gone at Yordenis Ugas, Devon Alexander and the list goes on from there.

Q
Shawn, he said that you were a dirty fighter obviously in one of those FOX shows. Does that bother you or what was your opinion of that?

S. Porter
No, it doesn’t bother me. I think that’s his perspective. I think there may have been looking at film of me maybe and pulling on some things that he can take advantage of and he may think that my roughness, he’s misconstruing that for dirtiness.

If he can’t handle the roughness then you will find out real soon, and if that’s what’s working for us well then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll be rough, we’ll be hard, we’ll be rugged, we’ll keep the pressure on him and we all know pressure bursts pipes.

Q
Shawn, do you think it’s a psychological advantage for you a little bit that he’s thinking about that and that he’s mentioning this? Do you think that’s in his head a little bit or how do you view that?

S. Porter
At this point, I do. I think that there’s more than just that in his mind when it comes to fighting me. I think he knows that he’s up against a lot. I think that those certain things that he’s trying to be aware of or make the referee aware of, I think that that’s a mistake on his behalf. I think he may be looking at those things and overlooking other things, like my skill and my talent and my speed and my quickness and my boxing ability, So I think that he’s in trouble. I think it’s only a matter of time before the world finds out.

Q
When you look at Errol’s style, how do you see that faring against your style compared to when you fought Ugas? Do you see yourself having an easier or harder time dealing with Errol compared to Ugas?

S. Porter
No comparison. I think styles makes fights. I think you said it yourself. They’re two completely different styles. I think that they both have or in Yordenis’ case had, things that present problems for anyone that are in the ring.

I think for me I think my speed and my quickness against Errol Spence is definitely going to be superior. I think my foot movement is going to be superior and I think that it’s going to open up a lot more opportunities. I think that Yordenis in the ring with me was a little confused. He was expecting me to have a different style than I came to him with and I think that really shook him up. I’m expecting to shake up Errol Spence.

Q
One of the things I remember when we spoke a couple of months ago was that you wanted to have a pay-per-view main event on your resume and now that you got that, especially in a title unification, how does it feel being on this type of unique platform that so few fighters have had the opportunity to headline a pay per view?

S. Porter
It’s been a lot of fun. It definitely has been an eye-opener as well. Someone just sent me a picture telling me that the fights were going to be shown in theaters and I already knew that but to actually see it and have a preview of yourself at a movie theater is pretty cool. I’m at the theaters every other week so I’m going to do the best I can to sell the fight and let people know that they can go watch it at their local theater. I think that’s awesome.

It’s been a lot of fun and I’ve enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to fight week. I hope it gets even more fun and gets more exciting. Fight week is something that I’ve been looking forward to.

Q
Given that the winner will have two of the four world titles, do you see this fight as the winner should be considered the number one welterweight in the world?

S. Porter
I do. I think that myself and Errol Spence, are the number one and number two guys. You call who you want to be number one and number two but the best part about it is one is about to fight two and one is about to get eliminated. I think that after I beat Errol Spence, especially the way I beat Errol Spence, I think that this will see me as the number one guy in the division.

Q
Will you talk to us about what you gained from that sparring with Benavidez?

S. Porter
That’s a big dude right there. That’s a fast dude. He’s competitive and honestly I really did enjoy the whole experience of being in the ring with him and being in the gym with him as well. He’s a dynamite guy. Being in the ring with him, I think at that point challenging ourselves and finding out where we were in camp and I think we found out that the conditioning that I was in at that point was great and we knew that we still had a couple of steps that we could pick up. But being in the ring with a big guy like that we definitely were able to find out that we were exactly where we wanted to be in camp at that point in time.

Q
Now I see that you predicted — do I have this right — you predicted an eighth round knockout of Spence next week?

S. Porter
Well someone else came on the line and they predicted that knockout. I did say I liked the thought of that prediction but I myself did not make that prediction, no, sir.

But if you’re asking me if I am going to knock him out, if I want to knock him out, heck yes. Do I have what it takes? Heck yes. And I think that we’ve come up with a great game plan and we definitely at some point will be looking at pressuring him and knocking him out.

Q
Is there anybody that you fought that’s maybe a little bit similar to Errol Spence?

S. Porter
If I had to say it would be between Danny Garcia and Kell Brook. I think that Errol Spence has great boxing ability, a great one-two, great basic fundamentals. He’s very, very fundamental structured, a lot like Kell Brook, and I think that that he tries to dictate the pace and do the things that he like to do in the ring, a lot like Danny Garcia. So I think he’s a mixture of those two.

Q
Does it bother you that people say that Errol’s on a whole different level as far as boxing and that you can’t box with him?

S. Porter
I’m from where LeBron James is from, northeast Ohio. He said in northeast Ohio everything is earned, nothing is given. With that being said, I know how it feels to prove people wrong. I know what it feels like to do the impossible and do the things that people don’t expect you to do.

So it doesn’t bother me that people don’t give me credit for my boxing ability or say things like me not being able to box with Errol Spence on the outside, things like that. It just leaves room for me to do what I do where I come from. Where I come from is proving people wrong and doing the impossible and that’s what I’m looking forward on the 28th.

Q
I know you’re always motivated but like is it motivations on another level right now because you want to prove so many different people wrong?

S. Porter
No. The odds, the betting odds, they don’t give me any more energy or drive to do anything different. It’s my understanding that I’m going to see a lot of people who say, “Hey, man, I bet on you, man. Thanks.” And there’s going to be a lot of people out there saying, “Man, I should have bet on you.” That’s always fun to hear and see. So I’m looking forward to that.

Q
Would you agree that the intensity in this fight is based on who’s the best at 147, it’s not personal. It’s more business?

S. Porter
I think it’s both and the reason why I say it’s both is because I think the business part of it is just about showing who’s the best fighter and who has the best style and who’s more determined, all that good stuff. But I think that at the same time we both are challenged to show that we have a great team, great families, all that kind of stuff. So, I think it kind of mixes a little bit. But in terms of there’s nothing personal in terms of me taking shots at him, at Errol or anybody else in the division based on what they do in their personal life. It’s all based around the business and the training and all that kind of stuff.

Q
Do you see the perspective that this is a legacy fight for you?

S. Porter
Yes, I think it’s cool to be in my position. I’m the only one that’s taken on all those guys and still here to continue moving forward. I think if anything if we do want to talk about the betting odds and things like that. I think you take into consideration what I’ve done and who I’ve done it against. And how I’ve performed. I think that if you take into account that I’ve fought Danny Garcia at in his prime basically, Keith Thurman in his prime basically. Just recently Ugas who is a great boxer. I think that if you take in all that into account you might say, man, like, alright I think this fight is going to be a little more competitive and harder to choose the winner than I think it is going to be.

S. Porter
I’m looking forward to the 28th. I’m sure you guys are used to hearing that. But the thing you’re not used to hearing is the world is about to be shocked. Team Porter has done a fantastic job at getting prepared for Errol Spence. We are overlooking anything that he can do in the ring. But we definitely feel like we are the superior athlete, the superior fighter. And we are all looking forward to the 29th and shocking the world on the 28th. Thank you, guys, so much for the interviews. And I’ll see you all soon.

R. Flores
This next fighter just gets it done and at a very high level. As his level of opposition increases, he continues to wipe out his opponents, and he has a very tough test ahead of himself. His record, 25 and 0, 21 wins by way knockout. Please welcome the reigning and defending IBF welterweight champion of the world Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr.

Errol Spence Jr.
Hey how it’s going? Happy to be here. Training camp has been really good. I am excited that it’s only two weeks away. It’s going to be a great match up between two great champions. I’m always ready to fight. So, I hope everybody’s coming to the fight. It’s going to be an amazing night and might be the Fight of the Year this year.

Q
Porter seems to be a guy that would be more your equal than maybe your past few opponents. What is your opinion of that?

E. Spence
I see him as a tough opponent. He’s the world champion and he throws a lot of punches. He is very energetic. So that’s why he’s a success. He’s a rough guy and he does whatever it takes to win. So from that aspect and him beating Danny Garcia, I see him as a tough test.

Q
How are you prepared to deal with that element of the physicality he brings that’s not necessarily to the exact letter of the rules?

E. Spence
I’m a guy that I feel like I can ward it off or write it off. Or may do the exact same thing. So I feel like I’ve fought opponents just as physical as Shawn, or just just as strong as him. I feel like that won’t really play a part in this fight.

Q
Were you disappointed you couldn’t get Pacquiao next and sort of settled for Porter?

E. Spence
I was just looking for the next available guy. I wanted a unification fight too. Shawn Porter was the easiest fight to make and the quickest fight to make. So, that’s why I decided with the fight, Shawn Porter.

I wanted the chance to beat Pacquiao. Pacquiao is a bigger name and a bigger fight. So, of course I wanted that fight. But Shawn Porter is the champion too. He has the build. So, I definitely wanted to unify too. I knew that if I wasn’t going to get Pacquiao there was going to be a good chance I was going to fight Shawn Porter.

Q
Mikey Garcia had maybe a little bit of a bigger name, maybe a bigger fan base. I think most people would look at the fight between yourself and Shawn perhaps is the more competitive fight. Where do you stand on that? Which is the bigger fight in your mind?

E. Spence
I’d say Mike Garcia is the bigger name than Shawn Porter. But as a fan friendly fight or as an entertainment fight and tough fight, I would say this fight with Shawn Porter is going to be I feel like way more entertaining than the Mikey Garcia fight. I feel like the Shawn Porter fight is bigger just because it’s a unification fight.

Q
Do you think that it’s been easier this time around just because you have the experience of preparing for a Pay-Per-View event against Mikey Garcia? Or would you say it’s more or less the same?

E. Spence
I think it’s a lot easier. Because the first fight I was traveling to New York doing things and going back to California doing things. So I was basically going in and out of camp. I would say the first time it was harder than the second go around.

Q
Do you believe the winner of this fight should be considered the best welterweight in the world?

E. Spence
Definitely. There’s no way around it. The winner is the unified champion. So, I definitely think the winner should be considered the top welterweight in the world and that makes me even more excited and hungry to win.

Q
This fight you’ve been a lot more vocal that you’re going for a knockout. Usually you’re’ more reluctant to say that. Just wanted to know if that has to do with his style how your styles will mesh, your overall respect for him as a fighter, or just the mindset you’re bringing to this fight?

E. Spence
It’s just my overall mindset and something I want. I feel like the way he fights and the way he comes forward, I think I can exploit that. But I can’t go in there and just force knock out. I’m going to try to work a bit and break him down.

Q
How do you prepare for that physicality that’s going to come with that fight?

E. Spence
Mostly by preparing mentally for it and having sparring partners that bring the heat and bring the pressure. I feel like I’m ready. And I know that Shawn is going to bring it but that’s why we work so hard to be ready for anything he brings at any time.

Q
Are you trying to probably make more of a statement in this fight, ?

E. Spence
Making that statement is something that I really want to do. It’s one of my goals in this fight is to knock him out. I’d be the first person and that would make it a real statement. I’m ready to go in there and deliver. I want it to be a great knockout.

Q
Do you feel beating Porter will give you that respect that you deserve or seek?

E. Spence
About the way I beat Mikey Garcia, because I just didn’t go in there. People thought I was just going to go in there and just bulldoze him. I just boxed and used my mind and made it a boxing match. So I think the people respect me from that standpoint. Where I just didn’t try to use my size to beat him up. But I definitely see how I want to win against Shawn Porter. I think people give me more respect and value my skills and my abilities.

Q
How you want to beat up Shawn Porter.

E. Spence
I just want it to be a calculated knock out. I don’t want to be going in just over anxious throwing a lot of punches and missing a lot of shots. I want to go for the knock out, be poised and pick my shots. I want to break him down and get a calculated knock out.

Q
What is it about Porter that has you working a little bit harder for this fight?

E. Spence
Porter’s a guy trains hard and of course he has dad in his ear pushing him. So he’s pushed to the limit every chance, every training. So that keeps me focused. Keeps me humbled. Because I know he’s going to come in shape. I know going to throw punches. And I know he’ll do whatever it takes to win. So, that keeps me basically on my toes. Keeping me training a little bit harder.

Q
How might Porter approach you as opposed to how he approached Ugás?

E. Spence
Shawn is the guy who just goes by the game plan. So I think the game plan is the try to beat me from the beginning and try to throw a lot of punches and bring me down. Try to stop me. So, I think that he’s going to be more aggressive than he was against Ugas.

Q
Did you think he won that fight?

E. Spence
I think either guy could of won. I think it was super close where either guy could have won.

Q
Did it surprise you that Shawn approached that fight the way that he did?

E. Spence
Yes, a little bit. I would have thought he would be more aggressive like he did in the later rounds, in the early rounds. But they tried that strategy. He still won at the end of the day. So, that gives him the motivation heading into this fight.

Q
Errol, do you think you have gotten under his skin by calling him a dirty fighter?

E. Spence
No. Because I’m not the first person to call him dirty. I don’t know if he’s a dirty fighter but he has a dirty style. A lot of elbows and things like that. But he’s good for a reason. Whatever works, he’s doing it.

Q
How important is it for you in your fight, Errol, in the beginning of the fight if things get rough and he does some of the things that you’ve mentioned to do that right back to him to let him know that you’re not going to tolerate that type of thing?

E. Spence
It could happen that way. But I’m not really worried about it. I think a lot of times, when he fights stronger, he isn’t dirty like that. Danny Garcia, he wasn’t dirty like that. I think he does that to fighters he can just push around. I’m not really concerned with his dirty tactics.

Q
How do you feel about getting this second pay per view?

E. Spence
Yes, of course. I started at SHOWTIME and I have a lot of love for SHOWTIME. Had my first fight on there. First title fight on there. So it’s a lot of first moments on SHOWTIME. So now FOX has had amazing promotion for all their PBC fights. Really getting bigger than getting slots in between timeouts for the NFL. So it doesn’t get bigger than that.

The promotion’s been great and getting all the commercial slots. We’re all very happy to have a promotion like this. It’s been a great ride.

Q
Can you talk a little bit about what role you play in having your hand on Man Down promotions? You have a couple fighters fighting on this card, if you want to speak on that a little bit.

E. Spence
Yes, I have Man Down Promotions co-promoting. We have a couple fighters fighting on the card. We’ve got Burley Brooks, Amon Rashidi and Fernando Garcia all getting in the ring.

I’m a guy that I don’t want to have a big stable of fighters. I want to have a few. So I can put my attention on just them and get them fights and make sure they’re busy and things like that. So I’m not looking to really find any more fighters than what I have now. So, I can be focused on them.

Q
How will you balance whether it a dog fight or a chess match against Shawn?

E. Spence
It’s just instinct. I feel like I know when to box and when to bang and how to pick and choose my spot and things like that. So it just happens naturally in a fight. I feel like at the first round, I’ll know definitely where it’s going. I’ll figure him out, break him down and tear him apart or I’ll beat him backing up.

E. Spence:
Everybody make sure you’re there. Make sure you order the Fox Sports PBC Pay-Per-View September 28. It’ll be an amazing event. I can’t wait. I’m in great shape. Shawn Porter, he comes to fight. And like I said, I’m looking for the knock out. So it might be Fight of the Year if he can withstand my punches for all 12 rounds.

ABOUT SPENCE VS. PORTER
Spence vs. Porter pits unbeaten IBF Welterweight Champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. against WBC Welterweight Champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter in a 147-pound title unification that headlines a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View event on Saturday, September 28 from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

The pay-per-view event begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features WBC Super Middleweight World Champion Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell facing unbeaten former champion David “El Bandera Roja” Benavidez in the co-main event, unbeaten contenders Mario “El Azteca” Barrios and Batyr Akhmedov battling for the WBA Super Lightweight title, and rugged veteran Josesito “The Riverside Rocky” Lopez and brawler John Molina Jr. competing in a 10-round welterweight fight.

Tickets for the September 28th event, which is promoted by Man Down Promotions, TGB Promotions and Shawn Porter Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com.

DALLAS HOMETOWN HERO ERROL SPENCE JR. WELCOMED AS SPECIAL GUEST AT COWBOYS & SMU MUSTANGS HOME OPENERS

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DALLAS HOMETOWN HERO ERROL SPENCE JR. WELCOMED AS SPECIAL GUEST AT COWBOYS & SMU MUSTANGS HOME OPENERS

Unbeaten IBF Welterweight World Champion Spence Nears Welterweight Title Unification Against WBC Champion Shawn Porter Saturday, September 28 in FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View Main Event from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles

 SMU Photos Credit- Ari Talton

 

 Cowboys Photo Credit- Jeremiah Jhass 

 

HERE for Video from FOX Sports

DALLAS (September 9, 2019) – Unbeaten IBF Welterweight World Champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. was honored as a special guest at the home openers of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday and the Southern Methodist University Mustangs on Saturday as he nears his title unification against WBC Champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter Saturday, September 28 in the main event of a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

“It was really exciting to feel the love from my city at the Cowboys and SMU games,” said Spence Jr. “This is a city of champions and I’m looking to stand out amongst all the stars here. I definitely know that Dallas is going to be in my corner September 28 and its’ got me even more motivated to bring another title back home.”

Spence’s big weekend first saw him take part in the pre-game coin toss as an honorary captain for SMU at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. Spence met with the University’s leadership including President Gerald Turner and watched the hometown team defeat the University of North Texas.

On Sunday, Spence returned to the site of his March triumph over four-division champion Mikey Garcia at AT&T Stadium to watch his Dallas Cowboys in their season opener live on FOX against the New York Giants. After visiting the field pregame, Spence was show on the FOX telecast with a promo for the event on September 28 and featured on the main video screen in the stadium.

Tickets for the September 28th event, which is promoted by Man Down Promotions, TGB Promotions and Shawn Porter Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com.

ERROL SPENCE JR VS. SHAWN PORTER LOS ANGELES PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES & PHOTOS

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ERROL SPENCE JR VS. SHAWN PORTER LOS ANGELES PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES & PHOTOS

Welterweight Champions Spence & Porter Headline FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View Saturday, September 28 from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles

WBC Super Middleweight Champion Anthony Dirrell Defends Against Undefeated Former Champion David Benavídez in the Co-Feature

Unbeaten Rising Star Mario Barrios Meets Undefeated Batyr Akhmedov for WBA Super Lightweight Title & Rugged Veteran Josesito Lopez Clashes with Hard-Hitting John Molina, Jr.

Former Three-Time Champion Robert Guerrero & Sensational Unbeaten Super Welterweight Prospect Joey Spencer Appear in Separate Bouts on FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View Prelims on FS1 & FOX Deportes

LOS ANGELES (August 13, 2019) – IBF Welterweight World Champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. and WBC Welterweight World Champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter went face to face Tuesday in Los Angeles at a press conference to preview their 147-pound championship unification that headlines a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View on Saturday, September 28 from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

Also in attendance at Tuesday’s press conference, and competing in pay-per-view action beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT were WBC Super Middleweight World Champion Anthony Dirrell and unbeaten former champion David Benavidez, who meet in a 168-pound title fight, unbeaten contenders Mario Barrios and Batyr Akhmedov, who battle for the WBA Super Lightweight title, and rugged veteran Josesito Lopez and brawler John Molina Jr., who battlein a 10-round welterweight fight.

The event also featured former three-time world champion Robert Guerrero and unbeaten super welterweight prospect Joey Spencer, who compete in separate attractions as part of FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View Prelims on FS1 and FOX Deportes beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. Guerrero will face Jerry Thomas in a 10-round welterweight bout.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Man Down Promotions, TGB Promotions and Shawn Porter Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com.

Here is what the fighters had to say Tuesday at the open to the public event from STAPLES Center in Star Plaza in Downtown Los Angeles:

 

ERROL SPENCE JR.

“This is going to be an amazing event. The co-main event could be the main event on any normal, but this main event is going to be fire. You know it’s man down when I get in the ring and we’re going to show you just that on September 28.

“Shawn is a warrior who always comes to fight and leaves his heart on the table. He always comes ready, but I’m in shape and ready for him too. We’re both always in exciting fights and that’s what we’re going to give the fans.

“You’ve seen my growth over the years to where I’m fighting in bigger and bigger stadiums and headlining the pay-per-views. Now I’m in a unification fight, which is what I’ve wanted for a long time.

“I know Shawn will keep this same energy on fight night. It’s going to be an amazing moment when I get this knockout at STAPLES Center.

“This is what I’ve been waiting for. I had to be on the sidelines and watch Shawn fight Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia, but now I’m in that group. I have the opportunity to fight these top guys and make my name known.

“My whole thing is that I’m looking for the stoppage. I want to make a statement that I’m clearing out the division. I want Manny Pacquiao and all of the top names in this division.”

SHAWN PORTER

“This fight demands this kind of excitement and energy that we have here today. We’re coming to the STAPLES Center for these fans, because they give us the energy that we need.

“Being in this position is amazing and I love it. I’ve always looked forward to opportunities like this and I’m going to bring this same energy into the ring.

“I know what’s about to go down. I know how great and how special this fight is going to be. The closer we get, the more excited I get. We will be prepared for it.

“People don’t understand the level that Errol and I are on. He’s expecting the same thing I’m expecting. We’re both training to go 12 hard rounds and out class each other. It’s all about that one moment, and I know I have what it takes to make that moment all mine. I’m looking forward to it.

“It was only a matter of time until this fight happened. I’ve been patient my entire career and never rushed anything. For me, this fight is happening on time. He’s amongst the elite of this division now and will be after September 28 no matter what.

“When I beat Errol Spence Jr., it doesn’t mean he’s going away. He’s still elite. But I’m going to take care of him September 28 and go after Manny Pacquiao. That’s the plan.”

ANTHONY DIRRELL

“Benavidez is a come forward fighter who throws a lot of punches. You can frustrate him and do what you need to do to counteract that though.

“I’ve had some tough fights and people think that because of those fight, Benavidez is going to beat me. I feel otherwise. I’m the champion. I’m older and smarter and I’m going to go in there and defend my title successfully.

“I’m an experienced fighter. I’ve been doing this for 25 years going back to my amateur days. He’s only 22-years-old and he can’t possible know what I can do. He’s going to find out on September 28.

“I can’t only rely on just my experience. I have to throw punches and go in there to execute my game plan.

“Him going for the knockout definitely excites me. We’re going to give the fans something to see. They’re coming to see a knockout and I’m planning to give it to them.

“Being an underdog is great, it motivates me. I’m fine with it because I can prove everybody wrong at the end of the day. It’s about making history, and you can’t make history if you don’t go in there and take a chance.

“I’m ready. We’ve been wanting this fight for over a year. Now it’s here and we’re both ready to go. I’m looking for the knockout and I know he is too.

“I know that I can take a punch, but we’ll see if he can. He’s been dropped before, as have I. I’ve come back from worse than that though. We’re both warriors and we’re both going to be ready to give the fans something to see.”

DAVID BENAVIDEZ

“Anthony Dirrell is a tough, rugged fighter who has a lot of experience and has been in there with the best. He has height and reach like I do. We’re putting together a good game plan.

“Fighting in Dallas in front of 50,000 people was definitely one of the biggest fights of my life, but I feel like it’s just getting better and better from there.

“It’s a dream come true fighting at STAPLES Center. I’ve always dreamed about fighting here in front of all my people. It’s going to be like I’m fighting at home.

“The winners of this fight are going to be the fans. It’s going to be a great fight and I want to steal the show and put on the fight of the night.

“I have the opportunity to become the youngest two-time super middleweight world champion in history. I’m working hard to do my best to give the fans an action packed fight and accomplish my goals.

“There’s a lot of motivation for me because he has my title. We have respect outside the ring, but none of that will be in the ring. We’re both going for the knockout and it’s going to be a war from round one.

“There are a lot of things that I can do. I can box on the inside and I can brawl. I think Anthony Dirrell is going to want to make it a brawl and stay in there with me. That’s how he fought his last fight and we know there’s a lot we can do if he brings that style.”

MARIO BARRIOS

“Fighting on a card like this is a dream come true. This will be my third fight at STAPLES Center and I always get a lot of love in Los Angeles. It’s always an exciting experience and I’m looking forward to it again.

“I’m fighting for a title and I’m not going home to San Antonio without it. I know that he’s going to bring everything he’s got. This will be my toughest opposition by far, but that won’t change anything on September 28.”

BATYR AKHMEDOV

“This a great opportunity for me to be part of such a momentous card. I’m grateful to my whole team for getting me this opportunity and I’m training to take full advantage.

“On September 28, it’s going to be a great fight. I’m going to start writing my history in this fight by winning this title.”

JOSESITO LOPEZ

“I’m excited to be a part of this great card. It’s been seven years since I had that great showing at STAPLES Center against Victor Ortiz, and it’s a great feeling to be back.

“I’m going to put on a show, just like I did my last time fighting at STAPLES Center. I’m going to deliver another great performance.

“Expect fireworks. We’re going to start this pay-per-view off right and get things ready for the rest of this card. It’s going to be a night you don’t want to miss.”

JOHN MOLINA JR.

“Here we go again. It’s going to be another exciting fight. This is a long time coming for the both of us. We both have a never say die attitude and that’s what you’re going to get on fight night.

“Make sure you’re there on September 28, because you’re going to enjoy this fight. We’re both going to leave it all in the ring, just like everyone expects us to.”

ROBERT GUERRERO

“I’m excited to be back on this stage again. We have two great champions in the main event and it makes for an exciting night from top to bottom.

“I just wanted to say something about the shooting incidents that have happened in our country. One of the incidents happened in my hometown in Gilroy, California, so a portion of my purse is going to go to the victims of that tragedy.”

JOEY SPENCER

“I’m really happy and honored to be a part of this card with all of these great champions. I can’t wait to go out there and put on a show.

“It’s amazing just to be in the building, let alone to be fighting on a card like this. I’m really excited to give all the fans a great show.”

WBC Welterweight Champion Shawn Porter Retains Title with Split Decision Over Yordenis Ugas

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WBC Welterweight Champion Shawn Porter Retains Title with Split Decision Over Yordenis Ugas in Premier Boxing Champions on FOX & FOX Deportes Main Event Saturday Night from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California

Abel Ramos Tops Francisco Santana By Unanimous Decision In Action-Packed Welterweight Fight
&
Rising Heavyweight Efe Ajagba Scores Career-Best Victory Stopping Amir Mansour After

 
Photo Credits- Frank Micelotta/ FOX Sports

CARSON, CALIF. (March 9, 2019) – WBC Welterweight World Champion Shawn Porter retained his title with a close split-decision victory over Yordenis Ugas Saturday night in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

“The crowd was expecting a big brawl, but that’s not the way this fight needed to go tonight,” said Porter. “The style that we used left the fight close. As the clock ticks, you have to do what’s working. Tonight the foot movement was working and it made Ugas have to reset.”

“I showed tonight that I belong with the elite fighters at welterweight,” said Ugas. “All I can say is that I’m ready to fight any of the top names in the division. I’ll be back.”

The early rounds were defined by Porter using his jab to try to cut down the distance, while Ugas worked power shots and jabs to the body. Porter had some success on the inside landing on Ugas’ chin during flurries, but was unable to hurt the Cuban.

In round five, both men stood in the center of the ring for an extended period of time throwing power punches that had the crowd on their feet. Ugas began to work cleaner on his counterpunching as the fight went on, and Porter focused on movement while trying to snap his jab.

 

“I was on my toes all night,” said Porter. “I was very focused the entire fight and just listening to my corner. We wanted to out box him and eventually turn it on and press him. But my dad did not think that was the smartest way to win the fight. We fought this way for 12 rounds and no one has ever seen that from me before.”

Porter’s activity clashed with the sharp countering and body punching from Ugas. According to CompuBox, Porter was more active on a per round basis, throwing 42.9 punches per round to 37.4 from Ugas. Ugas held the advantage in body punches landed at 57 to 34, while the two fighters each landed 79 power punches.

In round 10 Porter began to bleed from his right eye due to an accidental head butt, but late in round 11 he landed one of his most significant punches of the fight when he backed Ugas up with a left hook to the head. After 12 rounds, the judges’ scorecards reflected that there were numerous close and hard to score rounds as all three judges agreed on only the fourth and ninth rounds, which went to Ugas and Porter respectively.

One judge saw the fight 117-111 for Ugas, which was overruled by scores of 116-112 and 115-113 for Porter. Both fighters believed after the fight that they had done enough to win.

“There’s no doubt about it, I was robbed tonight,” said Ugas. “After the first round I figured him out and dominated the fight. He had no answer when I was pushing him back. I dominated the fight in my opinion.”

“We fought a good smart fight tonight,” said Porter. “I was consistent and I thought we won a majority of the rounds. We got the win, we’re still champion and we’re looking forward to what is next.”

Additional action, saw a back-and-forth welterweight contest in which Abel Ramos (24-3-2, 18 KOs) got a unanimous decision over Francisco Santana (25-7-1, 12 KOs) after 10 rounds.

Santana struck first, landing a clean left hook that put Ramos on the canvas late in the second round. Santana had been stalking Ramos around the ring for much of the early action, before catching him in a neutral corner for the knockdown.

“He caught me on a flash knockdown in the second round,” said Ramos. “I didn’t see the punch coming and he caught me a little bit off balance. As soon as I got up, I was good.”

Both fighters were effective in mixing up their attacks, although it was Ramos that held a 138 to 46 advantage in jabs landed, per CompuBox. Santana’s power punching caused Ramos to begin bleeding from his nose in round six, but in round seven Ramos connected with a flurry of shots that appeared to have Santana temporarily out on his feet.

Santana was able to survive the round, but was then out landed 56 to 26 over rounds eight and nine. Both fighters pushed forward in a 10th and final round that saw them land a combined 68 punches out of 224 thrown. Despite the early knockdown, Ramos was awarded the decision on all three scorecards by tallies of 98-92, 97-92 and 95-94.

“I was very surprised by the scorecards,” said Santana. “I thought I did enough to win. It was very competitive but I was landing more significant punches. I knew he was a warrior who would come back to fight after the knockdown. I don’t know what else to do at this point, but I’ll always keep my head held high.”

“I thought I won the fight,” said Ramos. “I landed more punches. I felt like I was landing all night and I was doing good clean work throughout the fight.”

In the opening bout on FOX and FOX Deportes, rising heavyweight prospect Efe Ajagba (9-0, 8 KOs) remained unbeaten and earned the best win of his young pro career by stopping veteran Amir Mansour (23-4-1, 16 KOs) after two rounds.

Ajagba was dominant from the outset, knocking Mansour down twice in the first round. He first landed a clean straight right to Mansour that caused him to tumble to the ground. He got to his feet but was then put onto the ground by a straight left from Ajagba.

Porter Ugas Frank Micelotta FOX Sports 6“I’ve never fought a southpaw in the pros before,” said Ajagba. “Ronnie Shields has taught me a lot and given me the plan on how to fight a southpaw and how to use my right hand against them.”

Mansour made it to the second round but continued to take a beating as Ajagba landed flush to the head consistently. After the round, referee Thomas Taylor took a long look at Mansour in his corner decided to call the fight after two rounds.

“I want to be the best heavyweight in the world,” said Ajagba. “That’s my dream. I’m going to go home and work hard and prepare for the next fight.”

PBC Prelims on FS1 preceded the main card and featured former world champion Juan Carlos Payano (21-2, 9 KOs) defeating previously unbeaten Damien Vazquez (14-1, 7 KOs) by unanimous decision after eight-rounds of bantamweight action with scores of 80-71 twice and 79-73. Additional action on FS1 saw rising welterweight prospect and 2016 Lithuanian Olympian Eimantas Stanionis (8-0, 5 KOs) score a unanimous decision victory over a game Samuel Figueroa (11-2, 4 KOs) by scores of 80-72 three times across eight rounds of action.

 

SHAWN PORTER VS. YORDENIS UGAS OFFICIAL WEIGHTS & WEIGH-IN PHOTOS

 

Port Ugas Bout Sheet

*After initially weighing-in over the 147-pound limit, Shawn Porter made the weight under the two-hour time limit after having his hair cut on-stage.

 

SHAWN PORTER VS. YORDENIS UGAS FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES & PHOTOS

Porter Ugas HeaderSHAWN PORTER VS. YORDENIS UGAS FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES & PHOTOS

WBC Welterweight World Champion Porter Makes First Title Defense Against Mandatory Challenger Ugas in Premier Boxing Champions on FOX & FOX Deportes Main Event
Saturday Night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California
(8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT)

 Photo Credits-Sean Michael Ham/TGB Promotions

CARSON, CALIF. (March 7, 2019) – WBC Welterweight World Champion Shawn Porter and top welterweight contender Yordenis Ugas went face-to-face Thursday at the final press conference before they battle in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes this Saturday night from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Also squaring-off at Thursday’s press conference and competing in PBC on FOX and FOX Deportes action Saturday were hard-hitting welterweights Abel Ramos and Francisco “Chia” Santana, who meet in a 10-round attraction, and unbeaten heavyweight Efe Ajagba and veteran Amir Mansour, who battle in an eight-round attraction to kick off the broadcast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com.

 

                               Photo Credits-Sean Michael Ham/TGB Promotions

 

Here is what the press conference participants had to say Thursday from the Marriott Los Angeles Airport:

SHAWN PORTER

“This is special. I feel great and I’m ready to go. I’ve done everything that I need to do so that I’m ready for this point right now.

“I’m sure Ugas has looked at what I do in the ring and sees how tough and rough it is to fight me. He thinks he’s the better boxer and has more technical skills, which is fine with me. He can say what he wants, but the talking is done after today.

“We wanted something different for this fight and we had worked with Barry Hunter from a distance for a while. I think my dad (Kenny Porter) would agree that going out to their gym in Washington, D.C. was one of the best moves we’ve made in boxing.

“Keith Thurman, Errol Spence Jr. or Manny Pacquiao. Those are all big fights that people want to see. If this fight goes the way we want it to go, those guys are the goal for the next fight.

“I think he’s going to try to clinch with me and also try to catch me coming in. But I’ve been down that road before and I’m going to show you something different on Saturday. I’m more than comfortable that we’ll be ready to make all the necessary adjustments.

“People want to see knockouts. That’s the best way to solidify a win. We’ve seen things not go my way before on close scorecards. We’ve worked on adding some more power and we’ll see on Saturday if it all comes to fruition.

“I’m looking forward to this fight going differently than last time I fought at this venue, against Kell Brook. I’m going to make sure it goes my way this time, but there’s no added pressure because of it. It’s total focus on getting this job done the best way that I can.”

YORDENIS UGAS

“I’m full of pride to be here today in this great fight. This is the opportunity I’ve wanted and I’m going to take full advantage.

“I am 100 percent better technically than Shawn Porter. It’s going to make this a great fight on Saturday and we’re going to give the fans an incredible night.

“Shawn and I sparred a couple years ago but I’m a way different fighter than I was then. You’re going to see an elite fighter on Saturday.

“I am taller than Shawn, but in the ring, there isn’t a big difference. If he prefers to fight taller fighters, I actually think that will be to my advantage. I’ll show you why on Saturday.

“This is a very evenly-matched fight. I’ve come a long way and now people are giving me the credit that I deserve and that I worked so hard for.

“Being in this position is very motivating for me. Especially because of this big platform in the main event on FOX. I’m going to do what I do best and what I love to do the most.”

ABEL RAMOS

“I’m feeling really good. Training camp has gone well. I’m excited to be on this big event and I’m ready to put on a show for all of the fans.

“It’s going to be hard to avoid staying in the pocket and brawling. Whatever comes up in the fight, we’re going to be ready to execute. I believe I have the better boxing skills. My advantages come on the outside. That’s what we’ve seen from the videos.

“We both have fought a lot of tough guys, early in our careers as well. We’ve been in against top guys again and again. We’re pretty even from that standpoint.

“Whenever they offer me a name, we always say yes. I look at some tape first, but I’m always going to accept any challenge in front of me.”

FRANCISCO SANTANA

“At the end of the day, it’s a fight. We all know how this sport is. It’s a sport of surprised and it can end in the blink of an eye. I have to be prepared physically and mentally. Expect fireworks

“This is going to be an action packed fight. We have similar styles and similar records. Abel and I are both considered fighters who just need one more extra push to get the recognition that we deserve. We both get a great chance to display ourselves on Saturday. This is our chance to be seen.

“You have to adjust during a fight. That’s what makes a fighter special. On Saturday night I’m going to have to make the proper adjustments to make this my own fight and come out with a victory.

“I was a self-made fighter until I started working with my trainer Joseph Janik. We’ve been working together for 10 years now. When he first met me, people said I couldn’t crack a bag of peanuts. All it took were some minor adjustments to get going on this career I’ve had. I’m still learning and I can’t wait until Saturday.

EFE AJAGBA

“People keep telling me this will be my first step up, but I consider every fight a step up. I’m looking forward to giving people a great show. I’m ready to knock him out in any round.

“This opportunity to fight on this card against Amir Mansour is a big one for me. I’ve got work to do on Saturday and I’m prepared to get the win.

“I used to play a lot of soccer when I grew up in Nigeria, but anyone can play football, not everyone can box.

“Every time I step into the ring I know it’s going to be my biggest challenge so far. Ronnie Shields and our team have gotten me into great shape to be at my best Saturday night.”

AMIR MANSOUR

“I’ve had an opportunity to train and prepare for this fight and I feel great right now. I’m not a fighter to make excuses but I wasn’t as prepared as I needed to be for my last fight.

“I’ve never fought the tomato cans. Ajagba is going to have a tough night. He’s going to have to perform at his highest level and I’m just going to do what I normally do.

“I’ve always fought the best and taken on any challenge. Ajagba better be taking me seriously because I’m going to bring something he’s never seen in the pros. I’m here to win, not lay down.”

SHAWN PORTER vs. YORDENIS UGAS MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES & PHOTOS

Porter Ugas Header

 

SHAWN PORTER vs. YORDENIS UGAS MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES & PHOTOS

WBC Welterweight World Champion Porter Makes First Title Defense Against Mandatory Challenger Ugas in Premier Boxing Champions on FOX & FOX Deportes Main Event Saturday Night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California

 Photo Credit- Sean Michael Ham/TGB Promotions

CARSON, CALIF. (March 6, 2019) – WBC Welterweight World Champion Shawn Porter and top contender Yordenis Ugas held a media workout Wednesday at Churchill Boxing Club in Santa Monica as they near their title showdown that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes Saturday night from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Also participating in the media workout were Abel Ramos and Francisco “Chia” Santana, who meet in a 10-round welterweight attraction as part of the broadcast beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com.

 

Here is what the fighters had to say on Wednesday:

SHAWN PORTER

“I feel great. This is exactly where I want to be. I can’t wait to get into the ring. Last week was peak week for training camp. Everything went beautifully and here we are.

“I’ve watched a lot of Ugas’ fights, even going back to his amateur days. I know what he can bring to the ring. He throws punches like a Cuban fighter. When they turn their punches, they do it a little differently. I’m training my mind and my eyes to be prepared for that.

“We’re in a beautiful place right now. Training in Washington D.C. was great. That was my first camp with Barry Hunter and the Headbangers Gym. To get in the ring and spar with Lamont Peterson, who I’ve looked up to for a long time, was really special.

“We’re going to see on fight night what kind of differences you’ll see in my game. We worked on a lot of different things for me and to get ready for Ugas. I think power is really going to come into play. We really were able to focus on that. That might be something new that you see. If I get an early knockout, it’s not because Ugas can’t take a punch.

“I don’t think Ugas has fought at the top level as a professional. In order to not underestimate him, you have to understand he fought at that highest level consistently in the amateurs. I know he’s training to be ready for this kind of environment.

“I’m looking forward to fighting on FOX. I know there are going to be some new people watching because they heard about PBC. I know I’m ready for it.”

YORDENIS UGAS

“We’ve just been working the same way we always work and are just ready to fight. I’m obviously facing a top-tier fighter and a legitimate champion. So I’m here ready to compete and ready to fight and win this world title. This is going to be a great match up.

“Shawn Porter is a great fighter and strong guy. We are both clashing, come forward fighters so we are going to stand in the ring and see who is going to go backwards first.

“I’m expecting a very tough fight. Shawn is known for that. That’s how he became a world champion. But I’m a world-class fighter, looking to become a champion and I’m going to leave it all in the ring.

“I have my game plan and know what I have to do. Shawn is a going to be strong, but I’m stronger.

“It’s a good thing I came from the Cuban national team, because I got to fight all styles from all kinds of countries. There are a lot of tough guys in the amateurs and the pros and I’ve seen what they all can bring.

“I am an aggressive fighter and I’m going utilize that style on Saturday. Shawn is a little bit more difficult when he moves around in the ring. His boxing ability is underrated. But I’m prepared to do what I have to so that I can become champion.”

ABEL RAMOS

“Dealing with Santana’s pressure will be the biggest challenge and it’s what I’ve prepared most for. I’m going to use my movement and use my jab to keep him on the outside.

“I feel strong and comfortable at 147-pounds. I definitely think this is the division I want to fight in going forward. There’s a lot of talent at welterweight and that’s the place I want to be.

“I can mix up my styles. I can fight inside and fight on the outside. I usually try to establish the boxing and as the fight goes on, you see me brawling.

“My competitive spirit will be on display Saturday. I’m facing a tough fighter who I know is going to come forward. He’s a fighter who you have to be prepared to fight for all three minutes of every round.”

FRANCISCO SANTANA

“Each fight I go in with the mentality that it is a ‘do or die’ type of a fight. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my career and my life, so to be here I am blessed and honored. For those that know me, they know I am never in a dull fight, so expecting nothing less.

“A victory will elevate me to the next stage to fulfill my dreams, which is every fighter’s dream, in fighting for a world title. Not every fighter gets to fight for a title, let alone win one. I want to be able to say to my daughter or my son, who is going to be born next month, that I’m a world champion and to never give up on your dreams. If their daddy can do it there is no excuses for them not to.

“We both have two hands, two gloves and we all know that boxing can end in a blink of an eye. I prepare myself to be my best and come out to fight and come out with a win. What I did with Felix Diaz about a year ago, I came in as a big underdog. I used that and it fueled me.

“It is an amazing feeling fighting on FOX with all eyes on us. This fight is available nationwide. Everything is coming together and going in the direction we want it to go.”