Second round devastating knock out sees Cuellar defeat Juan Manuel Lopez

The fifth fight of the night was a scheduled 12 round bout for the WBA featherweight interim title between Jesus Cuellar (25-1, 19 KOs) from Buenos Aires, Argentina and Juan Manuel Lopez (34-5, 31 KOs) from Rio Pierdas, PR.  The 27 year old Cuellar came in with a reach of 71” while the 31 year-old Lopez with that of 69”.  Cuellar had a great deal of support from the crowd of 4,000 as many Argentineans had traveled to Las Vegas to watch the Mayweather vs Maidana rematch Saturday night.

Both fighters moved in at the start of the first round and met each other in their southpaw stance with a high guard.  Cuellar was pressuring forward, fainting with his hands and landing strong power punches.  Both connected with hooks at the same time but Cuellar was able to follow with three right hooks to the head.  By the time the round was over, a mouse had begun to form under Lopez’ right eye.

Round two began and both boxers began to flurry.  At one minute and 36 seconds of the second round Lopez was knocked out by Cuellar with a one-two combination and was unable to stand up.  In fact, he seemed to not even know where he was, such was the power of the punch from Cuellar.  Cuellar had landed a few quick hooks after the combination but a review of the tape clearly showed that Gonzalez was already out and was taking punishment as he was falling to the ground.

Charlo stops Gonzalez in the seventh

The fourth event for the night was an eight round middleweight bout between Jermall “Hitman” Charlo (19-0, 16 KOs) from Houston, TX and Norberto Gonzalez (20-5, 13 KOs) from Puerto Rey, Mexico.  The 24 year-old Charlo came in at 6’0” and a reach of 73.5” while the 33 year-old Gonzalez came in at 5’10” and a reach of 71”.  Gonzalez had never been stopped in his career.  Charlo had said he was interested in fighting Carlos Molina after this event.

As the first round began, Charlo came in with his left hand down while Gonzalez had a higher guard and was bobbing and weaving but backing up from the pressure.  Charlo exhibited his quicker hands in the first round, mainly by sticking the jab.  He also cut off the ring from Gonzalez very effectively while he stalked him and used a head-body combination.

The beginning of the second round found Gonzalez in trouble against the ropes but he was able to dig deep and fight his way out with a one-two combination.  He tried moving to his left and his right but was unable to evade Charlo.  Charlo landed a beautiful double jab and a straight right combination.

Round three found Charlo landing a low blow without much effect on Gonzalez.  He was warned by referee Kenny Bayless and the round continued.  Gonzalez began to show obvious signs of fatigue by puting his arms down and breathing with his mouth open.

Even though he had been warned about the low blow, Charlo landed another low blow in the fourth round.  This left hook had power behind it and actually dropped Gonzalez.  His face showed nothing but excruciating pain and it looked as though he might use the full five minutes allotted to him.  Bayless, meanwhile, took a point away from Charlo.

After the round, Charlo’s corner told him not to worry about the point deduction and to just relax.  He was instructed to forget about the body shots and just shoot uppercuts while Gonzalez was covering his face.

Charlo came out strong and determined in the fifth round with straights and backed Gonzalez. Gonzalez was not active at this point and was just protecting his face, however, a powerful right hand from Charlo dropped him and sent him through the ropes to the edge of the ring.  He did not land the punch but it had enough power behind it to make contact with Gonzalez’ gloves and knock him down as a result of squaring off and not having balance.  Gonzalez quickly got up with a smile on his face and continued taking punishment for the rest of round.  Charlo moved in for the kill but Gonzalez was saved by the bell.   The punch stats for the round were 40% landed for Charlo but only 11% for Gonzalez.

In between rounds Gonzalez complained to his corner of a cramp on his right leg and had it massaged.  The commentators believed this may have been a result of bad footing.  As round six began he came out swinging but showed no determination after that with the exception of a few one-two combinations and smothering Charlo.

After the end of the round, Charlo’s corner told him Gonzalez was ready to quit and to get him in the corner again.  They also tell him to use uppercuts when his guard was high.  Punch stats for the round showed Charlo landing 21% of his jabs and Gonzalez 14%.

Shortly after the seventh round began, Charlo took the advice of his corner to heart because he landed two straight rights, a left hook and an uppercut only for Gonzalez’ corner to stop the fight.  Charlo won by TKO at one minute and 23 seconds of the seventh round.

“J Rock” Williams gets decision win against Eliezer Gonzalez 

The third event of the night consisted of an eight round junior middleweight match between Julian “J-Rock” Williams Jr. (17-0-1, 10 KOs) from Philadelphia, PA and Eliezer “Pop” Gonzalez” (14-1-0, 9 KOs) from San Juan, PR.  Williams, who was wearing red, white and blue in honor of the 9/11 anniversary, is known to be a very active fighter and had a reach advantage over Gonzalez at 72.5”.

Gonzalez, wearing black with Puerto Rican colors, had said he had not had as many fights as he wanted due to managerial problems.  He also stated he came to Las Vegas to avenge the defeat of his fellow Puerto Rican Felix Trinidad by William’s fellow Philadelphian Bernard Hopkins.  In addition, Gonzalez was also trained by Felix Trinidad Sr.

The first round of the fight started out with both boxers meeting at the center of the ring, Gonzalez with his guard high and Williams with his left hand lowered almost in a teasing manner.  Gonzalez started stepping back as Williams pressured forward with a wider stance.  They both tried to feel each other out; typical of any first round activity, but they eventually started landing power punches almost in an attempt to end the fight early.  Before the end of the round, Gonzalez took a power left hook to the face from Williams.

Round two began by Williams effectively using his straight right as instructed by his corner to back up Gonzalez.  He was also sticking the jab with precision and Gonzalez did not seem to do much to avoid it.

The third round was interesting because Williams began bobbing and weaving more and began talking to Gonzalez.  As to what exactly he was saying, that is not know.  He began landing more punches with his quick hands and Gonzalez was able to land a one-two combination before the end of the round.  Punch statistics showed that both of them were even in punches landed at 29%.

Round four started out with both boxers getting tangled and referee Jay Nady breaking them up.  Williams’ corner instructed him to set up the knockout but Gonzalez continued to clinch.  A powerful uppercut by Williams backed Gonzalez.  As Nady tried to separate them again, Gonzalez tried to punch Williams in the back of the head as his back was turned to him.  Nady warned him for this and for holding, signs that he was becoming desperate.

As the fifth round began, Williams’ corner told him to throw more than one punch at a time but the most he was able to do in the round was land a big right hand.  The power punches for the round were at 47% for Williams and 28% for Gonzalez.  It was the half-way point of the round and Gonzalez was aware he was losing the fight but he was still trying to stay in it.

The eight and final round began and still no signs of fatigue from either fighter.  Both came out to finish strong.  Before the end of the round, Williams was able to land a fierce right hand before getting another one-two combination from Gonzalez.

Williams went on to win the fight by unanimous decision with a 35% rate of punches landed compared to 21% for Gonzalez.

Errol Spence stays unbeaten with convincing win against Bolanos

The second event of the night was an eight round middleweight bout between Errol Spence Jr. (14-0, 11 KOs) from Desoto, TX and Noe Bolanos (26-11-1, 16 KOs) from Obregon, Mexico.  Spence, the 24 year-old former 2012 Olympian southpaw is known for using his reach advantage and was clearly going to be able to do that in this fight.  He had a 72” reach compared to Bolanos’ 69”.

Round one began and Spence came in with a very high guard, almost hypnotizing Bolanos.  Bolanos came in with a decent guard himself.  They both came off to a very slow start in order to feel each other out.  Spence was looking for his range with his quick hands, particularly his almost invisible jab.  Bolanos, on the other hand, was not avoiding the punches.  He was moving to Spence’s left at times, as one would expect an opponent to do with a southpaw.  However, he still seemed to be hypnotized by Spence’s movement and was standing right in front of him at times.  Unfortunately for him, he was not able to find his reach and tag Spence.  Spence was very active throughout the round and was landing with precision and power.

In between rounds, you could hear Derrick James in Spence’s corner asking for the jab while Jesus Fuentes, in Bolanos’ corner, was telling him in Spanish to circle to the left.

The bell rang and round two began.  Bolanos was still missing on his punches and falling forward after losing his balance.  At one point, Spence landed a mean left hook and the crowd sounded as if though they felt it just like Bolanos.  Spence, however, kept his composure and did not look for the finish.  Spence, unlike Bolanos, was able to use his hand speed to block his punches as well as for attacking.

The round ended and there seemed to be some confusion in Bolanos’ corner.  He told referee Robert Byrd that he could not go on because he had injured his left hand during the round.  This was a point of comical relief for commentators Paulie Malignaggi and Brian Custer as they seemed to have believed that it was impossible for him to have hurt his hand since he never used it to block a punch.  They go on to say that that it was actually Spence’s hands that convinced Bolanos not to come out for a third round.  The fight ends and Spence wins by TKO.  Final punch stats for the fight were 45% landed by Spence and 25% by Bolanos.  Bolanos landed 14 punches throughout the fight.

Josesito Lopez prevails after defeating Rafael Cobos on an unanimous decision.  

The first fight of the night was a scheduled eight round welterweight bout between Josesito “The Riverside Rocky” Lopez (33-6-0, 19 KOs) from Riverside, CA and Rafael Cobos (15-5-5, 3 KOs) from Tijuana, Mexico in which Lopez gained the unanimous points decision.  Lopez, who is currently ranked 11^th in the WBC welterweight division, was hoping to use this as a stepping stone after losses to Canelo Alvarez and Marcos Maidana.  He has won 3 fights since these losses.  He is hoping to fight Amir Khan by the end of this year.

As the first round began, Cobos came out very active with his jab but seemed to be very heavy on his front foot.  Lopez, who seemed to have the height and reach advantage, was setting the pace with his jab and trying to keep Cobos at a safe distance.  Cobos, however, did not seem deterred and kept moving forward and began to clinch Lopez.  Lopez used this time to connect with a few body shots.  For a few seconds, Lopez actually seemed to step back as Cobos attacked and they both traded and clinched once again before the bell rang.

Round two started off with Cobos complaining that he was getting hit behind the head and clinching Lopez more to avoid his punches.  At this point, referee Tony Weeks had to separate them in what would be one of many occasions throughout the fight.  Lopez was still able to connect, though, and landed a massive right hand to the head before the bell rang.

The third round of the fight began with Lopez putting more pressure on Cobos and aiming for the body.  In one instance, he threw a straight left to the body.  One can only speculate that he was hoping for a weaker mid-section on Cobos’ part and that this would lead to a finish.  Instead, Cobos continued to get tangled on purpose with Lopez to prevent further punishment.

At this point in the fight, Cobos still had a high guard and was bobbing and weaving but without much effect.  Lopez had a slightly lower guard and was coming in straight but was using better balance and foot-work to attack and evade counterpunches.  By the end of the third round, Lopez landed 37% of his punches while Cobos landed only 27%.

Round four did not see any sign of tiring on either side, however, Cobos was still not able to find his reach despite his spurts and flurries.  They both smothered each other for the most part until Lopez was able to land an uppercut to the chin and push Cobos to the ropes before the bell rang.

At the halfway point of the fight, Cobos turns the heat on and begins to increase the pressure, gains his confidence and faints punches.  He definitely does not seem shy at this point of the fight.  They both begin to pick up the pace and Lopez capitalizes on his left hook.  The statistics for this round showed 47% power punches from Lopez and 27% from Cobos.

The following round showed Cobos bleeding from his nose but not deterred from trying to win this fight.  In between rounds, Gerald Espinoza from Cobos’ corner instructs him in Spanish to use his overhand right.

Round seven of the fight showed Lopez increasing his tempo and Cobos lunging with his left hook but still missing for the most part.  He was also protecting himself more by lowering his elbows and moving them closer to his body, showing signs that Lopez’ strategy with his body punches had worked.  Most of the round still consisted of a lot of grappling.  At the end of the round, each boxer waited for the other to make a move.  When Cobos started off after Lopez, Lopez quickly landed a one-two combination.

The eighth and final round consisted of much of the same material throughout the rest of the fight: grappling and Tony Weeks breaking up the boxers.  At the end of the fight, it is safe to say Lopez never expected to go eight rounds with a B level boxer like Cobos.  This was actually not one of his best performances and at times seemed like a sparring session.  This is an indication he may have to go back to the drawing work and do some more work before he takes on the likes of Amir Khan.  The statistics for the fight overall fight showed Lopez with 30% punches landed and Cobos with 26%.  Lopez went on to win by unanimous decision.

– Nader Gamez / @NaderGamez

– Contributor for www.BehindtheGloves.com

Ortiz (22-0, 19 KOs) dropped Kayode approximately a minute into the first round. Kayode (20-1, 16 KOs) beat the count and was later stunned with an Ortiz left hook followed by a flurry of unanswered punches. Referee Robert Byrd stepped in and stopped the contest with seconds left in the round.

Although few punches landed cleanly, Byrd felt Kayode had taken enough damage. Kayode voiced his displeasure with Byrd after the stoppage.

With the stoppage, Ortiz becomes a mandatory challenger to WBA regular heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev.

The co-main event saw Juan Manuel Lopez (34-5, 31 KOs) versus Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar (25-1, 19 KOs).

Lopez, 31, entered the ring with hopes for one more big-payday and another shot at a world championship. The former two division champion contemplating retirement after being knocked out by Fernando Vargas July 12.

Cuellar retained his WBA interim featherweight championship.

Lopez was knocked out in the second round after Cuellar forced him against the ropes and landed a three-punch combination. Referee Kenny Bayless immediately stopped the bout as Lopez dropped to the canvas.

Lopez’ devastating loss to Cuellar derails his hopes and may likely force him into retirement.

Also in action on the card, Jermall Charlo stopped Norberto Gonzalez in the seventh round in his quest to landing a world championship bout.

Charlo (19-0, 15 KOs) had a point deducted in the fourth round after landing a lowblow on Gonzalez. Charlo dropped Gonzalez (20-5, 13 KOs) in the fifth round with a straight right hand. Charlo inched closer to a world championship opportunity with the win after having his hopes delayed when Carlos Molina was arrested days before their IBF junior middleweight championship bout March 8.

Josesito Lopez (33-6, 19 KOs) was also victorious in a lackluster performance against Rafael Cobos. Lopez dictated the action by effectively landing body shots on Cobos (15-5-5, 3 KOs) en route to a unanimous decision, winning 80-72 on each scorecard.

Lopez, 30, earned his third consecutive win after suffering consecutive loses to Saul Alvarez and Marcos Maidana. The Riverside native’s name has been in the running for possible opponents for Amir Khan in December.

Thursday’s performance could possibly tamper hopes of a December showdown with Kahn.

Errol Spence Jr. and Julian Williams were also victorious Thursday night.

-Jose Quintero/ @JoseSwift8755

US Managing Editor for www.BehindTheGloves.com

Abner Mares, Mauricio Herrera added to Canelo-Lara PPV undercard

Golden Boy Promotions finalized the Canelo Alvarez-Erislandy Lara July 12 Showtime pay-per-view undercard, announcing it will feature former three-division champion Abner Mares and junior welterweight title challenger Mauricio Herrera in separate bouts.

Mares is looking to rebound from a shock one round knockout loss to Jhonny Gonzalez last August as he meets Jonathan Oquendo of Puerto Rico in a featherweight bout. Mares was rumored to be moving to 130 pounds but will stay at 126 as he trains with Virgil Hunter for the first time. This is expected to be a showcase bout to get Mares back on track similar to when Adrien Broner fought Carlos Molina coming off the loss to Marcos Maidana.

Mauricio Herrera will return following a game challenge against Danny Garcia earlier this year, a fight most observers felt the tough Mexican American won. Herrera will face Johan Perez for an interim belt in a twelve round fight.

These two bouts are in addition to the previously announced bout between Juan Manuel Lopez and unbeaten Francisco Vargas in a 130 pound bout.

The card takes place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

-Mark E. Ortega / @MarkEOrtega

-Managing editor at www.BehindTheGloves.com

Photo courtesy of Tom Casino / Showtime

Garcia slips by Herrera in majority decision; Wilder stops Scott in one

It was tougher than expected, but in the end, Danny Garcia retained his multiple junior welterweight titles by majority decision against the always tough Mauricio Herrera on Saturday night in a “homecoming” of sorts in Caguas, Puerto Rico atop a Showtime doubleheader.

Garcia (28-0, 16 knockouts) got off to a slow start, allowing Herrera to press the action. Herrera (20-4, 7 KOs) isn’t known to be a puncher but landed several hard shots throughout, getting things going behind his jab. Garcia seemed to be throwing one punch at a time for the most part but started coming on around the middle rounds.

Open scoring spoiled the fight a bit as after four rounds, two judges had Garcia ahead 40-36 and 39-37 with one even 38-38 card. That became the running commentary of the fight, how Herrera was working his ass off but was likely already behind too far to play spoiler.

After twelve, Garcia was ruled the winner 116-112 twice and one judge had it 114-114.

Herrera has proven yet again that he’s a tough out for anyone in the 140 pound division. He is the only man to beat current WBO 140-pound champion Ruslan Provodnikov, and even in defeat he would be a good opponent for Provodnikov in the future. Herrera has tested himself against Garcia, Provodnikov, Mike Alvarado, and Karim Mayfield and has never been dominated.

For Garcia, perhaps he has plateaued in the junior welterweight division and a move up to the welterweight division is necessary. Garcia didn’t look nearly the fighter that exposed Lucas Matthysse last September and seemed a bit sapped, though he was in against an iron chinned fighter who’d never really been hurt before.

2008 Olympic bronze medalist Deontay Wilder aced the biggest test of his career, stopping the usually durable Malik Scott in the first round with a right hand that didn’t look as though it landed super flush. Wilder (31-0, 31 KOs) landed a left hook landed that may have been responsible for putting Scott (36-2-1, 13 KOs) in big trouble before the right hand.

This was on paper a great matchup between two American heavyweights trying to establish a foothold as a legitimate contender, and Wilder emerged as the guy looking ready to tangle with the top heavyweights in the world, most of which hail from Eastern Europe.

Wilder has previously been criticized for the level of his opposition, but when the fight with Scott was made, many in the boxing community were tabbing an upset. Wilder literally smashed those doubts on Saturday night and is blossoming into a talented fighter that is must-see television.

On the Showtime Extreme undercard, former two-division titlist Juan Manuel Lopez scored a shocking second round upset of Daniel Ponce De Leon in a rematch of a fight from six years ago.

Though Lopez (34-3, 31 KOs) prevailed in the first fight by a one round knockout, he was largely counted out (including by this writer) due to a lack of punch resistance and coordination in previous bouts. Lopez was down before ultimately catching his Mexican rival with a massive right hand. Ponce De Leon (45-6, 35 KOs) got up and fought back, but was controversially stopped while on the ropes by the always terrible Luis Pabon.

Daniel Jacobs got three knockdowns in the first round against journeyman Milton Nunez, earning a stoppage at 2:25. Jacobs could challenge the winner of the Apr. 19 clash between WBO titlist Peter Quillin and European challenger Lukas Konecny.

-Mark E. Ortega / @MarkEOrtega

-Managing editor at www.BehindTheGloves.com

All photos courtesy of Tom Casino / Showtime

]]> http://behindthegloves.com/news/garcia-slips-by-herrera-in-majority-decision-wilder-stops-scott-in-one/feed/ 0 http://behindthegloves.com/news/garcia-herrera-weights-and-photos/ http://behindthegloves.com/news/garcia-herrera-weights-and-photos/#comments Sat, 15 Mar 2014 00:43:41 +0000 http://behindthegloves.com/?p=5356

Garcia-Herrera weights and photos

Tomorrow night on Showtime, a doubleheader from Puerto Rico will take place as Danny Garcia defends his RING Magazine and assorted alphabet junior welterweight titles against Mauricio Herrera. Elsewhere on the card, an intriguing matchup between American heavyweights Deontay Wilder and Malik Scott, as well as a well past its expiration date rematch between Daniel Ponce De Leon and Juan Manuel Lopez at junior lightweight.

Here are the weights and photos from Friday’s weigh-in.

Danny Garcia, 139.75 vs. Mauricio Herrera, 139.25

Deontay Wilder, 227 vs. Malik Scott, 238

Daniel Ponce De Leon, 128.75 vs. Juan Manuel Lopez, 129

Daniel Jacobs, 161.5 vs. Milton Nunez, 161.9

Jose A. Gonzalez, 139.4 vs. Ramesis Gil, 137.3

John Karl Sosa, 142.8 vs. Anthony Sanchez, 140.6

Ed Paredes, 150.8 vs. George Luis Sosa, 150

Prichard Colon, 153.3 vs. Shad Howard, 151.3

Pedro Vicente, 127.7 vs. Karl Garcia, 128.8

Jose Lopez, 139.4 vs. Jenry Ogando, 139

-PRESS RELEASE

Garcia-Herrera workout quotes and photos

BAYAMON, Puerto Rico (March 13, 2014) – Unified Super Lightweight World Champion
Danny “Swift” Garcia, Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera, WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion Deontay “Bronx Bomber” Wilder, Malik “King” Scott, Juan Manuel “JuanMa” Lopez, Daniel Ponce de Leon and Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs spoke to themedia during an open workout at Amelia Municipal Boxing Gym in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico in advance of their respective fights this Saturday, March 15 bouts at Cloliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, which will air LIVE on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and SHOWTIME EXTREME.

Below is what the fighters had to say just two days away from fight nigh:

DANNY “SWIFT” GARCIA, Unified Super Lightweight World Champion
“I’ve never really had my own dates it’s always been on another guy’s date. We’re focused, I know he’s going to come to fight but we’re going to get the job done.

“This is a dream come true, I’ve received a very warm welcome.

“I just want to keep the Puerto Rican tradition of champions alive.

“I’m going to win this fight for Puerto Rico. I train hard and had a great camp and I’m going to bring it for Puerto Rico.

“I sparred with all undefeated prospects, a bunch of tough kids. They kept me working and getting better.

MAURICIO HERRERA, Super Lightweight Contender
“We feel great, camp is over and we’re 100 percent confident.

“I’ve fought tough guys in the past. Danny is human like me, I have no fear.

“I know a lot of people are overlooking me, he’s seen me fight but I don’t think he really knows who I am. He’s getting a little cocky but we’re trained for 100 percent of Danny Garcia.

“The fight fans have been warm to me, I haven’t seen anything bad about me. I think the people just want to see a great fight.

“The game plan depends on how Danny comes out, I can be a boxer and I can brawl. Whatever is more comfortable for me. I think I can beat him and that’s what I’m going to do.”

DEONTAY WILDER, WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion
“Being in someone else’s territory doesn’t scare me at all. I want to be the fighter that travels all over the world like Ali and other greats have.

“I told someone I’m loving Puerto Rico so much that maybe when I get the belt I can have a title defense here.

“You can expect a knockout Saturday. Get your best outfits, have fun and get there early. You already know how it’s going to end.

“I wouldn’t want any guy other than Malik to go up against in this fight. It’s a big eliminator match for the WBC belt and what better person to give the opportunity to than my own brother. Whichever one of us wins we’re going to support the other.

“Come Saturday night we’ll put the friendship aside and give the people a great show and you can hear it from me, we’re not holding back our punches.

“There are so many sides of me that people haven’t seen. It will take that right opponent to bring it out of me. Malik has those skills and that ring knowledge to bring it out of me.”

MALIK SCOTT, Top Heavyweight Contender
“In a sense it’s weird getting in the ring with a friend. Me and Deontay love each other, but we don’t love each other that much to not go out for the heavyweight championship of the world.

“My career, my life and the trials and tribulations I’ve gone through to get here, it’s all on the line Saturday night.

“Deontay is big, 6 foot 7 and he fights every inch of it. I also see a lot of loopholes in his game so I need to take advantage of them.

“I plan on taking him into deep water and baptizing him. It’s not going to be easy but I have a strategic game plan and I’m going to stick to it.”

JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ, WBO International Junior Lightweight Champion
“I’m so proud fighting here in Puerto Rico, this is mi tierra [my land]. I can’t describe it, Puerto Rico is a piece of my heart.

“My weight is on the dot for tomorrow and on Saturday I’m going to give my Puerto Rican fans a great fight.

“Ponce De Leon is a different fighter now than he was back then when we first met. He’s faster, more experienced and better prepared. It’s going to be a war. When that bell ring on Saturday, there going to be thunder bolts, so get ready.”

DANIEL PONCE DE LEON, Former WBC Featherweight World Champion

“I’m a different guy than the guy I was when I fought JuanMa and he knows it. I know is not going to be easy, but I’m ready and I’m back.

“I’ve trained very hard and coming Saturday night, my fans are going to see a Ponce De Leon that is going to make them proud. ”

DANIEL JACOBS, Middleweight Contender
“It’s a privilege for me to be in Puerto Rico. It’s my second time here and I really appreciate the land and the people because they appreciate the sport of boxing, all the way down to the grandmothers.

“I’m on the road to success from beating cancer, this is my fifth fight now. I’ve captured the WBC Intercontinental belt and hopefully this is just another stepping stone to get me to the world championship.

ANGEL GARCIA, Danny Garcia’s Father and Trainer
“Herrera can bark all he wants, but a dog that barks doesn’t bite. Dogs that don’t bark, will bite, and Danny’s not the barker.

“The State House honored Danny this morning and voted unanimously on him being a Puerto Rican. It feels good to get the love that he’s received. He might be Latin-American, but he has got the blood of me and his mom and people are realizing that.

“Slowly but surely, like he became world champion, that’s how we’re going to earn our fans in Puerto Rico.”

WILLIE SILVA, Mauricio Herrera’s Trainer
“Danny is a good fighter, that’s why he’s a champion. Mauricio is very tough and an overall good fighter. I think Danny picked the wrong guy to face.

“There have been some good fighters who couldn’t even touch Mauricio.

“I think it’s going to be a big upset. Mauricio is in incredible condition and he spars 12 rounds like nothing.”

MARK BRELAND, Deontay Wilder’s trainer
“Malik and Deontay have a great respect for each other from sparring together in the past. I think it’s going to be a great fight it’s a matter of who shows up.

“We’ve had a great camp and gotten a lot of great rounds in sparring. I’ve tried to tire him out as much as I can.

“Deontay’s strength is in his power punches and how he stays on top of you. His only weakness is the experience, which we’re working on.

“I love Puerto Rico. My favorite fighter of all time was Wilfredo Benitez. As a little kid I used to look in the mirror and pretend to be him.”

“Garcia vs. Herrera,” a12-round WBC Super Lightweight World Title on Saturday, March 15, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Swift Promotions in association with PR Best Boxing and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. The co-main event, Deontay Wilder vs. Malik Scott, is a 12-round WBC Final Heavyweight eliminator bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will air live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). In the main event on the SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT) (Delayed on the West Coast) portion of the card, former world champions Juan Manuel Lopez and Daniel Ponce de Leon square off in a 10-round rematch for the WBO International Junior Lightweight Title.

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $150, $200 and $400 plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale now at www.tcpr.com and by calling 787-792-5000.

-PRESS RELEASE

Ponce De Leon-Lopez relegated to SHO Extreme

Perhaps listening to the criticism that the bout was a complete mismatch, Showtime has announced via a press release that Saturday’s junior lightweight bout between Daniel Ponce De Leon and Juan Manuel Lopez will be televised by SHO Extreme rather than part of the Showtime Championship Boxing broadcast headlined by Danny Garcia against Mauricio Herrera.

Ponce De Leon is out to avenge a loss from six years ago when the two were budding junior featherweights. Ponce De Leon lost his title in a one round demolition to an emerging Lopez. Lopez has recently fallen on hard times in recent bouts, looking far from the fighter that captured the Puerto Rican fanbase for a couple of years. Ponce De Leon will get an empty feeling when he likely stops Lopez early in their bout.

In speaking to Top Rank’s Bob Arum, who brought Lopez along as a young pro and later a world champion, the longtime promoter is hopeful that Lopez doesn’t get hurt on Saturday. Arum joins a majority of fight fans who hope Lopez doesn’t get badly hurt, but given his warrior courage he will likely go out on his shield.

It is unfortunate that promoters will utilize a finished fighter for his name value. Lopez is the only draw on Saturday’s card local to Puerto Rico as Garcia is a Philadelphian first and a Puerto Rican, maybe fourth or fifth at best. That Lopez’s name is being used to more or less carry the promotion and Golden Boy Promotions is likely leading him to his doom is even more deplorable.

-Mark E. Ortega / @MarkEOrtega

-Managing editor at www.BehindTheGloves.com

Ponce De Leon confident Lopez will be ready

Saturday afternoon, I stopped by the Daniel Ponce De Leon boxing gym in Montebello, Calif., where among a group of quality professionals, the man himself was preparing for his rematch next month with Juan Manuel Lopez, which takes place at 130 pounds on the Danny Garcia against Mauricio Herrera undercard that takes place in Puerto Rico and will be televised by Showtime.

Many feel that this is an unnecessary rematch as Lopez is vastly deteriorated from when the two met in June 2008. That bout served as the coming out party for Lopez as he managed to stop Ponce De Leon in a wild first round. Lopez has recently been stopped three times against top fighters Mikey Garcia and Orlando Salido, looking especially awful in the Garcia fight. It was that bout where his punch resistance was terribly lacking and he looked as though he was punching underwater.

Despite Ponce De Leon (45-5, 35 knockouts) being considered a sizable favorite by the boxing community, Ponce De Leon is happy to be getting a chance to redemption.

“I’ve waited a number of years for this rematch and I will be in the best shape of my life,” Ponce De Leon told Behind The Gloves through a translator after training.

“Juan will always have heavy hands, which makes him dangerous. At that weight, he’s going to be easier for him to come in shape and he will feel stronger, so that will make it a good fight.:

Many, including this writer, feel that it is a dangerous fight for Lopez, who perhaps should have taken a big step down in opposition if not retiring altogether. Lopez (33-3, 30 KOs) brings real name value as far as being a draw in Puerto Rico, and it feels as though promoter Golden Boy Promotions is using his name to draw fans as headliner Danny Garcia doesn’t really register in the province, despite his credentials.

It’s almost a lose-lose fight for Ponce De Leon as a victory will come across as a somewhat empty one, and any sort of difficulty Lopez provides will be used to make Ponce De Leon not look so formidable. Though a recent titleholder at 126, Ponce De Leon indicated he has too much trouble making the weight and he will campaign as a 130 pounder for the foreseeable future.

Ponce De Leon has already setup a plan for when the time comes to hang up the gloves. His Montebello gym is chock full of quality fighters, from Giovani Segura to Miguel Vazquez to young up and comers like Alejandro Gonzalez Jr. Ponce De Leon has also landed a commentary gig with Fox Deportes, something he enjoys.

“I don’t plan on fighting too much longer, I have my gym and the commentary which has been going pretty well and are two things I’ve really enjoyed lately,” said Ponce De Leon.

Ponce De Leon also mentions he’ll await with interest the decision of Abner Mares on whether or not he will move into the 130 pound division as rumored. Mares may face 130 pound titlist Takashi Miura and Ponce De Leon indicated he’d love a chance at redemption with Mares after he gets Lopez out of the way.

-Mark E. Ortega / @MarkEOrtega

-Managing editor at www.BehindTheGloves.com

Garcia-Herrera PR presser quotes and photos

Tuesday, a press conference took place in Puerto Rico featuring the combatants featured on the upcoming Mar. 15 Showtime-televised card headlined by RING Magazine junior welterweight champion Danny Garcia against Mauricio Herrera. Undercard rivals Juan Manuel Lopez and Daniel Ponce de Leon also spoke. Here are the quotes and photos from the day’s event. All photos courtesy of Esther Lin / Showtime.

DANNY “SWIFT” GARCIA, Unified Super Lightweight World Champion

“I am a Puerto Rican. I could have been born on the moon, but I’m still Puerto Rican.

“Even though I’m from Philly, that’s not my heritage.  It’s important for me to reach out to my fans because I think Puerto Rican boxing needs this right now.

“I think that Puerto Rico is going to accept me as its own after I win on March 15.  Philadelphia might be my birthplace, but Puerto Rico is my blood. ”

MAURICIO HERRERA, Super Lightweight Contender

“I know this is a huge opportunity, and I’m going to take full advantage of it.

“To have a shot at Danny’s belts has been a dream of mine for a long time.

“Danny Garcia is an intelligent and tough fighter, but so am I.

“I’m coming to Puerto Rico and I know there is a lot of pressure, but hopefully they will support me too.”

JUAN MANUEL “JUANMA” LOPEZ, WBO International Junior Lightweight Champion

“I’m excited about this great opportunity. I have the people of Puerto Rico confident in me and their support means everything to me.

“I’m prepared for this fight and I know that it’s going to be a tough one.  I’m going to give it my all.”

DANIEL PONCE DE LEON, Former WBC Featherweight World Champion

“I’m happy to be here in Puerto Rico.  I’ve been training hard and I’m ready for this rematch.

“It’s been five years [since our last fight] and I know that JuanMa is going to come in strong. He’s a great fighter, but I’m coming in fully prepared for this fight.”

ANGEL GARCIA, Garcia’s Father and Trainer

“March 15 is going to be like no other.  Herrera has never fought a Puerto Rican and my son Danny is 100 percent Puerto Rican.

“My wife and I are both Puerto Rican, and like it or not, Danny is Boricua.  It’s always been a dream of his to fight in Puerto Rico, so we’re happy to see that coming to pass.”

ARMANDO GAYTAN, Deputy COO & Senior VP of Golden Boy Promotions

“Puerto Rico has long been one of the hotbeds for boxing, with great fighters like Felix Trinidad, Wilfred Benitez, Miguel Cotto and Wilfredo Gomez all hailing from the island. So when we found out we were bringing this event to Bayamon, we knew we had to make it something special, and we’ve got a spectacular lineup of fights for the fans on March 15.

“Danny Garcia is one of the top stars in boxing today, and as a young man of Puerto Rican descent, his fight against Mauricio Herrera is not just another title defense, but a night he said he knows he will never forget.”

GILLERMO SILVA, Herrera’s Trainer

“I’m very thankful for this opportunity.  It’s going to be a good and hard fight, but Mauricio will be prepared.  The preparation and work he has put in will show on fight night. ”

HIRAM PADILLA, Sports Director of City of Bayamon, Puerto Rico

“Puerto Rico is glad to have such a big showcase.  The Mayor wants to thank Danny for bringing a world-class fight to Bayamon.

“We know that Danny’s mom is from Bayamon, where the fight is going to take place, and we are proud he’ll be representing us on March 15.”

PETER RIVERA, Vice-President of Puerto Rico Best Boxing

“In all of these years as boxing promoters, we never saw an enthusiasm like today by the fans for this event.  I’m sure that the Puerto Rican fans will support Danny Garcia as the new Puerto Rican boxing star.”

# # #

Garcia vs. Herrera, a 12-round WBC Super Lightweight World Title on Saturday, March 15, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Swift Promotions in association with PR Best Boxing and sponsored by Corona and AT&T.  It will air as the main event of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).   In the co-main event, Deontay Wilder takes on Malik Scott, in a 12-round WBC Final Heavyweight eliminator bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions. SHOWTIME Boxing on SHOWTIME EXTREME will feature Juan Manuel Lopez and Daniel Ponce de Leon in a 10-round rematch for the WBO International Junior Lightweight Title.

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $150, $200 and $400 plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale now at www.tcpr.com and by calling 787-792-5000.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.prbestboxing.net and www.sports.sho.com follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/shosports, www.twitter.com/dannyswift, www.twitter.com/elmaestro1,www.twitter.com/bronzebomber, www.twitter.com/malikkingscott,  www.twitter.com/danielponcedel1 and www.twitter.com/Juanma_lopez,  follow the conversation using #GarciaHerrera or become a fan on Facebook www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/PRBestBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

-PRESS RELEASE

Danny Garcia fights Mauricio Herrera on Showtime tripleheader Mar. 15 in PR

According to Boxingscene.com’s Rick Reeno, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer has finalized a Mar. 15 Showtime televised tripleheader headlined by RING Magazine junior welterweight champion Danny Garcia defending against Mauricio Herrera. The card will take place at the Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum in Bayamon, PR.

Also on the televised card is a 130-pound crossroads bout pitting former champions Daniel Ponce De Leon and Juan Manuel Lopez in a classic Mexico versus Puerto Rico battle. Also, an enticing heavyweight contest between American contenders Deontay Wilder and Malik Scott.

Garcia (27-0, 16 knockouts) is coming off a career-defining victory over Lucas Matthysse last September on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather’s box office record bout with Saul Alvarez. Garcia’s performance stole the show that night and made him one of boxing’s biggest young stars. It will be his first opportunity fighting in Puerto Rico. Though Garcia was born in the States, he’s very proud of his Puerto Rican heritage.

Herrera (20-3, 7 KOs) has usually served as a litmus test for rising 140-pounders and the bout would serve as his first opportunity to win a world title. Herrera’s best victory is the close twelve round decision he earned over current WBO 140-pound champion Ruslan Provodnikov back in January 2011 on ESPN2. Herrera lost to Mike Alvarado and Karim Mayfield on their way up but bounced back in 2013 with wins over gatekeepers Ji-Hoon Kim and Miguel Angel Huerta. Herrera is rarely in a bad fight and will at least make for a good fight with Garcia. He’s also never been stopped.

Ponce De Leon (45-5, 35 KOs) lost his WBC featherweight title to Abner Mares on the May pay-per-view undercard of Mayweather’s victory over Robert Guerrero. He fought just once more in 2013, a decision win over Joksan Hernandez. Ponce de Leon has transitioned into training fighters at his gym in Montebello, Calif., and a loss could perhaps send him into that field more than part-time.

Lopez (33-3, 30 KOs) became a star largely off his one-round knockout of Ponce de Leon for a 122-pound title back in 2008. He was once one of boxing’s most promising stars but has lost three of his last six fights with all three losses being devastating knockout defeats. Lopez, once the pride of Puerto Rico, hasn’t beaten a top fighter since stopping Steven Luevano for a featherweight belt in January 2010. In his June fight against Mikey Garcia, Garcia looked like a finished fighter, perhaps one that shouldn’t be fighting any longer. At thirty, a loss would definitely spell the end of his run as a major television fighter.

Wilder (30-0, 30 KOs) is perhaps the best chance America has at securing a heavyweight title. His perfect record is more a result of the level of opponent he has faced, but for the first time he will be in against a durable opponent who isn’t on the back nine of their career. How Wilder responds will help determine where his stock really sits.

Scott (36-1-1, 13 KOs) was considered a heavyweight prospect more than a decade ago, but saw his career take a tumble due to promotional and managerial issues. Scott’s lone defeat is the result of being controversially ruled knocked out by referee Phil Edwards in the UK against Dereck Chisora. In that fight, Scott was in control before being dropped in the sixth. Scott was up by the count of nine but Edwards quickly counted him out anyways. For Scott, a victory would completely wipe away that defeat and get him back in contention for a title shot.

-Mark E. Ortega / @MarkEOrtega

-Managing editor at www.BehindTheGloves.com