| Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport Chairman: “We have a great card on April 13 at the AO Arena in Manchester. It’s topped by these two fantastic Super-Featherweights with Jordan Gill coming in off the back of that epic victory against Michael Conlan in Belfast and Zelfa Barrrett, looking to get a shot at a World title and headlining in his hometown. “There’s are World title fights on the card as Ellie Scotney looks to unify the Super-Bantamweight division against France’s Segolene Lefebvre, and Rhiannon Dixon challenges for her first Wrold title in a very tough fight against Karen Elizabeth Carabajal. Elsewhere on the card, Cameron Vuong against Jordan Flynn is a fantastic match-up, Michael Gomez and Kane Baker Clash, William Crolla is in action and Brandon Scott returns. It’s a fantastic night of boxing in Manchester.” Jordan Gill: “This is a fight that as soon as you mentioned it, we said yes. It’s just a fight, and one that I’m excited for, off the back of the Conlan fight it’s more interesting and we’ve not had a bad reaction for this fight, everyone is excited for it, and so am I. “To be the best you have to beat the best. So, to have a claim to a World title you have to go through these fights. Zelfa is a very good fighter, he wants a World title shot and he’s probably at the front of the queue, so I have to beat him to leapfrog him. That’s why we’re here and we said yes to the fight, so I am looking forward to it. “I think the team I have is the best I’ve worked with, the way they analyze everything, it makes it very simple. All you want as a fighter is a clear game plan, that’s what I’ve got. This fight is very different from the Conlan fight, I knew exactly what I had to do there and I will here too, but Zelfa has a lot of strings to his bow, he’s a very versatile fighter, moves really well, punches hard, has fast hands, he can stand and sling it out as well, so I am going to have to come out very different than I did against Conlan, but I am excited for the challenge and to be able to show my versatility as well. “I’m like a half-Indian Golovkin! I think you will see the best of me now. I’m coming into my prime, I feel good, I’m with the right team, I’m training hard, and I feel comfortable and strong at 130lbs. There is so much emphasis on being the bigger guy in the ring, and fighters boil themselves down to make weights that they shouldn’t. There’s a difference between making a weight and performing at it. For the last two, three, maybe even four years, i just couldn’t perform at Featherweight, it’s frustrating because I know I would be much further along in my career if I’d moved up sooner but you are always chasing that carrot that’s being dangled in front of you, like, ‘win this one and you’ll get a World title’. But you are better off just being smaller but stronger. “I’m happy, I’m enjoying my training, I’ve found the love for boxing again, I’ve got a lot of things going on that I’m really excited about, and this fight is just one of them so let the good times roll.” Zelfa Barrett: “This is the fight you promised, and you have delivered. I’ve always wanted to box at the Arena, watching and being in the changing rooms with Anthony Crolla and Scott Quigg, I’d always thought one day I’ll be there winning a World title, but this fight is like a World title because I know how good Jordan is. He’s well-schooled, got a good team around him, so it’s given me the grit in my teeth to perform. “We’re similar in styles and that’s why I wanted to spar him back in the day because we’re similar, it’s funny how the tables turn and we’re now fighting each other, it’s an exciting fight and tickets are flying out, all my people will be there. “This is what I have been waiting for and I’ll surprise you with how many tickets I sell because Manchester has been screaming for a fighter and I’m top of the tree. If I can get a win over Jordan, the world is mine and you can deliver me anything that you can, and I believe I will do.” Rhiannon Dixon: “I can’t thank you enough for the opportunity. I think with each fight I am just making a natural progression and showing more and more what I can do, what I am about. Each fight has been a test and I’m passing them with flying colors, and this is another one that I am going to pass. “Giving up my job as a pharmacist, my sponsorship has been able to help me do that, so i am giving everything to this now and you can see that in my performances. I think winning this fight puts me ahead for big things. “Manchester holds a really special place in my heart, I went to university here, I think Anthony would have been a bit upset if I’d fought in London, he wants to make it all about him as that’s where he won his World title, so I have to do what he says!” Cameron Vuong: “100 per cent I will stop him. It’s not personal for me this fight, I called his name and he bit. If needs be, I’ll sit on the back foot and outbox him for ten rounds, i don’t believe he’s on my level and I’ll show him the levels on April 13. “You don’t see many prospects taking these fights at 4-0 but I’ve got no interest in padding my record, I want to be a star in this sport in the future, I’ve got the skills and the ability to do so, so on April 13 he’ll get dealt with and we’ll move on. “I’m not saying it’s where you come from you donut, you are from Oxford and you speak like some sort of bad man, a gangster. I’m not claiming to be bad; I don’t know what you are on about you clown, you are going to get dealt with. “It’ll be a master class, he doesn’t have anything that can faze me boxing wise, he can’t punch, so however he wants it, I’ll sit and outbox him or put it on him late and get him out of there, I’m easy.” Jordan Flynn: “I think it’s more of a risky fight for Cameron as there’s a lot of hype behind him, you guys have put a lot of money and attention into him, so him losing this, where does he go from there? You say where would I go if I lost, but I’m moving up a weight, five pounds, to fight him, so if I beat him where does he go? He’s meant to be the next top prospect, all the hype behind him, he gets beaten by a guy without the hype behind him, that would be a bad situation to be in. “He’s probably underestimating me, he’s seen the two fights with Kane Baker and thinks I’m just a brawler and it’s an easy night’s work, but he’s in for a shock. He’s saying I’m from Oxford and this and that, it doesn’t matter where you come from, you can be from anywhere, if you can fight you can fight. You have been fighting bin men who don’t punch back. “He’s a decent little boxer, he’s got more of an amateur style, he’s sharp I’m not going to say he’s a bum. He’s a decent little fighter but there’s levels to this game. He’s underestimating me. “This will be the first fight he’s had where someone will throw a punch back, so we’ll see how he deals with it. I can see myself getting him out of there, I don’t know if he’s got ten rounds in him, we’ll see on April 13.” Michael Gomez Jr: “Is Kane training in Mexico or is he on holiday? You can tell me. It doesn’t make a difference though, on April 13, he’s getting beaten regardless, he can train wherever he wants. I train in my little gym in Chadderton, I do what I do, simple as that. “When you see the support that I bring I don’t know if you will have me on a card again, they are absolute lunatics, I feel for you there, you’ll need extra money for security! “If he comes to meet me head-on, it’s like when two cars crash, one of them is coming off worse, and it’s not going to be me, I can promise you that.” Brandon Scott: “I’ve been telling a. Lot of people that even I didn’t know how bad the extent of my injury was to my hand. Some hand specialist was telling me to retire, it was that bad, but then I went to see Mike Hayton and he said to me I can do an operation, and now my hand is stronger than ever, and I’ve even got a cool scar, metal in my hand like Wolverine. A lot of people know me from my last two fights where, yes, I feel I boxed well but I was limited, I showed I had one hand. So, I’ve told people, if you know my from my last two fights, just watch my next fight before you make any assumptions on my skills or anything. “I can’t wait for the rest of this year, i get the chance to show everyone what I am made of. I’ve got gimmicks up my sleeve and I have fun in fight week, and I always will. But this is the chance to show people I’m as exciting in the ring as I am outside the ring.” William Crolla: “I’ve had one more since Liverpool and I got another stoppage and we’ve both said that activity plays a major part. I’m out this Saturday and then again on April 13, they are all little steps towards getting my own nights at the Arena like this one, every Manchester fighter dreams of headlining at the Arena and we’re just chipping and chipping away at that, and I think it’s going to be a good year. “On my debut I loaded up on every shot and went looking for it, I didn’t look great. The two fights since then I haven’t gone looking for the KO and I’ve got two first round stoppages. I think I have a very fan-friendly style and it’s going to be a fun journey. “I’m a lot more exciting than Anthony! I think people will see that I’m exciting and I’ll get my own Crolla army.” |
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