Mandatory Credit: Melina Pizano/ Matchroom
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| Australian defends IBF 140lb title against Brooklyn star in Puerto Rico on Saturday night, live on DAZN |
| TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW EDDIE HEARN “It’s a pleasure to be back in Puerto Rico and we have an incredible fight card on Saturday. The undercard is full of Puerto Rican talent and fighters looking to get shots at a world championship. It’s a great fight card as we look to come to the end of an incredible year of boxing.” “The main event will be a tremendous fight between two undefeated fighters. Both fighters have the opportunity to walk into some of the biggest fights in the sport.” “I know the people of Puerto Rico know boxing and this is a stunning fight card, and I hope everyone can give support to the main card and all the other fights. We are going to have a great time on Saturday, and we are going to have a party going on. I can’t wait to share it with you live on DAZN and in Puerto Rico.” LIAM PARO “I’m very excited to be back in beautiful Puerto Rico, the country that gave me the opportunity to become champion. To come back here and win more fans this time around is really special. I’m excited, we’ve put in the hard yards in this camp and we’re ready. Look, we know the task ahead of us, you never overlook any opponent and we’re coming in guns blazing ready to put on a show for everyone here Saturday night. “I’ve said this my whole career, fighters fight. I want to be a busy champion, and when we didn’t get any other bites, we called on our mandatory. We knew that we would have to take care of [Hitchins] sooner or later and felt that sooner is better than later. So, here we are now, two days away from squaring off and I can’t wait to show the world what we already know.” “I’ll give credit where credit is due, Hitchins is mandatory for a reason. He’s worked his way up there, and we know that this isn’t an easy task. We’re at the world level now where every fighter is elite, so we’ve done the right things in the gym. Alfie is the best coach in the world, and now it’s just up to me to execute the plan perfectly on Saturday night.” RICHARDSON HITCHINS “It’s definitely a surreal moment, but it’s not as surprising as when I first signed with Matchroom. When I first signed, I always wondered when my first title fight would be, but now that I’m more seasoned to the sport I’ve been showing that I’ve been fighting at a world title level since signing with Matchroom. I’ve always shown up to fights in shape and have shown that I’m a purist in the sport of boxing and that I am an all-around fighter. Now, it’s time for me to show the world that this is the only place that I belong. I don’t feel that my type of boxing will be accepted anywhere else except on the world stage. I belong at this stage right here, sitting next to Eddie Hearn, and fighting the best fighters because that is the talent that I bring to the sport. Come Saturday night, I’ll display it again.” “I respect Liam Paro because he takes the sport as a professional. He comes ready and does everything that he needs to do as a professional, but when it comes to the things as a boxer to be and stay at the world stage, well I don’t think that he possesses the tools that I possess. We’re ready, we’re prepared, and like I said I haven’t underestimated Liam at all. He’s a world champion for a reason.” “Liam knows how to box but come Saturday I’ll be prepared for a boxing match too. At the end of the day, when it comes to the sweet science, I know how to do it all. I’m at the world stage for a reason. I’ve been showing that I’m at a world stage since the amateurs. I’ve had to fight 20 different styles in seven days in Russia as an Olympian, so I’m used to all kinds of different styles. Whatever he brings to the table, I’ll be able to adjust.” “I win this fight by showing that I’m a world class fighter, just like I’ve done in every other fight. In my last fight I got a lot of criticism for how close it was, but I think that my last fight was definitely an experience that showed me that you do everything right as a professional. Especially with nutrition, listening to the right people, and making weight the right way. That’s why I respect Liam, because he’s not one of those guys that will mess around. This fight I’m coming in more seasoned and with more experience, I’m doing everything right. For me to win this fight it won’t be through any means necessary, it will be by showing that I am at a world class level. Liam has never been in the ring with an opponent like me. I’m saying it now, and he will be saying it after the fight.” “I know this business, and you can fool these people but not me.” ALFIE DI CARLO, LIAM PARO’S TRAINER “We haven’t underestimated Richardson Hitchins and he’s the mandatory contender for a reason. We have put in a fantastic camp and spent the last five weeks in Florida, and we are familiar with the warm weather. There has been no stone unturned in this preparation and I know Liam is ready to make a statement on Saturday night.” “I think you get better with every fight, and you learn things about yourself. Liam has always been a confident guy and of course you get better with every fight and this one is exactly the same.” LENNY WILSON, RICHARDSON HITCHINS’ TRAINER “I would like to dispel some notions before we even begin. A lot of people were saying Richardson Hitchins had ducked Subriel Matias, and he didn’t want to come to Puerto Rico. I want everybody to understand, anybody they brought in front of Richardson Hitchins or the team, we answered the call. Subriel Matias was never offered to us, and just because somebody expressed their opinion about IBF rules, doesn’t mean that they don’t want to fight an opponent.” “I heard you [Eddie Hearn] refer to Paro as a rising star, so I just want to say on Saturday night, Paro will be a falling star. And when it’s all said and done, they will be raising Richarson Hitchins’ hands as the new IBF world champion.” “Richardson Hitchins is a world-class fighter. He has everything it takes to be a world champion on Saturday night. I think that Liam Paro, I’m not going to say that he’s a bad fighter, but there are some things that we observed during his fight with Matias that we’re ready for. Richardson has been with some of the best people money can buy. I remember when I was training him when he was a kid, I was afraid to put him in the ring with certain people, but he always would convince me that he could do it. I see him spar with guys like Carlos Adames, Sadam Ali, Danny Jacobs, all those great fighters and I’ve never seen him come out unmarked. I think Paro is going to be in the ring with someone different than all the domestic opponents that he’s been fighting and he’s going to realize that Richardson Hitchins has everything it takes to be a world champion and that he’s definitely, definitely on another level.” YANKIEL RIVERA “My goal is to be world champion, so the idea is to come out victorious on Saturday. I want to be a world champion, so if I get the victory I want to go on and fight for a world title after that.” “As I said, it’s another big fight which is great news for the fans. It’s one that fans will enjoy, I’m facing an undefeated great fighter, and he’ll want to remain undefeated after this. But I have to beat him to continue with my days of becoming world champion. Unfortunately, someone will be defeated on Saturday, but it won’t be me.” ANGEL GONZALEZ “I’m ready for Saturday, I have been training 2-3 times a day and I’m ready for the opportunity. I’m definitely ready for war on Saturday and we are both going to give it all to the fans, so let the best man win. It’s going to be me because I put in the work everyday and never doubt myself.” JALIL HACKETT “The whole hostile takeover thing [fighting in his opponent’s homeland], is nothing new to me. I’ve been doing this my whole life, if I want something, I go and get it. You [Eddie Hearn] say there’s an opportunity in Puerto Rico and you’re fighting a Puerto Rican dude, that ain’t do nothing but hype me up. I’m just overly anxious for Saturday and I’m ready to put on an even better performance than I did in July.” “I’ll be 22 next year, and I don’t really believe in beating around the bush in anything in life. This is my job, and if I’m trying to be one of the best, I’m trying to find out early. So, 2025, we’re looking at a world title, we’ve got world champions calling me out and I only have nine fights. Brian Norman said he wanted the smoke, so he got the WBO belt. After we get through this, we are definitely looking at a world title in 2025, the WBO to be specific.” JOSE ROMAN “I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity and going into this fight as I feel really confident and very well-prepared that I can get back to winning ways on Saturday night and get back to where I need to be.” HENRY LEBRON “This fight was supposed to take place in June, but unfortunately it couldn’t happen at that time due to an injury I sustained. But now we’re here and we’ve prepared really well and are more than ready for this fight.” CHRISTOPHER DIAZ “Saturday night is going to be a war, just like Javier Bustillo said. We’ve been working hard in this camp. We’ve been preparing ourselves for the past six to seven months for Henry Lebron. He’s a great person, this isn’t personal. He’s a great, humble guy, but this is work. We both fight to feed our families, and it will come down to who wants it more. The way that I’ve been training my body in mind, on Saturday night you will all see a different kind of beast.” MARC CASTRO “This is my first time in Puerto Rico, and I’m happy to be able to showcase my talents.” “We’re just here to fight. We want all of the big fights and to showcase our talents. I feel like the better the opponent the better I will look.” |
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