Stranger things have happened. See that height difference? What if Rocky Fielding can use that to his advantage Saturday? What if that left hook to the body that hurt Tyron Zeuge lands on Canelo just right, and crumples him? I don’t foresee it; but I didn’t foresee Trump either.
Here are quotes from the Thursday presser:
Canelo vs. Rocky Final Press Conference Quotes
NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2018 ā At Madison Square Garden on Thursday afternoon, the world saw a preview of what will prove to be a historical Dec. 15 fight night in the mecca of boxing with four main card bouts, headlined by WBC, WBA, Lineal and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion Canelo Ćlvarez moving up a weight class to challenge Rocky Fielding for the WBA World Super Middleweight Title. Middleweight knockout sensation David Lemieux will also take on Tureano Johnson in the co-main event. In a press conference, Saturday nightās fighters, trainers, and executives gathered to discuss their preparation and predictions ahead of the big night.
Saturdayās event will stream exclusively on DAZN, with coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT and the main card starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
CANELO ĆLVAREZ
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āIām very happy to be here at Madison Square Garden. Itās just yet another story, another dream realized in my career and this new phase of my career with DAZN. Iām very happy and Iām motivated. Perhaps many donāt give the credit to Rocky Fielding that he deserves but for a reason, heās a world champion. I know who he is, Iāve trained very hard, I know the challenge I have in front of me. I know that I have a tough fight but I like challenges and I know weāre going to make history. Iām ready for that.ā
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CHEPO REYNOSO (MANAGER & HEAD TRAINER)
āMadison Square Garden, be prepared because Canelo is coming to conquer you and to write in the story of MSG.ā
EDDY REYNOSO (MANAGER & TRAINER)
āWe know itās going to be a tough fight. Every time a fighter moves up in weight, the fighter has to experiment on how heās going to feel. Fielding is a strong fighter, heās a tough fighter, but more than anythingās, heās a world champion. We know we have a big compromise ahead and Iām taking the responsibility to make sure all the details are covered off on. I just hope that this Saturday, Mexico is excited for Canelo to become a three-division world champion. Weāve excited for him to join the exclusive history of Mexican boxing this Saturday.ā
ROCKY FIELDING
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āItās great to be here. I was here years ago, sitting right at the top over there, watching a Knicks game, wishing one day to fight here. Now Iāve put a lot of work in, Iāve had a lot of setbacks, and here we are. Itās unbelievable. Iām looking forward to it.ā
āI believe in myself. I come here as a champion, and thatās what champions do ā they win, and they defend. This is a great opportunity and Iām very happy to be here.ā
JAMIE MOORE (ROCKYāS TRAINER)
āI think boxingās all about timing. And Rocky Fielding made sure he was ready when he got the phone call for a world title with five weeksā notice. It came at the right time for him. And when we got the phone call for the Canelo fight, he took it without hesitation. Thereās weight divisions for a reason. I applaud Canelo, I admire his tenacity and his will to achieve greatness. But itās all about timing. I just think that this is the right time for Rocky Fielding. Heās in a great place mentally and physically. And Iām looking forward to shocking the world and delivering a big upset.ā
OSCAR DE LA HOYA
āLadies and gentlemen ā pay-per-view is dead. Iām happy to announce that. On Saturday night Dec. 15, Canelo Ćlvarez will experience a lot of firsts: his first fight in the mecca of boxing at MSG, the first fight of this historical contract with DAZN, his first time traveling to the 168-pound weight class as he looks to make history as part of a small list of Mexican fighters to become a three division world champion.ā
āRocky, who has the most recognizable first name in all of boxing, will look to take advantage of the opportunity of a lifetime.ā
āIf you canāt make it to the Garden, you can always download the app DAZN. And we are extremely proud to have been able to strike a deal with such visionaries ā not only in the sport of boxing but in sports in general. For me, itās a bittersweet moment to talk about pay-per-view being dead because my career was built on pay-per-view, but this digital platform is thinking about the fans. So this fight, Canelo vs. Rocky, you will be able to download DAZN for free for one month and watch this historical night where Canelo Ćlvarez will be able to showcase his talents and fight against a bigger guy, a heavier guy, a stronger guy, a champion, who fights at 168 pounds. So if you ask me, I think thatās a great deal.ā
āThank you HBO for all of the memories. Over the years, you have been a true pioneerā¦but thereās a new kid on the block and his name is DAZN.ā
JOSEPH MARKOWSKI (EVP OF DAZN NORTH AMERICA)
āIn parts of the twentieth century, the heavyweight champion was the most famous man in the world. But then something changed. Pay-per-view. Boxing became one of the only sports to take its biggest moments and deliver them to the smallest audience possible. And thatās why Saturday night is such a milestone. The last king of pay-per-view Canelo Alvarez will become the first king of sports streaming. This fight is not 75 or 100 dollars. Canelo-Rocky is free on DAZN for all new subscribers.ā
āThis is just the beginning and we encourage everyone to join us for this ride. Itās simple. Just like you would with Netflix or Hulu, you download our app, sign up and watch amazing content on all devices ā including the big screen on the wall of your living room.ā
EDDIE HEARN
āI remember Eric Gomez calling me up and asking if Rocky Fielding would like to fight Canelo Ćlvarez. Not once did he ask about the money. It was a yes. This is everything to Rocky Fielding. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, to come to MSG and defend his world title against Canelo Ćlvarez. I believe heās going to give Canelo Ćlvarez everything he has and everything he can handle.ā
āDAZN is a game-changer for the world of boxing. Normally U.S. fight fans would have to put their hands in their pockets for $80, $100. Not only is this a great deal for fans in terms of price, but production is top shelf.ā
DAVID LEMIEUX
āIām extremely happy to be back at Madison Square Garden. I was here three years ago in a unification fight with Golovkin. It didnāt turn out the way I wanted it to but over the years, Iāve learned a lot. I believe Iām at my peak. The greatest years are yet to come for me. Saturday night will be a step towards that. I promise everyone a great fight. Tureano Johnson is a great fighter, but weāve trained extremely hard for him so we donāt have any surprises in the ring. Whatever he brings forward, Iāll take care of it.ā
TUREANO JOHNSON
āItās going to be an exciting night. Iām excited, Iām ready, Iām energized. I respect Lemieux. I have a lot of respect for him. You guys can expect an awesome fight. Iām definitely coming to bring it. Come Saturday night, theyāre going to see a different Tureano ā a more intelligent fighter.ā
SADAM ALI
āIām excited. Iām ready. This is a big fight, Every fight is a big fight. Thereās nothing like fighting at home. It doesnāt get to happen every time but when it does, Iām excited and Iām ready.ā
MAURICIO HERRERA
āThis is a great opportunity and I feel blessed to fight here at the Madison Square Garden. Sadam is a great fighter but I put on a great show as well. The both of us together will be a fight to remember.ā
VERGIL ORTIZ JR
āIām very happy to be fighting here at Madison Square Garden. For some reason I thought itād be a squareā¦itās not a square. Itās my first fight in New York. Other than that, Iām just happy to be here.ā
TEVIN FARMER
āIām ready for Saturday. Itās another opportunity to show that Iām one of the best in the world.ā
KATIEĀ TAYLOR
āIām here to bring my very very best. I know [Evaās] a great competitor and a fantastic fighter. I just canāt wait to put on an exciting fight.ā
RYAN GARCIA
āWe had two months of nonstop work, really focused, and now Iām just ready to put on my best performance at Madison Square Garden. What better place than Madison Square Garden? Iām just ready to prove and show everybody what Iāve been improving on and what Iām going to bring for times to come.ā
LAMONT ROACH JR
āI feel blessed to be on this stage. Iām going to kick it off with a bang.ā
For more information, fans can follow DAZNās U.S. social channels:Ā @DAZNUSAĀ on Facebook,Ā @DAZN_USAĀ for Twitter, andĀ DAZN_USAĀ for Instagram.
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