Weigh-In Results:
Andy Lee 159.6 – Peter Quillin 161.4 (Quillin unable to make weight)
Danny Garcia 142.2 – Lamont Peterson 143
Viktor Postol 143.8 – Jake Giuriceo 142.8
Luis Collazo 147.8 – Christopher Degollado 149
Felix Diaz 142 – Gabriel Bracero 142
Errol Spence Jr 146.6 Samuel Vargas 146
Marcus Browne 174.8 – Aaron Pryor Jr 174.4
Prichard Colon 147.8 – Daniel Calzada 148.8
Heather Hardy 122 – Renata Domsodi 120.6
Ryan Burnett 118.8 – Stephon McIntyre 121.8
Boxing hits Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., for NBC’s Saturday, April 11 primetime telecast of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC).
Marv Albert (blow-by-blow) and fellow New York-natives Al Michaels (host) and Bob Costas (special contributor) will work together on a broadcast for the first time ever, and will be joined on the telecast by analyst and six-time world champion “Sugar” Ray Leonard, corner analyst B.J. Flores, and reporter Kenny Rice.
The primetime show features four boxers with a combined 127-4-1 record and 80 KOs – undefeated superstar Danny “Swift” Garcia (29-0, 17 KOs) vs. Lamont Peterson (33-2-1, 17 KOs), and middleweight champion “Irish” Andy Lee (34-2, 24 KOs) vs. Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (31-0, 22 KOs).
DANNY GARCIA
“I’ve been working on fighting hard, but also smart. I’m going to go in there and dictate the pace and I’m always looking for the knockout. If I can’t knock him out then I’ll be ready to go 12 rounds.
“It’s always hard making weight, but I’m on weight now. Right now I’m growing into my prime and my body is getting bigger and it’ll be time soon for me to go up in weight.
“I’m looking at this as a very big fight. So I’m going in there mentally and physically ready. He’s coming to fight and I’m coming to fight. Saturday is going to be about who can make the right adjustments.
I love Brooklyn. This is my fourth fight here and I’ve heard that the tickets for this fight are selling faster than any other fight they’ve held here. So I must be doing something right in Brooklyn. The atmosphere is great at Barclays Center.
“I’ve always felt that I’m one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. I’ve won a lot of big fights with a lot of great fighters, and my goal is just continue winning one fight at a time.”
“I just want to give the fans a great fight. I want them to see the best Danny Garcia. At the end of the day, this is the fight the fans want to see. My main focus is putting on a great show for the fans.
“I’ve faced a lot of skillful boxers in my career and I’m still undefeated. That should tell the fans around the world who has more skill. Come April 11 when he’s feeling these two bombs on his face he’s going to forget about his skill.
“I just want to give fans a great fight. I’m not too worried about the ‘0’ on my record. I fight hard to protect it but my main focus is to go in there and get the job done one fight at a time.
“Everything I’ve done in my career is for a reason. Now I’m here on NBC fighting on this big playing field. This is great for boxing and a breath of fresh air for the sport.
“I just want to be confident and humble at the same time. I want the fans to love me because I’m being myself. It’s very important for a young champion.
“I’m going to try to dictate the pace, be smart, move my head, use my feet and land good punches. I can’t try to chase him down.
“I used to love other great Puerto Rican boxers like Felix Trinidad, Miguel Cotto and Hector Camacho. I feel like I’m definitely working my way up into the ranks with them and following their footsteps.
“I have to be smart in the ring. I have to go in there and be Danny Garcia. I’m here because I’m a smart fighter. Everyone knows that. I have power. I’m going to find my opening and capitalize on his mistakes.”
LAMONT PETERSON
“Danny’s talk makes no difference to me. I think I’m even more confident than him and I’ll get the victory Saturday night and that will be that.
“The stakes are high. This can definitely push me to the next level in this boxing game. I’ve been at the top for a while but there’s a difference between being at the top and being an elite fighter. I think this will solidify me as an elite fighter.
“I looked at a few of Danny’s fights but nothing really stood out to me. I know Danny is a counterpuncher, that’s what he does. We’ve come up with a game plan to stop that.
“I’m a different person than the other guys Danny has fought. I’m a different person with a different style. I trust myself to make adjustments in the ring.
“This fight will be different than either of our fights with Matthysse. It’s two different fights and styles make fights. There will be different results. I had to prepare for Danny Garcia and Danny Garcia had to prepare for me.
“There’s no pressure fighting on this big card, but I know what it brings. This brings more exposure and I want to use that exposure in the right way. I know I’m looked up to as a role model and I just want to use this exposure.
“This will put a big spotlight on boxing and I’m happy to be a part of it.
“I’m ready to fight, I’ve prepared well and I’m ready to put on a show.”
This is just another fight for me. I’m not worried about being the main event. I just love to fight. As long as I’m fighting I’m happy.
“A lot of people see us fight and see us take punches, but that’s just the easy part. The sacrifice in the gym and putting my body through punishment is the rough part.
“I’m not trying to prove anyone wrong, but this fight is important to me and I want to win it. I want to be the top guy and that means beating the top guy.
“People talk about him beating Matthysse and Matthysse beating me, but anyone who knows about boxing knows that doesn’t mean anything. Come Saturday night I will prove to everyone that I’m a better fighter than Danny Garcia.
“Angel Garcia has his opinion on this fight, and I respect it. He can go on record and say anything he wants, but if he says Danny Garcia is stronger than me, I’ll tell you that’s a lie.
“We’re not worried about Danny’s power. A lot of people have asked me about that but I’m not worried. Danny Garcia had a split decision with Kendall Holt, who I knocked out. No one seems to mention that.
“I’m comfortable with whatever way this fight goes. I’m almost guaranteeing the win.
“I don’t think they’re taking me lightly. At the end of the day, Garcia knows this is a fight and he knows he hasn’t fought anyone like me. I’m expecting a big victory Saturday night.
“You never know what you’re going to see with me. Whatever I feel like I need to do to win, that’s what I’ll do. I’m prepared 100 percent. I’m in shape for 30 rounds and I’ll be ready for anything. ”
ANDY LEE
“I’m eager to fight and ready to go. I’m feeling very dangerous right now.
“My ring generalship is one thing, but overall I feel like I have a good idea of what I want to do in the ring. Peter has an idea too, but it’s more moment to moment for him, which can be good as well, when you improvise. I’m more of a guy who will set you up and work to a plan.
“Coming back and winning a fight really strengthens your resolve. You know in your mind that at any time, you have a chance of winning. I never plan to be behind but it happens. This time I plan to lead from the front.
“Peter is offensive, which leaves openings. He might be cautious for a while because both of us know that we might pay the price of being offensive. Eventually we’ll exchange and it will be explosive one way of the other.
“I’m a southpaw puncher who can box and I’ve never been in a dull fight. I have a ‘never say die’ attitude and I’m not someone who is just going to go out there and play it safe. I’ll risk it all to win.
“My confidence is very high. I’m the champion of the world and there’s no higher station than that in boxing. I’m the champion and he’ll have to come and take my title.”
“We’ve made unbelievable progress in the last year on my skills and everything has really just clicked for me and my team and now we’re seeing the results in the ring.
“I’m very proud to be an Irishman from Limerick defending his world championship in New York, it doesn’t get much better than that.
“There’s been a huge weight lifted off my shoulders since winning the world-title. It’s what I always wanted to do and I’ve been touted as a champion for years and if I never got it I would have been disappointed. Now the monkey is off my back and I can just box and show people who I am.
“We’ve made physical and tactical improvements in the gym since the last fight and hopefully they’ll show up in the ring on Saturday.
“I think this could be a technical fight or it could be a bit of a fire fight. It’s going to be a little of both at times. There will be moments where we’re looking at each other, figuring each other out, but once we exchange it could be explosive.
“Quillin is sure of himself, but he has to be, I have the same mentality. You have to be to compete in this sport.
“Fighting at home like Quillin is on Saturday, brings a different kind of pressure to the table, it’s the pressure of expectations and people you know coming to the fights. That’s also pressure and I know all about that.
“I haven’t needed to build up my confidence for this fight. It’s not time to think. It’s time to do what I’ve been doing every day in the gym.”
PETER QUILLIN
“Everyone tune in on April 11 because we’re going to do more than just try to take that belt, we’re going to take that belt because that’s what we do.
“Andy is the champion of the world but this is the second time I’ve been the challenger to a world champion. I’ve been here before. I know he’s a newly crowned champion so I have nothing bad to say about him.
“Andy’s greatest strength is that he lost twice and was able to come back and make himself look very good.
“This is a totally different caliber fight than either of us has had. I’m not any of those fighters that he’s faced. I can’t go in there and try to fight like a Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
“I’m only concerned about working hard, which I’ve done every day leading up to this fight. So I have no concerns at all.
“I’m motivated period. My heart is built on motivation in all things. Talking to media, being on NBC, fighting for the belt and being a positive person. I’m thankful that every day I can put out a positive story about myself.”
LOU DIBELLA, President of DiBella Entertainment
“We have a great night of boxing from beginning to end, you will be hearing a lot more from these young fighters.
“If you want to see everything, get there to Barclays Center at 5 p.m.
“We’re very thrilled that this is going to be televised in primetime on NBC. PBC on NBC. It has a nice ring to it.
“The first main event of the evening features Andy Lee, middleweight champion and the fighting pride of Limerick. He is a warrior, he’s at the most confident point of his career and he’s going to need to be because he’s fighting an undefeated champion.
“Peter Quillin makes Brooklyn his home. It’s his third fight at Barclays Center and he has a perfect record of 31-0. He’s going to try to take Andy’s belt, but it won’t be easy.
“The bout that will close the show is one of the most eagerly anticipated bouts in all of boxing. Lamont Peterson is noted for being one of the most technically sound boxers in the game and he has an outstanding record to a back it up.
“Danny Garcia really embodies what it means to be a Philadelphia fighter. He’s a tough guy with an undefeated record. He’s going to look to keep that record perfect against Lamont Peterson.”
NBC Sports Group’s ringside editorial consultant Steve Farhood, who has covered boxing since 1978 for The Ring and KO Magazine as well as for multiple television networks, weighs in with his five most significant bouts in New York boxing history:
1. Joe Frazier’s 15-round win over Muhammad Ali, March 8, 1971, Madison Square Garden: “Never mind that heavyweight champion Frazier was 26-0, and former titlist Ali was 31-0. This was the most anticipated fight in history for political and social reasons as well. The hype was overwhelming—and the fight managed to live up to it.”
2. Joe Louis’ first-round knockout over Max Schmeling, June 22, 1938, Yankee Stadium: “Louis had won the heavyweight title one year before, but refused to consider himself true champion until he avenged his lone setback, a 1936 KO loss to Schmeling.
“The stakes were unimaginably high. In a visit to the White House before the fight, Louis was told by FDR, ‘Joe, we need muscles like yours to beat Germany.’ Otherwise, no pressure at all.
“Louis delivered, breaking a pair of vertebrae in Schmeling’s back en route to a 124-second demolition.”
3. Jack Dempsey’s second-round KO over Luis Firpo, September 14, 1923, Polo Grounds: “More than 80,000 fans witnessed a fight that is universally ranked among the top five in history.
“In round one, heavyweight champion Dempsey scored seven knockdowns, but was driven through the ropes shortly before the bell. He picked himself up, and finished Argentina’s hulking Firpo in round two. The stunning knockdown of Dempsey was voted the most dramatic sports moment in the first half of the 20th century.”
4. Rocky Marciano’s eighth-round KO over Joe Louis, October 26, 1951, Madison Square Garden: “The last fight of the beloved Louis’ career served as a cold and stark reminder that boxing is (most of the time) a young man’s game.
“At age 37, Louis couldn’t hold off the undefeated Marciano, who applied relentless pressure before dropping and stopping ‘The Brown Bomber’ in the eighth.
“All of America shed a collective tear.”
5. Joe Welling’s 15-round win over Johnny Dundee, September 17, 1920, Madison Square Garden: “Promoted by the legendary Tex Rickard, this was the main event of the first boxing show after the passing of the Walker Law, which made boxing legal in New York State. As a result of the law, a state commission was formed to oversee the sport, and referees or judges were okayed to render decisions in fights that went the distance.
“Other states followed New York’s lead, and boxing began to grow at a rapid rate.”
