Lou DiBella
Thanks all for joining us for a conference call for what figures to be one of the best fight shows of the year and a great way for SHOWTIME to close out 2015. On Saturday, December 5 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York we have Daniel Jacobs against Peter Quillin, the middleweight championship of the world. The winner takes the belt and Brooklyn. Live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. And there will also be a SHOWTIME Extreme show beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Tickets for the event start at $50. They can be purchased online by visiting Ticketmaster.com, BarclaysCenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets will also be available at the American Express box office at Barclays Center.
I’m really excited about this show. We put together an undercard that from the time the doors open is going to excite people. I just want to speak a couple of seconds about that undercard. There will be a rematch between what was a split decision in a great women’s fight between super bantamweight Heather Hardy, undefeated 14-0 with 3 KOs from Brooklyn, New York, against Noemi Bosques from St. Petersburg, Florida with a record of 10-3-2, with 2 KOs. They fought at Barclays Center in a brawl that was a split decision. This is a rematch of that show.
Former world champion, Yuri Foreman, 32-2 with 9 KOs will be making his return at super welterweight after a brief retirement. There’s a great local matchup between four-time former New York Golden Glove champion Will Rosinsky, light heavyweight 19-2 with 10 KOs, against Joe Smith Jr., another local light heavyweight from New York. Another golden glove champion, 19-1 with 16 KOs. Will is an active New York fireman. Joe Smith is an active union member and laborer. These guys both have full-time jobs, but are too exciting in world competitive light heavyweights. The Rosinsky vs. Smith fight is promoted in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing.
In the main event of what will be the SHOWTIME Extreme show, Chris Algieri from Huntington, New York, who is 20-2 with 8 KOs, coming off a great performance in a loss to Amir Khan, will take on very tough prospect, Erick Bone from Manabi, Ecuador, 16-2 with 8 KOs. People will remember that Bone came on three days’ notice and gave Shawn Porter hell earlier this year. So that is a terrific fight in the SHOWTIME Extreme main event which is also promoted in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing. The opening bout on SHOWTIME, one of the toughest strongest featherweights in the world, Jesus Cuellar, from Buenos Ares, Argentina – 27-1 with 20 KOs. Takes on Jonathan Oquendo from Vega Alta, Puerto Rico. Oquendo is coming off a big win against Jhonny Gonzalez on the Floyd Mayweather undercard. That’s a great opening championship bought for the SHOWTIME show and then our main event, the battle of Brooklyn, Jacobs vs. Quillin.
The man that put together and bring this to us is the man who runs SHOWTIME Sports and it’s my pleasure to introduce Stephen Espinoza.
Stephen Espinoza
Thanks very much, Lou. We’re looking forward to an action-packed night of boxing on Dec. 5 from Barclays Center. We’re thrilled to be back in Barclays, which is the perfect setting for this event. I’ve got to commend Lou for putting together a really strong card from non-televised all the way to the main event. The Hardy-Bosques rematch is something that fight fans will not want to miss. Marcus Browne and Chris Algieri are great appetizers for what is going to be a power-punching two-fight card on SHOWTIME, starting live on SHOWTIME at 9:00 pm ET/6:00 pm PT.
We kick off with knockout artist Jesus Cuellar, who – for my money – is one of the most exciting fighters in the lighter weight divisions, defending his world title against the very tough Jonathan Oquendo. Next is a fight which really needs no selling, Jacobs versus Quillin. A 50-50 fight. Two fighters in their prime. Really a career-defining moment for each of the fighters. An event this magnitude deserves an ALL ACCESS and, of course, we are chronicling the build-up of this showdown with our Emmy award winning series, ALL ACCESS, premiering Tuesday, November 17 at 8:30 p.m., and joining INSIDE THE NFL and A SEASON WITH NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL in the Tuesday sports programing block on SHOWTIME. Lou, back to you.
L. DiBella
This is really the kind of card that people want to get in when the doors open because we’re going to be entertaining you all night long and it’s going to end with what should be a sensational fight. As a fight fan, as someone who has been in this business for 25 years, I’m super excited about this fight. I’ve known both of these guys since they were young men. They’re terrific guys. They’re terrific fighters and this battle of Brooklyn is really one that you could come up with so many different scenarios on how it goes.
Peter Quillin is such a big strong middleweight. Daniel Jacobs, so skilled, so fast. Both of these guys like to rumble. Both of these guys put themselves at risk sometimes when they don’t have to. Two warrior spirits and more than just the belts at stakes. It’s really supremacy in New York City, supremacy in their hometown. It’s the guy that owns Brooklyn. I’m super excited for this fight as fall fans should be and I think SHOWTIME is thrilled to be able to showcase this as a main event on December 5 at Barclays Center.
I’m going to start with Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, the former middleweight champion of the world, undefeated 32-0-1 with 23 KOs. Turned pro in 2005. He has resided in Brooklyn since 2002. Beat Hassan N’Dam for his middleweight title at Barclays Center. Knocked him down six times to earn a unanimous decision. Defended the middleweight title three times between 13 and 14. He took the title off and a year off from boxing to support his wife at the birth of his son as well to grieve for his departed uncle. Returned April 11, 2015 at Barclays Center in what was a tremendous fight against WBO middleweight champion Irish Andy Lee in a back and forth knockdown filled brawl for 12 rounds that resulted in a draw. He’s coming off a brutal fifth round knockout in his last fight on September 12 and I know he’s ready and believes he’s going to return that belt to his waist and he’s going to be the man that controls Brooklyn.
Peter Quillin
I want to give thanks to God for all the opportunities that I’m allowed to have. I want to lift all the blessings that he’s let me receive back up to Him, my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. I want to thank SHOWTIME for allowing this fight to be aired on their telecast. Such hard workers there. I want to thank some of the lead people in the sport today. I want to thank Lou DiBella who I’ve known so many years and I’m very thankful to be back reunited with him, especially when he started a lot of parts in my career in the first part and now we’re at this point together.
I want to thank Danny Jacobs for allowing me to have the opportunity to grace the ring with him. I want to thank Barclays Center as well for letting this fight be there and host this tremendous fight there. I want to thank all the people in Brooklyn who are big supporters – that not just of me, but as well as Danny Jacobs and all those who will be in attendance that night. I want to thank the whole boxing community for allowing this fight to be one of the fights they must watch – the fight they’d like to see. I want to thank my whole team for the preparation they’ve been giving me. Some of the hardest working people in the business of boxing right now.
L. DiBella
Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs, WBA Middleweight Champion – 30-1, 27 KOs. Born and raised in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York. 137-7 as an amateur. Jacobs was a national Golden Gloves champ and a four-time New York Golden Gloves champ. Turned pro in 2007. He lost 19 months of his career between 2011-12 after being diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer that he beat like he’s beaten so many of his opponents. He’s now 8-0 in his comeback, including a TKO 5 victory over Jarrod Fletcher at Barclays Center when he won the world middleweight title. In his last bought on August 1 at Barclays Center he engaged former Jr. middleweight champ and top middleweight contender, Sergio Mora, in a two round crazy war before it got stopped in round 2 with Danny the victor. December 5 will be Daniel Jacobs fifth fight at Barclays Center and he’s looking to keep that belt around his waist and to maintain the dominance he has as Brooklyn’s world champion.
Daniel Jacobs
Thanks Lou. First off, there are so many people to thank. I’d just like to thank everyone who has contributed to this amazing card that they’re putting together. This is going to be something that New York is going to remember for a long time. It’s no secret that I’ve wanted this fight for a long time. It’s no secret that Quillin has been on my radar and he’s been the guy that I feel like I need to get through to get to the next level. So I’m very fortunate to have this opportunity. I’d like to thank Peter Quillin for accepting the challenge and I know he’ll be more than ready come fight night.
This is something that I’m excited about. Even now I just have chills running through my body because it’s finally happening. I mean we’re 23 days away from what would be a coming out party. I’m going to be 110 percent ready. If the fight was tomorrow I’d be ready. It’s something that I’ve been wanting for a very long time. Skills pay the bills. You know what I mean? I know he’s a very dangerous guy and I know he has the power, but at the end of the day you’re going to be able to see a little bit more of my arsenal come fight night.
I’ve had a lot of knockouts and I’ve put a lot of guys down and my record will scream to you that I’m a knockout artist, but what a lot of people don’t understand is that it’s a lot of skills behind that. So I’m looking forward to displaying everything in my arsenal come fight night. This is a very exciting time for Brooklyn, a very exciting time for the sport of boxing and just the culture in general. I’m just very fortunate to be in a position to be able to go out there and give my all. Thanks everybody once again for playing a part in this and you’re definitely not going to want to miss this fight. This is going to be one of the most thrilling, entertaining and action packed fights that Brooklyn has had in a while. This might even be the best fight Barclays has produced. So I’m looking forward to it.
Q
Danny, could you characterize your previous relationship with Peter before this fight was made?
D. Jacobs
I would say that at this point it doesn’t really matter. All that matters is that we’re going to give the fans something that they’re looking forward to. I thank God our relationship is what it is outside of the ring and it will continue to be that way win, lose or draw. I respect him and I respect his family and there’s nothing but love at the end of the day, but what that means right now is nothing because we’re fighting for our legacy. We’re fighting for our pride and just for our career. So that doesn’t really even matter at this point. Right now it’s about going out there and doing the best that we can do.
I have his number. We can contact each other at any given point. There’s no hate. There’s no love lost. It’s nothing whatsoever. We’re really cool individuals and it’s all respect at the end of the day.
Q
Peter, could you address the same question?
P. Quillin
Yes, I totally agree with Danny. I’ve been very casual with him outside of the ring. Me and him always bump into each other in New York and there’s always love. So this is strictly part of the business that, you know, whether people love it or not you’re just going to have to accept it.
I’ve got his number. We’re friends. I know a lot about him and he knows a lot about me.
Q
Have you guys ever sparred with each other?
D. Jacobs
Yes, a while ago I maybe was about 18 or 19 years old, but this was a while ago.
Q
Peter is that your same recollection?
P. Quillin
Yes. It’s sparring. There’s certain guys in the sport of boxing look at sparring as way that you beat fighters and a lot of guys that do well in the gym don’t actually do well in a fight. So I kind of look at sparring as a learning tool for you to be better in the ring. None of the things I can ever expect Danny to be using in the same moment when we step in the ring fight night.
Q
Was it a lot of rounds or just like four or five? Or was it 20 or more let’s say?
D. Jacobs
No, it was just a couple of rounds. It was maybe just about four or five rounds. And I actually sparred two different people that day. So we only just got a taste of what it was like to be inside the ring with each other. This is why this fight is so important because what we’ve done up until that point after that point is create something special for ourselves and for the sport of boxing and for Brooklyn and the community. It’s just going to continue that and we’re going to bring that same energy and tenacity that we brought in the sparring – probably 10 times more come fight night.
Q
Danny, if you were put down by a fighter like Sergio Mora what’s going to happen if Peter Quillin nails you?
D. Jacobs
It’s going to be no different. I’m going to get back up and I’m going to pound my chest and I’m going to say the same thing that I said to Sergio Mora. Bring it on. And that’s just exactly what it is. This is the sport of boxing and it was my fault that situation happened because I just knew I was going to knock out Sergio Mora.
So I came in carelessly with my hands down and in throwing the overhand right I got caught with the perfect shot. You know, it happens. And at the end of the day that was a great learning experience for me to be able to a little bit more cautious in – and be a little bit more defensive minded even when you have a guy hurt because when a guy is hurt he can still be dangerous. So going into a fight with a guy like Peter Quillin, it was a perfect for me to learn that in my previous fight because now I have my defense tight and now I’m defensive minded and I know that it’s more defense first and – I wouldn’t even say defense first. It’s just more just being a little more defensive minded. That I learned from Sergio Mora. I’m pretty sure it won’t happen in this fight.
Q
Peter are you more confident going in knowing the power you have and seeing him go down against a guy that’s not known as a puncher?
P. Quillin
I honestly don’t think about that because every fighter and every fight is different and every personality and every characteristic that you take in a fight may be different and everybody that’s still looking at their shot for glory and for me if I think about that too much then I’ll be drowned in the fact that that can happen and actually those type of things can happen to you. I look at it like this is a good fight at the right time at the right moment. Whatever is in the past you leave it in the past when you’re trying to create the future.
Q
Peter, why did you originally move to New York City and did you think that that helped you as a fighter training here and coming here?
P. Quillin
I think it definitely did. I always had a dream about me living in New York one day and I just needed the opportunity coming from Grand Rapids, Michigan I never had a lot of opportunities coming from that city. When I moved to New York even though it was hard I learned to become a man there. I can say I’m at where I’m at because of New York City.
Q
What’s the significance of this fight being in Brooklyn? How has Barclays Center sort of maybe changed the landscape of fighting now that there’s another large venue in New York City?
P. Quillin
Right now Barclays Center is the place to be for the new era of boxing. You’re getting a lot of fights there and it’s a pretty popular spot to be at as the heart of Brooklyn. This fight brings a big significance for my life. This is a time where I’m a father. So I’m looking forward to paying my taxes after this fight and buying me a new home.
D. Jacobs
I think the significance of this fight is that there needs to be a new king crowned in Brooklyn and the energy in just what boxing has been as far as our culture in Brooklyn has been on another level and that Barclays Center has been able to contribute in that culture. Now it’s up for grabs and we have two young exciting fighters, both with great resumes and both fan friendly. I think this is something that a lot of people have been looking forward to and now that we have, it’s going to be hectic. Not only for Brooklyn for the sport of boxing.
Q
Do you have a favorite gym in New York City and what is it?
P. Quillin
I think for me it’s Gleason’s. It’s what you hear about when you come to New York. You have to go to Gleason’s Boxing Gym. So that’s already set in stone there for New York City for me.
D. Jacobs
I would say my favorite gym would probably be Starret City. It’s the gym that I was brought up in and the gym where I learned the fundamentals and it’s where I got that edge. It’s where I got that hunger. It’s the passion and it’s been my home for my whole career – pro and amateur. So I would say my favorite it would be Starret City Boxing Gym.
Q
I was kind of wondering what’s your strategy for social media?
P. Quillin
Well for me it’s about being true to yourself and putting my personality out there to brand myself as not just a boxer, but as a public figure and putting everything about my life out there on social media. I think we living in that time right now where social media is this new TV. That puts you out there a little bit more. Not in the way where it’s, you got some guys out there they put themselves out there in a negative way and if you go follow me on social media you see that I put out positive things. I want people to feel more fulfilled and inspired by my story and also who I am as a person.
So I think it’s just always tapping into that and I have a good social media team who get the content that I have on the daily basis. I get that to them and they put out the right kind of stuff for me to brand myself in a more positive way.
Q
Is there a fine line to be walked between being negative and then trying to be inspiring?
P. Quillin
No, because I don’t try to brand myself as a bad guy. You’re going to love me or you’re going to hate me for who I am. And staying true to myself is that I always told myself that I would stay true to. For me, putting out the things with the mean tweets, I get that all the time. So I kind of wanted to make a joke of it because you got guys that sit on their sofas and half of the time they don’t got nothing wrong in their life. I just kind of wanted to make a joke of how I handle the situation with people, sending me mean things like that. My dad and me we sit around here and we laugh about it.
Q
You’ve known Danny for a while, but when Danny was out how closely were you watching him make his way towards you?
P. Quillin
I don’t live my life that way because I try to live as a humble guy. I think the opportunity is going to present itself, especially if you are a hard worker and that’s what I am. Danny and me were going to be on a collision course and this is what happens when you’re in the same weight class and if you do well and I do well it’s a great part of the story. So have I been focused on him? No, I haven’t. No, I focus on guys when it’s time to get paid to fight them.
Q
Danny, is this the perfect time for this fight to happen between you two?
D. Jacobs
I think it is. It does take time for a fight to get juicy and it does take time for both fighters to just put some food up in the pot. You want to make it nice and juicy. With our last couple of wins that we had it’s been very entertaining and I’m the champion and I feel like it’s the perfect time. I don’t think it could be a better time. The situation that Peter is in, I don’t see any other opportunity as far as a world champion that he can go after at this present time too.
So in that regard I also feel like it’s a perfect time for him. So I do think this fight needed to get a little more juicy and that two years is the time that it took. So I’m just fortunate that we have this opportunity to fight. This is going to be an epic fight for all of us.
Q
Do you think that this fight will make a lot of pound for pound rankers put you on their list?
D. Jacobs
I mean that’s really not my job to really focus on that. Obviously in the back of my mind I think about my legacy and I think about where I want to be placed as far as the middleweight division, but that’s all about going inside that ring and proving it. So you can never really focus on that. You can never really say who’s the best. It’s as far as the public. You can never really get into that because the opinion is always going to be different from someone else’s. So all I can do is just focus on the task at hand and focus on doing my job, which is win every fight when I’m in the ring and when it’s all said and done worry about that later.
P. Quillin
For me it’s not my importance. I think about life after boxing and having a career after fighting and I do what I can do during the glory moments and I make sure that outside of the glory moments when I create the capital that I have I do the right thing with my money.
Q
Danny, you’ve had one fight the past five years go past the fifth round. How do you prepare your body for what many expect to be a long fight and a grueling one at that?
D. Jacobs
Well all the preparation is in the gym. The preparation is years worth of training. It’s what’s done beforehand and obviously, when you haven’t gone that long, that many rounds in a long time, you question yourself and in the back of your mind it’s always how will I be able to handle that gruesome fight for that long of a period of time. I’ve done 12 rounds with the Caleb Truax fight and when it was time for the 12th round to come around I had a wonderful finish. So I was still breathing comfortable. I still was in shock that it was the 12th round because in my mind, me never being at this point, I thought it was going to be worse than what it was.
I know that I’m capable of doing it, it’s no really big worry in my mind. I just know that I have to go out there and be smart.
Q
As you go further into a fight do you feel pressured to get that knockout or to really take a fighter out of there? Or are you just comfortable winning rounds and getting the points and winning a fight that way?
D. Jacobs
I mean it’s the icing on the cake. I would say any fighter would be lying if they say they didn’t want the knockout. That’s something that just makes you feel better about yourself and like I said it’s icing on the cake that the fans love too. Fans love knockouts. You don’t think about it because you get sidelined and you get the task at hand and you can get sidetracked and try to focus on the knockout and get crossed yourself. It’s just all about remaining focused and like I said a win is a win for me, but ultimately, for the fans and for my own pride and for my own sense I think a knockout is something that we want in the back of our minds.
Q
How do you defend someone who has now 10 straight stoppages?
P. Quillin
Hard work, smarts and faith. The only way that we get in there is we fight and we win. Other things are not in my hands. There is no fear with faith. I love what I do. All love does is drive out fear. So I’m walking into this fight with nothing but faith. So I have nothing to worry about.
Q
Is there the possibility that this can turn into a sparring session because of your friendship and familiarity with each other?
P. Quillin
I’m the oldest so I’ll answer first. I don’t think like that. I think when I get in that ring I’m trained to hurt people and that’s what I do. When I was a younger kid and me and my brother had our fights, we had some brutal fights with each other. That doesn’t mean that I love him less. It just means that we just fight hard.
D. Jacobs
I agree with Peter. I think that’s out the window once we go inside the ring. We’re in the hurt business. We’re inside the ring to hurt one – we’re gladiators. It’s no love. There’s no caring once we’re inside that ring. It’s going to be two guys that want to hurt each other because ultimately when you think about it, the more we hurt each other – the more I hurt this man and the more that he tries to hurt me is the better our career would be past that point given the fact that we get a victory. We’re not in there to play. This is not a play business. We’re in there to hurt each other and we’re in there to do the best we can do to make sure that our legacy and our career is on the up and up afterwards.
Q
So when you study your films are you just studying films of your opponent or are you studying perhaps the weaknesses that your opponent has within his style that go uncorrected?
P. Quillin
I think logically it’s all about how you take what’s in a fight. I haven’t ever in my career watched film on guys. That’s something that my team does. We come up with a strategy and we work on that strategy. Because I learn that you train for a guy and that guy doesn’t fight nothing like you think he’s going to fight. I think all the while it’s just the same with life. You never know what’s going to be handed to you. I take it like that and I believe it’s still going to be a great fight regardless of the fact.
D. Jacobs
As a smart fighter you look at everything. You look at tapes, you look at the mentality of the fighter, you listen to interviews and you surround yourself with the opponent as you prepare for the battle because you’re prepping for just one day. I don’t know how long the fight is going to last, but however long it does take, you’re preparing for those moments. You’re getting ready for however long you’re in training. But that one moment. The way you prepare your mind is by doing all of these things. I take precaution so I can to make sure that I’m mentally ready.
Q
Do you feel that you should be receiving the same amount of consideration by media and pundits as the Cotto vs. Canelo and Gennady Golovkin fights?
D. Jacobs
I try not to focus in on that stuff, but this is the sport of boxing and you have to earn your stripes. The support that they have and just the attention that they’re receiving is well deserved. Cotto has had an amazing career. And so has Canelo. I’m new to being a champion. I’m the new kid on the block. I still have a lot of proving to do in the sport of boxing and to myself and to the media. So it’s rightfully deserved that they’re receiving more attention because they’re the bigger names and I’m trying to work my way up to not only be in that realm and that magnitude, but to surpass that. And that’s all I can focus on.
P. Quillin
I honestly don’t know. I don’t know much about these other fights because my only focus right now is Danny, December 5. I don’t watch TV. I’m focused on this fight and that’s what’s important to me.
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Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, start at $50, not including applicable fees, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center.
