Undefeated welterweight world champions Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia went face-to-face Thursday at the final press conference before they headline SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS, presented by Premier Boxing Champions, this Saturday, March 4 in primetime from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.
(Photo credit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME
Also in attendance Thursday and opening the broadcast at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT were undefeated rising star Erickson Lubin and once-beaten knockout artist Jorge Cota, who meet in a super welterweight world title eliminator.
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. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.
Here is what the participants had to say:
KEITH THURMAN
“This fight has been brewing for a long time. Both of us wanted this fight. There’s a reason why this fight is happening. We’re young, we’re hungry and we’re not trying to wait around. It’s time for this to go down.
“I’ve had a great camp. This is nothing new to me. I’m happy to be in this moment with all these people here. I’ve had a dream since I was a little boy to be not just your average champion, but to be a great champion. Before I had that dream, Ben Getty believed in me and it’s because of him that I’m where I’m at today. He predicted this before anyone.
“Danny is a smart fighter. He’s swift. He keeps rising to the top. He knows he has people underestimating him now and that fuels him. For me, I’m fueled by legacy. I want greatness for myself.
“It’s Danny’s reputation against my reputation. We’re both prideful fighters. You’re putting two of the best together. He wants to prove that he can be a unified champion in two divisions and I’ve been waiting for this opportunity to get fights like this. I want to show how and why I’m better than my competition. Saturday night is my platform to show the world how great of a champion I am.
“Danny looks ready. But I stay true when I look at you. His eyes wandered, so I wondered a little what that means. What really matters is how the fight starts. You find out if the fighter carries momentum, or if it shifts. What happens, when we land our first big punches?
“He feels confident and I feel confident. I believe that I have more to offer. I feel that I can box my way to victory. I visualize outcomes. I don’t think Danny wins without a stoppage. If it goes to the scorecards, it’ll favor me.
“There hasn’t been one opponent who’s gotten in the ring with me and said that my power isn’t for real. I think my power and my boxing IQ will be the same. I can change it up. I can do what I need to do, so you are unable to do what you want to do.
“This is going to be a fight that you can’t miss. It’s going to be right in your house. If you can’t make it to the arena, you can make it to the couch. This is elite world class championship boxing in primetime. This is for all sports fans.”
DANNY GARCIA
“This deserves all the media attention that it’s getting. I’ve been a champion for five years already and I’ve been a unified champion. Saturday I have an opportunity to unify another division. It’s always been a dream to unify multiple divisions and now I have my chance.
“We put in all the hard work. We did everything we had to do. I feel really good and I feel confident. On Saturday night, I’m going to be a unified champion again.
“I fight to win. I fight to secure my family’s future and that’s what it’s all about. That’s what we train so hard for. I’m going to give the fans something to watch on Saturday.
“Legacy is very important to me. I have more milestones than Thurman. This is his biggest fight. I’ve been in big fights before. Every championship fight is a part of history.
“People say he’s the bigger man because he’s been at this weight longer than me. I’m taller than him, I’m wider than him and I have a bigger back than him. I feel like I’m the fresher welterweight.
“You can’t chase a legacy or money. When you get desperate, you’ll try to take a shortcut. Everything I do is for the love of the sport. I’ve been blessed to be in this position.
“I started boxing because I wanted a trophy. I wanted to show my friends a trophy. I didn’t know the value of a dollar, that came later.
“I’ve been the underdog before. All ‘underdog’ means is that there are a whole bunch of people who don’t know what I can do. I rise to the occasion every time. I win because I’m better. On Saturday night I’m going to prove it again.”
ERICKSON LUBIN
“I made sure that I ate the right things and done everything perfectly during camp. This training camp went great thanks to my team and you’ll see the results on Saturday.
“If you don’t know me now, you will after Saturday night. This fight is in honor of my dear friend and cutman, Todd Harlib. I wish he could have seen this, but I know he’s looking down on me,
“Come Saturday night I’m going to make my mark in the division. I will become the youngest champion this year. Mark my words. We know my opponent is coming to fight. I’ve proven myself in past fights but I’m still young. I will become the mandatory challenger on Saturday night.
These type of fights bring the best out of me. I’m young, fierce and hungry. I’m excited to get in the ring and perform.
JORGE COTA
“I’m very thankful for this opportunity. I’m coming to fight and I’m coming to win.
“This is a big opportunity for me and I’m going to take full advantage. My dream is to win a world title and I know I have what it takes.
“I know I have a tough opponent Saturday night who people think very highly of. I have to believe in my training and keep throwing punches until I get the victory.
“I’m very happy to be fighting in New York city as part of this great card and I’m going to put on a show.”
LOU DIBELLA, President of DiBella Entertainment
“It really doesn’t get better than this for a boxing fan. This is as significant a fight as you can make in boxing right now and it might be the best fight you can make in boxing.
“The fact that this fight is on broadcast television on CBS is a huge plus for our business and anyone who loves boxing, For a fight of this magnitude available to so many people is a tremendous thing for boxing.
“Were on pace to set all sorts of records in terms of attendance and gate for boxing in the history of the great borough of Brooklyn.
“The main event on Saturday doesn’t need a lot of hype. It’s just the second primetime fight on CBS in 40 years and the most significant fight on network television in a generation.
“Keith and Danny have been on a collision course for their whole careers. These guys wanted to fight each other. This is one they both really wanted to happen now.”
STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive VP & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports
“The sport of boxing is on the rise and SHOWTIME is proud to be a part of it. We are leading the industry with the strongest lineup of fights in boxing. No one is doing for boxing what SHOWTIME is. We’re doing everything possible to spread the word about these great events to fight fans.
“We’re delivering the best fights and bringing it to the widest audience possible. Saturday is no exception. Two undefeated champions in the prime of their careers. It’s elite fighter versus elite fighter and on free television, not PPV.
“When two fighters meet at Barclays, it is always special. In June, Thurman vs. Shawn Porter was a Fight of the year candidate, In July, Santa Cruz vs. Frampton was a Fight of the Year candidate. January of this year, Badou Jack vs. James DeGale was another Fight of the Year candidate. On Saturday night, this will be another special fight.
“When the best fight the best, special things happen. Leonard vs. Hurns, Trinidad vs. De La Hoy, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. Big fights and memorable fights. This has always been boxing’s glamor division. On Saturday night you will found out who the top fighter in this division is.
“The co-feature we have one of boxing’s brightest, most talented prospects in Erickson Lubin. If you don’t know him, you should. He’s taking on the toughest opponent of his career. An experienced fighter, a monster puncher and a real tough test. This whole card is worthy of this slot on CBS.”
BRETT YORMARK, CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment
“This Saturday the nation will see world class championship boxing at its best and on display at Barclays Center in front of millions of primetime viewers on CBS. These are two undefeated superstars in the ring and we are proud to be the host.
“We will have our biggest crowd ever for a boxing event on Saturday, by far. It’s on pace to be one of the biggest non-Nets sporting event, in terms of gross revenue, in Barclays Center history.
“Barclays Center is Danny’s home away from home. Since fighting in our first event in 2012 he has gone on become one of the sport’s biggest names
“Keith has fought twice in Brooklyn and cemented his legacy in the sport and brought himself new fans. We’re thrilled to have him back for this great event.”
SUGAR RAY LEONARD & DAVID DINKINS JR. MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL HIGHLIGHTS
Boxing Hall of Famer and former undisputed welterweight world champion Sugar Ray Leonard and David Dinkins Jr., SHOWTIME Sports Senior Vice President and Executive Producer, hosted a media conference call on Wednesday to discuss Leonard joining the CBS broadcast team for Saturday’s welterweight unification between undefeated champions Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia. Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manger, SHOWTIME Sports, began the call with some opening remarks.
The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS, presented by Premier Boxing Champions, broadcast will air live on CBS from 9-11 p.m. ET/6-8 p.m. PT from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™. The broadcast is presented by Premier Boxing Champions and produced by SHOWTIME Sports® for CBS Television, both divisions of the CBS Corporation.
Leonard will join the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING broadcast team on Saturday alongside host Brian Custer, play-by-play voice Mauro Ranallo, International Boxing Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and Sports Emmy® Award-winning reporter Jim Gray.
A five-division titlist and one of the most decorated boxers of all-time, Leonard brings unique perspective to the broadcast booth having been in a similar situation to Thurman and Garcia more than 35 years ago. Garcia, the WBC 147-pound titleholder, and Thurman, his WBA counterpart, will unify the exact same titles that Leonard (WBC) and fellow Hall of Famer Thomas Hearns (WBA) unified in their classic 1981 Fight of the Year.
Leonard made his professional boxing debut on CBS in 1977, less than one year after he won gold at the ‘76 Olympics in Montreal as part of what is considered the greatest American boxing team in Olympic history. The March 4 event will reunite Leonard with former CBS producer and current SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Executive Producer Dinkins Jr.
Below is what the principals said Wednesday on the conference call:
SUGAR RAY LEONARD
“I was telling David [Dinkins] today, this is the perfect matchup. I mean, you have two incredible fighters, each one of them with their own style and confidence with Keith and Danny. What also raises an eye is the unification. That’s big time for any fighter. And if these fighters can live up to their expectations, I think it’s going to be a home run, without question.
“These are the type of fights that are going to bring boxing back to where it used to be. It’s going to require these type of fights, these type of individuals, these type of athletes, these type of potential super stars, to really change and make boxing what it used to be.”
On the importance of having these types of fights on network television and what it takes to bring the sport back to what it used to be…
“These two young men, these two champions, these undefeated fighters, they fit the mold. I talk to people all of the time about what fights they want to see and this is a fight that has star-quality to it.”
On the advantages of each fighter…
“I look at Keith, and I’ve been watching, over and over, tapes of his previous fight. Again, each of them bring something to the table. Keith Thurman, seems to me, a little more fundamentally sound than Danny Garcia. But Danny Garcia, has a neutralizer. One thing I think is a big factor for the actual fight itself, is that both guys are great champs and both of them could take punches. So, I don’t know. Put it this way, I wouldn’t bet my house.
“I do favor Thurman because he just seems to be a little bit more poised and collected. He just seems to be that kind of guy. First of all, he would never give up. Nor would Danny. But I just lean… it’s just my gut that tells me that Keith is a little bit more solid than Danny.”
On Danny Garcia…
“He’s just a guy that has that internal fortitude. He has heart, big heart. And he doesn’t give in. I think he’s the kind of fighter, you know where people short-change him. But I look at him and he’s one of those fighters that, I don’t train – I never train at all – but he’s the kind of fighter that I would enjoy training. Because he deserves to be up there.”
On the importance of facing the best opponents possible…
“That’s extremely important. Fortunately, I was in an era where there were just a lot of guys out there who were so talented. If given the chance they would prove to be champions.
“I always thought that we had to continue to raise the bar as a fighter, as a champion, and continue to fight better and better competition. When I was fighting, I swear, I wanted to be the underdog -psychologically, spiritually and mentally, if I wasn’t challenged, if I wasn’t considered somewhat of an underdog, I couldn’t perform the way I normally would. It’s what would get me going.
“I have said this a number of times: This fight is going to be bigger and better than what we anticipate because of what is at stake.
“The advantage [for me] was the television network exposure, without question. I loved that. It pumped me up because I loved the exposure. I loved the attention. I loved the fights and that’s what also helped me to be the fighter that I became.
On what it’s like being ringside and broadcasting a unification welterweight fight much like the fights and titles he’s fought for…
“It is an out-of-body experience. It’s déjà vu. Like holy, I am 60. It’s a kind of thing that is so special and it’s so rare of a unification it seems like. It speaks volumes to me as far as the significance of it. And these guys, Keith and Danny, they know it. They realize it.”
DAVID DINKINS JR.
“When we were discussing the upcoming Thurman-Garcia fight in our senior staff meeting, many of us longtime fight fans thought about Ray’s first fight with Thomas Hearns and the many parallels there with Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman. You have two undefeated fighters and two titlists who have been on a path toward each other since Danny moved up from being a unified champion at super lightweight and moved into the welterweight ranks and gained a world title at 147 pounds.
“Ray and Tommy were two stars who it just seemed inevitable that they would fight. We feel the same way about Keith and Danny. You have two undefeated champions and it’s inevitable that they would meet and declare who would be the No. 1 fighter at 147 pounds.
“I’m so happy that Ray can join us for this telecast and he and I have discussed over the past few days the many similarities between his circumstance during the Golden Era of Boxing when he had rivals like [Roberto] Duran, Hearns and [Wilfred] Benitez at 147 pounds.
“To make the situation even sweeter it reunites myself and Ray after we had worked together years ago at CBS. He along with Tim Ryan and Gil Clancy formed a very entertaining announce team. Ray was in and out of retirement at that point. So his full-time, part-time job up at CBS was terrific fun. We got to see some great fights and work together. And now he joins Mauro Ranallo and Al Bernstein, who is also a Hall of Famer just like Ray is, ringside this coming Saturday. It’s just incredible great fortune that Ray was available to join us and be a significant contributor on Saturday.”
STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports
“SHOWTIME continues to deliver the strongest lineup of any network in boxing. We are delivering the biggest and most meaningful fights and delivering to the largest possible audience. With none on pay-per-view.
“This Saturday SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING will present the most anticipated fight of the year live on America’s most watched network, CBS. Danny Garcia versus Keith Thurman is without question the best fighting the best. They are two undefeated champions with a combined record of 60 wins and zero losses and squaring off in the prime of their careers to determine who the top dog is in boxing’s marquee division.
“SHOWTIME has really made it our mission to televise the top-rated champions against the top-rated challengers in boxing’s most compelling weight classes.
“The fans have taken note, and the momentum continues to rise. Adrien Broner and Adrian Granados fought a close fight two weeks ago that was our most watched main event in two years.
“This is just the second primetime fight on CBS in nearly 40 years since Ali-Spinks in 1978. We are grateful to our colleagues at CBS who are helping to deliver this important event for boxing. It is critical that we put our best foot forward in a very hyper competitive television market, and that is certainly what we are doing Saturday night on CBS.”
