“Never before in history has this been done. You are talking about twenty-some former heavyweight champions of the last forty years are coming together for one big family reunion. All the champs: Larry Holmes, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Wladimir Klitschko and The Champ Shannon Briggs – two-time heavyweight champion.
“On Saturday night expect action. There are eight heavyweight fights with all of the former heavyweight champions sitting around the ring. You see Holyfield sitting right there, then you see Tony Tucker over there, Tony Tubbs, Chris Byrd, Hasim Rahman – this is unreal. It’s never been done before. Thanks to Kris Lawrence of the Heavyweight Factory and the Hard Rock Hotel it is happening.
“I was fat. I was going to Publix every day and eating fast food, fried chicken, ice cream and was in a depression. Then it hit me one day, I said ‘man, I am the champ. Get it together.’ I weighed 380 lbs. Close to 400, sitting on the couch fat and depressed. Everybody that saw me just laughed. I knew I had to do something about it. Look good feel good. So I started changing my diet and I started working out and I started walking – every day. Then I said to myself “Let’s go champ,” then boom it came to me.
“I feel phenomenal. Now I am eating right – nothing but organic food, no juice, no soda, nothing but filtered water. Look at me I’m in the best shape of my life. Look at me – I’m in better shape at 43 then I was at 23.
“I realized that it’s also about the people you are around – if you are around good people then good things happen. If you are around negative people you are going to become negative. If you want to be happy you’ve got to hang around happy people.
“I feel like I am inspiring people. Win lose or draw I will feel good. I get calls every day from people saying thank you because they face adversity and they say to themselves ‘Let’s Go Champ.’
“The heavyweight division needs Shannon Briggs and boxing needs Shannon Briggs.
“I’m in this hot gym every day. It’s 110 degrees every day. They (naysayers) can say what they want. I have been in here for two years straight.
“Klitschko didn’t want to fight me then and he doesn’t want to fight me now, but the people are going to force the fight
“They laughed at George Foreman but then he upset Michael Moorer. This is going to be the biggest upset in boxing history – Shannon ‘The Cannon’ Briggs knocking out Wladimir Klitschko.
“On Wilder: Wilder didn’t want the fight. My partner Kris offered him $2M and he wouldn’t take it. 954-761-5754 – Al Haymon call me right now. I’m ready champ.
“Klitschko is going down hard. I want the title back. I had the title twice but I was young and I was inexperienced and immature. Who would have ever thought that Shannon Briggs grew up. And I feel good. I have a little gray hair on my chin but I feel fifteen years younger than I am.
“Everybody is going to think, wow, I thought he was just this guy having fun and laughing.
“The heavyweight division is back. You’ve got Trevor ‘The Dream’ who won a title Friday night and I am ready to take over the heavyweight division.”
Wladimir Klitschko on World Heavyweight Champions Gathering
Wladimir Klitschko, WBA, WBO, IBF & IBO Heavyweight Champion Discusses This Weekend’s Heavyweight Champions Gathering at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL
“I think it’s an amazing event that happens once in a lifetime,” said Klitschko following his workout at the Lucky Street Boxing Gym in Hollywood, Florida. “I’m not sure if an event like this has ever taken place in history of boxing when all of the heavyweights, former heavyweight champions, coming together. It’s something amazing.
“I’ve seen a picture of Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Norton together and it was an amazing shot – it was a great shot for history. I think this Friday and Saturday is going to be really exciting. It is going to be a time where everybody is going to get a piece of memory, and that is the reality. It is a tough event to put together, I am happy that it is taking place, where all of the heavyweights can come together, have conversations and ask questions – and get some answers.
“It shows that we are all one community – one family, actually. There are some times in history where we didn’t like each other because we were fighting in the ring, but in a way we respect and love each other. It is definitely something that is going to be an historic moment.”
Shannon Briggs?
And that’s at the top. (laughs) Maybe we’ll get there to watch him fight. Maybe not. It depends on my training schedule – but I definitely will enjoy the night when all of the heavyweights get together. I definitely have a couple of questions to ask some of them.
On Saturday, Sept. 5, with more than 20 former world heavyweight champions ringside, former Lineal and World Boxing Organization (WBO) world heavyweight champion Shannon “The Cannon” Briggs will battle Mike Marrone in a 12-round heavyweight bout, headlining “World Heavyweight Champions – Saturday Fight Night” at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
Undisputed world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield will be ringside, as well as reigning WBA, IBF and WBO champion Wladimir Klitschko. Undisputed world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will be attending festivities leading up to Saturday Fight Night. Other former world heavyweight champions confirmed to attend include Lennox Lewis, Roy Jones Jr., Larry Holmes, Michael Moorer, Riddick Bowe, Ray Mercer, Hasim Rahman, Tony Tucker, Tony Tubbs, James “Bonecrusher” Smith, Michael Bentt, Lamon Brewster, Chris Byrd, John Ruiz, Mike Weaver, Tim Witherspoon, Pinklon Thomas, Leon Spinks, Michael Spinks and Bruce Seldon.
Shannon “The Cannon” Briggs (58-6-1, 51 KOs), from Brooklyn, New York, made his professional debut in 1992 and began his career with 25 consecutive wins. He is the current world-record-holder for 38 first-round knockouts. Briggs defeated George Foreman on Nov. 22, 1997, to become the Lineal Heavyweight Champion and defeated Sergei Liakhovich on Nov. 6, 2005, for the WBO world heavyweight title; he will enter the ring on Sept. 5 to further his quest to defeat a third world heavyweight champion.
Mike Marrone (21-4, 15 KOs) from Vero Beach, Florida, made his professional debut in 2004 and won his first 18 bouts, 12 of which were by knockout. He last fought at the Hard Rock in 2011 and lost a world cruiserweight title fight to Guillermo Jones.
Tickets cost $154, $104 and $54.* All seats are reserved and available at all Ticketmaster outlets online at www.myhrl.com, www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone: 1-800-745-3000. Doors open one hour prior to show start time. *Additional fees may apply.
