HOUSTON, TX (September 5) – Fighting words were flying at today’s final press conference for the highly anticipated doubleheader featuring Houston’s former Three Time World Champion, Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz against Australian warrior Michael “The Great” Katsidis and Houston native and 2000 Olympic Silver Medalist Ricardo Rocky Juarez against former Junior Lightweight World Champion Jorge “La Hiena” Barrios. See below for press conference quotes:
Rocky Juarez: “When my managers asked me if I wanted to take the fight with Jorge Barrios, I said ‘Hell yes!’ I’ve been looking forward to this fight for a while and have trained really hard. I am prepared for Saturday night and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Jorge Barrios: “After this fight got cancelled and rescheduled s many times, I’m glad it’s finally taking place on Saturday. I’m coming here to fight in Rocky’s hometown but it doesn’t bother me. . . Rocky’s family can be the judges if he wants, because I’m still gonna beat him.”
“After I get through with him, I hear Steven Speilberg is making a new Peter Pan movie and he (Juarez) can play the part of Tinkerbell.”
“I’m going to knock him out in the fourth round, no problem. If any one wants to bet me, come see me.”
Michael Katsidis: “It’s gonna be a great fight because both of us give more than 110% and it’s one of those fights where one of us could get seriously injured. I have given my heart and soul into preparing for this fight. I have done the work to prepare. . .”
Juan Diaz – “It’s not even Saturday night and I’m already excited. When they mention this fight, I get goose bumps all over. I feel like a new man and I’m completely prepared mentally and physically this time.”
“I want to thank all of my fans for their love and support coming off of my loss. . .they have not lost faith in me.”
“On Saturday night, I want all of the parents to bring their kids to the fight so they can see what it looks like to see dreams come true. My family came from Mexico as immigrants with nothing and now I’m here, a former world champion and only six classes away from graduating form the University of Houston with my bachelor’s in Political Science. . .this is what dreams are made of.”
Tickets for “Houston Super Fight Night” – Diaz vs. Katsidis and Juarez vs. Barrios, priced at $200, $100, $60, $40 and $25, are on sale and available for purchase, at the Toyota Center Box Office, online at www.ToyotaCenterTix.com, by phone at 1-866-4-HOU-TIX and select Houston area Randalls locations.
“Houston Super Fight Night” – the doubleheader featuring Diaz vs. Katsidis, in a scheduled 12 round IBO Lightweight Championship bout as the main attraction and Juarez vs. Barrios, in a 12 round WBO Latino Junior Lightweight co-feature bout, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, Amigo Energy and Dewalt Tools with Diaz vs. Katsidis being presented in association with Northeast Promotions. The bouts will air live on HBO’s Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET / PT, 9:15 p.m. CT. Doors for the evening’s event will open at 6:00 p.m. with a first fight time of 6:05 p.m.
Undefeated Kielsa in For a Busy Fall and Winter
TORONTO, ON – Greg Kielsa (7-0, 3 KO’s) will be a busy man over the next couple of months.
Not only is the undefeated heavyweight returning to his hometown of Bialystok, Poland for a short vacation, but he’ll be coming back to Canada ten days later to a schedule that you don’t usually see in this cautious day and age of building a contender.
The 2000 Olympian will have three fights between October 23, and December 5, with the middle fight, on November 21, being set aside for a crack at reigning Canadian Heavyweight champion, six foot, eight inch tall, 265 lb. Raymond Olubowale, at Casino Rama, in Rama, Ontario.
Kielsa and Olubowale recently threw the gauntlet down at each other’s feet after respective wins on the August 29 card at Casino Rama, with Kielsa saying he’d fight Olubowale in a couple of days “without a problem,” and Olubowale answering back that if the two ever got into the ring, Kielsa would be beaten “like a school girl.”
But before Kielsa can worry about seizing the Canadian Heavyweight title, he has a date booked on a Banner Promotions card set for October 23rd at the Northern Quest Casino, in Airway Heights, Washington, against an opponent yet to be determined, on a card to be televised in the United States on Versus.
According to Kielsa, the hectic schedule suits him just fine.
“I want to be kept busy. That’s the type of fighter I am. I don’t want to wait for my fights. I’m an experienced guy, I don’t need too much sparring. I need to keep fit, and stay busy. If possible I’d like to fight two or three times a month.”
Even though he want to step into the ring upwards of 30 times in the next 12 months, Kielsa still sees his goal of being a world champion happening over the long haul.
“You can’t rush being a world champion. It’s a lengthy process. You have to make sure you’re ready when you get the opportunity.
“In two years I’ll be ready to be a real world champion.”
In the meantime, Kielsa is just as anxious to get back to his native Poland then he is to step back into the ring.
“Bialystok is a great boxing town,” Kielsa said.
“They’ve always supported boxing and boxers, and I love going back.”
For Kielsa, his Bialystok homecoming is a chance to reconnect with friends, and, most importantly, family.
“This trip is all about family for me. I have nobody over here. I’m a quiet guy. I don’t seek attention. There won’t be much media or public appearances, I’m not Cristiano Ronaldo.”
In fact the last time Kielsa went to Poland, it was supposed to be a one-way trip, with his intention to leave what was a sputtering professional career behind in Canada.
“That was it for me,” Kielsa said.
“I was having a horrible time. Everything was a struggle, and I just wanted to pack things up and go home.”
Enter Kielsa’s new manager, James Jardine.
Jardine purchased Kielsa’s contract and offered the 2000 Olympian a new lease on his boxing life.
“James made sure everything was the right fit. I knew he was interested in doing something with me. We had met and talked, and it seemed like a good fit, but James is a careful guy. He wanted to make sure that I was worth the risk.”
“Guys like James don’t make decisions just because they like you. I showed him that I was serious.”
Kielsa’s latest success in the ring was August 29, at Casino Rama, at Rama, Ontario, where he thoroughly outclassed the super-tough Jerry Butler over the course of eight rugged rounds.
“I’m disappointed that I didn’t put him down, but that guy was a tank,” Kielsa said of Butler, who has scored all seven of his wins inside the distance.
“I hit him with everything I had, and he didn’t budge. My wrists were hurting I was hitting him so hard.”
“He’s a tough, strong man.”
SIMMS TAKES ON FRAZIER; SAVES RINGSIDE SEAT FOR DUDDY!
On Saturday, September 27, 2008, at the Harbor Yard Arena in Bridgeport, CT., “Marvelous” Tarvis Simms (22-0-1, 11KO’s), will be back in action, steaming ahead towards middleweight supremacy, and proving that he will take on anyone who gets in his way of the championship belt. Fresh off his huge victory over former middleweight champ Carl Daniels last June, Simms knows that a victory on the 27th will not only earn him the NABO Middleweight Title, but it will also place the undefeated southpaw high enough in the rankings to earn a big money shot at some of the best middleweights fighting today.
“After my draw against Frazier I saw it differently than the judges, so now I’m excited to fight him again. I’m excited to fight in my hometown of Fairfield County, I?ll fight any fighter out there, I don?t just want one title I want them all.” Tarvis Simms
“I saved a couple of tickets for John Duddy to come watch the fight.,” said Angelo Campanella (Simms’ manager) challenging John Duddy to fight Simms next.
In what is certain to be an action-packed night of boxing, Simms will put his perfect record on the line when he headlines the fight card at the Harbor Yard Arena, and with many other fellow Connecticut fighters on the card, this is destined to be an exhilarating and thrilling night of boxing for Bridgeport fight fans.
The co-main event will feature heavyweight knockout sensation and Hebron resident Tony Grano (14-0-1, 12KO’s) in an eight round battle against Salem, New Jersey?s Mark “Oak Tree” Brown (13-1, 6 KO?s) “Tony Grano is the hardest hitting most exciting Italian heavyweight I have seen come out of New England since the great days of Rocky Marciano; “We’re bringing a world class fight card to Bridgeport and can’t wait for the community to come out for an exciting night of great fights.” said CEO/President of Final Forum Sal Musumeci.
With half of Grano?s fights ending in first round knockouts, this devastating puncher and local fan-favorite is certain to please the crowd with his pummeling leather. Grano?s definitely one of those “Don?t Blink” fighters, because if you do, you may miss out on the quick destruction over his opponent.
“I’m excited to get back in the ring and looking forward to fighting in my home state of Connecticut for all of my local fans.” -Tony Grano
Also on the card, the blazing hot Latin prospect Stamford native Francisco Palacios, who just last month scored a huge upset against undefeated Jesus Barbosa, will come out firing his lightning-fast arsenal of punishing leather at any willing opponent to prove that he is one to watch in the exciting lightweight division. “Palacios has fought some tough fighters and is still very much in the game,” says Musumeci. “He just scored a huge upset in his last fight, and the horizon looks great for him. I know his hometown fans can expect a tremendous fight on the 27th.”
Ticket prices: $200, $100, $60 and $35. Tickets on sale now at Ticketmaster.com, Charge-By-Phone 203-368-1000, visit the Arena Box Office or any Ticketmaster Outlet.