In Las Vegas, World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight champion Miguel Acosta (28-3-2, 22 KOs) and unbeaten No. 1-ranked contender Brandon Rios (26-0-1, 18 KOs) stepped on the scales at the Palms Casino Resort one day before their 12-round main event bout while more than 1,000 miles east of there, Mexican fighters Antonio DeMarco (24-2-1, 18 KOs) and Reyes Sanchez (20-3-1, 11 KOs) did the same in preparation for their 12-round World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight eliminator bout in front of a packed house at a local car dealership in Central Nebraska.
All four of these excellent lightweight boxers each weighed in at 134.5 pounds on Friday night.
Acosta vs. Rios, DeMarco vs. Sanchez Weigh-In Photos
The year’s first SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event takes place Saturday, Feb. 26 LIVE on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). DeMarco and Sanchez will fight at the Heartland Events Center in Grand Island, Neb., where the local promoter Alan Usher said he is expecting a possible sellout with more than 6,500 fans expected to attend.
Both Rios and Acosta have had a lot to say all week, while DeMarco and Sanchez addressed questions posed to them on Friday. Here’s what they had to say:
ANTONIO DeMARCO:
“I wouldn’t trade anything about my last loss against (Edwin) Valero one year ago. Win or lose, I still learned so much from that fight. He was such a tough fighter and I will never take anything away from him.
“Going into that fight I had a dream that I would be world champion. I know it didn’t happen but now I realize I had to not only be 100 percent ready for that fight; I had to be 200 percent ready both physically and mentally.
“I’m going to be so much more experienced in the ring. I’m going to use the entire ring for this fight.
“Like all great Mexican fighters, I expect Sanchez to be very aggressive. But we want to be first. We want to create the activity. We are faster and me being lefthanded is to my advantage.
“I feel strong and quick and not hungry. I’m just hungry to get into the ring.
“Since I was 17 years old I’ve been destined to be a world champion.”
REYES SANCHEZ:
“I’m a boxer puncher and my strength is my movement. I move all around the ring.
“I’ve been knocked down before in the past but I will not go down against (DeMarco). This fight will end with me as the winner.
“DeMarco is tough, there’s no question. And I expect just a great fight from him.
“Tomorrow night is so very important to me. More than I can state.”
