Fighters featured on the undercard of Canelo vs. Smith hosted a Los Angeles media workout at City of Angels Boxing ahead of their upcoming fights on September 17, 2017 on HBO Pay-Per-View.
As the co-main event “King” Gabriel Rosado (23-9, 13 KOs, 1 NC) of Philadelphia, will face Willie “El Mongoose” Monroe, Jr. (20-2, 6 KOs) of Rochester, N.Y. in a 12-round middleweight bout. Also on the televised undercard, 2012 U.S. Olympian Joseph “Jojo” Diaz, Jr. (21-0, 12 KOs) of So. El Monte, Calif. will go against Andrew “El Chango” Cancio (17-3-2, 13 KOs) of Blythe, Calif.
Opening up the Pay-Per-View telecast, Diego De La Hoya (15-0, 9 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico, will face off against Luis “Orlandito” Orlando Del Valle (22-2, 16 KOs) of Bayamon, Puerto Rico in a 10-round fight. Also featured on the non-televised undercard, Vergil Ortiz (1-0) of Dallas, Texas will take on Ernesto Hernandez (1-3, 1 KO) of El Paso, Texas in a Lone Star state four-round super lightweight battle.
“KING” GABRIEL ROSADO, Former Middleweight World Title Challenger:
“It’s great training with Fernando. We are comfortable with each other now. The chemistry was always there but it takes awhile to get familiar with the trainer. Having already trained for two fights together helped us prepare for this big opportunity. Everything is flowing.
“I think Monroe is a decent fighter but I’m going to show that he is not on my level as far as experience. I think I’m a young veteran. I’ve beat top names and lost to top names but I’m bringing more to the table.
“The fans have always supported me. They are always showing love. My shirts sell everywhere around the world. I think that shows when you put your all into it and give the fans their money’s worth, they are going to support you regardless. I think it’s overrated to protect that ‘0’, stacking the record. If you’re fighting good competition and putting on good fights, they’ll show you love.
“Originally I was supposed to fight Billy Joe Saunders in a world title fight on this card. I was very excited. Fernando and I started camp right away. Things, for whatever reason, went south with that fight and Golden Boy gave me options on who to fight I next. Once we changed the opponent, we got focused on someone else.”
JOSEPH “JOJO” DIAZ, JR., NABF Featherweight Champion:
“Thank you to Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions for giving me this great opportunity. I know that this is my time to shine and showcase my skills and prove to everyone that I can be the next superstar in boxing.
“Andrew Cancio is a dangerous fighter. He is very strong. His last two fights he’s proven he has that power to knock opponents out. I know I have to be cautious but I’m going to brawl with him and show him my power. I’m going to push him back; he’s not going to push me back. My team and I are coming in with a good game plan. I’m a whole different person. I feel stronger inside the ring. I feel like I have the speed and ability. I’m ready 110 percent for this fight.
“It’s going to be a dream come true fighting at AT&T Stadium in front of hard-core boxing fans. I’m going to go inside the ring and do what I do. I’ll take care of business on September 17. This will be the biggest fight of my life and I’m going to go in and show everyone how hard I’ve been training for this fight.
“If everything goes well and I don’t have any injuries, I look forward to fighting one more time this year.”
ANDREW “EL CHANGO” CANCIO, Featherweight Contender:
“Training camp has gone well. We’ve been putting in hard work. Jojo Diaz is a very sharp and slick fighter but I’m ready for him.
“I was shocked when I got the news I would be fighting on the Canelo vs. Smith undercard at AT&T Stadium. This opportunity is a blessing. We’re getting ready for September 17.
“We’re going to go in there looking for a war. If it takes 10 rounds, then it takes 10 rounds.”
DIEGO DE LA HOYA, WBC Youth Super Bantamweight Champion:
“I’ve been super focused this training camp. I won’t let this moment slip away because I recognize the value and open doors this can get me. I have a tough opponent. Puerto Rico versus Mexico is always a shown down, but this is what we have been training for, and we should be ready for anything in the ring.”
VERGIL ORTIZ, Super Lightweight Prospect:
“This is my second professional fight and the opportunity of a lifetime. I’m excited to be able to put my name out there for folks to recognize me. My opponent has a potential knock out power, so I have to be careful in the ring. I’m ready to go, and this is only the beginning.”
