As the countdown to Saturday’s eagerly anticipated doubleheader on SHOWTIME continues, undefeated Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia, unbeaten WBO Middleweight Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin and world-rated 160-pound contender Fernando Guerrero participated in a media workout Wednesday at the famed Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn. Right here, you’ll find a collection of quotes and photos from the event.
In Saturday’s main event on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from Barclays Center in Brooklyn,Garcia (25-0, 16 KO’s), of Philadelphia, will defend his WBA Super, WBC and Ring Magazine titles against former Two-Division World Champion and hometown favorite Zab “Super” Judah (42-7, 29 KO’s), of Brooklyn. Quillin (28-0, 20 KO’s), of Manhattan, will make his first title defense when he faces the hard-hitting Guerrero (25-1, 19 KO’s), of Salisbury, Md., in the co-feature.
Also working out Wednesday was a young, promising local prospect who will compete on Saturday’s undercard, Zachary Ochoa (3-0, 3 KO’s), of Brooklyn. Ochoa will be opposed by Prichard, Alabama’s Calvin Smith (2-2) in a four-round super lightweight bout.
DANNY GARCIA, WBA Super, WBC and Ring Magazine Super Lightweight World Champion
On how he feels going into the fight: “I feel great and 100 percent ready. I’m motivated, hungry and sharp. I’m focused and I’m ready to go in there on April 27 and put on a tremendous show.
“I don’t need negativity to motivate me. I’m a positive person. Negativity doesn’t motivate me. I’m motivated by positive things’
On fighting at Barclays Center: “I’m ready to take over Brooklyn.
On Philly fans coming to the fight: “I guarantee I have more fans than Zab has coming to the fight.
On training camp: “My training camp was perfect. I think it was the best training camp I’ve ever had. Everything was on point…sparring, running, training, conditioning. Everything went perfect.”
PETER QUILLIN, WBO Middleweight World Champion
On being a middleweight: “I’m just very blessed to be able to be part of a division that is always an attractive weight class. The middleweights, you’ve got the speed and then you have the power. It’s like 50/50. It’s an action-packed weight class. I just want to make sure that when I go out there, I’m adding my own part of history to that.
On how Guerrero stacks up to other opponents he’s faced: “Guerrero deserves a shot at the belt. It’s something he worked for all his life, just like I did. Nobody’s going to come here and beat me. I already know I can put in a hard 12 rounds. This time, I got the best that money can buy. I got the best trainers and the best camp. This has by far been the best camp in my whole professional career. I know I’m well prepared and I’m ready. I’m keeping this belt in New York City.
On fighting Guerrero: “For the opportunity that he got, it’s something that he’s got to take in and know that it’s right there in front on him. If he’s not prepared fighting a guy like me, it’s going to show right away. We can be friends outside of the ring, but as soon as we step in the ring, no more friendship.
On the biggest challenger to his title: “I welcome all challengers, but I know there isn’t a middleweight like me. I’m the best in the world. I look in the mirror and see myself and say, ‘even he can’t beat me.’ I know what I’m doing outside of the ring is helping me to be a better fighter in the ring. That being said, let them all come.”
FERNANDO GUERRERO, Hard-Hitting, World-Ranked Contender
On the delay of the fight: “You’ve got to be ready for everything in the boxing world. We’re so used to it, dating to even in the amateurs. Until you’re in the ring, the fight might not happen, and even when you’re in the ring, the opponent might not show up. For me it’s just that experience. You live it and you make the best out of it, and I surely do.
On what he’ll bring to the ring to get a win: “Explosion. We’ve got to bring that smart, we’ve got to bring that power and we’ve got to bring that hunger. It’s better shown in the ring. I’m not just excited for the fight. I want people to know what I can do.
On how many fans he’s expecting at Barclays Center: “When I packed the house in Maryland (for a fight against Derrick Findley in Salisbury), I expected one person to be there, my father, but thousands were there. (This fight) I’m expecting maybe two people. We’ll see how many people come and show up.
On acting like a gentleman at press events: “I can only be me. If I feel the need to cuss, I’ll probably do it, if I feel the need to not cuss, I probably won’t do it. I don’t try to sell fights. The fights should be able to sell themselves. I try to sell myself as the person that I am.
On how this is different than his other fights: “I’m expecting a lot out of myself. I’m going to try and push myself harder, mentally and physically. I want to impress myself, I want to develop.”
ZACHARY OCHOA, Undefeated Brooklyn Light Heavyweight
On his fight prediction: “My prediction is, I box my way to a knock out.
“I want to say thank you to Golden Boy Promotions and SHOWTIME for giving me the opportunity to fight on this card. It’s great for me to show my talent and show the world what I’m working with.”
