IBF Bantamweight World Champion Randy “El Matador” Caballero (22-0, 13 KOs) hosted a Los Angeles media workout on Thursday, Nov. 12 at City of Angels Boxing Gym ahead of his Nov. 21 face off and first title defense against England’s Lee “Playboy” Haskins (32-3, 14 KOs) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Caballero will headline the preliminary undercard preceding the HBO Pay-Per-View® telecast of the Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez event on Saturday, Nov. 21.
Caballero was joined by Ronny Rios (24-1, 10 KOs) who will also be featured on the Cotto vs. Canelo undercard as part of the pay-per-view telecast against Jayson “Star” Velez (23-0-1, 16 KOs) on Nov. 21. Fighters on the Boxeo Estelar broadcast on Estrella TV on Nov. 20 live from The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Diego De La Hoya (12-0, 7 KOs), Jason “El Animal” Quigley (8-0, 8 KOs), and Roy “Pit Bull” Tapia (11-0-2, 6 KOs) were also in attendance to discuss their upcoming fights.
Below is what the fighters had to say at the Los Angeles media workout:
RANDY “EL MATADOR” CABALLERO, IBF Bantamweight World Champion:
“The way I will win on November 21 will make everyone stop. I’m going to break Haskins down round by round. Even if it’s not televised, I know a lot of people are watching. I’m a Golden Boy Champion, and I’m ready to represent one of the best Promoters out there.
“My title is not going anywhere. I’ve fought so hard to keep it, and I’m hungry to get back in the ring. As people saw, after my surgery, I was in a wheelchair and I was still hitting the gym. I’m trying to make a statement, and let people know who I am, and what makes a champion. My body feels good, and I’m ready to get more titles.”
RONNY RIOS, Top Featherweight Contender:
“We are ready, and well prepared for the fight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on November 21. This fight is perfect for me. The challenge it brings feeds into the Puerto Rico vs. Mexico boxing rivalry. It’s also my first time on a Pay-Per-View fight under card, which makes it all the more exciting.
“My opponent likes to fight and dictate the pace but that will not happen this time. For this camp, we corrected a lot of my own mistakes, and tried to make improvements. I’m here to fight the best, and I want to win. Jason Velez is a great fighter and my focus is all on him.”
DIEGO DE LA HOYA, super Bantamweight Prospect:
“I’ve been training hard for this fight on November 20 against Delgado. I’m ready to make a name for myself, and create my own De La Hoya following. Oscar and everyone at Golden Boy Promotions have been great, but it is because of my own skill and talent that I’ve climbed the ranks.
“I know this is going to be another tough fight for me, but I know I will shine on Nov. 20. I am well prepared and ready to give fight fans the fight of the night.”
JASON “EL ANIMAL” QUIGLEY, middleweight Prospect:
“I’m ready to be a part of the biggest fight weekend in Las Vegas, and make a statement on November 20 at the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. This will be my sixth fight in 2015, and I have been training hard to add another victory on to my record.
“I hope that one day I’ll be able to fight champions like David Lemieux or Canelo Alvarez because they are where I want to be. I know that it will take a lot of sacrifice, but I know that I can do it.”
ROY “PIT BULL” TAPIA, Super Bantamweight Prospect:
“I know it’s going to be a tough fight in Las Vegas on November 20, but I know if I give my 100 percent and create a game plan, I’ll win.
“I feel like I’m a better boxer now I switched to a different camp, I’ve learned a lot of boxing, and I’ve learned to create a plan A, B, and C. I don’t think I would be comfortable with a decision fight, so I’m planning to go all in and put a stop on Eric Ruiz as soon as I can.”
Cotto vs. Canelo, a 12-round fight for Cotto’s WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Championships, takes place Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The fight is presented by Roc Nation Sports, Golden Boy Promotions, Miguel Cotto Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra; Mexico, Live it to Believe it!; O’Reilly Auto Parts; Tequila Cazadores and Corporate Travel Made Simple (ctms). Also featured on the pay-per-view telecast will be Takashi Muira vs. Francisco Vargas in a 12-round fight for the WBC Super Featherweight World Championship presented in association with Teiken Promotions, and Jayson Velez vs. Ronny Rios is a 10-round featherweight bout. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
