Easton, PA (July 30th, 2014) – Next weekend, August 9th, Golden Boy Promotions along with Showtime will air a triple header card from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York featuring Daniel Jacobs (27-1, 24 KOs), IBF Jr Welterweight Champion Lamont Peterson (32-2-1, 16 KOs) and Unified (WBA, WBC, Ring) Jr Welterweight Champion Danny Garcia (28-0, 16 KOs). The card is stellar made to hopefully match up Garcia and Peterson in a unification fight later this year or early 2015, should they both come out victorious. It will be Daniel Jacobs 2nd attempt at a world title, after previously being knockout back in 2010 against Dmitry Pirog for the WBO Middleweight title. Since then, Jacobs has bounced back, beating cancer and winning his last 5 fights since returning by KO.
Earlier today, Golden Boy held a conference call with the 3 stars of the card, along side Edgar Santana (29-4, 20 KOs) who will face Lamont Peterson and Rod Salka (19-3, 3 KOs) who is in the main event with Danny Garcia.
opening the call was the miracle man himself, Daniel Jacobs
“I’m very excited, this is the opportunity of a lifetime for me. You know since being back, I’ve had 5 tremendous knockouts, I plan to continue that streak although I’m not predicting a knockout I do believe that I will be able to get the victory come fight night and It’s going to be exciting, I’m very excited.”
Having fought cancer, one can only imagine what goes through the mind of a person, let alone a fighter, who is now in a much more serious fight than one can ever imagine, Jacobs overcame the odds and is now on a level where one can only dream, a world title shot in his hometown of Brooklyn,
“I had hope of one day being able to get back in the ring. Once I found out the Barclays Center was having fights, that was my biggest drive, my biggest motivation to just be participating there. To have this opportunity, to have this world championship, a year and a half, two years later, I never would have thought this would be possible let alone to have it happen in my backyard, to be able to perform in front of my friends and my family who have been there during my struggles. This is a opportunity of a lifetime, I really can’t wait till fight night. It’s like a dream come true for me.”
Jacobs is asked if come Saturday, he is victorious, would his family and himself be able to deal with the emotion, having been through a lot in the recent years,
“Absolutely not! Ha-ha, I think about it all the time, I envision myself with my hand being raised and of course your vision is the announcer saying “And the new!” I get emotional just thinking about it. So for me that night, and for my family that will be a night to remember to have my hand raised in victory. It will be historical, you know I never would have dreamed of this opportunity, to fight for the WBA Championship in my backyard. This is truly, truly and honor.”
On the subject of Jacobs last title shot, 4 years ago in which he was knockout in 5 rounds, he says this time around he’s a lot wiser.
“I think I’m a lot wiser as far as how I train and how I conduct my training camp. The fact that I had to alter my diet cause of cancer, It’s allowed me to have a healthier body, a healthier lifestyle, to be able to maintain a good training camp and maintain a good body to be able to perform at a elite level. At that time, you know I wouldn’t say I took it for granted but I don’t think I had the best training for that particular fight. I’m a lot wiser, I’m a lot stronger and my mental state is at a all time high, especially going through what I’ve been through.”
To those who know the sport well, the title Jacobs and Jarrod Fletcher will be competing for, is a secondary belt. Gennady Golovkin (30-0, 27 KOs) holds the legitimate title as the proclaimed “Super” champion of the WBA. Jacobs and Fletcher will compete for the “Regular” WBA title, as there is also a Interim WBA Champion. Jacobs is asked on his thoughts and feelings, should he win,, what he thinks about being handed a secondary title.
“Hey, it doesn’t matter to me, a champion is a champion. You know secondary champion, or the first champion, It doesn’t matter to me. I have an opportunity to fight for a world championship. It’s not my job to make the belt, It’s not my job to put myself in the position to fight for the belt. It’s just my job to go in there and be ready, and fight whoever they put in front of me, and whatever title they get I’m very grateful for it. Whether they call me a paper champion or a real champion, I am a champion because each and everytime I go inside that ring I give my all.”
What does Jacobs know about his opponent?
“Initially, I really didn’t know much about his style, so I had to youtube some of his fights, just to get a glimpse of how he fights, movement, and things of that nature. To me it seems like he’s a in and out type of guy. His nickname is left jab and I can tell he uses his jab a lot by looking at his fights. I know he plans on boxing, moving and getting his combinations in and going the full 12 rounds come August 9th. For the most part, myself as a champion I feel as if what a champion does is adjust to any style. I’ve had over 150 amateur fights, and I’ve fought all different types of styles, from national to international level. So I don’t think Jarrod’s going to bring anything in there that I haven’t seen so far, and if there is than its my job and my duty to go ahead and adjust, do my best to get the victory.”
Daniel also feels like aside from his only blemish on his record, this right here, is the real story to be told about his career,
“We may think we have our own plans and our own goals set up for us but it doesn’t always go out the way we see it. I feel like, everything that I’ve been through, God has molded me to be all that I could be for August 9th, and that’s a world champion. This has all molded me and set me up to be a superhero ha-ha.”
Thoughts on fighting the most feared Middleweight right now, Gennady Golovkin?
“I think it will be huge! but for me how I look at is, I’d just be becoming champ, I’d be getting crowned champ, It’s a opportunity that I would love to have to fight him but I also think that, he’s already a superstar. I would like to have the opportunity to be a superstar myself, if i can maybe get a couple fights, like Peter Quillin or someone like that, then go up to a Golovkin fight, then that’s something that I would look forward to doing. I’m not in total control of who I fight, If i had it my way I would probably give it a couple of fights just to solidify that spot and secure my name and be considered a superstar in the division.”
After Jacobs, Edgar Santana and Lamont Peterson were brought on,
“I’m feeling great, I’m training hard, even before I got the call I’ve been in the gym so I’m going to be more than ready come August 9th. I’m going to make sure I give the fans a fight they’re looking for.” – Edgar Santana
“I’m feeling great, training camp is going well, we’re ready to fight August 9th.” – Lamont Peterson
Peterson is asked on how he feels about fighting Santana, even though in recent months and after his last fight in January, he stated he wanted to fight Danny Garcia,
“Everyone who interviewed me that night (Previous fight) I let them know I wanted to fight Danny Garcia next because that’s what the fans wanted to see. So for me, if the fans want to see me fight someone, I’m going to push for that fight. That’s what I did but it just didn’t happen, at the end of the day, I’m going to end up fighting and hopefully it can happen next time.”
“It’s boxing, It’s a business so everything has to make sense but again, if I can win this fight, well win or lose, that’s the fight that I want to happen. So of course me winning the fight (Santana) will make it more pleasing because I leave with my title and hopefully we can move ahead and make it happen. It’s really the biggest fight you can make in the weight class (Jr Welterweight 140lbs) It’s the fight the fans want to see at the weight class.”
Santana shares his thoughts on the possibility of a Garcia-Peterson unification, getting this opportunity, and possibly pulling an upset.
“I’m happy to be the one, I guess the picked me out of a bunch. I feel like they committed a big mistake, I’m going to be ready to lay it all on the line. I trained hard, so I’m going to be there to fight, ain’t no doubt about that.”
Shortly afternoon, the Unified Champion is brought on the call after having a media workout day,
“Camp is going tremendous, I’ve been sparring hundreds of rounds, been running my miles everyday. I’m very excited for this fight, I cant wait to be back in the Barclays Center to give the fans my 3rd performance. I had 2 great performances there already with Erik Morales and Zab Judah. I’m really motivated, like I said, August 9th at the Barclays Center its the Danny Garcia purge.”
Garcia is asked a question many people in the boxing community have been wondering. Why is the best Jr Welterweight fighting a guy is not ranked in the division and moving up from Lightweight (135lbs) to which Garcia says,
“At the end of the day, I don’t pick my opponents, my manager Al Haymon does and I never go against him. He picked the Khan fight, he picked the Matthysse fight, he picked the Zab Judah fight, he picked the Herrera fight, he picked all my fights so I never question him about his decisions. I just accept the fight and my job is to train hard, go in there August 9th and give the people at the Barclays Center a great performance and a good fight. At the end of the day my style brings out the best of my opponents, so I’m looking forward to an action packed fight August 9th and I can’t wait.”
He is then asked if he would have preferred a different fight, one such as the unification fight with Lamont Peterson to claim the best at 140lbs,
“At the end of the day, It’s what Al wants because I can say what I want but right now I have August 9th and I can’t look past anybody and same with Lamont Peterson he can’t look past Edgar Santana so at the end of the day we both have to get these victories, so if thats what they want at the end of the year or the beginning of next year then we can do it, a unification bout.”
“I have to go in there and stay smart. I can’t make any mistakes, I have to stay sharp, stay composed. I have to work behind my jab, I have to move my head and I have to go in there seek and destroy and look like a champion.”
Garcia says he feels its important for him to come out looking good and look like a champion August 9th, due to the level of opposition he has in front of him compared to his last couple opponents.
“I’m very motivated, I did everything right this camp, I haven’t made a lot of mistakes sparring and stuff so I’m looking good, I’m looking sharp and come August 9th its going to be another epic performance, I’m going to go in there and try to give my fans a knockout.”
His thoughts on the backlash the fight has been getting thus far,
“That’s the media’s problem! At the end of the day, he has 2 hands, I have 2 hands, we’re going to fight. It doesn’t matter who they put in there. It’s going to be an epic performance August 9th, 2 guys going in there giving their all and It’s going to be a great fight.”
Salka is then questioned on what this does for his career, should he win.
“I don’t care what that would do, I don’t have any expectations other than coming in there and winning the fight. Having any other thoughts like that are only distractions, the goal is to go in there and win the fight.”
“Like he say’s at the end of the day, we’re 2 guys with 2 hands, we’re going to go in there and we’re going to fight. It really doesn’t matter what anybody is saying because that’s the facts. I don’t think there any pressure on him. We don’t even feel pressure going in there regardless, its what we do, we do it everyday, its what we train to do for years. At the end of the day we’re going in there and we’re doing our jobs.”
Oscar De La Hoya then speaks on behalf of a possible Garcia-Peterson fight, should they both win next Saturday.
“It’s a fight that has been talked about, but there’s nothing that we can push for now because Danny Garcia and Salka, as much as this fight has been written about and talked about these are 2 live, willing, hard working and dedicated fighters that are going to give it their all August 9th. So there’s really nothing to talk about, looking ahead. We feel that making this card, putting it together, we’re going to have a lot of shockers, a lot of surprises, a lot of great performances. We’re going to get it all August 9th.”
The Danny Garcia vs. Rod Salka card will take place Saturday, August 9th on Showtime and be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Co-main event will feature Lamont Peterson defending his IBF Jr Welterweight title against Edgar Santana, with Daniel Jacobs and Jarrod Fletcher opening the show, battling for the WBA Middleweight Title.
