Jun

29

Margarito-Williams Interview

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In a highly anticipated match and can’t miss candidate for Fight of the Year, WBO welterweight champion Antonio Margarito will defend his belt against undefeated, No. 1-ranked and mandatory challenger, Paul “The Punisher” Williams in the main event of “Pride N’ Punishment” on Saturday, July 14, in the outdoor tennis stadium at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The 12-round bout, presented by Goossen Tutor Promotions, will be televised on HBO “World Championship Boxing..”

“The winner of this fight is the preeminent welterweight in the world — and that includes (Miguel) Cotto or anyone else in the 147-pound division,’’ promoter Dan Goossen said.

Tickets for “Pride N’ Punishment” are available for as low as $25, with VIP floor seats priced at $300. Other tickets in the bowl are available at $50, $75 and $150 and are on sale at TicketMaster outlets and online at www.Ticketmaster.com, as well as The Home Depot Center Box Office (open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Group tickets are available online at www.aegtickets.com or by calling 1-877-AEG-TICKETS. The first bout will begin at 5:30 p.m. PT.

Begin Opening Comments.

Goossen: I am stranded out in Dallas with the terrible thunderstorms, so I am going to try to make my flight back to L.A., and the quicker that I can do that, the happier I will be because I will be closer to this fight July 14. I think it is a great event, “Pride N’ Punishment.’’ One of the great things this year we have seen are some great anticipated match-ups and this is certainly I think one of the top ones out there. We have had De La Hoya-Mayweather, Cotto-Judah, Hatton-Castillo and coming up July 14, I think at the top of that chain, we have two of the hungriest, in their prime, welterweights in the world – one that we know has been considered the most feared fighter in boxing today, and the other one who wants to show that that title deserves to be on his shoulders. Tickets are going great. There is a lot of anticipation there. It has been great working with Antonio Margarito and Bob (Arum) and I go back many years and have had a good, strong and healthy relationship to make these kinds of fights. As Bob has recently been saying, and as we have been saying for years, this is what boxing needs – the best fights, the most competitive fights. You need two hungry fighters out there that want to go out there and knock the other one out. That is what we have got July 14 with “Pride N’ Punishment.’’

Arum: Dan, in addition to his talents as a promoter, has been trying out as a tight end for the Dallas Cowboys, and he can tell you about how that is going. I am delighted that Dan is on his way back to Los Angeles so he can continue to promote this great fight between Antonio Margarito and Paul Williams. As everyone knows, we as the promoters of Antonio Margarito, think he is an absolute star in boxing. We are very confident. We are very proud of Antonio. We know he will give a great account of himself against Paul Williams, who is one of the top welterweights in the world. So I can certainly recommend this fight to everyone who will be in the Los Angeles area to come out and to watch a great fight.

Margarito: Everything is going great. I have been training two months. Sparring has been great, camp has been great. No excuses. This camp is just positive. I feel very strong and very excited to fight July 14.

Williams: Everybody says that Margarito is the most feared and I want that reputation. I understand the man is a champion, but there is new blood in the sport and it is my time. I feel like it is my time to shine. Here in Puerto Rico, training camp is going real good. I am doing all my exercises and stuff. I am just anxious to get in the ring on July 14 and prove to the world that I deserve to be a world champion.

Begin Press Questions.

Question: Antonio, are you doing anything differently in training for this fight? Does Paul Williams present a different type of challenge for you than some of the other guys who you have defended your title against?

Margarito: We have been doing different things. Not every fighter is the same fighter, so on July 14, you will definitely see a new and different Antonio Margarito.

Question: Paul, what kind of challenge does it present to you to fight a guy like Margarito? Can you compare him to any of the fighters you have fought?

Williams: No sir. Like he said, every fighter fights differently. I am (fighting) the best fighter in the whole world. I am not taking him lightly. I know he has power in both his hands. Anything he brings to us, I am prepared for.

Question: Antonio, have there been any injuries?

Margarito: Camp has been going great. No injuries whatsoever. I am happy, positive, and I am anxious to get in the ring.

Question: Paul, has there been any distractions to take away from the training?

Williams: No injuries or anything. Just going through the pain, blood, sweat and tears. That is all you can go through. It is just a one-night chance. I am blessed and I am happy with the way things are going. We are very confident that we are going to win this fight. You will see some fireworks, believe me. There is going to be another Fourth of July.

Question: Antonio, in your last fight with Joshua Clottey, he seemed to give you trouble in the beginning. Even though Williams is a different fighter and has a different style, is there anything in your training you have done to adjust to avoid any problems coming up again?

Margarito: I do not want to make any excuses, but a lot of different things happened during that training camp. It was not a good training camp. Yes, you did see a rough Antonio Margarito there, but you are not going to see that same person on July 14. You will see a whole different fighter there, a very different fighter.

Question: Antonio, you are not used to fighting fighters who are taller than you. How much is that going to be a factor?

Margarito: It should not be a problem. We have got some sparring. We were able to find tall sparring partners. I have fought fighters that have been somewhat taller, maybe not as tall as Paul, but that should not be a problem. We have been training real hard for this type of fight.

Question: Paul, why at your age and with your experience do you feel you are ready to fight one of the top world class fighters like Antonio Margarito, and defeat him on July 14?

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