(MAR 25) I want to thank Bernie [McCoy] for acknowledging that this is a great fight. I'm confident the fans will not be disappointed, although I can't say the same for Brooke. I will beat her just as I did the first time. As far as not being a "hometown" decision, I'd like to remind her that she was announced as "Chicago's own" which was only minutes away from where we fought. Also, I had absolutely no ties to the promoter. In fact, I have no ties to any one promoter and I think everyone in boxing knows that by now.

I have a lot of respect for Brooke as a fellow fighter and as always I pray for a good fight and that we both go home safely to our families.

Lastly, I don't believe that this title is "minor" or "irrelevant". The WBC is the most highly regarded sanctioning body in the world and rightly so. This title means something not only to me, but to the people of Mexico. The WBC ultimately enabled me to provide the schools in Barrio de La Cantera in Zacatecas, Mexico with computers for each child. Some of these kids in rural Mexico have never even seen a computer. The smiles on their faces at the thought of the endless opportunities that awaited them was priceless.

Last November the Governor of Zacatecas honored me with an outstanding achievement award not only for my role in sports, but for humanitarianism. If not for the WBC none of this would have been possible. They are well known for their role in charity work and for speaking out for the rights of female fighters in Mexico. The WBC titles stand for more than just boxing, which seems so trivial in comparison to their role outside the ring. Never the less, on April 4th I will proudly leave the ring with my hands raised as the WBC International Lightweight Champion.