(MAY 2) LOS ANGELES--- On
April 26th, Ryan "The Flash" Garcia (14-0, 13 KO) hosted a media
workout at Legendz Boxing Gym in Norwalk, Calif. ahead of a very
special May 4 edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN at StubHub
Center in Carson, Calif. Garcia will kick off the Cinco de Mayo
festivities as he faces seasoned Puerto Rican contender Jayson
"La Maravilla" Velez (26-4-1, 18 KOs) in the 10-round main event
in the super featherweight division. ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes
will air the fights beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, and
stream live on ESPN3 starting at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
Undercard fighters of the Golden
Boy Boxing on ESPN show were also in attendance. Seniesa "Super
Bad" Estrada (12-0, 2 KOs), who will return in an eight-round
flyweight fight. Marvin Cabrera (7-0, 5 KOs) will participate in
an eight-round super welterweight clash. Garden City, Kansas'
Richard "Kansas Kid" Acevedo (1-0, 1 KO) will fight in a
four-round super welterweight battle.
Here's what today's participants had to
say at the media workout:
RYAN "THE FLASH" GARCIA, Current Junior NABF Super
Featherweight Champion:
"This is going to be an amazing
event. This will be another step in my legacy, and I look
forward to a world-changing fight. It doesn't matter how much
experience Jayson Velez has. I'm going to fight the way I fight,
whether he fought for a world title or not. I'm going to see how
he fights, and I'll know what to do."
"I've noticed that he drops his hand a lot, so I'm going to
feint to the body and catch him with my left hook. This fight is
going to end in the fourth round. I may end it early, but I say
it'll end in the fourth round. The knockout doesn't have to be
with one punch because I also know how to end fights with a
barrage and force the referee to end it. These two belts [NABF
and NABO Super Featherweight Titles] will be on the line, and I
know the the next fight will be for a world title."
SENIESA "SUPER BAD" ESTRADA, Super Flyweight Prospect:
"I train how I always do, no
matter who my opponent is. Of course, it is helpful to know who
I am fighting from the beginning, but either way I'm going to be
very much prepared. It feels great to have young girls following
me. When I grew up, I didn't have many girls in boxing to look
up to. I looked up to Roy Jones, Jr. So I'm happy girls are
looking up to me."
MARVIN CABRERA, Super Welterweight Prospect:
"I know this is an experienced opponent. We're going to take
advantage of this opportunity to fight at StubHub, and we'll do
what we love, which is fighting. Hopefully by the end of the
year I can have my first 10-round fight."
RICHARD "KANSAS KID" ACEVEDO, Welterweight Prospect:
"I'm happy to be working with my new trainers, the Saucedo
Brothers, at Westside Boxing Club. We're great friends outside
the gym, but in the gym, they are my coaches and there is a lot
of respect. I'm excited about fighting on a Golden Boy card.
I'll be going in with everything, and if the knockout comes, it
comes."
(ABOVE: Azat Hovhannisyan talks to the media ahead of his fight
against Rey Vargas for the WBC Super Bantamweight World Title on
May 12 and televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing)
Azat "Crazy A" Hovhannisyan (14-2, 11 KOs) also participated in
the media workout today. Hovhannisyan will challenge Rey Vargas
(31-0, 22 KOs) for the WBC Super Bantamweight Title in the
co-main event of spectacular card at Turning Stone Resort Casino
on Saturday, May 12.
The event is chief support to the
12-round co-main event to Sadam "World Kid" Ali andLiam "Beefy"
Smith for the WBO Junior Middleweight World Championship. The
doubleheader will be televised live on HBO World Championship
Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
AZAT "CRAZY A" HOVHANNISYAN,
WBC Continental Americas Super Bantamweight Champion:
"Ever since I was a kid in Armenia, I was trained to fight with
an exciting style. I had over 200 amateur fights, and that gave
me a lot of experience. I lost my professional debut, but I knew
I was better than that."
"Rey Vargas is a dangerous opponent. He's very tall and long,
but beside that I don't see anything else. I've sparred with a
lot of tall opponents, so I know how they fight, and I'll be
more than ready to beat him. A win over Vargas would not only
mean a lot for me and my family, but also for my entire
country."
GBP on ESPN on May 4:
Tickets for Garcia vs. Velez are on sale now, and are priced at
$75, $50, $25 and $10, plus applicable taxes, fees and services
charges. Tickets can be purchased at goldenboytickets.com,
AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at
StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT
to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777.
For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, call
877-234-8425.
HBO World Championship Boxing on May 12: