IBF CHAMPION
MARY MCGEE VS. DEANHA HOBBS / CHRISTINA LINARDATOU VS PRISCA
VICOT WBO CHAMPIONSHIP / MELISSA ST. VIL VS JESSICA CAMARA
WBO-NABO CHAMPIONSHIP - FEBRUARY 8
PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES & PHOTOS
THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM, MARY MCGEE: "I AM FEELING VICTORY!
EVERYTHING THAT I SEE IS ME HOLDING ONTO THIS TITLE"
INTERNATIONAL SHOWDOWN – TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT TICKETMEE.COM!
Go Directly to:
https://ticketmee.com/
HAMMOND,
INDIANA (February 6, 2020) – Wednesday's Press Conference for
Saturday's Triple Crown International Showdown was Iconic, yet
courteous! It was the calm before the storm! Ten of the Twelve
female participants were in attendance at the Genesis Convention
Center in Gary, Indiana with some choice words for the media.
Respect and tensions were calm. Friday's weighins may differ as
Fight Night approaches.
Weighin details are below.
McGee House of Champions, in association with DiBella
Entertainment, Team Empire Management, 4 Champs Promotions, LRP
Network, and #NextGenChamp present this International Showdown.
Press Conference Quotes
Jerome Prince, Gary Mayor:
"I am excited to host Mary "Merciless" McGee, one of Gary's own
great fighters here tonight to become one of Gary's premier
stars over the next few years. It is not everyday that we
congratulate a hometown hero who happens to be a world boxing
champion. Gary has a long and rich boxing history including
names like Tony 'The Man of Steal' Zale, Angel 'Got Jesus'
Manfredy, and now the IBF Super Lightweight World Champion Mary
McGee."
"Gary has also been home to some of the greatest sports teachers
including John Taylor, who has been such an amazing role model,
giving freely of his time to make a difference for hundreds of
young people including Mary McGee. For months now, I have called
on people to re-imagine Gary. And to me to re-imagine Gary is to
provide opportunities for all of it's residents. It's for all of
us to join together and to exhibit our very best characters,
abilities, to make this place for all of us to be proud to call
home. From my perspective, and obviously all of yours, Mary has
done just that."
"I would like to thank Lou DiBella, 4 Champs Promotions, the
Mayor. This is definitely a teachable moment for everybody. You
have people from all over the world here in Gary. It's amazing
how people can come together and how boxing brings people
together."
"I want to talk about Mary's unselfishness. She did just win the
title and she could have hogged the spotlight and said 'Just put
me on the card. I'll carry the card. I'll do whatever.' but she
wanted her teammates."
"She is a single mother and I just want the best for Mary. I
want to thank you, from my heart, for bringing your team to
fight on your card."
Kali Reis, Former Middleweight Champion of the World:
"Mary McGee, you have definitely made us proud in the women's
boxing ranks. This is such an amazing time for boxing in
general, especially for women's boxing."
In the Main Event, Mary McGee (26-3, 14 KO) defends her IBF belt
against Australia’s top ranked Super Lightweight Deanha
“Silencer” Hobbs (8-1, 5 KOs).
In the Main Event, Mary McGee
(26-3, 14 KO) defends her IBF belt against Australia’s top
ranked Super Lightweight Deanha “Silencer” Hobbs (8-1, 5
KOs).
McGee:
“I'm excited and I feel good. I just came off of a fight
December 5th, about two months ago. I am still in the best shape
of my life. Actually, I went right back into the gym a week
after the fight."
"I am feeling victory! Everything that I see in my future is me
holding onto this title until I decide to retire."
"It took me 20 years to get my hands on a world title and I am
not going to let it go on my first defense."
"I have a lot of respect for my opponent for coming all the way
from Australia and taking the challenge on me, but this was the
wrong fight for her because she is not getting this belt. The
belt is staying home in Gary!"
"You can watch all the tape, but I fight everyone differently."
"I have got the most experience at this table being that I have
been fighting for over 20 years and I scratched and clawed. I
was hungry to become a world champion. I knocked a girl out in
the last round because I did not want to let a judge get the
opportunity to make their choice. I made my own and brought this
belt back home."
"Expect to see a hell of a fight Saturday night."
Hobbs:
“I am feeling great! I am really honored to be here! First time
seeing snow, so I am loving it!"
"I have trained hard. I am just excited to get out there on
Saturday night and show everyone."
"I have seen a few videos of Mary McGee, so I know what I am
going up against. We've just trained hard and we're ready for
whatever comes at us."
The Co-Main Event will
feature former champion Christina “Medusa” Linardatou (12-2,
6 KOs) in her attempt to regain the WBO Super Lightweight
Championship in a bout opposite Prisca “Die Kriegerin” Vicot
(11-6, 2 KOs) of France.
Linardatou:
“As time goes on, I see that I
am getting more experience. I think I am becoming better and
better and better. But, I am always working hard but experience
is more important."
Vicot:
“We have trained a lot... I am ready and I feel prepared and I
am ready for the fight on Saturday."
The always charismatic Melissa
“Lil Miss Tyson” St. Vil (12-4-4, 1 KO), originally from
Haiti, now residing out of Brooklyn, NY will bang in a 10-Round
Lightweight matchup with Canadian contender Jessica “The
Cobra” Camara (7-1).
St. Vil:
"I always train really hard. I
do not sleep on none of my opponents. We are all female
fighters. We are all fierce... I train to do my thing!
Camara:
"I feel like I am well prepared. My coach tested me to my
max. We are ready to bring our A game on Saturday."
Bantamweight Prospect Ebanie
“Blonde Bomber” Bridges (3-0, 2 KOs), from Australia, makes
her US debut in a 6 Round bout against Crystal “Baby Faced
Assassin” Hoy (6-10-4, 3 KOs) of Kansas.
Bridges:
"I am really excited to be here in the states. It's always my
dream, most people's dream probably not from the states to fight
in America. It's one of the biggest things, everyone knows
America is kind of like the center of boxing so I am really
excited about that."
"For it to be my fourth fight, I think that is pretty awesome as
well. It is hard to get this kind of opportunity so I am
thanking Mary and thanking Brian, my Manager, for making it
happen. I want to go in there and put on a good performance.
With my fights, it's always exciting. I am excited for the 6
Rounds. I have not really gone through many rounds so I am happy
to be in there and learning. Get the W! And do it in a way
everyone can see than I am the Blonde Bomber from Down Under."
"Since I have been here (in America), I've trained with Danny
Davis. I have been learning so much, a few new good tools to my
toolbox. As everyone says, I am a bit of a mexican fighter but I
am learning how to box and use the ring and slip around. When it
comes to Fight Night, I can show some boxing skills as well as
that pure grit fight."
Chicago’s very first female world
champion and heavy-handed boxer Leatitia “Baby Girl” Robinson
(15-1, 9 KOs) makes her return to the ring, after a 10 year
hiatus, in a 6-Round fight with New York’s Claire Hafner
(4-2).
Robinson:
"I feel great! I go into the gym, and go hard, and I go home. On
Saturday, I am definitely going hard and I am not going home!"
Hafner:
"My opponent has not boxed for a while. It has taken some time
and work to get some research on her. Going into this fight,
like I do a lot, I work on my strengths and my boxing and my
game because you want to make sure that you go into the ring and
you do what you do well and you fight your fight. Every fight
that I've had, I have learned something and there is more to
work on, always more to get stronger at and improve. It was a
typical and really good training camp."
Chicago’s Northwest suburban
“Savage” Sarah French (4-2-1) takes on Christina Berry
(Lacrosse, WI).
French:
"I am excited for Fight Night. I am ready to put on a show. It
has been a while since I stepped back in the ring. I am more
excited to be signing with Empire Boxing. I think it is going to
be an amazing team for me to get to know and be a part of. I am
excited to see what the future holds. Come February 8th, you are
going to see me live in action and coming for work as usual."
Additional bouts will include:
World Ranked Super Welterweight Charles Conwell (11-0, 8 KOs) of
Cleveland, Ohio returning to action after his October 12, 2019
win in Chicago over Patrick Day. Day died days later due to
brain injuries sustained in their match
Conwell:
"I am feeling good. It is my first fight back from the incident
in my last fight. I am happy to be on the card with a lot of
great women talent. But I am looking to steal the show. I know
there is a lot of great talent, a lot of world champions. But I
am looking to steal the show and put it on for the men. Bring a
great show to Indiana. And just do my thing."
"in 2020, we are looking to force our way into title contention.
Always looking to put on more great victories. Keep winning.
Keep your nose down towards better and better opposition. Force
my way to a world title and become world champion. Kick the door
in. Make new waves. Bringing in people. Creating opportunity not
only for myself but the people around me to get better and
showing ourselves and our skills."
Chicago’s Destyne Butler (8-0, 5 KOs) battles
Marcus Washington (4-1,1 KO) of Toledo, OH for the American
Boxing Federation (ABF) USA Mid America Title
Washington:
"This will be my sixth fight. I will be fighting for the ABF
title."
"I am just happy to be here. I follow the blueprint of Soul
City. Just coming for mma, they have done wonders with me for my
boxing so I am excited to get in there and put on a good show
for everybody."
Unbeaten Middleweight Isaiah Steen (13-0, 10 KOs) of
Cleveland, Ohio squares off with a an opponent to be named
Steen:
"I am coming to fight. I have trained hard for this fight. I am
ready for whoever. I am just going off of the blueprint."
Indianapolis, IN’s Austin Manning (7-0, 3 KOs) vs.
Tyron Harris (26-14, 16 KOs) of Lansing, MI
Caleb Hernandez (3-0, 3 KOs) of Shereville, IN vs.
Gregory Clark (4-4-1, 1 KO) of Washington DC
Cristian Williams (8-0, 5 KOs) of Crete, IL vs.
Fernando Robles (2-2) of Pearland, TX
Anthony Fleming (1-0, 1 KO) of Hammond, IN vs.
Muhammad Adams (0-4-1) of Cincinnati, OH)
* Bout card subject to change
oxing is BEST seen LIVE!
Special appearances by former WBA Super Middleweight Champion
Alicia “The Empress” Napoleon-Espinoza and former WBC
Middleweight Champion Kali “KO Mequinonoag” Reis.
At this History in the Making Event, Doors Open at 4:00 pm.
Preshow starts at 5:00 pm with First Bell at 6:00 pm.
Hammond Civic Center – 5825 Sohl Ave, Hammond, IN 46320
# # #
WEIGHINS - OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Date: Friday, February 7, 2020
Location: Genesis Convention Center - 1 Genesis Center Plz,
Gary, Indiana 46402
Media Arrival: 11:30 am Central Time
Weighins Begins: 12:00 pm Central Time
# # #
About McGee House of Champions:
An entity created between Mary McGee and LRP Network to level
the playing field for women’s boxing.
It’s focus is on local boxers to provide an opportunity to earn
extra revenue in competition as an affiliate.
An affiliate of McGee House of Champions will use their social
media platform and their growing fan base to earn potential
residual income through marketing commissions to help fund their
boxing career through fight streams and more. Never before have
undercard boxers had the opportunity to earn a percentage of the
Pay-Per-View revenue in any fight.
About Team Empire Management:
An extensive stable of boxing champions, contenders and
prospects started by Brian Cohen of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Cohen has been around boxing his whole life as he received an
early indoctrination into the sport from his father, Ivan Cohen,
who managed former world junior middleweight champion Buster
Drayton. Cohen then embarked in a successful fighting career
that saw him go 15-2 as a professional before transitioning into
managing professional fighters, where he became the preeminent
female boxing manager in the world.
Team Empire Boxing includes world champion Mary McGee as well as
contenders Alicia Napoleon-Espinoza, Kali Reis, Christina
Linardatou, Melissa St. Vil, Ronica Jeffrey, Schmelle Baldwin
and many more…
About #NextGenChamp:
#NextGenChamp was derived from Jay Kemp’s sports involvement –
coaching, to college recruitment, to professional athletic
exposure of the future champion.
With the expertise in marketing of many sports, #NextGenChamp is
designed to discover, educate, and develop tomorrow’s champion,
helping the athlete gain the marketing edge in: Developing
Value, Outright Marketability, Fan Recognition, Sponsorship
Acquisition, Media Attention, Public Relations, Name Branding,
and more…
For more information, visit www.NextGenChamp.com
CONTACT (for interviews, event credentials, questions):
Jay Kemp | NextGenChamp.com
me@jaykemp.com
224.637.3777 (cellular)
312.473.3000 (office)
