{"id":61553,"date":"2016-07-13T19:38:16","date_gmt":"2016-07-14T00:38:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=61553"},"modified":"2016-07-13T19:39:32","modified_gmt":"2016-07-14T00:39:32","slug":"leo-santa-cruz-mikey-garcia-ivan-redkach-stun-media-in-attendance-at-press-conference-breaking-boxing-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=61553","title":{"rendered":"Leo Santa Cruz, Mikey Garcia & Ivan Redkach Stun Media in Attendance at Press Conference – Breaking Boxing News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"image004\"<\/a>Photo Credit Esther Lin\/SHOWTIME<\/strong><\/p>\n

Two of the most popular Los Angeles-based fighters, featherweight world champion Leo Santa Cruz and former two-division champion Mikey Garcia, took part in a media workout on Tuesday at City of Angels Boxing Club in Los Angeles, Calif. as they prepare to make a cross-country trip to Brooklyn for their respective Saturday, July 30 showdowns at Barclays Center and live on SHOWTIME\u00ae.<\/p>\n

Santa Cruz will defend his title against Irish superstar Carl Frampton in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING\u00ae beginning at 9 p.m. ET\/6 p.m. PT.<\/p>\n

The undefeated Garcia will return to the ring after a two-and-a-half-year layoff to fight former world champion Elio Rojas in a 10-round bout while 154-pound contenders Tony Harrison and Sergey Rabchenko meet in a 12 round IBF Jr. Middleweight eliminator in the televised opener. The telecast will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).<\/p>\n

Also in attendance at the workout was promising lightweight contender Ivan Redkach, who takes on Tevin Farmer in the opening bout of SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET\/PT). Additional action on July 30 will feature an all-Brooklyn welterweight battle between two-time world champion Paulie Malignaggi and Gabriel Bracero in the main event of a SHOWTIME EXTREME doubleheader.<\/p>\n

Here is what the participants had to say Tuesday:<\/p>\n

LEO SANTA CRUZ<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cMy dream is to be the next big thing in boxing. We\u2019re going to work hard every day in the gym, learn from our mistakes and improve so I can be the best fighter out there. With the help of the fans and the media I think I can accomplish that.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has great skills, great punches and he moves very well. It\u2019s going to be a tough fight for me but I\u2019m going to work hard to defend my belt.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see Frampton as someone trying to come and take away everything I worked hard for. I can\u2019t let that happen. I\u2019m going to do what I have to do to get the win.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a very skilled fighter. He has great power and I think it\u2019s going to be an exciting fight. These are the kind of guys I want to fight. It gives me even more motivation to get in the gym and train hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve known Mikey Garcia from the amateur days and our families have sparred with each other. I\u2019ve even trained with Robert Garcia before. To see another great Mexican fighter go over to New York is very exciting. I\u2019m very happy for him. He\u2019s a great guy and a great fighter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Frampton will keep his power up the weight classes. He couldn\u2019t make 122-pounds anymore and he\u2019s said that he will be even stronger this time. That\u2019s good. That\u2019s what I want. I want him to feel good so it\u2019ll be a tough and entertaining fight.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t let him come over to the U.S. and get this win. We\u2019re going to go out there and see if he can bring the best out of me. I\u2019m going to be one-hundred percent ready.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m comfortable at 126-pounds. I want to get this win against Carl Frampton and then unify against Gary Russell Jr., Lee Selby or any of the champions. When my body is ready we\u2019ll move up in weight to seek another world title.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I first started boxing all I ever thought about was being a world champion one time. Then after I got there I started pushing my goals. If I continue to keep learning and improve as a fighter, I could go all the way up to 140-pounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m thrilled to be fighting in New York. It\u2019s going to be my first time out there. I\u2019m excited to meet new fans. The people who have wished I would fight in New York will get to see me. There are people that don\u2019t know me and this my opportunity to be impressive and put on a show for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

MIKEY GARCIA<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a well-rounded fighter. I can adjust to just about any style. I get a lot of diverse sparring so that I can adjust to anything Rojas might bring. Training camp has been going very well and I think it\u2019s going to be a good night for me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen Rojas before. I saw him when he was champion. He\u2019s a good fighter with a lot of experience. He can definitely box and has a good right hand. He lost his title to a great champion. He\u2019s very skilled and experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth of us are boxers and we tend to try to work from a distance. This time I may have to look for the fight a bit more and apply some pressure. If he tries to box around, I\u2019ll find him. I think my power will eventually be the difference and I\u2019ll break him down.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t believe there will be ring rust because I was never really outside of the ring. I\u2019ve been in the gym the whole time, sparring and training. I would spar 10 or 12 rounds, just to do it. Not because I had a fight, but just to keep me active. I know it seems like a long time, but I don\u2019t really see it. I feel like I was gone six months.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to fight at 135 and fight for a title there. I\u2019m going to see how my body feels after this fight, but that\u2019s the plan as of now. We\u2019re not looking past Elio. I definitely want to get back in the ring soon if everything goes right.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no regrets. I\u2019ve got to enjoy myself more than I had in the last 10 years. When you\u2019re in boxing, it\u2019s a year round sport. You don\u2019t have time to yourself, for your family or friends. You miss out on a lot. I learned a lot in my time away about boxing and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will end up being about a seven-week training camp, but even prior to that I\u2019ve been staying in the gym. I don\u2019t feel any different. I feel one-hundred percent. My body is well-rested which makes me hungrier and more motivated.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve fought in New York before and it\u2019s always been a great and very supportive crowd. I was at Barclays Center for the first time on June 25 for Thurman-Porter and it was a great arena. It had great energy and I can\u2019t wait to fight there. I can\u2019t wait to fight at Barclays.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great to be in the gym with all these different types of fighters that my brother trains. I have a lot of very intense sparring. I\u2019ve gotten a chance to really learn from the different styles and it definitely helps me.\u201d<\/p>\n

IVAN REDKACH<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an excellent fight for me. I\u2019m closing in to a title shot and I\u2019m going to be ready on July 30.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a plan for this fight. You\u2019ll see it in the ring. I\u2019m going to make this an exciting fight.<\/p>\n

\u201cA title fight is my motivation but my focus in fully on July 30. Everything I\u2019ve done is to lead up to a world title fight.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that my opponent is slick and very fast. He\u2019s a good boxer but we\u2019ll see what he brings to the ring.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my first camp with Leo Santa Cruz and his team and it\u2019s been going very well. I feel very prepared to fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

ANTONIO SANTA CRUZ, Leo\u2019s Brother & Trainer<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThis camp feels very close to the same as usual. My father (Jose) is usually the one who tells us what to do. I\u2019m in the ring with Leo but he\u2019s still there. He is sick but he is still going to the gym. He wants to be there for Leo.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrampton is a good fighter. He\u2019s going to give my brother a good fight. Short guys are tougher for Leo so we\u2019re making sure we have sparring with fighters of all heights. Frampton won\u2019t be hard to get inside but his height could pose a problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a little bit more pressure on me. I\u2019m trying to show my father that I can learn and help Leo be at his best. I think he\u2019s going to have a great night.\u201d<\/p>\n

JOSE SANTA CRUZ, Leo\u2019s Father & Trainer<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI feel good. Right now I\u2019m going to the gym every day. Leo looks good in the ring and is training very well.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle by little Antonio is learning and even I\u2019m still learning. We\u2019re both getting better as trainers and that is our goal, to be great. I feel the love from my sons and I love them a lot too. I\u2019m proud of them and I\u2019m proud that they are my sons.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeo is very calm. I don\u2019t think Leo is going to be affected by traveling to New York. Even if he doesn\u2019t have the majority of the fans, I don\u2019t think it will affect him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou never know how it\u2019s going to go on fight night. You can prepare in the gym, but sometimes, once you\u2019re up in the ring, a fight can get complicated.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if I can\u2019t make it to New York, I\u2019m going to watch the fight. Even if it\u2019s with one eye open, I\u2019m going to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n

ROBERT GARCIA, Mikey\u2019s Brother & Trainer<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cMikey definitely wants to win a title at 135-pounds. There are some good champions out there but not necessarily a huge name. Eventually Mikey would want to go up to 140-pounds where I believe there are a lot of exciting fights that could be made.<\/p>\n

\u201cElio is a fighter that has been off for a while and he\u2019s a former world champion. He\u2019s also trying to come back and make a statement. We have to be prepared for the opponent to be at the top of his game.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow that he\u2019s got a date and with the training and sparring, Mikey has been looking really good. It\u2019s been a while. We might see a little bit of rust, a little bit of adjustment to timing. But the way he\u2019s been in the gym, against top quality fighters, he\u2019s been looking so good that I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if he put on one of his best performances.\u201d<\/p>\n