{"id":65607,"date":"2017-01-10T21:48:03","date_gmt":"2017-01-11T02:48:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=65607"},"modified":"2017-01-10T21:48:37","modified_gmt":"2017-01-11T02:48:37","slug":"leo-santa-cruz-stuns-media-breaking-boxing-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=65607","title":{"rendered":"Leo Santa Cruz STUNS Media – Breaking Boxing News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Leo\"<\/a>Former three-division world champion Leo Santa Cruz continued to prepare for his featherweight world title rematch against Carl Frampton and hosted a Los Angeles media workout Tuesday before he headlines action on Saturday, January 28 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and live on SHOWTIME\u00ae.<\/p>\n

Also working out for the media at Fortune Gym Tuesday were lightweight world champion Dejan Zlaticanin and former two-division champion Mikey Garcia, who meet in the opening bout on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET\/7 p.m. PT. <\/p>\n

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Ringstar Sports in association with Cyclone Promotions and TGB Promotions, are priced at $504, $404, $304, $204, $104 and $54, and are on sale. Tickets are available at www.AXS.com.<\/p>\n

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

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

\u201cMy dad is my trainer full-time. He\u2019s always been the one who knows how to point out and correct the mistakes I make in training. I think having him full-time will be a big difference. He will push me more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I have to land more clean punches this time. I\u2019m going to work the body more and break him down. I\u2019m going to sit on my punches a lot better. I couldn\u2019t land my punches clearly and with enough power.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited because Las Vegas is like my second hometown. I\u2019ve fought there throughout my career. They give me great support. I know that when I\u2019m tired and hear them scream, it will give me the energy to go the distance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think I had trouble adjusting to fighting on the East Coast. But there aren\u2019t as many Mexican fans over there; so hopefully I will have some more support this time. None of that really matters once we get into the ring though. It\u2019s just me and Carl in there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have the loss in my head. I don\u2019t just want to do it for myself. I want to do it for everyone who has doubted me. Once I prove them wrong and win this fight, then I\u2019ll be proud of myself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to fight like this is for my first world title. I\u2019m going up there as a nobody and I\u2019m going to go make a name for myself. I\u2019m coming with that kind of hunger.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to show everyone what I\u2019ve been working on. I want to prove that I\u2019m better than Carl Frampton. If everything works out, we\u2019ll get the victory.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy fans have kept me motivated and given me the hunger to go out there and reclaim my title. That\u2019s what I want to do. I hope it\u2019s another Fight of the Year, but this time I will get the victory.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel stronger since the last fight and I\u2019ve been preparing for everything. We\u2019re sparring some bigger guys just to keep me prepared. We have strong, fast and heavy opponents. Carl Frampton won\u2019t have anything we aren\u2019t ready for.\u201d<\/p>\n

DEJAN ZLATICANIN<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIf Garcia tries to go toe-to-toe or stay in the center of the ring, I will knock him out. If he tries to jab and move, then I will have to find my way to his head and break him down.<\/p>\n

\u201cTraining camp has been going great. I feel very good. I can\u2019t wait to get in the ring and perform. I\u2019m proud to be on a show like this against a star like Mikey Garcia.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a big deal to be the first boxing champion from Montenegro. I\u2019ve lived the dream that I\u2019ve had since I was a child and first stepped into a boxing gym.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not worried about Garcia\u2019s layoff. That is something he has to worry about. I just have to focus on January 28. I believe that I will be victorious.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of the fans are going to enjoy this fight and they will see me successfully defend my world title.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel great training out here in Los Angeles. It\u2019s totally different from in Europe and this style of working and training has really helped me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI change my style for every fighter. Each fighter is totally different and you can\u2019t fight any two guys the same way. You have to adjust.<\/p>\n

\u201cA champion needs to fight everyone. That\u2019s what I believe. There are some champions right now who do not want to face me.<\/p>\n

\u201cMikey Garcia is already talking about fights with Manny Pacquiao and Vasyl Lomachenko, but he hasn\u2019t gotten past me. He has a big test in the ring and I am going to stop him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am very motivated by Garcia talking about future fights. I will show everybody that the talk means nothing. They will see everything in the ring.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cI\u2019m picking up right where I left off. My second fight back and I get to fight against an undefeated world champion. The quality of Zlaticanin means a lot more to me than picking up a world title. I\u2019m super motivated for this win and to make this a great year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a big opportunity for me. It\u2019s a very dangerous fight. That\u2019s why I took it. These are the kind of challenges that I want. I\u2019m ready to prove to everybody that I\u2019m back right where I belong.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not overlooking Zlaticanin, but everybody else seems to be. People ask me about what I\u2019d want for future fights, but I know how dangerous this guy is. Anything could happen. But I know that I have what it takes to beat him. He has power, but I also have power. The best man is going to win that night.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecoming an undefeated world champion like my opponent doesn\u2019t come easy. It happens for a reason. He may be not as known to the casual fan, but anybody can tell you how dangerous he is. Some people think it\u2019s a little too much for me right now. But I\u2019m ready to prove everybody wrong and take on this challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to prepare for anything. I\u2019m not there to dictate pace or anything, I\u2019m there to make sure I win at all costs. I\u2019m ready to fight any style and beat Dejan on January 28. This is a great way to get back in the position I want to be in.<\/p>\n

\u201cI expect him to come in and try to knock my head off. He\u2019s a power puncher and that\u2019s what he does. If he wants to pressure me, I\u2019ll be ready for that.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never felt like I left. I was inactive from fighting but I never stopped training. The intensity is fully picked up right now. This is my job and this is what I need to do to win this fight.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m ready to turn up the notch and focus in on having a great training camp. I have a great team and we\u2019ve had quality sparring. It\u2019s been a fantastic camp.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have all of the elements here for a great fight. My opponent is hungry, he\u2019s ready and undefeated. I\u2019m more motivated than ever. So you know it\u2019s going to be a great fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

RICHARD SCHAEFER, Chairman & CEO of Ringstar Sports<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe first fight between Santa Cruz and Frampton was, in my opinion, the Fight of the Year. We have two other world title fights on this card and top to bottom it\u2019s one of the best cards I can remember. I\u2019m going to make sure I\u2019m in my seat early.<\/p>\n

\u201cMikey Garcia has the potential to become the biggest superstar in the sport. He has a great personality and can really fight. All the ingredients are there. Here he has a very tough fight though. Zlaticanin is the \u2018King Kong\u2019 of Montenegro. He\u2019s a dangerous puncher and it\u2019s going to be a great fight.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great card but if I had to pick one fight to steal the show, it would Zlaticanin vs. Garcia. That is going to be a spectacular knockout, one way or the other.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe main event is as good as it gets. It\u2019s going to pick up in round 13. Leo knows that he has to make adjustments. He knows he wasn\u2019t at his best the first time. He was out of his comfort zone and had distractions. If Leo is properly prepared physically and mentally, then he should come out victorious.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeo knew as soon as the results were read that he wanted the rematch. That\u2019s the kind of mindset he has. He knows that he\u2019s a better fighter than he showed in July. He knows what he needs to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy becoming Fighter of the Year, and everything that comes with it, Frampton is flying high. This is a guy who is now a pound-for-pound great fighter. He worked all his life for that spot and he doesn\u2019t want to give it up. For the UK fighters, fighting in Las Vegas is the pinnacle of the sport. I think there will be a lot of Irish people there and I just can\u2019t wait for the first bell to ring.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cI feel really good. My cancer is dormant right now and I feel like I\u2019m recuperating and getting back to my normal self. I\u2019m making sure that everything is fine and I\u2019m doing well with the doctors. Right now everything on the health forefront is good.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am happy to be part of Leo\u2019s training camp again. I think that was the major difference in his last fight. I\u2019m back pressuring him again and making sure he keeps the pressure on his opponent. I think my presence in the gym reminds him of the work he needs to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeo wasn\u2019t defending the way that he should have in the last fight, he kept throwing punches without blocking. He was throwing sluggish, slow punches. I\u2019m getting him back on point and making sure that he doesn\u2019t let up.\u201d<\/p>\n

ROBERT GARCIA, Garcia\u2019s Brother & Trainer<\/p>\n

\u201cDejan Zlaticanin is a very strong fighter, not only physically, but mentally. We\u2019re training like never before. We\u2019ve been training hard for two months and preparing for a really tough fight. This fight is a big fight and it brings even bigger ones after.<\/p>\n

\u201cMikey wants these big challenges. Zlaticanin is a polished champion with tremendous power. The challenge is ahead of him. There are so many big names at lightweight and other weight classes. His goals are to get there, and it starts with this fight.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a few years since Mikey\u2019s last fight in Las Vegas so it\u2019s really exciting to be on the card headlined by Frampton-Santa Cruz 2. We know it\u2019s going to be a huge crowd and they\u2019ll be supporting Mikey. Plus, with all the Frampton fans that will be there, we know that it\u2019s going to be an incredible atmosphere. Mikey knows this is the beginning of huge things. After this, Mikey will be the one headlining.\u201d<\/p>\n