DEONTAY WILDER<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\u201cThe reason I wanted this fight is not only do I think Ortiz is one of the best technical fighters in the division, but he\u2019s the boogeyman that everyone is running from. Champions have avoided him and I\u2019ve always said I was the best and this is my chance to prove it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis result isn\u2019t up to anyone but myself. Every time I get under the bright lights, I give the fans what they want to see. This is the best versus the best and that\u2019s what boxing deserves.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had all the excuses in the world to run away from this fight after he failed the test. There are a lot of good, up-and-coming heavyweights out there, but I wasn\u2019t interested in them. This fight is how I prove that I\u2019m the baddest man on the planet.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn March 3, with all the personal things put aside, it\u2019s going to be an honor to fight Luis Ortiz, man to man and father to father. I know that family is his motivation, just like it is for me, and that\u2019s why I blessed him with this opportunity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe exciting thing about Saturday night is for everyone to see what I\u2019m capable of doing. Luis Ortiz is determined to get my WBC belt. This is my seventh defense of my title and I\u2019ve enjoyed every one. It\u2019s a lot of responsibility and I take it seriously. You\u2019ll all see on Saturday night why I\u2019ve said the things I\u2019ve said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone knows what I\u2019m expecting Saturday night. I can\u2019t say it enough. I have knocked every opponent out for a reason. I plan on continuing my knockout streak. That\u2019s what I do and that\u2019s what I\u2019m best at.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the best fight right here in boxing that can be made. It doesn\u2019t get any better than this on Saturday night. You have to be here in person, because you won\u2019t want to miss anything. You never know what you\u2019ll see, but Saturday night will be bombs away.\u201d<\/p>\n
LUIS ORTIZ<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\u201cI never say anything bad about fighters because inside the ring, anything can happen. I respect everyone who steps into the ring. This is my opportunity. This is my time. Deontay is a great champion but this is my chance.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike I always say, this is my time and it\u2019s going to be a great triumph. This is big for all of Cuban boxing and I will make my country proud.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is going to be like two trains on the same track about to collide. I\u2019m going to win and I\u2019m going to take his belt.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not a video game. This is not using controllers. You have to actually step into the ring with me on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
\u201cDeontay is scared. He\u2019s talking a lot of nonsense. He\u2019s worried about what I\u2019m going to do. This is my time. I\u2019m going to show everyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m 100 percent ready to go. Sparring has been amazing and I\u2019m totally prepared for Deontay Wilder. Deontay\u2019s biggest mistake is that he talks too much.<\/p>\n
\u201cI looked into his eyes and I knew that I\u2019m not going to lose this opportunity. I\u2019m going to be the first Cuban and the first Latino born outside the country to win a title. Saturday night will be historic.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe public gave me this opportunity to fight for the title and beat you for your belt. I\u2019m going to make the most of my chance and knock Deontay Wilder out.\u201d<\/p>\n
ANDRE DIRRELL<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\u201cIt was a rocky start for me in our first fight. He caught me with a good shot in the early rounds, but I was able to fight through it. I started to dominate the second half of the fight but he had definitely thrown my game off. I still weathered the storm and made good things happen. This fight is very deserving of a rematch and I\u2019m looking forward to it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis fight right here is one of the beautiful moments we have in boxing. There were two wrongs that night in the last fight. I\u2019m really happy with everyone who has made this rematch and gave the sport what it deserves.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow Jose Uzcategui and myself both have chances to prove ourselves again. This is going to be the worst opportunity of Uzcategui\u2019s life. But it will be the best opportunity for me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is my opportunity to prove all of the critics wrong this time. I\u2019m not the favorite, and it\u2019s a beautiful thing. I\u2019m going to change every single mind on Saturday night. I\u2019m stepping up to the plate, and I\u2019m preparing to hit a home run.<\/p>\n
\u201cVirgil Hunter has definitely helped me with my mental game. We\u2019ve worked on a masterful game plan. Virgil is tough to work with but we did all of the necessary things we had to in order to accomplish what we have to on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe next two years or more will be the best years of my career. I\u2019ve been blessed with an illustrious career. This is a new look for me and I feel good. I have a very tough, hungry fighter in front of me and I can\u2019t wait to prove myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
JOSE UZCATEGUI<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\u201cWe\u2019re not doing anything differently heading into this fight. I\u2019ve put the time in at the gym every day to make sure that the fight ends conclusively this time.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore I even got to the ring in the first fight I felt some animosity from the referee towards me and it kind of led to what happened in the fight.<\/p>\n
\u201cSaturday night you\u2019re not just going to see that I\u2019m a boxer-puncher, but you\u2019ll see my full power on display.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m happy to be in this rematch. I hope that Dirrell brings action like he\u2019s talking about on Saturday. I don\u2019t want to chase him around the ring all night.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m ready to accomplish my dreams, and that involves beating Andre Dirrell more decisively than last night and leaving no doubt at all who the better fighter is.\u201d<\/p>\n
LOU DIBELLA, President of DiBella Entertainment<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\u201cDeontay Wilder put everything aside to face one of the greatest amateur heavyweights in the history of boxing. This fight is happening because Deontay is that good and he\u2019s that proud. Deontay is ready to prove that he\u2019s the baddest man on the planet.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a sensational off-television undercard beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Barclays Center that includes a group of top contenders and prospects. It\u2019s really a loaded undercard from top to bottom.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat great undercard includes a woman\u2019s title fight involving Alicia Napoleon. Everyone involved in this fight has made an effort to have women\u2019s boxing represented on our cards and I\u2019m proud to be able to deliver that for fans.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis will be Deontay\u2019s third defense of his title in Brooklyn at Barclays Center. He successfully defended against Artur Szpilka and Bermane Stiverne, with two frightening knockouts. I\u2019m proud to work with Barclays Center and promote boxing in Brooklyn. This is certainly one of the best venues for boxing in the world and certainly a venue that is dedicated to bringing the fans consistently excellent programming inside the arena.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis fight is getting the kind of reception that it deserves. If you want to get tickets for Saturday night, I would call now because they\u2019re moving fast.\u201d<\/p>\n
STEPHEN ESPINOZA, President Sports & Events Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\u201cWhen we have a fight card like this, the network gets a lot of credit but these fights truly don\u2019t happen unless fighters like Wilder and Ortiz are ready to take the fights.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we announced our schedule back in January, there was one fight that jumped out to everyone, and it was Wilder vs. Ortiz. They have 67 fights between them, 67 wins, 0 losses and 62 knockouts. This is part of what we\u2019re calling \u2018March Madness\u2019 on SHOWTIME. All four heavyweight titles, the top four heavyweights in the world, including Anthony Joshua vs. Joseph Parker on March 31, facing each other this month on SHOWTIME. There hasn\u2019t been a lineup like that put together by any network in the history of the sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe titles are great but these fights are about something else. They\u2019re about legacy. When people look back and ask, \u2018what kind of fighter was Deontay Wilder?\u2019 This is the fight that they will talk about. More important than knockouts and unbeaten records, this is why fighters are remembered.<\/p>\n
\u201cDirrell vs. Uzcategui 2 is good enough to be a main event and they deserve to have a great stage for this rematch. These are the kind of cards that people look back and say, were you there that night? If you\u2019re not watching this card, you\u2019re not a boxing fan. Because this is the best that the sport has to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n
BRETT YORMARK, CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t tell you how excited I am for Saturday night. People are starting to realize how viable this sport is and that boxing is a sport on the rise. We\u2019re thrilled to be a part of it<\/p>\n
\u201cEvents like Saturday in Brooklyn are why this sport is thriving. It features a deep card from top to bottom, 50-50 fights and great fighters with magnetic personalities<\/p>\n
\u201cDeontay, even though you weren\u2019t born in Brooklyn, we do consider you our own. We\u2019re excited to have Luis Ortiz as well, for the first time, on Saturday night. This is a card from top to bottom that\u2019s incredible and I\u2019m thrilled to welcome Andre and Jose to Brooklyn.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe seats are moving really quickly and this should be one of the biggest fights we\u2019ve had at Barclays Center. We\u2019re very excited for this show and look forward to seeing everyone there.\u201d<\/p>\n