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<\/a>Featherweight world champion Leo Santa Cruz and four-time world champion Abner Mares went face-to-face at the final press conference Thursday, two days before they enter the ring for their highly-anticipated rematch this Saturday, June 9 from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.<\/p>\nAlso squaring-off at the final press conference were super welterweight world champion Jermell Charlo and former world champion Austin Trout, who step into the ring on the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast that begins at 10 p.m. ET\/PT (delayed in the West Coast).<\/p>\n
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Ringstar Sports and TGB Promotions, begin at $50, plus applicable fees, and are on sale now. To purchase tickets visit AXS.com or click HERE.<\/p>\n
Here is what the press conference participants had to say Thursday from the Chick Hearn Press Room at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles:<\/p>\n
LEO SANTA CRUZ<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThe first fight was a really good one, but I think this one will be even better. Mares is a great fighter with a great trainer in Robert Garcia, and that\u2019s the kind of challenge I want. We both want to give the fans great fights.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve learned a lot from my last few fights. I\u2019m not coming in here worried about losing, I just worry about giving the fans a great show. If Mares is better than me that night, then he will win. But I\u2019ve worked too hard and I\u2019m going to be at my peak on Saturday night.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that Mares has gotten a lot better. Robert Garcia is a trainer who has brought him up to a different level. He\u2019s made a lot of improvements. I learned from the Frampton fights and my dad is a good trainer too. It\u2019s even all the way around and it\u2019s going to be a great fight.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the winner of this fight will be number one in this division. Gary Russell Jr. is a great fighter and I definitely want a rematch of our amateur fight. But me and Abner put a lot of pressure on our opponents and I don\u2019t think Gary would like the pressure from either of us.<\/p>\n \u201cMy team motivates me every day in the gym. They\u2019re right next to me running every day towards the same goal. That\u2019s what I love about training camp because it makes me work even harder.\u201d<\/p>\n ABNER MARES<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI could stand up here and tell you what I\u2019m going to do Saturday, but you\u2019ve seen the first fight. You know how exciting the first fight was. I have even more to prove and I\u2019m going to leave it all on the line this time.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is going to be an exciting fight. I know Leo has matured as an athlete and fighter by fighting Frampton twice. But if you look at my last couple of performances, they speak for themselves. I think both of us are seasoned and better fighters right now.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no doubt that the winner of this fight is number one in this division. There\u2019s some great fighters at featherweight, but we\u2019re fighting for the top spot in this division.<\/p>\n \u201cOur focus isn\u2019t on looking for a stoppage. That was my mistake the first fight. I tried to destroy him. I\u2019m going to follow instructions and show I\u2019m the better fighter in there.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I win Saturday night, and the fight is just as exciting as the first one, I\u2019m ready for a trilogy. Let\u2019s make it happen.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to fight my heart out and win this fight this time. May the best man win. We\u2019re going to give the fans what they want to see. I\u2019m calling this \u2018Fight of the Year\u2019 guaranteed.\u201d<\/p>\n JERMELL CHARLO<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cMy brother and I have been doing this a long time. Austin Trout has done it a long time as well. I\u2019m hoping everyone gets there early, because I\u2019m bringing excitement to the table right from the start.<\/p>\n \u201cSome critics say that me and my brother haven\u2019t fought the people required to be on the pound-for-pound list. My race to the top continues Saturday night to prove all those people wrong.<\/p>\n \u201cA knockout is possible. If he wants that to be the way it goes, then I\u2019m capable. Derrick and I have a great plan that we\u2019re ready to use. None of our experience in the past matters, we\u2019re both 0-0. Anything can happen on Saturday night.<\/p>\n \u201cI look to do what my brother did against Trout, but way better. If that\u2019s with a knockout or just picking him apart, I\u2019m ready. I\u2019m fighting for a lot more than just a win on Saturday. We\u2019re going to keep shining and do what we have to do.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want everyone to know that my brother and I come from the trenches. We made it this far, so we\u2019re not stopping now. Nobody is standing in my way. I know Trout wants a belt, but this is the wrong belt to go after.<\/p>\n \u201cI have to deal with Austin Trout. Jarrett Hurd is not my focus right now. I definitely want to unify titles soon and I hope he comes out ringside on Saturday night so I can look at him after this fight. Everyone knows what time it is.\u201d<\/p>\n AUSTIN TROUT<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very excited to be here and have another once in a lifetime opportunity. I believe this is destiny. I\u2019m coming into the lion\u2019s den and I\u2019m going to come out unscathed.<\/p>\n \u201cAs great as my win against Miguel Cotto was, I don\u2019t think it compares to this fight here. People complained about Cotto being old after I beat him, but with Jermell, there\u2019s no excuse you can make up. He\u2019s an undefeated world champion, so if I get the win, this is definitely bigger than Cotto.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think he\u2019s overlooking me because I bet his brother told him not to sleep on Trout. Everyone\u2019s going to see what I\u2019ve been saying on Saturday night.<\/p>\n \u201cMy training camp with Barry Hunter was fantastic. We got all the work in that I needed and Barry is someone who always pushes me to be better than I believe I\u2019m capable of.<\/p>\n \u201cI learned from my mistakes when I fought the bigger brother. I\u2019m going to be even better on Saturday and it\u2019s going to be a totally different result.<\/p>\n \u201cFor everyone sleeping on me, you better wake up. It\u2019s going to be an awakening on Saturday night.\u201d<\/p>\n JOSE SANTA CRUZ, Santa Cruz\u2019s Father & Trainer<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNow all there is left to do is wait for fight night. The work up to this point has been done and it has been done well. We are ready to do what needs to be done when the time comes.<\/p>\n \u201cUsually at this point ahead of a fight the biggest feat is to make weight but he had no problem there. Leo was on target weight about a month ago so it\u2019s not something we\u2019re worried about at this point. He\u2019s eating good and maintaining weight well and feeling really strong for this fight.<\/p>\n \u201cLeo is in incredible shape and I am confident he will win on Saturday. I\u2019m sure Abner and his team are going to bring their best and we\u2019re bringing our best too, but on fight night there will only be two who will clash. We\u2019re ready for war.\u201d<\/p>\n ROBERT GARCIA, Mares\u2019 Trainer<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cJust the fact that Abner is in my training camp and we communicate so well, it\u2019s given me a lot of confidence. Everyone has done a great job doing their part in camp and I believe we\u2019ve worked on all the tools we need to defeat Leo Santa Cruz.<\/p>\n \u201cLeo is a great fighter but Abner knows he can win this fight. The confidence he\u2019s gained, and how much more seasoned Abner looks since joining my camp, should translate to a strong performance Saturday.<\/p>\n \u201cThis has been a really smooth training camp and that\u2019s exactly what Abner needed. We\u2019re primed for a big victory.\u201d<\/p>\n DERRICK JAMES, Charlo\u2019s Trainer<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI think that Jermell has shown a great level of maturity while also being an aggressive fighter. He\u2019s also very positive about what he wants to do every day in camp, and in the ring on Saturday.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing able to spar with Errol Spence Jr. every day in camp has definitely helped Jermell. They say it all the time, but iron sharpens iron and that\u2019s the mentality we have to help both guys improve and get to where we know they can get to.<\/p>\n \u201cAustin is a crafty fighter who has a lot of experience and a lot of tools. The most important thing though is that we\u2019re focused on getting Jermell to be the best version of himself on Saturday night.\u201d<\/p>\n RICHARD SCHAEFER, Chairman & CEO of Ringstar Sports<\/p>\n \u201cFinally the wait is over. We waited three years for this rematch. Everyone asked me when this fight was going to happen. Now there\u2019s just two days to go.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know it\u2019s a big fight when you have the fight here at the premier venue in Los Angeles, STAPLES Center. These fighters here deserve it, because they are the best fighters in the sport, regardless of division. They\u2019re going to show everyone on Saturday night why we love boxing so much.<\/p>\n \u201cEach of these fights could have been a main event in its own right. I\u2019m glad that these fighters were okay all being together on an event that really elevates the sport of boxing.<\/p>\n \u201cJermell Charlo is a once-in-a-generation talent in this sport. He has all the skills you need, but also has that one thing that makes you a superstar. He has charisma, and you cannot learn that. However, anyone who is doubting Austin Trout, is making a big mistake. I have no doubt that he\u2019ll be more than ready for this challenge.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been fortunate to follow these main event fighters from their first fight, all the way to now, with them being multiple time world champions and fantastic men outside of the ring. Leo and Abner live the kind of lives that make this sport proud. But on Saturday night, may the best man win.<\/p>\n \u201cSHOWTIME delivers week after week of the best fighting the best. This fight is no different and will be another treat for the fans watching on SHOWTIME who have come to expect these great matchups.\u201d<\/p>\n STEPHEN ESPINOZA, President Sports & Events Programming, Showtime Network Inc.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThese four guys up here have been on SHOWTIME a combined 41 times. That\u2019s a lot and it doesn\u2019t happen by accident. The reason it happens is because these fighters embody everything we want SHOWTIME Boxing to be about. They have some of the strongest resumes in the sport. None of these guys have ever shied away from taking a tough fight. They don\u2019t come with excuses, they want the best and biggest fights. We\u2019 ae proud to have all four of them on SHOWTIME.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now we have a matchup between two of the biggest stars and faces of Southern California boxing. The featherweight division has seen top five fighters on SHOWTIME already this year\u2014This is a rematch between two more of the top 5. In the first fight, they threw a combined 2,000 punches, which I would bet will be matched again on Saturday.<\/p>\n \u201cAustin Trout has been in there with the biggest and best stars in the sport of boxing. But Jermell has quite a bit of momentum. He has four consecutive stoppages, which is very impressive at the championship level. As everyone has said this is another main event quality matchup and I look forward to seeing it on Saturday night.\u201d<\/p>\n