Garcia believes he will own the crowd

Danny Garcia’s stock has risen dramatically since he knocked out Amir Khan in the fifth round in July 2011 in a junior welterweight title unification fight. Prior to that, he was not well-known. Now, he’s a significant name in the sport.

It could be that’s why Garcia believes he will have more fan support than Zab Judah on Saturday when they square off in the main event at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. That’s going to be a tough one to pull off because Garcia is from Philadelphia and Judah was born and raised in Brooklyn.

“I’m ready to take over Brooklyn,” Garcia said.”I guarantee I have more fans than Zab has coming to the fight.”

One thing Garcia has going in his favor is that he is of Puerto Rican descent and there is a large Puerto Rican population in New York City.

Garcia, 25, is 25-0 with 16 knockouts. Judah, 35, is 42-7 with 29 knockouts. The Golden Boy Promotions card will be televised by Showtime.

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Fighters predict Mayweather-Guerrero winner

Reporters often give predictions for an upcoming fight. Fighters like to do that as well and it’s interesting to see what some of them think about the May 4 welterweight title fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on Showtime pay-per-view).

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, who this past Saturday unified the super welterweight division with a decision over Austin Trout, is leaning toward Guerrero.

“Robert Guerrero has a great opportunity to win,” Alvarez said. “He’s hungry for glory and will try everything to get the victory. I am picking Guerrero.”

Danny Garcia on Saturday will defend his two junior welterweight belts when he takes on Zab Judah at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. He was adamant in his forecast.

“Floyd Mayweather all the way,” Garcia said. “Robert Guerrero is a good fighter. He earned his shot, but Mayweather is the star.”

Abner Mares of Hawaiian Gardens is moving up in weight to challenge Daniel Ponce De Leon for his featherweight title on the undercard of Mayweather-Guerrero. He, too, is going with Mayweather.

“Floyd Mayweather is such a talented fighter, and he backs it up,” Mares said. “He talks a lot, but he backs it up. I know Robert Guerrero is hungry and determined, but wanting a win doesn’t get you a win. It’s about what you can do inside the ring, and that’s why Mayweather will win.”

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Donaire has shoulder surgery

Nonito Donaire received a few boos when he talked about needing to get his shoulder fixed in a post-fight interview following his unanimous decision loss to Guillermo Rigondeaux in their super bantamweight title unification bout April 13 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

It sounded like Donaire was making excuses for his defeat, but he assured everyone he was not. That said, he indeed had surgery to repair his right shoulder and he told several news outlets it went well.

“It’s just tender, totally tender,” Donaire told ESPN.com on Tuesday. “I’m trying to stretch it out and I’m in physical therapy, trying to get it stretched out and get the shoulder back to normal.”

Donaire said he could return to training in seven weeks.

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Guerrero responds to Mayweather

On Tuesday we wrote about Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his thoughts on Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero being arrested for criminal gun possession at JFK Airport in New York in March.

“This is a religious guy, you know,” Mayweather said. “He’s preaching how he’s supposed to be a role model. … He’s contradicting himself. Big-time hypocrite.”

That comment is going to be heard on tonight’s “All Access: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” episode at 10 on Showtime. Guerrero, who May 4 will challenge Mayweather for his welterweight belt at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on Showtime pay-per-view), responded during a conference call Wednesday.

“We’re all hypocrites,” said Guerrero, a devout Christian. “If you are a perfect person, really, you wouldn’t need Jesus Christ.”

Guerrero said Mayweather not knowing that shows he doesn’t spend much time reading the bible.

“For him to call somebody a hypocrite,” Guerrero said, “is just laughable.”

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Stiverne vows to ‘chop’ Arreola’s ‘head off’

When Bermane Stiverne began to speak at Wednesday’s final news conference promoting his heavyweight title-elimination bout Saturday against Chris Arreola at Citizens Business Bank Arena (on HBO), he spent the first couple of minutes thanking everyone for this opportunity.

Then the soft-spoken Haitian got downright mean.

“I’m calm and everything,” said Stiverne, who moved from Haiti to Florida when he was 11, eventually landing in Canada. “But if anybody was to cut me and see what’s inside of me. …”

Stiverne (22-1-1, 20 KOs) took some breaths, as if he was having difficulty getting out the words.

“Saturday night, I’m not here to knock you out, Chris,” he said, looking at Arreola on the dais. “I’m here to chop your head off. I will chop your head off. That’s what we do, where I’m from.”

Arreola (35-2, 30 KOs) actually welcomed that kind of talk.

“I’m a crazy (expletive) guy,” Arreola said, looking at Stiverne. “I like the fact that you want to chop my head off. It’s an honor, honestly. I’m right with you. Boxing’s about trying to knock somebody out. We ain’t here to throw jabs and 1-2 and run. This is not happening right here. This is a fight.”

Arreola turned his attention back to the reporters in front of him.

“He already made it a fight just by his words,” Arreola said. “Chop my head off? That got my attention. That’s good. I’m happy. Now I’ve got a fire in my belly more than I had before.”

Arreola turned his attention back toward Stiverne.

“Honestly, I’m going to (expletive) you up,” Arreola said.

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Judah: ‘Two birds with one stone’

It’s no secret that Angel Garcia talks a lot of trash as father and trainer of junior welterweight champion Danny Garcia, who Saturday will defend his two belts against former two-division champion Zab Judah at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (on Showtime).

Let’s just say that Angel Garcia rubs a lot of people the wrong way. The way Judah sees it, he can take care of both of them in a few days.

It’s called killing two birds with one stone,” Judah said. Angel Garcia’s a trainer. He’s a father. He’s the older man. I respect my elders.At the same time, I can’t get in the ring and fight Angel Garcia. What do I do? I fight. I knock people out. I can’t do that with Angel.  I am going to knock Danny Garcia out and watch Angel come in there and pick him up.”

Judah, a 35-year-old southpaw, is from Brooklyn. The former junior welterweight and welterweight champion is 42-7 with 29 knockouts. Garcia, 25, of Philadelphia, is 25-0 with 16 knockouts.

This fight is being staged by Golden Boy Promotions.

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Mayweather disses Guerrero

Don’t miss Wednesday’s third episode of “All Access: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” at 10 p.m. on Showtime.

One of the topics will be the recent arrest of Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero, who will challenge Floyd Mayweather Jr. for his welterweight title May 4 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on Showtime pay-per-view).

Guerrero was arrested late last month at JFK Airport in New York for having a gun in his possession. He is facing a total of four charges that could mean prison time if convicted.

It was a surprising development because Guerrero is such a devout Christian. In an interview with this newspaper, his boss – Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer – suggested Guerrero had the unloaded weapon because he likes to target practice. But Mayweather is not going to let him off that easily.

Here is one of the excerpts from Wednesday’s show.

“This is a religious guy, you know,” Mayweather said. “He’s preaching how he’s supposed to be a role model. … He’s contradicting himself. Big-time hypocrite.”

Mayweather did two months in jail in 2012 for a domestic violence conviction.

Guerrero, 30, is 31-1-1 with 18 knockouts. Mayweather, 36, is 43-0 with 26 knockouts.

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Goossen: Tyson, Arreola similar

Now that heavyweight contender Chris Arreola finally has started to train the way a world-class fighter should, his promoter is boasting big about what Arreola can bring to the ring.

This past Tuesday, at an Arreola workout at Warzone Boxing Club in Rancho Cucamonga, promoter Dan Goossen was so stoked about the way Arreola looks, he might have gotten a bit carried away in his assessment of Arreola.

“I was talking to the guys with HBO today about it,” Goossen said of Arreola, who Saturday will take on Bermane Stiverne of Canada in a title-elimination bout at Citizens Business Bank Arena (on HBO). “I was saying that he’s a guy that single-handedly can bring the excitement back into the heavyweight division. Why? Because he’s got all the elements that Mike Tyson had, OK? You wanted to see a Tyson fight to see how he could destroy someone, and Arreola’s that type of fighter.
“You know you’re not going to see him jabbing and countering. He’s going to go out there and just look to fight hard. He’s going to look to go out there and knock you out. That’s what the fans want to see. That’s what gets their juices going.”

Goossen went deeper.

“And then you throw in the other side of the coin, where Tyson had that personality where you never knew what was coming out of his mouth; he’d say some outrageous things,” Goossen said. “Well, you never know what’s going to come out of Chris’s mouth; he also says outrageous things.
“You’ve got a very similar parallel to those two guys and I just believe now Chris has that state of maturity that he knows he’s gotta look like this to be able to compete with anybody in the heavyweight division.”

Arreola, 32, is 35-2 with 30 knockouts. Stiverne, 34, is 22-1-1 with 20 knockouts.

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Top Rank reserves September date for Bradley-Marquez

Top Rank Inc. has requested that Sept. 14 at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas be reserved for a welterweight title fight between champion Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez, Keither Kizer, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, said via email Tuesday.

If this fight comes to fruition, that means a fifth fight between Marquez and Manny Pacquiao wouldn’t happen this year.

Lee Samuels, a Top Rank spokesman, said he wasn’t certain how close his boss – Bob Arum – is to formally announcing Bradley-Marquez.

Bradley, of Palm Springs, is coming off a unanimous decision over Ruslan Provodnikov in a vicious 12-round fight in March at Home Depot Center

Marquez, of Mexico City, knocked out Pacquiao in the sixth round this past December in his most recent start.

Bradley, 29, is 30-0 with 12 knockouts. Marquez, 39, is 55-6-1 with 40 knockouts.

For those wondering why Arum reserved this fight for Thomas & Mack Center, rival Golden Boy Promotions already has the MGM Grand reserved for Sept. 14. That request was made by Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, presumably for Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s second fight of this year. Mayweather is defending his welterweight belt on May 4 at MGM Grand.

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Nevada HOF event to be part of Mayweather-Guerrero weekend

Floyd Mayweather Jr. will defend his welterweight belt against Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero on May 4 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Those attending the event will have a chance to get close to some other big-shots in the game two nights earlier, on May 2.

That night the recently established Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame will play host to “A Night With Boxing Legends” at 7:30 p.m. at Diego’s Mexican Cuisine at MGM Grand. Seating is limited, but tickets can be purchased for $20 by going to www.nvbhof.com; remaining tickets can be purchased at the door for $25.

Among those expected to speak are first-year inductees trainer Freddie Roach, three-time world champion Mike “The Body Snatcher” McCallum, referee Joe Cortez and commentator Al Bernstein. They are also expected to sign autographs. There will also be a Q & A session featuring those four along with two NVBHOF board members – referee Richard Steele and former bantamweight champion Wayne “Pocket Rocket” McCullough.

The Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame was established this past fall by longtime commentator Rich Marotta.

Mayweather-Guerrero will be available on Showtime pay-per-view.

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