Photos: Chris Farina/Mayweather Promotions
Two-division world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia and former world champion Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios went face-to-face for the first time Tuesday at a press conference in Los Angeles to announce their main event showdown taking place Saturday, Feb. 17 live on SHOWTIME from Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
Also in attendance Tuesday were WBC Super Middleweight World Champion David Benavidez and top contender Ronald Gavril, who meet in a rematch of their exciting world title fight from September in the co-feature of the telecast.
Here is what the fighters had to say Tuesday from the Conga Room at L.A. Live.
Danny Garcia: “You have to be focused to succeed in a fight like this and I think Brandon Rios knows that. I’m training hard so I hope he is too. I’m never going to take a fight off…We were both champions at the same time at 140-pounds and we didn’t get a chance to fight then, but it’s all about timing in boxing. Things tend to work out and now we’re ready to go head-to-head. I never back down and I know that Brandon Rios sees that in me. I always come to fight. It’s going to be a great matchup with our styles and our determination.”
Brandon Rios: “Everybody knows my style. I’m not here to dance, I’m coming to fight. I’m going in there with my heart out to show the world that I’m still one of the best out there…I used to not always take training and my weight as seriously as I should have. I was young and dumb and I made mistakes. Those mistakes are in my past and I’m in great shape right now. I’ve been training really hard to have a full gas tank on fight night. I could have stayed retired but I still have it in me and there is still more I can get out of this sport. I truly love boxing and I’m excited to be back in a big fight like this.”
David Benavidez: “I have to make a statement on February 17. I’m leaving Mandalay Bay with the belt on my shoulder. I have to get the knockout and that’s what I’m looking to do…I’m the youngest super middleweight world champion in history and I’m going to show Gavril why. I’m extremely motivated to look even better than last time and get the knockout…I feel like I won the first fight clearly. Gavril thinks he’s going to come and knock me out now, but if he has so much confidence, he should have done that in the first fight. I’m training extremely hard right now to go in there and tear him up!”
Ronald Gavril: “I didn’t think he was as good as people said he was going into our first fight. He hadn’t fought any real fighters, so you saw what happened when he went up against one…I’m going in there to hurt him and win the fight. I’m only thinking about David Benavidez right now. I’m putting everything into this rematch and getting the belt. When I win, the rest will take care of itself.”