Welterweight stars Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter kicked off fight week in Brooklyn Wednesday with media workouts ahead of their showdown for the vacant WBC Welterweight World Championship taking place this Saturday, September 8 live on SHOWTIME from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™ and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features a welterweight title eliminator between Yordenis Ugas and Cesar Barrionuevo and heavyweight action that pits unbeaten Polish slugger Adam Kownacki against former heavyweight champion Charles Martin, all of whom participated in Wednesday’s workout.
The media workout also featured fighters competing in streaming action onSHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING COUNTDOWN (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT) as five-division world champion Amanda Serrano attempts to win a world title in her record sixth weight class when she faces Yamila Esther Reynoso for the WBO 140-pound title.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, in association with DSG Promotions, start at $50 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com, or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.
Here is what the fighters had to say from world famous Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn:
SHAWN PORTER
“This is a huge fight. It’s the biggest fight of my career and my life. I’ve been doing this since I was eight and I can’t think of an opportunity that I’ve wanted more in my life. This is my Super Bowl.
“I’m not looking for any surprises on Saturday. I’m very familiar with his game plan and what he does well. I expect to use my speed, box from the outside, be aggressive and win the fight.
“I think that my ability to mix it up is going to create a problem for him. The variance in my styles and punches is going to be too much for him. I’m going to keep him on his toes, keep him guessing and keep him off balance. That’s the key to winning Saturday.
“The Kell Brook fight is only on my mind because I know that’s a fight someone will watch to try to figure out how to stop me. He’s going to try and hold like in that fight and do it even more than Brook did. Other than that, he has no chance of catching me coming in.
“It’s going to be everything I do that will help me get this win. It’s the work rate, power and a different level of speed than he’s used to. Nobody has my combination of that power and speed.
“I just don’t think Danny can handle me. He says I’m tailor-made for him, but we’ll see on Saturday night.
“Brooklyn is like a second home for me. I’m very comfortable here and I’m excited to perform in front of these great fans yet again.”
CESAR BARRIONUEVO
“My goal is to bring my best possible fight and get the victory on Saturday. From there I’m going right for the WBC title.
“Ugas is a strong fighter who has worked his way to the top of the division. I know that this will be a great fight for both of us. May the best man win.
“I have to leave a good impression in this fight so that I can continue to get big fights here in the U.S. I’m going to show everyone what kind of fighter I am.
“I’m very happy to be in this position, but now it is my job to prove to everyone that I deserve to be right here. We’ve watched some of Ugas, but the most important thing is that I am at my absolute best.”
CHARLES MARTIN
“I’m here to work towards getting my belts back. I’m going to keep working and grind until I’m holding the gold.
“I have the advantage everywhere over Kownacki. I’m just a better fighter but I’m also bigger and stronger.
“We’re just getting everything perfect right now. My team has done a great job getting me here and I feel great. Everything is leading up to fight night in Brooklyn.
“I feel strong and ready. I’m older and wiser now and I’m really taking into consideration what it takes to be a champion. I got a taste of it but next time I’m coming to stay.
“Kownacki is a good fighter. He’s very tough. There are some things we’ve worked on in the gym and we feel prepared for whatever he brings on Saturday.
“When I’m at my best, nobody can beat me. There’s no one in the world who can beat the best version of Charles Martin. I’m the only one that can beat me.”
YAMILLA REYNOSO
“I’m very proud to be in this position. I feel relaxed because I know my team has worked hard to get me to this big fight in the U.S.
“I can box or brawl. I like to keep my options open and see what the fight calls for. I’m here to put on a good show.
“I have studied Amanda Serrano and I feel like I know her well. She’s a great world champion with a lot of experience, but I’m ready for anything she brings.”
