Fighters competing on the Gervonta Davis vs. Leo Santa Cruz SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) undercard previewed their respective matchups at a final press conference Wednesday before they square off this Saturday, October 31 from Alamodome in San Antonio in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
The press conference featured unbeaten San Antonio native and WBA Super Lightweight Champion Mario âEl Aztecaâ Barrios and hard-hitting Ryan âCowboyâ Karl, who meet in the co-main event, plus former super lightweight world champion Regis âRougarouâ Prograis and unbeaten contender Juan Heraldez, who square off in in a 10-round showdown, and lightweight contenders Isaac Cruz and Diego Magdaleno, who battle in an IBF title eliminator to kick off the pay-per-view.
MARIO BARRIOS
âIâm super excited to be back home for my first title defense. Come Saturday night, itâs going to be an explosive night of boxing throughout this whole card. Iâm trying to steal the show in the co-main event.
âI donât feel any pressure. Iâm fighting at home and defending my title, so itâs just a dream come true. You have an Aztec warrior and a Texas cowboy going at it. I couldnât imagine a better co-main event.
âWe had another great camp with Virgil Hunter in California. Iâm excited to continue to show everyone why Iâm the best in my division.
âRyan definitely comes to fight. Heâs known for being a pressure fighter. Iâve always considered myself a boxer-puncher. Iâll try to use my jab and fight from the outside as much as I can. But Iâve been known to brawl on the inside as well. Itâs going to end up being a fan-friendly fight.
âIâm a complete fighter. I have the speed and power. I also have height and length. I carry my power throughout twelve rounds. Iâm a dangerous fighter from the opening bell until the very end.
âYouâre going to see a completely different fighter on Saturday night. My last fight I showed the warrior that I am, and during the championship rounds, I made big things happen. Saturday night, Iâm going to show everyone how Iâve improved.â
RYAN KARL
âYouâre going to see a great fight on Saturday. We are going to steal the show, because Iâve come prepared. Iâm at my very best and itâs going to make me victorious. We put the work in. Iâm going to seize this opportunity now that I have it.
âIâm not worried about getting a knockout. I just have to be victorious and become champion. Nothing else matters.
âIâm healthy and injury free now. Itâs been over two years since I could say that. Itâs a new start in a way. Iâm listening better and my corner is the best itâs ever been. I expect it to be a very explosive and exciting fight.
âIâve known Barrios since the amateurs, but it never crossed my mind that weâd fight because he was much smaller than me then. Heâs matured and gotten a lot bigger now, so Iâm anticipating heâll bring the fight to me on Saturday.Â
âI come to fight, Iâm rough and ready and Iâm coming to win any way possible. It doesnât matter to me. Iâve never been in a boring fight. Win, lose or draw, youâll always get your moneyâs worth.â
REGIS PROGRAIS
âIâm excited to be here. Training has been amazing. I just want to go out there and prove that Iâm still the best at 140 pounds. I was number one for a long time. This is the first step toward getting my belts back. Iâve been training differently than ever before. Iâm really living like a fighter right now. I just have to go out and do what I know I have to do.
âI need a stoppage or a shutout. Thatâs what Iâm looking for. Heâs an okay fighter. I donât want to degrade him too much, because I just feel like Iâm the better fighter.
âThis is my first step toward proving Iâm still the best. You sit and go over the fight a million times in your head and it usually never goes that way. Iâm just going to do me and show the world that Iâm still here. I train too hard not to be number one. I donât want to be behind anybody.
âWeâre all going to do our thing Saturday night. Itâs a huge stacked card. Order SHOWTIME PPV and watch me mess Heraldez up.
âIâm just taking it one fight at a time right now. The landscape in boxing changes all the time. Iâm not worried about anything else other than Juan Heraldez.â
JUAN HERALDEZ
âIâm going to go out there and show everyone what the sweet science is all about. Itâs about hitting and not getting hit. Thatâs my game plan.
âI believe that my style is exactly what boxing is all about. I have more advantages in my game than he does. Iâm going to make sure that everyone sees it on Saturday night.
âPrograis had his chance to be elite, now itâs my time. He fought Taylor and lost. I didnât really even watch more than a couple of rounds of that fight though, because Iâm a completely different fighter than him.
âPrograis is a step up on paper, but all that goes out the window once weâre in the ring. Itâs about boxing skills and toughness. Iâve been boxing all my life, so I donât think Iâm stepping up to him.
âI can box and I can punch. Thereâs not going to be anything else that needs to be said or done. This fight is going to prove to everyone that I have great boxing skills. Itâs going to put me in a position to earn respect, win belts and make more money.
âI donât think heâs going to be able to land clean shots on me because of my defense. Youâll have to ask him afterwards how hard I punch. I know his eye was really swollen after his last fight. Plan on seeing him look the same on Saturday.â
ISAAC CRUZ
âIâm very happy to be here in San Antonio. Iâve been doing a lot of sparring for this fight, especially against southpaws. Iâve sparred over 200 rounds so I will be at my very best on Saturday night.
âI came to fight, I came to steal the show, and I came for the victory. I donât need to talk too much. I can talk with my fists on Saturday.
âIâm very prepared to give Diego Magdaleno a great fight. Iâm a classic Mexican fighter who keeps coming forward. I throw a lot of punches and I donât break down after the early rounds. I love to give a good show.
âIâm facing a good fighter with a lot of experience. Heâs had a lot of tough fights, but we came very well prepared to take the victory with us.
âAfter this fight, people will not be able to forget my name. Iâm ready to keep giving more and more in the future.â
DIEGO MAGDALENO
âIâve fought in Texas so many times and I love fighting in front of these real fight fans. This started back in February when I kicked off 2020 with a roar. I was one of the last fights with a crowd, and now Iâm back here with a crowd again. Iâm relishing in the energy of this event.
âItâs my birthday and Iâve never felt this great. The whole world is right in front of me and I just have to go out and grab it.
âIâm bringing something huge on Saturday. Youâve never seen Diego on this much âfuegoâ before. I never stopped believing in myself and thatâs why Iâm here today.
âI know I have to stay focused and stick to the game plan. Iâm going to be true to myself. I have to be smart and everything else will be taken care of.â
LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions
âSince we first started Mayweather Promotions weâve promoted over 20 pay-per-view fights, and I have to say that from top to bottom, this is one of the most stacked undercards weâve had. That will bring nothing but excitement for the fans come Saturday.
âThe opening fight is an outstanding lightweight fight with Isaac Cruz taking on the always exciting Diego Magdaleno in a title eliminator in one of boxingâs hottest divisions.
âThen we roll into former world champion Regis Prograis, who is always in entertaining bouts, taking on Mayweather Promotionsâ own unbeaten Juan Heraldez. These guys have gone back and forth during the promotion. Heraldez has told me he thinks Regis is an average fighter, and Regis has talked his trash too. They get to settle it on Saturday night. This has the potential to steal the show.
âThe co-main event is an all-Texas showdown with Mario Barrios against Ryan Karl. This will definitely be an exciting bout. They both have highly respected trainers in Virgil Hunter and Ronnie Shields. So you know they will be extremely well prepared. From top to bottom we have a very entertaining undercard, so make sure to tune-in Saturday night.â