Boxing News Boxing News
Many of the principal fighters on Saturday’s “Viva Don King” world championship card in Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on WealthTV at 8 p.m. ET/PT participated in a media workout today in Dania Beach, Fla.
Guillermo “El Felino” Jones (37-3-2, 29 KOs) will defend his WBA cruiserweight title in the main event against WBA No. 14-ranked Mike Marrone (20-3, 15 KOs), from Vero Beach, Fla.
“I’m actually very relaxed during this fight week as I’ve done all my work and now I know what I am going to do,” Jones said before his workout. “My message to Mike Marrone is simple: Don’t make it harder than it has to be. Don’t make me hurt you more than I have to. Don’t be too brave.”
USBO junior middleweight champion Joey “Twinkle Fingers” Hernandez (19-1-1, 11 KOs), a Miami native, will take on Elco “The Animal” Garcia (25-7, 12 KOs) with the vacant WBC U.S. super welterweight championship on the line.
“Elco Garcia is a typical Mexican fighter in that he comes right at you,” Hernandez said. “His problem is that he is one-dimensional. That’s perfect for me. I’m too young, too fast and explosive for my opponent. This fight will not go the distance.”
WBC No. 1-ranked cruiserweight Francisco “The Wizard” Palacios (20-1, 13 KOs), a Puerto Rican now fighting out of Orlando, Fla., will face Joell Godfrey (13-4-1, 6 KOs), from East St. Louis, Ill., in a match scheduled for eight rounds.
“I feel I’m in better shape than my last fight, which was for the WBA championship against [Krzysztof] Wlodarczyk [in Poland where Palacios suffered a controversial and disputed split-decision loss],” Palacios said. “I was expecting my first child before the fight—my boy was born on the day of the fight—so I don’t have any personal distractions for this fight.
“It looks like I will be the first person to stop Joell Godfrey on Saturday night. That’s my goal and what I plan to do.” Palacios added: “I can’t wait to face the winner of Wlodarzcyk versus Green on Nov. 30. That is when I will win the world championship. It’s wizard time.”
Emerging super lightweight Angelo “La Cobra” Santana (11-0, 8 KOs), a Cuban defector now living in Miami, will defend his WBA FEDECARIBE title against Broderick Antoine (11-11-1, 5 KOs), from Troy, N.Y.
“I am getting stronger with every fight,” Santana said. “I am inspired right now because the media in Las Vegas really liked my performance in my last fight, and my promoter Don King is getting excited about me. La Cobra is ready to strike!”
Tickets priced at $154, $104, $64 & $34* are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. All seats are reserved. *Additional fees may apply.
