Liakhovich to Face Briggs, Diaz to Square Off With Angulo on Saturday, Nov. 4, At 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING From Chase Field, Phoenix, Ariz.

SERGEI LIAKHOVICH (23-1, 14 KOs):

“I will test Brigg’s chin. We“ll see what he’s got.”

“I’m a fighter. I need to feel my opponent out first before I do something different.”

“Look who Briggs has fought. He has knocked most of them out, but, to me, it means nothing.”

“I have improved mentally since the (Lamon) Brewster fight.”

“I don’t care about what Briggs said about my boxing. But, when he starts talking trash about me, I don’t think it’s professional.”

“If Briggs wants to fight me in the street, I am willing.”

SHANNON BRIGGS (47-4-1, 41 KOs):

“My career has been on and off since 1999. Sparring has not been available to me. There aren’t a lot of heavyweights down in Florida. It was also a money issue.”

“Liakhovich is a mental case. I see him get frustrated. He has short arms for a guy with a 74-inch reach. I can outbox this guy.”

“I know I can hurt Liakhovich. If I see an opening, I am going to take it.”

“This is the most I have sparred since 1995 or ’96 when I was with Teddy Atlas.”

“I think I did a great job at pissing Liakhovich off and getting under his skin. I wanted to get into his head psychologically.”

“Liakhovich is a great fighter, though.”

“I have never taken acting lessons. I have been acting stupid all my life.”

“I sparred 110 rounds for this fight, and sparred against three guys a day.”

“This is the opportunity of a lifetime. When Shannon Briggs is the heavyweight champion of the world, it is going to be a great thing for boxing.”

JUAN DIAZ (30-0, 15 KOs):

“This summer, I took a speech class, and it has helped me when I go up to speak at the podium and speaking with the media.”

“I am an aggressive fighter. I am going to try to box Angulo up close.”

“Angulo has a similar style to Ricardo Mayorga. He throws punches from every angle.”

“I am going to try to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in government in December 2007. Then, I want to go to law school. Someday, I want to be the mayor of Houston.”

“Evander Holyfield has been coming by the gym in Houston. He is a really down to earth guy. We grew up the same way. We are both really close to our mothers. We both are as successful as we are because we had someone who loved us and was strict.”

“I am not the type of fighter that depends on boxing. If I still feel good in a few years, I will continue to box. If not, I will concentrate more on my studies.”

“It is going to be the same feeling when I graduate from college as when I became a world champion. My mom is going to get a lot of satisfaction out of seeing me graduate. I will be the first in my family to graduate from college.”

FERNANDO ANGULO (18-3, 12 KOs):

“When I was 13 years old, I saw a film of Muhammad Ali fighting. Then, I started to box at age 16.”

“I never liked the amateurs, so I wanted to turn pro. I knew I would fight for a world title someday.”

“Diaz is a boxer who punches a lot. He is not a hard hitter. He confuses people a lot with the speed of his punches.”

“I am a more technical fighter than Diaz.”

Officials Announced For Sergei Lyakhovich – Shannon Briggs Showdown

Arizona State Boxing Commission:
John H. Montano, Director Of Boxing
Mary Rose Wilcox, Chairwoman; Commissioners: Richard Saunders and Lionel Ruiz
Ringside Physicians: Drs. Charles Howard, Andrea Herbert and Robin Macdougall

WBO Heavyweight Championship: Lyakhovich vs. Briggs
Supervisor John Duggan, Ill.
Referee: Bobby Ferrara, Arizona
Judge: Denny Nelson, Minnesota
Judge: Jose Rivera, Puerto Rico
Judge: Chris Wilson, Arizona

WBA Lightweight Championship: Diaz vs. Angulo
Supervisor Noah Reandeau
Referee: Raul Caiz Jr., California
Judge: Luis Pabon, Puerto Rico
Judge: Raul Caiz Sr., California
Judge: Gerald Maltz, Arizona