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Samuel Peter, 29-1 (22):
When you were down did you think you were done?
“No, no. I am the champion and I needed to defend my belt. When I went down I knew I had to stand up. I broke my left hand during training camp and both of my hands were hurting me tonight. I did not over look Jameel McCline. I am going back home to bring the WBC heavyweight championship back to Africa.”
Jameel McCline, 38-8-3 (23):
Were you happy with your performance tonight?
“Not really. I wasn’t happy with my performance. I could’ve finished him, I should’ve finished and I didn’t. I thought I had him. He got away and that is why he is still champion. I will tell you this; Samuel Peter is a great champion.”
Daniel Santos, 31-3-1 (22):
“It was a good fight and he’s a hard puncher. He hit me with some good shots early, but my conditioning was so good, it wasn’t a problem. Our game plan was to take him into deep water in the later rounds and that’s what I did.
“Now I am the mandatory challenger to new WBA super welterweight champion Joachim Alcine. If he’s ready, I’m ready to do it tomorrow.”
Jose Antonio Rivera, 38-6-1 (24):
“I had good moments early, but I was unable to explode the way we did in the gym leading up to the fight. I stayed in the same rhythm and was unable to pick it up. He had a field day with me. Daniel fought a great fight. I was in great shape. I did my best. You have to tip your hat to Daniel Santos tonight.”
Andrew Golota, 40-6-1 (33):
“Kevin surprised me. He was faster than I thought he would be and he didn’t get tired. I proved tonight that I can still fight with anyone.”
Referee Arthur Mercante Jr:
“Kevin was winded. He took a lot of shots. He can fight on another day.”
Kevin McBride, 34-6-1 (29):
“No, I didn’t think the referee should have stopped it, but I was having trouble seeing out of my eye. He really didn’t hurt me until the end. I thought that I had him out in the first round. It was close. I’m okay now.”
Kali Meehan, 33-3 (27), and who lost his father-in-law, Moana Fetelika, to liver cancer on Thursday:
Were you fighting for your father-in-law tonight?
“To be honest, it is the fifth anniversary of my auntie’s death, a good friend of mine died in an accident in September, and my father-in-law died on Friday. Sometimes these things make a difference. I was never going to lose this fight. I felt better tonight than I did the night I almost stopped Lamon Brewster [for the WBO heavyweight championship].
“When I fought Hasim Rahman at Madison Square Garden, I was fighting injured and I was intimidated. After all, it is the Garden. I was not intimidated at all tonight. I knew just what to do.”
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Barry Jordan from the New York State Athletic Commission:
“It was a severe knockdown [of Williamson] at the bell in round six. Even though he got up at the count of 10, he was not fully recovered.”
DaVarryl Williamson, 24-5 (20):
“I was told the stoppage came from a higher authority at the New York commission. Of course I thought I could go on.”
Bermane Stiverne, 13-1 (13):
“I felt good tonight. I will never let what happened to me against Demetrice King in my last fight ever happen again. The referee stopped that bout too soon. When I step in the ring, I come to hurt you now. Demetrice King needs to step back into the ring with me so we can finish what we started.”
