http://www.fightnews.com/fightnews_2...lTkvejJUA.html
http://www.fightnews.com/tonypeter1.jpg
PETER TONEY PRESS CONFERENCE
Compared to the turbulent press events leading up to the fight, Wednesday's pre-fight press conference was a sea on tranquility as far as James Toney and Sam Peter were concerned. The SHOWTIME-televised fight takes place Saturday night at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The bout is a WBC heavyweight eliminator, as well as for the NABF and IBA belts. Peter was very brief in his comments. "Everybody should come out on Saturday and watch a great fight....enough respect!" he proclaimed. Toney stated, "All the talkin' that's been going on the last couple of months is going to cease and desist Saturday night because I'm going to be right there. I'm not going nowhere. That's how I fight. I'm a real fighter -- something you ain't used to. Toney closed with "I'm the only heavyweight champion out there. The other four don't even count."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was the event's organizers issuing the biting comments. In regard to Peter's promoter Dino Duva, Toney's promoter Dan Goossen stated "I don't like him right now. I'm sure he doesn't like me. I'm not going to do the right thing for him, I'm saying that publicly." Duva quipped, "Thank you Dan. I never liked you." Ivalyo Gotzev (Peter's manager) said "If it was up the promoters, I believe this fight would have never happened. It happened because of the two warriors involved." Gotzev claimed after Peter agreed to fight Toney, promoters Duva, Goossen and Don King all rejected the fight. Goossen objected to this saying "I don't want lies out there." Gotzev continued saying that he went to Toney's gym and met Toney advisor John Arthur to get the fight done. "I've got to give James Toney personally credit for taking the fight when his own promoter didn't want to make it." Goossen responded, "I appreciate Ivalyo making sure this fight happened because it's exactly what we wanted."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Freddie Roach implied that Peter is a dirty fighter. "Peter's best punch is the overhand right to the back of the head. That's what he's knocked most of his opponents out with and I'm glad we have a strong referee (Raul Caiz Sr.) and a strong commission to not let that illegal blow go....that's all I'm worried about." Toney and Peter faced off for photographers without incident.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Earlier, both IBF featherweight champion Eric Aiken and Robert Guerrero promised victory. Aiken, who goes by the moniker "Mighty Mouse," was somewhat peeved when Goossen (who promotes Guerrero) introduced him as "Mickey Mouse." Goossen said it was a slip. Goossen said he expects a big crowd despite the holiday weekend.
Bookmarks