BERMANE STIVERNE AND DEONTAY WILDER TALK TRAINING CAMP AND THEIR PLACE IN HEAVYWEIGHT HISTORY BEFORE THEIR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SHOWDOWN ON SATURDAY, JAN. 17 AT MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA LIVE ON SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®

 

ALL ACCESS FULL EPISODE

"This is Judgment Day for him ... I'm going to hurt him, bad. Really bad. " - Bermane Stiverne

Click Here To Watch, Embed Or Share This Video: http://s.sho.com/1AwE0hQ

 

Photo Credit: SHOWTIME

"One man has the hype, the other the belt. But you need both to make heavyweight history." - ALL ACCESS: STIVERNE VS. WILDER premieres tonight, Friday, Jan. 9 at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT during SHOWTIME^® Free Preview Weekend and immediately preceding the first SHOBOX: The New Generation of 2015 (Redkach vs. Amidu, 11 p.m. ET/PT; Live on SHOWTIME).

Take a peek behind the scenes of Bermane Stiverne and Deontay Wilder's training camps in advance of their WBC Heavyweight World Championship showdown. Get into the action with this full episode of ALL ACCESS, and don't miss the United States' most anticipated heavyweight battle in a decade on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT; live on SHOWTIME."

# # #

"RETURN TO GLORY":  STIVERNE VS. WILDER, a 12-round fight for Stiverne's WBC Heavyweight Championship taking place Saturday, Jan. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions.  In the 12-round co-feature, unbeaten WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz defends against Jesus Ruiz and undefeated Amir Imam meets Fidel Maldonado Jr.in a 10-round super lightweight bout. The event will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., and will air live on SHOWTIME^® (10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (8:00 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

For more information visit www.donking.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com andwww.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BStiverne, @BronzeBomber, @SHOSports and @MGMGrand and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing, or visit SHOWTIME Boxing Blog athttp://theboxingblog.sho.com/.

WBC SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION LEO SANTA CRUZ L.A. MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES AND PHOTOS

Popular Unbeaten 122-Pound World Champion Defends Against Jesus Ruiz in Co-Feature on Saturday, Jan. 17, Live on SHOWTIME®  From MGM Grand in Las Vegas; WBC Heavyweight World Champion Bermane Stiverne Risks Title Against No. 1 Contender Deontay Wilder  In Main Event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® Tripleheader Tickets on Sale Now!!! CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS PHOTO CREDIT:  Craig Bennett - Hoganphotos/SHOWTIME   CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. (Jan. 8, 2015) - Undefeated WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo "Terremoto" Santa Cruz (28-0-1, 16 KOs) of Los Angeles participated in a jam-packed open media workout Thursday at Who's Next Boxing Academy as he continues to prepare for his title defense against Mexico's Jesus "Estrella" Ruiz (33-5-5, 22 KOs) onSaturday, Jan. 17, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The 12-round, 122-pound world title fight will serve as the co-feature of a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader highlighted by the eagerly awaited heavy-duty showdown between WBC Heavyweight World Champion Bermane "B. Ware" Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs), a Haitian native fighting out of Las Vegas, and unbeaten knockout specialistDeontay "The Bronze Bomber" Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala. In the opening bout of the Jan. 17 telecast, promising world-ranked and undefeated super lightweight Amir "Young Master" Imam (15-0, 13 KOs), of Albany N.Y. will face hard-hitting Fidel "The Atrisco Kid" Maldonado Jr. (19-2, 16 KOs) of Albuquerque N.M., in a 10-round match. Tickets for an event co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions are on sale and priced at $500, $350, $250, $125 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of four (4) at the $50 price range.  To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.  Tickets also are available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Santa Cruz worked out for 45 minutes on Thursday. He shadow-boxed, hit the mitts, did calisthenics, jumped rope and did stretching exercises as live Norteno music blared in the background. Below is what the champion Santa Cruz, his father/trainer Jose Santa Cruz and his brother/co-trainer Antonio Santa Cruz said at the workout:   LEO SANTA CRUZ, WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion "Right now I am focused on this fight. I want to get this fight over with and get the win. We trained really hard to get this fight. Ruiz is a great fighter, a tough fighter. I think he has fought for a world title already. I know he always comes prepared to win and give a great show.   "Ruiz has fought good fighters and shown that he has talent and determination. I don't take him lightly or any other fighter. Sometimes the fighters they say are lazier are the ones that give you a tougher fight and a loss.   "I feel bad for all the people talking, but if they were in my shoes they would understand. I want the Rigondeaux fight, but the promoters have not come to an agreement. If it was up to me, I would fight him whenever. I am tired of people telling me that I am scared. I am looking for that fight as soon as possible, he is not invisible. I think I have a chance to beat him. I know he is a tough fighter, but that's what we are here for, to fight the best.   "We are going to keep pushing for a fight with Abner Mares or Rigondeaux, have the promoters make that fight as soon as possible, so all the fans can be happy.    "I think if I can fight Mares, it will be a big pay-per-view event here at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.   "Having my father as my trainer is the best for us. We do get into arguments, but they never last too long. Maybe one day we will get mad at each other, but then we talk as if nothing happened. I always try and concentrate and listen to him the best I can. He is the one I have always worked best with. There is more communication with him.   "My family is small so we always went into the gym together; we live in the same house together. We have always been together. We go fishing together, bowling, everything.   "I think because of my family support and my friends I have been able to stay calm and patient. I think of all the positive things and what I want to do to give a better fight."     JOSE SANTA CRUZ, Father and Lead Trainer "All of Leo's fights are always different. He never does the same thing over again. When it comes to training, there are small details we change, but nothing major. We might do weightlifting this camp, and not do weightlifting last camp, just stuff like that.   "Leo and I have an understanding that whoever we are fighting, we train for 100 percent all the time. The fact he is not fighting Mares or Rigondeaux, those are down the road and will happen. A fight with Rigondeaux does not excite me though because I know when he feels pressure or the heat, he is going to grab hold or run. I am not interested in fighting him. I would like to fight Mares or whoever else though, no problem. I do not like Rigondeaux's style and neither does the public. The only ones who want that fight are the Rigondeaux camp and his fans.   "Leo is a great kid; he respects me, looks up to me and listens to me. That is why I am here training him. This is what Leo wants. I know there are better trainers than me out there, but this is what Leo likes and what he wants and it has been working out.   "I am not surprised my sons are fighters. I knew they would all be good great fighters. What I am surprised about is how the fans and the public have received the Santa Cruz family and especially the way they appreciate Leo.   "Since day one, when Leo started training at 8-years-old, the people and I saw that Leo had what it took. He was already beating little kids in the gym. I knew he would be something special. I knew that more about Leo than any of this other brothers. Leo is known for his volume punching but he is a good technical fighter too.''     ANTONIO SANTA CRUZ, Brother and Co-Trainer "There is no difference in Leo's training for this fight. He always trains the same way. He trains very hard. We will teach him more combinations, but that is really it. "I have been an assistant trainer for almost three years. My father has been Leo's main trainer since the beginning.   "My father got my brothers and me into fighting. When he first came to the United States, he went to a boxing gym and from there, he started to like it. He used to say that as soon as he had a kid, 'I am going to put him in boxing.' I'm the oldest, so he put me into boxing first.    "I am not surprised at Leo's success, but very happy.,We have a good working relationship; he is very good at listening to me and taking orders.''   # # # SHOWTIME Sports® will present ALL ACCESS: STIVERNE VS. WILDERtomorrowFriday, Jan. 9 at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME. "RETURN TO GLORY":  STIVERNE VS. WILDER, a 12-round fight for Stiverne's WBC Heavyweight Championship taking place Saturday, Jan. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions.  In the 12-round co-feature, unbeaten WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz defends against Jesus Ruiz and undefeated Amir Imam meets Fidel Maldonado Jr. in a 10-round super lightweight bout. The event will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., and will air live on SHOWTIME® (10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (8:00 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). For more information visit www.donking.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com andwww.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BStiverne, @BronzeBomber, @SHOSports and @MGMGrand and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing, or visit SHOWTIME Boxing Blog athttp://theboxingblog.sho.com/.

HISTORY OF WBC HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS

FIGHT FACTS, STATS AND A WHOLE LOT MORE Bermane Stiverne to Defend WBC Heavyweight World Title Against Unbeaten Sensation and No. 1 Contender Deontay Wilder, Saturday, Jan. 17 Live on SHOWTIME® From MGM Grand in Las Vegas Tickets on Sale Now!!! NEW YORK (Jan. 8, 2015) - In the most anticipated heavyweight fight in the United States in a decade,WBC Heavyweight World Champion Bermane "B. Ware" Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs), a Haitian native fighting out of Las Vegas, will make his first defense against the confident, undefeated knockout specialist Deontay "The Bronze Bomber" Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., in the explosive main event of a televised tripleheader on Saturday, Jan. 17, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.  Below are some facts and stats on the WBC Heavyweight World Championship: When Stiverne knocked out Chris Arreola on May 10, 2014, he became the first Haitian-born prizefighter and 22nd boxer overall to capture the WBC Heavyweight World Championship. Wilder, if triumphant, would become the first undefeated American heavyweight to capture a world title since Riddick Bowe won the WBC, WBA and IBF titles in 1992. Wilder also would become the 13th U.S.-born boxer to win the WBC title and the first since August 2006. Hasim Rahman was the last American to hold the WBC belt.  The last American to hold any version of the heavyweight title was Shannon Briggs, who captured the WBO title in November 2006 and lost in his first defense. At six-foot-seven, Wilder would join Vitali Klitschko as the tallest WBC Heavyweight World Champion; the tallest heavyweight world champion was seven-foot-tall Nikolai Valuev, a former two-time WBA belt-holder who is also the heaviest (323 pounds) world champion in history. The initial nine WBC heavyweight champions were from the United States, beginning with Sonny Liston, who in July 1963 became the first WBC champion.  Following Liston were Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Leon Spinks, Ken Norton, Larry Holmes, Tim Witherspoon and Pinklon Thomas. On Nov. 22, 1986, 20-year-old Mike Tyson of the U.S. became the youngest ever to capture the heavyweight title when he knocked out Trevor Berbick, who had defeated Thomas.  Other WBC heavyweight champions from the U.S. include James "Buster" Douglas,Evander Holyfield, Bowe, Oliver McCall and Rahman. The only Jamaican-born boxer to become the WBC champion was Berbick, who also was the first heavyweight outside of the U.S. to capture the WBC crown. There have been two WBC heavyweight champions from England -- Lennox Lewis, three different times and Frank Bruno. There was one fighter from Ukraine, Vitali Klitschko, who held the WBC belt on two occasions, one fighter from Russia, Oleg Maskaev and one from Nigeria Samuel Peter. Lewis is the only three-time WBC Heavyweight Champion. He made 14 successful defenses in his stints as champ. Ali, Foreman, Tyson, Klitschko and Rahman were two-time WBC heavyweight champs. Ali (two tenures) made a total of 19 successful title defenses. Holmes, with 16, had more successful title defenses than any one-reign champ; Klitschko had a total of 10, Ali had nine WBC world title defenses two separate times; Tyson, Lewis and Klitschko retained the title nine times once. Interestingly, the feared Liston had zero defenses of the WBC heavyweight title, the same number as Spinks, Norton, Witherspoon, Berbick, Douglas, Bowe, Bruno and Peter.  Two boxers were stripped of the WBC title - Spinks (March 1978 for failing to defend against mandatory challenger Ken Norton and Bowe (December 1992 for not making a mandatory defense against Lewis). The WBC title was vacated twice (Holmes in December 1982) and Tyson (in September 1996). Two boxers retired as WBC Heavyweight Champions, Lewis in February 2004 and Klitschko twice, in November 2005 and December 2013. With the exception of Liston, all the U.S.-born WBC Heavyweight Champions were promoted at one time by Don King. Stiverne-Wilder will be 135th WBC Heavyweight World Title fight; 95 of them have taken place in the U.S., including 40 in Nevada (WBC heavyweight title fights have emanated from 20 different countries). Overall, this will be the 300th WBC title fight in Nevada. # # # SHOWTIME Sports® will present ALL ACCESS: STIVERNE VS. WILDER on Friday, Jan. 9 at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME. "RETURN TO GLORY":  STIVERNE VS. WILDER, a 12-round fight for Stiverne's WBC Heavyweight Championship taking place Saturday, Jan. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions.  In the 12-round co-feature, unbeaten WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz defends against Jesus Ruizand undefeated Amir Imam meets Fidel Maldonado Jr. in a 10-round super lightweight bout. The event will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., and will air live on SHOWTIME® (10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (8:00 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). Tickets for the event are on sale and priced at $500, $350, $250, $125 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of four (4) at the $50 price range.  To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are also available at www.mgmgrand.com orwww.ticketmaster.com. For more information visit www.donking.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com andwww.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BStiverne, @BronzeBomber, @SHOSports and @MGMGrand and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing, or visit SHOWTIME Boxing Blog athttp://theboxingblog.sho.com/.

Stiverne Primed to Hurt Wilder

LAS VEGAS (January 7, 2015) - World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champion Bermane "B. Ware" Stiverne (24-1, 21 KOs) has trained to hurt, not just knockout, undefeated, mandatory challenger Deontay "The Bronze Bomber" Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs), January 17 in his first defense of the Vitali Klitschko-vacated title he captured last May with his sixth-round technical knocked of Chris Arreola (35-4). The 12-round Stiverne-Wilder championship fight headlines "Return To Glory," co-promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Don King Productions, airing live on Showtime Championship Boxing (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) from MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Much of the fight hype has surrounded the trash-talking Wilder, the 2008 Olympic Bronze medalist from Alabama, and his bid to become the first American to hold a portion of the world heavyweight title since Shannon Briggs more than eight years ago. "No, it (Wilder's trash talk) doesn't bother me," Stiverne said. "I'm focused on beating him. I'm not going to just knock him out, I'm going to hurt that kid.   His job, I guess, is to make himself big by talking; I feel like I'm fighting Muhammad Ali (Stiverne joked). He's a great promoter, better than his or my promoter. There's a lot of hype about him and that's great for our fight because it'll come down to everybody knowing who beat him after the fight." Wilder's critics question the quality of his 32 opponents and the fact he hasn't fought past four rounds. Stiverne, though, is happy to let his fists do the talking when he faces the 6' 7" Wilder in the ring. "I don't say anything about who he's fought or him not going past four rounds," Stiverne explained. "Those questions should be directed to him. I really don't care. I'm going to chop him down and, if those things are factors, it'll show in our fight. I'm just doing my job. I've been down and came back to knockout my opponent. I've also won 12 rounds fights. I know I still have power in later rounds." Stiverne (R) explodes on Arreola - (photo courtesy of Naoki Fukuda) "Bermane and I have discussed this fight, of course, and he told me this guy is a clown and that Wilder thinks this is the WWE," Stiverne's manager Camille Estephan commented. "This fight is for real, no joke, and Bermane is ready. He really dislikes this guy and I believe him when he says he's going to hurt Wilder." For further information visit www.eottm.com, or follow on Twitter @eotmvd and @BStiverne.

ALL ACCESS: Stiverne vs. Wilder Premieres Friday/SHO Free Preview Weekend

ALL ACCESS BONUS FEATURE "We got the antidote for Bermane.  He ain't nothing but a two-trick pony." - Deontay Wilder ALL ACCESS: Stiverne vs. Wilder Premieres This Friday, Jan. 9 at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT During SHOWTIME® Free Preview Weekend Click Here To Watch, Embed Or Share This Video: http://s.sho.com/1tKnPOB   Deontay "The Bronze Bomber" Wilder is on a mission to hear "AND THE NEW" WBC Heavyweight World Champion when he challenges defending champ Bermane "B. Ware" Stiverne on Saturday, Jan. 17, live on SHOWTIME from MGM Grand in Las Vegas.  Check out this ALL ACCESS: Stiverne vs. Wilder bonus clip and don't miss the premiere this Friday, Jan. 9,at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT during a Free Preview Weekend on SHOWTIME.   During the Free Preview Weekend SHOWTIME is available to over 70 million households.   For additional details and a full schedule of programming, go to SHO.com/freepreview. # # # Stiverne vs. Wilder, a 12-round world championship bout for Stiverne's WBC Heavyweight World Title, is co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions. Unbeaten WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz defends against Jesus Ruiz and undefeated junior welterweight Amir Imam meets Fidel Maldonado Jr. in the co-featured bouts. The event will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., and will air live on SHOWTIME (10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (8 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). Tickets for the event are on sale and priced at $500, $350, $250, $125 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of four (4) at the $50 price range.  To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available at www.mgmgrand.com orwww.ticketmaster.com. For more information visit www.donking.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BStiverne, @BronzeBomber, @SHOSports and @MGMGrand and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing, or visit SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com/.

WBC SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION LEO SANTA CRUZ TO DEFEND AGAINST JESUS RUIZ; TALENTED AMIR IMAM RISKS UNDEFEATED RECORD AGAINST FIDEL MALDONADO JR. SATURDAY, JAN. 17, LIVE ON SHOWTIME ® FROM THE MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA IN LAS VEGAS

In The Most Important Heavyweight World Title Fight in the U.S. in Years, Lethal-Punching WBC Champion Bermane Stiverne Puts His Title on the Line  Versus Unbeaten No. 1 Mandatory Challenger, Deontay Wilder In the Main Event of a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Tripleheader  Tickets on Sale Now!!! LAS VEGAS (Jan. 2, 2015) - Crowd-pleasing WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo "Terremoto" Santa Cruz (28-0-1, 16 KOs) puts his title and unbeaten record on the line in a 12-round bout against Jesus "Estrella" Ruiz (33-5-5, 22 KOs).  Plus promising world-ranked undefeated junior welterweight Amir "Young Master" Imam (15-0, 13 KOs) will face hard-hitting Fidel "The Atrisco Kid" Maldonado Jr. (19-2, 16 KOs) in a 10-round fight, promising an undercard full of action on Saturday, Jan. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).  The Jan. 17 "Return To Glory" fight card co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions is highlighted by a heavy-duty main-event matchup that has stirred the interest of even the most casual sports fan -- dangerous defending WBC Heavyweight World Champion Bermane "B. Ware" Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs), of Las Vegas by way of Haiti, against unbeaten mandatory challenger Deontay "The Bronze Bomber" Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs) of Tuscaloosa, Ala. Tickets for the event are on sale and priced at $500, $350, $250, $125 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of four (4) at the $50 price range.  To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.  Tickets also are available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com. "2015 is going to be a huge year for boxing and Golden Boy's opening act in Las Vegas will get things started with a bang," said Oscar De La Hoya, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions. "In addition to Deontay Wilder looking to bring a heavyweight title back to America for the first time in a decade, longtime favorite Leo Santa Cruz and rising star Fidel Maldonado Jr. -- electric fighters with significant power -- will both appear in separate fights on the undercard, giving boxing fans a chance to see three top stars in action on a single card." All-action and two-division world champion Santa Cruz, of Los Angeles, Calif., will be making his fourth defense of the 122-pound title he won with a third-round knockout over Victor "Vikingo" Terrazas (37-3-1, 21 KOs) on Aug. 24, 2013. Santa Cruz, 26, is coming off of a second-round technical knockout over Manuel "Suavecito" Roman (17-3-3, 17 KOs) on Sept. 13 at MGM Grand. Before stepping up a notch in weight, Santa Cruz was the IBF Bantamweight World Champion, winning that belt in June 2012 and making three defenses. An excellent body puncher who is at his best when he keeps up a relentless pace, pressures his opponents and wears them down, Santa Cruz is 7-0 with three knockouts in world title fights. Santa Cruz, who's as personable and courteous outside the ring as he is ferocious and determined inside, said, "I feel great about my upcoming fight with Ruiz.  He is a strong fighter, undefeated in the past two years and the kind of opponent I want to fight." "I want to put on a great show on Jan. 17," Santa Cruz continued. "And show boxing fans that I am a strong fighter ready to go to the next level and take on the top, tough fighters in the division: Guillermo Rigondeaux, Scott Quigg, Carl Frampton and Abner Mares."  Jesus Ruiz of, Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, retired his amateur status at the tender age of 16. He has won five in a row, including a clear 10-round decision in perhaps a career-best performance over Leonilo "Veneno" Miranda (36-7, 33 KOs) in his most recent start on Nov. 7, 2014. A professional since November of 2006, the 25-year-old Ruiz will be getting the opportunity of a lifetime in just his third start in the United States (and third outside of Mexico). He won a lopsided eight-round decision over Enrique "Cuate" Quevedo (16-7-1, 10 KOs) on Aug. 24, 2013, in Cabazon, Calif., after losing his U.S. debut on an upset split decision in Tucson, Ariz., in July of 2008. "I want thank Golden Boy Promotions and SHOWTIME for this great opportunity to fight for the world title," said  Ruiz. "I know many believe I have no chance, but I am well prepared and ready to give my all. I am ready for war and ready to leave it all in the ring like a true Mexican warrior." Like the heavyweights in the main event, Albany, New York native, Amir Imam (pronounced "EE-mom") and Fidel Maldonado Jr., of Albuquerque, New Mexico, are not accustomed to putting in a full night's work. Between them they have gone the distance only six times in a combined 37 fights. "Amir Imam is a great kid and a very exciting fighter, and this is going to be a very exciting fight," said Hall of Fame promoter Don King. "I think Amir is going to be the next Tito Trinidad.  He can both box and punch and he is going to be a bad man.  I want a title for Amir and this fight with Maldonado is en route to that."  "This is by far the biggest fight of my career and I've got to show the world what I've got,'' Imam said. "I know that Maldonado is a southpaw and he comes forward and throws a lot of punches. I plan on boxing the kid for 10 rounds, but if the opportunity for a KO comes then I will go get it.  I'm not letting anyone take this opportunity away from me.  I have worked too hard for it." "Maldonado had a great amateur background, he's very smart and he's a very good fighter. It's going to be a great fight," said Imam's head trainer Stacey McKinley. "Maldonado's fought a better class of fighters than Amir but never fought a fighter like Amir and most have not.  He's not strong enough for Amir and Amir will walk straight through him. Amir will be Don King's next superstar."   Imam, an amateur standout and silver medalist at the 2011 U.S. Olympic Trials, "doesn't get paid for overtime" in the professional ranks as 11 of his fights ended in rounds one or two.   The 24-year-old has steadily improved as his professional career has progressed and is 2-0 onShoBox: The New Generation. In what was expected to be his toughest test, Imam knocked out Jeremy "Hollywood" Bryan (17-5, 7 KOs) in the second round of his  ShoBox  debut on April 12, 2013. Since the Bryan blowout, Imam's taken a big step up in competition, most notably in his last three fights, beginning with a fourth-round stoppage of then-undefeated Jared "The Quiet Storm" Robinson (14-0) on Feb. 21, 2014, in Cleveland on ShoBox; the following May 10 on a unanimous eight-round decision over Yordenis Ugas (15-3, 7 KOs) (it was Imam's first fight to go the distance since his pro debut in November 2011); and most recently, last Dec. 13 when he stopped Santos "El Toro" Benavides (23-6-2, 17 KOs) in the sixth round. Maldonado Jr., 23, is a tough, hard-nosed, aggressive-minded left-hander who'd won six straight, five by knockout, before his last outing ended in a third round no contest against Fernando "Picapiedra" Silva on Dec. 20, 2014, in Cancun, Mexico. "I have been training hard since my last fight against Fernando Silva, and have had no time off," said Maldonado Jr. "I am ready to get the job done, and I hope he is ready.  My goal is to show fans that I can put on a great show, step up the competition and get ready for a title match one fight at a time." The NC stopped some of the momentum Maldonado Jr. had regained in the previous 18 months, since suffering his second pro loss on a disputed 10-round split decision to fellow prospect Michael "The Artist" Perez (21-1-2, 10 KOs) on Aug. 24, 2012, on ShoBox in Indio, Calif. Maldonado Jr. was out-boxed and clearly behind on points early but rallied to floor and hurt Perez badly with the last punch of the hotly contested fight in which Maldonado Jr. felt he was robbed. *** SHOWTIME Sports® will present ALL ACCESS: STIVERNE VS. WILDER on Friday, Jan. 9 at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME. Stiverne vs. Wilder, a 12-round world championship bout for Stiverne's WBC Heavyweight World Title, is co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions. Unbeaten WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz defends against Jesus Ruiz and undefeated junior welterweight Amir Imam meets Fidel Maldonado Jr. in the co-featured bouts. The event will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., and will air live on SHOWTIME (10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (8 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). For more information visit www.donking.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com andwww.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BStiverne, @BronzeBomber, @SHOSports and @MGMGrand and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing, or visit SHOWTIME Boxing Blog athttp://theboxingblog.sho.com/.