Fortuna to Cotto: No Excuses Tonight

Former interim WBA Featherweight World Champion and undefeated super featherweight contender, Javier "El Abejon" Fortuna doesn't want to hear any excuses tonight. Fortuna (25-0-1, 18 KOs) of La Romana, Dominican Republic, is set to take on Puerto Rico's Abner "Pin" Cotto (18-2, 8 KOs) in a 10-round super featherweight bout to open tonight's (Saturday, November 1) SHOWTIME BOXING: Special Edition tripleheader (live at 9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from the UIC Pavilion in Chicago. "Every time I beat someone, they say there were sick, or they say they were injured," said Fortuna. "There's always an excuse. They had a cold. It's always something. My opponents always have an excuse. I want to know Abner Cotto is 100% ready forSaturday so when I beat him, there are no excuses." In the night's main event, top light heavyweight contender Andrzej "Chicago's Polish Prince" Fonfara (25-3, 15 KOs), will make his ring return against France via Congo's Doudou Ngumbu (33-5, 12 KOs). And in the other televised fight, WBO World Bantamweight Champion Tomoki "El Mexicanito" Kameda (30-0, 19 KOs), of Tokyo, Japan, will defend his title for the third time against Interim WBO Bantamweight Champion Alejandro "Payasito" Hernandez (28-10-2, 15 KOs) of Mexico City in a 12-round battle. Tickets start at $31 and are available at Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or call: 1-800-745-3000, the Warriors Offices: 312-622-7668 or the UIC Pavilion Box Office: 312-413-5740, or visit the UIC Box Office (Thursday or Friday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM). They can also be purchased the night of the event. Fortuna, who trained with Hector Bermudez between Albany and Boston for this fight, is known for scoring sensational knockouts. The 25-year-old says he's not sure if he'll be able to deliver another classic KO in this fight, only that he will defeat Cotto, guaranteed. "He's a good boxer and he has the pedigree of the Cotto family," said Fortuna of his opponent. "He says he's already beaten two Dominicans, but this is the professional game now. Amateur is a different world. I will see what he brings to the table and then if he's there to be taken I will, but I'm ready to go ten rounds as well, no problem." Fortuna, who has worked with long-time exclusive promoter Sampson Lewkowicz and manager Cesar Mercedes for many years, recently signed with boxing power broker Al Haymon as well. "I want to say thank you to Al Haymon, Showtime, my manager and, of course, my promoter Sampson Lewkowicz, who I've been working with me since I was 16." Fortuna says he's at the stage of his career where he's ready for anyone put in front of him, but he does have one opponent he'd love a crack at. "Everyone knows I bring excitement to my division because of my explosiveness. I've proven it over and over. Who I fight is up to my promoter, but I am ready for any super featherweight in the world. However I would fight (WBO Super Featherweight Champion) Mikey Garcia at any weight. Make it happen." Fortuna, a father of three, says he has some special dedications for this fight. "I want to dedicate this fight to my beautiful daughter, whose first birthday is on the night of my fight, this Saturday. I ask God to keep her healthy and secure for the rest of her life. I also want to dedicate it to the people of my great country. I'm very proud to be Dominican, and the rivalry between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic will be on full display in the ring on Saturday night. "The Homecoming" is presented by Warriors Boxing. On fight night, doors open at 5:00 pm and the action starts at 5:30 pm. All bouts are subject to change. For more information, visit www.warriorsboxing.com.

STEVE FARHOOD BREAKS DOWN SATURDAY’S SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION ON “THE BOXING BLOG”

“Andrzej Fonfara is a fan-friendly TV fighter.  Have I just praised him or insulted him? Maybe a little of both.” – Steve Farhood on“The Boxing Blog”: http://s.sho.com/1wFQXox

Read Farhood’s preview and don’t miss the fights this Saturday, live at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME^®.

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Homecoming: Fonfara vs. Ngumbu is a 10-round light heavyweight fight promoted by Warriors Boxing. In the co-main event, WBO World Bantamweight Champion Tomoki Kameda defends his title against interim WBO Bantamweight Champion Alejandro Hernandez in a 12-round bout, and opening the telecast, former interim WBA World Featherweight Champion Javier Fortuna will face Abner Cotto in a 10-round super featherweight bout. The SHOWTIME BOXING: Special Edition will take place at UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Ill., and will air on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets for “The Homecoming” start at $31 and are available at Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or call: 1-800-745-3000, the Warriors Offices: 312-622-7668 or the UIC Pavilion Box Office: 312-413-5740, or visit the UIC Box Office (Thursday or Friday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM). They can also be purchased the night of the event. On fight night, doors open at 6:00 pm and the action starts at 7:00 pm. All bouts are subject to change. For more information, visit www.warriorsboxing.com.

For more information, visit www.warriorsboxing.com,www.sports.sho.com and http://www.uicpavilion.com/pavilion, follow on Twitter at @andrzej_fonfara, @DoudouNgumbu, @TomokiKameda,@SHOSports, and become a fan on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

Doors open at 5 p.m. and the first non-televised bout starts at 5:30 p.m.All bouts are subject to change.

THREE-TIME CHAMP KOKI KAMEDA AND WORLD-RATED MIDDLEWEIGHT CALEB TRUAX SET TO APPEAR IN SEPARATE 10-ROUND BOUTS, SATURDAY NIGHT IN CHICAGO

Two more competitive fights with worldwide significance will take place on the un-televised undercard of "The Homecoming", presented by Warriors Boxing thisSaturday, November 1, at UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois. WBO #10-rated middleweight Caleb "Golden" Truax (24-1-2, 14 KOs) of Osseo, Minnesota, will take on Bedford, Virginia's Scott "Cujo" Sigmon (24-5-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-rounder; and former three-time world champion Kōki Kameda (32-1, 17 KOs) from Tokyo, Japan, will appear for the first time on US soil in a super flyweight 10-round fight against México City, Mexico's Omar Salado (24-8-2, 15 KOs). In the night's main event, top light heavyweight contender Andrzej "Chicago's Polish Prince" Fonfara (25-3, 15 KOs), will make his ring return against France via Congo's Doudou Ngumbu (33-5, 12 KOs). Co-headlining, WBO World Bantamweight World Champion Tomoki "El Mexicanito" Kameda (30-0, 19 KOs), of Mexico City by way of Tokyo, Japan, will defend his title for the third time against interim WBO Bantamweight Champion Alejandro "Payasito" Hernandez (28-10-2, 15 KOs) of Mexico City in a 12-round battle and opening the SHOWTIME BOXING Special Edition, former interim WBA World Featherweight Champion Javier "El Abejon" Fortuna (25-0-1, 18 KOs) of La Romana, Dominican Republic, squares off against Caguas, Puerto Rico's Abner "Pin" Cotto (18-2, 8 KOs) in a 10-round super featherweight bout; live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). Tickets start at $31 and are available at Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or call: 1-800-745-3000, the Warriors Offices: 312-622-7668 or the UIC Pavilion Box Office: 312-413-5740, or visit the UIC Box Office (Thursday or Friday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM). They can also be purchased the night of the event. Twenty-seven-year-old southpaw Kōki Kameda is the former  WBA   Bantamweight , WBC  Flyweight and WBA Light Flyweight Champion of the World. He is the oldest of the three Kameda brothers including himself, Daiki and Tomoki. The Kamedas are, by far, the most well-known boxers in Japan, Koki was also a television star in his homeland during his highly decorated amateur career. Kameda won the WBA Light Flyweight Championship in 2006 and defended it once before vacating to move up to flyweight, where he won the WBC Flyweight Championship over Daisuke Naito in November 2009. His only career loss came in March 2010, by 12-round majority decision against Thailand's Pongsaklek Wonjongkam to unify the WBC Flyweight championship and interim WBC Flyweight championships. In 2010, he moved up to bantamweight and took on Alexander Munoz and won the vacant WBA Bantamweight Regular by unanimous decision In Dec. 2013, Kameda vacated his bantamweight title to move back down to the super flyweight division. Thirty-four-year-old Omar Salado isa native of Tijuana. Salado has challenged three times for world championships. In 2011, he lost to then WBA World Light Flyweight Champion Roman Gonzalez. In 2009, he lost to Luis Concepcion for the interim WBA World flyweight Title and in 2006, he battled to a draw with then IBF World light flyweight Champion Ulises Solis. Salado has also taken on a lengthy list of top contenders in the flyweight divisions. Thirty-one-year-old Caleb Truax is a native of Osseo, Minnesota, currently rated WBO #10 at middleweight. Truax got his nickname from his alma mater, the University of Minnesota, whose teams are known as the "Golden Gophers." He was last seen scoring a unanimous decision over dangerous spoiler Derek Ennis in July of this year. Showing world-class boxing ability, Truax never let Ennis into the fight and hurt the capable Philadelphian on several occasions. Truax has excellent hand speed and power and uses fluid movement to score combinations. Twenty-seven-year-old Scott Sigmon of Lynchburg, Virginia, won the vacant WBC United States (USNBC) super middleweight title and defended it twice. He went seven rounds with former world champion Kelly Pavlik in 2012 and was last seen in June of this year, fighting to an eight-round majority draw with undefeated prospect Deandre Neal in Neal's home state of South Carolina. In March of this year, Sigmon stopped 24-3-3 Jessie Nicklow in 10 rounds. Also on the undercard Saturday night, four of the top up-and-coming boxing prospects the Windy City has to offer, Chicago's own Alex Martin (6-0, 5 KOs), Semajay Thomas (4-0, 2 KOs), Eddie Ramirez (5-0, 3 KOs), and Jose Felix Quezada (3-0, 2 KOs), will appear in separate undercard bouts. On fight night, doors open at 5:00 pm and the action starts at 5:30 pm. All bouts are subject to change. For more information, visitwww.warriorsboxing.com.

ANDRZEJ FONFARA vs. DOUDOU NGUMBU TOMOKI KAMEDA vs. ALEJANDRO HERNANDEZ MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES & PHOTOS

SHOWTIME BOXING: Special Edition This Saturday, Nov. 1, Live On SHOWTIME^®

At 9 p.m. ET/PT From UIC Pavilion In Chicago

Click HERE To Download Photos

Photo Credit: Esther Lin/SHOWTIME

CHICAGO (Oct. 29, 2014) – Hometown favorite Andrzej “The Polish Prince” Fonfara,  France’s Doudou Ngumbu, WBO Bantamweight World Champion Tomoki Kameda and Interim WBO Bantamweight Champ Alejandro Hernandezworked out for the media on Wednesday at Oakley Fight Club in Chicago as they reach the apex of preparation for Saturday’s SHOWTIME Boxing: Special Edition from UIC Pavilion in Chicago.

Fonfara (25-3, 15 KOs) and Ngumbu (33-5, 12 KOs) will square off in the 10-round light heavyweight main event while Kameda (30-0, 19 KOs) will defend his belt against mandatory challenger Hernandez (28-10-2, 15 KOs) in the 12-round co-feature. 

Saturday’s tripleheader, which will air live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), is promoted by Warriors Boxing.  In the opening bout of the telecast, undefeated super featherweight contender and former Interim WBA Featherweight World Champion Javier Fortuna will take on Puerto Rican Abner Cotto in a 10-round super featherweight bout. 

Kameda was joined in the gym by his two brothers, Koki and Daiki, who made history when all three recently held world titles at the same time.  While Tomoki held the WBO Bantamweight Championship, Koki was the WBA Bantamweight Champion until he voluntarily relinquished the title in December in order to move down to flyweight. Daiki was the IBF Junior Bantamweight Champion until he lost by decision last December.  Koki will fight on the non-televised undercard on Saturday. 

Here’s what the fighters had to say on Wednesday:

FONFARA:

“I’ve seen a couple of his fights. I know he’s quick and has a different boxing style, an odd style.  He’s fast and sneaky, but if I want to be the best and get a rematch with [Adonis] Stevenson then I need to beat guys like him. 

“Training camp in Big Bear [Calif.] went well.  We had good sparring partners and good preparation for this fight.  We had two weeks in Big Bear after a nice camp in Chicago so I’m ready for this fight.

“I know he’s fought tough opponents in Europe, and he’s used to fighting 10 or 12 rounds.  He doesn’t have the strongest punch, but he has solid technique and he’s fast. 

“It’s very exciting to be fighting back in Chicago, to be fighting in front of my fans.  It’s a huge motivation for me. 

“I want to show everyone that I’m in great shape.  We’ll see, if I get a chance to knock him out I’ll knock him out.  If not, I just want to win the fight.  It doesn’t matter how, I just want to win the fight.

“My next step is the rematch with Stevenson because I feel I can beat him.  I don’t know if he’ll take the fight, but if I win this one and become a mandatory challenger at some point then he’ll have to fight me.  I want to be the champion.”

NGUMBU:

“Training camp went very well.  We took Fonfara very seriously because he’s a well-known boxer, not just in the U.S. but in the world.  So we didn’t take him lightly.

“The fight is going to happen in the ring.  You can’t predict what is going to happen in advance.  There will just be two of us in there on Saturday. 

“I’m not concerned with his power.  If I was concerned about it I wouldn’t have come all the way to Chicago. 

“I actually think I’ve faced the tougher fighters than he has.  And I think I’ve faced a few guys that are stronger than Fonfara. 

“I came here to do my job, which is to box, and I came here to win.

“It’s a huge honor to be able to box on U.S. soil.  The time difference and travel isn’t an issue for me.  I’ve fought all over the world so I know how to adapt.”

KAMEDA:

“All fights are different, all opportunities are different, but we are always prepared to win.  We’ll take what we get in the ring, but if the right hook to the body is there we’re going to take it.

“I’ve always dreamed of fighting in the U.S., and I’ve always dreamed of fighting on TV.  Now that I’m here and I’ve signed with Al Haymon, I know all the doors will open for me.  But our main goal is to win on Saturday and put on a good show for the fans.

“I sparred with him [Hernandez] about six years ago, but we’ve both changed a lot since then.  He’s matured and I’ve matured.  But the difference is that I’m the champion now.

“Training camp was great.  We put in all the work in the gym and now we’re ready to get in there and put on a show.”

HERNANDEZ:

“I prepared very well for this fight. I had a very strict and rigorous routine. Definitely the hardest training camp I’ve ever had.

“Tomoki and I have sparred in the past, and that might help. But not as much as everybody might think. It’s been a while since our sparring sessions and we’ve both  changed our styles and techniques. I have changed and matured as a fighter, and comeSaturday night, it will show.

“I’m going to implement a different game plan. I’m not going to be focused on one particular area or punching style. I just have to go at him with everything I have. I’m going to surprise him; he won’t see me coming.

“It’s a dream of any boxer to leave a mark and make an impact in this sport and I’m grateful I have my chance on SHOWTIME this Saturday.”

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Homecoming: Fonfara vs. Ngumbu is a 10-round light heavyweight fight promoted by Warriors Boxing. In the co-main event, WBO World Bantamweight Champion Tomoki Kameda defends his title against interim WBO Bantamweight Champion Alejandro Hernandez in a 12-round bout, and opening the telecast, former interim WBA World Featherweight Champion Javier Fortuna will face Abner Cotto in a 10-round super featherweight bout. The SHOWTIME BOXING: Special Edition will take place at UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Ill., and will air on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets for “The Homecoming” start at $31 and are available at Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or call: 1-800-745-3000, the Warriors Offices: 312-622-7668 or the UIC Pavilion Box Office: 312-413-5740, or visit the UIC Box Office (Thursdayor Friday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM). They can also be purchased the night of the event. On fight night, doors open at 6:00 pm and the action starts at 7:00 pm. All bouts are subject to change. For more information, visit www.warriorsboxing.com.

For more information, visit www.warriorsboxing.com, www.sports.sho.com andhttp://www.uicpavilion.com/pavilion, follow on Twitter at @andrzej_fonfara,@DoudouNgumbu, @TomokiKameda, @SHOSports, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

Doors open at 5 p.m. and the first non-televised bout starts at 5:30 p.m. All bouts are subject to change.

TUESDAY’S MEDIA DAY WORKOUT QUOTES FROM PONCE DE LEON BOXING GYM IN MONTEBELLO, CALIF.

“If I want to think about a rematch with Adonis [Stevenson],

I must beat guys like Ngumbu.”-- Andrzej Fonfara

Popular ‘Polish Prince’ Will Face Doudou Ngumbu

In Main Event of a SHOWTIME BOXING: Special Edition

Saturday, Nov. 1, at UIC Pavilion in Chicago

Photo Credit: Esther Lin/SHOWTIME^®

MONTEBELLO, Calif. (Oct. 22, 2014) – Crowd-pleasing Windy City fan favorite Andrzej "Chicago’s Polish Prince" Fonfara (25-3, 1 NC, 15 KOs), who’s been training in Big Bear, Calif., participated in an open media workout Tuesday in preparation for his “Homecoming” fight against Congo’s Doudou Ngumbu (33-5, 12 KOs) in the main event of a SHOWTIME BOXING: Special Edition on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, live on SHOWTIME^® (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

In the co-feature of a tripleheader, WBO World Bantamweight Champion Tomoki “El Mexicanito” Kameda (30-0, 19 KOs) will make his third title defense when he meets interim WBO Bantamweight Champion Alejandro “Payasito” Hernandez (28-10-2, 15 KOs). Opening the telecast, former interim WBA World Featherweight Champion Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna (25-0-1, 18 KOs) will face Abner “Pin” Cotto (18-2, 8 KOs) in a super featherweight 10-round bout.

Fonfara, who turns 27 on Nov. 4, worked out for 90 minutes Tuesday without an extended break. Fonfara will be returning to the ring after a valiant effort in a 12-round decision defeat to WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Adonis Stevenson on May 24on SHOWTIME.  After winning the final five rounds against Stevenson, Fonfara proved his worth against the world champion and did more to enhance his reputation than all 13 of his previous wins combined.

Here’s what the world-ranked Fonfara, and his trainer, Sam Colonna, said duringTuesday’s workout:

ANDRZEJ FONFARA, Light Heavyweight

Question: This is your third time holding training camp in Big Bear, what made you go to Big Bear the first time?

Answer: “Every good boxer prepares there. If I want to be the best I must train where the best fighters in the world train. Big Bear has great altitude, good weather for runs and a very good gym. It’s a great base for camp.

Do you feel the difference in the altitude when you’re up there?

“Yes, absolutely. I felt much different training for this camp than I did the first time I went up there. It was much harder running for the first camp. I would run two, three miles and I couldn’t breathe. But when I would come back to Chicago, I would feel much better and stronger.”

What’s it like for you to fight in Chicago?

“Chicago is a very special city for me because I moved there eight years ago. I started my professional career there. I had just one professional fight before I moved to Chicago. Sam [Colonna, Fonfara’s trainer] and I have been together since I came to Chicago.

“When I first started to fight in Chicago I had 30, 50 people at my fights. Now when I fight there I have a few thousand people. It’s not only Polish people who come to watch me fight, but all fight fans.

“Fans like to see me fight because I am entertaining and put my heart into the ring.”

Your opponent on Nov. 1 [Doudou Ngumbu] goes the distance in most of his fights, how are you preparing for him?

“He’s not a bad fighter. He’s very tough and wants to win each time he steps into the ring. He doesn’t come just to collect a check, he wants to beat me and get a chance on SHOWTIME to show what he is made of.

“It’s good for me, it’s more pressure. It makes me work harder, but I know that I’m ready for this fight.

“I’m not the underdog in this fight like I have been in the past. But this is boxing and you must go in the ring and think and box, you never know what is going to happen.

“If I want to think about a rematch with Adonis [Stevenson], I must beat guys like Ngumbu. There’s much at stake on Nov. 1”

Do you need to beat Ngumbu impressively?

“It doesn’t matter if I knock him out or win the fight on a decision. The important thing is that I get the victory. We have a plan and I must execute. If I follow my plan, I will knock him out in the second round.”

You had a big opportunity in your last fight against Adonis [Stevenson], when you look back at that fight what comes to your mind?

“I showed good heart, strength and my condition in that fight. Even when I was knocked down I wanted to stand back up and fight.

“I know that now I must punch more and keep better defense. Adonis is a different kind of fighter, he’s sneaky and a hard puncher.

“I know that if he doesn’t knock me down in the first round then maybe the fight goes a different way.

“That loss made me want to train longer and harder so that I can get a rematch with him.”

So you would like a rematch with Adonis [Stevenson]?

“Yes, that’s the plan. I need to win like two, three fights and then get the rematch. I know that I can beat him.

“I gave him the best fight of his professional career in our first fight.”

SAM COLONNA, Fonfara’s Trainer and former trainer of Andrew Golota, Tomasz Adamek, David Diaz and others

“I’ve been with Andrzej since after he had his first professional fight, when he came to Chicago from Poland. We’ve been together for eight, nine years. What I really like about him is his work ethic, he’s wonderful to work with and easy to train.

“When he first came, there were maybe eight Polish fighters that came over together, and I liked Andrzej the most. He was the least experienced of all the fighters; I called him the runt of the group. He was the smallest, youngest and only weighed 139 pounds when he first came over. What stood out to me was his work ethic and the fact that he constantly wanted to learn. The other guys thought they knew it all and now all those guys are out of the picture and he’s still going.

“The way he’s learning and progressing, you’re looking at the next future champion of the world.

“We’re fighting a very difficult guy [Ngumbu]. He’s not really crafty, he’s very awkward and the way he moves is very different. He’s a runner and won’t let you stand in front of him and let you hit him. We’re going to have to work really hard to get to him. It’s a fight that Andrzej can’t really look good unless he knocks him out early.

“We want to win of course, but it’s hard to be impressive with this guy. He has gone the distance with a lot of good fighters. I looked at his record and I can see that this guy comes to fight till the end. He’s gone 12 rounds a lot of times so I know it’s going to be a fight that we’re really going to work hard for.

“If we win this fight there will be a lot of opportunities for us. There are many good up-and-coming fighters at 175 pounds; it’s a very hot division.

“He had his chance [against Adonis Stevenson] and he let it slide by him. The experience he got in that fight, you can’t buy. He knows he had the guy hurt and he should’ve jumped on him and taken care of business; he let him off the ropes.”