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Deron Williams vs. Frank Gore
New York Press Conference
Three-time NBA All-Star Deron Williams and legendary NFL
running back Frank Gore faced off for the first time
following a press conference announcing their professional
heavyweight boxing debuts on Tuesday at Edison Ballroom in
New York City.
Williams vs. Gore will take place on the undercard of Jake
Paul vs. Tommy Fury, live on SHOWTIME PPV on Saturday,
December 18 at AMALIE Arena in Tampa. The four-round
heavyweight bout will be contested with a 215-pound
contractual limit as the two legends make their professional
boxing debuts.
Also appearing at Tuesday’s event was seven-division world
champion and current unified featherweight champion Amanda
Serrano, who will face 135-pound titleholder Miriam
Gutiérrez in the co-feature of the SHOWTIME PPV event.
Below are quotes from Williams, Gore and Serrano.
Deron Williams
“I’ve always wrestled all the way until high school and
always been a big boxing and MMA fan. I’ve done a lot of
training at my gym, Fortis MMA, in Dallas for the past six
years.
“I’ve always wanted to do an MMA fight. I had one that I was
training for before Covid hit but my opponent pulled out. It
was always in the back of my mind and I’ve always stayed in
shape and stayed training. I got a call from Nakisa (Bidarian)
who I hadn’t talked to in five years and he said Frank Gore
was training and looking for an opponent, and I felt like it
was a great opportunity. I felt like if I didn’t take it I’d
be kicking myself for the rest of my life.
“Frank looks good. If I’m going to do a fight I’d rather do
it with someone who is capable and who has been training.
The man is tough, there’s no doubt about that. Anyone who
can take that many snaps in the NFL has to be tough. It’s a
good challenge for me and something that I can check off the
bucket list.
“Most people are behind me. I’ve had some people say,
‘You’re fighting Frank Gore. What are you doing?’ But that’s
OK. There are a lot of unknowns in this game, so it makes it
exciting. I’ve been training for years and doing a lot of
MMA, and a lot of it has been boxing.
“I first started wrestling when I was like five. I didn’t
really know what it was and I spent the whole season being
dragged on the mat by my mom crying because I was so scared
to go in there. But she said I had to because she had
already paid for it and said you’re going to do this every
weekend. So I basically went out there crying, got pinned,
walked off the mat and then did it again for the whole year.
The next year she asked if I wanted to sign up again
expecting I would say no, but I actually said yes for some
reason. I did that for about a half year before I turned
into a little animal. So I think that year and a half of
getting pinned made me tougher. Wrestling is a tough sport,
and it was a great base for me and I’m really glad I did it
and was able to go to the state tournament in Texas as an
eight-year-old and 12-year-old. And I would have loved to
have kept going but it was in the same season as basketball.
“I loved watching the heavyweights. Growing up in the ‘90s
and watching (Mike) Tyson and all those wars they had. And
watching (Evander) Holyfield. It was just a special time in
boxing and there were still other fighters, but those were
the ones I was watching and who I was excited to see.
“I jogged four miles yesterday and that was the first time
I’ve ever run four miles. It’s getting out of your comfort
zone and it’s a different feeling. Basketball, and football
for him, we’re comfortable with that work. It’s learning to
get hit in the face and being OK with it. It’s just a new
challenge. I’ve been retired for four years now. You just
miss competing. You miss having something to train for.”
Frank Gore
“l have always loved boxing. I’ve been training since 2005.
I was doing it because it would save my legs since I play
running back. I just fell in love with it, how hard it was
and I’m very competitive. I was just doing it for the
cardio. My first time I didn’t think I could do it, but I
kept getting better and better at it.
“I’m definitely not doing this for the money. I’m blessed.
I’m good and blessed with football and off-the-field stuff.
“I’ve always been an underdog my entire life. I was raised
in a one-bedroom apartment. I blew out both of my knees and
many thought I wouldn’t make it to the NFL. Sixteen years
later and I’m No. 3 on the all-time list.
“I’m happy to be here and I respect Deron. He’s coming from
the NBA and I always say any man who gets into the ring has
got to be different. I don’t care what sport you play. I’m
training my behind off for December 18.
“I know he’s trained in MMA and coming over from the NBA but
he’s no Nate Robinson. He’s been doing MMA for six years so
I have to respect that. He’s been wrestling since he was a
kid. I’m training my behind off and the only one I can worry
about is myself. I’m looking forward to the challenge and
let the best man win on December 18.
“Football and boxing are totally different. When you watched
me play I never really got hit. That’s why I was able to
last so long. I played off of angles. Now, with boxing I’m
going in there with guys that have had 300 amateur fights,
are 10-0 as pros. So I can’t just dodge all the shots they
are throwing because they have more ring experience.
“I would say jogging has been the toughest thing. In
football we never jogged. We always did sprints and pulled
the sled but I had to really train myself to jog. I had to
put my mind somewhere else and work on it.
“My favorite fighter is Floyd (Mayweather, Jr.). There are a
bunch of guys I like to watch now. I like Terence (Crawford)
and I like Errol Spence, Tank (Davis), Shakur Stevenson. I
just want to be the best of me. Whatever my coach tells me
to do I’m going to go out and try to do and do my best to
get this win on December 18.”
Amanda Serrano
“This fight is more important than the Katie Taylor fight.
Miriam Gutierrez is a tough girl at 135 pounds and it’s not
my natural weight class. I’m moving up two divisions. I have
to get through Miriam in a way that people will want to see
me fight Katie next.
“I would actually rather lose the weight than gain the
weight. It’s so hard for me to keep the weight on because
once I start training I drop it. I’m eating a lot of good
foods and had to hire a nutritionist for this camp to make
sure I’m strong. I’m a little girl, but I pack a punch
wherever I go.
“I definitely want the Katie Taylor fight. That night could
be the night I accomplish my goal and become the first
undisputed boxer to come out of Puerto Rico. That would be
an amazing night. Right now I’m concentrating on boxing
because I have two amazing fights but in the future I
definitely want to become an MMA champion, but right now
it’s all about boxing.
“Pound for pound I think is a matter of opinion. Some people
think I am, some people think it’s Claressa Shields. Katie
actually fights the week before me so she has to look good,
and I have to look good. I’m training really hard for
Miriam. I know she is a tough girl and I’m just going to go
out and be the best I can be and I think the fight with
Katie Taylor is going to happen.”
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