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David Benavidez vs. Gilberto Ramirez
Final Press
Conference Quotes
Undefeated two-division world champion David “El Monstro”
Benavidez and unified WBA and WBO Cruiserweight World
Champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez went face to face Thursday
at the final press conference before they square off in a
first of its kind Mexico vs. Mexico showdown headlining a
PBC Pay-Per-View event available on Prime Video this
Saturday, May 2 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The first Mexico vs. Mexico world championship fight above
168 pounds, this titanic cruiserweight clash presents
Benavidez with the opportunity to become a three-division
world champion, while Mexico’s first cruiserweight champion
Ramirez can add a signature victory to his already
impressive resume.
The press conference also featured fighters competing on a
stacked pay-per-view undercard full of high-octane Mexico
vs. Mexico matchups, including WBA Super Middleweight
Armando “Toro” Resendiz and all-action former champion Jaime
Munguia, who square off in the co-main event.
Also squaring off Thursday ahead of PPV undercard bouts were
top super lightweight contenders Oscar Duarte and Angel
“Tashiro” Fierro, who battle in a 12-round attraction,
unbeaten Mexican contenders Jorge Chavez and Jose “Tito”
Sanchez, who face off in a 10-round super bantamweight tilt
and undefeated rising Mexican star Isaac “Puro México”
Lucero and hard-hitting Ismael Flores, who compete in the
10-round super welterweight opening attraction at 8 p.m.
ET/5 p.m. PT.
Prior to the pay-per-view, a three-fight FIRST ON PRIME
lineup will be headlined by rising super middleweight Daniel
Blancas facing veteran Raul Salomon in a streaming
presentation that begins at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT live
and for free on Prime Video.
The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Sampson
Boxing in association with TGB Promotions. Reséndiz vs.
Munguia is promoted in association with Warriors Boxing and
Zanfer Boxing Promotions. Duarte vs. Fierro is promoted in
association with Cancun Boxing and BXSTRS.
In addition to the PPV being available for purchase on Prime
Video, regardless of Prime membership, fans will also be
able to purchase the PPV via DAZN.com. On top of those
options, fans will also be able to continue to access the
telecast through traditional cable and satellite outlets, as
well as PPV.com.
Here is what the press conference participants had to say
Thursday from MGM Grand in Las Vegas:
DAVID BENAVIDEZ
“First of all, I want to give the thanks to God, because
without him, none of this is possible. I want to give a big
shout out to Zurdo Ramirez, Sampson Lewkowicz, Al Heymon,
Luis DeCubas Jr., PBC and Golden Boy.
“I'm very excited for this. I've been training extremely
hard. I got five months training in this training camp
because I knew Zurdo Ramirez is a great fighter. He's a
great champion. We did a lot of rounds with him back then,
and I know he's gonna come to fight, you know, big respects
to all these guys over here.
“With that being said, it's time to go to war. And when
David Benavidez goes to war, he doesn't shy away from
anything. When I see the fire, I put myself in the fire to
get the best version out of myself, and I'm not scared of
nobody.
“You guys will see what the Mexican Monster is made of this
May 2. Thank you so much.”
David, you're going into this fight, you just spoke about
how you both have had experiences over the years. You helped
get him ready for several fights. You talked about the
legendary sparring sessions. Obviously, I'm sure you guys
are both very different fighters from the moments you had
those firing sessions, but is there anything that you take
away from those sessions, going into this fight?
“Yes, I definitely took a lot away from those more sessions,
you know? But, you know what? If that gets thrown out the
window, I'm gonna be ready to deal with anything that comes
my way. That's what comes with being a great champion. At
the end of the day, it’s going to be a great fight, and
everybody who's watching is going to get the money's worth.”
This is a very special week, and you've talked about, you've
wanted that mantle to be the face of boxing, and now you are
headlining your first Cinco de Mayo weekend. Talk about how
special is it, because we know in boxing's history books,
how important this weekend is.
“It is definitely really important, and I think just both of
us having a fight on Cinco de Mayo weekend is something that
we've been both working for a long, long time for. We're
both blessed, you know what I mean? We both knew we were
gonna get this fight back then, and this is both of our
first times fighting on Cinco de Mayo weekend, so we both
did our jobs. He captured titles and cruiserweight. I
captured titles and light heavyweight and it was just
perfect timing. I'm just very excited to be here. I'm very
excited to headline, my first Cinco de Mayo with my friend
Zurdo Ramirez.”
David, how does becoming a three-division world champion
feel? What would that mean to your legacy?
“That just catapults me into the same category as the
Greats. You know, it's very hard to become world champion.
It's very hard to become world champion in two weight
classes. So, three weight classes would put me in the same
conversations as the greats. At the end of the day, um, I
want to keep giving the fans what they want to see, the best
fights, and keep winning world titles to solidify my
legacy.”
GILBERTO “ZURDO” RAMIREZ
“I'm blessed to be here. Thank you, Team Benavidez. Thank
you, Golden Boy. Don’t miss the fight. We will represent
really well this weekend.”
Zurdo, Benavidez is making this move up 25 pounds to go to
the cruiserweight limit. Do you believe he is taking on more
than he should be fighting you?
“No, I think he's ready for the division. That’s why he
moved up.”
Obviously, you're the champion. He's the one coming up in
weight, but the odds show, you're the underdog. Do you feel
a little disrespected by that, or what's your thoughts going
into this fight where the odds have you as the underdog?
“I’m the champ. I don't feel disrespect. I just train hard
to put a great show to prove myself and prepare to be still
champion.”
David has said he is going to test your body. He's going to
test your chin, and he's gonna test your soul. How do you
respond to that?
“He will try, and I will try, I will do it, too. Saturday,
everyone will see us.”
ARMANDO RESENDIZ
“I want to thank my team, my coach, Manny Robles, my
manager, Jesse Rodriguez and everybody that made it possible
for me to be as prepared as I am for May 2, even through the
tough training sessions, and tough sparring that I go
through.
There's gonna be a war on May 2. I guarantee you that. It's
gonna be a great show and, God willing, I'm gonna come out
with a win as well.”
Armando, you have said you have much respect for Mungia. Do
you feel an obligation, with both of you being Mexicans from
the Pacific Coast, to deliver a show here on Cinco de Mayo
weekend?
“Absolutely it's a big responsibility, the commitment on my
part, to be able to give the fans the kind of show that they
deserve. And that's what's going to happen on Saturday
night.”
You obviously came away with one of the biggest upsets last
year as the world champion with the huge upset, defeating
former champion, Caleb Plant. How do you prove to everyone
that wasn't just a one-night performance, and that you are
here to stay at the top of the division?
“I know they think that. It’s about putting in the work. God
willing, we're able to go out there, execute the game plan,
and with that discipline, be able to come out with a win,
simple as that.”
JAIME MUNGUIA
“Thank you for being here. I want to thank God for this
opportunity, and I'm blessed to have the support of the Team
Canelo, Eddie Reynoso and my father, who is also here.
“What I can tell you is that Tijuana is gonna have a new
world champion this Saturday night, and it's gonna be an
amazing fight.”
Jaime, you are someone that has encountered adversity, and
you came out the other end victorious. You bounced back from
your loss to Bruno Sarace, and you rectified that last year
with the decision. When you said yesterday that we're going
to see a new Jaime Munguia.
“I've gotten over the hump. To be honest with you, when I
had that rematch (with Sarace), I was nervous because it was
the uncertainty of not knowing what could happen. But now
I'm renewed. The toughest part is over, and I'm ready to
show you this new facet of mine.”
What challenges does Resendiz present to you?
“It's certainly a really big challenge against a young,
hungry fighter just like me. And I respect that a lot. So,
what I want is for us to be able to give the fans the fight
that they deserve. And that's what I'm looking for.”
OSCAR DUARTE
“I'm so thankful to be here standing in front of all of you.
I think this is gonna be possibly the card of the year,
because it's that outstanding. The fans are gonna be the
real winners of the night because we're all gonna put on a
show.
“I couldn't help but think about how far I've come from the
tough training sessions that I've had, the way that we train
so well with Robert Garcia, having to cut weight, and
everything we had to do in order to be in optimal condition
for this fight. Now, it's just time to give the fans the
show that they deserve, to be ready for May 2, and I'm
blessed to do it.”
Oscar, what is Fierro going to find out when he steps into
the ring with you Saturday night?
“I'm pumped up, because Angel is someone that likes to brawl
and is someone who represents a really good fight. I'm
excited for that, but I'm only relying on myself, really,
because I know I had a great preparation. In fact, this
training camp was preceded by the one I had before, when the
fight was postponed, so I couldn't be more ready. I'm ready
to show who I am.”
ANGEL FIERRO
“Thank you so much for being here. I want to thank God for
the opportunity. Also, thanks to PBC, my team, everybody
that made it happen.
“What I can tell you is that I'm here to be better than ever
and to come out with the win on Saturday, to clean up my
name and put Tijuana's name on the very top. You're gonna
see a show on Saturday night. Let's go Tijuana!”
Angel, you have a tremendous opportunity in front of you,
fighting Duarte. What do you need to do in order to be the
man that has his hands raised in T Mobile Arena May Cycle?
“It's just about being able to show that I'm up to the task.
People have seen the good and the bad from me, so all I have
to do is be able to make weight tomorrow, then go after it
in the fight. God willing, I'm going to be able to bring the
win back to Tijuana.”
JORGE CHAVEZ
“First and foremost, I want to thank God for this
opportunity. I want to thank everybody who has put their
dues into making this event happen. Golden Boy, PBC, DAZN,
Prime Video. Thank you guys for having us here.
“Shout out to my team, Abraham Perez with SOA Boxing and my
head coach, Hector Lopez, with TKO Boxing. I expect a great
event. It's not very often that you guys get a stacked card
of Mexicans, so expect war out there. Expect there to be
fireworks. It's a blessing to be here on Cinco de Mayo
weekend, Let's get it, mi gente!”
Jorge, what’s it like to be a part of a card like this
against Jose Sanchez?
“It means everything to me. I'm trying to level up and fight
the best of the best in my division, and this is another
little hill I need to go over, just to see what's on the
other side for me.”
JOSE “TITO” SANCHEZ
“I want to thank my promoter, Golden Boy, and, of course,
PBC for having me here. I feel ready to perform on May 2 and
give you guys what you guys paid for. Of course, it'll be
that Mexican-style war fight, and we're ready for anything.”
Jose, both of you are unbeaten, what's gonna be the key
difference in this fight to come out on top?
“I believe just the hard work I did at the gym, the
preparation I did at training camp. All the extra miles we
did, all that hard sparring we did with different opponents.
And that's the key for this fight.”
ISAAC LUCERO
“I'm really blessed to be on such a great card with so many
amazing champions. I can tell you this win is going to be
mine.
“I want to thank Sampson Boxing, PBC, Bob Santos and
everybody that was able to make this fight happen. So, let's
do it!”
Isaac, you are obviously a part of an amazing card. You're
gonna start the pay per view. What type of statement are you
looking to make Saturday night?
“Give me a shot to prove myself. Let me show you how much
I've grown and how I deserve to be a part of these kinds of
cards from now on. That's what I'm gonna do. That is the
statement I want to make.”
ISMAEL FLORES
“I really appreciate this opportunity. This is a dream come
true for me, something that I have envisioned for so long.
So now I'm here to make the most of it and come out with a
win on Saturday night. May 2 is going to be my night.”
Ismail, you took this fight on short notice, and you are
making your U.S. debut. Why did you want to jump at this
opportunity against Isaac Lucero?
“The issue wasn't tough at all, because we knew that we had
to come here for an opportunity that we just couldn't pass
it up. We're gonna give it our all. We're gonna make our
preparation worth it.
“This is the kind of opportunity that opens up a lot of
doors for us. So hopefully, that's the case.”
OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman & CEO of Golden Boy Promotions
“Golden Boy is so thankful to all partners involved,
including Amazon, DAZN, Sampson Boxing, PBC and TGB. We
worked really hard to put an amazing night of Mexico versus
Mexico matchups that will keep fans entertained from the
opening bell.
“We are very proud to be here in Las Vegas, once again,
presenting an amazing card on such an amazing weekend for
boxing. Cinco de Mayo: the tradition and its glory... what
brings us all together is not only this special date, but
these special fighters who are here on the podium, their
willingness to fight each other and the willingness to
really be the very best.
“You've heard me in the past saying all the time, the best
must fight the very best, and this is the epitome of that.
We feel that Cinco de Mayo weekend, a Mexico versus Mexico
showdown will be an amazing, amazing event for everyone who
wants to celebrate and just have a great time here in Las
Vegas and in the U.S. celebrating Cinco de Mayo.
“Pride, heart and legacy. This is where boxing's biggest
stage and Cinco de Mayo weekend come together. When Mexican
and Mexican-American fighters step into the ring, they carry
not just belts, but the weight of their culture and the
generations before them.
“From Julio Caesar Chavez in the '90s, to myself, making it
global, this weekend became sacred in boxing. And now, it
continues with David Benavidez versus Zurdo Ramirez, a
Mexico versus Mexican-American showdown, that's about more
than a fight. It's history, it's identity.
“Zurdo is no stranger to making history. It's in his DNA.
Today, he is a unified world champion, having stepped into
enemy territory to secure his belts. Benavidez is fighting
to become a three-division world champion.
“This will be a fight of the year candidate. This is a
guaranteed war, mark by words.”
SAMPSON LEWKOWICZ, Sampson Boxing
“Cinco de Mayo, we have a history, like Julio Cesar Chavez,
and the great Oscar De La Hoya. Oscar took this weekend
over. Oscar did something spectacular to make this fight
happen.
“Now we have Cinco de Mayo, MGM, T-Mobile, it will be
spectacular, not only for that, because these two fighters
fight everyone. They took the fight with no hesitation. They
talked about this fight when they were young.
“I don’t want to mention names, but I have no choice. We're
not trying to fight, fighters that will not win that night.
Like, in this case, Cinco de Mayo, even though he was the
last one, in Saudi Arabia, Canelo, I believe he lost, and he
passed the torch to the winner of this Saturday. I guarantee
you that this winner will be the new face of boxing and
Canelo will be the end of the story, because he didn't fight
the best. Thank you very much.”
TOM BROWN, President of TGB Promotions
“This is such a great event. Fighting on Cinco de Mayo
weekend is every Mexican fighter’s desire.
“Boxing fans have come to always expect Cinco de Mayo
weekend to give them the best and biggest fights of the
year. At the opening press conference, Oscar touched a
little bit on the history of fighting on this date, going
back to the early '90s with Julio Cesar Chavez, and then we
moved into the Golden Boy era, where Oscar really cemented
the tradition and put this date as a staple on the boxing
schedule.
“There hasn't been a Cinco de Mayo fight here since 2024,
and we promoted that fight, but now, Cinco de Mayo weekend
is back and is back bigger than ever. We have a star-studded
lineup of Mexico versus Mexico showdowns.
“And then, of course, the main event, Benavidez versus
Zurdo, Mexico versus Mexico. I believe that this is gonna be
a fight of the year, and I say this with all due respect to
Zurdo Ramirez, I believe David Benavidez is gonna have a
spectacular win on Saturday night. I believe he'll take this
date over for many years to come.”
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