Unbeaten Welterweight Champion Spence and Undefeated Four-Division Champion Mikey Garcia Square-Off in PBC on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View Event Saturday, March 16 from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
ARLINGTON, TX. (March 5, 2019) – IBF Welterweight World Champion Errol Spence Jr. and four-division world champion Mikey Garcia hosted separate media workouts in Dallas and Riverside, CA. respectively on Tuesday as they near their historic showdown that headlines the first Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event Saturday, March 16 from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Spence hosted media at World Class Boxing Gym in Dallas and was joined by undefeated former super middleweight champion David Benavidez, who takes on J’Leon Love in PBC on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View action. Garcia’s workout also featured heavyweight fan-favorite Chris Arreola, who participated in the workout at Robert Garcia Boxing Academy and will face Jean Pierre Augustin in Pay-Per-View action beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Tickets for this showdown, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Ringstar Sports, are on sale now, and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com, the Official Ticketing Provider of AT&T Stadium.
Here is what the fighters and more had say Tuesday from the two media events:
MIKEY GARCIA
“A lot of people underestimate the power when they face me. They don’t see my physical size as a threat. But you know they feel the power once we’re in the ring and definitely change their minds.
“(I wanted to fight Spence) because he’s the best right now in the (welterweight) division. I want to make a statement. I want to make a mark, and you know I have to do that against the best.
“I believe I’m a better fighter overall. When it comes to footwork, I think I have the better footwork. When it comes to speed, I think I have better speed. When it comes to defense, I have better defense. With timing, I have better timing. All of these things are what will help me win this fight. The only thing that he has going for him that’s apparent is the size, height, weight and reach.
“I’ve always said I’m better than him. Not by a lot, but just enough to beat him. He also reminds me of myself in a lot of ways, the way he fights, the way he is. He does everything well, good footwork, good speed, controls the fight at his distance that he likes… In a lot of ways, it resembles the way I fight. But I still feel that I’m better in every one of those ways and that’s what I’m betting on.”
CHRIS ARREOLA
“Right now, my career is all about putting in the work and my legacy. I’m not in this anymore for money. I love money, but I’m comfortable. I’m here for legacy. I want to leave something behind… I’m chasing a title.
“I feel mentally sharper now. Mentally I’m just relaxed in the ring. Some people are amped the whole round. But no, I know how to relax and work the ring and work my fight.
“The main thing this time around is I’m fighting a lefty and the first three or four times being in the ring sparring it’s a little different. It’s different angles and different punches… So that’s the main thing that’s probably the hardest part is lefties and getting used to it.”
ROBERT GARCIA, Mikey’s Brother & Trainer
“Mikey has been there before in many championship fights. Obviously, this is the biggest challenge against a bigger, heavier guy. But at this point in training, I think we’re in great shape. We know (Errol) is going to be the heavier guy in the ring, but he’s not going to be the better or smarter guy.
“We’re going to fight a technical fight, especially in the first few rounds, to figure out what Errol Spence is brining into the fight. But if we have to back him up and fight on the inside, then we’re going to do what’s necessary.”
RICHARD SCHAEFER, Chairman & CEO of Ringstar Sports
“FOX is really putting their weight behind boxing, and you’ve seen what that meant for other sports. When UFC got involved with FOX, you saw how it elevated the sport of MMA and UFC… FOX is doing the same thing now on the boxing side and I really believe it will elevate boxing. It brings the general market to this sport, and I think that’s what we’re going to see here with this pay-per-view.
“When you have a fight like Spence and Garcia, boxing fans know about it. Sports fans know about it. But the general market doesn’t really know about it. So, I think if you can market towards the general market it just opens up the flood gates as it relates to pay-per-view. And that’s the advantage FOX has compared to an ESPN.”
