Daniel Ponce de Leon did not mince his words. He categorally announced that he would knock out before the fifth round his next opponent, Orlando Cruz of Puerto Rico this Saturday night for the WBC Latino featherweight title in Mexico City.
“It is going to be an interesting fight card. Besides Cruz vs. Ponce, the Argentinean Lucas Matthysse will face an ex-world champion in Vivian 
Harris,” Ricardo Maldonado Jr. of Produccion Deportivas stated. “We will also have three very good prospects in Marcos Lopez, Romulo Koasicha and Mauricio Pintor. The fight card will be broadcast by HBO Plus.”
Also in attendance was Eric Gomez, chief matchmaker of Golden Boy Promotions.
“We are very happy with this first-class international fight card,” he said.
“I am very prepared, I have been here two weeks getting used to the altitude of Mexico City,” Cruz stated. “I want to climb into the ring already. The title will go back to Puerto Rico with me.”
“I am ready, it is going to be a great fight, I have the experience,” Ponce de Leon shot back. “The title belongs to Mexico and nobody is going to beat me. You all know me, I am a warrior.”
“From he get go, I am going to go after Cruz and I am going to knock him out before the fifth round. He is experienced but in my country, nobody is going to beat me,” Ponce de Leon added.
“Orlando says that he is good but I am sure that he is going to run so I can’t catch him with my fists. I have studied him well,”the former super bantamweight champion said. “It doesn’t matter, I am going to knock him out. I am taking this fight very seriously because after this, I will fight for the full-fledged 126lbs. title.”