Promoter Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment, hosted the final pre-fight “Road To Glory” press conference today in the Celebrity Room at MGM Grand at Foxwoods for 9-29-12, Saturday night’s special HBO Boxing After Dark tripleheader, live from the MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.
“Road To Glory,” headlined by a 10-round title bout featuring undefeated super middleweight contender Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez (21-0, 14 KOs), fighting out of nearby Worcester, Massachusetts, defending his United States Boxing Association (USBA) against unbeaten power-puncher Jason “Monstruo” Escalera (13-0-1, 12 KOs), of Union City, New Jersey.
Also fighting on the HBO BAD show is undefeated Luis Orlando “Orlandito” Del Valle (16-0, 11 KOs) vs. former three-time, two-division world champion Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan (37-5-1, 27 KOs), in the 10-round co-feature for the vacant North American Boxing Federation (NABF) super bantamweight title.
World Boxing Council (WBC) International welterweight champion Antonin Decarie (26-1, 7 KOs), rated No. 8 by the WBC and fighting out of Quebec, challenges the unbeaten challenger Alex Perez (16-0, 9 KOs), of Newark, New Jersey, for the vacant NABF welterweight belt.
The event is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Gary Shaw Productions. All three bouts will be aired on HBO’s Boxing After Dark, beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.
Press Conference Quotes
Edwin Rodriguez: “I had a good training camp in Houston. They put me through hell. I’m ready to show the world that I’m a top 10 super middleweight in the world. I know Jason Escalera is a good fighter. He’s Puerto Rican, so he has a lot of will. Saturday night I need to break him down, take his will, and knock him out. I’m going to stay in the middle of the ring and take this guy out before the sixth round.”
Jason Escalera: “I’m excited. Camp was good and I was in the ring with known fighters like Demetrius Hopkins, Joe Smith, Ossie Duran, Glen Tapia, Danny Jacobs and Curtis Stevens. I’ve been working for this day to put on a show. Lou (DiBella), I’m going to disappoint you. I gotta do what I gotta do.”
Orlando Del Valle: “I’m excited. It’s been 12 years of working hard for this time and it’s finally here. I guarantee everybody in boxing will know who Luis Orlando Del Valle is. It’s an honor for me to fight Vic Darchinyan, but everybody’s time comes. This is my time to step up and Vic Darchinyan’s ends. I’ll prove it Saturday night on my way to winning a world title. This is the first of many to come.”
Vic Darchinyan: “I want to thank HBO; it’s my first time on HBO. You will see a very exciting fight from me on fight night.”
Antonin Decarie: “This is an amazing opportunity for me to establish myself as one of the best welterweights in the world. It’s my time to shine. I’m so proud to be fighting on HBO. This is a dream come true. Saturday night will be great for me.”
Alex Perez: “I’m ready to go 10 rounds. I’ve been waiting for this my whole life. Basically, it’s a dream come true.”
