ROCHA VS. SANTILLAN PRESS CONFERENCE LIVE FROM THE KIA FORUM ON SATURDAY, OCT. 21 AND BROADCAST LIVE ON DAZN
| QUOTES AND PHOTOS ROCHA VS. SANTILLAN PRESS CONFERENCE LIVE FROM THE KIA FORUM ON SATURDAY, OCT. 21 AND BROADCAST LIVE ON DAZN |
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| Mandatory Credit: Golden Boy / Cris Esqueda |
| INGLEWOOD, CALIF. (October 19, 2023) – In the lead up to their welterweight showdown to prove they are on the top of the welterweight division, Santa Ana’s very own NABO Welterweight Titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (23-1, 15 KOs) and San Diego’s undefeated Giovani “Gallo de Oro” Santillan (31-0, 16 KOs) hosted a press conference today to promote their match. Rocha vs. Santillan is a 12-round fight taking place at the Kia Forum on Saturday, October 21 and is presented in association with Top Rank. Doors to the Kia Forum open at 3:00 p.m. PT, the first fight starts at 3:05 p.m. and the worldwide broadcast begins on DAZN beginning at 5:00 p.m. PT. In the co-main event, John “Scrappy” Ramirez (12-0, 8 KOs) will participate in a 12-round, WBA Super Flyweight Title Eliminator against Ronal Batista (15-3, 9 KOs). Also on DAZN in a 10-round flyweight fight, Rialto’s Ricardo “El Niño” Sandoval (22-2, 16 KOs) will fight Victor Sandoval (37-3, 23 KOs).In the night’s championship fight presented in association with Miguel Cotto Promotions and Sampson Boxing, four-time World Champion and current IBF Flyweight Titleholder Arely “Ametralladora” Muciño (32-3-2, 11 KOs) will defend her hard-won title against the Coachella Valley’s undefeated Gabriela Fundora (11-0, 4 KOs). Opening the broadcast, David “Dynamite” Stevens (13-0, 9 KOs) will hope to maintain his clean record in an eight-round super middleweight match against Joeshon James (7-0-2, 4 KOs) of Sacramento, California. On the preliminary card, San Fernando’s Iyana “Roxy” Verduzco will make her anticipated professional debut in a four-round lightweight fight against Clarice Morales (0-2-1) of Toledo, Ohio. Opening the fight night, Fabian Guzman (2-0, 2 KOs) of Orange, CA will participate in a four-round middleweight fight against Rueben Johnson (0-2) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Previously announced Joseph “JoJo” Diaz Jr. has experienced COVID-like symptoms. Out of an abundance of caution for him and his opponent, he will no longer participate on the Rocha vs. Santillan card. |
| ALEXIS “LEX” ROCHA, NABO WELTERWEIGHT TITLE HOLDER: “I want to thank Giovani Santillan and his team taking this fight. We both knew this fight would come one day. We’re knocking on the door for title contention. He’s ready. I’m ready. We’re going to bring it. This is a fan friendly fight that could potentially end in a knockout either way, so you guys do not want to miss this.” |
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| GIOVANI “GALLO DE ORO” SANTILLAN, WELTERWEIGHT CONTENDER:“I’ve been working very hard and I’m very excited for this opportunity. I’m planning on making the most out of this, and I plan on making a statement. I’m finally getting a chance to show the world who I am as the main event at the Kia Forum. This is something very meaningful for me and it’s going to be an exciting night.” |
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| JOHN “SCRAPPY” RAMIREZ, SUPER FLYWEIGHT CONTENDER:“We had a plan. The plan was to take the right fights, you know, to get to the world title. You see, a lot of people didn’t believe in me when I say that I’ll get here. But guess what? I wrote it down. I visualized it and made it happen. And I stayed hungry and when you get to this level it is easy. But to stay here is hard. And I’m here to stay. So, make sure you guys tune in October 21.” |
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| BERNARD HOPKINS, GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS PARTNER:“Thank you everybody who supports Golden Boy and supports our mission. It’s statement time. To all the fighters to my left and to my right, it is time. So, make the statement and steal the show if you can. Understand that the world is watching. Thank you.” |
| OSCAR DE LA HOYA, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS:“We are proud to keep the promise I made to boxing fans about working with everyone to make the best fights possible. This card is stacked from top to bottom including a world championship fight, a title eliminator, and a tough fight for one of our top rising prospects.” |
| ### Rocha vs. Santillan is a 12-round welterweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Top Rank. The event will be available worldwide to all subscribers on DAZN, both live and on demand.Tickets for Rocha vs. Santillan are priced at $150, $100, $75, $50 and $30 plus applicable fees. A limited amount of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available for purchase with exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades included. Standard and VIP tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or GoldenBoyPromotions.com.For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #RochaSantillan About the Kia ForumThe Kia Forum, located in Inglewood, California, is the only arena-sized venue in the country dedicated to music and entertainment, delivering a superior experience for artists and fans alike. The iconic venue attracts a wide variety of premier events including the biggest names in music and entertainment, award shows, combat sports and more. Fans at the Kia Forum enjoy approximately 8,000 square feet of event level hospitality offerings, including merchandise and food and beverage options. A tinted glass wall separates this concession area from the arena, ensuring fans do not miss a moment of the show. A 40,000-square-foot outdoor terrace wraps around the perimeter of the building and offers comfortable furnishings and food and beverage options from some of SoCal’s most celebrated brands. Designed with entertainers and performers in mind, Kia Forum Backstage includes star-caliber dressing rooms that provide unparalleled comfort. The Kia Forum was honored at the 2022 Pollstar Awards as recipient of the Arena of the Decade award. For more information, please visit thekiaforum.com. Instagram | Facebook | Twitter |