Training Camp Notes: 

Angino "The Nightmare" Perez

"Nothing to Lose"

Angino Perez Photo Courtesy of: Sweatbox Boxing & Fitness     Davie, FL:    As Angino "The Nightmare" Perez (17-5, 15 KOs) prepares, with his trainer, Javier Centeno, to face Karl "Dynamite" Dargan (16-0, 8 KOs) on Sept. 20 at Foxwoods Resort Casino and live on broadcast NBC Fight Night, he feels no pressure because, as Centeno puts it, "He has nothing to lose." Angino, or Gino as he is known to those closest to him, is a 31 year old junior welterweight who accepted a fight with the undefeated Dargan at lightweight for the Junior NABF Lightweight Title because the pressure would all be on Dargan. According to Centeno, "Gino is the type of guy that always feels the pressure is on the other guy. He has nothing to lose. He is going in against a guy that is undefeated. Gino has some losses on his record. He's the type of fighter that is just going to go out there, do his work and whatever the outcome is, it is."   For the first time in a long time, Perez and his team have adequate time to prepare at Sweatbox Boxing and Fitness in Davie, FL. For his last several fights, Perez had only one to two weeks' notice but, this time, the Miami native has ample time to prepare. He said, "I am managing myself and promoting myself and there have been no good fights offered to me. The fights I have been offered in the past were always on short notice where I didn't have time to train." But this time is different according to Centeno, "At this point in his career, we want to make a run for something so we need to make sure that we strategize. We need to make sure we get at least five to six weeks minimum training camp before each fight. Training camp has been different because we have been able to work our way into a routine. In the past he had no strategy to do anything; his training camp consisted of getting into the gym, skipping rope, hitting the bags, getting in some sparring and that's it. We've been working on his strength, his endurance and his power and we have been sparring in between as well."   With regards to sparring, Perez and Centeno wanted to find sparring partners to emulate Dargan's style. Centeno said, "I watched Dargan's last fight with Flores as well as his previous fight with Chazz McDowell. We know that Dargan is a counter puncher but he can also be very aggressive. We have been trying to get him in the ring with guys that can do both. Gino likes to bang. He likes to get in there but he's getting older and, if he wants to survive in the fight game, he's going to have to adapt a little bit. We are preparing for everything: preparing for if Dargan comes in aggressive and preparing for Dargan being a counter-puncher."   "The Nightmare" Photo Courtesy of: Sweatbox Boxing & Fitness      This fight requires Perez to step down in weight from junior welterweight to lightweight. According to Perez, he has had to make several adjustments to his diet to come in at the lower weight, "This time I am eating healthy and my body feels a lot different and stronger. We have sparred with a lot of heavier guys. I am taking things more serious. I finally decided to take my career into my own hands." Therefore, Centeno is not concerned about Perez making the weight for Sept. 20, "We know he can make the weight and make it comfortably. He's been eating right; his diet has been completely changed. He is just very lean and strong."   Dropping down to a lower weight class sometimes means losing power, but Centeno does not think that will be a problem for Perez because they have been sparring with heavier opponents, "Because Gino has some pop behind his punches, and we tend to go through a lot of the lighter guys pretty quickly. We wanted to make sure we were getting some heavier guys in who can really bang so they can take some of his power. Our sparring sessions have really impressed me. He is really strong even against some of these heavier guys. We have had guys in there sparring with him at 165 or 170, they are getting hit and they are feeling it."     About September 20:   The Sep. 20th special afternoon edition of NBC Fight Night will take place at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT and will feature a ten-round cruiserweight match-up between Thabiso "The Rock" Mchunu and Garrett "The Ultimate Warrior" Wilson for the NABF Cruiserweight Title and a ten-round lightweight match-up between Karl "Dynamite" Dargan and Angino "The Nightmare" Perez for the Junior NABF Lightweight Title. The undercard bouts will be announced shortly. Tickets are $100, $75 and $40 and are available through Foxwoods.com and Ticketmaster.com. The card is presented by Main Events, Peltz Boxing and Showpony Promotions in association with Banner Promotions. The special NBC Fight Night broadcast will begin live at 3:00 PM ET/12:00 PM PT.  NBC Sports Live Extra:   NBC Sports Live Extra: NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets - will live stream Fight Night at 3 PM ET/12 PM PT on September 20. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play. About Foxwoods® Resort Casino   Foxwoods Resort Casino is one of the premier entertainment destinations in the Northeast.  As the largest resort casino in North America, Foxwoods offers a vast array of gaming in six casinos; AAA Four-Diamond hotels, restaurants from gourmet to express, world-renowned spas, awarding-winning golf, state-of-the-art theaters, and exclusive retailers. Perfect for both recreation and business, Foxwoods provides modern and versatile convention and meeting space to infuse new life into any meeting or event.  Foxwoods Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. For a comprehensive look at Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation visit Foxwoods.com.     FOLLOW US:   Official hashtag: #FightNight www.mainevents.com Twitter: @main_events Facebook:  facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing www.nbcsports.com Twitter:  @NBCSN Facebook:  facebook.com/NBCSports www.peltzboxing.com Twitter: @PeltzBoxing Facebook:  facebook.com/PeltzBoxingPromotions www.foxwoods.com   Twitter:  @FoxwoodsCT  Facebook:  facebook.com/Foxwoods

BERNARD HOPKINS AND SERGEY KOVALEV NEW YORK CITY PRESS CONFERENCE AND PHILADELPHIA MEDIA ROUNTABLE
QUOTES AND PHOTOS
 
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS FROM PHILADELPHIA/NYC
Photo Credit: Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions
 
 
NEW YORK (Sept. 2, 2014) -Bernard "The Alien" Hopkins and Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev held a press conference in New York City and a media roundtable in Philadelphia Tuesday to officially announce their light heavyweight unification bout on Saturday, Nov. 8 taking place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City live on HBO World Championship Boxing®.
 
Check out what the fighters and promoters had to say below:
 
BERNARD HOPKINS, WBA & IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion
 
"When fighters want to fight, this is what happens. When we really want to do it and our promoters do as well, we get it done.
 
"I take everything I do extremely seriously. But people ask me, how can I continue to do this? I have no plan or timetable when I put my mind to something.
 
"I want the best. Hagler fought the best. Ray Leonard fought the best. The Alis of the world, they fought the best. I'm from the era where I fought the best and that's important to me. I receive undisputed status in 2001 and that was special.
 
"I bloomed late. I didn't bloom by the timing of the experts. I want to make it as difficult as possible for you to come up with a headline for me. I don't want to be on the pound-for-pound list because that would make me human.
 
"What I'm doing now is making a new legacy and a new list and a new way to judge. 'Where do we put this man? We can't put him in the top 10. He's doing things no one has done!'
 
"Enjoy this while you can and come see it. Don't worry about when or how I'm going to leave or break down. You guys are all humans, I understand you, but you don't understand me.
 
"The last time I heard, he [Kovalev] can box. He's shown that he can box...People are traumatized by the punch and the knockout.
 
"I've been in the game for almost three decades. I look for more of what a guy brings to a gunfight other than bullets...The sweet science is not based on only one thing you can do particularly well.
 
"If he comes in the game thinking a punch is all he'll need, he might be right, so you should watch.
 
"I'm walking a tightrope hundreds of feet in the air. He crushes people. Only three or four people survive his hammer.
 
"There's no pressure on me but one thing that is on Bernard Hopkins - that no other fighter really has to do deal with because they've never been in my situation is - how I continue to keep making history
 
"Anybody at the right time and the right place can get knocked out. It is his job to do what others try to do. It is my job to do what I've been doing.
 
"Come November 8 on HBO you get to watch artwork. You're watching Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong with gloves on.
 
"It's such a testimony to see a 50-year-old man - less than 100 days from now - go 30 plus minutes with a young strong Russian puncher and not get a scratch on him.
 
"I understand humans have a timeline of when they are supposed to go. Age 35 and you're done - I don't care what sport you're in. It's a fact. I don't know what type of evidence I need to show I'm an alien other than what is there."
 
 
SERGEY KOVALEV, WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion
 
"It is not easy to overlook Hopkins. I think when he's 60 years old he'll be in the same condition. He's an alien, but I have to send him to the moon and maybe from there he'll go by himself to Mars. 
 
"I want to say that one day in Big Bear when I trained, I met Oscar De La Hoya and asked him to sign me and he turned me down, but now here we are on different sides.
 
"I am not a talker, I am a fighter and I am sure Bernard will promote the fight for both of us.
 
"I don't really understand what Bernard is saying. It doesn't matter what he says. Even if I understood, I wouldn't care. I don't worry about him. I'll go into the ring and do my job.
 
"Bernard talks and fights. I just fight.
 
"I can't say what the fight will be like. This is boxing and anything can happen. 
 
"It is my secret what I will do on fight night. I will give it my all and come out with the win."
 
 
OSCAR DE LA HOYA, President & Founder of Golden Boy Promotions
 
"This fight is the best against the best in the light heavyweight division.
 
"I really do feel that this is not just a fight, but an event. I am glad that it's on HBO and I'm glad its not on pay-per-view, which it easily could have been, but you have to give credit to the fighters who are doing it for the fans.
 
"I believe that many people over the years have doubted Bernard Hopkins. He's over 40-years-old, how can he win? All of those questions are no longer being asked. Everything that he does, he deserves.
 
"At 49-years-old, being the oldest champion in any sport, he deserves tons of respect. The fact that he's facing the 'Krusher,' is just another of the many dangerous fighters that Bernard has faced.
 
"Being the best middleweight in the history of this sport, with 20 defenses and now to be 49 at light heavyweight, he's still going strong. I'm now convinced he is an Alien."
 
 
KATHY DUVA, CEO of Main Events
 
"This fight is going to be the most anticipated fight of 2014. It's so much fun putting together a fight like this that everyone wants to see. Its great to see the excitement level and the anticipation, you can feel it in the air.
 
"This is going to be a tremendous event. It's one of those fights that when the bell rings you really won't know what is going to happen. It's not about finding out who's best, its about who is going to win the fight, because both are great.
 
"This is what boxing is supposed to be and we look forward to November 8.
 
"The first person I thought of when I saw Sergey Kovalev in the ring was Ray Leonard. I saw the look in his eye and I could tell he was different. I believe he is the most electrifying boxer in the world of boxing and he will prove it on November 8."
 
 
KEN CONDON, Caesar's Entertainment Consultant
 
"This is an Atlantic City fight, it's in Bernard's backyard and this is where the fight belongs.
 
"Sergey has also developed a great following from his last two fights in Atlantic City.
 
"Caesar's stepped up to the plate and continued its tradition of great championship boxing in Atlantic City. We believe in the future of Atlantic City and we believe in boxing. We expect a sellout on November 8."
 
 
AARON DAVIS, NJSAC Director
 
"November 8 is going to be a nice fight with premier fighters and premier promoters. We want to keep on the legacy that we have created in New Jersey."
 
 
# # #
 
 
Hopkins vs. Kovalev, a 12-round unification bout for the IBF, WBA and WBO Light Heavyweight World titles, taking place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Saturday, November 8 is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Main Events in association with Caesars Atlantic City, Corona Extra, AT&T and Hortitsia Vodka.

Tickets priced at $300, $200, $150, $100 and $50, plus applicable fees and service charges, go on sale on Friday, Sept. 5 at noon ET and will be available for purchase at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.


For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.mainevents.com, www.hbo.com/boxing or http://www.boardwalkhall.com/.

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You're watching "THE DROP" w/ Cynthia LuCiette and J.Snow! SUBSCRIBE TODAY! André 3000 recently did an exclusive interview with the "New York Times" and opened up about dealing with depression, losing millions of dollars and being too "old" for Hip Hop. Speaking of hip hop Trina is back with a new single called "Gone Mad!" In other news Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie finally tied the knot during a small ceremony in Chateau Miraval, France! What do you think of today's headlines. Leave a comment below! #AskTheDrop

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About USA Basketball
Based in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Basketball is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for men's and women's basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the U.S. by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA teams that compete in FIBA sponsored international competitions, as well as for some national competitions.

During the 2009-12 quadrennium, 1,273 men and women players and 235 coaches participated in USA Basketball, including USA Basketball Teams, USA Basketball trials and the USA Basketball 3x3 FIBA championships.

USA Basketball men's and women's teams between 2009-12 compiled an impressive 264-35 win-loss record in FIBA and FIBA Americas competitions, the Pan American Games, the World University Games, the Nike Hoop Summit and in exhibition games.

USA teams are the current men's and women's champions in the Olympics; men's and women's FIBA World Championships (Basketball World Cup); men's and women's FIBA U19 World Championship; men's and women's FIBA U17 World Championships; men's and women's U18 and U16 FIBA Americas Championships, and FIBA 3x3 Women's World Championship and FIBA 3x3 Women's U18 World Championship. USA Basketball also currently ranks No. 1 in all five of FIBA's world ranking categories, including combined, men's, women's, boys and girls.

For more information, as well as all the latest USA Basketball news and highlights, log onto its official website at http://www.USAB.com

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