On Tues afternoon undefeated and top pound for pound fighter Timothy Bradley staged a press conference for his upcoming HBO After Dark bout with heavy hitter and fellow undefeated Argentine Luis Carlos Abregu. The scheduled welterweight bout will take place this Saturday July 17th at the Rancho Mirage Resort and Casino. Also on the under card will be rising and potential Mexican superstar Alfredo Angulo. Angulo is coming off a spectacular knockout win over Joel “Love Child” Julio on the under card of Arrerola vs. Adamek last April. Quotes from Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley, Luis Carlos Abregu and Alfredo Angulo are all featured below.
Timothy Bradley:
“I’ve been very hard at work the last couple of months. I’ve had strenuous workouts. I’ve added strength training to pick up my extra weight. I am ready for this fight with Abregu. I am ready both physically and mentally. I feel stronger and faster than I ever have. I feel alive. This weight feels more natural. I can eat two portions of pasta instead of one.”
“I am focused on my game plan, I appreciate the media attention that I have received. It hasn’t distracted or bothered me. Abregu says that he’s going to knock me out, I’d like to see him try as I’m looking forward to a great battle on Saturday.”
“Fighting in my hometown is an advantage because the crowd is going to cheer for me. Abregu is going to hear Bradley chanted all night long and in his sleep afterward. I’m expecting his right upper cut to be heavy handed. He’s tall and lanky so he’ll be trying to get me from the outside.”
On why he didn’t fight at a catch-weight:
“I don’t believe in a catch-weight if you’re going to go to the next weight class. Fight the best in that weight class. Catch-weight is pathetic. Go the extra mile, gain the extra pounds… Roy Jones, Jr., James Toney, Sugar Ray Robinson and Sugar Ray Leonard have done it.”
On Carlos Abregu:
“Abregu’s at the top of the list. He’s undefeated. I have to teach him how to lose. When they lose, they realize “It’s getting tough in here”. I have to break this guy down, make him pay for his mistakes. I am fighting for my fans. I have a motto, I can’t lose at home and if I do, I’m not afraid to lose. If I lose, I come back stronger. I would embrace a loss and learn from it.The key is going to be not standing in front of him and use a great jab. Be afraid… The Desert Storm’s coming at you!”
CARLOS ABREGU:
On his game plan:
“I don’t want to share my game at the moment. I’ll discuss my strategy after the fight.”
On Tim Bradley meeting him his weight class and not at a catch-weight:
“He’s making a big mistake. I’m a natural welterweight. It’s a big mistake for him to fight at my division, he has no business here.”
“Traveling out of my hometown is a normal thing for me. My having to fight here in Palm Springs is no different. I’m a professional. This is part of my job. I want to let everyone know that I am ready to fight and coming out of my hometown is no different. I have been in Brooklyn for about a month and arrived in Palm Springs yesterday. It’s HOT here.”
On the media attention Bradley has been getting:
“Bradley having all of the media’s attention puts me at ease because the pressure is not on me, it’s on the champ. This allows me to do my work. I don’t care about what is said before or after the fight. Everything I do, I do in the ring.”
On preparing for Bradley:
“I worked out with sparring partners that moved a lot. I believe I have the formula to beat Bradley. I have sparred with guys as fast if not faster than Tim.
On his own punching power:
“My punching power is important to catch him at all rounds. I am going to try to in the first, second or third round. But if I have to, I am ready for the full 12 rounds – – I’ve trained for it.”
On Bradley’s past fights:
“I have seen Bradley’s fight style in his last four fights and I am not impressed. I’ll do what I have to do. I saw his fight against Kendall Holt and I can’t say much about that. I’ve been down and got up to win too. That’s part of what we do.”
Final comment:
“Rest assured, when I put Bradley down he’s going to stay down.”
ALFREDO ANGULO
“I’ve been working hard with my training and now that it’s getting down to the wire I feel that I just want to finish this and fight. I’m going to continue working out until Thursday. On my final workout on Thursday I am going to focus on my speed. I have an arsenal of weaponry that I am going to use on fight night. Alcine is facing a multi-dimensional fighter on Saturday night. He’s in hot water…agua caliente. “
