A WELCOME FROM
EDDIE HEARN
I
cannot quite believe that we are promoting an event at the home of the Miami Dolphins tonight – the Hard Rock Stadium. The return of the pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez fighting just eight weeks after unifying the division against Callum Smith in Texas. We are so excited. We are going to have 15,000 people in the building, a huge crowd. I am so proud to be here representing Matchroom and DAZN live this weekend. It’s an absolute honor to be working with, in my opinion, the greatest network in boxing right now. These guys have so
much to bring you coming up– an unrivalled schedule. One thing we love at Matchroom is giving young fighters the chance to succeed. You look at Canelo Alvarez, and he is just all business. He wasn’t really joking around. I think he knows what could lie ahead. What I like about Avni Yilridim is he’s a massive underdog in this fight. But I promise he will come with fire in his belly…This is a dream come true for him. On paper he should be outmatched, out classed and knocked out. I’ve never seen a fighter like Canelo Alvarez. What you’re seeing tonight is the best fighter of our generation, and it’s special to see. ■
Programme Editor: Anthony Leaver Fighter Interviews: Daniel Barnard, Jamie Ward and Scott Hammerton Design: Hashtag Digital Media (hdmdigitalsales@gmail.com) Photographs: Ed Mulholland Master of Ceremonies: Michael Buffer
3
NO BOXING,
NO LIFE
C
anelo Alvarez says his desire to create history is the driving force that keeps him striving for greatness as he defends his WBC, WBA Super and Ring Magazine World SuperMiddleweight titles against Avni Yildirim. The Mexican star is straight back into action following his clinical win over Callum Smith in December to claim the WBC and Ring Magazine straps and now puts his 168lb belts on the line against WBC mandatory challenger Yildirim (21-2 12 KOs) as he plots his path to becoming the first Mexican to be undisputed champion at SuperMiddleweight. The pound for pound king believes he can set the example for other fighters to follow and look to claim all the belts and secure a legacy, something that motivates him and his trainer Eddy Reynoso to strive to break records. “Avni Yildirim is a great fighter,” said Alvarez. “He’s very strong and comes forward so we have to be very alert. I’m not overconfident, I prepared very well. I don’t underestimate any opponent so I’m here and very prepared. “It’s important for me and Eddy to go for greatness because very few people have achieved becoming undisputed champions. And that’s a short-term goal for us. To win all the titles at 168 pounds. “It’s very important to me to leave behind a legacy in this sport. And that’s
4
FEBRUARY 27 2021
CANELO VS YILDRIM
“I DON’T JUST REPRESENT MEXICO, I REPRESENT ALL LATINOS” why we’re doing this. To keep making history and so when people talk about boxing, they always remember me. “I feel very motivated to be in Miami and have this fight. And to put on a great show for the people there because I don’t just represent Mexico, I represent all Latinos. “I like everything about Miami and I am very happy to be here, it is an honor to fight at Hard Rock Stadium. I feel very excited, very happy, it’s even more motivation for me. To open another door in order to have another home for my fights. I really feel very happy.” ■
5
MAKE HISTORY ONE ROUND AT A TIME.
CANELO ÁLVAREZ FOUR-DIVISION BOXING WORLD CHAMPION
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY. Imported Cognac Hennessy®, 40%, 43% Alc./Vol. (80˚, 86˚). ©2020 Imported by Moët Hennessy USA, Inc., New York, NY. HENNESSY is a registered trademark.
TURKISH
DELIGHT
A
vni Yildirim says he’s ready to upset the world and make boxing explode in his homeland as he prepares to challenge the number one poundfor-pound star in the world, Canelo Alvarez. The Turk can become an overnight sensation if he rips the WBC, WBA Super and Ring Magazine World Super-Middleweight titles from the Mexican star, who has designs on becoming undisputed at 168lbs. Yildirim can rip that script up and become a World champion for the first time in his second attempt after losing via a split technical decision to Anthony Dirrell in his last fight for the WBC strap in February 2019. The 29-year-old has a new trainer now in the form of Joel Diaz, and he’s carrying new found confidence into the biggest fight of his life. “This is a big night for me and for my country, for all the fans,” said Yildirim. “Everyone is waiting for the WBC belt. Maybe after the World championship title, boxing will get big in my country. “He’s a big champion, everyone knows that. I’m ready for the World championship. It’s my time. Tonight, for everyone, it’s showtime. “I don’t care what everyone says, underdog — I don’t care. I don’t care what everyone says, we are ready
7
“I DON’T CARE WHAT EVERYONE SAYS, WE ARE READY FOR THE WAR” for the war. Everyone knows that I will be World champion. I believe in myself; I believe in my coach and I believe in my promoter. “Nobody is giving a chance to a Turkish boxer, but we will stick it in their faces. All together, we will live this joy and this triumph. We put a lot of hard work into preparing for this fight, a lot of struggle. “I know it’s a big atmosphere. I know it’s a big chance for my career. We are ready for the war.” ■
8
FEBRUARY 27 2021
CANELO VS YILDRIM
®
CANELO YILDIRIM KNO CKO UT F L AVO R
VS
FEBRUARY 27, 2021
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BIG
BANG Z
hilei Zhang wants to live up to his ‘Big Bang’ nickname with an explosive win over Jerry Forrest and make the Heavyweight world stand up and take notice. The unbeaten Chinese star has been clear that he wishes to land a showdown with unified World champion Anthony Joshua, a fighter he knows well after the Briton beat him in the quarter-finals of the 2012 Olympics en-route to winning gold, so Zhang would love to set the record straight in a blockbuster show in his home country. The 37-year-old giant knows that he has work to do to get such a showdown though, and as he returns to action following a destructive KO win over Devin Vargas in Florida in November, he knows the pressure is on to perform against Forrest and kick his 2021 off in style to get the ball rolling for his dream fight. “I would love to fight AJ in China because of our amateur backgrounds,” said Zhang. “The venue is there, the Bird’s Nest holds 100,000, so we have it all. Beijing and Shanghai are the biggest cities, very economically developed and boxing in China is growing. The sports fans there like boxing, they like AJ, so if we can make it happen it would be huge for boxing. “Jerry has a good record and I respect him a lot. We’ve studied him and know all about him. I hope that when it comes to the fight, we put on a good show for the fans. “I’m excited to be on the same card as Canelo, he’s an amazing fighter in the ring and a great businessman outside the ring. It’s a big plus and it gives me the chance to showcase my skills to a huge audience and build to bigger fights later in the year.” ■
11
UPCOMING SCHEDULE SOR RUNGVISAI VS. CHOCOLATITO VS. SITHMORSENG ESTRADA 2 FRI MARCH 12
SAT MARCH 13
ORTIZ VS. HOOKER
POVETKIN VS. WHYTE 2
SAT MARCH 20
BENN VS. VARGAS
SAT APRIL 10
SAT MARCH 27
DOWNLOAD THE APP DAZN.COM
FORREST
J
FIRE
erry Forrest is going to bring the heat to Zhilei Zhang tonight to prove he’s a dangerman to any ambitious Heavyweight. Forrest came up short in his last outing, losing out on points to Carlos Takam in Las Vegas in July. The 32 year old suffered his fourth pro defeat that night from 30 fights, but he insists he’s learned his lessons from that bout and following a great camp, he’s ready to hand the giant Chinese his first pro loss. “I had to make sure I took the proper steps to be the best I can be in this fight,” said Forrest. “That’s what I’ve been trying to produce this entire camp. Be ready, focus and keep my eyes on the prize. “He’s a great fighter. I mean, when you’re talking about Olympic fighters, this man is a good fighter. We had to come up with a game plan. We have a game plan that we plan on sticking to. When you’re fighting top guys like Zhilei Zhang you have to be ready. “I feel I wasn’t there mentally for the Takam fight. People that have seen me fight before know that I am better than Takam, but I didn’t do anything that I am capable of. “I have to take everyone seriously and go in with the mindset that this guy is just as good as I am and they are there for 12 rounds. In the Takam fight, mentally I didn’t check out but I wasn’t there, I just thought he’s older and slower I would KO him. “I think I can push Zhang tonight more than he’s been pushed before. He’s never fought a guy like me, I’m the best fighter he’s fought. It’s going to be a good fight, I’m a pretty quick guy and I’m athletic, so I am going to give him some trouble. I’m going to have a couple of things he’s not expecting.” ■
13
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PROBLEM
CHILD
D
iego Pacheco wants a statement KO win tonight over Rodolfo Gomez Jr to show he’s a problem for the Super-Middleweight division. Pacheco has been explosive in his career so far, with eight wins inside the distance from his ten fights since his pro debut in December 2018, but tonight he gets a real test in his first eight round contest against Gomez Jr, who holds 14 wins in the paid ranks and has never been stopped in his four defeats. Pacheco believes he’ll be the first man to take the 31-year-old out and that’s the message he wants to send to his fellow up-andcomers at 168lbs. “It’s been a hell of a start to my career so far, and I’m just happy to be here,” said Pacheco. “I’m happy to step up and take it to the next level in my career.” Rodolfo has been in good fights; he’s never been stopped and he’s coming to win so this is a real test tonight and I’m looking forward to it. I think that I will be the first person to stop this guy. I want to show everyone that I am here, and I am a problem for the 168lbs division. The division is booming now, and I think that a few more tests over the next couple of years and I’ll be up there competing with the best for sure.” ■
17
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EL
MACIZO
A
lexis Espino has had his growing career blighted by the COVID pandemic – and now he’s ready to take those frustrations out on Ashton Sykes tonight. Espino and Sykes were set to clash in November at the Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Fl. but the fight was cancelled after one of Espino’s corner tested positive for COVID – the second time the coronavirus robbed him of the chance to fight. The 21-year-old boxed six times in a year after making his pro debut in February 2019, so to have been out of action for a year has been hard for the talented Californian to swallow – but now he wants to look forward to a good test against Sykes and restarting his promising start to life in the pros. “I can’t even explain how frustrating it is,” said Espino. “It’s so frustrating getting to a fight. You know, you pull up with all this adrenaline just to tell you that you have to go home. It’s mad frustrating but it I think those are the times it makes you appreciate moments like this. You sit up here and you’re like ‘Damn this feels good.’ “I’m very blessed to get this opportunity again thanks to Eddie Hearn, thanks to God. I was going through a whole lot of camps and I stayed down. I kept on training. I didn’t let those hiccups pull me down. “My opponent seems strong and he’s been talking a lot so I’m really excited to put on a show. I’m sure he’s going to bring out the best of me and that’s what we’ve been training for.” ■
19
MAKING HIS
MARC M
arc Castro is ready for his second pro fight – and his second on a huge Canelo Alvarez fight night. Castro made his pro debut in December, stopping Luis Valdes in the third round just before Canelo stepped out to face Callum Smith. The former amateur sensation said that experience was invaluable after waiting patiently to make his pro bow, and now he wants to soak it up all again as his drive to pro success picks up momentum. “I didn’t know how I was going to feel to fight as a pro and to fight in front of a huge crowd,” said Castro. “I was on just before Canelo and I was grateful for that because I learnt so much from the whole experience. My adrenaline was going crazy, but you have to stay calm and go back to what you know best, stay focused. “We’re putting in the work and sacrifices in the gym every day and I have a great promoter that is backing me, I feel like I’m on the right path to the top. “The best version of myself cannot be beaten so it’s not about my opponent, it’s about me. I have a great fan-friendly style, I’m committed to getting better and I am so dedicated to the sport. “I think I can fight for a World title in three years’ time. I win the World titles in the gym, if I am working every single day mentally, psychically and spiritually, then there’s no way anyone can catch up to me. “Boxing is a small world. I’m 3-0 against Keyshawn Davis and it’s a great environment to be around, he’s seen me grow as a fighter and I have seen him grow as a fighter. If that fight happens down the line, then it’s great.” ■
21
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KEY
DECISION K
eyshawn Davis makes his pro debut tonight – and the amateur sensation says he couldn’t have picked a better platform to show he’ll be a star in the pros. Davis was hotly tipped to win Olympic gold at the Tokyo games, but when the COVID pandemic caused them to be cancelled, the Virginia talent had a decision to make – wait it out or join the paid ranks. “It was tough but I feel I’ve made the right decision to turn pro,” said Davis. “I was trying to wait for the Olympics. I wanted to get this gold medal. But when this pandemic hit, things kind of changed. “So, coming into 2021, I realized all these big fighters had all their fights in the pandemic. I felt like if I would’ve taken my opportunity to fight in 2020, my pro debut would’ve been watered down. “We were going over plans on how to start my career and my manager said ‘do you want to fight on the Canelo undercard on February 27?’ I said ‘Most definitely, that’s the day before my birthday - make it happen!’ An hour later I was on the card. “I have great pedigree in the amateurs and I’ve sparred top fighters like Terence Crawford, Teofimo Lopez, Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson, and just grasping all the experience that I can. “Sparring with those guys they were telling me that I was ready to turn pro, and that was when I was 19. I’m turning 22 so I’ve been ready for this for a while but I was waiting for the Olympics, now I’ve found a new route to the pros. ■
23
THE ALIEN
KING
A
aron Aponte turns a dream into reality tonight as the Miami man fights at the home of the Miami Dolphins. Aponte made his pro debut in Kissimmee in October, winning by first round KO and now takes to the biggest of stages on his doorstep in the supporting cast for pound for pound king Canelo Alvarez. “I always dreamed about fighting here as being here from Miami,” said Aponte. “Miami is a huge opportunity for boxing. We have tremendous boxing fans here. Everyone comes out, shows out. “We’re ready for the opponent. He’s a good, strong guy, a tough opponent. It’s only my second fight but I’m going to get the job done and I’m going to knock him out. Expect me to put on a show because that’s what I am here to do. “The Super-Lightweight division is great, and I cannot wait to get to the top so that I can fight every single one of them. “Canelo is the best fighter in the world, and I am so honored to be on his undercard and have that exposure, he’s a great fighter. “My dad thought I was out of this world so he called me ‘The Alien’ and my other coach called me ‘The King’ as I would always beat everyone up, so we put them together and came up with ‘The Alien King’.” ■
24
FEBRUARY 27 2021
CANELO VS YILDRIM
12 X 3 MINS WBC, WBA SUPER AND RING MAGAZINE WORLD SUPER-MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLES
CANELO AVNI vs ALVAREZ YILDIRIM
(GUADALAJARA, MEXICO)
(ISTANBUL, TURKEY)
12 X 3 MINS INTERIM WBC WORLD FLYWEIGHT TITLE
MCWILLIAMS ARROYO
vs
(FAJARDO, PUERTO RICO)
ABRAHAM RODRIGUEZ (TIJUANA, MEXICO)
12 X 3 MINS HEAVYWEIGHT CONTEST
ZHILEI ZHANG
vs
(BLOOMFIELD, NEW JERSEY)
JERRY FORREST (NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA)
8 X 3 MINS SUPER-MIDDLEWEIGHT CONTEST
DIEGO PACHECO
vs
(LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA)
RODOLFO GOMEZ JR. (LAREDO, TEXAS)
6 X 3 MINS SUPER-MIDDLEWEIGHT CONTEST
ALEXIS ESPINO
vs
(LAS VEGAS, NEVADA)
ASHTON SYKES (COLOMBIA, MARYLAND)
4 X 3 MINS JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHT CONTEST
MARC CASTRO
vs
(FRESNO, CALIFORNIA)
JOHN MORAGA (PHOENIX, ARIZONA)
4 X 3 MINS LIGHTWEIGHT CONTEST
KEYSHAWN DAVIS
vs
(NORFOLK, VIRGINIA)
LESTER BROWN (NASSAU, BAHAMAS)
4 X 3 MINS JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT CONTEST
AARON APONTE
vs
(HIALEAH, FLORIDA)
HARRY GIGLIOTTI (HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS)