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NYC PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES: BERLANGA VS. SHEERAZ / SHAKUR STEVENSON VS. WILLIAM ZEPEDA PhilBoxing.com Fri, 16 May 2025  NEW YORK, NY – May 15, 2025 – To kick off the massive Ring Magazine III doubleheader, Ring Magazine’s No. 9-ranked Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga and No.3-ranked Hamzah Sheeraz, along with No. 4-ranked Shakur Stevenson and No.5-ranked William “El Camarón” Zepeda, met face-to-face at the Palladium Times Square in New York City today ahead of their July 12 fight at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, New York City, live worldwide on DAZN. The bout follows a pair of star-studded Ring Magazine contests, first at London’s Tottenham Stadium and then in New York’s Times Square, which achieved over 116 billion combined online and social media impressions. Today’s press conference, hosted by Wade Plemons, featured faceoffs of Berlanga (23-1, 18 KOs) and Sheeraz (21-0-1, 17 KOs) ahead of their super middleweight fight and Olympic Silver Medalist Stevenson (23-0, 11 KOs) as he looks to defend his WBC Lightweight Title on July 12 against Golden Boy Promotions’ Zepeda (33-0, 27 KOs). This is what the fighters and their teams had to say: Edgar Berlanga: On the upcoming matchup vs. Sheeraz: “You already know what time it is. I’m knocking this mother***er out. He said we’re overlooking him, but I don't overlook any fighter. You are in NYC. You are in the lion's den. We’re going into this looking to hurt him. I’m going to break every bone in this guy's face and do what I do best: put on a show. Every fight, you have to turn it up.” On his confidence: “I’ve always been like this [confident]. You saw me in the Canelo fight. I went toe-to-toe with him. I was trash-talking him to his face. I’m like that at the highest level.” On Sheeraz’s fighting style: “He’s a basic fighter. I’ve been boxing since I was six years old. What he brings, I’ve already seen. He’s trained by Andy Lee, I messed up the last fighter, and now I’ll mess up this fighter.” On fight prediction: “If he comes to fight the first round, I’m knocking him out.” On a potential Canelo rematch: “His people are asking for the rematch. It was a big fight – every bar in New York and Puerto Rico was shut down. I gave him 12 rounds when all the other fighters he fought had more experience. I want a Canelo rematch because the fans are asking for it.” Hamzah Sheeraz: His message to Berlanga: “I’m coming, and I’m coming for everything. I feel like this fight, for the first time in my career, I’m being underestimated. I get it; you’re only as good as your last performance in boxing. I’m telling you now, on July 12 – when I get the win – the Hamzah Sheeraz hype train will be back on again. We’re coming with everything.” On his last fight: “I’ve learned a lot of things, but it’s all well and good, that’s the past. We’re in New York, everything is about the future and all about July 12. I’m ready.” On being called soft: “If I were soft, I wouldn't be going into a fight like this, at 160 at a new weight. On July 12, we’ll see what I’m all about.” On his prediction for the fight: “I’ve learned a lot since my last fight, not just in the ring but outside as well. I’m going to go out there, throw a few jabs, land a right hand straight on the chin, and knock him the f*** out. But if it goes 12 rounds, it goes 12 rounds. Either way, it’ll be explosive.” On fighting Canelo in the future: “I’m not going to talk about that. I need to smash Berlanga’s face, and then we can talk about that.”  Shakur Stevenson: On how he expects the fight to go: “He’s coming in here to throw as many punches as possible, overwhelm me, and try to bully me. I’m not going to let that happen. I don’t believe in all the bull*** he’s talking about. I’m going to go out there and do what I do best, win. In spectacular fashion. I’ll come out there to whoop his a**.” On Zepeda’s plea to “stand up and fight:” “I’m coming there to put on a performance. I’m not focused on standing there and fighting, I’m not focused on boxing, I’m coming in there to put on the best performance of my career. On July 12, Zepeda is going to remember my name.” On his performance: “I’m going to train my ass off. Come July 12, he’ll have the best version of Shakur Stevenson in front of him. He will see something different that he hasn’t seen before. If he thought I was a skilled fighter before, wait until he sees the best version of myself on fight night. He has no chance. On being compared to the boxing greats: “It’s cool, but I don’t get too caught up in that. I don't want to get trapped where I’m thinking so highly of myself, and I’m not thinking of the fight. Know that I’m not sleeping on William Zepeda. I understand that this is a fighter who has been waiting for this opportunity his entire life. I’ve known Zepeda since I was 16, and he was focused then. I understand this is his moment too, so at the end of the day, I have to lock in. I’m going to step on him, and that’s what I’m coming to do.” On looking ahead to a potential Tank fight: “Right now, all that’s on my mind is July 12. Of course, I want the Tank fight. I’ve been saying it for years. Truthfully, if I don’t get past Zepeda, then there is no Tank fight. Zepeda is first, and I’m going to stand on business.” William Zepeda: On his upcoming fight against Stevenson: “It’s an honor to be here. This is the fruit of 16 years of labor. This is the opportunity of my life, and I believe on July 12, everyone is going to know who William “El Camarón” Zepeda is. I know that I have to prepare one million percent for this fight. It’s the biggest fight of my career, the biggest fight of my life, and like I’ve told my team, I can’t leave this in the judge’s hands. I have to come out here and give everything I have in my heart and stop this fight.” On being overlooked by Eddie Hearn: “I don’t care what Eddie says. I’m preparing really well. I’m fully aware of Shakur’s skillset, and I am doing what needs to be done to win on July 12. Shakur says he’s going to stand and fight – let’s stand and fight.” On what he expects from Stevenson: “I know that Shakur is a great fighter, and I understand the opposition in front of us, but I am training for that. I have a plan A and plan B. A lot of fighters I’ve fought think I’m a guy who just throws punches until they’re in the ring with me.” On Stevenson, saying he’ll step on him: “I’ve always been a fighter known to be very disciplined, very focused. This is not an exception. This is the biggest fight of my life and the greatest opportunity I have. I want to be known as a Mexican legend, but not just a Mexican legend, a legend in the sport of boxing. I look at this fight like a movie, like Meldrick Taylor versus Chavez, and I want that type of fight. I want to give the fans what they want.” His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority: “This card is very important for boxing and nobody can predict the results. The Ring Magazine III features a historic card in a historic place, the first-ever boxing match in a tennis arena. I see the eye of Shakur as the Tank, the eye of Zepeda in big fights in Mexico, the eye of the result in Berlanga, and the eye of Sheeraz as Canelo. This whole card is very important to me, it has brilliant fighters and the results of this card will affect the next one and all of boxing. We have two big cards coming up in August and in October, but this card is very important to me. Shakur, Zepeda, Sheeraz, Berlanga, and the result of this card will affect the future.” Rick Reeno, COO of The Ring Magazine: “Our first card at Tottenham, Eubank vs. Benn, that was about legacy. Our Times Square card was about history, and to me personally, this card is all about action. These are action fights from top to bottom. Starting with Edgar Berlanga and Hamzah Sheeraz at super middleweight, this fight could be bombs away from the very first round. There’s a lot of animosity there. I know Edgar’s taken some offense with Hamzah coming to his backyard. Edgar is looking to end it early. Hamzah is looking to end this fight by knockout. I really don't expect this fight to go the distance. It is going to be fireworks from the first round.” “We have Shakur Stevenson in our other main event, defending his WBC lightweight title against mandatory challenger William Zepeda. Shakur, without question, is one of the best pure boxers in the sport. He’s going up against Zepeda, an aggressive puncher. A lot of people look to July 4 for fireworks. July 12 is when the real fireworks are going to happen.” Eddie Hearn, Chairman of Matchroom Boxing: “This event will be the most exciting of the three Ring Magazine events that have occurred in the span of just a few weeks. “People always ask me the difference in the U.S. coming over from the U.K. Stevenson is a superstar, not just a superstar in boxing, but in American sport. He’s 27 years old. He’s a three-division world champion, and he’s never broken a sweat. Eric Gomez said it right, comparing him to Floyd Mayweather, but I’d also put him with the likes of Sugar Ray Leonard, all of the greats. For greatness, you need a great opponent, and that’s William Zepeda. “Edgar Berlanga against Sheeraz. Berlanga is a fantastic puncher, and Hamzah Sheeraz is going to be very well-suited at 168, especially with Andy Lee in the corner. One of the best trainers in the world. “This is the fight where Shakur Stevenson will show everybody how great and special he is. You’re talking about pound-for-pound number one greatness for this man. The Ring Magazine is doing such an incredible job with these cards.” Eric Gomez, President of Golden Boy Promotions: “After the last show we did in New York [May 2 Times Square Event], we all need more punches. These are the fighters to do it. William Zepeda’s output is incredible. Edgar Berlanga, one of the most exciting fighters in boxing today. And then. Shakur is the closest thing to a Floyd Mayweather, if not better.” “These fighters are great. It’s a can’t-miss card. These fighters are going to come to fight and take care of business. They want to prove to the fans and the world of boxing that they’re all action. It’s going to be a great show.” Spencer Brown, Goldstar Promotions: “I spoke to Keith Connolly earlier. To reiterate, he said Hamzah is only going to go six rounds. We’re coming into the lion’s den. He’s moved up to 168 lbs. Berlanga is a very big guy, and it’s not going to be an easy task, but we’re going to beat him, and we will win it comfortably. He’s six-foot-four, a big man. We think that we can definitely win the fight, and we’re quite confident.” Keith Connolly “It’s a huge fight for Edgar. Anytime Edgar fights in New York, it’s a huge event. I think it’s going to be bombs away, but I don't see this going past five rounds. Sheeraz is a great fighter, but there are levels to this sport, and he's not on Edgar's level. I think it’s going to be a massacre on July 12, and I see a violent knockout coming. It’s going to be a great event. Our fight is definitely going to be the fight of the night. Expect an explosive knockout, and this will be a springboard for Edgar going forward.”  |
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