Category: Press Releases

PRESS CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

From Wednesday, June 16, 2010 At Oracle Arena (Courtside Club)

OAKLAND, Calif., (June 16, 2010),-Andre Ward and Allan Green met face-to-face at today’s final press conference in advance of their Super Six World Boxing Classic and WBA World Title tilt on Saturday, June 19 – live on SHOWTIME, 10p ET/PT – from Oakland’s Oracle Arena. 

The event is promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, TNT Boxing and Dibella Entertainment and sponsored by Corona, Oakland Tribune and River Rock Casino. 

While both men were respectful of one another, the tension in the room was nearly tangible.  What’s at stake in the final Group Stage 2 bout:

·       The undefeated Ward (21-0, 13 Kos) is making his first world title defense (WBA 168-pounds).

·       Green (29-1, 20 Kos) is getting his first world title shot and his first Super Six bout (replacing Jermain Taylor).

·       Both are seeking one of four coveted berths in the Super Six World Boxing Classic Semi-Finals.

·       With a victory, Ward would clinch a spot in the Semis prior to his Group Stage 3 bout vs. Andre Dirrell; Green would still have a chance in Group Stage 3 against Mikkel Kessler.

·       If Green is victorious, all six fighters would be virtually deadlocked going into the final and decisive Group Stage 3 matchups. 

What the fighters had to say:
Andre Ward:
Well this is my favorite part of it right here? fight week baby.  The hard work is basically over.  All the interviews are basically over and it’s time to go to work.  This is what I do best.  To quote John Wooden, you know I don’t let the praises of the people or the criticism get to me.  Because it’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.  I appreciate the praises of the people, I honor that, I thank them for that.  And those who? people who have a lot of negative things to say about me, even my opponent, his coach, his team, that’s fine.  But I’m locked in on what I have to do. Fight in and fight out.  I’ve sacrificed a lot for this moment.  I’ve sacrificed my wife, my kids and they’ve sacrificed a lot, too?.. I don’t think people realize what’s inside of me and what kind of focus I have.  They think when you get this belt that it’s time to relax.  They think that I’m the one that’s being hunted and to a degree I am, but I have a lot of desire in me, man. And I got a lot of passion in me.  I don’t know if he wants this belt as bad as I want to keep it,  but if he does, then it’s going to be a whole lot of fun on Saturday night.  We’re going to have a good show.

I have nothing negative to say about my opponent or his team.  I’ve listened to what they’ve said; the disrespectful things, even the compliments, and I take it all to heart.  I take them for their words and it’s pushed me and it’s driven me. Like I said at the first press conference we had, I train like I’m fighting a monster, period.  So, that way mentally and physically that’s what I’m prepared for.  It’s his time to show up.  He’s done a lot of talking but it’s time to show up.  It’s my time to show up and I will give the fans a tremendous performance come Saturday night. 

I’m not going to tell you guys how great I am, how great I’m going to be. I’ve got to continue to show you.  I’ve been in this game a long time and I understand it’s about putting in the work and showing people.  It’s not about these press conferences.  It’s not about the interviews.  It’s about putting in the work and when it’s time to show up, show up.  And that’s what I plan on doing.  So, I thank everybody that’s involved with this event, SHOWTIME, Oakland, we are getting ready to do it again.  Thank you.
Allan Green:
Andre Ward is a good young fighter.  He hasn’t lost since he was twelve or thirteen years old. We understand that.  We’re not minimizing him or undermining him in any way.  There’s no need for me to get chuckling here today.  I see children here. I see people here having a good time, but Saturday night I will be the WBA super middleweight champion.  That’s what I came here for.  I know what I can do.

To dissect me you’ve got to have a hell of a scalpel? to dissect Allan Green, a hell of a scalpel.  Because a lot of people tend to think, they want to label me as a puncher.  True, I am a puncher, but at the same time a lot of people fail to realize I’m a pure boxer.  I do know how to box.  I do know how to think.  So if anybody’s got it in there mind thinking that I’m just coming to walk this young kid down and blast him out and blow him out the water like Kessler did?

Like I said, here’s the problem.  Mikkel Kessler is from Denmark.  He speaks English.  Ward speaks English.   Kessler understands English.  Kessler doesn’t understand jive, that’s why he couldn’t deal with Andre Ward.  I speak jive very well and will Saturday night. 

John David Jackson (Green’s Trainer)
Everybody’s pretty much picked Andre Ward to win.  I don’t know why we even showed up.  James Prince said he’s ready to go to war, but one thing you got to remember when you go to war, you leave your head open for punches.  And this brother (Allan Green) right here, he’s got dynamite in both hands. So, if Andre Ward comes to go to war, that’s exactly what we want.  And if he does that, he won’t be champ anymore.
Virgil Hunter (Ward’s Trainer)
The talk is over and we can get down to the grit of it.  In my opinion you’re not the champ until you retire the champ.  You have to be able to hold on to the title and that’s where our mind set is.  Allan Green is not taken lightly.  His flaws, we’ve identified them. His strengths we have identified them too.  A lot has been said about what comes out of his hands, but if you look at his record, we have the better knockout percentage.  Judging from the fighter’s and competition he’s faced, this is the first time that he’s really going to get hit.  This is the first time he’s going to find out how violent Andre really is.  Everything we do, we do with speed.  If he stays where he is in the speed zone, he’s going to get chewed up.  We are going to find out who has the dynamite in the fists.  We are going to do what we always do.  We are going to shock your mind, take your heart and we are going to dissect you down and constrict you and then we are going to give you a venomous bite. 
Dan Goossen (Ward’s promoter)
This is the first time in history that the Bay Area has ever hosted two back-to-back championship fights within a twelve month period.  First and foremost I want to thank the fans for coming out to Oakland and supporting their hometown hero. When this thing is all said and done, you’re going to see your Oakland fighter, you’re Bay Area fighter, become a pay-per-view star.

 SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC SCOREBOARD (Through five fights)

 Record   Fighter   Points

 1-1   Arthur Abraham   3
 1-0            Andre Ward                  2
 1-1            Mikkel Kessler              2
 1-1            Carl Froch                     2
 1-1            Andre Dirrell                 2
 0-0           Allan Green                   0

OAKLAND’S OWN WBA SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION ANDRE WARD & WORLD-RANKED KNOCKOUT ARTIST ALLAN GREEN GO FACE-TO-FACE AT THE  COURTSIDE CLUB AT ORACLE ARENA

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

MEDIA CONFERENCE
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16 AT 12:30 P.M.

COURTSIDE CLUB AT ORACLE ARENA

WHO:            WBA Super Middleweight Champion and 2004 US Olympic Gold Medalist Andre Ward

                        Trainer, Virgil Hunter
                        World-ranked Allen Green
                        Trainer, John David Jackson
                        Dan Goossen
                        Co-promoter, Antonio Leonard
                        Co-promoter, Lou Dibella                     

WHAT:            Oakland’s own WBA Super Middleweight Champion Andre Ward and World-ranked Allan Green will participate in an OPEN TO THE PUBLIC PRESS CONFERENCE this Wednesday, June 16.  Ward will take on his first world title defense against challenger Allan Green in Group Stage 2 of the Super Six World Boxing Classic on Saturday, June 19 from the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California to be broadcast on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m., ET/PT, delayed on the west coast). 

Ward, who has emerged as a tournament favorite following his win in Group Stage 1 against Mikkel Kessler, is currently listed as a 1-1 favorite to win it all by USA Today sports analyst Danny Sheridan.  A victory over the world-ranked Green (29-1, 20 KOs), of Tulsa, Okla., will catapult the last American to win an Olympic Games gold medal into the tournament semi-finals. 

The event is promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, TNT Boxing and Dibella Entertainment and sponsored by Corona, Oakland Tribune and River Rock Casino.

WHEN:            WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16
12:30 P.M.                

WHERE:         ORACLE Arena – Courtside Club
7000 Coliseum Way
Oakland, CA 94621
(510) 569-2121

ABOUT SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC                       
The inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic is a ground-breaking, six-fighter tournament from SHOWTIME Sports® featuring the class of the super middleweight (168- pound) division from around the world. All bouts in the Super Six tournament will be contested under the Unified Rules of Boxing. Each boxer fights three bouts against different opponents in the field in the points-based Group Stage of competition (Win  2 pts with a 1-pt bonus for KO/TKO; Loss  0 pts; Draw  1 pt.). After the Group Stage, the four fighters with the highest point totals will advance to the single-elimination Semi-Finals. The winners of the Semi-Final bouts will advance to the Finals and fight for the inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic trophy.
     
For information on all SHOWTIME Sports telecasts, including exclusive behind-the- scenes video and photo galleries from its events and complete information on the Super Six World Boxing Classic, please visit the website at http://www.sports.sho.com

WBA CHAMPION ANDRE WARD WORKOUT QUOTES Wednesday, June 9, King’s Gym, Oakland, Calif. OAKLAND (June 9, 2010) – Andre Ward participated at a free open workout Wednesday at King’s Gym here. On Saturday, June 19, on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m., ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast), Ward (20-0, 13 KOs), of Oakland, will make the first defense of the World Boxing Association 168-pound title against world-ranked Allan Green (29-1, 20 KOs) of Tulsa, Okla., in a Group Stage 2 bout in the Super Six World Boxing Classic at the Oracle Arena. The event is promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, TNT Boxing and Dibella Entertainment and sponsored by Corona, Oakland Tribune and River Rock Casino. What Ward said Wednesday:   (On the tremendous fans’ support in Oakland) “It’s a lot of responsibility. Too much is given, much is required. The fan base is growing, the media attention is growing and this is what I signed up for.  I’m embracing it, learning how to deal with it and just thankful to be on a platform and a stage like this and eager to just keep working and be aggressive.” (On what kind of fight he is expecting from Green) “At this stage and this level you have to be ready for everything the opponent has to bring.  In my mind I’m preparing for a very physical and very grueling fight.  And if there is anything left, then that’s fine.  That’s what I’m prepared for, to do whatever needs to be done to keep my title.  I never wanted to be a guy who won a title and then lost it his first defense.  I want to be a guy that reigns for a long time.” (On trainer Virgil Hunter and his strict regimen) “We had our days of him being the task master when I was younger, with him implementing the standard of what he was looking for in me.  Every time I would come to the gym or anytime I would run and work out, he expected the highest level out of me, but fortunately he doesn’t have to push me like that (any more). He encourages me; he’s a man of wisdom.  We work well hand in hand. Honestly, we don’t have to say much when we train.  Don’t get me wrong — we talk strategy, but we can look at each other and know what the other one is thinking. We’re always on the same page. It’s a tremendous relationship. It’s more than just trainer and pupil.  It’s like a father and son relationship.” (Closing thoughts) “I want to just give a big thank you to the fans.  I thank them for the support.  I don’t take these media days lightly when people show up.  They can be doing anything right now but they come down and take the time out of their day.  I want to say thank you to the media, even the ones who maybe aren’t too particular(ly fond) of me.  I mean I understand that.  It’s no big deal.  I just appreciate the support I get and I want to be worthy of it.  I want them to know that I see you; I’m speaking of the fans.  I want to continue to do my part to put on great performances and also represent myself outside the ring in a respectable way” ABOUT SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC The inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic is a groundbreaking, six-fighter tournament from SHOWTIME Sports® featuring the class of the super middleweight (168-pound) division from around the world. All bouts in the Super Six tournament will be contested under the Unified Rules of Boxing. Each boxer fights three bouts against different opponents in the field in the points-based Group Stage of competition (Win  2 pts with a 1-pt bonus for KO/TKO; Loss  0 pts; Draw  1 pt.). After the Group Stage, the four fighters with the highest point totals will advance to the single-elimination Semi-Finals. The winners of the Semi-Final bouts will advance to the Finals and fight for the inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic trophy.

PHOTOS: TJ Hogan  Undefeated Andre Ward poses while getting his gloves tied by trainer Virgil Hunter, works the speed bag and hits the mitts during a free open workout Wednesday in Oakland, Calif. Ward defends the WBA super middleweight title against Allan Green in a Group Stage 2 bout in the Super Six World Boxing Classic Group on Saturday, June 19, on SHOWTIME® at the Oracle Arena in Oakland.

|

WBA SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION ANDRE WARD, WORLD-RANKED KNOCKOUT ARTIST ALLAN GREEN
SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC

MEDIA TELECONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

A Victory For Ward June 19 Cinches a Berth In Semfinals,
But If Green Triumphs, It’s Anybody’s Tournament To Win

Super Six World Boxing Classic competitors Andre Ward and Allan Green participated in an international media conference call on Tuesday to discuss their crucial Group Stage 2 12-round bout on Saturday, June 19, on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m., ET/PT, same-day delay) from the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. 

Ward (20-0, 13 KOs) will be making the first defense of the WBA belt he won on a convincing, 11t round technical decision over Mikkel Kessler in their Super Six World Boxing Classic opener. Oakland’s Ward, who has emerged as a tournament favorite following his win in Group Stage1, is currently listed as a 1-1 favorite to win it all by USA Today sports analyst Danny Sheridan.  Avictory over Green, of Tulsa,Okla., will catapult the last American to win an Olympic Games gold medalinto the tournament semifinals. 

A winner of six consecutive fights, Green (29-1, 20 KOs) is making his debut in the tournament afterreplacing Jermain Taylor. He enters the Super Six World Boxing Classic with zero points. A triumph byGreen, who is challenging for his first world title, would turn the tournament upside down. If victorious byknockout, Green would tie Arthur Abraham for first place heading into the final Group Stage boutsbefore the semifinals. 

The Super Six World Boxing Classic bout will be co-promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, TNT Boxing and DiBella Entertainment.   The event is sponsored by Corona, Oakland Tribune and River Rock Casino.
Here are some highlights of what the fighters had to say on Tuesday.

ANDRE WARD:
“I don’t know if I can compare Allan with anyone I’ve ever fought before. At the end of the day each fighter has his own strengths and his own weaknesses. If you’re going to become a great fighter you have to learn to exploit his weaknesses so that’s what we’re working on. But I don’t get caught up in trying to compare this guy with that. At the end of the day I look at June 19 as a fresh night. And it’s all about showing up on that night. So even though we’ve studied tape I expect a better Allan Green than what I’ve seen on tape. I’ve prepared myself mentally for this to be the toughest fight of my career. 

People say you used your head as a weapon against Kessler. Can you address that? 
 
“I think people who saw the fight know that I was ahead in that fight and there was no reason for me to intentionally start using my head. I don’t know how to intentionally use my head and not be cut. If I’m up 10 rounds to nothing why would I start intentionally head-butting? It doesn’t make any sense.  On the websites and on the message boards people need something to talk about so I guess this is just something they want to talk about.”

Allan Green has had some negative things to say about you. Has that bothered you?

“Bother me? No. Use them? Absolutely. I don’t read a lot of press before the fight but I get people coming up to me all the time saying, “Did you hear this or did you hear that?” I’ve been like since the amateurs but for some reason I live like a lamb before the fight. I’ve heard his comments on Fight Camp 360 and you better believe I use that. It bothers me in a good way because I constantly have something to prove and that’s what not a lot of people realize. I think a lot of people think I’m coming in here really well rested and really enjoying the fact that I’ve got a championship. But it’s been all work. For me, I try to say as little as possible before a fight. I’m not going to stand there and get pushed down or get bullied but at the end of the day I just shut my mouth, work hard and take care of business. So that’s what I plan on doing 11 days from now.

“It’s a huge deal for me to be fighting in Oakland. There’s a lot of negative things that come out of this city, but there’s also a lot of good. In this economy people are coming out and spending their money on these fights and having a good time. It’s exciting to see people excited about these fights; for fathers to be bringing their kids. Even women who would never go to a fight come up to me and my wife and say I bought a ticket and I’m coming to the next fight. It’s a lot of positive recognition and it’s one of the reasons I’m in this sport. It’s not to make money or build a legacy but to make a positive impact. We’re slowly and surely doing that and it’s very dear to my heart.

“If he (Green) has a chip on his shoulder then that makes two of us. I’ve been away from my family for a long time. I’m a bit irritable. He’s desperate to win but I want to keep my title. I don’t know if it’s now or it it’s later but I know eventually I’m going to get respect for the dog that’s in me and for the bite down that I have. It’s about going out there and taking care of my business. I expect him to have a chip on his shoulder because I definitely have one on mine. It’s just go time. At some point the talking just stops and it’s about just showing up. If Allan Green beats me I’ll take my hat off to him. I don’t make excuses. And I expect the same from him if I beat him. What I’m prepared for is a dog fight. I’m prepared for anything he’s got.” 

“My right knee is fine. We’ve had no issues with the knee throughout our entire training camp. Coming off of surgery there are certain things you need to do in rehabilitation just to keep the muscles and the hamstring and all the different muscles that wrap around the knee; just keeping them strong. The knee has really been a non-issue in this camp.”

ALLAN GREEN:
“Andre looked great against Kessler but I’m not Kessler. Mikkel Kessler really couldn’t deal with a lot of things that Andre was doing. I’m slick guy and I’m a sharp guy. I’ll fight however my opponent wants to fight. If I have to be slick I’ll be slick. If I have to box I will box. If I have to brawl I’ll brawl. I expect a thinking match. I can’t give my game plan. Andre is not the easiest guy to fight with his style but I understand how to fight him because I fought a lot of those guys in the amateurs. I understand his style.

“I think I belonged in the tournament originally. As far as (Andre) Dirrell goes I don’t think he was ready. The thing I didn’t understand was Jermain Taylor getting into the tournament. No offense against Jermain but we fought on the same show and I won my fight and he lost his fight. I got pushed back to ShoBox and he got put into the tournament. That’s what I didn’t understand.”

“I’m not coming into this tournament thinking about points. I’m thinking about victories. With victories come points. I don’t want to put any more pressure on myself than I already have. The only points I’m worried about are the points in the fight. And that’s up to the judges. So I can’t worry about that. I can’t put pressure on myself like that.”

Photo credit: Oakland Athletics

World Champ Throws Ceremonial First Pitch at A’s-Twins Game to Promote June 19 Title Defense in Super Six World Boxing Classic at Oracle Arena

(June 4, 2010) – Undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) 168-pound champion and America’s last Olympic Gold Medalist Andre ‘S.O.G.’ Ward (20-0, 13 KOs) made his ‘pitch’ to his hometown fans in Oakland, CA to come out and support him when he defends his title against world-ranked contender Allan ‘Sweetness’ Green (29-1, 20 KOs), of Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the Oracle Arena on Saturday night, June 19.
 
Featuring his best fastball while tossing the ceremonial first pitch in pre-game ceremonies held earlier today at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum prior to the A�s-Minnesota Twins baseball game Friday night, Ward proclaimed himself committed to continuing to represent his city and all of the Bay Area proudly by retaining his world title and, in the process, solidifying his spot in the Super Six World Boxing Classic on the SHOWTIME telecast.
 
“I can’t tell you what an honor it was to be able to throw out the first pitch at an A’s game,” Ward, an avid baseball fan, shared.  “I am a big supporter of the A’s and all the Bay Area sports teams, and I look at myself as Oakland and the Bay Area’s pro boxing franchise since there is no such thing as a major league boxing team.  So I go into each of my fights with that in mind and it gives me extra motivation to prepare and fight to the best of my ability.  I take a great deal of pride in representing my home area as its only current world champion.
 
“With that in mind, I can assure all my fans that I could not be any more ready for my first world title defense against Allan Green on June 19th.  He is a tough customer with an impressive record, and this could very well be the most exciting bout of the Super Six tournament.  I hope you’ll all come out and root me on.”

OAKLAND

Ward will be making the first defense of the WBA belt he won on a convincing, 11^th round technical decision over Mikkel Kessler in the Super Six World Boxing Classic opener on November 21, 2009 at Oracle.  A win over the hard-punching and big-talking Green ‘ making his first appearance in the tournament since replacing Jermaine Taylor ‘ would vault Ward into first place in the point standings and closer to a berth in the Semi-Finals.

Tickets for the June 19 Super Six World Boxing Classic are priced at $300, $150, $65 and $35 and are available at the Oracle Arena Box Office, 7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland, CA  94621, Phone:  (510) 569-2121 or online thru www.Ticketmaster.com.
 
The Ward-Green event is presented by Goossen Tutor Promotions, Antonio Leonard Productions and Di Bella Entertainment.  The event is sponsored by Corona, Oakland Tribune and River Rock Casino.
ABOUT SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC
The inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic is a groundbreaking, six-fighter tournament from SHOWTIME Sports® featuring the class of the super middleweight (168-pound) division from around the world. All bouts in the Super Six tournament will be contested under the Unified Rules of Boxing. Each boxer fights three bouts against different opponents in the field in the points-based Group Stage of competition (Win – 2 pts with a 1-pt bonus for KO/TKO; Loss – 0 pts; Draw – 1 pt.). After the Group Stage, the four fighters with the highest point totals will advance to the single-elimination Semi-Finals. The winners of the Semi-Final bouts will advance to the Finals and fight for the inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic trophy.