SHOWTIME SPORTS® MOVES AHEAD WITH DOUBLEHEADER ON JUNE 23 AFTER INJURY FORCES CHRIS ARREOLA TO WITHDRAW FROM FIGHT WITH MIKE MOLLO

NEW YORK (June 15, 2012) – An injury has forced heavyweight Chris Arreola to withdraw from his scheduled June 23 fight against Mike Mollo, which  was slated to open the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIPBOXING telecast on SHOWTIME®.  The premium network will move ahead with a doubleheader featuring two 12-round fights.

In the main event, former World Champion “Vicious” Victor Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 KO's), of Ventura , Calif. , will face Josesito Lopez (29-4, 17 KO's), of Riverside , Calif. , for the WBC Silver Welterweight Championship.  The co-feature will match world-ranked fighters, former Three-Time World Champion Humberto “Zorrita” Soto (59-7-2, 34 KO’s), of Los Mochis , Mexico , and hard-hitting Lucas Matthysse (30-2, 28 KO’s), of Chubut , Argentina , in a battle for the WBC Continental Americas super lightweight title.

The doubleheader emanating from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles , Calif. will air live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).  It will be preceded by preliminary bouts airing live on SHOWTIME Extreme at 7 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).  In the main match-up on SHOWTIME Extreme, Jermell Charlo (17-0, 8 KO’s), of Houston , risks his perfect record against Denis Douglin (14-1, 8 KO’s) of Marlboro, N.J., in a 10-round junior middleweight bout.  Also featured on the SHOWTIME Extreme telecast will be an eight-round super lightweight clash between undefeated Omar Figueroa (17-01, 14 KO’s), of Weslaco, Tex., and veteran Alain Hernandez (18-10-2, 10 KO’s) of Tijuana, Mexico.

Tickets priced at $250, $150, $100 and $50 are available online at www.staplescenter.com,www.ticketmaster.com, via Ticketmaster charge-by-phone lines at (800)745-3000 or at STAPLES Center box office.

VICTOR ORTIZ, JOSESITO LOPEZ, HUMBERTO SOTO & LUCAS MATTHYSSE MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL HIGHLIGHTS

NEW YORK (June 13, 2012) -- Former World Champion “Vicious” Victor Ortiz, former NABF Super Lightweight Champion Josesito Lopez, former Three-Division World Champion Humberto Soto and top-rated super lightweight contender Lucas Matthysse participated in an international media conference call on Wednesday to discuss their participation in the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event on Saturday, June 23, to be broadcast live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

 

“Ortiz vs. Lopez,” a 12-round fight for the vacant WBC Silver Welterweight Championship taking place Saturday, June 23, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Calif., is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions and Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Corona, DeWalt Tools and AT&T.  The co-feature will see former Three-Division World Champion Humberto “Zorrita” Soto battle Argentinean knockout artist Lucas Matthysse in a 12-round fight for the vacant WBC Continental Americas Super Lightweight title which is presented in association with Baja Boxing Promotions and Arano Box Promotions.  Opening the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) will be top rated heavyweight contender Chris Arreola facing Mike Mollo in a 10-round fight.

 

Tickets priced at $250, $150, $100 and $50 are available online at www.staplescenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, via Ticketmaster charge-by-phone lines at (800)745-3000 or at STAPLES Center box office.

 

The first installment of ALL ACCESS: Victor Ortiz, will premiere tonight at 10 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME in place of the previously announced FIGHT CAMP 360° series on the event.  Following the premiere, ALL ACCESS: Victor Ortiz will re-air multiple times on CBS Sports Network, SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME EXTREME®, and will be available anytime on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®.  

 

Here is what the fighters had to say on Wednesday:

 

VICTOR ORTIZ:

“I just want to say that I don’t disrespect anyone.  I’m fighting Josesito Lopez on June 23, who I’ve been training for and ignoring everyone else possible.  There’s a dangerous fighter in front of me who is on the same path as I was a year ago before I fought (Andre) Berto, but the difference here is I’m too hungry to let my chance go.  As far as I’m concerned I’m ready for June 23.  If he wants to go to war, we’ll go to war.  If he wants to box, then we’ll box.  It doesn’t really matter.  I’m there to take what is rightfully mine.  At the end of the day, I know Josesito is ready to go and so am I, so that makes two of us.”

 

Did you have to adjust much in your training when it was announced you would be fighting Lopez and not Berto?

“Lopez is a good fighter.  He and Berto go hand-in-hand.  They’re both great fighters.  I can’t think lightly of either of them.”

 

Is there any pressure on you going back to STAPLES Center , the site of your loss to Marcos Maidana?

“No, not at all.  Right now the main focus is on Josesito Lopez because he’s no walk in the park.  As far as Maidana goes, he owes me a thank you or a rematch because I gave him his name.”

 

JOSESITO LOPEZ:

“I’m really excited about this fight.  I’ve been training really hard.’’

 

Did you think you won your last fight against Jessie Vargas?

“I do think I won that fight and nine out of 10 people who saw it thought I won.  Unfortunately, the judges didn’t’ see it that way, but hey, that’s the way it goes.  Our job as fighters is just to bring everything we can and hope for the best and hope that they see it the correct way.

 

“My only motivation right now is just June 23 and Victor Ortiz.  I don’t even think one hour past June 23.  That’s the only thing that drives me right now. I don’t care about any other dates or times right now. There’s nothing else that matters to me.”

 

HUMBERTO SOTO:

“There is no doubt Lucas is a strong opponent and a strong fighter.  He comes forward and always looks for a fight.  The difference in this fight is the experience.  I have a lot of experience, and that’s what’s going to lead me to victory.

 

“Matthysse is a good fighter.  He’s going to stay in there and he’s a smart fighter.  We’re going to go toe-to-toe.”

 

LUCAS MATTHYSSE:

“We are here in Argentina finishing preparations and putting the final touches on.  We are just very excited, happy and ready to go.”

 

Do you think Soto will stand and fight in front of you instead of backing up as you perceived was the case in your only losses to southpaws Zab Judah and Devon Alexander?

“Yes, those were both very difficult fights to have to adjust to them and change the way I fight.  I know I won both those fights.  Deep in my heart, I know it.  It did hurt me, but we’ve got to come back stronger and I know we are ready for bigger and better things.  With Humberto, we all know he’s going to come to fight.  He wants to come to battle and that makes me very happy because we are ready to give him a war.”