Fighters competing on the Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia undercard participated in a media workout Wednesday before their respective showdowns taking place this Saturday, April 22 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
The workout included Olympic® Bronze Medalist Yamaguchi Falcao, who meets WBA Super Middleweight Champion David Morrell, Jr., in the co-main event, super middleweight sluggers Gabriel Rosado and Bektemir Melikuziev, who battle in a 10-round rematch, and hard-hitting 19-year-old middleweight Elijah Garcia and Mexico’s Kevin Salgado, who duel in the opener of the SHOWTIME PPV production at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Stepping into the ring Wednesday was also sensational prospect Vito Mielnicki, Jr., who faces Mexico’s Jose Charles on the SHOWTIME PPV COUNTDOWN SHOW that will stream live on the SHOWTIME SPORTS® YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing® Facebook page beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.
The event is promoted by GTD Promotions, TGB Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions.
Here is what the fighters had to say Wednesday from MGM Grand:
YAMAGUCHI FALCAO
“I don’t have enough words to express how happy I am. This is a title opportunity. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime. I want the fans to see what type of a fighter I am.
“Training, believing in myself and my faith have been the keys to my success. I want this fight to blow the door wide open for me.
“The more I work, the more I crave it. I want to beat David Morrell, Jr., this Saturday, and then I want Canelo Alvarez whenever, wherever.
“Being an underdog motivates me so much. The fact that people like to talk motivates me even more. I love to be the underdog.”
GABRIEL ROSADO
“We are going to bully the bully. I promise you that.
“This is the biggest fight of the year and I’m blessed to be a part of this card.
“I was moving up to 175, so I was enjoying eating steaks. I just had to cut down on the steaks now that I’m back at 168. It worked out with the weight, so now we’re just getting ready for a southpaw.
“After I got knocked down in our first fight, I had to show resilience and mental toughness, knowing that it was a 12-round fight. He caught me with a good shot in the first round and I took a knee. I said that I would bounce back in the next round and set him up. That’s what we did. We set him up in the third round with a picture-perfect shot. It was a shot that we worked on in training camp. We worked on his flaw.
“I am taking this as a challenge. I am taking it personally that he thought the first fight was a fluke. It upset me. That’s my motivation. I did it once and will do it again.
“Boxing is in my blood, it’s in my DNA. I am a fighter in life. Inside of the ring and outside of it. This is what I do.
“This is big. This is like ‘Tito’ Trinidad-Oscar De La Hoya. Ryan and ‘Tank’ are superstars. They’re the top guys in the division. For them to fight in their prime, my hat is off to both of them. I wish more guys did that. I’m a fan of both of them. I know them personally and like them both. It’s 50/50. I just want to see a great fight.”
BEKTEMIR MELIKUZIEV
“This is the fight I’ve been asking for. It’s on the same card as the biggest fight of the year and it’s a dream come true. I am ready.
“The loss to Rosado is what happens when you get reckless in boxing. I got reckless and paid for it. I went for the finish. This is why we are having the rematch. I am confident that I will right the wrong.
“I am exactly the same as I have always been. I’m always serious and mean inside the ring. I’m a happy and a nice person outside of the ring, but inside the ring I have one goal and that’s to get a victory.
“It’s going to be an exciting fight, a banger, a war.”
ELIJAH GARCIA
“This is a blessing. I can’t explain the feeling. I can’t wait to get in the ring, hear that bell ring and get to work.
“I stay ready. I have the best team in the game and just go with the experience. My last fight was an opportunity that I just couldn’t pass up, just like this fight.
“I’m still learning. This is a huge card right here. I am so happy to be a part of it. I’ve never experienced anything like this before, but it is not as hard as I thought it would be so far.
“This is going to be a war. Someone is going to get knocked out. It is going to be a great fight so make sure you don’t miss it.
“Being a main event fighter is everybody’s dream. My goal is doing it even sooner than [Gervonta] Davis and [Ryan] Garcia did.”
KEVIN SALGADO
“I know that I am going up against a really strong opponent, but I also know that we can shock the world and surprise people.
“Sometimes Mexican fighters may not be the favorite, but we will show our worth. I’m leaving it all in the ring Saturday.
“I’m so excited. The whole world is going to see a Mexican warrior. I am going to put on a show and make sure the fans know who I am.
“It’s going to be a great fight. I know that Elijah [Garcia] is hungry too. We are going to give it our best. We are going to surprise everybody. I promise you that.”
VITO MIELNICKI JR.
“This is truly just a dream come true. We came out to Las Vegas four weeks ago to finish up camp. We’re ready to put on a dominant performance on Saturday and show the fans what we’re capable of.
“Shout out to everyone who came out today. I truly appreciate it. Without you guys, none of this would be possible.
“Expect fireworks on Saturday. We’ve been improving our skills, mentally getting better, and maturing all around in the ring. We are ready to put on a great performance and dominate on Saturday night.
“This main event is definitely what boxing needs, a lot of big fights with young guys willing to put their all on the line. A lot of fighters don’t want to lose that 0.
“We knew there would be bumps in the road after I turned pro at 17. I made my mistakes on live television in front of millions of people. I’m thankful for what happened on the day that I lost. It showed me that proper preparation prevents poor performance. That’s why you’ll always see me at my best from here on out.
“I will put on a dominant performance. Expect fireworks. This guy has never been stopped before, but we’re definitely going to get him out of there.”
