Alexis Rocha puts his NABO welterweight title on the line on Saturday, October 21, when he faces Giovani Santillan at The Kia Forum in Inglewood, California. The pair battles it out in the main event live stream on DAZN.
At the kickoff press conference, the fighters previewed their bout and went face to face.
Santa Ana’s Alexis “Lex” Rocha (23-1, 15 KOs) is No. 1-ranked welterweight contender with the WBO. San Diego’s undefeated Giovani “Gallo de Oro” Santillan (31-0, 16 KOs) is No. 4. The fighters look to secure a world title shot and add their names to the exclusive list of boxers, who have fought at Kia Forum, ranging from legendary Muhammad Ali to Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya.
Tickets for the event can be purchased through TicketNetwork.
This is what the participants had to say:
Alexis Rocha
“Well, first off I just want to thank God, without him none of this was possible. Also want to thank Golden Boy Promotions, my team, my head coach Hector Lopez, Abraham Perez, and TKO boxing.”
“It takes a team, a dedicated team, to get where I’m at today. I feel that I’ve grown so much over time and now’s my moment, and I want to keep just banging on the door for a world title. I know that Giovani is gonna be a good opponent. I’m not thinking about [Terence] Crawford, for me this is a world title shot, this is a world title fight.”
Giovani Santillan
“This is going to be an exciting fight, we’re both Mexican fighters. You know, we have that Mexican blood inside of us, you know, and we’re gonna come with that fire for sure.”
“This isn’t the first time that I go into enemy territory. You know, the last time I did that I fought this guy, Sammy, and I went all the way to Tampa Bay for that fight. As I’m walking into the ring, I hear all his fans cheering for him and talking a lot of trash about me. But afterwards, his fans became my fans, and I believe that I can do that for this fight. I think that I will gain the LA fan base after this fight.”
Oscar De La Hoya
“As Golden Boy, we know our position, we know exactly what we have to do in order to position that fighter to get them to that world title. Alexis Rocha is knocking on the door. Giovani has an amazing opportunity. So this is what boxing is all about.”
“My pro debut was at the Kia Forum. The Forum is a very special arena. It’s built like a bowl, so every seat is a great seat. But most importantly, the fans appreciate a great fight. Obviously, this is no exception.”
“I think that Alexis Rocha has proven that he belongs in this spot, that he has what it takes to become a world champion. Just to give you a little history about what’s going on with Crawford and the WBO, there’s a WBO convention coming up where Crawford will be making his decision whether he’s going up to 154 or he’s staying at 147. So therefore, it will dictate what next move we will be making for Rocha. But first thing is first, he has a very difficult tough opponent in front of him. I strongly feel that Giovani with his undefeated record is coming with everything, guns blazing!”
In Australia, Rocha vs Santillan airs on Sunday, October 22.
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