IBF CHAMPION MARY MCGEE VS. DEANHA HOBBS / CHRISTINA LINARDATOU VS PRISCA VICOT WBO CHAMPIONSHIP / MELISSA ST. VIL VS JESSICA CAMARA WBO-NABO CHAMPIONSHIP
PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES & PHOTOS
THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM, MARY MCGEE: “I AM FEELING VICTORY! EVERYTHING THAT I SEE IS ME HOLDING ONTO THIS TITLE”
INTERNATIONAL SHOWDOWN – TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT TICKETMEE.COM!
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Click HERE for Photos from Donald Luckett
HAMMOND, INDIANA (February 6, 2020) – Wednesday’s Press Conference was Iconic, yet courteous! It was the calm before the storm! Ten of the Twelve female participants were in attendance at the Genesis Convention Center in Gary, Indiana with some choice words for the media.
Respect and tensions were calm. Friday’s weighins may differ as Fight Night approaches. Weighin details are below.
McGee House of Champions, in association with DiBella Entertainment, Team Empire Management, 4 Champs Promotions, LRP Network, and #NextGenChamp present this International Showdown.
Press Conference Quotes
Jerome Prince, Gary Mayor:
“I am excited to host Mary “Merciless” McGee, one of Gary’s own great fighters here tonight to become one of Gary’s premier stars over the next few years. It is not everyday that we congratulate a hometown hero who happens to be a world boxing champion. Gary has a long and rich boxing history including names like Tony ‘The Man of Steal’ Zale, Angel ‘Got Jesus’ Manfredy, and now the IBF Super Lightweight World Champion Mary McGee.”
“Gary has also been home to some of the greatest sports teachers including John Taylor, who has been such an amazing role model, giving freely of his time to make a difference for hundreds of young people including Mary McGee. For months now, I have called on people to re-imagine Gary. And to me to re-imagine Gary is to provide opportunities for all of it’s residents. It’s for all of us to join together and to exhibit our very best characters, abilities, to make this place for all of us to be proud to call home. From my perspective, and obviously all of your’s, Mary has done just that.”
Team Empire Management Owner Brian Cohen:
“I would like to thank Lou DiBella, 4 Champs Promotions, the Mayor. This is definitely a teachable moment for everybody. You have people from all over the world here in Gary. It’s amazing how people can come together and how boxing brings people together.”
“I want to talk about Mary’s unselfishness. She did just win the title and she could have hogged the spotlight and said ‘Just put me on the card. I’ll carry the card. I’ll do whatever.’ but she wanted her teammates.”
“She is a single mother and I just want the best for Mary. I want to thank you, from my heart, for bringing your team to fight on your card.”
Kali Reis, Former Middleweight Champion of the World:
“Mary McGee, you have definitely made us proud in the women’s boxing ranks. This is such an amazing time for boxing in general, especially for women’s boxing.”
In the Main Event, Mary McGee (26-3, 14 KO) defends her IBF belt against Australia’s top ranked Super Lightweight Deanha “Silencer” Hobbs (8-1, 5 KOs).
McGee:
“I’m excited and I feel good. I just came off of a fight December 5th, about two months ago. I am still in the best shape of my life. Actually, I went right back into the gym a week after the fight.”
“I am feeling victory! Everything that I see in my future is me holding onto this title until I decide to retire.”
“It took me 20 years to get my hands on a world title and I am not going to let it go on my first defense.”
“I have a lot of respect for my opponent for coming all the way from Australia and taking the challenge on me, but this was the wrong fight for her because she is not getting this belt. The belt is staying home in Gary!”
“You can watch all the tape, but I fight everyone differently.”
“I have got the most experience at this table being that I have been fighting for over 20 years and I scratched and clawed. I was hungry to become a world champion. I knocked a girl out in the last round because I did not want to let a judge get the opportunity to make their choice. I made my own and brought this belt back home.”
“Expect to see a hell of a fight Saturday night.”
Hobbs:
“I am feeling great! I am really honored to be here! First time seeing snow, so I am loving it!”
“I have trained hard. I am just excited to get out there on Saturday night and show everyone.”
“I have seen a few videos of Mary McGee, so I know what I am going up against. We’ve just trained hard and we’re ready for whatever comes at us.”
The Co-Main Event will feature former champion Christina “Medusa” Linardatou (12-2, 6 KOs) in her attempt to regain the WBO Super Lightweight Championship in a bout opposite Prisca “Die Kriegerin” Vicot (11-6, 2 KOs) of France.
Linardatou:
“As time goes on, I see that I am getting more experience. I think I am becoming better and better and better. But, I am always working hard but experience is more important.”
Vicot:
“We have trained a lot… I am ready and I feel prepared and I am ready for the fight on Saturday.”
The always charismatic Melissa “Lil Miss Tyson” St. Vil (12-4-4, 1 KO), originally from Haiti, now residing out of Brooklyn, NY will bang in a 10-Round Lightweight matchup with Canadian contender Jessica “The Cobra” Camara (7-1).
St. Vil:
“I always train really hard. I do not sleep on none of my opponents. We are all female fighters. We are all fierce… I train to do my thing!
Camara:
“I feel like I am well prepared. My coach tested me to my max. We are ready to bring our A game on Saturday.”
Bantamweight Prospect Ebanie “Blonde Bomber” Bridges (3-0, 2 KOs), from Australia, makes her US debut in a 6 Round bout against Crystal “Baby Faced Assassin” Hoy (6-10-4, 3 KOs) of Kansas.
Bridges:
“I am really excited to be here in the states. It’s always my dream, most people’s dream probably not from the states to fight in America. It’s one of the biggest things, everyone knows America is kind of like the center of boxing so I am really excited about that.”
“For it to be my fourth fight, I think that is pretty awesome as well. It is hard to get this kind of opportunity so I am thanking Mary and thanking Brian, my Manager, for making it happen. I want to go in there and put on a good performance. With my fights, it’s always exciting. I am excited for the 6 Rounds. I have not really gone through many rounds so I am happy to be in there and learning. Get the W! And do it in a way everyone can see than I am the Blonde Bomber from Down Under.”
“Since I have been here (in America), I’ve trained with Danny Davis. I have been learning so much, a few new good tools to my toolbox. As everyone says, I am a bit of a mexican fighter but I am learning how to box and use the ring and slip around. When it comes to Fight Night, I can show some boxing skills as well as that pure grit fight.”
Chicago’s very first female world champion and heavy-handed boxer Leatitia “Baby Girl” Robinson (15-1, 9 KOs) makes her return to the ring, after a 10 year hiatus, in a 6-Round fight with New York’s Claire Hafner (4-2).
Robinson:
“I feel great! I go into the gym, and go hard, and I go home. On Saturday, I am definitely going hard and I am not going home!”
Hafner:
“My opponent has not boxed for a while. It has taken some time and work to get some research on her. Going into this fight, like I do a lot, I work on my strengths and my boxing and my game because you want to make sure that you go into the ring and you do what you do well and you fight your fight. Every fight that I’ve had, I have learned something and there is more to work on, always more to get stronger at and improve. It was a typical and really good training camp.”
Chicago’s Northwest suburban “Savage” Sarah French (4-2-1) takes on Christina Berry (Lacrosse, WI).
French:
“I am excited for Fight Night. I am ready to put on a show. It has been a while since I stepped back in the ring. I am more excited to be signing with Empire Boxing. I think it is going to be an amazing team for me to get to know and be a part of. I am excited to see what the future holds. Come February 8th, you are going to see me live in action and coming for work as usual.”
Additional bouts will include:
- World Ranked Super Welterweight Charles Conwell (11-0, 8 KOs) of Cleveland, Ohio returning to action after his October 12, 2019 win in Chicago over Patrick Day. Day died days later due to brain injuries sustained in their match
Conwell:
“I am feeling good. It is my first fight back from the incident in my last fight. I am happy to be on the card with a lot of great women talent. But I am looking to steal the show. I know there is a lot of great talent, a lot of world champions. But I am looking to steal the show and put it on for the men. Bring a great show to Indiana. And just do my thing.”
“in 2020, we are looking to force our way into title contention. Always looking to put on more great victories. Keep winning. Keep your nose down towards better and better opposition. Force my way to a world title and become world champion. Kick the door in. Make new waves. Bringing in people. Creating opportunity not only for myself but the people around me to get better and showing ourselves and our skills.”
- Chicago’s Destyne Butler (8-0, 5 KOs) battles Marcus Washington (4-1,1 KO) of Toledo, OH for the American Boxing Federation (ABF) USA Mid America Title
Washington:
“This will be my sixth fight. I will be fighting for the ABF title.”
“I am just happy to be here. I follow the blueprint of Soul City. Just coming for mma, they have done wonders with me for my boxing so I am excited to get in there and put on a good show for everybody.”
- Unbeaten Middleweight Isaiah Steen (13-0, 10 KOs) of Cleveland, Ohio squares off with a an opponent to be named
Steen:
“I am coming to fight. I have trained hard for this fight. I am ready for whoever. I am just going off of the blueprint.”
- Indianapolis, IN’s Austin Manning (7-0, 3 KOs) vs. Tyron Harris (26-14, 16 KOs) of Lansing, MI
- Caleb Hernandez (3-0, 3 KOs) of Shereville, IN vs. Gregory Clark (4-4-1, 1 KO) of Washington DC
- Cristian Williams (8-0, 5 KOs) of Crete, IL vs. Fernando Robles (2-2) of Pearland, TX
- Anthony Fleming (1-0, 1 KO) of Hammond, IN vs. Muhammad Adams (0-4-1) of Cincinnati, OH)
* Bout card subject to change
Boxing is BEST seen LIVE!
Special appearances by former WBA Super Middleweight Champion Alicia “The Empress” Napoleon-Espinoza and former WBC Middleweight Champion Kali “KO Mequinonoag” Reis.
At this History in the Making Event, Doors Open at 4:00 pm. Preshow starts at 5:00 pm with First Bell at 6:00 pm.
Hammond Civic Center – 5825 Sohl Ave, Hammond, IN 46320
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WEIGHINS – OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Date: Friday, February 7, 2020
Location: Gensis Convention Center – 1 Genesis Center Plz, Gary, Indiana 46402
Media Arrival: 11:30 am Central Time
Weighins Begins: 12:00 pm Central Time
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About McGee House of Champions:
An entity created between Mary McGee and LRP Network to level the playing field for women’s boxing.
It’s focus is on local boxers to provide an opportunity to earn extra revenue in competition as an affiliate.
An affiliate of McGee House of Champions will use their social media platform and their growing fan base to earn potential residual income through marketing commissions to help fund their boxing career through fight streams and more. Never before have undercard boxers had the opportunity to earn a percentage of the Pay-Per-View revenue in any fight.
About Team Empire Management:
An extensive stable of boxing champions, contenders and prospects started by Brian Cohen of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Cohen has been around boxing his whole life as he received an early indoctrination into the sport from his father, Ivan Cohen, who managed former world junior middleweight champion Buster Drayton. Cohen then embarked in a successful fighting career that saw him go 15-2 as a professional before transitioning into managing professional fighters, where he became the preeminent female boxing manager in the world.
Team Empire Boxing includes world champion Mary McGee as well as contenders Alicia Napoleon-Espinoza, Kali Reis, Christina Linardatou, Melissa St. Vil, Ronica Jeffrey, Schmelle Baldwin and many more…
About #NextGenChamp:
#NextGenChamp was derived from Jay Kemp’s sports involvement – coaching, to college recruitment, to professional athletic exposure of the future champion.
With the expertise in marketing of many sports, #NextGenChamp is designed to discover, educate, and develop tomorrow’s champion, helping the athlete gain the marketing edge in: Developing Value, Outright Marketability, Fan Recognition, Sponsorship Acquisition, Media Attention, Public Relations, Name Branding, and more…
For more information, visit www.NextGenChamp.com
CONTACT (for interviews, event credentials, questions):
Jay Kemp | NextGenChamp.com
me@jaykemp.com
224.637.3777 (cellular)
312.473.3000 (office)
