It’s June so no better time than Friday for Graduation Day for three talented ShoBox: The New Generation alums returning for a Friday night tripleheader LIVE on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). LATEEF KAYODE:
“We didn’t want to take a step back. We have a lot to prove after my last fight. I just wasn’t feeling right. You will see a different fighter on Friday night.
“We’ve been sparring with a lot of southpaws. We’ll be ready for whatever he throws at us. We could have taken another tune-up, but for what? To drop a guy in the second round? We get more out of sparring at Wild Card.
“I’ve been sparring with Chris Arreola and feel great. This is my moment to go from prospect to contender
“We’re in the perfect situation. I hope Godfrey brings it because we need that kind of fight. I think he will. I didn’t see any tape on (Nicholas Iannuzzi) but I have of Godfrey. I have more information on this guy than on any fight I’ve ever had.”
MATT GODFREY:
“I fought for a world title and came up short so in order to get back to that level you have to beat someone who is one step away from that as well. So this is big for me.
“Styles are so much different in Europe. They don’t appreciate boxing. Here you box around a guy for three rounds and the crowd goes crazy. Over there, they’re all straight-up fighters. They don’t appreciate guys just going out and boxing.
“I think Lateef’s team is a little bit crazy because they think they have more than what they have. For me this is perfect. They’ve been on SHOWTIME a couple times, he has a great record and he has a good punch and that makes for good TV and what the fans want to see, but experience wise I’m just light years ahead. It’s going to be great for me to exploit that on this network, a great network.
“They’re going by the result of my last fight but I fought the best guy in the division (Marco Huck). They’re thinking they will be able to duplicate what he was able to do but he’s just not at that level and it’s just not going to happen.
“They’re thinking they are going to capitalize on that loss and that I’m bringing that last fight into this one and they’re dead wrong.
“I’ve hit the mitts with Freddie (Roach) before but that was a long time ago. He’s so busy that I don’t’ think he’d even remember it.
“If I win tomorrow night I might just end up in Europe again.
“I’m not insulted that (Kayode) picked me to fight. It’s a business for him. They have to get a return on their investment. They have to fight the best to get to where they want to be.”
Photos by:Tom Casino / SHOWTIME
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World cruiserweight contender Troy Ross is experiencing abdominal pains and has been hospitalized in Toronto, where he is undergoing precautionary tests. He has been forced to withdraw from fighting June 24 on the “Friday Night At The Fights” show at Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
