Juan Carlos Burgos and Hozumi Hasegawa: Final Press Conference Quotes

According to a press release for the Juan Carlos Burgos (25-0, 12 KOs, WBC No. 1) vs. Hozumi Hasegawa (28-3, 12 KOs, WBC No. 2) fight final press conference, which was held this morning for their upcoming WBC Featherweight Championship fight taking place Friday in Nagoya, Japan. Both fighters are ready to fight and have immense respect for one another.

Hasegawa, the hottest rising star out of Japan, was on the fast track to becoming the next big Asian superstar fighter after Manny Pacquiao, until he was stopped by Fernando Montiel in their April bantamweight title fight.

With this big loss to Montiel, the recent passing of his mother and his going up two whole weight divisions, Hasegawa has a lot to prove and fight for on Friday against Burgos.

Here are some quotes from the final press conference:

Juan Carlos Burgos

About His Arrival to Japan and His Preparation for the Fight

"I am happy to be in Japan, they have treated my team and me nicely and made us
feel at home. This has been a tough camp for me since I really made the necessary
effort to be ready for a world title fight, but it was a great training camp and I have to thank my team for getting me fight ready."

His Thoughts on Hasegawa and the Fight Itself

"To me Hasegawa is like any other fighter: two legs, two feet, two hands and one
head. But he has a huge heart. I know that because he recently lost his mother and
I take my hat off to him for never backing down from this fight.

He is an inspiration to us all for doing something like that and I have expressed my deepest condolences to him and his family, but at the end of the day we are both professional boxers and we must compete."

"I have all the desire to become world champion and Hasegawa will not shatter my dream. He won't take that away from me. I have waited my whole life for an opportunity like this and it's only a matter of hours until I can make it a reality."

About the Fans and the Type of Fight He Expects

"Hasegawa was a great bantamweight champion but I want to leave a lasting impression
in Japan. I want to show the fans that I can be a great boxer and I want to impress
them. I know that having a name on my resume like Hasegawa's will speak volumes
of me and I can guarantee to those attending the event that we will give them their
monies worth."

Hozumi Hasegawa

About His Preparation and His Opponent Juan Carlos Burgos

"Training was great, tough and arduous. I long to have the green belt around my
waist once again (Hasegawa lost his WBC bantamweight title to Fernando Montiel on
4-30-10), chances like this don't come around too often. I am happy."

"I know Burgos is brave and strong like all Mexican fighters but I am also brave and I have a big heart. I will show in on Friday night and I will take the belt back and keep it to myself."

About His Family and His Mother

"After my last fight my family was not happy with the result and the sport but I have to show my daughter that I am strong and show my wife my will power. I am not thinking about my mother right now. I am thinking about the fight."

Television Information

The Burgos vs. Hasegawa WBC Featherweight Championship, presented by Teiken Promotions in association with Thompson Boxing Promotions and Banner Promotions, will air live in Mexico on Friday, November 27 on SKY SPORTS at approximately 1:00 AM (Mexico City local time) 3:00 AM (Tijuana/PST time).

On the same card, Vitali Tajbert (20-1, six KOs) will face No. 2 ranked former world champion Takahiro Aoh (19-2-1, nine KOs) for the WBC Super Featherweight Title.

SKY is the biggest Mexican cable provider with two million subscribers in the country,
plus operations in Central America (including Panama), and the Caribbean.

The fight will be broadcast in standard definition and HD for free to the entire
subscriber base via SkySports (channel 501SD and channel 1501HD).

Burgos vs. Hasegawa will air live, as an international feed at (GMT time—local time). In addition, SKY will repeat the entire broadcast of the fight with SAP audio on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. (Check your local listings for exact times)