New York, March 6, 2019

DMITRY BIVOL and JOE SMITH JR. met for one final time today at the DREAM HOTEL in NYC at the final presser ahead of Saturday night’s WBA World Light Heavyweight Championship bout at Turning Stone Resort Casino to be aired LIVE on DAZN.

QUOTES

JOE SMITH JR:
“I’d like to thank everyone who helped get this fight for me.”

“I’ve put everything I’ve had into this training camp and worked really hard.”

“This is what every fighter dreams of, to get a shot at a world title and this is my shot.”

“I am going to bring the belt back home to my home town and share it with my family and celebrate with everyone who helped me get to this point”

STAR BOXING CEO JOE DEGUARDIA:
“Be sure to tune in on DAZN. Subscribe. All the union guys across the country go right online and be sure to catch this fight.”

“Joe Smith Jr. has always been something special. He’s got a great boxing IQ and a sledgehammer in both hands…Dont blink Saturday night ”
“We are fighting a great fighter in Bivol, who is …I believe the best Light Heavyweight out of all of the champions, but Joe was a 25-1 underdog when he KO’d Fonfara and did it again when he was not supposed to beat Hopkins. We expect Saturday night to be a great night.”

DMITRY BIVOL:
“Thank you all my team who helped me in my training camp and all my sparring partners.”

“I am ready to fight. I hope Joe is ready too. We will make a great fight.”

MATCHROOM PROMOTER EDDIE HEARN:
“I firmly believe this man [Bivol] is the best 175 lb fighter in the world.”

“It’s about stories, its about drama, and everyone here has their oppurtunity.

INFO:
Smith Jr (24-2 20KOs) fights for a first time for the World title and will be full of confidence going into the bout, with his last four wins coming by impressive KO’s, including a first round demolition of Poland’s Andrzej Fonfara in Chicago and sending modern-great Bernard Hopkins into retirement.

Bivol (15-0 11 KOs) defends his title for the fifth time against the Long Island man and is hoping Smith Jr comes for a war – and the 29 year old challenger promises to bring everything he’s got to a night he’s been waiting for his entire life.