Pemberton-Sheika Foxwoods Press Conference Quotes

ESPN2 Friday Night Fights at Foxwoods

24.07 - MASHANTUCKET, Con. - A press conference was held today at Foxwoods Resort Casino for this week's ESPN2 Friday Night Fights show, "The Battle You Can't Miss," headlined by the 12-round main event between IBU super middleweight title-holder Scott "The Sandman" Pemberton (25-3-1, 21 KOs), and two-time world title challenger Omar Sheika (23-4, 16 KOs) for the IBU World and vacant NABF super middleweight championships.

In the 10-round co-feature, IBU World lightweight champion Gary "Tiger" Balletto (28-1-2 25 KOs) makes his first title defense versus Luis Lizarraga (31-27-4, 23 KOs), the former UNIBOX junior lightweight and Yucatan junior featherweight champ.

Tickets are priced at $65.00, $50.00 and $40.00. For ticket information call CES' corporate office at 401.724.2253/401.724.2254, visit its Web site at www.cesboxing.com, or contact the Foxwoods box office at 800.200.2882.

SCOTT PEMBERTON

"I'd like to thank Foxwoods, ESPN2 and my promoter, Jimmy Burchfield, for this opportunity. We're going to get it on Friday night. I want to thank Omar for taking this fight."

OMAR SHEIKA

"I'm excited to be back in the ring. I know Scott Pemberton is a very good fighter. This is going to be an action-packed fight. We're going to show fans what boxing is really about. I'm looking for bigger and better things in the future. I'm the new person in town and hopefully I'm going to make Foxwoods my second home."

LUIS LIZARRAGA

"I came here to win this fight and do the best I can to take his belt away. I know he's a very good fighter and tough. I respect him."

GARY BALLETTO

"Luis Lizarraga, I respect you, too. I know who you've been in with and fought. The public may look at your record and not understand where you are in the lightweight division. You've lost fights that were taken away from you. He's a survivor, a fighter with a lot of experience. We're going to put on a good show Friday night."

JIMMY BURCHFIELD (Promoter)

"We have three championship titles on national television from the world's greatest casino, Foxwoods. Pemberton-Sheika is going to be Fight of the Year; they're two of the best fighters in the world. They deserve a big money fight and the winner should finally get one. This could also be the Card of the Year. Some of the hardest punchers in boxing are on this card, up and down."