Press Conference Notes: Miguel Berchelt ready to climb lightweight ladder
Berchelt-Nakathila headlines ESPN-televised fight night Saturday at Resorts World Las Vegas
Photo Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank via Getty Images
CLICK HERE to watch Press Conference
Former WBC super featherweight world champion Miguel "El Alacran" Berchelt is all about new beginnings. After reigning at 130 pounds for more than four years, he has set his sights on conquering the lightweight division.
Berchelt's road to two-weight supremacy begins Saturday evening in a 10-rounder against Jeremiah Nakathila at Resorts World Event Center at Resorts World Las Vegas (ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT). In the 10-round featherweight co-feature, Jose Enrique Vivas (21-1, 11 KOs) will battle Eduardo Baez (20-2-2, 7 KOs) in an all-Mexican showdown.
Undercard action will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ (6:45 p.m. ET/3:45 p.m. PT) and includes Puerto Rican junior featherweight puncher Carlos Caraballo (14-1, 14 KOs), welterweight U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson (2-0, 1 KO), featherweight prospect Haven Brady Jr. (5-0, 3 KOs), junior welterweight contender Josue Vargas (19-2, 9 KOs), and rising light heavyweight Dante Benjamin Jr. (1-0, 1 KO).
This is what Berchelt and Nakathila had to say at Thursday's press conference.
Miguel Berchelt:
“I feel good. I feel happy. I want to thank Top Rank and Zanfer for always handling my career well. I feel very motivated and focused on winning this fight. I know I’m facing a tough fighter in Jeremiah Nakathila, whom I respect a lot. But I’m coming to show that I can once again be world champion. This Saturday, I will show that.
“The process following my last fight went well. It allowed me to rest. It helped me to get rid of the fibrosis that I had as a result of COVID. Now I feel new in this new city and with a new trainer. I’m in a new division, and I have new dreams to achieve. I want to be world champion again.
“I feel better. I feel stronger. I think my body needed to move up in weight. I was a world champion for four years. Now I’m coming for the victory this Saturday.
“I’m very focused and prepared for what I want to do this Saturday. I want to win this Saturday and make it so that the name of Miguel Berchelt is considered among the top of the division. They definitely will have to take me into account, and I will show that this Saturday.
“Fans can expect a great show. Miguel Berchelt is coming very hungry and with a strong desire to once again become world champion. I’ve been training for this fight since November in Las Vegas. I left my family. I left my house. I left a lot of things behind just like I did when I started in boxing. I will make sure that all those efforts were worthwhile.”
Jeremiah Nakathila:
“I like fighting. Him being an aggressive fighter is a good thing for me. I can see that he’s awake now. But I want to tell him to be careful because I will put him back to sleep.
“I’m very excited to be fighting at this level. Boxers train to fight at this level. I’m grateful, and I’m grateful to my team to be fighting at this level. I’m here to obtain the victory. March is a big month in my country . We just celebrated Independence Day for us, and I will for sure make history again for my country.
“I feel much stronger at lightweight. It was a good decision to move to lightweight. It was a lot easier to make weight compared to junior lightweight.
“This is a very exciting time for me. Seeing all that promotion and excitement motivates me a lot. I just like the way Top Rank promotes the events. It’s on another level.
“Expect fireworks. Come Saturday night, I’m going to destroy Miguel Berchelt, and I will be victorious.”
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Promotions, tickets starting at $25 are on sale now and can be purchased at www.rwlasvegas.com/experiences/top-rank.
Saturday, March 26
ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+
10pm ET / 7pm PT / 2am GMT
Miguel Berchelt vs. Jeremiah Nakathila
10 rounds, lightweight
Jose Enrique Vivas vs. Eduardo Baez
10 rounds, vacant WBC-USNBC Featherweight Title
Live and Exclusively on ESPN+
6:45pm ET / 3:45pm PT / 10:45pm GMT
Carlos Caraballo vs. Luis Fernando Saavedra
8 rounds, junior featherweight
Tiger Johnson vs. Sebastian Gabriel Chaves
6 rounds, welterweight
Josue Vargas vs. Nicolas Pablo Demario
8 rounds, junior welterweight
Haven Brady Jr. vs. Jose Argel
6 rounds, featherweight
Dante Benjamin Jr. vs. Kevin Johnson
4 rounds, light heavyweight
Arturo Cardenas vs. Juan Hernandez Martinez
4 rounds, junior featherweight
Adrian Serrano vs. Estevan Partida
4 rounds, lightweight
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