The four WBC Boxing Grand Prix featherweights have their say before the penultimate stage of the tournament
The WBC Boxing Grand Prix has started what promises to be a memorable Fight Week as the countdown begins for the semi-finals of the tournament that is unveiling some of boxing’s most exciting and dynamic prospects.
In August, we saw the field narrow from 32 to 16 participants, and now the stakes are even higher as eight spots in the championship round remain.
As a refresher, the tournament is comprised of four divisions competing separately: Featherweight, Super Lightweight, Middleweight and Heavyweight.
We are going to preview each one of them throughout the week ahead of the showdowns on Sunday, October 19 exclusively on DAZN beginning at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT.
The featherweight semi-finalists are up first with representatives that hail from Mexico, South Africa, France and Italy-Albania, facing 50/50 matchups between fighters that boast an impressive combined 51-1-2 record.
Bekizizwe Maitse (South Africa 8-1-1)
“I don’t think much of (Mejia) because he is a man just like me. He bleeds like I bleed, so I’m up for the challenge. I feel very happy because see all my hard work is finally paying off…
“The traveling experience is totally amazing. A very nice experience that feels like a dream come true. We work hard because we want to win it all, we want to raise the trophy.
“My fight against Iman Lee was one of the hardest of my career so far. I was fighting somebody who was undefeated, you know, who has more speed, but then my hard work paid off.”
Brandon Mejia Mosqueda (Mexico 11-0)
“It’s a huge thrill to have made it to the featherweight semi-finals. It’s not a surprise, since I work hard every day in the gym with my coach. So, the results aren’t surprising; they’re expected.
“So, we made it to the semis. Maitse is a tall and strong southpaw that is motivating me to surpass my limits to reach the finals and represent Mexico with pride. That’s been our goal since we started.
“Without a doubt, I think Bakhtiyoro challenged me and my style in the quarterfinals as a rival who pressed hard, threw a lot of punches and came forward. What we worked on previously in the gym helped us counteract that, and we won thanks to those seeds we planted in our preparation. I plan to be even better prepared for this next fight on October 19.”
Yoni Valverde Jr. (France 16-0)
“For the fight against Qamilli, I expect a war — a great war. The first one to bend will lose.
“I used to doubt my level, where I stood among it all, because when you’re French, you don’t really know where to place yourself in the rankings. But here, against the best nations in the world, I proved that I’m among the best.
“I learned that I’m part of the top 4 among those 25 or younger… I dedicate this to my entire family and to our municipality of Ardennes (France). I dedicate it to France because we are proud to be French, and I also dedicate it to my Spanish family as well.”
Muhamet Qamili (Italy/Albania 16-0-1)
“I’m very excited to be in the featherweight semi-finals. I’m satisfied with the work I did in my last fight. My opponent was very technical, very fast, and very intelligent, and I was able to sort out the obstacles in my way.
“I have a lot of rhythm because of the altitude, that’s because we trained for a month in the mountains of Jiquipilco, Mexico. I see myself doing well against Valverde. We are going to put on a show on October 19.
“Troy Nash was a good opponent. Technical, very fast, very intelligent. The atmosphere was beautiful, and sharing this experience in the tournament with other fighters is very valuable for me.”