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Next Saturday night on Showtime from LA's Staples Center, Victor Ortiz faces Josesito Lopez in a welterweight main event, with the real prize being a shot at junior middleweight titlist Canelo Alvarez on September 15, which is signed and ready to go should Ortiz win, or even score a draw.
On the undercard. Humberto Soto faces Lucas Matthysse in an exciting junior welterweight matchup. Chris Arreola will also be in action. On Wednesday, Ortiz, Lopez, Soto, and Matthysse spoke to the media on a conference call.
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VICTOR ORTIZ
"I just want to say that I don't disrespect anyone. I'm fighting Josesito Lopez on June 23, who I've been training for and ignoring everyone else possible. There's a dangerous fighter in front of me who is on the same path as I was a year ago before I fought (Andre) Berto, but the difference here is I'm too hungry to let my chance go. As far as I'm concerned I'm ready for June 23. If he wants to go to war, we'll go to war. If he wants to box, then we'll box. It doesn't really matter. I'm there to take what is rightfully mine. At the end of the day, I know Josesito is ready to go and so am I, so that makes two of us."
Did you have to adjust much in your training when it was announced you would be fighting Lopez and not Berto?
"Lopez is a good fighter. He and Berto go hand-in-hand. They're both great fighters. I can't think lightly of either of them."
Is there any pressure on you going back to STAPLES Center, the site of your loss to Marcos Maidana?
"No, not at all. Right now the main focus is on Josesito Lopez because he's no walk in the park. As far as Maidana goes, he owes me a thank you or a rematch because I gave him his name."
JOSESITO LOPEZ
"I'm really excited about this fight. I've been training really hard.''
Did you think you won your last fight against Jessie Vargas?
"I do think I won that fight and nine out of 10 people who saw it thought I won. Unfortunately, the judges didn't' see it that way, but hey, that's the way it goes. Our job as fighters is just to bring everything we can and hope for the best and hope that they see it the correct way."
"My only motivation right now is just June 23 and Victor Ortiz. I don't even think one hour past June 23. That's the only thing that drives me right now. I don't care about any other dates or times right now. There's nothing else that matters to me."
HUMBERTO SOTO
"There is no doubt Lucas is a strong opponent and a strong fighter. He comes forward and always looks for a fight. The difference in this fight is the experience. I have a lot of experience, and that's what's going to lead me to victory."
"Matthysse is a good fighter. He's going to stay in there and he's a smart fighter. We're going to go toe-to-toe."
LUCAS MATTHYSSE
"We are here in Argentina finishing preparations and putting the final touches on. We are just very excited, happy and ready to go."
Do you think Soto will stand and fight in front of you instead of backing up as you perceived was the case in your only losses to southpaws Zab Judah and Devon Alexander?
"Yes, those were both very difficult fights to have to adjust to them and change the way I fight. I know I won both those fights. Deep in my heart, I know it. It did hurt me, but we've got to come back stronger and I know we are ready for bigger and better things. With Humberto, we all know he's going to come to fight. He wants to come to battle and that makes me very happy because we are ready to give him a war."