Turning Stone Resort Casino and Golden Boy Promotions hosted the final press conference to kick off Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend in Canastota, New York, and get fans pumped for Friday's bouts at Turning Stone near Verona, New York.
The event will be headlined by a 12-round bout between strawweight titleholder Oscar Collazo (9-0, 7 KOs) and Gerardo Zapata (14-1-1), who will challenge Collazo for his WBO belt. The bout is co-promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions and will air on DAZN.
Here's what attendees at the event said on Thursday:
Oscar Collazo
“I would like to thank Golden Boy Promotions, Miguel Cotto Promotions and my entire team for giving me the opportunity to fight on this historic weekend, especially the weekend when Puerto Rican champion Ivan Calderon is inducted into the Hall of Fame. He is the one who opened the door to the lighter weight classes and I am here to prove that we can pack a punch too. I thank God for this amazing opportunity.”
Gerardo Zapata
“I would like to thank Golden Boy for giving me this opportunity at the World Championship. My team and I at Maywood Boxing Gym have been training hard for this chance to win this belt, and we are going to give the fight fans a great fight. I am very happy to be here and once again thank you to everyone who made this possible.”
Ray Halbritter, CEO of Turning Stone Enterprises and representative of the Oneida Tribe
“Sporting events, especially boxing, have evolved and transformed the Turning Stone experience over the years and established us as one of New York's premiere tourist destinations. We are proud to say that Central New Yorkers are some of the most passionate boxing fans in the world. Over the years we have had the honor of hosting several boxing Hall of Famers at Turning Stone who have promoted their fights at the resort, fought here or participated in special events such as Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend. These include boxing legends Muhammad Ali, Oscar De La Hoya, Hector “Macho” Camacho, Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto.”
“Congratulations to the legends who were inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame on Sunday, best of luck to all the fighters fighting here tomorrow night, and thank you to everyone who came out to Turning Stone to celebrate the 2024 International Boxing Hall of Fame Induction Weekend.”
International Boxing Hall of Fame Executive Director Ed Brophy
“Boxing speaks the language of life more than any other sport. Boxing will outlast any other sport because boxing is boxing, that's what sport is all about, that's what life is about. We celebrate boxing, but in a way we are celebrating the achievements that we all experience, and it is an honor to pay tribute to our newest Hall of Fame members. They have reached the top of their game and we look forward to celebrating with them again. I would like to thank Ray Halbritter, the members of the Oneida Nation Council, Golden Boy and the team at Turning Stone.”
Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions
“It's going to be a packed weekend for boxing, with Oscar Collazo vs. Gerardo Zapata as the highlight. Congratulations to all of our Hall of Fame inductees. We salute you all for working hard and being the best at what you do. Years of dedication, blood, sweat and tears. No one knows what it's like to be in the ring except us. We know what it takes, the sacrifices you have to make. But tonight, the sacrifices you've made your whole life have paid off. You are all Hall of Famers for life. Be proud. Hold your heads high and remind yourself and the world that you were and still are the best. Congratulations to the Boxing Hall of Fame Class of 2024. Let's begin!”
Eric Gomez, President of Golden Boy Promotions
“We box 24 hours a day and we're passionate about the show, but this weekend is different. This weekend it's a special weekend for us because we get to be fans too. Congratulations to all the fighters who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. You all deserve it. Like Oscar said, you all worked hard. The fighters fighting on Friday night are following in your footsteps. You inspire them. That's why they fight. And you lead by example. This Friday's event is action-packed and you'll get to see fighters like Oscar Collazo who, with their hard work and determination, will one day be in the Hall of Fame.”
