Javier Maciel and Brian Rose make weight in Sheffield WBO junior middleweight title eliminator

Highly motivated and with the confidence of what he defines as the best preparation of his career, Argentinean and World Boxing Organization (WBO) Latino junior middleweight champion, former world title challenger Javier “La Bestia” Maciel, will face Englishman Brian “The Lion” Rose, in a highly anticipated WBO junior middleweight world title final eliminator, that will take place on Saturday, October 26th., at the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, England, televised live by TyC Sports and Public TV in Argentina and lots of parts of America, Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, and AWEtv and AWEtv.com in the United States (3 p.m. ET).

With his motivation high as ever after finishing his intense training camp in Las Vegas where he stayed for three weeks, Maciel (27-2, 20 KOs), ranked WBO junior middleweight #5, and International Boxing Federation (IBF) #7, will face Rose (24-1-1, 7 KOs), current WBO intercontinental junior middleweight champion, ranked WBO junior middleweight #4 and World Boxing Council (WBC) #16, who also is looking for the best result of his career. Highly optimistic, both of them made clear what they are here for: get the victory that will put them on the #1 spot of the ranking and become mandatory challenger of the vacant title that will dispute Armenian-born American Vanes Martirosyan and American Demetrius Andrade on November 9th. But for that, “The Beast” and “The Lion” have to take a big step before.

On Friday afternoon, both of the succeeded at the packed jammed weigh-in ceremony, setting everything ready for their clash. Maciel weighed 152.1 pounds. Rose came in 152.6 pounds.

“As I said before, I made the best preparation ever, the best in my life. I’m come very well prepared, in a wonderful condition and in the best moment of my career. He is a good boxer, but I see myself stronger than him, and I’m ready to win”, said Maciel, who arrived from Las Vegas together with well known trainer Miguel Diaz, and joined the rest of his team, headed by his manager and promoter, Mario Margossian, head of Argentina Boxing Promotions, his trainer Eduardo Molina, his assistant Gustavo Garay Rezola, his doctor Alberto Centanaro, his physiotherapist Cacho Latrónico, and Club Atletico Velez Sarsfield’s bursar Daniel Ramundo.

Confident and with the opportunity of shinning in front of his people, Rose said his words. “This is a massive fight. Although it’s a 50-50 fight on paper. It’s going to be a great fight, I feel more than capable of winning. I have watched him, and I think technically I’m a lot better. It’s just about putting that on practice tomorrow night. I’m not going to hold anything back, and I’m going to show everyone I belong on this stage”, said the 28-year-old Blackpool favorite, who has knocked out former world champions such as Vivian Harris and Joachim Alcine, and was with his whole team, headed by Eddie Hearn, head of Matchroom Boxing, promoter of the event.

But Maciel, who was named Latino Boxer of the Year by the WBO, and comes to this challenge after stopping in five rounds his countryman Alejandro Falliga, to defend his Latino belt for the fifth time on September 7th. at the Luna Park Stadium in Buenos Aires, has clear what he has to do. “This is the most important fight of my life, and I’m not going to waste the opportunity. We have watched several of Rose’s fights and studied him. He is tough, but I consider myself stronger and we know how to beat him”, added the 29-year-old Maciel, who after making the distance against WBO middleweight world champion Dmitry Pirog in Russia, on March 2011, went down to the 154 pounds -his real division- where he finished eight of his last nine victims in less than five rounds.

“I have watched him, and I think technically I’m a lot better. It’s just about putting that on practice on Saturday night. All the hard work is done. I’m not going to hold anything back, and I’m going to show to everyone on Saturday and prove that I belong on this stage”, stated Rose, who has knocked out former world champions such as Vivian Harris and Joachim Alcine.

“I am going to go wisely to look for the fight from the beginning. I want to fight for the world title so I’m going to go out there to win on Saturday night, and take the victory to Argentina. I feel great and I can’t wait for the fight to come. I am going to win the fight”, he concluded.

The 29-year-old Maciel, former WBO middleweight challenger, went down to the weight that best suits him after making the distance against world WBO middleweight champ Dmitry Pirog in Russia, on March 2011, and has finished eight of his nine victims in less than five rounds. He won his WBO Latino junior middleweight title over Brazilian Jonata De Oliveira (KO 1), on June 30th., 2011 in Buenos Aires. After that, he defended it over Uruguayan Néstor Faccio (KO 1), won against Argentinean Esteban Ponce (KO 1), and over ex Argentinean and South American champ Wilfredo Vilches (KO 1). On July 20th, he scored a ten round unanimous decision over Mateo Verón, and added the Argentinean junior middleweight championship, in Escobar, Buenos Aires. On November 9th., he punished tough former Latino champ and Brazilian contender Anderson Clayton, before knocking him out in the fourth round, to retain his WBO Latino belt. On February 9th., he repeated over Colombian Emilio Julio in five rounds to defend for the fourth time his WBO belt, in Buenos Aires. And after his frustrated fight against Armenian Vanes Martirosyan, in a highly world ranked junior middleweight bout, which was scheduled for April 6th. in Macau, China, but was cancelled due to an injury in his opponent, on May 24th., he finished in two rounds Brazilian Everaldo Praxedes. And in his last performance, on September 7th. at the Luna Park Stadium in Buenos Aires, he stopped in five rounds his countryman Alejandro Falliga, to defend his Latino belt for the fifth time. But now, in his second fight out from his country, the most important of his career, he will have to release all his power if he wants to get the world title opportunity he desires.

The 29-year-old Rose also wants to get the title shot, based on his European experience, and his ten victories in a row. After conquering the BBBofC British junior middleweight crown and defeating opponents like his countrymen Prince Arron and Max Maxwell, and Scottish Kris Carslaw, on October 5th., 2012, he finished in three rounds former world champion Vivian Harris, from Guyana, at home in Blackpool. After beating countryman Sam Webb to defend his British crown, on April 20th., he scored a twelve round technical knockout over Canadian former world champion Joachim Alcine. And on June 29th., in his last performance, he defeated by decision Bulgarian Alexey Ribchev, in Bolton. Now, he is ready to release all his technical skills to make a statement, and with his fan’s support, get the biggest victory of his career that will put him in front of his first world title opportunity that his is waiting for.

Maciel and Rose clash on a massive boxing night in Sheffield. In the other main event, undefeated hometown favorite Kell Brook (30-0, 22 KOs) will face former Ukrainian world champion Vyacheslav Senchenko (34-1, 23 KOs), in an IBF welterweight world title eliminator.

Brook weighed 146.1 pounds, and Senchenko came in 146.75 pounds.

In another important bout, unbeaten Englishman Callum “Mundo” Smith (8-0, 6 KOs) will face current South American super middleweight champion, Rubén “Siru” Acosta (27-8-5, 10 KOs), for the vacant WBC international super middleweight belt.

Weigh-in results:

Kell Brook 146.1 vs. Vyacheslav Senchenko 146.75
IBF welterweight eliminator
Brian Rose 152.6 vs. Javier Maciel 152.1
WBO junior middleweight eliminator

Anthony Joshua 232 vs. Paul Butlin 236
Adam Etches 165.1 vs. Alexandre Mendes 162.6

IBF Youth middleweight title

Callum Smith vs. Ruben Acosta

vacant WBC international super middleweight title

Sam O’Maison vs. Ashley Mayall

Jordan Gill vs. Arron Flynn

Kal Yafai vs. Abigail Medina

Scott Jenkins vs. Antonio Rodriguez

Venue: Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield, England.
Promoter: Matchroom Boxing.
TV: TyC Sports and Public TV (Argentina and most parts of America), Sky Sports (United Kingdom), and AWE and www.AWEtv.com (United States).