Christopher Pearson is ready to upset the odds on Saturday night, as the American super-middleweight sets his sights on unseating IBO champion Carlos Gongora at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, Florida.
In December, Ecuadorian Gongora shocked touted Kazakh Ali Akhmedov in the final round in a bout that featured as the chief support to IBF/IBO middleweight king Gennady Golovkin’s seventh-round retirement stoppage of Kamil Szeremeta.
Now Gongora (19-0, 14 KOs) faces the challenge of Pearson, who opened up about his quest to become a world super-middleweight champion later tonight.
“Gongora is an elite fighter, he deserves to be world champion. I’m ready to show that I am also an elite fighter as well and that I’m better than him,” Pearson (17-2, 12 KOs & 1 NC) told Boxing Social. “He does a lot of things well, but I believe I have a better boxing IQ than he does, and my skill set is stronger than his. We will see on the night but I truly believe I’m going to become world champion.
“All I can see on Saturday night is a Chris Pearson victory and a world title around my waist. I have nothing but respect for Gongora, he’s a class act. I just believe I’m a better all-around fighter and I’m ready to prove it.”
Photo: Michelle Farsi/Matchroom Boxing USA.
The opportunities that lie in front of Pearson are potentially significant if he overcomes the Ecuadorian champion tonight, with unifications a real possibility.
“I’m very excited about this fight and, of course, the goal is to become a unified world champion. So that’s what I will look for next after I become IBO world champion,” he said.
“I’d like to fight David Benavidez as he has a massive future but if the [IBF champion] Caleb Plant fight was offered to me I’d take that immediately. I actually think Benavidez is better than Plant.
“Everybody wants to fight Canelo Alvarez so, of course, my eyes would be on the winner of that fight with Billy Joe Saunders, but my focus right now is becoming world champion on Saturday night and then letting my team make the best move for me going forward.
“I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity and I’d like to thank my team, Split T Management, Matchroom Boxing and the IBO for giving me this chance to become world champion on Saturday night.”
Main image: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA.