Turning Stone Resort Casino and Golden Boy Promotions hosted a final press conference to kick off the Boxing Hall of Fame Induction Weekend in Canastota, New York, and prime fans for a Friday card at Turning Stone in nearby Verona, New York.
The event is headlined by a 12-round battle between strawweight titleholder Oscar Collazo (9-0, 7 KOs) and Gerardo Zapata (14-1-1), who will challenge for Collazo’s WBO belt. The fight night is co-promoted with Miguel Cotto Promotions and will be broadcast on DAZN.
Here is what some of the event’s participants had to say Thursday:
Oscar Collazo
“I want to thank Golden Boy Promotions, Miguel Cotto Promotions and my entire team for giving me the opportunity to fight on this historic weekend, especially on the same weekend that Puerto Rican champion Ivan Calderon is getting inducted. He was the one who opened the doors for the smaller weight classes, and I am here to prove that we can also pack a punch. Thank you, God, for this amazing opportunity.”
Gerardo Zapata
“I want to thank Golden Boy for the world championship opportunity. We have been training very hard with my team at Maywood Boxing Gym for this chance at a belt, and we are going to give fight fans a great war. I am very happy to be here, and thanks again to everyone who made this possible.”
Ray Halbritter, CEO of Turning Stone Enterprises and representative of the Oneida Nation
“Sporting events, particularly boxing, have helped evolve and transform the experience at Turning Stone over the years and established us as one of the leading tourist destinations in New York. We are proud to say, Central New Yorkers are some of the most passionate boxing fans in the world. We have had the honor of hosting several boxing Hall of Famers here at Turning Stone over the years, whether they promoted fights at the resort, fought here themselves or joined us for special events like induction weekend Hall of Famers – including boxing legend Muhammad Ali, Oscar De La Hoya, Hector “Macho” Camacho, Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto.
“Congratulations to all of the boxing legends being inducted in the Hall of Fame on Sunday. Good luck to all of the fighters competing here tomorrow night. And thank you all for being here at Turning Stone to celebrate the 2024 International Boxing Hall of Fame induction weekend.”
Ed Brophy, International Boxing Hall of Fame executive director
“Boxing speaks the language of life better than any other sport, and boxing will survive any other sport for the period of time because it is boxing, and that’s what the sport is all about – it’s about life. So we celebrate boxing, but we’re celebrating the achievements, in a sense, of what we all go through. And it’s an honor to pay tribute to the new class of inductees. They’ve reached the very top of their game, and we’re looking forward to celebrating with them again. I want to thank Ray Halbritter, along with the Oneida Nation Council members, Golden Boy and the team at Turning Stone.”
Oscar De La Hoya, chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions
“It will be a packed weekend for boxing. We have a stacked fight-night card featuring Oscar Collazo vs. Gerardo Zapata. Congratulations to all the inductees. I commend you for putting in all the hard work, for being the very best at what you do. All the years of dedication, blood, sweat and tears – nobody knows what it’s like to be inside the ring except ourselves. We know what it takes. We know the sacrifices we have to make. But tonight, the sacrifice that you have made all your life has paid off. You are a Hall of Famer for the rest of your life. Be proud. Hold your head up high and just remind yourself and remind the world that you were, you are, the very best again. Congratulations, Boxing Hall of Fame of 2024. Let’s go!”
Eric Gomez, president of Golden Boy Promotions
“We do boxing 24/7, and we get caught up in the shows we’re doing, but this weekend – this weekend’s different. This weekend, we get to be fans also, so it’s special for us as well. Congratulations to all the inductees that are getting inducted. You guys deserve it. Just like Oscar said, you put in the hard work. The fighters that are going to fight on Friday night are following in your footsteps. You guys inspire them. That’s the reason why they do it. And you guys lead by example. This Friday’s event will be action-packed, and you’ll get to see some of the fighters – like Oscar Collazo – who, with hard work and determination, will one day hopefully make it to the Hall of Fame, too.”