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10/29/2003 Archived Entry: "Gainer"
Gainer Does Some "Heavy" Sparring In Preparing for Marquez
New York, NY - Derrick "Smoke" Gainer (39-5, 24 KOs) figures if he can take the hard punch and adapt to the cat-like quickness of heavyweight Roy Jones Jr. while sparring, it has to help when facing a man in his own division. Smoke says he is ready to smoke Juan Manuel Marquez (41-2, 32 KOs) when they square off in a featherweight unification bout this Saturday night, November 1, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The co-feature on the Floyd Mayweather-Phillip N'Dou doubleheader will be televised live on HBO Sports World Championship Boxing at 9:30 PM/ET, 6:30 PM/PT. Gainer holds the WBA Featherweight Title, while Marquez holds the IBF Title; one should leave the ring as the unified champion.
"I know Marquez is nowhere as fast as Roy," reflects Gainer. "I know for sure I can hit Marquez. I am very good dealing with that kind of speed and quickness. Roy is obviously so much bigger than Marquez, so I am ready."
Gainer, a protégé of Jones (both are from Pensacola, FL and train there), says that he is "in the best shape of my life" after recovering from a torn pectoral muscle which postponed the Marquez fight originally scheduled for August. "I just can't see myself losing."
Gainer enjoys being on the big stage, and feels that gives him an added edge over Marquez. "I have had big events like this before," says Gainer. "I'm very comfortable. I'm determined to shock the world."
"This is a tremendous opportunity for Smoke to showcase his skills on HBO against a top champion in Marquez," said Lou DiBella, Gainer's promoter and president of DiBella Entertainment. "Marquez will bring the best out of Smoke and I expect an impressive performance from him."
"This is an important fight in the featherweight division," added DiBella. "You have two champions fighting each other to solidify their claim as the best featherweight in the world."
