Beltran: “The Plan Is To Knock Out Vasquez"

Next week in Los Angeles, three-time world title challenger and the IBF top-rated lightweight contender Ray Beltran will be defending his NABF and NABO lightweight titles against former two-time interim WBA super featherweight champion and current WBA No. 1 contende Bryan Vasquez 36-2, 19 KOs), from San Jose, Costa Rica Beltran (33-7-1, 21 KOs).

Beltran enters this fight having won his last four fights by knockout. A former sparring partner of former eight-division world champion Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, Beltran still trains at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif. with Pepe Reilly. As if risking his world title shot isn’t enough pressure, every fight he wins gets him one step closer to a precious green card via the "extraordinary athlete" status needed to qualify for the EB-1 green card typically available to certain sportspeople, entertainers, and masters of the arts and sciences. Recently, he has been in the U.S. under an athletic visa.

Top Rank® stopped by Beltran’s training camp at Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif. Below are a few quotes and photos from today’s training session.

RAY BELTRAN QUOTES

“The plan is to knock out Vasquez. That is the goal I want to achieve to be able to get the big fight. I want to give the fans another impressive victory and make it clear that I am a world-class fighter.

“I feel very motivated. To get my green card is as important or more important than winning a world title. This is not just about myself, this is also about the future of my family.

“To fight on ESPN is a dream come true. In the past, all the big fights were shown on ESPN and now history its repeating itself. Now everyone will have access to world-class fights."

Pic Mikey Williams/Top Rank