GL: Can you give us some final thoughts on the Sultan Ibragimov-Evander Holyfield fight? "I'm leaving for Moscow today. Ibragimov arrived last Wednesday and Holyfield arrived over the weekend. We're all very excited about it and ESPN in fact is going to help us promote the fight. Everyone can catch the preview show for Ibragimov-Holyfield at 8PM tonight on ESPN classic. I urge everyone to watch that, it's going to get them fired up for the fight and then we're expecting a fight that's going to be one of the best heavyweight fights of recent years."

GL: What can we expect to see from Ibragimov on Saturday night?

Leon Margules: "He's going to set a fast pace and fight like a young guy and try to make Holyfield work as hard as he can. Holyfield is going to try to land that left hook and put him to sleep, so it's going to be an exciting fight as long as it lasts."

GL: How are the tickets sales going and what do you expect the atmosphere in the arena to be like?

LM: "All of the most expensive seats are all but gone, there's just a couple left. The atmosphere is going to be great, there's going to be 14,000 people there and it's going to be packed. All of the high end ticket sales are gone."

GL: Will you guys present the major networks with a copy of this event in an effort to ensure that Ibragimov's next defense, if he's successful against Holyfield, would take place on a major network in America?

LM: "It depends. Warriors Boxing will certainly give HBO and Showtime whatever they want. I'm sure they'll watch the fight themselves. I know HBO and Showtime have been hesitant to go to Russia to put on a fight because of all the logistical issues and rumors about doing an event in Russia. This show could do a lot for PPV in that market in terms of how it's perceived and aired in the United States. I think that's important because it's a market. It's going to be difficult to bring Ibragimov back to the United States when the money is what it appears to be in Europe? Why would we come fight here for half the money or a third of the money?
I'm going to sell $6M in tickets alone without television in the Soviet Union. You think I would do that kind of gate with Ibragimov against any of the champions in the United States?"

GL: It's the job of the fighter to focus on the task at hand, it's the job of the promoter to plan ahead like a chess player, if Ibragimov wins, what are the most likely options?

LM: "Well, we always like to unify, so there's always the unification possibility. The way the WBC is set up it doesn't look like Sulaiman is going to allow a unification bout to happen outside of the group of heavyweights he has on line as potential mandatories. Wladimir Klitschko is always a possibility and I know they have a date in the Garden, but we might rather go back to Moscow because it's a business decision. With the WBA champion Chagaev, we don't know what to make of his injury. I've heard everything from a stomach ailment to hepatitis. Tony Thompson is our mandatory and I know that Tony and Dan Goossen have been clamoring for the fight and all of these are possibilities for Sultan if he wins the fight."

GL: Is there anything you'd like to say in closing?

LM: "My closing thoughts are, I believe Ibragimov will win the fight. I believe Holyfield will have his moments, but he will put on a great show like the champion that he is. He's always got a punchers chance to win the fight. I the United States will view doing a boxing event of this magnitude in Moscow after this event and I can't wait to get over there."

M

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