A talented, exciting  fighter fans need to keep a close eye on, undefeated, world-ranked Andre Ward of  Oakland, Calif., defends his North American Boxing Organization (NABO) super  middleweight title against once-beaten Henry
“Sugar Poo’’ Buchanan of  Chesterfield, S.C., tomorrow/Friday, Feb. 6, on ShoBox: The New Generation on SHOWTIME  (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). Ward, the only boxer  from the United States to capture a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in  Athens, Greece, will enter the 12-round bout, which is also for the North  American Boxing Federation (NABF) 168-pound crown, with a record of 17-0 with 12  KOs. Buchanan is 17-1 with 12 stoppages. In the  ShoBox co-feature, unbeaten John  “John” Molina (14-0, 10 KOs) of Covina, Calif., will meet Ghana’s hard-hitting  Joshua Allotey (15-6, 13 KOs) in an eight-round junior lightweight bout. Goossen  Tutor Promotions will promote the event from The Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino  at Lemoore, Calif. NOTE: THURSDAY’S  WEIGHTS – Ward weighed 166.2  pounds, Buchanan 167.6 pounds; Molina weighed 133, Allotey  132.6.

ANDRE  WARD
“I am not a reluctant  warrior. I am not afraid to fight anybody. The really big fights haven’t  happened, but they will, hopefully in 2009. Lots of possible fights never get  made because the higher rated fighters don’t want to fight. I’d fight Jermain  Taylor in a second. “But it really  doesn’t matter who I fight. My job is to win, and to continue to win  impressively
“I am looking for a  good fight Friday. Buchanan is coming in with nothing to lose. I suspect he’ll  try and work inside, because all my opponents try to work inside, but I am  stronger than they think. “I have lots of  incentive and lots of huge chips on my shoulders. I feel I should be ranked  higher. I don’t think I get the respect I deserve, and I don’t know why. I feel,  even with the injuries, my career has progressed. I’ve risen to the occasion  each time. The guys I’ve fought; they don’t
lose after they fight  me. “Buchanan has never  been knocked down. The old adage is ‘don’t look for the knockout, the knockout  will come.’ But I don’t know any fighter who doesn’t mind going home early. I  may switch up and go southpaw a little. This is going to be a fast-paced,  intense fight and I am prepared for that. Fans will see a good  show.’’

HENRY  BUCHANAN
“I am here to fight  and to win. No excuses in my last fight against (Jean Paul) Mendy – he beat me  fair and square --- but the fact is I entered the ring with a broken hand I had  broken in the fight before that. “I am not 100 percent  healthy, I am 200 percent healthy for this and I am looking forward to the  opportunity to defeat an Olympic gold medalist. “Ward’s been down. I  wasn’t even knocked down in the streets. It is not going to  happen. “My whole life has  been uphill; nothing has come easy, my sister died just last week. So I am  thrilled to get this fight. No matter what it says on paper, Ward had better be  ready for the fight of his life. “He’s a great  fighter, no doubt about that. But if you want to make aname for yourself, and  some money, in this sport, if you have bills to pay, you jump at this kind of  opportunity and make the best of it.
“And that is exactly  what I plan to do.’’

JOHN  “JOHN”  MOLINA
“I am excited about  fighting on SHOWTIME and very anxious to show whatI am all about. I am  definitely prepared. I am willing and can’t wait to do what I have to  do. “There is nothing  that Allotey can show me or do that will deter me from
doing what I came to  do. “I have been doing a different regiment all together from what I
normally do since I have been training with Joe Goossen. “We have been working  on my output and working out the little kinks in my game that needed fixing  up.’’

JOSHUA  ALLOTEY
“I am coming here to  win so I can fight better fights later. I am happy tobe fighting here; it's a  great opportunity. "John's (Molina) father fights better than his son. I  would be more intimidated by his father. Me? I fight like lightning - my  style will
beat John's.