Carl Moretti, Vice President/Top Rank: (photos by Top Rank)

* “This is a marathon, not a sprint”

* “What none of us in this room saw was the work Mike put into his pro debut”

* “It begins Saturday night. One fight, one round, one opponent.”

* “I hope people give Mike the benefit of the doubt. With the effort he put forward just to get to his pro debut...all the elements are there to make a great pro fighter”

Mike Lee:

* “It seems like yesterday I was back here in February signing with Top Rank. It's great to be back here now. It's my home town.”

* “I knew this was my moment. This is a really important step for me.”

* Saturday night the nerves are going to be flying, but I'm more excited than anything.”

* “I believe I have found the best team in boxing. It's too hot to be down there [in Houston] and not be with the best team in boxing. They've really become my family down there in Houston, and it's starting to become my home as I start my career there.”

* “I want to thank Bryan Caldwell and Top Rank.”

* “It's going to be a great fight not only for me, but for the other fighters as well. I'm really excited. I hope everybody watches.”

Ronnie Shields/Trainer, Mike Lee:

 * “We're very excited to be here, especially because it's Mike's home town.”

 * “He wants to show everyone what we've been doing in the gym. It's been four months now, and its going great. In the gym, he's such a pleasure to work with. He'll try everything. He is willing to learn- one of the most important things for a fighter to have, and he's got it.”

* “Mike has surrounded himself with a great team, and you cannot succeed without a great team. You have to start at the top, his mom and dad. Mike really loves his family, and they've really stuck with him in everything that he's always done. It's a pleasure for me to be a part of them because they're really good people. We take good care of him.”

* “Mike is with probably one of the best, if not the best promoter in boxing today. Top Rank built a solid company. I think that Mike is very fortunate to be with Top Rank.”

* “We are very excited about being in Chicago for Mike's first fight. I think a lot of people are going to be surprised. I'm not just saying that Mike has worked very hard. Expect big things in the near future.

Mike Lee will face Emmitt Woods in a scheduled four rounder in one of the feature bout at TOP RANK LIVE on Saturday night, May 29nd at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago.

The main event at TOP RANK LIVE will feature an outstanding ten round welterweight showdown between Mexican veterans Jesus “Renuente” Soto-Karass and Gabriel “EL Rey” Martinez.

The undercard will feature Chicago’s Ivan Popoca, Antonio Avila and Polish heavyweight prospect Krzystof Zimnoch.