Guzman-Campbell Interview

September 5, 2008 · Filed under: Boxing Interviews · 598 views  

Campbell: No, nobody said anything else.

Question: Is that expected?

Campbell: Listen to me. These guys are used to me ?? when they make statements like that, they’re showing their color. They’re showing their fear. I don’t drink. I don’t even drink when I’m not training. I don’t take any drugs. I’ve never taken drugs. When guys make statements like that, I know it is their fear speaking.

Joan is working with David Burr. He knows me. He knows what training I’ve put in for that fight. If I have to ask anybody to be a witness and watch me train my heart out, then so be it. I can use his strength and conditioning guy. When people are talking about steroids it just shows their fear.

Question: What was your motivation to receive this fight, to give the undefeated world champion Joan Guzman a shot at your title? What was your motivation to do that?

Campbell: He’s my mandatory challenger. But it could have been anybody. One thing about me, I’ve never turned a fight down. To me, Joan Guzman is a solid, good fighter. But I don’t shy away from that. Everybody asks if this is something that’s outside of my scope. I’ve always done this. There’s nothing different about me fighting this fighter or any other fighter. I’ve always fought the guys out there.

Question: I understand. How is your training going and how is it working with your trainer?

Campbell: We don’t do mountains. We do it in Florida. If you can do it in Florida, you can make it anywhere. You can come down to Fort Lauderdale on a fall day and its 90 degrees, so imagine how hot it is in my gym we don’t use the AC for the most part.

Question: Tim, this is your first defense of the title. And even though you’re just a year younger than Edner Cherry, he’s had a lot more fights than you have. How are you going to make up for that experience difference in this fight.

Bradley: I don’t know. We’re going to have to see. We’re definitely going to have to see. I just have to use my head. I have to be smart in the ring.

I have to box smart because I know he has a lot experience. I’ve seen his videos and I know he does a lot of tricks in there. I’m just going to prepare mentally and physically for the fight, and spiritually.

We’ll have to see how it goes. I have all the experience in the world. I have over 140 amateur fights, so I’ve seen pretty much every style.

Question: Do you think you’re a unsung heroes in boxing?

Bradley: Not yet. I’m still a work in progress and I’m the new champion now. I thank SHOWTIME for putting me, Don King, my promoters, and Gary Shaw Productions just for giving me a chance to fight on SHOWTIME. I am grateful for the chance to air my skills and to show the world who Tim Bradley is. Like you said, a lot of people don’t know who I am and I don’t have the notoriety that most champions do. But that’s definitely what we’re trying to get. We’re trying to get notoriety and get recognized.

Question: Edner, how do you want to face Tim?

Cherry: September 13, only that night can tell. I’m going to go in there and do my best. I just have to go in there and put my stuff out there. I fight a lot of good fighters and a lot of different kind of fighters.

Anything that Timothy Bradley comes with nothing new. We just have been ready for this fight. Timothy Bradley is a great fighter. His record is 22?0. On September 13, we just have to get it going on.

Question: Edner, do you think there’s any one area that you have an advantage over Tim in this fight?

Cherry: You know what, September 13 will tell it. That’s all. I’ll just go in there and just see. We’ll just go in and try and use whatever works.

I’m not going to take anything from Timothy Bradley. He’s tough and he’s a great guy. We’re just going to go in there and have fun. I’m out there to fight. We’ll be buddies, you know what I’m saying?

Question: Tim, what advantages do you see in this fight over Edner?

Bradley: My boxing ability and my speed. Mostly my speed and movement.

Question: He said he’s going to go in there have fun, be buddies with you. Is that how you see this fight?

Bradley: No. Edner Cherry is trying to play mind games right now, I think. He’s coming for me. I’ve seen him fight. I’ve been following his career since the beginning of my career. I know who he is. I know what he’s capable of doing. He’s going to be a tough opponent. He’s very tough and he’s hungry and ambitious. He wants it.

You’re going to see the best Edner Cherry, but you’re also going to see the best Tim Bradley that night.

Question: Are you going to see a knockout in this fight?

Bradley: I never make any predictions. If it comes it comes, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. It doesn’t really matter to me. I’m ready to go a full 12 rounds.

Question: Edner, did the fights you had with Junior Ferguson help your career.

Cherry: It didn’t help me a whole lot. There were a lot of people around the world watching and saying ‘who is Edner Cherry.’ The exposure was great. On September 13 a lot of people will know who I am. People will definitely tune in especially with Timothy Bradley, because he’s a WBC champ.

Question: Edner, were you impressed with Timothy’s last fight?

Cherry: Definitely. He went to England, in Junior Witter’s backyard. He showed everything in the ring. He fought with heart and showed that he was hungry. It’s especially impressive to go in somebody’s backyard and knocking them down in six rounds. That was a great fight.

There’s nothing you could take away from Timothy Bradley that night. He went in there and did his thing.

Question: Nate, you said that you’re the bigger, stronger fighter. And he said that he’s got good defense and he’s quick. Do you think that he’s a lot quicker than you? Because you’re bigger and stronger, are you going to stop this guy?

Campbell: First, I don’t see where he’s that much quicker than me. The first thing you all miss is that I’m not slow by any stretch. I’m not a slow guy. I don’t slide. I don’t just walk to guys. I’m a technician in my own right.

For some reason you all turn me out to be the underdog in this fight. But I’ll let y’all have that. I’m going for a knockout in every fight. If a guy stands there and takes it, I might not get the knockout that fight, but somewhere along the line some other guy gets it. I’ve been beating and debilitating opponents. I’ve been proving it through my career at 135 pounds.

Question: Are you going to break him down like you did Juan Diaz?

Campbell: I break everybody down. When was the last time you’ve seen me not break someone down at 135?

Question: Have you prepared for this fight any differently for a different style, and if anything, what is your preparation going like and what kind of strategy do you employ against a guy like Joan Guzman?

Campbell: I trained differently for this fight. We knew about his style, so we had to incorporate that in my sparring. But at the end of the day you’ve got to fight me for 12 rounds. You have to come willing to stand. Every fight Joan was in, he’s got to fight at some point.

Question: Nate, Galaxxy Warrior, how did you get that nickname?

Campbell: It was my gym name. It was the first gym, Galaxy Boxing was the gym. It was the first gym I went to as an adult. I had been to gyms before, but that was the one that stuck, the one that really made the difference.

Question: That turned you into a boxer, and it had two Xs in it, that’s why it has two Xs in your name?

Campbell: In the front of the building there was the name Galaxxy Computer. In the back was a gym called Boxing at the Galaxxy. I was not trying to make myself bigger with two Xs. That was just the name of the gym.

Question: What would you like to put in effect in this fight against your contender that you learned from your trainer?

Bradley: I just basically want to be smart. I want to box smart in there. I just follow the game plan, listen to my corner and follow the plan we came up with.

Closing comments

Campbell: I’m looking for a great fight. I want people to come out and watch the fight and watch it on SHOWTIME. I want fans to be prepared for an early night or a long, hard night. Whichever way it comes, that’s the way I take it.

Guzman: I would like to thank my entire team. My trainer Floyd Merriweather, Sr., and my promoters, Sycuan Promotions, and SHOWTIME for having me back on the network. We’re ready to fight on September 13. You’re going to see the first three division Dominican?born champion on September 13.

Bradley: I’d like to thank God for this opportunity. I want to thank SHOWTIME for giving me a chance to fight. I want to thank my promotional companies, Gary Shaw Productions and Thompson Boxing Promotions and Don King for making this all possible. I’d like to thank Edner Cherry for stepping up. Thank you so much. May the best man win that night. Good luck. God bless everybody.

Cherry: I just want to thank God for opening this door for me. I just want to say good luck to everybody. I’d like to thank Timothy Bradley and his people for giving me the chance of fighting for this title. I want to thank my team. I want to thank everyone. This is a blessing for me. I just want to thank everyone. Nate, what’s up? Take it home. Good luck to everyone. And I’ll see you on the 13th.

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