"I feel like there would be more of an opportunity for me right now rocking with Golden Boy. But for right now, I'm gonna stay a free agent and see what it do until we get that phone callÂ…I signed with Top Rank to get the big fights. At the time I signed with them, I was #2 in the world in the WBO, so I expected to get a big fight, but nevertheless, I didn't. I figured I would make it happen another way. But they got me a fight. I was able to fight on Bryan Vera's card, so it was exposure and I know you gotta work your way up, but I was just ready for the bigger fights, and I still am, and now I feel like I'm gonna make something happen," stated jr. welterweight contender Karim Mayfield, who talked about being a free agent now that he's no longer with Top Rank. Check out what he had to say about his future plans and much more.
PC: You are now a free agent; free of your Top Rank contract. Was it just time for you to move on?
KM: It certainly was. The Dulorme fight wasn't offered to me through Top Rank, so for the most part, I was just getting like undercard stuff off of network television. But Dulorme wanted to fight me, so he took the fight; so they basically called me out. So that fight kind of got made through social media more than Top Rank making it happen, but I was already locked in. I feel like there would be more of an opportunity for me right now rocking with Golden Boy. But for right now, I'm gonna stay a free agent and see what it do until we get that phone call.
PC: Is the goal to stay busy while you wait on that phone call or are you just gonna stay in the gym until a major promoter hits you up?
KM: Definitely gonna stay busy. We doing an event July 19th, if I'm not mistaken, in our hometown. My brother actually owns half of my promotion with Top Rank and we were already planning on doing a show out here. We got a big fan base out here. The Bay always comes out and shows support. The last one that he threw was 4 years ago out in the Bay and about 2,000 people showed up and that was with like 3 weeks of promotion. I think it's good for me to show people that I can draw. We sold 2,000 tickets with only 3 weeks promotion and this was before I was even on network television. And a lot of the fans were people that know me through community service, and my brother also promotes parties and concerts, so a lot of people there was from his email list. A lot of them weren't even boxing fans; they just came to show support. So I think now, just being a bigger name, we doing it out here to show that I can draw too. Honestly, it's like Floyd said, Mexicans are the biggest fans in the fight game. They show support, and you got black folk that support also, but it's a little different. It's not like a fan base or movement so to speak. With that being said, it's a movement with the Bay and it ain't even a black thing; it's a Bay movement. It's a great feeling. I got a lot of support. We gonna do something out here and make it happen.
PC: You mentioned staying busy. Do you feel like that was another reason you had to break free because Top Rank wasn't ringing your phone with fights as much as you had hoped for?
KM: Yeah, for the most part. I signed with Top Rank to get the big fights. At the time I signed with them, I was #2 in the world in the WBO, so I expected to get a big fight, but nevertheless, I didn't. I figured I would make it happen another way. But they got me a fight. I was able to fight on Bryan Vera's card, so it was exposure and I know you gotta work your way up, but I was just ready for the bigger fights, and I still am, and now I feel like I'm gonna make something happen.
PC: You texted me that you will fight anyone in the division. Do you have anyone in mind or does anyone mean anyone?
KM: Certainly anyone. This is the fight game, man, and styles make fights. We are supposed to fight whoever. It certainly gotta make sense though. It's not pridefighting, it's prizefighting, so there has to be a prize at the end. I go out and fight these tough guys and they give me crumbs. Come on, man. I got things to do; better things to do. Of course I want a network fight, but you can't be giving me crumbs.
PC: What weight class are you trying to make noise at? Are you staying at 140 or moving up to 147?
KM: I can go to either one; 140 and I can definitely make 147. I fought 47 most of my career. I only fought about 4 or 5 fights at 140 and the rest of them was at 47. I even thought about 54 (laughing). I can definitely fight at a couple of weight classes, man.
PC: You were out in Vegas for "The Moment." What did you think of the event and of course the main event between Mayweather and Maidana?
KM: It was a good fight. I enjoyed all of the fights. Floyd did what he did and pulled off the victory. Maidana pushed a hard fight and made it a close fight, but I think Floyd did what he needed to do to pull it off. He swept a lot of the middle and late rounds. I would like to see a rematch.
PC: Keep me in the loop of what you got going on. Best of luck in your free agent period and we'll talk soon. Is there anything else you want to add?
KM: Trust me, Karim "Hard Hitta" Mayfield still in the building. Come on, man, what y'all thought? We had a little mishap, but we back like we forgot something. You know what we forgot? All the belts! We coming back for 'em, damnit!
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]