"They don't know me that well, but they will after June 14th. I'm coming in there prepared. Ruslan was in a similar situation a few fights back and he made the most of his opportunity and I'm looking to do the same...I have all the skills that I need to win this fight. I just have to stick to the plan and stay focused, and really me and my team feel if I could do those two things, we got this fight," stated undefeated jr. welterweight contender Chris Algieri, who talked about his upcoming clash this Saturday with WBO jr. welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov. Check out what else he had to say!
PC: We are getting very close to your fight against Ruslan Provodnikov. How has training camp been?
CA: Everything is going real good. Everything is going real smooth in my training camp. We are just finishing up now; we are sharp and really feeling good. Things have been going very smooth.
PC: You are coming off of a win over Emanuel Taylor, who was undefeated, and that fight was televised on ESPN. Not only will you have more eyes on you because of your last performance, but because Provodnikov will be across the ring from you. Does that add any pressure to you for this fight?
CA: Nah man, this is what we were looking for. We want guys like this. This is one of the moments where the more eyes, the better. My last fight was a good showcase for me against a super tough guy who was highly rated. The more eyes, the better.
PC: Ruslan has been on a tear, and because of how good his last few fights, win or lose, have been, people aren't giving you much of a chance. Do you look at that as disrespect or are you using it in other ways?
CA: I don't think it's disrespect at all. I understand where people are coming from. They don't know me that well, but they will after June 14th. I'm coming in there prepared. Ruslan was in a similar situation a few fights back and he made the most of his opportunity and I'm looking to do the same.
PC: Danny Garcia said he used the fans and media not giving him a chance against Lucas Matthysse as his motivation. Is just being the underdog your motivation or are you getting motivation from somewhere else?
CA: This isn't the first time I've been the underdog. My motivation has always been self-driven. This is something that I have been thinking about and dreaming about for many years. This is just the accumulation of my whole career and my motivation comes from within.
PC: A lot of people got familiar with Ruslan after his last two fights. Have you gone back even further than the Bradley and Alvarado fight to watch him?
CA: My team has. I let my coaches do the studying. I've seen Ruslan fight before, but I'm not big on watching tape trying to figure a guy out that way. That's for my team to do and they will come up with a gameplan based on what they saw. They came up with the plan, we have been working on it, and I just gotta go out there and execute it.
PC: He's not the kind of guy that's gonna get in your face and talk trash or shove you or anything like that. What has the promotion and build up been like for you?
CA: He's a great champion. He's humble and a respectful guy. Even at the initial press conference, we had a stare off and there is no animosity between us. We are just gonna go out there and do our job. The promotion is going well. It's going to be a great night for boxing and we need more guys like him.
PC: A lot of fighters don't really hang with one another, so sometimes seeing these guys at the press conference is one of only a few times, and in some cases, the first time you guys see one another. When you initially saw him, were you expecting him to be a little taller, shorter, more muscular; any surprises?
CA: He was actually smaller than I expected. He was shorter and I expected kind of a burlier guy than he was when I seen him at the press conference. But I know he is a powerful guy and I know it won't be easy, you know? I'm pretty much the poster boy for that.
PC: What would capturing this title mean for you?
CA: This would be a dream come true. I have been dreaming about this for literally decades, since I was a child. It's perfect that it's in New York because that's exactly how I pictured it. Everything is coming together the right way.
PC: Not to give away the strategy, but what do you feel you have to do or what do you have to have success at during the fight to walk away with the win?
CA: Really, it's simple! I just have to stay focused. I have all the skills that I need to win this fight. I just have to stick to the plan and stay focused, and really me and my team feel if I could do those two things, we got this fight.
PC: I won't keep you too long. I appreciate the time and wish you the best of luck. Is there anything you want to say before I let you go?
CA: No, everything is great. Thank you, Percy. I appreciate the time.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]