"My hands are made for boxing only. Really it opened my eyes to seeing that I need to step up with my boxing career and I have to put myself out thereÂ…I know I have been out for a while and you haven't really seen me, but soon, you're gonna see a lot of me. A lot of people used to go to my fights and they liked what they seen, so when I fight, hopefully they still come out and support and they didn't leave me because they are gonna see a lot of me," stated up-and-coming super bantamweight Ray Ximenez, who talked about his return to the ring after a long layoff, his future plans, and more. Check it out!
PC: How did you hook up with Adrian Clark. I'm sure you are hoping he ends your drought of inactivity?
RX: Yeah man, I think he's gonna get me busy. He actually was looking for me on social media and after contacting a few Ray Ximenez's that were just regular people, he messaged me and started talking to my dad about hooking up with him and putting me on his roster. They talked everything out and now we here.
PC: You were very busy in 2012, fighting 4 times; only one time in 2013. How soon are you looking to get back in there?
RX: As soon as possible really. I've been off for more than a year. I sparred last week and I was hyped about it. I love to fight because fighting is my thing. It gets me mad because we laid off a whole year and I don't want to be the fighter where people are like, "You remember Ray?" "Yeah, but I haven't heard nothing on him in a minute." That's what gets me mad. I don't want to be that kind of fighter. I don't want to be a part-timer; I don't wanna be like that. So I want to fight as soon as possible. If I could fight next week, I would work as hard as possible and get in there if I could.
PC: Any particular reason for the lack of activity?
RX: Honestly, I don't know what happened. My old promoters were excited about having me at first and kept me busy and then all of a sudden, after I fought 4 times in '12, like you said, my phone stopped ringing. I only fought one time last year and still haven't got in there this year, but that situation is cleared now, so I wanna get busy here soon.
PC: Have you been in the gym at all or just taking it easy?
RX: I go in there from time to time, but honestly, I have been focusing on helping my dad get his house done. I've been working with him and helping him get that done. But I go, but I'm not doing anything too strenuous right now until I get a date to fight and then I'll go hard again.
PC: For people that haven't seen you in a while or just getting familiar with you, what do you feel you bring to the table?
RX: My style is all around. I'm more like a counter puncher really. I'm fast and I move a lot. I don't like to be like the typical Mexican fighter where they move forward and get hit a lot to get off their offense. After my boxing career, I still wanna talk right and walk right and not be all dumb in the head. I depend more on speed. I really don't worry about power. Power will come naturally, but I just really like to counter punch, but if I need to brawl, I will brawl, but I don't like to. I'm just all around really.
PC: Anytime you are on the sideline for so long, you have a lot of time to think and reflect on the sport and your career. What have you learned in this time off?
RX: I knew that I really, really wanted to be in the sport of boxing, but having this time off has really opened my eyes to how badly I really want this. Right now, I'm working with my dad as an electrician. I'm not an electrician; it ain't my thing. My hands are made for boxing only. Really it opened my eyes to seeing that I need to step up with my boxing career and I have to put myself out there. I really don't talk a lot; my dad do the talking for me. He talks to managers and promoters and everyone and I just go in the ring and do what I gotta do. I talk with my hands, but now I need to step up and start talking more and start putting myself out there really.
PC: You gotta make a little noise. Anyone in particular you watch a lot of now or that you came up watching?
RX: I watched everybody. I like the counter punchers though, like Mayweather. I like the way he moves. Everybody says he's just a runner in there, but that's being smart. I like that he's smart about everything involving the game. I like Pacquiao's speed and how fast he is and I like the way he trains. I used to be a big fan of Zab Judah, but I don't think he really trains hard anymore. I enjoy watching all fighters though. I don't have any preferences.
PC: I appreciate your time and I hope to see things pick up for you under Adrian's guidance now. Is there anything you want to add before I let you go?
RX: To the people who have supported me, I know I have been out for a while and you haven't really seen me, but soon, you're gonna see a lot of me. A lot of people used to go to my fights and they liked what they seen, so when I fight, hopefully they still come out and support and they didn't leave me because they are gonna see a lot of me.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]